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Lara sucked in a sharp breath. ‘That’s awful. Why haven’t they just divorced?’
He shook his head. ‘Strict Catholics. They prefer to make each other—and everyone around them—miserable.’ He paused for a second. ‘Don’t get me wrong—I’ve always had a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on the table. Did I ever have anyone ask me how my day was? Give me a hug or a kiss? Not a chance.’
Lara couldn’t eat any more. ‘That’s terrible. I’m sorry, Reuben, no kid should experience life like that.’
He sat down his knife and fork. ‘I guess I should appreciate the fact they sent me to school and I met Caleb. His family are great. They were my first real example of what a family should be. Up until that point I thought most people lived like I did. Once I realised the love and attention Caleb had from his mum and dad it made me resentful and angry.’ He took a sip of his coffee. ‘Now, a few years on, I’m adult enough to realise I don’t need toxic people in my life and step away.’
Lara could feel tears in her eyes. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. ‘You told me before that you knew Caleb would give up his life for his wife and his child. And I know you’re right. He’s a great dad and a great husband.’ She smiled. ‘He might have a bit of the workaholic in him, like you, but I’ve never doubted his devotion to his family. I’m glad you had a chance to see that not all parents are like yours.’
There was silence for a few minutes. She didn’t feel the need to fill it with endless chatter. She was trying to get her head around what he’d just told her. It was making her see Reuben in a whole new light. Maybe the way he’d been brought up was affecting his ability to make connections in life? Maybe that was why he had trouble letting people in?
Reuben shook his head a little. ‘I was jealous, you know.’
Lara looked up. ‘What do you mean?’
He sighed. ‘Caleb and I always spent a lot of time together. Once he met Addison...’ His voice tailed off.
She tilted her head to the side. ‘You got dumped?’
She probably didn’t mean it quite like that but the notion was close enough.
He gave a hollow laugh. ‘It introduced me to the concept of happily-ever-after. I’d never believed in it. I still don’t know if I do and Caleb called me on it. That—and a few other things.’
‘You fell out?’
She got the distinct impression there was much more to this.
‘Not quite.’ He shook his head and stood up, holding out his hand towards her.
She hesitated. After last night did she really want to hold hands with him? But something had changed. His bad-boy edges had chipped off a little. He wasn’t as full of bravado as he’d originally seemed.
She pushed her chair back, slipped her hand into his and headed towards the shore and the coaches that were lined up ready to take them on their tour.
* * *
It was only a short journey along the coast to where the small boats waited to take them across to Château d’If.
As she stepped down from the coach Lara gave a little gasp. ‘It’s even more perfect than I imagined.’
Reuben looked at her in surprise. ‘A prison? Perfect? That’s an unusual description.’
He held out his hand again for hers as she took the last few steps down and walked to board the boat. The white limestone island seemed to rise out of the perfect blue sea with the fortress taking up most of the area. ‘I know it’s supposed to be one mile away but it looks almost close enough to touch,’ she said in wonder.
The boat ride only took ten minutes and the water was much choppier than it had originally looked.
They stepped onto the island to be met by a tour guide who showed them around.
‘The history of this place is amazing,’ Reuben agreed. ‘I can’t believe that one of the prisoners was here for nearly twenty years.’
‘I like how the cells are all so quirky and different,’ Lara said, as she walked up the flight of stairs and peered inside one of them, fingering the sign outside where previous prisoners’ names were inscribed.
‘You do know that the Man in the Iron Mask wasn’t actually imprisoned here?’
She smiled and moved to stand behind some bars. ‘I know that. But I like the legend. It makes the whole place a little more magical.’
They moved outside and stood at edge of the fortress looking back over the Bay of Marseille. Lara leaned against the fortress wall. ‘Look how close Marseille looks. I wonder how many people died trying to reach it and getting caught in the currents.’
He was smiling at her again. ‘You like to capture the whole moment, don’t you?’
She turned back to face him, her hair getting blown around like crazy in the wind. His hand reached up brushed the side of her face. ‘Why else come?’ she said quietly. ‘There isn’t much point if you can’t try and get into the spirit of things.’
His gaze locked with hers. It hadn’t come out quite as she’d meant. She hadn’t been talking about last night. She really hadn’t. But now she couldn’t drag her gaze away from his. The brisk breeze had made all the little hairs on her arms stand on end. He took a step closer to her. ‘So, tell me what you really think.’
Her mouth was instantly dry. His body had blocked out some of the wind sweeping around her, stilled her hair and kind of caught the air between them. For a few seconds she couldn’t hear the squawking birds around them. The voices of the other tourists were lost. It was just him and her.
She licked her lips. She was determined not to let those brown eyes pull her in. She’d let that happen in the casino the night before—and where had that got her? The wind was rippling his shirt against the muscles of his chest. It was hard not to look. Hard not to let her hand automatically reach up and rest itself there.
She lifted her chin towards him. ‘That’s one thing you can count on, Reuben. I’ll always tell you what I really think.’
He sucked in a breath. She could feel it beneath her palm and his fingers curled at the side of her cheek. He didn’t miss a beat. ‘And that’s why I’m here, Lara.’ There was something in the way his Irish accent folded around her name. Held it there for a few seconds. Cherished it even.
The edges of his mouth turned upwards and a glint of gold lightened those dark eyes. It lightened the moment, letting the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding escape from her lips.
His hand dropped and rested behind her waist, exerting the tiniest bit of pressure to turn them both towards the view. She relaxed a little, taking in the sweeping sights of Marseille and the multitude of white yachts in the harbour. It really was another life—another world. A whole other bank balance.
She rested her head against his shoulder. ‘This place seems as if it should be something else entirely.’
His fingers drummed against her waistband. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I kind of wonder why some billionaire hasn’t swept in here with some ridiculous offer and tried to buy this island. Couldn’t you imagine this place with the fortress transformed into some sumptuous private dwelling with a whole host of glass glinting in the sun? It could be like something from a James Bond movie, you know, with lots of glamorous women in floor-length sweeping gowns drinking cocktails with men in tuxedos.’ She glanced around. ‘I bet this place could even have its own helipad.’
She waved her hand in front of her. ‘And all the beautiful people of Marseille would stare over at the island and wonder exactly what was going on here.’
She turned to face Reuben. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head and a grin was plastered to his face.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘You,’ he said. ‘I had no idea you had such a wild imagination.’ He reached over and tapped his finger on her forehead. ‘What on earth else goes on in there?’
‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ she quipped, as she started to walk away.
* * *
It was impossible to ignore the curvy bottom in the white capri pants sashaying in front of him. Bree, the personal shopper, had been right. The pants and shirt knotted right at her navel made the most of all Lara’s assets, hugging her curves in all the right places. As she walked ahead she reached up and caught her blonde hair, tying it back up in a ponytail.
He preferred it down, but she looked good no matter how she wore it.
He could sense the admiring glances around them. Everyone here must think that he and Lara were a couple. And that wouldn’t be a surprise—because they seemed to act like it. He wasn’t afraid to touch her—just like she wasn’t afraid to touch him. She regularly took his hand, put her hands on his arm or chest, or reached out and touched his face.
The strange thing was he was beginning to ache for her touch. It all seemed so natural. It all just seemed to fit. And he was beginning to wonder what things would be like when they got back to reality.
Back in London, he wouldn’t spend much time at Caleb’s house. The work on his own property should be complete, and Addison didn’t exactly roll out the welcome wagon for him. And she certainly wouldn’t appreciate him trying to hang around her nanny.
The thought of not being able to see Lara every day didn’t sit comfortably with him. But what on earth could he do about it?
He knew that she hadn’t been happy last night—she probably thought he’d screwed things up between them. He’d have liked nothing more to have taken her back to the cabin and undressed her—but where would that have left them?
He didn’t want to have a fling with Lara. He didn’t want to wake up the next day and make some excuse to leave. But talking about relationships and feelings just wasn’t his thing. Guys just didn’t have those conversations. Or maybe he was just hanging around with the wrong people?
His parents had certainly never encouraged it. They couldn’t face up to their own relationship failings so they couldn’t possibly offer any advice that he would take notice of. They’d never been that interested in him. And as he’d grown older he’d been wise enough to distance himself from them completely.
Lara had stopped to chat to a couple of elderly ladies who were also on the cruise. One of them threw back her head, laughing, as Lara’s cheeks flushed pink.
He walked over and slid his arm around her waist. ‘What have I missed?’
The pinkness in her cheeks deepened and she waved her hand as the ladies dissolved into another fit of laughter. ‘Oh, nothing, we were just chatting.’
One of them tapped Reuben on the arm. ‘And I wonder who we could have been talking about?’ she said coyly. She reached over and grabbed Reuben’s phone from his hand. ‘Here, let me take a picture of you two lovebirds. You make such a gorgeous couple.’
They barely had time to pose before she handed the phone back and the two ladies walked away, still laughing.
