To Love Honour and Disobey

But now the others were dotted over the beach—either reading in the shade by the restaurant, or soaking up the sun’s rays. She sat in an ancient lounge chair and watched the scene, almost drowsy after the total lack of sleep the night before and yet restless—aching for more. She didn’t know how long it was later that he appeared, but he pulled her from the seat and kept hold of her hand. Silently he led her across the sand to the water.

The kayak looked way too small and unstable.

He looked at her expression and laughed. ‘I’ll paddle.’

For the second time that day saying no to him was beyond her. He held the kayak steady and she sat in the front seat.

‘How can you do this in the heat?’ She pulled her hat lower on her head and felt him push the boat out. ‘You’re amazingly fit, Sebastian.’

‘Why, thanks.’

‘No, I mean really. Abnormally fit.’

He laughed. ‘I’ve been working on it.’

Carefully she twisted her head to watch him.

‘You really did stop hanging out in the city?

’ ‘I was the epitome of the faithful husband.’

She gave him a long look. ‘Are you honestly trying to tell me you’ve been celibate this whole time?’

‘It’s not something I’d joke about, Ana. Not ever.’

No sex for the best part of a year?

‘But what have you been doing with yourself?’ she spluttered. ‘I mean…come on, Seb.’

‘It wasn’t that difficult really.’ He pushed the paddle faster through the water. ‘I did sport. Multi-sport events.’

‘As in triathlons?’

‘Yes, something to wear me out.’ He nodded. ‘Something to focus on outside of work.’

Well, it sure explained the heightened definition his body had.

She sat still and quiet, listening to the water, looking back at the golden sand and the brilliant blue sky. Eventually she relaxed enough to let her fingers trail in the water, watching the island spread wide before her, until she couldn’t contain her rapture a moment longer. ‘It’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, it is.’

She glanced at him. ‘You’re not even looking.’

‘Yes, I am.’

Right at her.

She rolled her eyes. OK, so the out-for-fun Seb

was back in full force. ‘You’d say anything to get a leg over, wouldn’t you, Seb?’

‘Why don’t you believe you’re beautiful?’

Because she wasn’t. And she’d had years of her aunt emphasising the point. She didn’t fit in with the family’s perfect, petite, feminine form. She was the prune in the peanut jar. She was going to roll her eyes again but suddenly realised how far away from Zanzibar they’d gone. ‘You’d better turn back, Seb. I don’t care how fit you think you are, I don’t want to be adrift in the ocean for days.’

‘We’re not going back,’ he said. ‘We’re going there.’

‘What?’ She turned and saw how close they were to another, much smaller island.

Seb’s words were wicked. ‘You didn’t think I was going to spend another night on the ground or squashed up on one of those hard bunks, did you?’

She sat up so quick the kayak rocked. ‘But our packs—’

‘Are being transported by another boat. They’re probably there already. We came the slow, scenic route.’

‘You’re unbelievable.’

‘Oh, admit it, secretly you’re thrilled.’

She looked at the beach they were about to wash up on. Oh, yes. Not even secretly. ‘What is this place?’

‘This is Mnemba, an exclusive little island. We have our own luxury banda, our own bit of beach and our own butler.’

They had their own butler? That was crazy—what was the guy going to do all day? Besides her Africa trip was all but over. ‘Seb, we’re supposed to go back to Dar tomorrow.’

‘I’ve changed the bookings.’

‘What?’

‘We have another few days.’

Another few days? Oh, no. Another night she could cope with, but not more. ‘But I didn’t even get to say goodbye to the others on tour.’

‘They know my plan—at least, Bundy did. He’ll have told the others.’

‘But I have to catch my flight back to the UK.’

‘Give me the details and I’ll get it changed. We’ll fly back together.’

She hesitated. That wouldn’t be a good idea. But then she looked across the water to the beaming man waiting for them, evidently their butler, and beyond to the buildings dotted in the trees. As if anyone could say no to this?

Hamim, their butler, greeted them with true finesse and a wide smile. He offered his hand to Ana as she splashed through the shallows and led her straight to their private apartment. ‘You are a model?’