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Their approach added colour to the whitewashed buildings, and it made her breath hitch in her throat. There were bright blues and rusty oranges, and Costa showed her the landmarks, pointing first to a silver-domed church.
‘That is where our guests who book the retreat for their wedding get married.’
It was stunning everywhere she looked, from the pools that were like sapphires slotted into the hillside, to the stunning ocean and the yachts in the bay.
‘I lived there growing up,’ Costa said, pointing to a stretch of harbour, clearly having decided it was something she perhaps ought to know. Then he moved his hand and pointed higher. ‘My grandparents had a home in the hills. My mother lived there till myyayadied; now she has her own residence in the grounds of the retreat.’
‘How...?’ Mary asked, utterly bewildered, for the island was breathtakingly beautiful. She was speechless at the thought of a poor boy from the village achieving all this. ‘How did you do it?’
‘That is not up for discussion.’
‘With me?’
‘With anyone,’ Costa countered. ‘I don’t share my life with anyone, Mary.’ He clearly meant it, but he added, ‘I was born under a lucky star.’
‘Oh, please...’
He sighed. ‘Nemo is here to collect us, so I should...’ He slipped an arm around her shoulders. ‘He’s Roula’s brother.’
‘How did he know we’d be on-board?’
‘The helicopter pilot, I guess. I told you—everyone knows everyone else’s business here.’ He turned her to face him then. ‘So, before we dock, tell me more about you.’
‘Like what? I’m really very boring.’
‘Okay,’ Costa said. ‘I’ll tell people that, shall I, when they ask about you? “She’s really very boring.” I don’t think so.’
‘My star sign is Aries.’
‘Yes, because it was your birthday last week. Come on, Mary, give me something here. What would a lover know about Mary Jones?’
‘Perhaps you should have attached a questionnaire to the contract,’ Mary said, knowing full well he had chosen this moment when she was held in his arms to ask her these things. ‘Costa, you’re paying me to hang off your arm and be kissed on demand.’
‘Didn’t they teach you in escort school not to constantly remind the guy that he’s paying for it? Because it really doesn’t help, Mary.’
Costa took a breath, as if suddenly he loathed the charade that they’d created. Whether he wanted to or not, he cared far too much about Mary, and had done since the very first night.
Mary sighed, as she’d thought of something she had better let him know. ‘I didn’t go to “escort school”, as you call it. The fact is—’
‘I apologise,’ he cut in. ‘That was crass of me.’
‘No, Costa...’
‘Let’s just drop it,’ he suggested. ‘It’s probably best that I kiss you now, if that’s okay.’
‘For the sake of our audience?’
‘Of course.’
His kiss was different this time, just his mouth moving over hers and his hands on her hips as if placed by a director.
Except the director had forgotten to direct the placement of Mary’s...
‘Don’t stand there like you’re sleeping on your feet,’ Costa reminded her as he moved his mouth back a fraction.
Mary wasn’t sleeping. In fact, she might very easily weep at the taste of this passionate man’s plastic kiss.
‘There,’ he said, and drew his head back. He looked at her with no trace of affection. ‘That should do.’
