No, last night had taught her something far more important than the fact he’d tried to kiss her once. It had taught her that they still had history, and friendship, even with Adem gone. Sadie wanted Dylan to stay part of her life—and part of Finn’s. She wanted her son to learn about his father from the people who had loved him most—and that had to include Dylan.
Another reason, if she’d needed one, why she couldn’t risk anything more with him. She knew him, too well perhaps. One night in his bed and he’d hit the road, not coming back until he was good and certain that she wasn’t getting any ideas about things between them going anywhere.
Better to keep things simple. Maybe they couldn’t be just business—but they could definitely be just friends.
Now she just needed a way to get that across to Dylan.
Lying back against her cool sheets with the covers off, she let the breeze from the open window caress her skin as she considered her options. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with him while she was wearing a bikini. She needed to stall a little before they got to the beach. Then he could sunbathe, nap, explore, ignore her the rest of the day, whatever he wanted. As long as he understood how things were going to be.
Sadie smiled to herself as the perfect solution presented itself. And it might just solve both of their hangovers, too.
* * *
It was hard to tell what Sadie was thinking or feeling when Dylan met her in the lobby. Her eyes were hidden behind oversized dark glasses, her hair pulled back from her face, and she wore a light skirt and tee shirt. From the large straw bag she carried, with towels peeking out the top and a bottle of suntan lotion in the front pocket, he assumed they were still on for the beach. Beyond that, he had no idea how the day might play out—and she didn’t seem inclined to tell him.
‘Ready to go?’ she asked, the moment he approached. When he nodded, she spun on her heel and headed out, slipping behind the wheel of her car and waiting for him to join her.
They drove in silence for about ten minutes, while Dylan thought up a dozen conversation starters in his head. But every time he turned to use one of them Sadie’s cool indifference to his presence stopped him.
He had to let her go first.
The first rumblings of doubt started in his mind when Sadie pulled in at a tumbledown farmhouse on the side of the road. There was no sign of anyone else around, but she jumped out of the car all the same and waited for him to follow.
A terrace sat outside the house itself, covered with vines and greenery, right next to the road. Sadie climbed the rickety wooden steps up to it and, after a moment, Dylan did the same.
‘Um, did we add something to today’s itinerary?’ he asked, as they stood alone on the terrace.
‘Trust me,’ Sadie replied. ‘We need this.’
What he really needed was a few more hours of sleep and some mega-painkillers, but she’d asked for his trust, so he’d give it to her.
After a moment the door to the farmhouse opened and a man walked out, smiling widely at Sadie, hands open in welcome. Sadie grinned back, and the two of them spoke in Turkish for a moment or two. Dylan didn’t even try to guess what they were saying.
The man motioned to a nearby table, bare wood with benches to match, right at the edge of the terrace with a great view of the passing cars and the dusty fields beyond. But Sadie sat without question, so Dylan did the same.
‘So this is...?’ he asked.
Before Sadie could answer, a woman in an apron appeared, her dark hair coiled at the back of her head, and placed a strange metal pot, two glass teacups and a basket of bread on the table.
‘Breakfast,’ Sadie answered, reaching for the bread. ‘Told you we needed it.’
Dylan started to relax. Maybe the woman had a point after all. He hadn’t managed to make it down to the restaurant that morning, and his stomach definitely needed food.
The dishes kept coming, carried out by the man and the woman while Sadie explained about Turkish tea and waited for it to brew before pouring it. Dylan salivated at the sight of sweet, thick honey for the bread, bowls of olives, scrambled eggs with chorizo, chunks of salty feta cheese and a huge fruit platter. It might not be the full English he’d usually rely on to finish off a hangover, but Dylan had a feeling it would be more than up to the task.
They ate mostly in silence, Dylan savouring every mouthful of the delicious and obviously freshly cooked food. And as they ate, Dylan’s hangover wasn’t the only thing that started to recede. Somehow, without talking about it or even acknowledging it was there, the tension that had been pulled tight between them since they’d met in the lobby that morning started to loosen, just enough for him to relax.
The powers of good food truly were transformative.
As Sadie mopped up the last of the chorizo and eggs with the end of the bread, Dylan poured out the final dregs of the tea, knowing that things were about to change.
It was time for The Talk.
God, he hated The Talk.
Steeling himself, he waited for her to begin.
‘Okay. So, I thought we needed that before we could deal with...’ Sadie trailed off.
‘Last night,’ Dylan finished for her. No point beating around the bush now. ‘Good call.’
Sadie picked up her paper napkin and began twisting it between her fingers. ‘Here’s the thing. I figure you wanted to go out last night to remind me that we’re not just business. We have history.’
‘I guess, a bit. Perhaps.’ It hadn’t been much of a plan, but it still discomfited Dylan a bit to have it seen through so easily.
‘And you’re right,’ Sadie went on, apparently unconcerned by his manipulations. ‘I get it. We’re friends—and I don’t want to lose that.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Ah, so this was the way it was. She was actually giving him the old ‘I don’t want to ruin our friendship with sex’ talk. He’d never been on this side of it before.
It kind of sucked.
But her friendship mattered to him—no, just having her in his life mattered to him. Any way that worked for her. So he’d go along with it, despite the stinging pain that had taken up residence in his chest. Because what else did he have to offer her, really?
‘I want you to be part of Finn’s life.’ She leant across the table, shifting plates and bowls out of her way. Dylan rescued the remains of the honey, which were perilously close to her elbow. ‘I want him to know about his dad from the people who really knew and loved him—and that includes you.’
She sounded so earnest, so determined that he couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad or frustrated. Because, of course, it was all about Adem in the end. He should never have imagined that it could be otherwise.
‘But as for the rest of it,’ Sadie said, sitting back again, the distance between them yawning open, ‘there’s no point dwelling on the past. Right?’
‘I’ve always tried not to,’ he said mildly. Tried not to think about how different his life might have been if his father hadn’t walked out and left them, if he hadn’t spent his youth protecting his mother and sister, taking care of them, finding the money for the household bills each week. How different he might be. Life was what it was—no point pretending otherwise.
Except, of course, that was exactly what he was doing every time he thought about Sadie and imagined what could have been, maybe. What they could have had if he’d been the one she’d run into with a full cup of coffee one rainy Oxford day instead of Adem.
Stupid, really. It wouldn’t have made any difference. They’d have flirted perhaps. Maybe even dated for a bit. But if she thought he wasn’t the settling-down sort now, it was nothing compared to how he’d been at twenty-one. He’d have sabotaged things within a month—and Sadie would probably have cried on Adem’s shoulder, and they’d have fallen in love anyway.
/>
Just the way it was supposed to be.
‘I’m ready to face the future now, I think.’ Bravery shone out of Sadie’s face, and Dylan tried to shake away his melancholy thoughts and listen. ‘I’m really ready to build a new future out here for me and my son—not just keep living Adem’s dream and his plan.’
Did she really think that counted as moving on? She’d still be here, in the place Adem had chosen for them. She might think this was a big step forward, but to Dylan it still looked like clinging to the past.
The past was all well and good, but living there wasn’t going to help Sadie find her spark again. For that, she needed to move on to her own dreams. And he was there to help her do that.
‘So, what does that mean?’ he asked.
‘It means I’m ready to listen to your plans, instead of insisting on following Adem’s,’ Sadie said. ‘You tell me what we need to do at the Azure, and we’ll do it. Whatever it takes to save this place for Finn.’
For Finn. That was why she thought she was doing this. Interesting.
‘Great.’ It wasn’t moving on, not really. But it might be the best he got from her, and at least it gave him a way to help her. It could be worse. ‘Then let’s get to the beach.’
‘The beach?’ Her nose crinkled up adorably, and Dylan looked away to stop himself staring at it.
‘I always do my best brainstorming when I’m relaxing,’ he said, faking a smile.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LADIES’ BEACH WAS comfortingly familiar to Sadie. As they walked from the car down onto the soft sand she took deep breaths and let the salt air fill her lungs, while the sound of gulls and families playing in the sand and surf echoed in her ears. But even as she let the comfort of the seaside wash over her, the feeling that something was missing ached in her middle.
She missed Finn. He loved the beach so much—especially this one. They could play for hours, searching for shells to decorate sandcastles or jumping over the waves as they lapped against the shore. When they’d first moved here they’d spent almost every weekend at the beach the whole summer.
‘It’s a nice beach,’ Dylan commented, his trainers dangling from his fingers as he walked barefoot beside her.
‘Nice?’ Sadie said disbelievingly. She took another look around her at the perfect yellow sand and bright blue water. ‘It’s perfect.’
Dylan chuckled. ‘Okay, yeah. It’s pretty gorgeous. I can see why this, at least, is a big draw for the tourists. Finn must love it here.’
‘He does.’ The heavy weight of a pebble of guilt joined the ache in her middle. When was the last time she’d brought Finn down to the beach? Things had just been so busy... ‘We haven’t made it down here together for a while, though.’
She flinched with surprise as Dylan’s hand came up to rest against the small of her back, rubbing comfort through her tee shirt and steering her around a hole some enterprising young child had clearly spent some hours digging. She needed to pay more attention to where she was going. But Dylan’s hand stayed at her back and the warmth of it, so much more heated than the bright sun overhead, was too much of a distraction in itself.
Friends, she reminded herself. That was what they’d agreed. And beyond one drunken attempt at a kiss she had no evidence at all he wanted anything more. A hand on the back was not seduction—however much it felt like it right now.
‘When we get the Azure back on track, you’ll be able to hire more help,’ Dylan said, apparently oblivious to the effect his touch was having on her. ‘Give you more time with Finn.’
‘That would be perfect.’ Finn deserved so much more than an overworked, stressed mother. She needed to be both parents to him now, and that meant being there all the time. A reduced workload would definitely help with that.
She just hoped it wouldn’t be too reduced. After all, what else was she going to do once Finn was in bed or at school? And once Dylan was gone. All the times when she was alone again. She would need something to distract her then, and work was perfect.
Sadie almost laughed at herself. From one extreme to another—it seemed she’d always find something to worry about. They had to actually save the Azure first anyway, and that by no means felt like a sure thing.
Everything was so much harder without Adem there to help—even if it was just someone else to help build sandcastles or explore seaweed clumps.
Suddenly Dylan stopped walking, right in the middle of an open patch of sand unmarred by castles or holes and a decent distance from any of the other beachgoers.
‘This looks like the perfect spot,’ he said, dropping his bag and towel to the sand.
‘To brainstorm?’ Sadie asked, one eyebrow raised.
He flashed her a smile. ‘To sleep off the remains of my hangover.’
‘I suppose that is the first step to saving my hotel,’ Sadie said, only half sarcastically. After all, it was going to take Dylan on top form to help the Azure.
‘Definitely.’
Without warning, he reached for the hem of his tee shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing more muscles and hair than she’d expected—and definitely more skin than she felt comfortable with as a friend. Sadie’s mouth dried up and she swallowed painfully as she tried not to stare. God, but the man was gorgeous. She’d known that, of course, objectively. But she’d never spent much time with such upfront and undeniable proof, certainly not in the last decade.
Dylan had always been good looking, but now he’d grown into his looks completely. He wasn’t a playboy any more, Sadie decided. He was all man.
She needed to get out of there. ‘I’m going to go and swim.’
‘Okay.’ Dylan looked up from laying out his towel and grabbed for her wrist before she could turn away. His proximity and the feel of his skin on hers sent every sense she had into overdrive. How did anyone ever manage to be just friends with someone who looked like Dylan Jacobs? She needed some sort of handbook.
‘Sadie,’ he said, staring down into her eyes, his gaze so compelling she couldn’t even think of looking away. ‘I will find a way to save the Azure. You know that, right?’
Sadie swallowed again, her throat dry and raspy. ‘I believe you.’
His mouth twisted up into a half-smile. ‘Millions wouldn’t, right?’
‘This is business,’ Sadie said with a shrug. Something she would do well to remember. ‘And you know business. If anyone can save the Azure, it’s you.’
‘Only for you,’ he murmured.
It was too much. ‘Right. Swimming.’ Sadie pulled her hand away from his and tugged down her skirt and pulled off her tee shirt, leaving her in just her sensible purple tankini. Then, with what she hoped was a friendly smile, she headed straight for the water.
She couldn’t afford to be swayed by fizz, or touch, or the way he looked at her. Dylan looked at every woman he met that way, she was sure. He was a walking chemistry experiment for the female half of the human race. She couldn’t read any more into that.
Money and business advice was all he had to offer her, and only for the short term. Once he got bored he’d be on the move again. She really needed to remember that.
* * *
Settling onto his towel, Dylan propped himself up on one elbow in the sand and watched Sadie’s tankini-clad form sashaying towards the sea. He doubted she knew she was doing it, but her hips swayed as she walked all the same, her feet sinking into the sand. All those slender curves she kept so well hidden under dark suits and shapeless jackets were on display now and, friends or not, he wasn’t going to miss a minute of watching them.
Friends. She’d sounded so certain over breakfast that friendship was all she wanted from him. After the night before, and her escape from the lift, he’d almost believed her. Until he’d touched her wrist on the beach and watched the colour flood her cheeks as their ski
n had met. Until he’d watched her watching him and known that whatever she thought she wanted, her body had other ideas.
Bad ideas, admittedly. She was a single mother with more responsibilities than money and a rigid sense of commitment that was in complete opposition to his own. But she wanted him. Maybe even half as much as he had always wanted her.
He couldn’t give her what he knew she needed—what she’d always wanted since they’d met. Sadie was the kind of woman you settled down for, that you built a life with. Another reason why Adem had been perfect for her. Despite his own fears and apprehensions, he’d put aside every reason not to and jumped at the chance to have Sadie with him for life.
Even if that had turned out to be far shorter than any of them had imagined.
No, Dylan wasn’t the man to replace Adem in her life, if anyone even could. He couldn’t commit to forever, and he knew that Sadie deserved nothing less. And even if he wanted to try...what would it do to her, not to mention Finn, when he failed? It wasn’t worth the risk.
But he could offer her something else. After all the sorrow and stress in her life over the last couple of years, he could see shoots of new growth in her—the first hints of spring ready to return to Sadie’s world. She was ready to get out there again, to blossom into a new life.
He could be a friend and business partner in that new life. But right now, in this brief time of transition, maybe he could be something more. Something temporary. A first step, perhaps. Something that would waken that new Sadie completely.
It might be the worst idea he’d ever had—and if he told Neal what he had planned he had no doubt his old friend would be on the first plane out there to stop him. But it had been over a decade now—thirteen years of watching her, wanting her and wondering about her. Who could really blame him for wanting to taste that forbidden fruit, just once, now he knew how much she wanted it too?
Just one night. How bad a sin would that be, really? As long as he was honest and upfront with her, and they both knew what they were getting out of it. They were adults now. If Sadie knew exactly what he was offering, she could make her own decision.
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