‘That was amazing,’ Olivia said, as she pulled her glass towards her. ‘Now, where were we with twenty questions? Why don’t you tell me your hobbies?’
To Adam’s surprise, the next time he glanced around the bar had emptied, the music had been turned off, and he and Olivia had swapped a mountain of information. Favourite films—hers: Breakfast at Tiffany’s; his: The Great Escape. Favourite book—hers: too many to count, so Lord of the Rings and all of Austen; his: Lord of the Rings and anything detective.
‘I think it’s time to go before Saru kicks us out,’ Adam said.
Olivia nodded and then winced, placed her hands on the table and levered herself up. ‘I may be ever so slightly...tipsy,’ she announced. ‘Not inebee...inebril...in...drunk, you understand. Just tiddly. Like in winks. That’s what we should play next. Tiddlywinks.’
‘Next time,’ Adam said.
‘Itsh a deal.’ Olivia looked down and then dropped back onto the chair. ‘We can’t go.’
‘Why not?’
‘Cos I haven’t got my...you know...my thingy. The thing that I wrote thingies down on.’
‘The napkin?’
‘Yup.’ Olivia folded her arms on the table. ‘Can’t go without that. It’s like a souvenir...you know?’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
‘You’re a prince.’
Fifteen minutes later a diligent search had located the scrawled upon napkin and Olivia had very carefully folded it up and tucked it into her tablet case.
‘Let’s go,’ she said, and wended her way towards the door.
There was nothing for it—no choice but to snake his arm around the slender span of her waist in order to steer her straight across the moonlit sand. His body reacted all too predictably as she tucked herself next to him, leant against him with a small, satisfied sigh.
‘There we go. Easy does it, Olivia.’
‘Call me Liv.’
‘I’d be honoured.’
She looked up at the sky. ‘So beautiful,’ she said. ‘All black and glittery and...and starry. Like your eyes.’
‘Thank you.’ Adam suppressed a grin; Olivia...no, Liv was going to regret this the next day.
‘Adam?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can I ask you another question?’
‘Question twenty-one? Sure.’
‘What do you think about love?’
Ah. Talk about sliding in the knock-out punch right at the end. Glancing down at her, he acquitted her of intentionally wanting to catch him out. Her nose was simply crinkled in thought as she waited for his answer.
‘I believe in it for other people but I know it’s not for me.’ He hitched his shoulders as she tilted her head, the movement casing a friction against his chest.
‘Well, I don’t like love. Because...’
She stumbled slightly and he tightened his grasp around her waist, his gut clenching with renewed desire.
‘Because,’ she continued, ‘love is an illusion.’
If only the stirring of his body was a delusion. Focus on the conversation, Adam. Although it didn’t really matter what they said because it was unlikely that Olivia would remember.
‘Why do you say that?’
Olivia slid to a stop and turned to face him, held onto his arms as she peered up at his face. ‘Cos it’s true. Men cheat, dazzled by a beautiful face or the thrill of the forbidden, and they hop out of the marriage bed—’ she snapped her fingers as she gave a little jump, scuffing up grains of moonlit sand ‘—just like that. Or they say they love you to get into your knickers. It’s an illusion to romanticise sex.’
‘Not all men are like that. Think of all the happily married people in the world.’
‘Nah.’ Her wave dismissed half the population. ‘Another mirage. Most of them have compromised. For a lifestyle or a child. They’d all betray each other given the right price.’ She heaved a great sigh. ‘It’s verrrry sad.’
‘Would you compromise?’
‘Never.’ She slammed her shoulders back. ‘Never give up. Never surrender. That’s me. I’m not the compromising sort. And I know the truth. Remember the truth, Adam. Love is an illusion.’
‘I’ll remember, Liv. Now, let’s get going. We’re nearly at the hotel.’
Minutes later Adam surveyed the bedroom and gusted out a sigh. Gan must have assumed they were sharing a room—more to the point that they were sharing a bed.
‘I’ll go and sort out another room.’
‘No. Itsh OK. Really. We’re past the attraction, remember? It’s all over and done with.’