Page 61 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

‘WHATTIMEISIT?’

She woke to piercing sunlight and there was Sebastián, pulling back the drapes to reveal the dazzling ocean.

‘Midday,’ he said.

‘Oh, my G—’ She stopped, because she didn’t ever blaspheme.

‘Oh, my God?’ he said for her, and he laughed.

‘What’s so funny?’

‘All the things you don’t do or say. We didn’t go to sleep until dawn.’

‘True.’

‘Breakfast is ready.’

‘You mean lunch?’

‘No, you’re on Spanish time,’ he said as she climbed out of bed and picked up her once lovely but now crumpled silver dress.

He frowned. ‘Why would you wear that?’

‘Because it’s all I have with me.’ She laughed. ‘Gosh, I didn’t take very good care of it, did I?’

‘Blame me,’ Sebastián said. ‘Go and shower,’ he said. ‘Your dress will be taken care of, and I’ll find a shirt or something for you.’

She felt very untogether as she came out of the shower to...yes, a shirt. Her dress andunderwear had been whisked away... And so, wearing just the shirt, carefully pulling it down over her bottom, she climbed the stairs and said good morning to the smiling Capitán Dante, who was having coffee with Sebastián, and stood as she ventured on deck.

‘Buenos días,’he said, and Anna smiled, while wanting to curl up and hide.

‘I feel...’ She knew she was cringing as she took a seat and then halted as coffee was poured.

‘Gracias,’Sebastián said, and told the server he would take it from here. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘They all know I stayed the night.’

‘Yes.’

‘And they’ve got my underwear!’ She shot him a look. ‘At least at the hotel and villa it was a bit more anonymous.’ She broke apart a pastry. ‘The sun is so bright...’ She caught herself. ‘I sound like that awful woman from the hotel.’

‘Believe me, you don’t,’ he said.

They ended up on loungers, and he kept looking over to her, as she constantly checked that she was covered.

‘You could take that off and they wouldn’t care.’

‘I’dcare,’ Anna said. ‘I’m sure they’ve seen plenty, but they won’t be seeing me.’

Even so, as they lay together quietly in the sun, she felt the tension leave her. She lay with her eyes closed, listening to the lap of the water and the caw of gulls, and then she heard Sebastián talking to someone.

‘Here,’ he said, and she opened her eyes.

He blocked out the sun and for a second she thought her eyes must still be closed and she was dreaming. But, no, he handed her a small pink bag with silky rope handles.

‘What’s this?’

She opened it and took out a very small gold bikini. She blinked at this Aladdin’s Cave world, where thoughts and wishes came true.

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