“Thank you for confiding in me. Before you gave me this insight into Max, I loved him because my sister loved him. But now, I love my new brother-in-law for my own reasons. You’ve given me a priceless gift. It has been worth taking all the abuse you’ve heaped my way.”
“Material things matter much more to you than I thought. Work it right, and you’ll be able to benefit from Max’s generosity for years to come, Cesar or no Cesar.”
It was such a heartless comment, she groaned into her pillow.
There had to be a way to reach Luc. He wasn’t born believing the worst about people. That world-weary derisiveness he wore like a shroud was the result of one terrible act against him.
Piper had been told what it was, but there was no way to reach her without a phone.
Greer knew the truth, yet until she returned from her honeymoon and could enlighten Olivia, the status quo would continue to prevail with Luc who was well ensconced in his invisible fortress, withdrawn and utterly impervious.
She flipped over on her back, wide awake. Her immediate problem was to figure out how they were going to get off this island anytime soon. If no one came by to help them tomorrow, they could always start out the next day by rowing.
It would be hard going with only one oar, but they might not have any other choice. Unless she could find something on the island she could use for another paddle…
As she took mental stock of their provisions, she realized they only had enough food for a couple of days, if they were careful. Part of the excitement of a trip like this was to go ashore each day at a different heavenly spot. She’d planned to buy various items in the local markets of the ports and bring them back to the boat to cook and eat.
In the event that it might be several days before they could get more gas and food, she would act on Luc’s suggestion and fish for their breakfast in the morning.
She was no novice to the sport. Her dad had been an expert fly fisherman. He’d taught a lot of tricks to his daughters, his precious pigeons as he’d loved to call them.
Along with their mom they’d done a lot of outdoor activities at one of his favorite lakes in the Adirondacks. Tomorrow she would get up with the sun and find out just how good a pupil she’d been.
Relieved to have a plan, any plan, Olivia rolled over on her stomach praying sleep would come so she wouldn’t be tempted to climb down the ladder and seek comfort from Luc. In the mood he was in, she could easily imagine him strangling her with his bare hands.
Hands that had grasped her waist and hips earlier tonight to haul her into the boat. Hands she could have sworn had lingered for an overly long moment against her wet skin. She still felt feverish from their warmth.
“Knock, knock. Ready or not, I’ve brought you breakfast in bed.”
Luc had been in that hazy place where one hovered between waking and sleeping. When he opened his eyes, he discovered the sun was already well up in the sky. Olivia walked toward him with a mug in one hand, a plate of food in the other. Even out of the sun, her curls gleamed like spun gold.
“On a scale of one to ten, ten being highest, what’s your pain level this morning?” Her cheery disposition irritated the hell out of him.
“Minus one.”
“If that’s true, then why the scowl on your face? Don’t you know it takes more muscles to frown than smile?”
Ciel! On a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest for the most exasperating, impossible female he’d ever known, she rated a twenty!
That tantalizing body of hers was dressed in the same shorts and shirt she’d worn to bed last night. Among their many gifts, the Duchess triplets were blessed with long shapely legs. No one was more aware of that fact than Luc as she approached looking wide-awake, and for want of a better word…exhilarated.
“It’s another gorgeous day.” She put his coffee on the floor next to him. “I’ve been up for hours watching for a passing boat to wave down, but so far no luck.”
He eased his back against the wall so he could take the plate from her. The mouthwatering aroma of grilled fish hot off the skillet wafted past his nostrils. His eyes took in the expert presentation of toast points and orange slices arranged as if he’d just been served the pièce de résistance at a five-star restaurant.
One bite of the delicious, light flaky meat expertly filleted, seasoned and sauteed in olive oil, and he shot her a questioning glance. “This is fresh sea bass!”
“That’s right. I caught it a little while ago. There was a school of juvenile fish playing around the rocks. We don’t have to worry about starving to death before we’re rescued.”
If he didn’t know for a fact there was no freezer on board to keep fish on ice, he wouldn’t have believed her. She’d actually found food for them and could prepare it like a master chef?
“There are four more fillets in the pan, so if you want refills just holler. I’ll be in the kitchen cleaning up.” She took away the mineral water bottle he’d drained during the night.
With the combined flavor of the oranges, fish had never tasted so good to him before. Even the coffee was different. She’d added cocoa. He devoured everything between mouthfuls of the steaming brew, stunned by her resourcefulness and a lot of other things he wasn’t disposed to examine right now.
A few minutes later she reappeared in the doorway. “More?”
“No. I’ll eat the rest for lunch.”