Page 73 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

‘Fine,’ he snapped.

‘One other thing...’

‘Go on,’ he prompted.

‘The crew...’

His eyes narrowed. ‘What about them?’

‘At the celebration tomorrow...’ She swallowed audibly. ‘Well, Emily will think...they’ll all think...it’s my first time on the boat...’

‘Yacht,’ he corrected, in a pompous, arrogant tone. ‘And my crew arealwaysdiscreet.’

‘Even so...’ Anna thought of how friendly they were with her now, how they called her by name. ‘Could you just have a word?’

‘I’m not about to explain to my crew that you wish what we have shared to remain a secret.’ Sebastián shook his head. ‘I can assure you that you will be greeted politely—as are all my guests.’

‘Thank you.’

She stood there, feeling so uncertain because they were fighting—not shouting or even arguing... No, Anna corrected, she was fighting herself. Fighting not to admit to herself that it was very possible, or rather very likely, she was in L-O-V-E. She didn’t even want to say the word to herself, because it spelt trouble. It was impossible...

‘I’d better go.’

‘Adios.’

No!Was that it? Was that all he was going to say?

She wanted...

He glanced down as his phone bleeped and read the message. ‘Carmen’s just left the hospital, so she’s ten minutes away.

Or six, the way the Romeros drove and left their cars half parked for others to deal with...or simply stepped out of a chauffeur-driven car.

She knew it wasn’t really Carmen she was worried about confronting—it was her own heart. And if she stayed for even another moment she might say something she really regretted.

‘I don’t want them knowing because not everyone has the same attitude towards casual relationships,’ Anna explained.

‘I havenevertreated you casually.’

‘I know that!’

‘Good. So go and do what you have to do, and I shall spend time with my sister.Adios.’

No, no, no.

‘When—?’

But she never got to finish asking when they would see each other because he interrupted.

‘When what? Do you want me to text you when the coast is clear? Because that really would be crass.’

‘What has changed all of a sudden?’ Anna demanded.

‘Nothing.’

‘Something has. We used to talk—’

‘Oh, please,’ he broke in. ‘We’ve been seeing each other for a matter of days. “Used to” is stretching it. You said you wanted a holiday...some fun. That was the deal.’

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