AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Well, you’ve chosen the best of the best. Absolute luxury and privacy, pristine surroundings and discreet service.’
The tall American smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and it struck Bess that he was very handsome.
Yet he didn’t make her pulse flutter as his eyes held hers.
Only one man had ever done that.
Her heart sank as she wondered if that would always be the case. Bess made herself smile back, telling herself she was weary from travelling. One day far in the future she’d be ready for another relationship. Sometime after the divorce came through. Her smile grew strained.
‘I’m stopping overnight,’ he said. ‘Ready for a charter at dawn tomorrow. I’m going to the bar for a drink. Maybe you’d like to join me?’
It was no good. Even if it was just a drink and a chat. Bess read the warmth in his eyes and didn’t want to lead him on.
‘Thanks. That’s kind of you, but it’s been a long trip and I need rest.’
The American nodded, his smile only a little dimmed. ‘If you change your mind, you know where to find me.’ He grabbed his bag from the plane as a woman in a neat skirt and polo shirt arrived, welcoming them to the island.
It turned out that Bess’s excuse about needing rest hadn’t been a white lie. She reached her glamorous and very private bungalow, politely refusing a guided tour and an offer to unpack her case. Alone, she slipped off her shoes and stretched out on the massive bed. She just had time to marvel at its cloud-like softness, foreign after months on a hard single mattress, before dropping into a sound sleep.
The sun had dipped low when she opened her eyes to a spectacular view of the beach beyond the trees. A stunning sunset painted the sky neon pink and tangerine.
The only sound was the chatter of birds and she felt a sense of well-being. She loved the testing nature of her work but it felt like a lifetime since she’d let herself be utterly still.
In the past ten months stillness meant time to think and that led to thoughts of Jack. Was it any wonder she’d worked till she dropped rather than leave herself time for regrets?
Her chest tightened. Leaving him had been the only way to keep her sanity and retrieve some self-respect. She’d made a colossal mistake, marrying him. No matter how much she cared for him. When love became a prison, making her a second-class citizen in her own life, she’d had no choice.
And if some tiny part of her still yearned for the romantic happy ever after she’d once imagined, time and distance were curing her.
She was getting over Jack. She really was.
Deliberately she focused on the view, not her fractured heart. She told herself she could learn to be slothful here. Her week’s holiday was just what she needed. She couldn’t keep running on empty, trying to forget the past by burying herself in work.
But first she had a celebration to attend. The dresses she’d ordered had been delivered. She just hoped they were as good as they’d looked online.
It would only be a small group celebrating tomorrow’s secret elopement wedding. But since the bride was related to royalty and the groom was a crown prince, Bess wanted to look good. Freya and Michael would marry again later in the full glare of the public spotlight but this would be their real wedding, and Bess was determined not to let her cousin down.
She opened the door to an opulent dressing room and saw a splash of vibrant colour. Her breath caught.
Reaching out, she stroked the water-soft silk. Teaching in remote schools in Africa and South-East Asia had called for washable cottons, not glamour. It had been an age since she’d worn anything so beautiful.
Bess snatched her hand back at a sudden icy glissade down her spine.
Because these lovely dresses reminded her of the world she’d shared with Jack. Where she’d worn exquisite couture because that was the image he wanted her to project. He liked her to wear the best. And he enjoyed the way silk draped her body.
The glacial chill became a burn. A blaze that grew until it felt like there was an inferno inside her. The inferno Jack had always stoked, making her desperate for him.
Firming her mouth, Bess ignored her body’s betraying weakness. She grabbed the scarlet dress she’d bought for tonight. It might be silk but it wasn’t by a famous designer. It was pretty and worked well with her colouring but she’d chosen it because it made her happy and she could afford it from her savings.
Ignoring the marble and glass bathroom, Bess used the outdoor rain shower in the bungalow’s private courtyard, fearing that if she soaked in the massive sunken tub she’d never leave.
Finally, dry, dressed and wearing a little makeup, Bess stepped into the scarlet sandals she’d ordered and turned towards the mirror.
She was relieved to see she’d chosen well. The silk skimmed her body in a good fit. She’d scooped her hair up, a habit she’d got into while living in hot places, and it complemented the halterneck dress.
Bess smiled, pleased to see she looked...good. For months she’d avoided mirrors as much as possible. In the early days her eyes had looked bruised and her mouth too tight. Now she looked fine.
And she was. Fine.
