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“What were you doing when I got home?” Lea asked after demolishing half the food on her plate.
“I was just working on some stuff.” He wasn’t about to tell her about the nursery until it looked more like a baby’s room than a junk room.
“Would that stuff be what you had shipped in?”
His fork hovered in the air. “You saw that?”
“I didn’t, but Popi noticed you had a large shipment and she thought you were moving in here permanently.” Lea eyed him up. “Are you shipping all of your stuff here?”
He laughed. This bungalow wasn’t even half the size of his condo. His things wouldn’t fit. If he were to relocate to Infinity Island, he’d have to build them a whole new home. Not that he was planning to move here.
“What’s so amusing?” Lea asked.
It was only then that he realized his thoughts had translated into a smile. “I just found it amusing that Popi was jumping to conclusions. You don’t have to worry. All my possessions are still back in Athens.”
“Then what was in the big box?”
She wasn’t going to let this drop until he gave her a reasonable answer. “It was some work stuff that I need to sort out.”
Lea hesitated and then she turned back to her food. “Sounds like they shipped you the whole office.”
“Not even close. But don’t worry. I promise to keep it all contained in my room.” He knew she liked to keep her bungalow spotless. Even the dishes were promptly rinsed and loaded in the dishwasher.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
And then worried she might decide to start snooping, he added, “Just so you know, all of the stuff is confidential.”
“Top secret, huh?” She sent him a teasing smile.
“Something like that.”
“Don’t worry. As long as you keep it out of sight, I won’t bother anything. Not that I’ll have any time, with the upcoming wedding.”
And so he was safe for now. As Lea started to tell him about the latest developments with the royal wedding, he found himself interested in what she had to say. It wasn’t the subject so much as the way she described things. She was an entertaining storyteller. He could listen to her for hours.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THINGS WERE GOING WELL.
Better than he’d ever imagined.
Xander surprised himself with how much he enjoyed spending time with Lea. He looked forward to their conversations. He even took pleasure in the companionable silence.
And for the first time, he realized his interest in Lea went deeper than co-parenting. There was something special about this woman that attracted him. Dare he admit that he could envision sharing his life with her—with their child?
It wouldn’t be a marriage created out of greeting-card platitudes and Valentine’s Day chocolates. It would be better. It would be based on mutual respect, friendship and attraction.
She wasn’t as immune to him as she wanted both of them to believe. He noticed how she stared at him when she didn’t think he was paying attention. And he saw how she trembled with desire when he held her in his arms.
But it was more than the undeniable passion they shared. It was something much deeper. It was her compassion when he told her about his parents. She hadn’t looked at him with disbelief that after all this time he still cared about what his parents had thought of him. And she didn’t look at him with sympathy that made him want to turn away.
She’d looked at him with warmth and understanding. And her touch had given him the comfort and strength to put words to the feelings that he’d been stifling inside him all this time.
The following evening, once the dinner dishes had been cleared, Xander turned to Lea. “Do you have any plans for the evening?”
“Just some computer work and answering some emails. Why?”
He stepped up to her and held out his hand. “Come with me.”
She glanced at his outstretched hand and hesitated. Then her confused gaze rose to meet his gaze. “Where are we going?”
“I have a surprise planned.”
“A surprise?”
He nodded. It was then that she placed her hand in his and they headed for the door. During his stay on the island, he’d made many friends. And one of those friends just happened to run the marina and had offered to lend him a boat.
