Page 23 of Driving the Billionaire Wild

‘It’s notmybirthday.’ She chewed her bottom lip, trying to hide her unease.

A warm hand tucked beneath her chin, tipping her face back up to look at him. ‘It doesn’t have to be an occasion for me to want to spoil you. Today, you’re following my orders.’

His husky words made gooseflesh spread along her skin. She inhaled a breath, his scent filling her lungs. ‘You sound way too satisfied at that prospect.’

‘You have no idea,’ he murmured close to her ear. ‘You’ll be joining me later, for dinner.’

‘Just us?’

‘Just us,’ he confirmed.

Her heart fluttered in her chest. She had always heard that Apollo was a smooth talker with the ladies, butthis…this felt far more intimate than his playful flirtations of the past. His eyes met hers without hesitation, his hands reaching forward to smooth a path up her bare arms.

‘Just to be clear, by “dinner” I mean a proper date.’ He leaned forward a bare inch before pulling back. ‘You promised me one of those a long time ago. I intend to collect on that debt.’

‘As I recall, I only promised you one drink,’ she pointed out, feeling the heat of his attention on her like a brand.

‘Consider this nearly eight years’ interest.’ His eyes held a trace of mirth before he seemed to sober. ‘Your gift today is given without strings or expectations; I need you to know that. But I’d be lying if I said that my plans were completely innocent.’

‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping they weren’t,’ she whispered.

His gaze darkened, the pad of his thumb smoothing along the delicate skin of her wrists and making her shiver. No words passed between them, but they didn’t need to. The sinful smile that spread across his lips was more than enough to convey exactly what he intended…and she knew without a doubt that this time she would accept. She would turn off her risk-averse brain for one day and accept this gift for what it was. She had spent the past weeks thinking herself into knots, wanting himso badly but not letting herself risk their fragile new co-parenting relationship. She was tired of fighting herself.

‘I’ll pick you up at five,’ he said simply, before taking a full step back and tucking his hands into his pockets, as though willing them to stay where they were. ‘I’ll be checking in to make sure you’re obeying the rules.’

The rules? Before she had a minute to question him on that cryptic statement, her car door was closed and she was whisked away.

* * *

Her surprise turned out to be an entire day of treatments in a luxuriously chic eco-spa on the other side of St George. The resort was built in the most beautiful wooden style, nestled in between the natural foliage, and stretched along its very own private beach.

Astrid was greeted by a woman who introduced herself as Apollo’s aunt, and pulled into a familiar hug as the woman eagerly gave her a tour of the resort.

‘From what I’ve heard, you two have had a whirlwind romance.’ The woman smiled, leading Astrid into a calm treatment room where soft music played and the air smelled like lemons and jasmine.

‘We’ve enjoyed…reconnecting here,’ Astrid said, trying to be diplomatic.

‘I’m glad he finally has someone sensible to pin him down. His whole family have lived a life of fame and luxury, but all that travelling between homes and hotels… I often wondered how a man could ever learn to be still after a lifetime on the run.’

Astrid didn’t know what to say to that, knowing that Apollo still very much planned to live his life of travel and glamour going forward. Nor would she demand hestop. As though sensing her reserve, the older woman set about changing the topic of conversation.

‘Has he taken you to the turtle sanctuary yet?’

‘Turtle sanctuary?’ Astrid asked.

‘Oh, it’s his pride and joy; he always tries to get back for when the babies hatch and go off at the end of October.’

Astrid pulled out her phone the moment the other woman left the room, intending to fully search this mysterious turtle sanctuary…only to find there was no signal. Not only was there no signal, there was also no Wi-Fi. She paused, remembering the sign she had seen in the reception area:Rules of your stay: Rest. Reset. Disconnect.

‘Off-grid… really?’ she whispered to herself, remembering Apollo’s smirk as he’d told her to obey the rules.

She found out exactly what those rules were when her phone was placed into a delicate little box after she was shown to her own private dressing room. She was not simply being offered the opportunity to reset and unwind, she was beingforcedto. Her body felt stiff and tighter than ever as she lay down on the massage table and awaited her first full-body scrub treatment. Once again, she realised how dependent upon technology she’d become as a way of blocking out the maelstrom of her own thoughts. Would it hurt to take some time completely for herself?

The problem was, she was finally alone, and all she could think about was Apollo and how close she’d come to throwing herself at him last night. If she was honest, that was pretty much what she had done, only he’d been a gentleman and walked away. She groaned in embarrassment, burying her face into the towel-covered pillow andtrying to ignore the flare of awareness in her body just thinking of the look in his eyes as he’d sent her off today.

The feeling of losing control around Apollo Accardi seemed a constant inevitability. Perhaps she’d been more of a fool to think she could ever stay away from him. Would she regret not allowing herself this time, once they left this beautiful island and returned to reality?

Her mind raced for a while as her body was smeared with a fragrant island-made concoction and her skin was buffed and exfoliated to within an inch of its life. But, as she lowered herself into a warm, fragrant bath to wash off, she found her body following suit.