She watched the surge of people and the noise of tourists enjoying a Sunday stroll along the beach roads and suddenly felt as if she was losing the tenuous connection she’d made with Theo last night and this morning. Which was silly. There was no connection. Just a precarious truce.
And an exciting task designing a Pantelides boat, which had made joy bubble beneath her skin all day.
He brought the launch to a smooth stop at the pier and turned off the engine. Jumping out with lithe grace, he held out his hand to her, the smile on his face making her breath stutter in her chest as she slipped her hand into his.
‘I’m in the mood for some traditional food and I know just the place for it. You happy to trust me?’
Safely on solid ground, she glanced up and found herself nodding. ‘Yes.’
His eyes darkened. ‘It’s a bit of a walk.’ He glanced at her high-heeled wedges with a cocked eyebrow.
‘Don’t worry about me. I was born in heels.’
‘Then I pity your poor mãe.’
She laughed and saw his answering smile.
Gradually they fell silent and his gaze drifted over her face, resting on her mouth for a few seconds before he tugged on her hand. ‘Come on, anjo.’
He led her along the pier and towards the streets. Ten minutes later, she stared in surprise when they stopped outside a door with a faded sign and a single light bulb above it.
‘I hear they serve the best feijoadas in Rio,’ he said, his gaze probing her every expression.
Inez forced the lump in her throat down as she stared at the sign that had been very much part of a long ago, happier childhood. ‘It’s true. I…how do you know about this place?’
The hand he’d captured since they alighted from the boat meshed with hers, causing her heart to flutter wildly as he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. ‘I made it my business to find out.’
Again tears choked her and she couldn’t speak for several moments. ‘Thank you.’
He nodded. ‘My pleasure.’
They stopped in the doorway to allow their eyes to adjust to the candlelit interior.
‘Pequena estrela!’ A matronly woman in her late forties approached, her face lit up with a smile.
After exchanging hugs, Inez turned to introduce Theo.
‘Camila and my mother were best friends. I used to have supper here many times after school when I was a kid.’
Theo responded to the introduction in smooth, charming Portuguese that had the older woman blushing before she led them to a table in the middle of the room.
‘You want the usual?’ Camila asked after she’d brought over a basket of bread and taken their wine order.
Inez glanced at Theo. ‘Will you let me choose?’
He sat back in his chair, his gaze brushing her face. ‘It’s your show, anjo.’
She rattled off the order and added a few more dishes that had Camila nodding in approval before she bustled off.
Alone with Theo, she tried to calm her giddy senses. Not read too much into why he’d brought her here of all places. But her emotions refused to be calmed.
He was making her feel things she had no business feeling, considering their circumstances. Her heart was very much in danger of being devastated. And this time the danger signs were not disguised as they’d been with Constantine. She was walking into this with her heart and eyes wide open…
‘You’re frowning too hard, querida.’
Plucking a piece of bread from the basket, she fought to focus on not ruining their truce. ‘I think I may have ordered too much food.’
‘You have a healthy appetite. Nothing wrong with that.’
‘It’s that healthy appetite that keeps me on the wrong side of chubby.’
‘You’re not chubby. You’re perfect.’
Her hand stilled on the way to her mouth. In the ambient light, she witnessed the potent, knee-weakening look of appreciation on his face. The look slowly grew until hunger became deeply etched into his every feature.
Desire pounded through her, sending radial pulses of heat through her body to concentrate on that needy place between her legs. ‘Obrigado,’ she murmured hoarsely.
He nodded slowly, leant forward and took the piece of bread from her hand. Tearing off a piece, he held it against her mouth. When she opened it, he placed it on her tongue and watched her chew.