Page 84 of 2 Books in One Bundle
Helia walked all the way to the water’s edge, where the warm water fizzed over her toes, catching the very edges of the kimono that fluttered around her ankles. She was utterly alone on the beach, and she felt a part of her settle in the peace. For two weeks, every day had been a rush—a constant hum of voices and activity. She had missed the tranquillity of the library but now, on this beach, where there wasn’t another soul for miles, Helia found what she had been craving.
It had been quiet the night before, too, when Vasili had turned out the lights. Except that silence had been deafening. As loud as a scream. All she’d been able to feel in the dark was his presence. The want that coursed through her. The need to reach out and touch him.
When he had turned out the lights it had felt as if they had entered a void where there was no escape from her attraction to him. Where it had become a physical entity. There had been no distraction in the darkness. Nowhere to focus other than on herself and him.
Her nails had scraped against the sheets as she had fisted the linen, trying to stop herself doing something terrible like reaching for him. She had almost considered erecting a physical barrier between them. There were enough pillows in the room. But she’d known she couldn’t do that and show Vasili how much he affected her.
Then she remembered how she’d woken up, and that felt like a dream itself.
She walked the length of the beach before turning around and walking back towards the resort. But she couldn’t go back there yet and risk facing him. She dropped down onto the sand, hugging her knees as she gazed out at the water, pondering how much her life had changed.
It hadn’t been that long ago when she’d wished she could see more of Thalonia. She’d earned a comfortable wage working at the palace. More than comfortable. But, as much as she’d wanted adventure, staying close to her books was safe. Books kept the loneliness at bay. Books couldn’t be taken from her, wouldn’t desert her.
The life Vasili was proposing would be a lonely one. She wanted to experience passion with him—of course she did—but how could she agree to never falling in love or never having children when she had no idea what the future might hold?
And now she was in a paradise she would never in her wildest dreams have been able to visit before, on a honeymoon that was simply a pause. Because once they returned to Seidon, Helia would have to fight to achieve her dream. Then it would no longer be a dream...would no longer be a niggle at the back of her mind, something she wished she could make happen. It would be reality.
Helia was lost to her thoughts as she stared out at the turquoise waters. Paying no attention to her surroundings, she heard nothing when someone stepped onto the sand, surprising her as she felt him sit beside her.
‘Good morning, Helia,’ Vasili said. His gaze was cast out over the sea as well. ‘Did you sleep well?’
Not at all. But she couldn’t admit to the reason.
‘I did, thank you.’
‘I always forget how beautiful it is out here.’
‘Have you been here often?’
‘Not as much recently.’ He glanced over his shoulder at the resort. ‘But a few times in the past.’
Of course he had. Helia’s stomach sank as she imagined the kind of company he had come here with.
‘It’s a beautiful morning for a swim.’
‘I don’t think that’s a very good idea.’
Not for her, at least. While it wasn’t an invitation on his part, she needed to ensure that they spent as little time together as possible. And besides, swimming was never an option for her.
‘Why not?’
She could feel him looking at her, so she turned towards him to give him an answer. It was another way in which she was lacking. Another simple skill that the Queen of Thalonia didn’t have. And what an embarrassment that would be. Yet another way she was inadequate.
‘I can’t swim,’ she said softly.
Shock crossed his face. ‘How is that possible? We live on an island. The sea is in our blood.’
‘I love the sea. There is a quiet little spot near the lighthouse where I go to be alone. It’s my favourite place.’ Helia could see the curiosity on his face. Turning back to the water, so he couldn’t see the pain on hers, she continued. ‘But I’ve never been in the water.’
‘Ever?’
‘Ever.’
The grief that often reared its head when she thought of her father smashed into her, but she had learnt how to keep it from showing to the people around her.
‘My father owned a business and was always too busy to teach me how to swim. It wasn’t something taught at our little school, and after he passed away I never had an opportunity to learn.’
It was as if a tidal wave of sorrow poured from Helia, even though Vasili could see that she was trying to hide her feelings. It made him want to pull her into his arms and protect her from this heartache that she carried around.
