Luca’s unexpected emotional response had her biting her lip again. A blessing?
Somehow, she’d thought he was rich. But, when she thought about it, rich men didn’t take on a project like this by themselves, did they?
They hired people to do it.
But Luca had done this all by himself. Did that speak of tight funds? Despite herself, she was all the more impressed. She’d been in awe of his talents as she looked around the renovated property, but to do it all on a tight budget too?
Determined to ease any nerves he might have about her opinion, she enthused, “Well, so far, so good. I have to admit; the location is just… Well, it’s wow. There’s nothing else I can even say other than that. I mean…” She wafted a hand at the ocean which was so beyond close it was almost lapping at the damn door. “That’s just crazy. We have houses like this in the States, but this is special.”
“It’s the solitude,” he said softly. “Nothing beats island living.”
“Can I ask how you found yourself here?”
He stiffened. “It’s a very long story.”
His reaction didn’t offend her. It had been a really personal question, she knew, but she was curious about him. Something in him called to something in her.
April didn’t know what, but she wasn’t averse to exploring it, she realized. Even if, she thought wryly, that made her the biggest fool in Greece.
She was here for ten days.
Ten. Days.
Anything she got into with Luca wasn’t going to last longer than that, and wasn’t that what she was always whining about? That the relationships she found herself in, never went anywhere?
Still, Luca was… He was damn divine.
The divine presence took a step back, almost like he could feel her sudden receptiveness. He cleared his throat. “I’ve made sure we have good reception on the island, so if you need a hand with anything, you have my number.”
She nodded. Her voice was husky as she whispered, “I do.”
“Even cooking or cleaning. I can help.”
She waved a hand. “I’m a big girl. I can manage.”
His nostrils flared again, and his eyes dropped down to her stomach. Their gazes clashed after his flickered over her breasts, fire flaring between them until he doused it by blinking, then turning his back on her.
As he walked off, the outer mesh-covered door swung a little as a sea breeze swept it in a gust. It made April jump in surprise, but it didn’t stop her from checking out his fine ass as he headed off to wherever it was he stayed on the island.
4
When April’s phone chimed the next morning, she groaned as it disturbed her from her sleep.
Sarah had suggested that she could always switch her phone off, but, though April loathed herself for it, cutting herself off from the outside world wasn’t something she could do.
She needed data, baby.
Facebook and twitter were her lifeblood.
Still, reminding herself to set the ‘Do Not Disturb’ on the damn thing tomorrow, she slapped her hand onto the bedside table and blindly sought it out.
Face down as she searched, she didn’t bother to hurry. Anyone who wanted to reach her could either wait or hang up. It wasn’t like she wanted to talk to them after all.
When her fingers ceased flailing over the wooden cabinet and instead, found plastic and metal, she refrained from screeching, ‘Eureka.’ Barely.
With more blind moves, she aimed for and found the ‘connect’ button.
“’Sup?” she asked groggily, still feeling the after effects of the jet lag. Jesus, it was a doozy.