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‘Most of the suites,’ Aurora explained, ‘have their own private pool, but this is the central one. Though it is positioned so that it can’t be viewed from the main building.’
‘Why is that?’ a reporter asked.
‘For private functions,’ Aurora said. ‘It looks incredible when lit at night, and with the calibre of guests we expect to host we would not want to risk them being photographed.’
‘Can a couple book just this area just for themselves?’
‘Of course,’ Nico answered, when Aurora could not.
She could feel the sun beating on her head, and Nico’s eyes on her, and the air felt so thick she could barely drag it in.
Oh, how she wanted to discard the jacket and skirt! To peel off her clothes and take his hand as he led her into the cool, inviting water.
‘Let’s head inside,’ Aurora said, and deliberately avoided his eyes. ‘This was once the oratory, where the monks would gather to pray and meditate,’ she explained as they came in from the glittering pool into the huge, cool, dark building. ‘The new stone is from the same quarry as the original monastery, and this whole wall…’ she touched it lovingly ‘…is original. Now it’s going to be a place for meditation and spa treatments. A place to hide from the world and restore oneself in peace and tranquillity.’
It was truly stunning. All those painstaking hours and millions of euros had been worth it, Nico knew.
Even his father had known. During their last visit, on the last morning of his life, Geo had admitted that he would have sold it to developers.
‘But I like what you have done,’ he had told Nico. And today Nico held on to those words as Aurora walked them around.
He couldneverpalm this hotel off on his managers or sell it.
Yes, he had said that on the day of his father’s funeral, and for a while he had thought he would, but as the grief had settled Nico knew he could never just hand it over.
It was his life’s work.
‘Now…’ Aurora smiled as she led them up some stone stairs and across a long cloister. ‘I shall take you into my favourite suite.’
‘The Honeymoon Suite?’ one of the crowd joked.
‘No,’ Aurora replied.
How could that be her favourite when she would never know a honeymoon? The truth was she avoided the Honeymoon Suite as best she could.
‘This is the Temple Suite,’ Aurora told her audience. ‘And I’m sure you will soon see why.’
She pushed open the heavy wooden door and as they took one step inside they all gasped—except for Aurora and Nico.
Even the sun had joined the party, and it seemed to split apart the stones of the old temple ruins in this most stunning view. It actually brought tears to Aurora’s eyes as she stood and looked out.
‘I had seen the temple ruins from every angle I thought possible,’ Aurora explained. ‘I grew up in Silibri and they were my playground. But some weeks ago I put on a hard hat and was shown the view from here. I admit I cried when I saw the temple from this height and distance. I believe this was the view that the monastery was built to capture. It is a slice of heaven, is it not?’
And it was—except that Nico was watching Aurora, and the way her eyes shone with tears. He could feel her love for this incredible space.
He wished—oh, how he wished—they were here alone.
They would be tonight.
She led them through the suite and onto the huge balcony and was grateful for the gentle breeze to cool her warm cheeks. Yes, she had trained herself not to blush around Nico, but it seemed she could not train herself out of desiring him. The easiest thing in the world, Aurora thought, would be to say yes to Nico.
‘Dinner on this balcony would be amazing,’ Nico said, as if reading her thoughts.
‘Absolutely, it would be,’ Aurora agreed.
‘I don’t think anyone would close the drapes on this.’
Please don’t, her heart said in response to his words.Please don’t banter with me and take me back to that day in Rome. Please don’t seduce me in this room that I love so much when I know you will only break my heart later…my heart that is trying so hard to mend itself.
