Page 32 of The Island of Hopes and Dreams

‘I do miss him,’ Deni said smoothly, her own tone laced with something that edged towards annoyance. ‘But he’s never looked like that.’

Lola hmphed.

‘Not that I ever wanted him to bethatgood-looking.’ Deni drew closer to Lola, her tone softer. ‘To me, my husband’s the most handsome man in the world because I love him – not that I tell him enough. I’ve never wanted someone so stupidly good-looking I’d spend my whole time worrying that I wasn’t good enough for them.’

‘Because you think you’re out of his league?’ Lola subtly gestured towards Valentino. ‘Because that’s a load of bull made up to make people feel shitty about themselves.’

‘I don’t believe for a minute anyone’s ever said anything like that to you.’

‘Not to me, no, but they have about Rhys.’

‘Oh.’ Deni nodded. ‘Because you and he are?—’

‘What? Not well suited?’

Deni shrugged. ‘You don’t think that’s the case?’

‘Of course not.’ Lola drained the rest of her wine. ‘Saying someone is out of someone’s league is as shallow as it gets. It suggests that someone not traditionally beautiful or handsome shouldn’t be with someone who is, when there are so many other things to consider in a relationship, like personality – if the person is kind, loving, thoughtful. A good person.’

‘Mr Drop Dead Gorgeous over there might be all of those things.’

‘Yes, he might be,’ Lola said, then thought,But I already know that Rhys is.

They fell silent and Deni sipped her drink while they watched everyone. Although Lola avoided looking in Valentino’s direction, she could sense him glancing their way. She shifted so her back was to him.

Deni noticed and opened her mouth, then closed it. She laid a hand on her arm. ‘I’m sorry if we’ve been overly pushy about all those sexy blokes who’ve been tripping over themselves to capture your attention.’ Deni laughed, but it was gentle. ‘I know I’ve been living vicariously through you; Sarah and Polly too. Our intentions are good, but perhaps we’ve been a bit full on.’

This was the conversation Lola should have had with Deni ages ago; she should have been open about the way she was feeling. She should have been able to talk to her friends and tell them in the nicest possible way to back off from trying to set her up with men, but she knew that would have led to deeper conversations, and that was what she’d feared. Not that she’d had any problem opening up to Rhys.

Lola was about to say she knew their teasing had all been in jest when Deni’s eyes went wide.

‘Heads up,’ she said.

And then Valentino was next to them, all six-foot-something of chiselled Italian good looks with distractingly snug trousers that made Lola want to walk swiftly in the other direction, except he was clutching two glasses of white wine and his eyes were fixed on her.

‘I noticed your drink was empty.’

Hell was he smooth.

Deni lifted her own nearly empty glass and raised her eyebrows. Lola inwardly sighed but accepted the drink from Valentino.

‘Thank you,’ she said, not wanting to be rude but also annoyed at his snub of Deni, who, Lola realised with horror, was slowly backing away.

‘Just going to grab some food,’ Deni said. Her voice was full of amusement, although she looked sympathetic. Perhaps there was a touch of glee. Lola knew she wouldn’t go far, not when she’d want to see how this played out.

Lola took a sip of the citrusy wine. Where was Rhys when she needed him?

‘We have not had much chance to talk since the first night.’ Valentino leaned against the wall. A waft of sultry spiciness encroached on her personal space.

Although his English was almost as good as Fabs’s, his accent was richer: deep and seductive. And he knew it.

‘Lots of people to talk to, that’s why.’ She’d make polite small talk, then find an excuse to escape to her friends. Deni was already snuggled up on a sofa with Sarah, both watching her, as she’d anticipated.

Annoyance flared. Despite what Deni had said moments before, she knew they would still prefer her to hook up with a sexy Italian rather than believe she could be into Rhys.

‘You are enjoying yourself in Sardinia?’ Valentino asked smoothly, while his chocolate eyes bored into her.

She could do this: a polite, uninteresting conversation. She opened her mouth to reply when he added: ‘With the Englishman?’ A smirk tugged at his full lips.

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