A smile shifted across her lips.
‘Because we have a son.’
We have a son. It was a statement of fact but the ‘we’ came so naturally to her lips, and the sharing of Max. They had a son together. Max would always bind them.
I’m not going anywhere.
Euphoria spread through her body, reaching her fingers and toes and everything in between.
‘He’s with Francesca.’
‘But the soccer day will be over by now.’
‘So she’ll give him dinner and put him to bed.’
Annie frowned. She’d never missed a single night of tucking Max in. Not once. But he wasn’t a clingy child, and he adored Francesca.
For six years she’d put him first, prioritising his needs above her own. It hadn’t been hard—she was a mother and that instinct had come naturally and with a strength she dared not defy. But for the first time in a long time, lying here with Dimitrios, the waves lapping gently at the side of the boat, she felt a pull to be selfish. To put herself first, just this once.
‘You think he’ll be okay?’ she wondered, seeking reassurance even when she knew he’d be fine.
Dimitrios’s smile had the power of a thousand suns. ‘I wouldn’t suggest it if not.’
Annie relaxed, letting her body go limp and her eyes close, moving closer to Dimitrios so her head was buried in the crook formed by his arm and his chest. ‘We’ll call him later, though?’ she said softly.
‘Yes. We can call him later.’
Dimitrios took a moment to let the feeling pass. Panic gripped him, vice-like and hard. Annabelle snuggled against him and he felt as though he suddenly couldn’t breathe, as though he was trapped in a place he’d never wanted to be. Married. Intimacy. This was all so new to him.
For many years, he’d promised himself this was a situation in which he’d never find himself. He’d slept with women—of course—but he’d never stayed the night. Even before Annabelle that had never been his inclination but, after their disastrous night, and realising how badly he’d hurt her, he’d taken an incredible degree of care not to inadvertently lead a woman on. He drew clear lines between sex and anything more, making sure he was absolutely open about what he could offer, what he wanted.
But Annabelle wasn’t just another woman, she was his wife, and besides, despite his usual proclivities, there was nowhere else he wanted to be than here, like this, with her. Her head against his chest had grown heavy, her breathing steady. She was asleep. He shifted a little, checking the time on his wristwatch, a slow smile spreading over his face. They had all night—and he was going to make the most of it.
‘And this is Annie.’
Lewis reached across, tussling his little sister’s blonde hair, earning an eye-roll from her. But, as her vibrant blue eyes shifted to Dimitrios and Zach, bright pink colour infused her cheeks and her full lips parted on a husky breath.
‘Hey, good to meet you.’
Zach extended a hand, grinning as she took it and smiled in response. Dimitrios, though, stood stock-still. She was nothing like Lewis, who was dark in complexion and colouring, though their eyes had a similar shape. And there was something in the quizzical force of her expression, intelligent eyes that he somehow just knew would miss very little.
‘We’re heading away for the weekend,’ Lewis said. ‘Are Mum and Dad home?’
Annie’s eyes lingered on Dimitrios before shifting to look at Lewis. ‘Dad is—upstairs.’
‘And Mum?’
Annie shrugged, but there was tension in those shoulders, a look in her eyes that spoke of pain.
Dimitrios wanted to know everything about that—why was she troubled?
Lewis didn’t speak of his parents often. But he talked about his sister constantly. Dimitrios wasn’t sure why, but he’d pictured Annie as younger than she was—perhaps that was just Lewis’s big brotherly, protective vibe, making it seem as if he had a kid sister rather than someone on the brink of womanhood.
Womanhood? Christ. She was a teenager. Fifteen? But, yes, she was on the cusp—and why the hell was he noticing the fullness of her curves, the sweetness of her smile? He needed to get a grip.
‘We should get going, Lewis.’
‘Right.’ Lewis put an arm around Annie’s shoulders, drawing her close. ‘Annie, entertain these guys while I go pack. Won’t be long.’