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Besides, any hint of nervousness was swallowed the minute Guy took the seat beside her. As with the golf cart, he was close, close enough that she was absorbed by his proximity, his smell, the feeling of his thigh pressed to hers. But when he put an arm around her shoulders, casually, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, her heart began to run like a wild little bird, beating furiously against her rib cage. She tilted her face to his on instinct, her expression showing how lost she was.
His smile didn’t, for a moment, drop, but his eyes held a warning. A caution, and reminder to play along. She swallowed, forcing herself to breathe deeply, to remember that this wasn’t real. Not for him.
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“When Guillem was a boy, we would watch the sunset every day, wouldn’t we?”
Guy nodded, that same indulgent smile curving his lips as he turned to face his grandfather. A man in a suit appeared, unobtrusively reaching for the champagne and unfurling the foil top, pushing his fingers into the cork to liberate it from the bottle. He curled his hands over it at the last moment, so the opening lacked the usual fanfare of a loud ‘pop’.
“I was too tired from running over the island to do much else,” Guy drawled with a small laugh.
The servant filled three glasses with champagne and placed them on a tray, which he carried first to Santiago.
“No, please,” Santiago shook his head. “To Ava.”
The man nodded and came around the sofa, holding the tray out to her. Her fingertips were shaking slightly as she reached for the champagne. Guy frowned when he saw the tell-tale gesture of nervousness.
He was very aware that his grandfather was watching them like a hawk. Santiago was no fool. The act needed to be perfect. Flawless.
He imagined how he might act if this were real. If he was bringing Addie – Ava – to meet Santiago. It wasn’t so difficult to imagine; he had, at one time, believed that he would.
“Don’t be nervous, darling,” Guy heard himself say, reaching for her spare hand and lifting it to his lips. “He is really a big teddy bear.”
Addie’s skin glowed pink as she looked at Guy. He could see now that she was terrified. He stroked a finger over her hand, smiling at her reassuringly. She returned the smile but the anxiety remained.
“You are not afraid to meet me?” Santiago laughed. “Whatever for?”
Addie’s blush deepened. “Oh,” she murmured, swallowing, so that her fine throat shifted a little. “It’s just, I know how much you mean to Guy,” she said, lifting her champagne and sipping it, relaxing visibly as the liquid made its way inside of her, spreading through her bloodstream.
“And you want to make a good impression?” Santiago winked. “You are the first woman my grandson has brought to Acantilados. You have already succeeded.”
Addie shifted a little in the seat, putting some vital space between herself and Guy, but Guy didn’t allow it. He kept his hand on hers, squeezing it, holding her close.
“It’s a beautiful name,” she murmured. “What does it mean?”
“Cliffs,” Santiago’s grin stretched his face. “Beautiful, but not particularly imaginative.”
She smiled. “I didn’t realise that the cliffs would be so dramatic,” she said, casting about for things they could discuss all the while trying to process the assault on her senses that Guy’s proximity was having.
“Mmm, quite unusual too. Acantilados is the only island in the group that has such a sheer rock face.”
“The view is incomparable,” she said with a small smile. “Do you mind if I have a look further along?”
“No, of course not. Let us all go.”
“No, no,” Addie demurred quickly. “Don’t trouble yourself. You’re both so comfortable here and I won’t be long. Only I’d love to get my bearings.” And her breath back! She hadn’t anticipated this. How foolish of her not to realise that they would need to be close to one another, to touch, to seem intimate.
She stood, her champagne flute clutched in her hand like a lifeline, and made her way with unconscious grace towards the other end of the enormous balcony. From here she could see the edge of the front garden, and the hibiscus trees she’d spied from the boat when they’d arrived.
Guy watched, his eyes following her progress as she crossed the space and finally paused, propping her elbows on the railing, her gaze held by the sea.
“Guillem,” his grandfather’s voice was lowered. “Beautiful young women should not be left to watch the sun set on their own.”
Guy laughed, shaking his head ruefully. “I came to see you.”
“But you brought her,” Santiago volleyed back. “I will wait. Go.”
Guy’s eyes narrowed, knowing that arguing was not just futile, it was dangerous. He wanted to convince Santiago that he was in love. To assuage the older man’s concerns. Though Santiago looked well enough, Guy knew.
