Chapter 11
‘Finally! Thank goodness you’re back.’ Hattie had been far too wound up to be able to sleep. When the cabin door opened after midnight, she jerked into a sitting position. ‘Your phone’s switched off. I didn’t know where you were. I thought you were dead.’
‘What are you, my mum?’ Kayla threw herself onto her own bed and kicked her legs in the air. ‘I turned off my phone because the battery was nearly flat. And I’m not dead. I’ve had the best-best-best first date ever!’
She was looking flushed and ridiculously happy. Hattie said, ‘Tell me everything.’
‘He’s gorgeous. He pays me compliments and tells me I’m beautiful. He sang to me, too. What a voice,’ Kayla said dreamily. ‘And you should see his abs.’
‘He showed you his abs?’
‘I saw everything. He’s brilliant in bed.’
‘You slept with him?’
‘No sleeping involved. We were far too busy having sex.’
‘Oh my God, what did I tell you about not going back to his place?’
‘What else could we do? I wasn’t allowed to bring him here, was I?
We went for dinner in a dear little trattoria, but he forgot to bring his wallet so I used my card, then we went to his so he could pay me back.
Except it turned out he was out of cash, but that’s OK, it just means we have to meet up again tomorrow night, yay, can’t wait! ’
Talk about a recipe for disaster. And here was Kayla blithely thinking she’d found the love of her life at last. Inwardly wincing, Hattie shook her head. ‘It’s not going to happen, though, is it?’
‘Of course it is. He’s meeting me in St Mark’s Square at seven on the dot, then taking me on a romantic walk, then probably back to his place for more top-class bed action.
This is going to do wonders for my figure.
’ Kayla patted her stomach and did another happy foot-waggle.
‘And don’t look at me like that. I gave it my best shot with Jamie Hamilton, but he wasn’t interested, was he?
And now I’m glad, because who wouldn’t prefer an actual Italian with his very own gondola?
’ She twisted onto her side and looked at Hattie.
‘I do feel a bit bad, though, about leaving you here on your own again. Are you sure you don’t want me to ask him if he has a friend he can bring along? We could all go out together.’
‘No need,’ Hattie said quickly. ‘It’s fine. I like being here on the ship anyway. I’m really enjoying getting to know the other guests.’
If the money-borrower with his tragically empty wallet turned up at seven to meet Kayla tomorrow night, she’d be amazed.
By eight o’clock, she very much hoped, her friend would have learned all she needed to learn about the nefarious ways of handsome and much younger Venetians with an eye to the main chance. And washboard abs.
*
Very rarely, Jamie experienced a lucid dream. It was happening now. He knew he was dreaming, and was aware that he could – to a lesser or greater extent – control what happened next. If he wanted it to stop, all he needed to do was open his eyes and wake up.
Which was what he should be doing, except he really didn’t want to, because in his dream he was walking over a deserted Ponte dell’Accademia at night with Fen Madden.
The stars were out and the connection between them was absolutely electric.
At the highest point of the bridge, they stopped and turned to face each other, then Fen reached up and lightly touched the side of his cheek, causing his pulse rate to rocket.
And now she was searching his face, her breath quickening.
Apart from the sound of water lapping quietly around the boats moored below, they were surrounded by stillness and silence.
Fen murmured, ‘What would you say if I told you I wanted to kiss you?’
It was taking all his self-control not to tell her the same, despite the chemistry between them being off the scale.
But she didn’t belong to him, so it mustn’t happen.
This was the girl who had stolen his best friend’s heart, practically at first sight, and there was no way he could give in to temptation, because what if it made him realise he couldn’t give her up, that there would be no going back?
What if that one kiss proved to be life-changing and meant losing Leon’s friendship for ever?
Fen was still gazing up at him, waiting for him to react.
There was only one way to go, even though it was the very last thing he wanted to happen.
He stepped away and said, ‘Sorry.’
Then he forced himself to open his eyes, and the dream disappeared. He could see it dissolving into nothingness around him, leaving Fen standing alone on the bridge, tragically unkissed.
Jamie took a steadying breath, gazed up at the ceiling and wondered if he’d ever done anything more heroic in his life.
Or more idiotic, because it was only a dream after all. And God knows, it was what he’d wanted to do more than anything.
Except that was why he’d known he mustn’t allow it to happen.
But since there was no one he could tell, especially not Leon, at least no one else would ever find out.
He closed his eyes and willed himself to get back to sleep. Preferably a sleep not punctuated by ethically troublesome dreams.
Or by the creeping realisation that if Leon hadn’t been the one to stake his claim first, he wouldn’t have hesitated for one second before making a move of his own on Fen Madden.
Breakfast in the restaurant was served buffet style. Making her way towards a free table, Hattie found herself being waylaid by Guy, seated by the window to her left.
‘Morning! Care to join me?’
He was alone at a table for two. As she hesitated, a Canadian couple beat her to the other one.
‘Is Suzanne not with you?’
‘She’s up on deck, saluting the sun. Yoga, then Pilates.’ He gave a good-natured shake of his head. ‘Followed by meditation. She doesn’t eat breakfast.’
The restaurant was busy. Hattie put down her bowl of fresh fruit and plate of eggs Benedict and sat opposite him. Guy was tucking into a full English, which came as no surprise at all.
‘Scrambled eggs and a fried egg?’ Not to mention the bacon, sautéed potatoes and one of each kind of sausage.
He winked. ‘Don’t tell Suze. What she doesn’t know won’t kill her.’
‘Might kill you.’
‘Me? I’m indestructible.’ He patted his stomach, then speared a mushroom and a cherry tomato. ‘There, that’s two of my five-a-day. Are you doing the trip to Vicenza later?’
A coach was taking anyone who wanted to go on a visit to Vicenza for tours of the Basilica Palladiana and the Olympic theatre. Hattie shook her head. ‘No, Kayla’s staying on the ship to sunbathe and I want to see more of Venice.’
‘Me too!’ His face brightened. ‘Suze is catching the coach and meeting up with an old college friend who lives in Vicenza. We can explore together.’
One of the waiters filled their cups with fresh coffee. Hattie thanked him, then turned back to Guy. ‘Wouldn’t Suzanne find that a bit weird?’
No way could she bring herself to call her Suze.
‘It wouldn’t bother her at all. She isn’t the jealous type.’
Or maybe she wasn’t the jealous type when she was absolutely sure Guy’s ex-wife was zero competition. Remembering the comment Suzanne had made about her last night, Hattie said drily, ‘She thinks you’ll be safe with me.’
‘You could be right.’ The twinkle was back in his eye. ‘The question is, will I?’
It was moments like this that reminded her of the good times they’d spent together. When he was on playful, flirtatious form, Guy had been the best company. She took a sip of coffee, then said primly, ‘I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.’