‘Yes.’ Kate touched her glass against his. ‘The future.’
‘I wish you every happiness Kate. You do know that, don’t you? I really hope you find what you’re looking for.’
What she was looking for? Kate’s bottom lip began to tremble. Could Nikos really not see that what she was looking for—everything she could ever want—was right in front of her? Did he really not know? Or was he making it plain that it could never be? Twisting the knife with his gentle words and telling her that they were done—finished? That he could never love her.
She took another gulp of water. ‘You too, Nikos.’ Somehow she formed the words from her strangled throat.
For a long moment Nikos held her gaze. Unable to look away, Kate lost herself in the fathomless depths of his eyes, falling down and down to a place from which she could never return. She didn’t even want to.
‘Kate?’
Eventually he spoke. Never had her name on his lips sounded more solemn, more portentous.
‘Yes?’ The word quaked with a mixture of fear and hope.
But silence fell between them again, as if time was holding its breath.
‘Nothing.’ He turned his proud profile away, staring out to sea. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘No, go on.’ She reached across the table for his hand. ‘What were you going to say?’
‘No, really...it was nothing.’ The moment had gone, like a glimmer of sunshine engulfed by clouds. ‘Come on—eat up. You’ve hardly touched your food.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t have much appetite.’ Kate withdrew her hand.
‘No.’ Nikos moved his plate away. ‘Me neither. Not for food, anyway.’
With a sudden movement he pushed back his chair and stood up. Startled, Kate felt her heart plummet to her feet.
Was this goodbye? Oh, please no.
Silently Nikos walked round to the back of her chair, lightly placing his hands on her shoulders. Kate closed her eyes.
‘One last night?’
His question whispered around her like a heady, seductive promise. Relief swamped her. Not trusting herself to speak, she turned to look up at him, swallowing hard. She felt herself nod. A small, almost imperceptible movement. But it was all that was needed.
Pulling back her chair, Nikos waited for her to stand then, taking her hand, he led her into his bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them.
* * *
Nikos rolled on his side, stretching out an arm to where Kate should be. Nothing. He opened his eyes.
She had gone.
Leaping out of bed, he threw open the bedroom door, marching through the living room to Kate’s bedroom, already knowing it would be empty. And so it was. There was no evidence of Kate having stayed the night there at all. Not so much as an open drawer or a slight indentation on the neatly made bed.
Cursing, Nikos stormed back to his own room, hurrying to cover his nakedness with some hastily thrown on clothes. Lifting his head, he found himself staring straight into Kate’s eyes. Her portrait, drawn by the artist in Paris, gazed back at him, taunting him with a watchful gaze. Having it framed and hung in his bedroom had felt like a guilty secret. Now it seemed more like masochism.
How could she have left without him knowing? He had been awake most of the night—at first totally consumed by the after-effects of their lovemaking and then, when Kate had finally fallen asleep, staring at her head on the pillow, at the dark sweep of her lashes, the soft fullness of her lips, listening to her gentle breathing, inhaling her intoxicating scent.
Under the cover of darkness he had allowed himself that one sweet indulgence. He wasn’t going to try and rationalise his feelings, to attempt to make sense of anything.
What was there to rationalise anyway? He loved her. It was a certain, indisputable fact.
And maybe that was the very definition of love—it wasn’t rational. It was the most exquisite, excruciating, punishingly powerful feeling in the world. And every breath he took hurt with it. But what was he to do?
In the end, Kate had made the decision for him.
As dawn had started to creep across the sky, when Nikos had finally fallen asleep, she had pulled back the covers, left the sanctuary of their bed and walked out of his life for ever.
No! Not if Nikos had any say in it! If he dashed to the airport he might be in time to stop her. And if he wasn’t he would fly to London himself. In his private jet he would probably get there before her.