Page 24 of Driving the Billionaire Wild

She listened to the peaceful music playing from the speakers in the ceiling, closing her eyes and allowing her body to sink back into the flotation pool. By the time she was called to her massage appointment, she felt as though her body were made of butter, and her mood was certainly lighter. In fact, as she was served herbal tea on the veranda overlooking the beach, her body lamented the fact that Apollo had sent her here alone and that he hadn’t joined her. She leaned back, a low laugh escaping her lips. She was being slowly seduced by a master; there was no mistaking it.

She found a beautiful dress hanging on a rack in her dressing room. A note in Apollo’s handwriting informed her to meet him on the beach at sunset. Her body practically vibrated with awareness as she slid the soft, linen fabric over her body. The low cut of the bodice and off-shoulder sleeves meant a bra was not an option. She stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, her hands tracing how the garment nipped in at her waist and skimmed floatily over her hips and thighs before ending just abovethe knee. It was completely different to anything she would have chosen for herself, the emerald-green setting off her eyes to perfection.

He’d pretty much promised he’d wait for her to come to him, had he not? She bit her lower lip, wondering what it might be like fully to give in to her fantasies and let Apollo take the lead.

Chapter Eleven

APOLLO WATCHEDASTRID’Seyes widen as they walked along the streets of St George, now utterly transformed and in full swing for the island’s annual Spicemas celebrations. Performers in elaborate costumes bustled past them towards the traditional competitions and parties that filled up most of the week ahead in the capital.

Apollo had barely relaxed since he’d collected Astrid from the spa resort half an hour before. He’d taken one look at her wearing the dress he’d selected and felt his gut tighten with desire. Astrid had begun to look more relaxed in shorts and tank tops running around the villa, but that was nothing compared to the sultry seductress who now walked alongside him.

Her sun-kissed skin seemed to glow under the warmth of the setting sun, and her short brown hair had been left to dry naturally in delicate waves around her face. She wore only the barest hint of pink lipstick on her full lips, a rose-petal colour that matched the sleek spectacles she wore, as well as the perfectly polished pink tips of her fingers and toes.

The urge to call off his plans for a fun evening and simply pull her into his arms was strong, but he resisted. Even now, seeing her obvious pleasure at watching a troupe ofsoca dancers perform, he spent most of the time looking at her rather than the festivities. He’d never felt so off-balance in pursuing a woman. He didn’t want to come all this way only for her to retreat from him once again but, to his surprise, she was already moving towards him. The scent of vanilla, butter and honey enveloped him as Astrid’s arms moved around his neck and clung.

Hugging him… She washugginghim.

‘Thank you,’ she said simply, the barest hint of emotion in her voice as she pulled back, a little embarrassed. Not willing to allow her to feel even a second’s hesitation at her very welcome embrace, he held onto her wrists, stopping her from retreating from him fully.

‘Believe me, this is my pleasure. Look at you…you’re rejuvenated.’

‘I feel it. I didn’t even collect my phone after the spa.’

‘Good.’ She wouldn’t need it, he added mentally, not if the rest of the evening went how he planned.

* * *

Perhaps another man might have booked a private restaurant for fine dining, or even a yacht out on the bay. But Apollo knew that, to wow someone with great food in St George, take them to a Spicemas barbecue. The small family-run restaurant had its own private beach, the dining area being rows of picnic tables and grass umbrellas in the open air. Almost every table was filled with local folk and tourists alike, the mood one of lightness and excitement as platters of food were served amidst the string lights and bright carnival decorations.

‘Named “Spicemas” after our reputation as the Isle of Spice, the carnival embodies the energy and vibe ofGrenada. It’s the ultimate celebration of our people and culture,’ he told her.

‘I love all of this. The soca and calypso songs, the sweet steelpan music…’ She sighed. ‘I’ve travelled the world with Elite One, and I’ve always loved traditional masquerades and parades, but this is just magical. I’m so glad that Luca has had the chance to experience this part of his family’s heritage.’

Apollo placed his hand over hers as she remained rapt, watching the performers finish up a particularly intricate dance number on the small stage. When couples began to move onto the dance floor and join in, he didn’t hesitate to pull Astrid to her feet.

‘Oh gosh, no. I have two left feet, I—’

‘You sound so utterly buttoned up, it’s delicious unravelling you.’ He twirled her along his arm with ease, sliding them out into the throng of dancers on the sand. He’d removed their shoes at the table, accentuating their height difference. She hadn’t been lying: dancing was most certainly not Astrid Lewis’s forte, to put it lightly. He laughed as she attempted a weak shimmy to the steelpan music and was rewarded with one of her trademark glares. But, just as quickly as she narrowed those beautiful emerald eyes, her lips widened into a grin and she shimmied with renewed vigour.

‘You’re jealous of my moves, Accardi!’ she exclaimed breathlessly into his ear, her arms flung around his shoulders as she fell against his side. He pulled her close, pressing her chest flush against his torso as the music slowed into a more contemplative rhythm. It wasn’t a slow set by any means, but a brief reprieve. They swayed in one another’s arms for a long while, until the music sped upagain, and he took the opportunity to guide Astrid away from the crowd towards the small pier that led out to a covered gazebo on the water.

‘As far as dates go, how am I doing?’ he asked, tipping her head back slightly to see her face.

‘I wouldn’t know,’ she said shyly. ‘This is the first one I’ve been asked on.’

‘Since Luca?’ he asked.

‘Yes…but also before.’

Her eyes shone with the reflection of hundreds of string lights around them and he knew she wasn’t lying, even as the reality of that statement punched him in the gut. He wanted to know more about her; he wanted to know everything. ‘Why?’

‘My dad was a small-time politician with lofty dreams, my mum played the role of the perfect wife alongside him. I grew up with very clear rules and expectations.’ She shrugged. ‘Casual dating was not allowed. I went off to college in London at eighteen, but somehow my first boyfriend was a guy from my home town. We used to eat noodles together in the canteen, if that counts as a date.’

‘Was it serious?’

‘I had no idea who I was or what I wanted back then. He was pushy and selfish in all aspects of our relationship… Still, I thought it wassoromantic when he suggested we get engaged after only a year.’ She rolled her eyes, forcing a smile that Apollo did not return.

‘It didn’t last long,’ she continued more quietly. ‘Not once I found out it was all orchestrated by our fathers to further their political dreams. My father was so angry when I broke it off, he tried to stop me from accepting the internship I’d been offered in Elite One. I had justturned twenty-one, and I wanted to see the world,’ she continued, smiling sadly. ‘My parents didn’t take my rebellion well. But that was nothing compared to how they reacted when I returned six months later and told them I was eight weeks’ pregnant and had no idea who the dad was. They urged me to consider my options, and said it would be better to end the pregnancy so that I could focus on my career. But, once I knew I was keeping my baby, they disowned me. They’ve never even met Luca.’