‘Lost, are we?’
‘Just looking for the loo and took a wrong turn.’
He pointed into the corridor.
‘That way.’
Grace dipped under his arm, brushing up against him as she did so, releasing a burst of his lemon aftershave, and ran to lock herself in the bathroom. Why did he have to come upstairs at that moment and catch her in his room? When she opened the door again, he was gone.
As dawn began to break over the sea below, the guests started to drift off, and the music changed to chill-out jazz and slow dance numbers.
Grace spotted Angeliki sharing a smooch with Nick and gave her friend a thumbs-up. She should think about leaving soon. Whether Angeliki would be coming with her was another matter.
Will appeared in the doorway and held out his hand towards her.
‘Dance?’
The smoochy music was still coming out of the speakers.
‘I’d prefer something a bit more upbeat.’
‘Oh, come on, just one dance.’
‘OK, just one.’
Will took her hand and led her onto the makeshift dancefloor on the terrace. He held her close, too close, and Grace tried to separate her body from his by leaning back, but Will gently pulled her in tight again. Grace forced herself to relax. Her body fitted his perfectly and the pressure of his hips against hers felt disturbingly good. She hadn’t been in another man’s arms like this for years.
He was a good dancer, she had to admit, but it was just wrong. It should be Phil’s arms around her. Not the strong arms of a man she’d only known for a couple of months. A man who seemed to have women falling over themselves to be with him. As soon as the music ended, she slipped out of his arms and headed for the kitchen and a glass of water.
There was a mess of dumped glasses and plates everywhere, and it was hard to find a clean glass. Grace automatically filled the dishwasher and washed a glass for herself in the sink. Anything to stop thinking about how close her body had been to Will’s. When she looked up from the tap, Celine was standing a few feet away.
‘Keeping house, are we?’
‘Excuse me?’
Even the way the woman said ‘owse’ in her French accent set Grace’s teeth on edge.
‘That’s not the way to Will’s heart, being the housewife.’
Shut up, you silly French bitchwas on the tip of Grace’s tongue, but that would be playing into her hands. Grace satisfied herself with a glacial smile.
‘It’s a good thing that I’m not looking for a way to Will’s heart then, isn’t it? Knock yourself out.’
Grace strode past the woman and straight past Will who had come into the room. She couldn’t be sure if he’d heard that little exchange, but she didn’t much care. Angeliki was on the terrace, exchanging numbers with Nick.
‘Are you ready to go, Angeliki?’
‘Taxi’s waiting. I was just coming to find you.’
‘Perfect.’
ChapterTwenty-One
Grace’s hangover had already started to dissipate by the time she got out of bed at two in the afternoon. She’d remembered to drink water and take painkillers before she went to sleep, so things could have been a lot worse.
Celine’s thin face came back to haunt her as she showered. The woman had a bitterness about her that would never be erased. And all because of Will. She didn’t know the ins and outs of his relationship with the Frenchwoman, and she had no desire to, but it obviously hadn’t ended well. Celine was one unhappy woman.
Was it really worth volunteering yourself for the battlefield that was relationships? She’d had a long and happy marriage, and for many people that was enough for one lifetime. Was she being greedy if she hoped for another connection as strong as the one she’d had with Phil?
