Lila,’ he would say with a laugh, ‘you love every minute.’
‘I know,’ she would grudgingly admit, not wanting the massage to end. ‘But it is tiring.’
‘What? Asking whether they want chicken or beef?’
Indignantly she’d snatched her foot away. ‘It is hard.’
‘Then lie there and I’ll fix dinner.’ After kissingher deeply, Declan had disappeared off into the kitchen, only to return half an hour later dressed only in an apron and carrying two plates.
‘Chicken or beef?’ he had asked as she’d dozed peacefully on the sofa.
Wakening and seeing him there looking so ridiculously gorgeous she hadn’t been able to stop laughing for a moment.
‘I’ve got a far better idea,’ Lila had said huskily, pulling at the apron. ‘How about we join the mile-high club? Why don’t you show me to your cabin?’ As the meal was cleared the music struck up, Lila sat there for a moment, suddenly feeling exposed as her friends got up with their partners to dance. A wallflower certainly wasn’t the image she wanted Declan to see.
‘Finally.’ Jez made his way over. ‘How about a dance?’
He was tall, good-looking, funny even, but he was the wrong man, and it was the wrong man’s arms that she was in. But it would have been rude to refuse and at least it saved her the embarrassment of being alone.
‘I was hoping you’d be here tonight.’
When she didn’t answer Jez continued, ‘I was hoping we could dance.’
The music played on. Looking over his shoulder, she saw Declan and Yvonne. As if sensing he was being watched, Declan’s gaze flicked over in her direction, their eyes locking across the room. For a moment there was no Jez, no Yvonne, no one else in the room, just Declan and Lila and the sensual beat of the ballad that was playing.
‘I meant what I said the other night—about dinner, I mean.’
Dragging her eyes away from Declan, Lila forced herself to look at Jez.
Why not say yes? Why not live for now, put the past where it belonged?
But, as nice as Jez was, he wasn’t Declan.
Declan might belong to someone else, but her heart wasn’t free. It would be wrong to lead Jez on.
‘It’s nice of you to ask, Jez, but…’ Her voice trailed off as she tried to come up with a reason.
‘Is that a no?’
Lila nodded. ‘Sorry.’
‘I’ll survive.’ He turned his head to where Lila’s eyes lingered. ‘Is that the reason? He doesn’t waste any time, does he? He’s only been here a couple of weeks.’
She hesitated before answering, yet she felt Jez deserved some sort of explanation.
‘We go back a bit further than that,’ she said finally.
As the music ended he let her go, kissing her lightly on the cheek. ‘Good luck,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘But watch yourself. I’d say you’ve got a fair bit of competition there.’
If Lila’s ego had needed a boost that night, it got one. Again and again she was asked to dance, even a couple more offers of dinner were politely declined. But the one person she wanted to dance with, and she admitted reluctantly the real reason she was here, was studiously ignoring her.
‘Well, more fool me for asking you to come,’ Sue said as they collapsed at the table and took a gratefulsip of their drinks. ‘How are the rest of us supposed to get a look-in when you turn up looking stunning?’
Not stunning enough obviously.
‘Fancy another drink?’
Lila nodded. ‘Thanks, Sue.’
Alone at the table again, her eyes moved to Declan once more. He was talking to Mr Hinkley, chatting and laughing, every bit the dashing young doctor on the way up. And from what Declan had said during that bitter exchange in Lila’s office, she could have been there with him. Had she been so wrong that day? Had she read him so wrong? Overreacted too violently, made the biggest mistake of her life?
Had she?
The answer was immaterial now. It was simply too late. He had Yvonne; he had brought her to the other side of the world to be beside him.
The
‘I know,’ she would grudgingly admit, not wanting the massage to end. ‘But it is tiring.’
‘What? Asking whether they want chicken or beef?’
Indignantly she’d snatched her foot away. ‘It is hard.’
‘Then lie there and I’ll fix dinner.’ After kissingher deeply, Declan had disappeared off into the kitchen, only to return half an hour later dressed only in an apron and carrying two plates.
‘Chicken or beef?’ he had asked as she’d dozed peacefully on the sofa.
Wakening and seeing him there looking so ridiculously gorgeous she hadn’t been able to stop laughing for a moment.
‘I’ve got a far better idea,’ Lila had said huskily, pulling at the apron. ‘How about we join the mile-high club? Why don’t you show me to your cabin?’ As the meal was cleared the music struck up, Lila sat there for a moment, suddenly feeling exposed as her friends got up with their partners to dance. A wallflower certainly wasn’t the image she wanted Declan to see.
‘Finally.’ Jez made his way over. ‘How about a dance?’
He was tall, good-looking, funny even, but he was the wrong man, and it was the wrong man’s arms that she was in. But it would have been rude to refuse and at least it saved her the embarrassment of being alone.
‘I was hoping you’d be here tonight.’
When she didn’t answer Jez continued, ‘I was hoping we could dance.’
The music played on. Looking over his shoulder, she saw Declan and Yvonne. As if sensing he was being watched, Declan’s gaze flicked over in her direction, their eyes locking across the room. For a moment there was no Jez, no Yvonne, no one else in the room, just Declan and Lila and the sensual beat of the ballad that was playing.
‘I meant what I said the other night—about dinner, I mean.’
Dragging her eyes away from Declan, Lila forced herself to look at Jez.
Why not say yes? Why not live for now, put the past where it belonged?
But, as nice as Jez was, he wasn’t Declan.
Declan might belong to someone else, but her heart wasn’t free. It would be wrong to lead Jez on.
‘It’s nice of you to ask, Jez, but…’ Her voice trailed off as she tried to come up with a reason.
‘Is that a no?’
Lila nodded. ‘Sorry.’
‘I’ll survive.’ He turned his head to where Lila’s eyes lingered. ‘Is that the reason? He doesn’t waste any time, does he? He’s only been here a couple of weeks.’
She hesitated before answering, yet she felt Jez deserved some sort of explanation.
‘We go back a bit further than that,’ she said finally.
As the music ended he let her go, kissing her lightly on the cheek. ‘Good luck,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘But watch yourself. I’d say you’ve got a fair bit of competition there.’
If Lila’s ego had needed a boost that night, it got one. Again and again she was asked to dance, even a couple more offers of dinner were politely declined. But the one person she wanted to dance with, and she admitted reluctantly the real reason she was here, was studiously ignoring her.
‘Well, more fool me for asking you to come,’ Sue said as they collapsed at the table and took a gratefulsip of their drinks. ‘How are the rest of us supposed to get a look-in when you turn up looking stunning?’
Not stunning enough obviously.
‘Fancy another drink?’
Lila nodded. ‘Thanks, Sue.’
Alone at the table again, her eyes moved to Declan once more. He was talking to Mr Hinkley, chatting and laughing, every bit the dashing young doctor on the way up. And from what Declan had said during that bitter exchange in Lila’s office, she could have been there with him. Had she been so wrong that day? Had she read him so wrong? Overreacted too violently, made the biggest mistake of her life?
Had she?
The answer was immaterial now. It was simply too late. He had Yvonne; he had brought her to the other side of the world to be beside him.
The
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