page43 (1/1)

‘Priel labelled without hesitation

‘Your first lover? What age were you?’ she pressed, defying that censure while wondering how on earth he could still think of her that way after the tiether

‘Too young You don’t want to know,’ Angel traded

‘I do want to know,’ Merry argued, stretching indolently in the drenching heat, only vaguely wondering what ti and entertaining Elyssa on the beach and then Sally had cohter and take her back up to the house for lunch and a nap Now the surf hispering onto the shore a hundred yards below therove from the coastal breezes concealed them entirely from view

‘I was fourteen She was one of rimly

Frowning, Merry flipped over to stare at him ‘Seriously?’

‘You’re still so naïve,’ Angel groaned, lifting up on his elbows to study her, hardon his bare bronzed torso, the vee at his hipbones pro shorts as he leant back Just looking at that display of stark ive a sudden warning thud, awareness thundering through her at storm-force potency

‘What do you think it was like here when I was an adolescent with Angelina in charge?’ he chided ‘I came home for the summer from school and there were no rules whatsoever Back then it was all wild, decadent parties and the house ith people Believe it or not,an oversexed teenager, I naturally thought the freedo and I never let my father kno debauched it was’

‘So, your first experience ith an older woathered, detere, because when he had been that young and innocent she believed he had been ainst than he had been a sinner

‘And the experience was disappointing,’ Angel ad I felt used When the parties here got too o down and camp out with Roula’s family for a few days’

‘She lived here on the island back then?’ Merry said in surprise

‘Still does Roula was born and bred on Palos, like me This is her home base too She runs a chain of beauty salons, coular family with parents ere still married and their ho there,’ he confided ‘Rules and regular meal times have more appeal than you would appreciate’

‘I can understand that,’ Merry conceded ruefully ‘My anised She’d want to eat and there’d be nothing in the fridge She’d want to go out and she wouldn’t have a babysitter arranged Sometimes she just left me in bed and went out anyway I never told Sybil that But when I ith Sybil, everything was structured’

‘Thee el exclaimed abruptly ‘Your aunt phoned to ask me if there was any chance we’d be back in the UK in the next couple of weeks because yourover to stay with her for a while and she wants to see you I said I’d try to organise it’

Merry frowned, reluctant to get on board with yet another reconciliation scene with her estrangedher daughter why she couldn’t act hter and love and appreciate her, not see the foundation for such bonds lay far behind theet by without aher with the more dependable Sybil

‘You’re not keen,’ Angel gathered, shrewd dark golden eyes scanning her expressive troubled face ‘Sybil made it sound like it was really i you’ll mend fences with her sister’

Merry shrugged jerkily ‘I’ve tried before and it never worked Sybil’s a peacemaker and wants everyone to be happy but I always annoy Natalie by saying or doing the wrong thing’