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Never had she expected to hear such a thing from Jack Reilly. Work was his number one priority, hisonlypriority, and always had been.
‘We could talk.’
Bess stared, instinctively shuffling her feet wider. Because another tremor tilted the ground beneath her soles.
He wanted totalk?
It was unheard of.
She’d always enjoyed chatting with Jack. He was clever, interesting and he listened. But they never discussed their marriage. Jack had decided what he wanted, set the parameters on the day he proposed and made clear since that those parameters weren’t up for negotiation.
Bess felt her jaw sag in amazement then snapped her mouth closed.
‘We can stay in separate villas if you prefer. I’m sure they can accommodate me.’
She blinked. He really was going to change his plans? Put off his business commitments, to spend time with her?
She knew how much work went into organising his schedule. How every hour and half hour were allocated with precision. In all the time she’d known him he’d never put anything ahead of his business goals.
Now he wanted to do that for her.
As if she were more important than the valuable negotiations he no doubt had in hand. More important than the business opportunities he’d miss to be with her.
He’d never put her first before.
A warm, fuzzy feeling bloomed and she wanted to hug it close. It felt precious. An unexpected gift. Her husband had always been generous but their marriage, and therefore she, had always come second to business.
When she’d first seen Jack yesterday she’d expected anger. Her departure must have bruised his pride as well as being inconvenient for his plans. He was a man accustomed to getting his way.
Yet here he was saying their marriage wasn’t over, wanting to talk.
Despite Bess’s caution, her heart swelled with precarious hope. Was there a chance to mend what was broken between them? Perhaps hedidcare for her but hadn’t been good at expressing that?
She stared into that bold, handsome face and wondered if it could be true. Or was this some devious ploy to make her pay for disrupting his convenient marriage?
But Jack had never been devious with her. In fact his propensity to be up-front about everything, while laudable in theory, had been difficult to bear sometimes.
Would you rather he’d pretended to love you?
‘Elisabeth?’
Was it wishful thinking or did she really hear the tiniest echo of vulnerability in his question?
No, that was taking things too far. But here he was, in good faith suggesting they spend time together and talk. How could she say no? If there was the tiniest possibility they could salvage their marriage and turn it into something real, she had to take it.
She cleared her throat. ‘I think that’s a great idea.’
They started with dinner on the private terrace of his bungalow. The food was excellent and Jack couldn’t have ordered a more spectacular sunset. Elisabeth sighed appreciatively, exclaiming over the sky turning pink, orange and gold, its colours reflected in the sea.
But it was Elisabeth who was gorgeous. Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Their attraction had always been strong but now it felt like a compulsion. Was it just because of those months apart? Listening to her sigh jolted him back to last night and her throaty cries as he pleasured her.
Heat crawled up his neck and around his hairline as he fought not to think about how close and convenient his bed was.
Instead he made himself concentrate on small talk. He needed to get her to relax and win her trust. He hadn’t missed her wariness when he’d suggested staying on here. More than wariness, she’d looked completely stunned.
Did she really think he’d give up their marriage so easily? She didn’t know him at all in that case.
