Chapter Ten #3
The rules? Before she had a minute to question him on that cryptic statement, her car door was closed and she was whisked away.
Her surprise turned out to be an entire day of treatments in a luxuriously chic eco-spa on the other side of St George. The resort was built in the most beautiful wooden style, nestled in between the natural foliage, and stretched along its very own private beach.
Astrid was greeted by a woman who introduced herself as Apollo’s aunt, and pulled into a familiar hug as the woman eagerly gave her a tour of the resort.
‘From what I’ve heard, you two have had a whirlwind romance.’ The woman smiled, leading Astrid into a calm treatment room where soft music played and the air smelled like lemons and jasmine.
‘We’ve enjoyed…reconnecting here,’ Astrid said, trying to be diplomatic.
‘I’m glad he finally has someone sensible to pin him down. His whole family have lived a life of fame and luxury, but all that travelling between homes and hotels… I often wondered how a man could ever learn to be still after a lifetime on the run.’
Astrid didn’t know what to say to that, knowing that Apollo still very much planned to live his life of travel and glamour going forward. Nor would she demand he stop. As though sensing her reserve, the older woman set about changing the topic of conversation.
‘Has he taken you to the turtle sanctuary yet?’
‘Turtle sanctuary?’ Astrid asked.
‘Oh, it’s his pride and joy; he always tries to get back for when the babies hatch and go off at the end of October.’
Astrid pulled out her phone the moment the other woman left the room, intending to fully search this mysterious turtle sanctuary…
only to find there was no signal. Not only was there no signal, there was also no Wi-Fi.
She paused, remembering the sign she had seen in the reception area: Rules of your stay: Rest. Reset. Disconnect.
‘Off-grid… really?’ she whispered to herself, remembering Apollo’s smirk as he’d told her to obey the rules.
She found out exactly what those rules were when her phone was placed into a delicate little box after she was shown to her own private dressing room.
She was not simply being offered the opportunity to reset and unwind, she was being forced to.
Her body felt stiff and tighter than ever as she lay down on the massage table and awaited her first full-body scrub treatment.
Once again, she realised how dependent upon technology she’d become as a way of blocking out the maelstrom of her own thoughts.
Would it hurt to take some time completely for herself?
The problem was, she was finally alone, and all she could think about was Apollo and how close she’d come to throwing herself at him last night.
If she was honest, that was pretty much what she had done, only he’d been a gentleman and walked away.
She groaned in embarrassment, burying her face into the towel-covered pillow and trying to ignore the flare of awareness in her body just thinking of the look in his eyes as he’d sent her off today.
The feeling of losing control around Apollo Accardi seemed a constant inevitability. Perhaps she’d been more of a fool to think she could ever stay away from him. Would she regret not allowing herself this time, once they left this beautiful island and returned to reality?
Her mind raced for a while as her body was smeared with a fragrant island-made concoction and her skin was buffed and exfoliated to within an inch of its life. But, as she lowered herself into a warm, fragrant bath to wash off, she found her body following suit.
She listened to the peaceful music playing from the speakers in the ceiling, closing her eyes and allowing her body to sink back into the flotation pool.
By the time she was called to her massage appointment, she felt as though her body were made of butter, and her mood was certainly lighter.
In fact, as she was served herbal tea on the veranda overlooking the beach, her body lamented the fact that Apollo had sent her here alone and that he hadn’t joined her.
She leaned back, a low laugh escaping her lips.
She was being slowly seduced by a master; there was no mistaking it.
She found a beautiful dress hanging on a rack in her dressing room.
A note in Apollo’s handwriting informed her to meet him on the beach at sunset.
Her body practically vibrated with awareness as she slid the soft, linen fabric over her body.
The low cut of the bodice and off-shoulder sleeves meant a bra was not an option.
She stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, her hands tracing how the garment nipped in at her waist and skimmed floatily over her hips and thighs before ending just above the knee.
It was completely different to anything she would have chosen for herself, the emerald-green setting off her eyes to perfection.
He’d pretty much promised he’d wait for her to come to him, had he not? She bit her lower lip, wondering what it might be like fully to give in to her fantasies and let Apollo take the lead.