Page 82 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

‘I saw the look she gave Dante when he asked her to remove her shoes,’ she said.

‘I know that look well,’ he nodded.

‘What was life like for you?’

Sebastián didn’t answer that one. He shook his head. ‘Enough about her. How’s Willow?’

‘Desperate for me to get home.’

‘She misses you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Emily wants you to see her for breakfast tomorrow.’

‘I heard.’

‘You’re in demand.’

‘Yes.’

‘With me too.’

‘It doesn’t feel like it,’ Anna said, and then she looked right at him. ‘Thank you, Sebastián.’

It felt imperative to say this now, before the emotion of leaving rendered her unable to say it without breaking down. She did not want to end the most perfect week of her life with tears.

‘It’s been wonderful.’ She gave a small, wistful smile. ‘All of it. Well...’ She looked over. ‘Apart from last night. I’m sorry I went off dancing with Carmen.’

‘Anna, it was the best thing you could have done. You need to get out dancing more.’

‘I wish we’d been able to talk it out.’

‘We can now.’ He looked at her. ‘If we’re both honest.’

‘Something changed?’

‘Yes,’ he admitted.

‘When Carmen came by the first time.’

‘No.’

‘Yes,’ Anna insisted.

‘Yes,’ he conceded. ‘She told me something about you wanting more children and to settle down, and it freaked me out.’

‘I said all that to get her to open up. I said that before you came back. Before we were together.’

‘It’s true, though?’

‘One day.’ She nodded. ‘Maybe. But I don’t get why something I said to Carmen—’

‘It changed before that, Anna.’

‘No...’

‘Anna.’ He was both gentle and firm. ‘In the water, what were you going to say?’

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