‘How much longer until that flyover?’ she asked Ortiz anxiously.
‘Apologies, Ms Wynter.’ Ortiz looked tense as he glanced at his watch. ‘It should be any moment. But it will take a few minutes, I’m sorry.’
She really didn’t want his pity.
‘You missed a great tour this morning.’
She turned at the voice. It was the man who’d sat across the aisle from her on the flight in.
‘It was a real treat,’ he added. ‘I’m going to bring my wife here for our next holiday.’
She smiled. ‘That’s great.’
Whereas she was never, ever coming back here.
‘Ms Wynter?’
She turned. Ortiz was looking ridiculously expressionless, which really made her worry.
‘Is something wrong?’ She stepped nearer.
‘I have a call for you.’
She realised he was holding a phone to his chest.
‘If you’ll follow me, there’s a private room.’
She remembered what had happened the last time she’d followed this guy—abduction to the palace. Her heart thundered. But this time Ortiz really did lead her to a nearby room and then left her in there alone with that phone.
‘Hello?’
‘Elsie.’ Felipe, sounding rough and rushed. ‘We need to talk.’
Her legs hollowed out but she paced around the small room. ‘You’re supposed to be stepping onto the palace balcony overlooking the esplanade right now. The whole world is waiting.’
‘They can wait another couple of minutes.’
‘You’re holding up a plane full of people too. We can’t board until after the flyby.’
‘The flyby won’t happen until this call ends. So it’s your choice, Elsie.’
Her choice? She stilled.
‘You can get on that plane or you could come back to the palace so we can speak,’ he explained. ‘But know this: if you get on the plane, I will follow. As soon as the formalities are over here, I’ll come to you. The world will know and there’ll be drama and all that if you want.’
She really didn’t want that. But she wanted him. She yearned for him. And all she could do was grip the phone more tightly and listen.
‘Or...’ He drew an audible breath. ‘You can get back into the car with Ortiz and come back to the palace so we can talk face to face as soon as this show is over.’
‘We don’t have anything to talk about, Felipe.’
‘There’s something I need to tell you.’ His voice caught.
Her heart ached as she heard the break in him. ‘You can’t tell me now?’
‘Elsie...’
She closed her eyes because suddenly hope soared and she couldn’t handle it. ‘Don’t do this, Felipe.’