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He opened his mouth, then at a bark of laughter from behind them, his jaw tightened. His gaze drifted over her, lingering on her belly and hips before, a fierce light in his eyes, he shook his head. ‘Not now.’
‘Okay. I need... I’ll be right back. I need to check on a couple of things.’
He gave a brisk nod but didn’t move. After a moment, she turned and hurried away, aware his gaze was pinned on her.
Had he seen? Did he know her fresh, raw feelings?
How could he when she’d only just discovered them herself?
But remember who you’re dealing with.
Her panic escalated as the unnecessary checks were done, assurances given by the planner that all was in order.
Then she had no choice but to return to Zeph’s side.
He took her hand immediately, openly kissing her knuckles before clamping a hand on her hip to keep her at his side.
Together they watched the spectacular fireworks over the lake before the strong hints that Zeph wanted them gone quickly dispersed the guests.
When Apostolos deliberately straggled to catch Zeph’s attention, and then skilfully cornered him, Imogen took the opportunity to seek another breather.
She’d already fallen into bed with a husband who hadn’t wanted intimacy with her at the start of their marriage. How on earth would she manage to keep her love a secret when every look, every gesture made her heart ache and sing in the best and worst ways?
Like Zeph, she hadn’t yet toured the house because she’d been too busy ensuring their guests would be fully catered for. So she was discovering darling little gems at every turn as she went through the villa now. Bypassing the organised chaos in the kitchen, she stumbled into a small, charming courtyard with a large olive-green door leading outside.
Two small benches were situated in front of a fountain, with a tidy vegetable patch on one side and a compact rose garden on the other.
She perched on the edge of one bench, her hands bunched in her lap. She was abstractly glad she wasn’t freaking out on the outside because on the inside, Imogen reeled. Did she offer up her feelings and hope this new Zeph would welcome this...development?
She couldn’t call it a gift because her love, so far in her life, had been seen as a burden.
Heart squeezing, she shut her eyes, only to open them again when the sound of heavy footsteps alerted her to Zeph’s presence.
He prowled into the courtyard like a man with battle on his mind. Whether it was for her or against her was another matter.
His eyes zeroed in on her, and her heart thudded harder. ‘Zeph...’ she started, not really sure what came next. Her doom? Her ecstasy?
The hard shake of his head dried her attempt. ‘Apostolos just told me some things. Things I would like answers—’
She stared at him as he suddenly froze. But he wasn’t looking at her.
His gaze was fixed over her shoulder, his colour a sickly ash in the bright courtyard light.
‘Zeph?’
A shiver-inducing sound ripped from his throat. Shaken, she turned to see what had provoked such a reaction. But there was nothing there.
She watched him stumble forward, his arm lifting to point. ‘This. This is the door.’
Imogen gasped, her gaze whipping from his face to the door and back again. ‘The door from your dreams? Are...are you sure?’
‘Yes,’ he breathed.
‘H-how do you know?’
‘Because I’ve lived that moment a million times. This was how my father would come in. He rarely used the front door because my mother was always in the kitchen with my grandmother. He would park the car around the back and come in that way. He would stop in town to pick up something because she was always forgetting some ingredient or other.’
His mouth twisted, his face a shattered painting. ‘She was...impatient. He told me it was always best to appease her quickly if he wanted peace of mind.’
