Page 28 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

‘Don’t worry, I’m in the car with Sebastián...’

And another.

‘It doesn’t matter if I’m not allowed in to see you. Just stay calm...’

And finally, ‘Love you too.’

Then the call ended and she passed on the little news she had.

‘They’re trying to stop the labour and they’ve given her some medicine for the baby’s lungs, just in case, but things seem better now than this morning.’

‘Okay,’ he said, and then he glanced over. ‘Anna, I just want to say that I was wrong—’

‘I donotwant to talk about that morning,’ she said firmly.

‘What...?’ He looked over again. ‘You thinkthat’swhat I want to discuss?’

‘Just watch the road.’

‘I was about to say that I was wrong in what I said about Emily and Alejandro. They are happy together. Even a cynic like me can see it.’

Sebastián saw her tight shrug and also her blush.

He knew he had just bluffed his way out of a necessary conversation. The truth was hehadbeen about to discuss that morning, and to apologise. But then he’d heard the raw hurt in her voice and decided that the conversation might be better conducted when he was not driving.

As well as that, after all this time he still didn’t know what to say. He didn’t quite understand himself why he’d reacted as sharply as he had that morning.

He breathed out in frustration—but then his assistant called and told him where she had made reservations and gave him the exclusive address.

‘I’ve booked you a beachfront room,’ she told him. ‘What do you want for your companion?’ she asked.

‘I’ll sort it when we arrive,’ Sebastián said, then clicked off.

As they zipped through mountainous countryside Anna was embarrassed to have assumed that their bitter parting was at the forefront of his mind, and was relieved when her phone buzzed again, to break the tense silence. But then she saw that it was Willow.

‘Hello, darling!’ Anna attempted to sound upbeat. ‘I’m in a car,’ she said, smiling deliberately and hoping it might show in her voice. ‘How’s Scotland?’

‘Is Emily there?’ Willow asked. ‘Can I talk to her?’

‘Not now because we’re still driving, Willow,’ Anna said. ‘What are you up to?’

She spoke for several minutes, and reassured her daughter that she’d send some photos when she could, and then finally said goodbye.

‘We’re almost there,’ Sebastián informed her as they came around a bend.

And there was the sparkling blue of the Mediterranean stretched out before them.

Anna didn’t say anything at first, just looked at the sun-drenched view, knowing that somewhere down there was Emily, and that her friend was feeling scared.

Then the car turned and they drove parallel to the bright sea. She looked out at the yachts and expensive cars and the sheer glamour of the place.

When he’d said Marbella, she hadn’t really known what to think.

But then she saw a sign for Puerto Banús and felt her chest tighten. Anna knew this place was way over her budget. She looked at the huge, luxurious residences, the ridiculously flashy cars and snow-white yachts, silently willing him to drive further on, past the golden mile.

It was not to be, though, for his car slowed and the indicator clicked.

He pulled into the beautiful gated grounds of a hotel shaded with palm trees and not a high-rise in sight.

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