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“Yeah, it’s not far.”

He gestured back into the pool area. “Come on. I’ll walk you back along the beach. It’s quicker.”

He made off through the lobby. Nina shook her head then jogged a few steps to catch up. He kept his head down as they passed the last few stragglers and made their way out of the rear exit onto the beach.

The cool sea breeze grazed Nina’s skin and it was a welcome relief after the heat of the party. She studied Cam’s capped and hooded profile as they walked. “Is this your disguise?”

He smiled. “Something like that.”

“Avoiding the adoring fans?” she asked. Funny… She would’ve thought he’d lap all that up.

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. I just like a bit of time to myself now and again.”

Nina met his eyes as they continued along the sand. She could relate to that. The intensity of his gaze was unnerving, so she glanced away.

He cleared his throat. “Isla’s gone out then?”

“Yeah,” she said. She was about to mention Zac when she remembered his history with Cam’s girlfriend and thought it better not to. “I thought it best to leave her to it after I overindulged yesterday.” She waited for him to say something disparaging but he didn’t.

He glanced at her. “I thought you might’ve been in Zac’s company this evening.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I saw you with him yesterday and tonight. Usually he’s pretty good at getting what he wants.”

She hesitated, listening to the sea breeze. She didn’t want to drop Isla in it by telling Cam it was her who wanted to keep Zac’s company, but she also didn’t see why she should have to justify her own actions. She was single after all, and the man didn’t even know her. She decided to keep quiet.

He glanced away and they walked in silence for a few seconds. “Sorry,” he said. “I know that’s none of my business. He’s just not my favourite person.”

The steps to the hotel loomed, and Cam took her hand to help her onto the first concrete slab. Her fingers tingled at his touch. Then he let go to follow her up the narrow stairs. They emerged into the gardens at the rear of the hotel and he took out his phone, tapping in the details to order a cab.

Nina led them into the hotel and through the lobby to the front door. “Thanks for walking me back.”

“No problem,” he said. “Feel free to head to bed. My cab won’t be long.”

“Okay,” she said, caught in his gaze again. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He nodded. “We’re meeting at a beach near the villa. Tell Isla to message me once you guys are ready.” He turned to look back at her as the automatic doors whooshed open. “Night.”

“Night,” she said, and watched him leave.

She headed toward the bank of elevators.

Well, that was weird.

Chapter Four

Cam fixed a smoothie and took it out onto the deck to watch the sun rising. He hadn’t slept well, and once Ash had gotten home around four a.m., he’d stirred and not managed to get back to sleep, so he figured he might as well get up and do some work.

He took a seat, sipping his drink. The fiery palette of the rising sun painted streaks across the sky, but it wasn’t yet enough to take the chill out of the air. He lifted his hood, remembering how he’d snuck glances at Nina over the edge of it as they’d walked along the beach the previous night. She had rich dark hair that shone like the night sky and chestnut-brown eyes containing tiny star-like flecks of amber.

He grimaced at the memory of his prying into her encounters with Zac then rubbed his temples painfully as he recounted how offhand he’d been with her during their first couple of meetings. Well, the second couple. He hadn’t forgotten the very first time he’d spoken to her at that party in Glasgow years before. He’d noticed her around with Isla prior to that and had seized his chance to talk to her when their paths had eventually crossed. Unfortunately, she’d been with a boyfriend. He shook his head. Crappy timing on his part. Not that it mattered…

He’d had zero game back then anyway, so he probably would’ve struck out—or more likely not have even tried in the first place, knowing he’d be doomed to failure. He took another drink from his glass and laughed humourlessly. All it had taken was fame, fortune and a complete image overhaul before women had started to show any interest in him—except it wasn’t really him they were interested in. It was ‘Logan’. However, that guy didn’t really exist. Not anymore, anyway.

Cam lifted his feet onto the neighbouring chair and took in the expanding sunrise. He needed to make an effort to improve Nina’s opinion of him. It was clear after her visit to the villa that she’d thought he was a dick—and he didn’t blame her. He’d acted like one, all out of his disappointment and tinge of jealousy that she’d been chatting up Zac at the bar on the afternoon of her arrival. Though Cam’s natural awkwardness around attractive women was another major factor in his behaviour.

It didn’t help that Nina had also been flirting with Zac at Cam’s set the previous night. Cam admitted to himself that he’d been hoping to impress her with his showmanship…but no such luck. He sighed. In any case, he didn’t have a right to feel anything about her involvement with Zac. The woman didn’t know Cam, and he doubted she’d remember him from all those years ago. It was none of his business who she was interested in, and she had no obligation to be in his company, no matter what a ‘big deal’ everyone else thought he was.