Looking up at Aristo, Teddie felt her heartbeat accelerate. He was wearing a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, and a pair of rolled-up dark trousers. He’d borrowed what looked like a scarf and tied it bandana-style around his head. The stubble, however, was his own.
He looked incredibly sexy—but she wasn’t about to let his looks or her libido wipe the slate clean, and nor was she about to expose George to any further disappointment.
‘I think we should be getting back now,’ she said stiffly. ‘We can look for treasure another time.’
Their eyes met, and she glared at him above George’s head.
‘Trust me,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve got this.’
He headed off along the beach with George scampering beside him. Gritting her teeth, she watched them crouch down near a rocky outcrop, then stand up again. And now they were heading back towards her.
‘Mommy, look!’
George was jumping up and down, and even at a distance she could see that his eyes were wide with excitement.
‘I’m coming,’ she called.
She half-walked, half-ran across the sand, to where he was pointing excitedly at a large white stone clearly marked with an X. Her heart seemed to slide sideways and she glanced up at Aristo in confusion.
The sun was behind his head, casting a shadow across his face, but she could feel his eyes, sense their intensity, and suddenly she understood what he’d done.
‘We must have walked right past it,’ she said, when she was completely sure her voice was composed.
Aristo lifted the stone, and then he and George scooped out sand with their hands until finally their fingers found the edges of a wooden box. To Teddie’s eyes it was obviously far too well-preserved to be a pirate’s relic, but she could see that her son had no doubt that it was genuine.
She watched him pull it free, and open it.
‘Oh, George,’ she whispered. The box was filled with gleaming golden coins. ‘You are so lucky.’
He looked up at her, his face trembling with astonishment. ‘Can I take it home?’
‘Of course.’ Reaching out, Aristo cupped his son’s chin in his hand. ‘This is my island, and you’re my son, and everything I have is yours.’
* * *
Back at the villa, they ate early. George was exhausted, and could barely keep his eyes open, so Aristo put him to bed and then joined Teddie on the terrace.
There was a short, delicate pause.
‘I wanted to say thank you for earlier,’ she said quietly. ‘It was magical, and so thoughtful of you.’
‘All I can say is that real pirates had it easy.’ He groaned. ‘Honestly, cleaning those coins nearly killed me. It took so long.’
She laughed. ‘Aristo Leonidas wearing his fingers to the bone! I really wish I’d seen that.’
His eyes on hers were suddenly serious. ‘Well, I’m glad you didn’t. It was my turn to make magic happen for you.’ His mouth twisted. ‘I’m sorry about the phone call.’
‘I’m sorry too.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.’
‘You didn’t. I took the call and I shouldn’t have done,’ he said simply.
Turning his gaze towards the blue sheet of water below, Aristo frowned. Crossing the dunes earlier, his breath had seemed to choke
him, and with every step he’d grown more convinced that he’d blown it.
Now, though, beneath a pink sunset, with Teddie sitting opposite him wearing that same simple sundress, his reaction seemed ludicrously out of proportion.
Or it would have done but for the unasked question that was reverberating inside his head and had been since she’d stormed out of his office.