Page 134 of The Temporary Fiancée
“It’s the best piece of fish I’ve ever tasted.”
“Good. I’ll settle for nothing less.” He leans back, his arms folded behind his head. “After all, it’s our first night in paradise.”
“Have you been here before?” I ask, reaching for a slice of prosciutto and a hunk of bread.
“A few times.”
“Family vacations?”
He shrugs. “Mostly on my own, actually. The family took vacations to other islands sometimes, but I found that this place is the best place to unwind. Get away from everything.”
“This villa—how’d you find it?”
“Oh, it belongs to a friend,” he says. “He rents it out pretty much year round—he’s only here for a couple weeks in the spring.”
I look around, taking in the spacious deck, the view of the dark ocean, and the illuminated infinity pool. None ofmyfriends could lend me a house like this.
“Well, it’s gorgeous,” I say. “What does your friend do? Is he, like, a prince or something?”
“A prince.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “No, he’s not a prince. But his father is a diplomat, if that counts.”
“Hey, it counts in my book.” I take a bite of my bread, then swallow. “I can’t believe your family would take you to places like this. Like… this is just your life. It’s just so hard to wrap my head around.”
He gives me a long, unreadable look, then says, “Well, it’s your life right now.”
“True.” I smile at him, lifting my wine glass for a toast. He clinks the rim of his glass against mine, and we both drink.
“Not a bad gig, right?” He gives me a charming grin, then reaches for a bunch of grapes.
“Not at all. I just hope I’m doing a good job being your fiancé.”
“Oh, you’re doing a perfect job.”
I grimace before I can stop myself, and he frowns at me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I sigh, waving a hand. “I’m just not so sure your parents are as pleased with my performance.”
“What makes you say that?” His frown deepens. “Did my mother say something to you? I swear to?—”
“No, no,” I say quickly. “Nothing like that. It’s just the vibe I’m getting whenever I’m around them.”
He nods, his expression clearing. “Yeah, well. That’s just what they’re like. No matter what, they were never going to be happy with this situation—not with me making the decisions.”
“Even your father? I thought he was getting you ready to take over the company.” I take a sip of wine, curling up on my lounge chair.
“Yeah,” he says. “I mean… I’ve always known that I would someday step into the CEO role. Shane’s always made it really clear he doesn’t want it, and I knew I was going to inherit the company. But that doesn’t mean my father is entirely happy about the idea of me making my own choices.”
“Why not? He’s going to have to get used to it, right?”
“Theoretically.” He laughs, but there isn’t much humor in his tone as he says, “My dad has been hard on me my whole life. It’s just the way things are in my family.” He looks up from his drink and meets my gaze. “I’ve gotta admit… I was always jealous of the relationship you have with your parents.”
“Youwere jealous ofme?” I exhale, disbelieving, and gesture around at the villa around us. “I mean, you were going to these amazing places, and…” I trail off at the look on his face.
“I know it sounds stupid,” he sighs, “but it’s just… you and your family have each other’s backs. You love each other not because you have to, but because there’s mutual care between all of you.”
Both of us are quiet for a moment. The stillness between us is broken only by the sounds of crickets, the gentle lapping of the water in the pool, and, from a distance, the breaking of waves upon the shore.
