Page 77 of Savage Games

Things would be just fine.

Nicole was no longer a threat, and we were leaving for our honeymoon tomorrow morning.

Everything would be perfect from this point forward.

CHAPTER 26

LIZZIE

Vomo Island, Fiji, South Pacific

As the helicopter circled the island, I cupped the microphone attached to my headphones and called out to Richard, “It’s gorgeous!”

He placed an arm on my shoulder and leaned over to point out the window. Speaking into his own microphone, he said, “It’s two hundred twenty-five acres. The highest point is Mt. Vomo. The panoramic views from the summit are amazing. I’ll take you up there tomorrow.”

“Is it a volcano?”

Richard nodded yes.

My mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God, Richard! Is it safe?”

His thumb caressed the back of my neck. “Don’t worry, little one. It’s an extinct volcano. It’s perfectly safe.”

Just the thought of standing on top of a volcano, even an extinct one, with the possibility of all that heat and hot lava energy just beneath the surface made my stomach flip with apprehension and excitement.

As the helicopter navigated to the southeast corner of the island where the helipad was located, Richard told me more about the island’s history. How it was once used as a ceremonial meeting place for chiefs from the surrounding Fiji islands and then as a vacation spot for the royal family.

Richard had bought it only a few months ago from a distant royal relation.

Looking over the lush greenery, the sparkling pearl beaches and the insanely crystal-clear blue water, it already felt like paradise.

We stepped off the helicopter onto the tarmac. A man dressed in khaki shorts and a button-down short-sleeved white shirt came running up to us.

“Welcome, Your Graces. My name is Timoci, and I am honored to assist you. We prepared the villa for your arrival. With your permission, I can oversee the unloading of your luggage if you’d like to take the Jeep,” he offered, holding out the keys to Richard.

“Thank you, Timoci,” replied Richard, clapping him on the shoulder. “We could only bring a few bags with us this trip. The helicopter is returning with the rest of our luggage.”

Timoci nodded his head. “I will see it taken care of, Your Grace.” Turning, he gestured to a gate on the other side of the tarmac. “Through that gate, you will find the primary road. Just follow that and you will see the villa.”

Taking my hand, Richard led me to the silver Jeep, which looked nothing like any Jeep I had ever seen. It looked like a mash-up between a Jeep and a monster truck.

Laughing, I asked, “What kind of Jeep is this?”

Richard helped me climb into my seat before moving to the driver’s side. Hopping into the vehicle, he responded, “It’s called a Jeep Hurricane. It was never officially on the market.”

He gave me a wink before he started up the Jeep and put it into gear.

As we cruised along the road that took us close to the water’s edge, I watched Richard as much as the stunning landscape. He looked devastatingly handsome in his unbuttoned white linen shirt, showing off his muscled chest and flat abs. Even the mark from the bullet in the center of his chest couldn’t mar the male beauty of his body. It tousled his dark wavy hair in the light breeze and he had a relaxed ease to his smile.

It was crazy, of course, but the color of his eyes even seemed brighter. Usually I thought of them like the dark sapphire color of a deep, unfathomable ocean, but now they were an azure blue reflecting the waters that surrounded us.

Who would have thought my proper and disciplined English duke of a husband would look more in his element on a remote tropical island?

As we pulled up to the villa, an older woman dressed in a bright orange and green sulu greeted us. After telling us her name was Neomai, she informed us dinner would be ready in an hour.

Placing a hand on my lower back, Richard gave me a tour. It really was too beautiful. The villa was massive and sat on numerous pillars driven directly into the sand on the edge of the beach. While having the structure of an authentic Fijian villa, there were also touches of European luxury.

It had an open floor plan, with just about every room opening up onto a wide patio that surrounded the house. Furnished in dark bamboo with crisp white decor touches, everything felt clean and fresh.

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