Zeb was arriving; the night was over. The portals of paradise were swinging closed and reality had to be faced. The irony of the situation struck her. A week ago all she had wanted was to locate Zeb Masterson. Now she wished she could put off his arrival for just one more day.
But that wasn’t possible, so somehow she had to be all right. She’d known the rules—could hardly cavil now. Yet Adam had changed so much in her life. He’d smashed her notions of desire; he had shown her that a man could still desire a woman even if she didn’t look perfect all the time. That sex could be a beautiful, consensual act, and that a little bit of power play could be fun. As long as there was trust.
That was it. Somehow over the past week she’d grown to trust him, to believe that he saw her as a unique individual and not a beautiful commodity.
And if he had changed her so fundamentally then maybe there was a chance that she had done the same for him. Turned his conveyor belt view of relationships topsy-turvy?
A furling tendril of hope took root. Later, after they had seen Zeb, she would talk to Adam. After all, there was nothing to stop them from exploring their feelings. This baby could be a shared bond between them; it didn’t have to be a barrier.
Drowsily Olivia closed her eyes....
She woke later to the aroma of coffee teasing her nostrils and the realisation that Adam was no longer next to her.
No need to panic.
Today was about meeting Zeb. It was time for her to put all these new burgeoning feelings aside and focus on the baby. No way could she tell Adam anything about her epiphany. Yet.
THIRTEEN
Adam dropped watermelon slices into the juicer and pushed the on button. Soon enough all these oddly domestic chores would end. No more preparing breakfast, or visiting the market for ingredients, or cooking with Olivia.
In fact reality dictated that within hours they might well be on their way back to the UK. Mission accomplished.
And it wasn’t only household activities that would cease; there would be no more shared bedroom antics, either. His body gave a cold shiver that belied the blazing sunshine pouring through the open window. The shudder of protest was augmented by the fire of memory from the night before; his mind and body were still caught up in the flow and eddy of the most amazing sensual experience of his life.
He’d known that he and Olivia had a spark; he’d failed to realise it would be an ember that lit flames so intense he doubted they would ever bank.
Whatever they had shared last night had transcended sex; there had been a connection, a mutual bond that sent a bolt of panic straight down his spine. Definitely time to call it a day. He’d waded into the pots and pans, scrubbed a few floors. and now it was time to play the ‘I’m a billionaire, get me out of here’ card.
‘How do I look?’
Olivia’s soft voice broke his reverie and he turned from the kitchen counter.
His breath hitched in his throat; she was stunning.
She wore a fluorescent camisole top over white jeans, a jewelled clip held her hair in a knot on the top of her head, strawberry blonde tendrils escaped to frame her sun-kissed face.
A far cry from the muted dressed-in-grey girl who had arrived on Ko Lanta in her carefully chosen neutral outfit to meet Zeb.
This Olivia would meet Zeb on her own terms—as herself.
‘You look perfect,’ he said simply as he handed her a glass of smoothie.
‘Thank you.’ Sipping the vivid red drink, she shifted from foot to foot. ‘So where are we meeting him?’
‘Gan is taking him to Saru’s bar. They should be getting there any minute now.’
‘How are you feeling?’ she asked.
A daft glow lit deep within him because she cared, even as instinct told him to dodge the question. This wasn’t about him, and nor did he want to discuss Zeb in arbitrary detail. This new in Zeb’s life should not be influenced by the old.
‘Fine,’ he said.
Her lips pouted in a plump moue of disbelief. ‘I want to know how you’re really feeling.’
Trying not to focus on the mouth that had moved over his body with such devastating effect only hours ago, he hitched his shoulders. ‘I’m not feeling anything. Best not to with Zeb, because you never know what to expect.’
‘So there is no point having expectations?’ she said softly as she moved towards him, surrounded him with a cloud of sheer Olivia. ‘Does he know we’re here?’
‘He knows I’m here. But that’s no guarantee that he’ll stick around. Zeb has a good nose for danger. He’ll suspect that it has to be something pretty big to get me out here waiting for him for a week. So the sooner we get to him the better. But first tell me how you’re feeling.’