14
Suzette called herself a fool for taking such extra care with her appearance that evening. Her hair was coiled into an elegant twist, a few deliberate tendrils escaping to soften the look. The dress — Grecian in its simplicity, a blend of ivory, champagne gold, and the palest sea-foam green chiffon — skimmed her ankles, revealing flat sandals of muted gold that caught the light with every step.
She told herself it was only dinner. Christmas dinner. An event where she was on duty. Nothing more.
But she couldn’t shake the memory of his raw vulnerability when he’d admitted their … connection might become public. The regret in his voice. The pain in his eyes at the thought of his fame hurting her. All of it spoke of a sincerity she hadn’t expected. A truth she wasn’t prepared for.
He wasn’t a movie star toying with her.
What he felt was real.
Before heading out to the boma, she made a quick turn through the kitchen. The place hummed with quiet efficiency. A full complement of staff, laughter spilling between the clatterof utensils, and the scent of roasted garlic and herbs. Relief loosened her shoulders.
“Everything under control?” she asked, teasing as she leaned against the counter.
“Ja,MiesSuzette, no worries,” came the cheerful reply.
She smiled, trading a few light quips, the way she always did, keeping her tone bright and easy. No one would have guessed that her pulse was skipping to a completely different rhythm, Justin’s words still echoing through her mind.
You’re my soulmate, Suzette. My leading lady.
I’m ready to walk away. To embrace something different. Something with you at the center of it.
There’d been no pretense in his eyes when he said it — only truth, stark and disarming. And she’d lived enough, loved enough, to recognize that what she felt for Justin McKenzie ran far deeper than an infatuation with a movie star.
Except association with him came with a darker side.
Your past will be dissected. Some people will vilify you.
Dare she throw caution to the wind? Run the risk of heartache? Give them both a taste what life could be like with her, Suzette Bosch, as his leading lady?
Not taking that chance? That would’ve been the biggest mistake of my life.
His words kept circling back, unsettling something deep inside her.
What if turning away from him now — from whatever was happening between them — became the biggest mistake of her life?
Suzette pressed her fingertips to her temples, where a dull throb pulsed beneath the surface, and drew in a steadying breath.
Then she straightened her shoulders and stepped outside.
Right now, she had a job to do. One she loved.
As twilight deepened over the bay, guests made their way to the boma. The open-air, stone-walled enclosure centered around a glowing firepit, where flames leapt as bright as the sunset fading beyond the dunes. Traditionally a place for warmth, storytelling, and shared indulgence beneath the stars, tonight it had been transformed. Tables draped in white and blue linen, accented with touches of green and red, and softened by the flicker of candlelight, spoke of the season at hand — a Christmas Eve celebration woven with coastal charm and quiet luxury.
She mingled with the guest, making small talk, but her eyes kept straying, ever watchful. Waiting.
Hoping.
*
Justin stood in the shadows, fully aware that stepping into the ring of light would expose him instantly. So far there’d been no fallout from yesterday’s debacle, and maybe — just maybe — he’d panicked for nothing.
But joining her now, with nothing more than a bit of greying scruff on his jaw to disguise him … that would be reckless.
You should’ve stayed away altogether.
Left her to her quiet life.
