‘Very perceptive.’
‘You’re not going to throw me to the sharks, are you?’
‘Not yet.’
She laughed. ‘I’m serious, Dimitrios. Where are we?’
‘Has anyone ever told you that you’re bad at surprises?’
‘I’ve had enough surprises to last a lifetime,’ she said in a droll tone that made him grin. He’d been smiling a lot today, after the heavy emotion of that morning, when she’d confessed her fear that he’d go away just like everyone else had. They’d strolled the mall, window-shopped and Annabelle had shown utter shock at the price of several things. He loved how down to earth she was and wondered if that would change, given her net worth now. Lunch had been at one of his favourite restaurants, and then they’d gone to a gallery, where Annabelle had shown an impressive knowledge of modern artists.
The idea to come here had been spur of the moment. Deep down, Dimitrios admitted to himself that he hadn’t been ready for their outing to come to an end. It was a good opportunity to get to know her better, he told himself.
‘Okay, almost time.’
At the premier yacht club of Singapore, his boat stood several feet longer and taller than any other. He brought her to a stop at its stern, then slowly eased his hands away from her eyes, letting them drop to her shoulders and mould to her warm skin.
‘Can I open my eyes now?’
He looked down at her and something jerked hard inside him, a feeling he couldn’t place, a sense of importance and need that he had no idea how to rationalise.
‘Yeah, open your eyes.’ He cleared his throat, moving his hands and stepping to her side so he could see her reaction.
A divot formed between her brows as she scanned the boats before giving his more attention.
‘The Patricia?’ she asked with a raised brow.
‘My mother.’
‘Seriously?’ Her smile was gently teasing. He nudged her with his shoulder in response.
‘What? Not cool enough for you?’
‘It’s...’ She sobered, shaking her head.
Frustration hit him. He didn’t want her to close herself off from him. ‘It’s what?’
‘Sweet.’ But her tone was reserved; clipped.
He suppressed his impatience. ‘Want to go on board?’
She looked at him for several seconds and he felt as though the world had stopped spinning. He waited, wondering when he’d become someone who sat back and waited rather than just calling all the shots. Wasn’t he the kind of man who ordinarily would have said, ‘Let’s go on the yacht?’ Nonetheless, he found himself standing there silently, watchful but not speaking, all his attention focussed on Annabelle.
She turned back to the yacht, her expression impossible to interpret. ‘Just for a minute.’
His response was to reach down and take her hand, lacing their fingers together as he guided her to the swim platform.
The wind in Annie’s hair made her feel as if she could do anything. She gripped the railing, looking back at Singapore with a sense of lightness and happiness that, contradictorily, made her anxious. She was getting too relaxed, enjoying herself too much. She had to remember that this was all pretend. Even when he was being so ridiculously attentive and sweet, and making her feel as though she was the centre of his universe, it wasn’t about Annie so much as Max. All of this was for Max.
Dimitrios wanted them to be happy here, and he knew a big part of that was making Annie happy, so he was being accommodating. It wasn’t about her. He was doing what he had to do to protect his son.
The lightness disappeared a little and she felt glad. Better to be aware of her situation at all times than to simply relax and enjoy.
‘Do you like it?’
She hadn’t realised Dimitrios had joined her; s
he’d been lost in her own thoughts. She startled a little, turning to face him, then wishing she hadn’t. He’d changed into a pair of swimming trunks, a turquoise that made his tan glow like gold, and she found it almost impossible not to let her eyes drop to the expanse of his toned chest. Dark hair arrowed towards his shorts and in the periphery of her vision she followed it then felt heat bloom in her cheeks.