To Win His Heart

“An hour ago.”

“Where’s she been?”

“I’ll give you one guess.”

“Then—”

“Don’t ask—” Luc cut him off. “I’m not going to be able to get rid of her until she’s taken her damn boat trip. Fabio will know someone who could repair the wiring and put up a new sail today. But I need you to crew for us.”

“You don’t need me when you’ve got Olivia. She could do it if you showed her how.”

He grimaced. “That’s her plan.”

A sound of exasperation came out of Nic. “If you really don’t want to be with her, why did you let her in the door?”

“You know why. She’s Greer’s sister. If I offend 135 her too deeply, it will end up affecting Max. That’s the last thing I want to see happen.”

“Point taken.”

“The way I figure it, if we follow her original itinerary, let her have her fun, she’ll finally go home. Then we can get back to business as usual.”

After a long silence, “You want a fully loaded boat?”

“That’s the idea. Let’s not give her anything to complain about. I

’ll do the cooking while you play captain.”

“Just like old times.”

“Not quite,” Luc murmured. “This time she won’t be trying to run away. If there’s one good thing to come of this, a few more days rest and I won’t ever need the cane again. At that point I can leave her in your capable hands for the rest of the trip. You don’t mind seeing her off on the plane in Malaga, do you?”

“You know better than to ask that question. I’ll get packed and take off for Vernazza.”

Luc knew he was asking a lot of his cousin, but this was one time when he had no other choice. Being alone in this house with Olivia was bad enough. Being alone with her on the Gabbiano was out of the question. What he needed was the gift of forgetfulness, but there was no such animal.

I’ve been thinking about…us.

Us?

Yes. You and me. Since Cesar knows I turned to you, and we’re probably not going to make it to Ischia after all, what do you say we take advantage of our situation for the duration of our trip.

Luc’s lungs constricted because he would never know what really went on between her and his brother. Even if they hadn’t made love, she’d nursed a passion for Cesar long before she’d met Luc.

Heaven help him, how long until he stopped caring?

“Nic?”

“Yes?”

Luc expelled the breath he’d been holding. “Thank you. You know what I’m trying to say.”

“I do. Without you and Max, I’d never have made it this far. We’ll talk later.”

After they’d hung up, Luc placed a call to Fabio who told him not to worry. The repairs would be done by late afternoon.

With that settled, he went back to bed. Unfortunately his sleep was sporadic and fitful, denying him the one temporary panacea for the blackness that had descended with a vengeance since Olivia’s arrival.

Another three days of torment loomed ahead of him. Three days where he couldn’t hibernate in order to banish certain images from his mind.