Page 44 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

‘I promised Ella I would never discuss it.’

‘Did she agree the same?’

He gave a curt nod.

‘Then why do you come off so badly in all her interviews? I don’t seehermaintaining a dignified silence.’

‘Maybe not. But it’s not always about setting the record straight. Perhaps there are things that are just too...’ He halted. ‘I don’t care what people think of me.’

But as she lay there, wishing she had a scrap of his confidence, Sebastián spoke again.

‘Most of the time.’

Anna turned her head and found she was holding her breath as she met his eyes.

‘I’m not going to go into details,’ Sebastián said, ‘but the rumours are not true.’

She nodded, and in a place deep inside she knew she was being told the truth. Her cheeks were stinging as he subtly told her that her opinion of him mattered.

‘I wish I didn’t care what people thought,’ Anna admitted.

‘Why do you?’

‘I think because my parents do. I grew up being told that everything I did reflected on them. It’s quite a small village where I’m from, so everyone knows everything.’

‘Do you work?’

‘Of course I work,’ Anna said. ‘I’m a receptionist at the junior school.’ She looked over at him. ‘It wasn’t what I planned, but...’ She shrugged. ‘I get school holidays off, and that’s going to come in very handy.’

‘Whatdidyou plan?’

‘I wanted to be an English teacher. I’m hoping to go back to college next year, once Willow is at school. There are a lot of supervised teaching days, though.’

She saw him frown.

‘Do you get paid for that?’

‘No, or I’d have done it already.’

‘I’llsupervise you.’

‘I don’t think it works like that!’ Anna laughed.

She found herself pinking up, and not from the sun, and she looked at him, wondering how he could make even the most casual conversation a decadent flirtation.

‘You’re starting to burn,’ Sebastián said, and Anna chose not to tell him that she was simply blushing.

He took her giant-sized, industrial strength sunblock from the top of her bag.

‘Next time just bring a small tube.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you’re not on a school field trip!’

He was trying to tell her gently how things were done here. He was trying to explain the world he had landed her in, which could at times be catty, but he saw her lips pinch and knew she felt criticised.

‘Hold out your hand.’

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