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‘It’s nothing fancy...’ He was barely conscious of what he was saying, just using words to try and bridge the chasm that had sprung up between them.
‘Even better.’ She pushed herself up to her feet with grace and Jack couldn’t tear his gaze away from her long, tanned legs, her exposed midriff, the curve of her breasts showcased by the yellow bikini top. He swallowed as the desire that had never quite subsided flared up, hot and urgent. ‘I was just trying to get up the energy to fix some lunch. Shall we eat here?’ She gestured to the wrought iron table he was standing next to.
‘Perfect.’ Jack placed the coffee and bags on the table and watched her as she walked over, pulling an oversized striped T-shirt dress on as she did so.
‘Hi,’ she said softly.
‘Hi.’ They looked at each other for a charged moment before taking their seats and Jack tore open the bags to reveal the savoury pastries, olives and marinated tomatoes and peppers he’d bought, pushing a coffee towards Rosy.
She sniffed it appreciatively. ‘Flat white, no sugar?’
‘I’ve been paying attention.’
‘Thanks.’ Colour rose in her cheeks as she took a sip.
Jack pushed one of the bags towards her and they ate, making polite conversation about the quality of the food, the girls’ plans for the rest of the week, until the bags were empty and Rosy sat back with a satisfied sigh. ‘Delicious, thank you.’ She looked down at her hands. ‘I’m glad you stopped by. I wasn’t sure you would.’
‘Neither was I,’ he said honestly.
She nodded. ‘I get it. My situation is a lot.’
But shedidn’tget it and Jack realised how much he wanted her to understand. ‘It is, but Rosy, I’ve been here before.’
‘Here?’ Her expression was confused.
‘An amusing diversion for a rich, entitled girl who fancied slumming it in the real world.’ He enunciated every word. ‘I have no intention of ever being that gullible again.’
Understanding and hurt flared in her eyes and he saw her swallow. ‘That’s not who I am, Jack.’ She swallowed again and with an almost defensive toss of her head reached over and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. ‘I don’t think I’m entitled, and you are more than my equal in every way. I can’t tell you what this thing is between us because I don’t know, but I promise that’s not how I see you at all. I didn’t intend any of this to happen. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to get so close to the girls, to allow myself to get so close to you.’ Her gaze was devastatingly candid. ‘Especially once I realised how attracted I was to you.’
‘And I am attracted to you, but it isn’t that simple. It matters. Who you are matters.’
‘Right now, I am just Rosy, enjoying the sun, and I intend to be her for another two weeks.’ She let his hand drop, tilting her chin, and despite her words he could see the proud Princess in every line of her.
But he could see the woman he’d got to know and care for too. ‘That’s the problem. Because I don’t know the Princess, but I do know Rosy. And it’s Rosy I want.’ He hadn’t meant to admit that, but the words were out and couldn’t be unsaid.
Her eyes were huge, her lips slightly parted. ‘So what do we do?’
‘I don’t know,’ he admitted, ‘The sensible thing would have been not to come here at all.’
Rosy sat and looked at him for a long moment. ‘Why do you think I see you as a diversion, Jack? You must know how much you have to offer any woman, even a princess. You’re rich and good-looking, successful, a great father, fun to be with. Any woman would be lucky to have you.’
‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ he admitted. ‘Seeing Lily’s parents today brought the past crashing back; it always does, although they mean well.’
‘That’s understandable. You were married for a long time.’
‘You think we got a happy ever after?’
‘I know it ended tragically, but raising two wonderful girls together was an achievement.’
It was one way to look at his marriage. He’d always thought of it as an endurance, not an achievement. ‘Lily was complicated, which meant our marriage was complicated.’
‘How so?’
How could he describe Lily? ‘She was wild and beautiful and talented and capricious. She could make you feel like no one else existed or freeze you out completely and you would never know which way it would be.’
‘That sounds exhausting.’
‘It was.’ It was only now that he could look back and see how much his marriage had drained him.
