Page 36 of An Island Promise

Gem joined them on the wooden deck. ‘You’ve been out here for weeks.’

She already looked effortlessly cool with her hair swept up into a messy bun and sunglasses shading her eyes. Her lips were glossy, and a white maxi dress with pink flowers accentuated her tan. Belle wanted to hate her. She should hate her, but what good would that do when all she really wanted was to forget about everything?

They changed into swimsuits and bikinis, lathered on sunscreen and spent the rest of the afternoon switching between sunbathing and taking a dip in the pool. They chatted, read, listened to music and snoozed. Belle had a week off and it wasa chance to be a tourist for a short time. She was determined to make the most of it.

Gem was doing laps of the long curved pool when Laurie put her book down, shuffled onto her side and leaned close to Belle who was lying on the beanbag lounger next to her.

‘Does Caleb like you by any chance?’ Laurie wedged her sunglasses in her dark hair and gave Belle a knowing look.

‘Where on earth did that come from?’

‘It’s just a thought.’ She shrugged. ‘There’s something in the way you talk about him.’

‘He’s a friend, but more importantly, my boss.’

‘I’m only saying it’s incredibly generous of him to give us a swim-up room. Maybe he thinks of you as more than just an employee.’

‘He only upgraded us because of the cancellation.’

Laurie raised an eyebrow. ‘Even so, he didn’t give it to anyone else now, did he…’

Belle bristled. This line of questioning from Laurie was unexpected, and frustrating because it had truth in it. Even the idea that Caleb might like her more than just a friend thrilled her. And maybe it was obvious that she liked him; the attraction she’d felt the other evening had been undeniable, but it was probably down to the setting and the euphoria of a successful wedding. What troubled her was that Laurie’s comments were something Gem would have said. Something Gem would have noticed, not Laurie. Belle wanted to brush away the implication that Caleb liked her in that way, because her attraction to him left her feeling vulnerable and worried about making a mistake again with someone she worked with.

‘He does think of me as more than just an employee because we’re a team. That’s why he’s so successful, because he treats people right and values them whether they clean the rooms or organise the events. But as I said before, he’s my boss.’

‘So? It’s not as if you’ve never been in a relationship with someone you work with.’

Belle shook her head. ‘Don’t even go there.’

‘What?’ She held up her hands. ‘I was only making an observation.’

‘Caleb is… lovely. The perfect boss, so no way do I want to risk anything there. But he’s also all kinds of complicated.’And all kinds of wonderful too, she thought, her heart overriding her head because the more she got to know him, the more she was drawn to him. ‘He lost his wife to cancer a few years ago too. But the main thing is I don’t want to be with anyone. I shouldn’t be with anyone. I need time to figure me out for once and not jump headfirst into another relationship that could be doomed from the start.’

‘Are you trying to convince me or yourself you don’t like him in that way?’ Laurie said pointedly.

‘No one needs convincing of anything,’ Belle said matter-of-factly. ‘I’m just stating the truth.’

‘Or are you still dreaming of Diego?’

Belle sighed and swung her legs off the lounger so she could sit closer to Laurie. Gem was down the other end of the pool, floating on her back, gazing up at the cloud-free sky. ‘I’ve seen him. A couple of times.’

‘You’ve what!’ Laurie sat bolt upright on her lounger.

Belle shook her head. ‘Calm down, nothing happened. You’re reacting like I slept with him or something. We just talked.’

‘How did you track him down?’

‘Caleb knows him. He’s sort of a business partner, so as events manager I’ve had dealings with him.’

‘You certainly have had dealings with him.’ Laurie raised an eyebrow. She settled back on the lounger and looked intently at Belle. ‘So? How was it seeing him again?’

There was nothing more Belle could say about the connection with Caleb without Laurie being even more convinced about there being a potential romance, and the full truth… Well, she didn’t want to go there, not without confronting Gem first. Everything about being back on Ibiza was different, from where they were staying to how she’d changed, grown up and moved on. ‘There was no spark, no desire. Just memories that should remain firmly in the past.’

‘Oh Belle, I’m sorry.’

‘No, don’t be; it’s a good thing. I think I had an unhealthy obsession.’

The crease between Laurie’s eyebrows deepened. ‘I knew you liked him, but I didn’t realise you felt quite that strongly about him.’

---