The air was warm and heavy with the scent of tropical flowers, which seemed to grow rampant all around them, and Lia breathed in deeply.
“Welcome to my island,” Luc said from beside her. “Come on, we’ll put the bags away and you can shower.”
It was early evening, still balmy but without the oppressive heat she’d felt in Rome. Cicadas sang in the nearby trees. Beneath that, the ebb and flow of the sea provided a soothing ambiance, and the last remaining tension oozed from her.
They had landed at the rear of the building, and Luc led her around the side. The house was spectacular: not large, but beautiful, a long white graceful villa. A series of arches formed a covered terrace that ran along the front, and over which crimson and orange bougainvillea ran riot. Smooth green lawns ran down to the cliff’s edge, where they gave way to terra cotta tiles surrounding a cobalt blue infinity pool.
She stared for a long moment before following Luc beneath one of the archways and through French doors into a large airy bedroom.
“This is yours,” Luc said. “I’m next door if you need anything.”
The room was simply but beautifully decorated, the walls white, the floors terra-cotta tiles, cool yet welcoming. The space was dominated by an enormous four-poster bed draped with mosquito netting, and a suitcase lay on the ottoman at the foot of the bed.
Lia frowned. “This isn’t mine.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not. I’ve never seen it before in my life.”
Opening it, she examined the contents. She picked up a bikini that lay on top, three tiny triangles of silky scarlet material. Definitely not hers; she owned a sensible black one-piece. Placing the bikini on the bed, she picked up a sundress that lay wrapped in tissue paper beneath. It was lavender, with narrow straps, and like the bikini, she had never seen it before. Mind you, she thought, holding it up in front of her, it did look like a perfect fit. She peered at Luc suspiciously.
“Where did these clothes come from?”
“I asked Maggie to get a few things for you. She knew your sizes from shopping with you for the party.”
“But,” Lia said, rummaging through the suitcase, “this is all holiday gear. We only decided to come away this morning. You’re not telling me that Maggie bought all this between then and now. On a Sunday.”
Something wasn’t quite right here, but she really couldn’t think what it was. She glanced at Luc, but he turned away from her before she could see his expression. He stood, staring out of the window, his hands in his trouser pockets, his shoulders rigid with tension.
“Luc?”
He turned around to face her, and she forced herself to continue. “I found out today that my whole life has been a fabrication of lies. Can’t we at least have the truth between us now?”
He looked at her for a long moment. “I leaked the story to the press.”
It wasn’t what she was expecting, and she shook her head in bemusement. “I don’t understand, why would you do that? What could you possibly gain from it?”
“I wanted to get you away from London. I wanted to bring you here alone.”
“But why?”
“Think about it, cara. I’ll be outside.”
She waited until he left the room, shutting the door gently behind him, then she sank onto the bed. She should be angry; he was manipulating her again. But something superseded her anger—Luc had wanted to bring her here. Spend time alone with her. She’d wondered if he still wanted her that way. Oh, he had said so, but he had seemed so distant since the party, she was sure he hadn’t really forgiven her.
Now, he was all but admitting he wanted her. She could sense something unraveling inside her, some cold, hard lump. Jumping up, she peered out the French doors. The sun was low in the sky, glinting on the turquoise water of the pool, and all of a sudden, it finally sank in—she was in Italy, alone with Luc. It seemed impossible, but she knew she was going to make the most of this opportunity. She might not have forever, but she had now. Picking up the lavender sundress, she grabbed her toiletries bag and went for a shower.
When she came out on the terrace, the sun was setting, turning the sea to gold and red. Luc was nowhere in sight, and she wandered down toward the pool. It seemed to be balanced on the cliff’s edge, and she peered over. Below, at the foot of the cliff was a small cove, a horseshoe of golden sand, and it was here that she caught sight of Luc. He had also showered, his hair was damp, and he’d changed into a pair of loose drawstring trousers and a white linen shirt that hung open, the sleeves rolled up over tanned forearms. He sat on the sand staring out to sea, but something must have alerted him to her presence because he glanced up as she stood above him. He rose gracefully to his feet and turned to face her, desire flaring to life in his eyes.
Lia found the small path that led to the cove. She followed it down, kicking off her sandals as she came to the sand, finally coming to a halt in front of him.
He reached out and stroked a strand of her hair, which she had left hanging loose to her shoulders. “You look beautiful, Lia.”
She allowed her eyes to wander over him, the lean lines of his body, the stark beauty of his face. “So do you,” she said, and it was true.
He smiled. “Come and sit.”
Taking her by the hand, he led her close to where the sea met the land. He sank down and tugged her hand so she collapsed onto the warm, silky sand. He didn’t say a word for a while, and Lia sat in silence gazing out at the vast expanse of water, breathing in the salt tang of the air. There was something magical about the sea, and she allowed it to sooth her. What Luc had done was wrong. He had no right to try to manipulate her in any way, but the fact was, the outcome was such that she couldn’t stay angry. She was here, in this gorgeous place with Luc at her side, and for once, he seemed relaxed.
Lia allowed herself a few minutes to soak up the atmosphere then turned to Luc. “What do you want from me?”
He returned her gaze, his face free from expression so she had no clue what was going through his mind. “You know what I want. I want you.”
The time for pretense was over. “You didn’t have to go to all this bother. You must have known you could have me. I thought I made that embarrassingly clear the night of the party. So why bring me here?”
“I wanted to get away from London. This seemed like a good idea.”
She shook her head. “Forget about me for a moment. Didn’t you think about what that article would mean to Mike? What will it be like for him when he has to go back to school?”