Harlequin Romance December 2020 Box Set

by Susan Meier, Sophie Pembroke, Jessica Gilmore

  Lily couldn’t look at the photo without remembering the intense concentration it had taken for Izzy to outline her eyes with a perfect cat flick, or the at least four coats of mascara it had taken her to achieve the big-eyed look she’d wanted. They looked so innocent, so full of life, convinced everything they wanted lay before them. If they’d known just how little time they really had, would they have changed everything? Spent more time living, less time planning? Been bolder?

  ‘I can’t remember the last time I went to a party without you,’ Lily said out loud. ‘Who will I talk to? Who will understand my signal when I’ve had enough and want to leave or want to ditch the guy who won’t take a hint?’ Or give her the thumbs up if she didn’t want to ditch the guy but needed a second opinion?

  Lily carefully placed the framed photo back onto the dressing table and started to turn away, but the sunlight fell on Izzy’s face, and she stopped. ‘What?’ Lily asked. ‘You think I should go? You were the brave one, not me. You led I followed, you know that.’

  She waited, half expecting an answer, and dashed away a tear, angry at her foolishness. ‘What more can I do? I know I promised it would all be different. I promised no more planning, no more existing. I promised I’d live enough for us both. Well, I’m here. Look. Not in an office, not in the apartment or the gym. I’m actually abroad. And, yes, I haven’t seen much of abroad yet and, yes, I have been working since I got here but it’s a start.’

  Another pause then Lily heaved a sigh, one so deep it hurt her already weary heart. ‘You’re right. I should have said yes to the offer to explore. I should say yes more often, not hide behind, well, I’m not sure what I hide behind now you’re not here. He was hot, don’t you think he was hot? Not like those corporate finance guys I dated or even like the hipster Silicon Valley tycoon wannabes you used to meet. He didn’t look like a treadmill pounder to me, more like someone who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.’

  She sat down on the bed, then flopped down onto her pillow, lying back to stare up at the ceiling fan, remembering the way Damir had held her gaze, the warmth in his eyes. He’d asked her out, sent her flowers and she was still planning to hide back at the villa?

  Ana had said he was a playboy. That settled it. Lily was not a playboy’s type. Too sensible, too busy, too boring.

  But not here. Here she was new, different, trying to be impulsive. And wouldn’t a playboy be a good person to be impulsive with? Lily wasn’t looking for love or marriage, but a summer away should include a little romance, surely? Armed with foreknowledge she’d be in no danger of falling for Damir’s practised charms, but maybe she could enjoy a no-strings flirtation?

  ‘Okay, you win. As usual. I will go to the party and I will try to flirt with the hot guy, and if he offers to take me to explore again I’ll accept. Satisfied?’

  Lily sat up and glared at the photo. Obviously it was a trick of the light, but for one moment she could have sworn Izzy gave her a nod of approval.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  DAMIR DOUBLE-CHECKED THE mooring ropes one last time before lightly springing off his boat onto the long wooden jetty, his chest clenching as he took in the carnival-like atmosphere.

  The wide paved promenade that fronted Lokvar’s small and only village hummed with a throng of excited, chattering people, many of whom were dressed up for the occasion. Fairy lights were strung around every available tree, sign or post and, although it was not yet dusk, shone brightly. The rich smells of grilled meat and vegetables permeated the air and the unmistakable heavy rock sounds of the island’s one and only band rang out, a makeshift dance floor roped off to minimise the risk of one of the overexcited children already jumping up and down falling into the shallow sea.

  Lokvar village spanned half of the island’s wide main bay. The brightly coloured, thick-walled fishermen’s cottages were now shops and apartments catering to tourists, the residents having moved inland to live in newer, more convenient villas and apartments. But for festivals everyone congregated here by the sea. Damir knew every single person drinking and laughing on the harbourside—and they all knew him.

  His chest tightened further. Truth was he hadn’t enjoyed an island party since the season end celebration seven years ago when his ex-wife Kata had turned and walked away, ending their marriage as she did so. No, before that, since his wealth had started to divide him from the people he had grown up with. He only attended because he sponsored it. Because it was expected.

  He set his jaw grimly. He had only had two failures in his life. The death of his father and the collapse of his marriage. He would not tolerate a third. Tonight he would find, flatter and woo the English girl and find out Marija’s long-term plans. Fulfilling his father’s plan to develop Fire Cove would help assuage some of his guilt over how he had let him down in life.

  But beneath the determination he was aware of an entirely different emotion—anticipation. Not the expected anticipation of long-awaited business success but anticipation of seeing the English girl—Lily—again.

  He couldn’t remember the last time such a short meeting had had such an effect on him—and he had no idea why. She was pretty enough, especially when she unleashed that breath-taking smile, but she hadn’t said much during their one meeting, and of course when he had first seen her she had been doing a fine impersonation of some kind of Bacchanal naiad, yelling out to sea. Not quite the cool, poised, confidence displayed by the women he usually chose for the safe, short-term relationships he preferred.

  But the lurking sadness in her eyes, the sense of regret and pain had called to him. After all, they mirrored his own. Hopefully tonight he’d be able to get her out of his brain once and for all and concentrate on what really mattered. The villa.

  Damir squared his shoulders and strolled off the jetty, joining the nearest gathering, radiating all the confidence due to the owner of half the island. The man who sponsored tonight’s festivities and employed most of the guests.

  ‘Damir, finally!’

  ‘There’s a drink here with your name on it, my friend. Well, you did pay for it!’

  Immediately friends and relatives, most of whom worked for him, surrounded him, bombarding him with the gossip from the evening so far, handing him a gratefully received pint of beer. For a moment it was as if he had stepped back in time to when his father had been alive, Kata by his side, and he was still—just—one of the gang. Occasionally he missed this comradeship and ease, so different from the politely cut-throat friendships found in the boardrooms, golf clubs and highbrow functions attended by Dubrovnik’s old aristocratic and new moneyed classes to which he now belonged. Part of him would have liked to stay right here, reverted to being the old Damir for one night only. But as always he had work to do.

  Work that would start once Lily arrived. The flowers were just the first step. Tonight he would dazzle her with attention, invite her out onto his boat, woo her. Play his cards right and the English girl would be putty in his hands, ready to be moulded into the perfect ally.

  Taking a sip of beer, Damir looked around, hoping to glimpse a flash of honey-blonde hair. His earlier anticipation ramped up, humming through him, every nerve hyperaware of every smell, sound and taste, from the rhythm of the band to the salt permeating the air. He took a breath, willing the adrenaline to slow.

  A hush fell over the group and Damir realised his friends were looking at something—or someone—behind him with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. Hair prickled on the back of his neck. She was here, he could feel it. Turning slowly, he inhaled, a long, deep breath of appreciation. Lily and Ana were walking slowly down the winding, hilly path that bisected the island, chatting casually as they did so.

  Ana, like most of the islanders, had dressed up in a dress and heels but Lily was more simply dressed in jeans and a silky cream camisole top, her long blonde hair loose, cascading way past her shoulders and moving in time with her stride. She wore lit
tle make-up but her cheeks were pink, potentially with embarrassment as nearly everyone had stopped to look at the newcomer in their midst. She tilted her chin defiantly and her eyes blazed with purpose. Damir’s pulse began to beat loudly. She looked magnificent.

  Barely aware of his friends’ comments and sniggers, Damir stepped away from the group and walked slowly over to greet her as she finally descended the last few steps of the path.

  ‘I’m so glad you made it, Lily,’ he said, and smiled at her companion. ‘It’s lovely to see you, Ana, welcome back to Lokvar. I hope your family are well.’

  Ana looked from Damir to Lily, her smile knowing. ‘Everyone is fine, thank you. How is your mother?’

  ‘She’s good. I’ll tell her that you were asking after her.’

  ‘I was hoping she’d be here. It’s been a long time since I saw her.’

  ‘Since she remarried she prefers to stay on the mainland.’ His mother had always maintained that if his father had had his heart attack in Dubrovnik, he’d have reached the hospital on time. She hadn’t returned to Lokvar since. Or forgiven Damir for not working that day as his father had wanted.

  That was fine, he didn’t want her forgiveness. After all, he couldn’t forgive himself.

  Ana nodded. ‘Well, give her my best.’

  ‘I will. Enjoy the party.’ Damir turned to Lily. ‘It’s nice to see you again, Lily.’

  For a brief second an entire reel of emotions passed over Lily’s face. Damir saw uncertainty and worry flicker there, before they disappeared as if they’d never been as she tilted her chin and smiled at him. ‘Thank you for the flowers. I should buy you a drink to say thank you.’

  ‘Not necessary, the bar is free tonight. But, please, join me?’

  He noted the barely perceptible hesitation before she answered. ‘That would be lovely.’

  ‘Great, the bar’s this way. Have a good evening,’ he added politely to Ana, before leading Lily over to one of the outdoor bars that had been set up for the evening. ‘What would you like? Both the beer and wine are brewed locally, and I can recommend both.’

  ‘In that case a glass of white wine, please.’

  Damir was aware of being surreptitiously watched by at least half of the village as he procured a glass of white wine for Lily and a top-up of his own beer. He steered her towards an empty table, set aside from the rest, and placed the drinks on it.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, as he pulled out her seat for her. ‘And thank you again for the flowers, they’re beautiful.’

  ‘You’re welcome. I wanted to mark the start of your first season. I know how hectic these weeks are even for people who do it year after year.’

  ‘It has been crazy, although luckily I have Ana.’ Lily shook her head ruefully. ‘To be honest, she could run the whole place single-handedly. I’m pretty sure I’m more of a hindrance than a help.’

  ‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Damir protested, and Lily laughed.

  ‘Oh, it is. I know she would deny it, she’s far too nice, but she has to waste half her time showing me how to do things that are second nature to her.’ She grimaced. ‘In fact, the last couple of days have been a rude awakening. Quite a dent to my ego.’

  ‘In what way?’ Damir was, despite himself, intrigued. Lily was like a different woman. Last time they had sat here overlooking the sea she had been withdrawn, thoughtful, but tonight she sparkled with life. He’d been prepared to lead the conversation, to draw her out, not to find himself amused at her playful self-deprecation. Far from being wrong-footed, he found himself leaning in, fascinated.

  ‘Okay, I appreciate how big-headed this sounds but I’ve always prided myself on being good at most things. I like to succeed. But it turns out being able to follow a recipe adequately does not equip me for a role in a commercial kitchen and my washing-up is not of a high enough standard for the chef. I only speak one language compared to Ana’s four—four!—and so she will have to do most of the front of house and the bookings as well as manage the staff.

  ‘And just when I think I’ve been really useful and cleaned something properly or made up a bedroom perfectly, I see her surreptitiously tidying up after me because I missed a corner.’ Lily took a gulp of her wine. ‘It’s all been very lowering. My ambitions have shrunk to one thing only—to make a bed that Ana approves of. If only my manager could see me now.’

  ‘Are you regretting choosing Lokvar for your sabbatical?’

  It was a slightly flippant question, one in keeping with the lightness of the conversation. Damir was expecting Lily to brush it away with a comment about spending a summer abroad or the beauty of the island but instead she sat back and sipped her wine thoughtfully, clearly considering her answer.

  ‘No,’ she said at last. ‘Obviously it’s really lovely to see Marija’s home in person, I’ve heard so much about it over the last few years. And it’s been good to be so busy, even if I am a little bit ineffectual. I’m learning new skills and, more importantly, I’m learning how to get a sense of fulfilment from a small job well done and that’s good for me. I’m usually always ten steps ahead, I don’t allow myself the time to enjoy the moment and that’s something I need to change. But mostly it’s been good to get away from London and the office and start to think about what it’s all really about.’

  ‘It?’

  ‘Life.’

  Damir wasn’t sure he’d heard her properly. ‘Life?’

  She nodded, eyes focussed on something or someone far away, as if she were half somewhere else. ‘Life. I made a vow, to start living properly. I came here to get away from the sixteen-hour days and no social life and the intensity, but I know me, it’s easy to fall back into bad habits, especially when there’s the B&B to run and there’s always something to do.

  ‘So I’ve promised myself that I must do one spontaneous thing a day to try and break the cycle. But then I find that I am beginning to plan even that! I find it so uncomfortable to try and go with the flow. And then I feel like I’m failing and I’m back to where I started. Promising myself I’ll do better, be better.’ She stopped then, cheeks pink. ‘I am so sorry. I am so bad at this.’

  ‘This?’

  ‘Small talk. I am really out of practice—not that I was ever really good at it. You must think I am utterly crazy, shouting at the sea one day, yakking on about trying to be spontaneous the next.’

  ‘I’m thinking,’ Damir said slowly, ‘that you’re not like anybody else I know.’

  ‘I’m sure that’s true. You must be dying to get back to your friends and tell them all about the crazy English girl. Honestly, please, there is no need to be polite. I’ll go find Ana. Thank you for the drink.’

  ‘I’m not being polite,’ Damir said, putting up a hand to stay her as she half rose from her seat. ‘I’m right where I want to be.’

  He would have said those exact words anyway, but to his surprise he realised they were the truth.

  ‘That’s very kind of you, but I’m not sure I believe you.’ Lily covered her face with her hands for a second. ‘What would Izzy say to me? No, I know exactly what she’d say, that I’m not fit to even conduct a light flirtation unsupervised. And she’d be right.’

  Damir stilled, all intent to laugh disappearing, his whole body on high alert. He fought to keep his tone light. ‘A flirtation? Is that what we’re doing?’

  * * *

  Lily could feel her cheeks get hotter and hotter. She wanted to turn away, but was trapped by Damir’s dark gaze. She couldn’t tell if he was amused or horrified by her gaucheness. Probably both.

  But it wasn’t amusement or horror she could see in his eyes. Instead there was a flash of something more primal, almost predatory. A shiver snaked down her spine as she finally looked away, grabbing her wine glass and focussing on it as if it held the elixir of life.

  ‘I…’

  Possible get-out
clauses flashed through her mind. She could say she’d meant hypothetically, try to laugh the awkward words off or, preferred option, simply run away. But, she could hear Izzy say, why not just own it? Wasn’t that what she was here to do? Flirt? Be spontaneous?

  ‘Maybe not in any recognised sense of the word, but, yes, flirting with you was tonight’s planned spontaneous decision.’ She forced herself to sit back and sip her wine as if she were the confident woman she pretended to be. ‘After all, you are the only person away from the B&B I have met so far and you did offer to show me around.’

  ‘I did.’ His gaze intensified. ‘And I meant it.’

  ‘Good.’ She fought to keep her voice steady. ‘Because I’d like to accept.’

  ‘Good,’ he echoed, and she could hear the smile in his voice. ‘I wouldn’t claim to be a master tour guide, but…’ his smile turned wolfish and her insides molten ‘… I haven’t had any complaints so far.’

  Lily would bet a great deal he hadn’t, not when he smiled with that particular intent, allowed his hair to fall broodingly across his brow, rolled up his sleeves to show bronzed, strong forearms, corded with muscle, folded his hands to show off his long, strong, capable fingers. She dragged her gaze up to meet his, lingering on the sensual tilt of his mouth as she did so.

  ‘And what did you have in mind?’ She tossed her hair back as she lounged back, glass in hand. ‘I’m a lawyer, remember. I don’t enter into any kind of agreement without clarity and a full perusal of the small print and sub-clauses.’ Lawyer? Right now she was an actress. But she couldn’t deny that now she’d started she was enjoying being someone else. Enjoying cutting loose from the confines of her rigid life.