Even though it was still early, the heat made her gasp and she reached inside her bag for a pair of sunglasses.
Zander took her arm and led her towards the waiting car.
‘Certainly beats airport terminal buildings,’ Lauranne muttered as she slid into the sumptuous interior.
‘This island has a tiny airstrip,’ he informed her, settling himself next to her. ‘Kouropoulos built it only two years ago. Before that you had to take a boat from the nearest island with a runway if you wanted to stay here.’
‘It must have been nice like that,’ she said wistfully, staring out of the window at the passing landscape. ‘Sort of undeveloped and hard to get to.’
He shot her a look that she couldn’t interpret. ‘It was extremely underdeveloped before Theo Kouropoulos took over.’
‘Did you know it before then?’
He tensed and thick dark lashes shielded his expression. ‘I visited here as a child.’
She looked at him, sensing there was a great deal more than he was saying. ‘On holiday?’
His hesitation was so brief it was barely perceptible. ‘Yes. On holiday.’
She watched him for a moment and then turned her head, gasping with delight as the road curved upwards, revealing tiny bays glistening in the morning sun.
‘The beaches are stunning.’
‘Most of them are only accessible by boat,’ he told her, leaning across so that he could see what she was admiring. ‘It reduces its appeal as a tourist resort.’
‘Kouropoulos obviously didn’t think so?’
‘He built his resort on the south of the island,’ Zander said flatly. ‘It has several pretty, sandy beaches, perfect for safe bathing and water sports. The rest of the island is now uninhabited.’
She eyed him sideways. ‘Where did you used to stay?’
His broad shoulders tensed. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘When you were a child,’ she prompted him gently. ‘Where did you stay when you came here as a child?’
He sucked in a breath. ‘In a house—’
‘Right.’ As answers went it was economical to say the least, but Lauranne knew better than to push. Sharing personal information about himself wasn’t one of Zander’s strong points. She watched him for a moment but his handsome face was as inscrutable as ever. For a man who was so intensely physical, he was ridiculously repressed when it came to expressing other emotions.
Wondering whether his childhood holidays had anything to do with his desire to possess the island, Lauranne turned her attention back to the view, peering out of the window as the road curved again and started moving downwards.
Below she could see whitewashed buildings and curved swimming pools.
‘That’s it. Blue Cove Resort.’
Sensing his tension, she instinctively reached out a hand and took his, squeezing it gently. ‘I’ve never seen you stressed about business. Don’t worry, between us we’ll convince him to sell.’
His glance reflected his surprise and she managed a smile, feeling pretty surprised herself. When had she stopped fighting him and turned supportive?
The driver pulled into a driveway and said something in Greek.
‘We’re here.’ Zander gently disengaged his hand. ‘Now don’t forget, you’re so in love with me you can’t see straight.’
Her heart flipped over. Five years earlier that would have been a perfect description of the way she’d felt about him.
And now?
She swallowed, totally confused about her feelings. She couldn’t think straight when he was near and she couldn’t breathe properly either.