Page 43 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

‘Youneedthe shaded one,’ he said. ‘Or you’ll burn.’

‘No...’ She looked up from under the brim of her hat. ‘I have impenetrable sunblock on.’

She looked tense, Sebastián thought as he took off his sunglasses and placed them on the small table between them. Usually he didn’t babysit anyone. He was more used to handing over his credit card and leaving his chosen date to amuse herself while he got on with work.

What was he doing here? Sebastián questioned.

He felt...duty-boundto stay and ensure that Anna was okay and could navigate the politics of the beach...

No, not duty-bound.

Thiswasn’t duty.

‘Dios...’he muttered as the awful group from that morning paraded past to their reserved loungers. ‘This is why I prefer my yacht.’

Sebastian turned his head and gave her a lazy smile that told her he didn’t mind at all being there.

‘She thinks I work for you.’ The words slipped out before she could stop herself.

‘How do you know that?’

‘Just a comment she made at breakfast, after you left.’ Her lips pinched and she shook her head, not wanting to repeat it. But there was a certain patience in his silence, a space in the pause that encouraged honesty. ‘She suggested the Romeros were lowering their standards of elegance by employing me.’

‘Sheis the one who lowers things,’ Sebastián said. ‘Watch! She’ll start complaining before she even lies down.’

Anna looked over and, sure enough, she already had the beach boys moving umbrellas and was generating unnecessary fuss on this beautiful day. Thankfully she hadn’t spotted Anna, and hopefully wouldn’t. Still, it did nothing to allay her tension as she lay there.

‘Was your fiancée really like that?’ she ventured, wondering if he’d warn her not to ask, but he didn’t seem to mind.

‘Not at first...’ He yawned before continuing, ‘But then I heard she had reprimanded one my crew.’ He looked over at Anna. ‘It’s protocol that thecapitándeals with such issues.’

‘So, she should have gone through the captain?’

‘No, she should have gone through me, and I would have spoken to Dante.’

‘Your captain?’

‘Yes. But in this instance there was no reason for her to complain. She was just being a bitch.’

‘Don’t swear.’

‘Believe me, she would make a saint curse. I guess that was my first glimpse into the real her. I can usually spot her type a mile off, but Ella hid it well, I’ll give her that.’

Anna forgot all about their horrible beach companion as she turned and looked at him, desperate for him to elaborate further, but he didn’t.

‘What really happened?’ she asked.

He put his hands behind his head and said nothing.

‘I don’t believe you’d break things off just like that.’

‘Anna, Idobreak things off just like that,’ Sebastián refuted. ‘Often.’

It wasn’t an easy, companionable conversation. There were lots of long silences, during which they listened to the lulling, shushing waves between question and answer.

‘Not if you’re engaged to someone.’ Anna just wouldn’t buy it. ‘Not when she’s just lost a baby. I don’t believe it.’ She saw him blink, but had no idea what that blink meant. It just felt to her as if she’d hit on the truth. ‘I don’t believe you’d do that.’

He closed his eyes then, and for a little while Anna assumed he’d fallen asleep, but finally she heard his voice.

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