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What he needed was to end this. He needed to end this now. Before she gave her heart to him. Before he caused her any more damage.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ROSA LAY LIKE a starfish in the swimming pool, letting the morning heat be absorbed into her skin. A smile played on her lips—the same smile she had woken with, even though she had been alone in the bed. Nico must have gone for his morning exercise, which had put paid to her idea of surprising him with breakfast in bed.
It would have been wonderful to do something nice for him. Whatever his motivations, there was no denying that he had gone out of his way to ensure that this, their first holiday together—and her first holiday ever—was as relaxing as it could possibly be. All she wanted was to make a gesture to show how much she appreciated everything he had done.
It was hard to credit that she had married him believing herself to be safe. Marrying a control freak like Nico—a man she had believed incapable of affection or empathy—had seemed ideal for what she had needed. Looking back, she was glad she hadn’t known how her feelings towards him would change. If she’d had a crystal ball she never would have married him.
Thank God she didn’t have a crystal ball.
Under that tough, controlling exterior lay a loyal and thoughtful man and a thrillingly tender lover. And he cared. He really cared.
She could no more have stopped herself from falling in love with him than she could have stopped the blazing sun from rising.
When he had still not appeared after she had spent thirty minutes lazing in the pool, she ordered breakfast for herself. She was halfway through a bacon sandwich when he appeared from the stairs on the second deck, wearing only a pair of gym shorts with a towel slung round his neck.
‘Morning.’ She beamed, rising from her chair in anticipation of his kiss.
Nico nodded briefly and looked at his watch. ‘Good morning. Did you sleep well?’
‘Wonderfully, thank you. How did you sleep?’
‘Fine.’ He looked at his watch again.
‘You snuck out of bed early. Was I snoring?’
Only the briefest glimmer of a smile curved his lips, but he still did not look at her. ‘Not at all.’
She swallowed a throat that had suddenly and inexplicably gone dry. ‘Have you eaten?’
‘Yes. I need to shower. Finish your breakfast. I’ll join you in a while.’
Her heart thundering painfully against her ribs, she watched him disappear into their suite.
He closed the patio door behind him.
Dimly aware she was still standing, she sat back down.
Nico had not looked her in the eyes once during that short exchange.
Her stomach rolled. She gazed at the bacon sandwich still in her hand and placed it back on the plate. Her appetite, which mere moments ago had been ravenous, had deserted her.
If she had not lived with Nico for nearly a year she would have shrugged off his strange mood, putting it down to him not being a morning person. Plenty of people weren’t—herself included.
Nico was not one of them. Nico awoke early every morning, firing on all cylinders. Especially after his morning workout.
She didn’t realise she had nibbled her little fingernail down too far until he returned a good half-hour later. By then her breakfast had been cleared away and a fresh pot of coffee brought to the sundeck.
‘I did debate ordering us a cocktail each,’ she said as he took the seat opposite. ‘But I thought you would only complain it didn’t match your standards.’ Deliberately she kept her tone light, hoping the unease rippling through her was nothing but the workings of a paranoid mind. Her paranoia had been fed a little more by the polo shirt he wore, which covered his chest.
‘Very wise.’ The tiniest ghost of smile played on his lips. His eyes were unreadable.
‘So, what do you fancy doing today?’ she asked, chattering madly to fill the tense silence that had appeared between them. ‘As we’re in the middle of the open ocean I’m guessing another trip to a deserted island is out of the question. Are there many other board games you can teach me? I’d love to learn backgammon...’
‘Rosa, we need to talk.’
Her mouth shut with a snap.
He poured them both a coffee and slid her cup to her. ‘The divorce you want...I am in agreement.’
Her lips parted, forming a perfect O. But nothing came out. If she’d had sails he would have literally knocked the wind out of them.
Nico rested his elbows on the table and took a sip of his coffee. Finally he looked at her. ‘I don’t want you to get the wrong idea—the past couple of days have been great—but in hindsight I think our becoming lovers was a mistake.’
Frozen, she continued to gaze at him, unable to blink. There was nothing to read on his face. It held the same dispassionate expression it had contained when she had told him she wanted a divorce.
