to set it up.”
“Wherever you want it is fine,” she said, fighting the flush of warmth seeing him brought to her chest. “Will Emma and Janet be joining us?”
“No. Emma fell asleep and Janet said she’d wait for her to wake up.” He’d slung a white beachtowel over his bare shoulders, and the contrast between the bleached terrycloth and his bronzed skin made Colette’s mouth water.
Despite all the times they’d made love … she’d lost count a few days back … she still wanted him as much as she had the first time. He could set her aflame with nothing more than a look. And the look he was sending her now made her grateful for the chilled water between her palms.
“I think Emma’s morning in the sun exhausted her,” he continued, his smile telling her full well that he’d read her mind.
He’s talking about our daughter. And all you’re thinking about is sex.
“She claimed France has the best sand ever,” Colette said, averting her eyes and sucking in a steadying inhale. “We spent the morning slathered in sunblock and building castles fit for even the finest of princesses. You’d have been quite impressed with her budding architectural skill.”
“I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Me too.” It was the truth. She missed him in the mornings, while he dealt with his European business concerns and traded terse phone calls with Whitfield relatives. “Did you finish what you needed to do today?”
“Most of it. But we’ll need to detour to London on our way home. There are some issues at the Grand that require my personal attention.”
“Anything serious?”
His jaw flexed for a faint beat of time before his mouth stretched into a smile. A smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Nothing you need to worry your beautiful head over.”
He was hiding something from her. Something that had to do with the Whitfield family and was pulling his attention from their idyllic honeymoon in ways she shouldn’t resent, but did. “Are you sure?”
His gaze dipped from her face to her body, trailing from neck to toe and back again. “You know, I think I’d prefer to eat on the patio,” he said without answering her question. “The view out here is gorgeous.”
She flushed, exquisitely aware of how much flesh her orange and pink bikini exposed to his view. But she wouldn’t allow the heat in his eyes to distract her. “You’ve spent a lot of time the past few days on the phone with various Whitfields,” she insisted. “Are they upset about your marriage to me? Are they angry about Emma?”
“The butler’s waiting for his instructions,” he said. “And we don’t want our luncheon spoiled, do we?” With that, he strode back to the villa, ostensibly to inform the butler as to their plans.
While she waited for him to return, Colette stared out at the glittering Mediterranean water lapping at the shore a mere stone’s throw away. As beautifully decadent as it was, the luxury of the hotel’s five-star service was becoming more and more difficult to enjoy. White sand, azure water and the soothing rhythm of the sea should have kept her in a blissful state of relaxation. But with each passing day new tentacles of worry twined their way between the roots of her fragile hope.
She could sense Stephen’s mounting stress, and beneath the stress she knew resentment crouched in the wings. It was only a matter of time before he accepted that marriage to her, a marriage devoid of love, was too much work. It was only a matter of time before he realized being her husband was an obligation he no longer wished to fulfill.
To distract herself from the morose thoughts that threatened to ruin her mood, she sat up and dug through the giant beachbag she’d packed for the day. There’d be time enough for second thoughts and worries once they returned home. For now, she’d live in the moment. She’d smear herself in another layer of sunscreen and pretend that everything was exactly the way she wanted it to be.
“Need some help?” Stephen’s silky voice and the glancing touch of his long hand on her shoulder caught her unawares, sending heat streaking over her skin. The butler had followed Stephen with the same soundless approach, and he discreetly set their table a couple of yards away, his back to the two of them.
Determined to glean as much enjoyment from her time with Stephen as possible, she extended the sunblock and then leaned forward to grant him access