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‘No,’ Roman argued as he dipped his sunglasses down his nose. ‘You only think you do.’
He was right again. Their visit to his facility was a revelation for her. Everyone had heard about industrial diamonds, though Eva hadn’t realised that the demand for them far outstripped gem-quality diamonds.
‘Although the use of synthetic diamonds is on the march,’ Roman explained.
And he was on top of that too, Eva realised as he took her through another sterile white building. ‘I must admit I wasn’t aware of the many uses of industrial diamonds in medical situations.’ She paused and spoke her next words with care, sensing Roman’s particular interest in this subject as his hand strayed to the gold chain he wore. ‘I knew that diamond dust was used to coat various medical instruments, but I had no idea that it was used to target rogue cells.’
‘The list goes on and on,’ he confirmed.
She had wondered about Roman’s obvious obsession with the medical application of diamond dust, as explained to Eva by one of the technicians working in that particular department. Roman’s eyes had gleamed with fervour as he had stood beside her listening.
‘Our boss is one of the biggest supporters of medical research in the world,’ the technician had told her proudly. ‘Without him there would be no progress.’
‘It might be slower, Marco,’ Roman tempered, resting his hand on the man’s shoulder, ‘though I appreciate your confidence in me. But I can tell you, Eva, that without people like Marco nothing would be achieved.’
More surprises were in store when Roman took her for lunch. He chose a low-key beach shack rather than some high-tone restaurant.
And this was better, she thought as they kicked off their shoes. She could relax and be herself—maybe even forget who she was for a couple of hours, forget who Roman was and their respective roles in life. She could forget the fact that she was having lunch with a billionaire who just happened to have flown her here in his helicopter.
‘Is that okay for you?’ Roman checked with her when the handsome young waiter suggested the fresh catch of the day for lunch.
‘Perfect,’ she confirmed, resting back in the wicker chair. ‘This is heaven.’ And after the ups and downs of the past couple of days, to be sitting like this with her feet in the sand and Roman at her side, with the lazy surf rolling rhythmically back and forth in between them, this was heaven.
‘Have I convinced you?’ he asked in a lazy drawl, leaning back.
She smiled as his chair creaked. It hardly seemed substantial enough to contain such a significant force. ‘I can see the need for those diamonds now, and it goes far beyond what I thought...’
‘But?’ he queried, sensing a question in her words.
She waited until the waiter had served their cold drinks. ‘I suppose your particular interest in the medical application fascinates me. You seem...’ She hesitated.
‘Unusually passionate?’ Roman suggested. ‘That’s because I am.’
‘It wasn’t your passion that surprised me. It’s the direction it takes. Is there some particular reason for that?’ she asked carefully. ‘A personal reason, perhaps?’
He shrugged and finished his glass of water, pouring another before he spoke, and then he just said, ‘Yes.’
She waited, but then their food arrived and they were both distracted for a few moments. When everything had calmed down, she tried again. ‘So...’
‘Eat, Eva. Your food will get cold, and it looks delicious.’
‘Yes, it does,’ she agreed, but she didn’t make any move to pick up her knife and fork.
‘All right,’ Roman threatened as he shook out her napkin and spread it across her knees. ‘I’ll have to feed you if you won’t eat. You have been warned.’
‘No. Seriously. Please tell me—’ She jumped in with both feet. ‘Starting with the gold chain...I can tell it means a lot to you. Why do you wear it?’
When his eyes flashed she was sure she had gone too far too soon, and wished she could call the words back, but Roman quickly gathered himself.
‘It was my mother’s chain. She got sick and died,’ he said briskly, unemotionally. ‘I’m just trying to do some good, Eva. We all have to do what we can, even if it’s all too late. So now you know. Do you mind if we eat now?’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that I don’t know too much about you apart from what I read in the newspapers.’
