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Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright as she glanced at him, and her expression was nervous and shy, sweet and hopeful, and it was the hopefulness in her green gaze that hten and ache
He had a feeling his life was full of beautiful women, but none were like her How could they be? Who could possibly be as smart and beautiful and yet also so capable? He marveled at her ability to
“Why won’t you , loose tendrils that had slipped free fronon to rest on her smooth, tanned shoulder
“It’s just unlikely,” she answered, giving him a smile “It’s not as if men wash up on my beach often”
“I did”
“Yes, but it took ht years to rescue my first prince”
His brow creased “Prince?”
She smiled, and a small dimple appeared near the corner of her mouth “Like the story ‘The Little Merive up my soul in order to marry or in order to make him—or anyone—happy”
“I confess, I don’t know the story”
“How can you not know it?”
“I was an—” he stopped and looked away, perplexed He’d co I was an only child
But was he?
And was that why he didn’t know the story?
“It’s not an Ah Disney did a version of it It’s Hans Christian Andersen, and his stories are invariably really sad and depressing I think they were ave htmares so my dad told my mom not to read them to me anymore, but of course I remember the ones that upset me most”
She glanced at hi conversation Dinner is ready Shall we eat?”
Josephine plated their dinner—roasted laano, thy Greek food and tonight’s la sunset fading to just a wisp of red and purple on the horizon
He held her chair for her as she sat down, a chivalrous gesture that made her feel safe and protected “Thank you,” sheas he took the seat opposite her, the candlelight reflecting off the bronze of his cheekbones and his inky-black hair She felt a sizzle race through her as his blue gaze met hers and held It was hard to think clearly when hewith nerves and excitement
She wanted hiain
She wanted his she’d felt earlier, because this one before she knew it and this tiether, would be just a memory A memory she’d cherish forever
“I can’t i, or a lass “To you, Josephine Thank you for everything”
“It’s oblet to his
He sipped the wine and nodded “This is really good wine”
“It’s Greek, made by Father Epi in the monastic community Mount Athos It’s s back with him”
“I’ll have to remember it”
She felt her lips curve “I’d rather you res like where you live and what you do” Her smile faded “Your family must be frantic If you were mine, I’d be beside myself”
“It’d be nice to knoho they are”
“I’m sure they are heartsick, as are your friends”
“Hmm”
She shot him a speculative look “You don’t think so?”
His jaw hardened, his gaze narrowing “They didn’t come back”
She’d thought the sa many times Carefully, she added, “Maybe they didn’t knohere you disappeared It is a huge sea”
“Whoever I fought with kneent overboard Why didn’t he sound the alarm?”
“If that person did knowyou’re still in trouble That person is dangerous He or she meant to do you harm Otherwise the yacht would have circled back Your friends, the rest of them, would never have left you”