Page 99 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

He shrugged, his back to her.

“The doctor said any returning memories were a good sign.”

“A good sign for your long-term health, yes. Doesn’t mean you have to like what you remember.”

He let out a low laugh.

“No, I suppose it doesn’t.”

She gave in to instinct, went to him as she had once before. This time, however, instead of stiffening beneath her touch the way he had the morning after their night together in Paris, he leaned into her touch.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, almost painfully. Her defenses wavered.

Dangerous. Too dangerous, a voice frantically whispered in her head.

Accepting her touch, opening himself to her. It all led to dangerous places where emotion crept through the cracks and weakened her resolve to keep her heart intact.

“Let’s swim.”

He turned. Her hand fell away, only for his to come up and brush strands of hair from her face.

“Thank you, Esmerelda.”

Before she could come up with a response, he dropped his hand and moved away.

Oh, yes. She was in trouble.

Time flew as they slipped into the crystal-clear water and swam in lazy circles around the island. Aroldo had thoughtfully packed snorkel masks and fins, allowing them to strike out over the coral and spot schools of fish along with the occasional stingray resting on the sandy bottom. She kept a watchful eye out for passing boats and tourists lurking with cameras. But none appeared, leaving them cocooned in a rare moment of solitude.

By the time they climbed back into the dinghy and struck out for the boat, nearly two hours had passed. She was exhausted, the kind of exhaustion that accompanied a bone-deep contentment. Seeing the same state of relaxation on Julius’s face, the sadness no longer in his eyes, made it even better.

Not, she realized with a slight smile as she climbed back on the boat and did another quick scan of the ocean, because she felt like she had to or because it had been the right thing to do. No, she’d done it because she had wanted to.

She disappeared belowdeck and changed into a white sundress. As she climbed back up to the deck, she pressed a button Aroldo had showed her that dropped the back sides of the boat down into an enlarged terrace. Julius, still in his swim trunks and with his muscled chest on display, set the cooler down on a countertop just behind the cockpit.

“Did you pack this?” he asked as he opened the cooler and glanced inside.

“No, Aroldo did.”

Julius’s smile flashed, quick and uninhibited. It stole her breath.

“That makes more sense.”

He laid out containers of ripe strawberries, glistening mango and thick slices of cheese, along with shrimp, crab and several sauces. Esme’s eyebrows climbed as he pulled out a bottle of champagne.

“It’s barely noon.”

“And you’re on vacation.”

“I’m working. Technically,” she added with a touch of sass as he frowned, “I shouldn’t even be drinking at all.”

He poured two glasses and handed one to her.

“Your boss sounds terrible.”

She laughed and accepted the glass. The sweet flavor of peach hit her tongue as bubbles danced down her throat.

“The old prince would never have drunk champagne, let alone had a drink before five.”

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