He's crazy! He's crazy if he thinks she's going anywhere with him... the two of us.
"What makes you think I'm sailing to the island with you?" Jansu asked with an ironic tone in her voice.
"Are you afraid?" he asked in response.
It was a challenge. Jansu was well aware that a balanced, reasonable person would never fall for it. Except that she, when it came to Niko, didn't know how to be either balanced or reasonable.
"What should I be afraid of?" She asked mockingly.
"Me," he replied smugly, "or yourself. That you can't control your feelings."
"What feelings?!" Jansu resented and jumped off the cliff into the quarry with her eyes squeezed shut. "Good! Pick me up tomorrow at 9:00."
Sunday turned out as if on order for a boat trip - quiet, sunny, and warm. Niko pulled up behind Jansu in a black Maserati. Nine o'clock sharp. The car, with its trident crown on the grille and slanted headlight eyes, shone with a noble, matte glow and looked obscenely luxurious. Jansu stretched out in amazement, "Wow!" - walked around it, examining every gorgeous detail, and then asked the waiting Niko, "Where did you get this monster?"
"I rented it," he answered nonchalantly.
"Maserati for hire?" She looked up, - and asked astonished.
"What's the big deal?" Niko, with feigned indifference, shrugged.
"Yeah, nothing," held out Jansu, then asked mockingly, "Couldn't you have taken something simpler?"
Niko pretended to think about it.
"Simpler?" he interjected. "That's an odd question. You wouldn't have asked it before. After all, everything had to be the best, exclusive and upscale for Princess Jansu Baisal."
Jansu looked away and mumbled, "It's been four years. I've changed."
Niko was silent. She looked up at him. He stood leaning his hip against the hood and crossing his arms over his chest. Brand blue silk jersey shirt, beige shorts from the latest Lacoste collection, ultra-expensive, stylish sunglasses. Every item spoke of the man's status and impressive bank account. Once upon a time, Niko was derisive about high fashion brands. Said that men who chase Brioni and Burberry have self-esteem issues.
"It looks like we've both changed," Jansu said.
Niko said nothing. He was discouraged. He wanted to show her his success. Dazzle with status things. Show what she lost by abandoning him, and as a result turned out to be the same show-off with problematic self-esteem, at whom he had always laughed at himself.
Yeah. Jansu Baisal knows how to put you in your place and show what you are worth.
Angry at himself, he opened the door of the monster Maserati and gestured for her to take the passenger seat. Jansu hesitated. She looked at her plain sundress, bought in a common store, and said with subtle irony, "Your Maserati will be insulted. My clothes don't suit your status at all. But I'm not going to change," she added, cockily lifting her chin. "I love my sundress and I'm comfortable in it."
"Get in already!" Niko muttered angrily and pushed her toward the open door.
Jansu tossed her hair and sat down gracefully, like a real princess, in the Maserati saloon. Spreading the thin cotton on her lap, she looked at Niko expectantly. He never moved. Hovering over her, his gaze was fixed on the neckline of her sundress. The blood ran faster through her veins. After suppressing the fire that had flared up so inadvertently and suppressing the urge to cover her chest with her hand, Jansu asked sarcastically, "Are you just gonna stand there?"
He swallowed and straightened up.
"I'm sorry. I wondered."
Closing the door, Niko went to the driver's seat. Maserati, obedient to the driver's hands, rumbled softly and slowly rolled down the flat road. Automatically performing all the necessary manipulations, Niko looked sideways at his passenger. She opened the window and turned her face to the wind. It ruffled her hair, and Jansu squinted with pleasure. Her skin was golden in the sun, in the neckline of the bodice was visible a high, perfectly shaped breasts, and above it - the graceful hollows of the collarbones. Niko sighed and looked away. Staring at the road, he tightened his grip on the steering- wheel. Jansu, resting her head relaxed on the back of the seat, continued to look out the window.
If she'd known what her ex-husband was thinking, she'd have rushed for a mantle.
Niko left the Maserati in the secured parking lot outside the marina and led Jansu along the pier to the silver-white yacht. It swayed alone, waiting for her passengers. Admiring its flowing form, Jansu said, "You were talking about a boat yesterday."
"I've changed my mind," Niko replied, jumping aboard and holding out his hand to her. "We have nowhere to rush."
Jansu cautiously approached the edge of the ladder. Her legs trembled and she hesitated, clearly afraid to step onto the deck. Niko picked her up and set her down on the deck. She didn't even have time to gasp. She just threw her head back and looked into his face. And he was in no hurry to remove his hands. Squeezed her thin waist and his black eyes burned with fire. Jansu broke free and stepped back a few steps.
"Thank you," she thanked and muttered in her defense, "I don't like unstable structures under my feet. All these ladders and temporary ramps give me a panic attack."
"I never would have thought!" Niko stretched out in surprise and slapped himself on the forehead, "So that's why you didn't want a wedding on a yacht."
"You figured me out," she smiled shyly. "When deciding the issue of the wedding venue, all the time I had a picture in front of my eyes, how I was balancing on the ladder in a chic, white dress and flying into the sea. A veil fluttering a flag behind my back, I screech with horror, your mother has a pre-infarction condition, and the guests writhe with laughter."
Jansu spoke jokingly, but Niko didn't feel like laughing at all. The smile faded from his face. Seriously looking into her eyes, he said, "I would not allow that. I would have held you. But you never believed in me ... unfortunately ..."
He was wrong. Then, in her happy and cloudless pre-wedding period, she believed in him. . trusted him wholeheartedly. Maybe if it hadn't been for that absolute trust, her heart wouldn't have been shattered into a million pieces... Еxcept Niko doesn't need to know that.
Leaving his last phrase unanswered, Jansu went to inspect the yacht. Angry at her silence, Niko followed. She examined the cabin with its soft leather sofas, glass, metal-legged, tables and the deckhouse in the bow. She looked into the well-equipped kitchen. On the island table was a basket covered with a snow-white linen napkin and a cooler bag with the tag of the famous Istanbul restaurant.
"I took the liberty of ordering us some picnic food," Niko pronounced. He came very close. So close that Jansu could hear the warmth of his breath on her neck. "Don't worry that it won't taste good. I remember your eating habits. "
"I'm not afraid," she replied and slipped past him and returned to the cabin.
Niko made his way to the wheelhouse, started the engine, and asked Jansu, "Shall we go?"
"Finally!" she sneered. "I was beginning to think we were having a picnic on the boat at the marina."
"And miss the opportunity to be alone with Istanbul's most beautiful mischief?" Niko said in tune with her. "No way! Sailing to the islands."
With the confidence of a seasoned sailor, he took the yacht out to sea and headed for the Princes' Islands. Jansu walked into the wheelhouse and sat down on the arm of a nearby chair. Placing her face in the headwind, she looked out at the sea. A soft, relaxed smile played on her lips. Jansu enjoyed the sailing and looked incredibly beautiful. Niko melted. The anger caused by her causticity disappeared without a trace. It became easy on his soul. Sun, sea, wind! Seagulls float like white arrows over the waves. Comfortable yacht and Jansu nearby. What else do you need to have a wonderful day?
The yacht sailed near the tiny Kynalyada Island with its white, like sugar houses under red, tiled roofs and a chain of low palms along the reddish beaches. Looking at the serene beauty of the island, Jansu sighed and said, "Happy people live here. No rush, bustle, traffic jams. Residents, probably, never even look at their watches. Why do they need them in their tranquil kingdom? "
"Possibly," Niko said. A sly smile lifted the right corner of his mouth. "But you would be here in a week howling from boredom."
Crap! How well he knows her. Even strange for a man who married her just for the money.
"You're right," she agreed. "But, sometimes, to send the city to hell and hang out in such a place for a couple of days is heavenly bliss."
Niko looked at her fine profile and a strange, uncontrollable, unacceptable thought flashed through his mind, "With you, even hell will be heavenly bliss ..."
Terrified by it, he turned sharply away and steered the yacht towards Buyukada - to the largest of the Princes' Islands. Here the picture was different. Beaches, outdoor areas of cafes and restaurants, a beautiful promenade were densely dotted with vacationers.
"Do you want us to moor and walk around the town," Niko suggested.
Jansu shook her head.
"No, I don't. The crowd is too big. Let's better anchor near one of the small islands, where there are no ferries and no tourists."
"That spiky one will do?" asked Niko, pointing to the island visible in the distance, like a green pyramid.
"Sivriada?" Tracking his hand, said Jansu. "It will do. There is a beautiful island and no crowds on the beaches. But first, since such an opportunity has turned up, let's sail to Tavsanada (*Rabbit Island). I always wanted to see it up close."
"As you wish," said Niko, turning the yacht toward a tiny island south of Buyukada.
The further they sailed from the center of the island, the fewer restaurants and hotels became. They were replaced by villas in the Greek and Armenian style. She pointed to one of them, buried in the green of the trees, and said, "This is the home of Omer and Defne. Their heavenly place, as they like to say. At every opportunity, they run here from everyone and everything. Omer says that only here Defne completely belongs to him alone."
Niko examined the villa carefully. White walls. Large windows with blue shutters around them. Well maintained garden and many flowers. A rocky path leads to a golden beach with fine sand and picturesquely scattered boulders. Own pier. Everything is beautiful, practical, and convenient.
"A romantic place. Perfect. "Niko said and smiled wryly. "However, how could it be otherwise. An ideal home, an ideal family, an ideal, unclouded relationship. Your sister and her husband are the lucky ones. They probably don't even know what a fight is."
With peripheral vision, he noticed Jansu's gaze. Turning to her, the man asked, "Something is wrong?"
"Do you thinк so? That Omer and Defne never fought?" she asked seriously.
"You get that impression when you look at them," Niko replied.
"You're wrong," Jansu said. "Omer and Defne went through great trials. Faced things that seemed to have no forgiveness. Lies ... betrayal ... jealousy ... refusal of love. They quit and left ... tortured each other ... suffered. But then they managed to understand ... forgive and give a chance to their love. Now there is absolute trust between them. If Defne stands on the roof of the house, and Omer is downstairs, and he says to her – 'Jump, I will catch you!' - she will jump without hesitation. And he will catch her."
Niko envied Omer Iplikci. The greatest recognition of a man is when his woman trusts him like this, absolutely and completely. Happy children grow up in such families.
"Emine Diana is lucky," he said hoarsely. "Not every child has the happiness to grow up in a family where love and trust reign."
"You're right," Jansu agreed with him. "My parents loved each other. Until my mother fell ill and died, I was the happiest child in the world."
Niko couldn't boast of the same. His parents barely tolerated each other and treated him with cold indifference. It also left its mark on children. They grew up convinced that they were not worthy of love. Taking a deep breath, Niko asked Jansu, "You spoke of lies and betrayal. What exactly happened between Omer and Defne?"
The yacht sailed very close to Tavsanada Island. Niko stopped the engine, letting it sway smoothly on the light waves, and turned to Jansu, waiting for her answer.
"It's a long story," she said. "But in short - Defne took money from Omer's aunt in exchange for the fact that she would make him fall in love with her, make him marry her, and then disappear from his life. Just don't think badly of her. She is the kindest and most devoted person in the world, and then ... she just saved her brother. He owed money to the mafia and they threatened to kill him. She did not know Omer then. He was a stranger to her. And when she came to know him as a person, she fell in love with all her heart. As he did. She could not confess to him, she was too afraid of losing him ..."
"I understand her," Niko said quietly.
Jansu looked up at him in surprise. She did not expect such words from him at all.
"You understand?"
"Yes," he nodded his head in the affirmative. "The fear of losing love because of a mistake, no matter one's own or someone else's, is stronger than all the arguments of reason."
Jansu looked at him with wide eyes.
"Who is that woman you were so afraid of ... or afraid of losing?" she asked him mentally, - but did not say a word aloud.
"Omer found out about the love-for-rent, right?" Niko asked.
"He found out," confirmed Jansu. "Defne told him herself. At the wedding. He left her and flew to another country, and she almost died."
"But I also understand Omer," Niko said again. "When a person betrays you, without whom you cannot live, it is hellish pain."
"I should know this," Jansu said quietly.
Niko frowned. Jansu experienced betrayal? Who is that scoundrel who dared to break her heart?
"Who are you speaking about?" he demanded.
She looked at him as if he were insane and asked, "Let's change the subject."
Niko remembered her donkey stubbornness. If she does not want to answer, then it is impossible to force her. Therefore, he backed off. For a while. Anyway, sooner or later, he will find out who dared to deceive princess Jansu and break the unfortunate neck.
"I want to explore the island," she said.
"There is no pier here and I cannot get closer," Niko said.
"Then we'll get there by swimming," she said lightly, heading out onto the deck.
Niko, dropping the anchor, hurried after. Taking off her sandals, Jansu pulled off the sundress over her head and, dropping it onto the deck, jumped into the water like a fish. Niko, watching her with his mouth open, did the same. Hastily stripping off his clothes and, remaining in swimming trunks, he leaped over the side. With powerful strokes for half a minute, catching up with the fast mermaid, he swam alongside.
"I forgot how unpredictable and impetuous you can be," he muttered.
She just laughed. Once they got to the shore, they explored the entire tiny, a densely grassy island in half an hour. There were practically no trees here, but there were many stones behind which eared rabbits were hiding. They were not at all afraid of people and Jansu was even able to stroke some.
"Allah-Allah, how do you survive in this tiny space among the sea?" She said sympathetically, referring to the cute, fluffy creatures.
"Well, judging by their number," said Niko ironically. "In any case, they have no problems with reproduction."
Jansu's cheeks turned scarlet. She gave Niko a sidelong glance and threw a snooty phrase, "That's fine! What else to do on a paradise island?"
Niko involuntarily choked. He has always admired Jansu for her courage and audacity. But now such words to his carefully suppressed desire were like a red rag to a bull. For half an hour already, he tried to look away, not to stare at her appetizing figure in a turquoise swimsuit and not to think that the two of them were on a paradise island, several miles around which there was not a single living soul. He can kiss her. Turn on all his male charisma, seduce, intoxicate and get what his body wants so much. But something inside resisted. He couldn't ... well. Today, as she was telling the story of her sister and her husband, a switch in his head clicked and he realized that he had forgiven her. That he wants more than just her body. He wants all of her. Her laughter, her teasing. He wants life next to her. He wants the warmth in his chest every time she smiles at him to be eternal.
But to bring Jansu back into his life, he first needs to remove Ornella from it. His mother will be terrified, but he doesn't care. He will not be the next victim of aristocratic traditions. Niko Bianco marries the one he loves and builds a real family, not a model of one.
He will have to return to Italy. Ornella didn't deserve to end their engagement over the phone. He, as a man, should tell her personally and explain his reasons.
But ... Niko glanced over her high breasts, thin waist, smooth line of tanned hips and his Adam's apple twitched. How beautiful she is, devilish girl Jansu Baisal! She attracts to herself like a magnet, and he is unable to resist this attraction.
Damn it, he is not made of iron!
"It's time to get back to the yacht."
The words sounded harsh and he cursed himself. Yeah! Testosterone is a poor ally when it comes to women. But Jansu pretended not to notice his harshness.
"You're right," she agreed easily. "Curiosity is satisfied, and there is nothing else to do here. Let's swim to the yacht and Sevriada!"
Back on the yacht, Jansu put on the sundress and Niko let go a little. He pulled on shorts too, - but ignored the shirt. Jansu decided it was a subtle mockery. His developed chest, broad shoulders and tight muscles rolling under the skin acted on her like a drug - intoxicated and gave birth to euphoria. Jansu flew. But she knew perfectly well that the higher the flight, the more painful the fall. And still, she could not help looking at him. Like a butterfly flew to his fire and do not care that he will be her death.
Several yachts and a couple of dozen boats were moored in the harbor of Sivriada. The beach was quite densely strewn with people. Jansu sighed. Her dreams of a quiet harbor and a deserted beach crashed into reality - not only one smart Italian came up with the idea of renting a yacht and sailing away from tourists.
Nico, watching her face intently, noticed her disappointment and turned the yacht north.
"Where are we sailing?" Recognizing his maneuver, asked Jansu.
"To Spoon Island," (* Kasikada) he replied. "It's quiet and calm there."
"This is private property." Jansu reminded him.
Niko winked at her and said, "Let's hope they don't catch us and turn us over to the police."
"And if they catch us?" Jansu asked cheerfully.
"Then we'll have an exciting adventure," he replied with boyish recklessness.
They were not caught. Moored in a tiny harbor, the lone yacht did not interest the guards of the two private mansions built in the depths of the island and the travelers were given complete freedom. Jansu and Niko bathed until wild fatigue in the crystal-clear waters of the Sea of Marmara and had a picnic under the olive trees densely growing all over the island. Niko was not lying when he said he remembered Jansu's food preferences. On the red and white checkered tablecloth, there were exactly the dishes that she loved the most. A kind of mix of Turkish, Italian, and French cuisine.
When everything was eaten and drunk, Jansu stretched out on the blanket and, closing her eyes, sighed blissfully.
"Paradise..."
Niko lay down beside her. Turning on his side and resting his head on his palm, he asked, "What you wanted?"
"More," she answered without opening her eyes. "Much more. Best day in four years ..."
Jansu spoke the last words barely audibly and fell silent. In a minute she was asleep. Niko was lying next to her, looking at her serene face and thinking. Today has become the best day for him in four years ... or maybe in his entire life. Jansu was giving him something that no one else could give - a feeling of fullness of life. That feeling when you know that everything is right. This is how it should be, and you are not a soulless robot, but a living person. He moved closer and kissed her lips lightly. She smiled in her sleep. Niko responded with a happy smile, then leaned back and closed his eyes. In a moment he was asleep in a sound, deep sleep.
Jansu woke up first. Before her eyes, Niko's face seemed like a continuation of a dream. But the harsh cheekbones, stubborn lips, and the shadow on the cheeks from the eyelashes were all too real. Niko sleeping beside her was not a dream at all. And he was hugging her. His strong hand lay on her waist, pressing to the ground and holding, - as if he was afraid that the crazy wife ... ex-wife, would run away. Jansu stirred, getting out from under his arm, and he woke up. He opened his eyes and looked around uncomprehendingly.
"Sunset is approaching. "Jansu said and added with regret, "We must return to Istanbul."
They returned to the city in silence. It was a thoughtful silence. Each comprehended the present day and tried to fit it into the same frame with the experience of the past. It was hard to do. More precisely - it did not work at all. Especially Jansu. Niko's concern today shattered all theories about why he married her four years ago. Doubt overcame her. She knew that she would not forgive herself if she did not find out. Turning to Niko, who was confidently holding the wheel of the yacht, she asked, "Then, four years ago, did you love me?"
"Yes," without taking his eyes off the coastline ahead, he immediately answered clearly and concisely. His voice trembled when he asked his question, "And you? Did you love me?"
"I loved ...," she answered honestly and said helplessly, "What have we done?"
Niko was silent. He had no answer to her question.
When the black Maserati stopped near her house, Jansu looked at Niko and said quietly, "Thank you for this day. I owe you."
She opened the door to get out of the car, but Niko held her hand with asharp movement. Jansu turned to him. Looking into her eyes, he sighedconvulsively and said, "Pay your debt now. Have dinner with me."