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They’d agreed to the terms of this, and Amelia was glad, because it meant she could revel in the physical side of their attraction without worrying that it would get out of hand. They were just sleeping together. It didn’t mean anything. It was simple, sensual, perfect...
But when the sun dawned the next morning, Amelia couldn’t totally ignore the maelstrom of her feelings, so she was grateful that when she woke, Benedetto was no longer in her room. In another time and place, she would have wanted to roll over and lean into the nook of his arm, to rest her head on his chest, to kiss him awake. But that wasn’t what they were.
This wasn’t a real relationship, and he was the last man on earth she could trust. After Daniel, she’d been wary. Daniel had been a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
At least with Benedetto, he’d been a wolf all along. She’d known from almost the first moment they met that he was her enemy, so at least there was no risk of a shock betrayal.
Nothing could change the fact that he was taking her home, even when he’d explained his relationship with Anton and why it had mattered to him so much to do whatever Anton asked of him. She was so angry with Benedetto, even when she forgave him completely, and none of it made any sense.
She could never accept his decision.
She’d thought she might be able to change Benedetto’s mind in the course of the trip to Catarno, without disclosing the truth behind her disappearance, but, understanding what she did now, she knew that she’d never succeed. And weirdly, she wasn’t sure she could even ask it of him. It shifted something inside her to recognise that she cared more for Benedetto’s obligations to Anton than she did almost anything else. Why did that bother her so much?
Why did she feel such a deep sense of unease to recognise that there were few things that she cared about more than Benedetto’s sense of duty? Was it because of how much he’d lost? Did she feel so sad for him that she was willing to sacrifice herself?
Of course not.
If she could escape, she would, even now, because her family deserved that. True, there would be a scandal attached to her no-show at the wedding, but it would be short-lived, and the royal family’s PR machine would swing into action, coming up with some reason or other to explain it all away.
It would be better than the risks her return would bring. Unfortunately for Amelia, the chance of escape wasn’t likely to occur, so she had to resign herself to her fate—in a matter of days, she’d be home.
‘What is that?’ Amelia asked from her vantage point on the deck, eyes focused on the land that was so close the beach umbrellas were visible.
Benedetto finished his strong black coffee before replacing the cup on the table between them. ‘Crete.’ The Greek island was not far from Catarno. It was almost time.
He turned to her, scanned her face. ‘Have you ever been?’
‘As a teenager,’ she said with a smile of reminiscence. ‘We used to sail the Med in the summer.’
The important thing was to get Amelia back to her family. It was his mission; he’d promised Anton. But the closer they got, the more inevitable their parting—and return to reality—became, he found himself wanting to stall. Just a little. ‘Would you like to stop?’
She blinked across at him. ‘Stop?’
Just a small delay. It wouldn’t hurt... ‘For lunch. You can get your land legs before we arrive in Catarno.’ He contemplated that a little longer. ‘We could stay here overnight.’
The second he’d said it, he realised how stupid the offer was. Where would they stay? A hotel? What were the chances her identity wouldn’t be leaked by someone? Besides, wasn’t there a risk she might run away again?
As soon as the idea occurred to him, he dismissed it.
She didn’t want to go home, but, somehow, he was sure she understood why it was important to face her family. To be there at Anton’s wedding. She wasn’t a coward; he knew that much was true.
‘Stay overnight, on the island?’
‘Or the boat, but in port. For privacy reasons,’ he said, relaxing into the idea of this. ‘What do you think?’
What did she think? Amelia stared at him, her heart hammering, words hard to form. Was it possible he was trying to extend their time together? That he knew they were only a day away from Catarno, at most, and wanted to eke out their remaining time as long as possible?
But only yesterday, Amelia had promised herself that if she had a chance to escape, she would take it. Wasn’t that exactly what was being presented to her?
Amelia chewed on her lower lip, totally lost, her heart stretching and twisting painfully in her chest, because she knew what she had to do but she couldn’t make herself happy about it.
‘Okay,’ she agreed, forcing an over-bright smile to her face. ‘Just give me a minute to get ready.’ She walked towards the door that led to her rooms. ‘Oh.’ She snapped her fingers as if just thinking of it. ‘Where’s my camera backpack? I’ll bring it in case there are some photos I want to take.’
‘I’ll get it,’ he said without hesitation, which made her feel a thousand times worse, because the backpack also had her phone, and she knew she would need both in order to get off Crete.
‘Thanks. I won’t be long.’
They took the smaller speedboat into shore, Benedetto at the helm, looking every inch the devilishly handsome billionaire as the wind swept his dark hair from his brow and the water dappled across his shirt. Sun streamed across their path, warming them even as the breeze served to temper the heat of the day.
