She felt the tension emanating from Sebastian and hesitated. She didn’t like revealing her family history. It offered people a chance to question her heritage and judge her. “It’s difficult to extract the truth from the legend. Some say my father won it in a poker game. Others suggested it was a gift from a woman. I once heard a politician bought it for him in exchange for silence.”
“What do you think happened?”
I think he stole it. She didn’t know how her father had got the island, but she knew what kind of man he was. He cheated on and off the tennis court, but that wasn’t her only clue. She remembered the sly look in his eyes when he spoke of Inez Key. She knew something bad happened and she had been too hesitant to dig deeper.
Ashley forced herself to give a casual shrug as she marched to the main house. “It’s hard to say.”
“I’m sure you have a theory.” Sebastian watched her carefully.
“Not really,” she said in a rush as they stood by the columns in the back of the main house. “Well, that’s it of Inez Key.”
“Don’t you have more stories to tell?”
Ashley returned his smile. She had talked endlessly about her childhood adventures on Inez Key, but Sebastian hadn’t seemed bored. He had been genuinely interested. “That’s for another day,” she promised.
“Thank you for sharing your stories,” he said gently. “And for showing me your island.”
She suddenly felt shy, as if she had shared a secret part of her. Ashley felt the warmth rush through her. “What’s your favorite part of Inez Key?”
“The cove,” he said. “It’s the perfect hideout. No wonder the sea turtles nest there.”
Ashley frowned. She didn’t remember telling him about the nests that are laid during springtime. “How did you know we have sea turtles?”
Sebastian paused. “Uh, I think Clea said something about it.”
“We usually get the loggerhead turtle to nest on our island. Two months later, all of these hatchlings find their way to the water. It’s an amazing sight.”
“I’m sure it is,” he murmured.
“I think the sea turtles pick this place because there aren’t that many predators. The island is a good hideaway for people, too. The paparazzi never bothers us.” Not even when her father was caught up in one scandal after another. She didn’t know if it was because it was hard to find the remote island or because no journalist found it worthwhile to follow the betrayed mother and child.
Sebastian saw the shadows in her eyes. Was she recalling a bad memory from her childhood or was she reluctant to leave. “It’s time to go, mi vida.”
Ashley bit her lip. “Can’t we stay just for the night?”
“Impossible.” He didn’t want Ashley to stay any longer. It was Cruz property now and the last thing he needed was the previous owner hanging around causing trouble. “I need to be at my mother’s tomorrow morning.”
“I’m sure she didn’t extend the invitation to me,” she said. “I can stay here until you return.”
Sebastian hated that idea. He didn’t want to spend another night away from Ashley. He hadn’t been able to sleep and he ached all night to have her in his arms. The idea of finding a replacement hadn’t even occurred to him. He only wanted Ashley.
“You forget our agreement,” he said silkily. “You are supposed to be with me every day for a month. You missed a few days when you skipped out on me in Jamaica. That’s going to cost you.”
“Cost me?” Her face paled as she looked around her beloved Inez Key. “What do you mean?”
“You have not been with me for a consecutive thirty days,” he explained. He smiled as he realized this gave him the chance to keep Ashley at his side for a little bit longer. “I’m adding those missing days at the end of your month.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “That was not agreed upon.”
He didn’t care. He had torn through Miami looking for this woman and he wasn’t ready to give her up. “Would you rather we start over and make this day one?”
Something hot and wild flared in her eyes. Ashley dipped her head as she dug her foot in the sand. “I thought you’d be bored staying with one woman for a month.”