She tasted like the sea breeze on a summer’s night, like a citrus grove, like the best vintage wine, heading straight to his brain until Leo was consumed by her. His hands moved to her shoulders, caressing the silk of her bare flesh until he found those thin, tiny straps and pushed them down, over her shoulders. He wanted no barriers between them, nothing but flesh and touch, kisses and need, and, judging by the way Anna was impatiently working his buttons, she felt the same way. ‘Got it,’ she murmured against his mouth as she finally managed the last button, pushing his shirt off his shoulders with a ruthless abandon he could only admire.
Pausing, Leo caught her wrists as they moved with exquisite torture down his chest, his abdomen, towards his waistband. ‘Anna, is this really what you want?’
She was panting as she pulled her wrists free. ‘You said yourself I’m dangerous, Leo. If I was you I’d stop talking and help me get this dress off.’
And he could only oblige.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘MORNING, SLEEPYHEAD.’
Leo sounded disgustingly chirpy as Anna walked into the gallery. How did he manage that when she knew, to the second, just how little sleep he had had?
‘Your English is very good. How do you know so much slang?’ she said as she headed straight to the coffee machine, trying not to touch her swollen mouth, to ignore the faint soreness between her thighs, feeling as if both were lit up in neon, signalling exactly what she had got up to last night.
‘English nannies, only the best for the son of the Conde de Olvares. I was brought up to have tea and supper, and to spend far too much time going on afternoon walks.’
‘Poor Little Boy Fauntleroy,’ Anna hadn’t been entirely sure how to greet Leo, but now she was right next to him it seemed silly not to kiss his cheek, a kiss that all too easily slid to his mouth. ‘Morning,’ she added breathlessly.
‘You look good in my shirts,’ Leo said, looking at her with an undisguised approval, which heated Anna more than the coffee.
‘You see, that’s because I do this radical thing where I button shirts up,’ she said, trying not to stare too hard at Leo’s only half-covered chest and remember just how every part of that chest had tasted. ‘How long have you been up?’
‘An hour or so. We’re only about twenty minutes away now,’ he said and Anna instantly sobered up. The island, jobs, responsibilities, real life. She didn’t regret for a second her boldness of the night before; she just wasn’t sure how to act here in the morning after. It wasn’t as if she had much practice. At least this time she had been sensible enough to talk about protection early—to control the spontaneity, to put sensible limits on the recklessness. ‘Look, Leo, I’m not the kind of girl who usually has one-night stands,’ she said, needing to keep some kind of control over the situation.
‘Me neither,’ he said to her surprise. ‘I’m more of a “let’s see where this goes until one of us gets bored” kind of guy.’
Anna narrowed her eyes. ‘And do you usually get bored first? Quickly?’
‘Sí.’ She was sure he had practised that boyish grin in front of the mirror; it was far too disarming. ‘Always. But then I have never had an opponent as dangerous as you before.’
‘So what do we do, just pretend last night didn’t happen?’
‘Now that,’ he said softly, eyes locked on hers, ‘would be a shame. I suggest we try it my way. Have fun until one of us gets bored.’
‘Such a smooth talker,’ Anna said, but her heart was racing at the prospect of three more weeks with Leo. Three weeks with a man who challenged her, laughed at her, made her laugh at herself. It was probably exactly what she needed. Time out of her usual life, new experiences, new perspectives. ‘But there is some logic in what you say, looked at objectively, I mean.’
‘There is?’
‘Well, we are kind of stuck with each other.’
‘True.’ The gleam in his dark eyes made her heart beat faster. She swallowed, aiming for cool and collected.
‘Besides, I suppose last night wasn’t too bad.’
‘Ah,’ he murmured. ‘The English gift of understatement.’
The gleam intensified and her knees buckled at the suggestion in them. Not too bad wasn’t just an understatement; it verged on slander.
‘And everyone needs a hobby.’
‘Anna.’ He drew out the syllables of her name in the way guaranteed to make her putty in his hands. ‘You are a very intelligent woman. I’m sure we can find many interesting ways to pass the time. Maybe...’ his smile was piratical ‘...you should write them all down. I’d hate for us to miss anything out.’
Anna had been expecting, if not bunting, her mother to be waiting for her, eager for details. The year before Sancia left she would wait for Anna to get in from her dates with Ed, her painfully serious if very sweet sixth-form boyfriend. Sancia was desperate to be a cool, modern mother, to talk birth control and share confidences. Anna’s refusal to disclose anything—not that there had been anything to disclose—had obviously disappointed her. At times Anna had been tempted to make up some torrid details just to make her mother happy.
Of course, when she’d needed her mother, when Sebastian had walked away and broken her heart, when her life was such a mess she couldn’t see any way to make it right, her mother had already left for La Isla Marina and Anna had realised just how alone she was, that her pain was hers alone. Her father was so emotionally remote, and she’d wanted to spare Rosa the burden of growing up too soon, a burden she knew all too well. In some ways she didn’t think she would ever forgive Sancia for not being there.
To her surprise the jetty was empty, no casually hovering figure awaited her return and when she walked back to the villa she saw no one other than Maria.
It was still early, the air refreshing, but with a sultry tinge that suggested a scorching day ahead. At least the paint would dry quickly. Anna tried not to grimace at the thought of all the work still ahead of her. She’d had an afternoon and evening playing hooky; that would have to be enough for now.
The back of the villa opened out into a beautiful stone courtyard, hung about with trellises, plants and huge tubs of bright flowers, the view to the shore uninterrupted. The courtyard was home to the island’s more informal restaurant and breakfast was also served al fresco on the little wrought-iron tables and chairs. The handful of staff, Anna, Leo and her mother had fallen into the habit of congregating there first thing for freshly fried churros, served with rich, melted chocolate, fresh fruit and coffee. Anna swung round the side of the villa heading for the unmistakeable smell of the sweet fried dough only to skid to a halt. One of the tables was occupied by a man who definitely hadn’t been there yesterday. Around the same age as Anna, he was pale with dark hair and, she couldn’t help noticing, incredibly sexy.
Not as sexy as Leo, of course. Anna didn’t have that same instinctive pull that had gravitated her towards Leo the day they met; she noted it more in an objective way. His attractiveness was part of him, effortless, something to admire like a painting or a song. Sancia would be beside herself, Anna thought, grinning, two gorgeous young men to chat up.
Nodding a greeting at the unknown man—although she couldn’t help noting that he seemed awfully familiar—Anna looked around for her mother, blinking, then blinking again. Was she seeing things? ‘Dad? What are you doing here?’
Was that really her father? Wearing shorts of all things, sitting at a table, churros in front of him, a coffee in hand, as if he had no cares or responsibilities in the world? And why was her mother sitting next to him, an excited warm smile on her face, one hand proprietorially on his arm? Had she actually sailed back into a different reality, one where her parents had not only never separated, but were actually happy?
‘Your father arrived last night. He was worried about me. Isn’t that sweet?’
Anna stared at her mother, trying to process
her words through her admittedly tired brain. ‘I didn’t know you guys even talked,’ she said lamely.
‘I was worried when you abandoned your classes and work,’ her father said. ‘When your mother told me how much she has to do, I thought I’d offer my help.’ Her parents shared an oddly conspiratorial look and unease whispered through Anna. What weren’t they telling her?
‘Oh.’ So many conflicting replies flitted through Anna’s mind she had no idea where to start. ‘What use will you be? We need someone practical,’ warred with, ‘How have you not noticed how lost I am? Why do you never try and help me?’ In the end she settled for, ‘I just did you an online shop. I’d better see if I can cancel it.’
Her father gave no indication of having heard and, not for the first time, Anna couldn’t help wondering if Rosa was right. If Anna should just let him try and look after himself; he wasn’t just a grown man, he was a highly intelligent man, more than capable of remembering to take his pills and buy his own food. Probably. Anna narrowed her eyes. ‘Hang on, didn’t you have an appointment two days ago? What did the specialist say?’ How could she have forgotten? She always accompanied her father, if only to make sure he actually obeyed the doctor’s strictures.
The shifty look on her father’s face told her everything she needed to know. ‘She told you to rest, didn’t she?’ That was why he was here, not because he wanted to help, or had noticed that Anna was struggling, but to add to the workload.
‘She said a change of scene might be helpful, that I could do with some sun and fresh air,’ he admitted.
‘Now, querida, don’t nag your father.’ Sancia stood up and her hand brushed the back of Anna’s father’s neck. ‘We should just be glad that he’s here, that Rosa will be here in less than a week and the whole family will be together. It’s all too maravilloso!’
‘Oh, yes, completely wonderful.’ Was it too late for Anna to return to the boat and to instruct Leo to sail away anywhere but here and not come back? ‘And who is your companion, Dad?’
‘Hmm?’ Professor Gray looked around as if a companion might have materialised on the spot beside him.
‘Right there,’ Anna whispered fiercely. ‘Eating breakfast.’
‘Oh, I never saw him before yesterday. We got the boat over together. He’s staying here.’
‘What?’ Anna turned to her mother, eyebrows raised so high she could feel the strain in her forehead. ‘I didn’t think we had anyone booked in. How long is he staying?’
‘Jude? Just a few weeks.’ Sancia waved her hand as if to indicate that time didn’t matter. ‘He knows we’re not fully open yet, but that’s what he wants. Peace and quiet and some inspiring scenery.’
‘A few weeks? But Valentina’s wedding is in just three weeks. He can’t be here for that. She has reserved the whole island, remember?’ Why was it Anna’s responsibility to point this out? Years had passed, but nothing had changed.
‘I know all this, querida. You really do worry too much. I’ve been running La Isla Marina for several years now. I do know how to sort out bookings. Jude is in Bungalow Five, that has been painted and according to your list didn’t need any further work. If he is still here during the wedding then I’m sure Valentina will be happy for such a handsome boy to be part of the festivities.’
Anna rubbed her forehead, pretty sure that the ache in her temples had very little to do with lack of sleep and an awful lot to do with her mother’s whimsical management style. ‘But we haven’t got in the new bed linen or towels or any of the extras to dress the bungalows up yet.’
‘Anna, people have been holidaying here for many years, many of them come year after year, and they are all very happy with the simple look of the bungalows. The beds are comfortable, the sheets are clean—it’s the views and the sport they come for, not scented candles.’
‘This wedding is different, you know that. Every guest spends their life taking pictures and posting them online.’ But Anna was a little mollified by her mother’s words. If the man had chosen to take his holidays in a semi-closed resort then he would just have to take them as they were, ladders, paintbrushes and all. She smiled over at him as he stood and nodded politely in the family’s direction, before ambling out of the courtyard, probably in search of that peace and quiet. He did look awfully familiar. What had her mother called him? Jude? Recognition teased her brain, but Anna still couldn’t place him.
Rubbing her forehead again, Anna tried to push her parents out of her mind. She wasn’t going to micromanage her father’s health or take on her mother’s responsibilities, not this time. Better to think about last night, to dwell on every second of the most wonderful night she had ever had—and to remember that there were more to come.
Best of all she already knew how this ended. There would be no unwelcome surprises, no heart broken, just a mutual parting of the ways. She could wave her pirate off into the sunset and resume her normal life with no regrets. Maybe she should see if Leo could help with her headache. He was bound to have some inventive cure up his sleeve, or at least a foolproof way of taking her mind off it.
* * *
‘Your father is actually really handy with a paintbrush.’ Leo leaned close to Anna as he spoke, enjoying the way she quivered as he touched her. Her hand crept into his as she leaned into him. Although he had no intention of analysing why, these moments were the highlight of Leo’s day, the moments when they paused in their labours and simply gravitated towards each other. Luckily it was a small island, easy for Leo to track Anna down with minimal effort. Today she’d been helping her dad. Leo couldn’t help noticing how reversed their roles seemed, Anna the patient parent with a particularly forgetful child. But he also saw the deep-rooted affection between them.
The same affection was evident between Anna and Sancia, despite Anna’s issues with her mother. The last few days had been like living in the middle of a family—a quirky family, a family with problems, but a family with heart. Leo couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have parents he could tease, parents he could laugh with. Parents who loved him.
‘Who would have thought it? I’ve never seen him do anything even remotely practical before. I didn’t know he had it in him. What’s more,’ she added, ‘I know it’s only been a few days, but he looks a lot better than he has done for a long time, more relaxed, pink rather than that awful grey face I’m so used to seeing. I know how he feels. Despite all the cleaning and painting it’s actually pretty peaceful here.’
‘Enjoy every moment because it all changes tomorrow.’ Leo wasn’t looking forward to the influx of people due onto the island over the next couple of days, even though it would mean his own workload would be considerably lessened. The seasonal staff were all due and tomorrow the professional joiner, plumber and builders arrived to do a week’s intensive work sorting out any jobs that had been beyond Leo, Anna and the groundsman. Not that their own workload would lessen too much, as Anna kept reminding him: the barmen would need help getting the three bars back up to scratch, the lifeguard would need a hand painting the boats and kayaks—and all fifty-two bungalows would need a post-repair intensive clean and to be dressed up in media-filter-friendly luxury. Every item ticked off on one of Anna’s lists just seemed to generate another three. It seemed impossible that they would ever be done in time.
Leo had fully expected to be bored by now, to find an excuse to slope off for a few days’ recuperation, but the combination of work and Anna kept him on the island. It wasn’t all work either, he reflected as he ran his hand over her denim-clad hip. One of the tennis courts was in perfect condition, the sea was warming up nicely and the island’s surfboards, windsurfs and pedal boats were all completely seaworthy. And of course there was Anna... Leo’s throat dried as she pushed back against him, in a way he was sure she knew full well was calculated to drive him mad. Their agreement was working out very well. He wasn’t at all ready to cut his losses, not nearly.
It would all feel so very different tomorrow. He now realised what an idyll the last two weeks had been, and how much he had needed it. Time out from his life, purpose.
‘I can’t believe that they start arriving so soon.’ Anna’s melancholy tone showed she shared his thoughts about the incoming invasion. ‘We need them all, goodness knows, but I like it as we are. And Mama is expecting Rosa any day now.’
‘You’re not looking forward to seeing her? I know you’re not close, but with your parents getting on so well...’
‘Getting on suspiciously well, don’t you think? They’re always whispering in corners and I have no idea where Dad is sleeping, thank goodness. There are things no child needs to be privy to. And no, I don’t see Rosa and I falling on each other’s necks. I’m actually dreading it,’ Anna confessed. ‘She always brings out the worst in me. I get all defensive and prickly. I don’t want you to see that side of me.’
‘Then let’s not be here when she gets here,’ Leo suggested. ‘You’ve left enough instructions for everyone to know what needs doing, and your father is more than capable of issuing out tools and work lists. I need to go to Barcelona to finalise the menu and instructions with the restaurant there. Come with me.’
‘I can’t just go off to Barcelona when there’s so much to be done.’ But she sounded tempted.
‘Sure you can. In fact you should. The food is going to be absolutely key to the success of the wedding.’
She stilled under his embrace. ‘It is, isn’t it? You’re right. When do we go?’
‘Right now?’
‘Now?’
‘Look how well it turned out last time you decided to be spontaneous,’ Leo said and she tapped his hand.
‘The jury’s still out on that one, thank you very much. How do you want to get there? Sail?’
Baby Surprise for the Spanish Billionaire Page 9
