Not a word about the dreams. That was because he’d been there and held her, driving them away. Ben had found two pastries in the bread box and he brought them out with the coffee, sitting down next to her on the long settle so they could both look out at a crisp, clear morning.
‘What are you and Jonas up to today?’ Arianna took a sip of her coffee.
‘We’ll probably all go to the beach in the morning. Then we’ll take a siesta and I thought I might check out the little museum in the village.’
‘Go for three o’clock. It’s Andreas’s day off today; he’s been covering at the health centre this weekend. His father runs the museum and when he has a free day Andreas organises trips down to the harbour, and they teach the kids how to fish. Jonas might enjoy that.’
‘That sounds great. I’ll take Lizzie’s three kids as well, so that she and James can have an afternoon to themselves. My dad’s a fisherman and he’d be very impressed if all of his grandchildren come back from holiday knowing how to fish. Do you want to do something this evening?’
Arianna had been hoping that Ben would ask. It would be something to look forward to all day.
‘Shall we meet up for dinner at the taverna? About eight?’
‘Sounds good. Greek time or English time?’ He grinned at her.
‘Doctor’s time. I’ll give you a call if I can’t make it.’
* * *
That evening Arianna declined the invitations from other diners to join them and they sat alone, under the fairy lights that illuminated the canopy over their heads.
‘How was your day?’ Ben asked, after Jonas had finished recounting his fishing adventures with his cousins and his new friend Andreas.
‘Busy. I was at the hotel this afternoon, but you’d already left to go down to the village.’
‘Lizzie said that the manager called her to ask about the children’s MMR vaccinations. Was that anything to do with your visit?’
‘Yes. There’s a case of measles in the hotel, a little girl from England.’ Arianna quirked her lips down. ‘The parents gave me a bit of a hard time, actually.’
‘How so?’
‘Well, they insisted that she couldn’t have picked it up in England and that she must have got it here in Greece. They’re asking the hotel for compensation.’
‘What? How long’s she been here?’
‘Ten days.’ Arianna knew what he was thinking, but the incubation period for measles was between ten and fourteen days. ‘She could have picked it up at home, or on the plane, or here. I doubt very much it’s here because I haven’t had any other cases on the island.’
‘Could have been anywhere. What about the other kids at the hotel?’
‘I asked the manager to make a list of those who haven’t been vaccinated, and I’ll be going back tomorrow to see if they have any symptoms. Meanwhile, they’ve moved the family to one of the separate bungalows in the grounds where they can isolate more comfortably, and deep cleaned their old room.’
Ben nodded. ‘That’s pretty decent of them. Did you point out to the parents that if they’d had their child vaccinated then she might not have gotten measles in the first place? It’s hardly the hotel’s fault.’
‘That’s the thing. I can’t really say anything because everyone knows that my father owns the hotel. I can be as even-handed as I like, but that doesn’t stop anyone from accusing me of trying to get the hotel off the hook. Andreas is coming with me tomorrow, but he’s not exactly impartial either. His wife works as an accountant at the hotel, and he works at the health centre my father built.’
‘What about me? No one can accuse me of being partisan.’ Ben looked around, as if daring any of the taverna’s patrons to do anything of the kind. ‘I’d be happy to go along with you. I may not be able to practise, but as a doctor I do know what I’m seeing and I’m happy to tell anyone who asks.’
It would be the ideal solution. Although there was the small matter of last night... ‘You’re not exactly an impartial witness, though, are you?’
He heaved a sigh. ‘We’re friends, Arianna. We’ve spent time together, and that’s no one’s business but our own. I’m a doctor, and it’s perfectly reasonable that I should take an interest in your practice, and be willing to help out in an unofficial capacity if I can.’
It was. Arianna shifted in her seat, feeling a little guilty all the same. ‘I suppose... If you don’t mind.’
‘Of course not. I’ll ask Lizzie to keep an eye on Jonas...’
‘Dad...’ Jonas lost interest in the food on his plate suddenly, and looked up at his father. ‘Auntie Lizzie just wants to sit on the beach and read her book.’
‘You don’t like the beach?’
‘I like Arianna’s beach. And fishing...’ Jonas shot his father an imploring look, and Arianna saw the side of Ben’s jaw tighten. For a man as tender-hearted as he was, Jonas’s pleading looks had to be difficult to bear. Especially when he was being torn in two directions.
‘I’ve got a better idea.’ She nudged his elbow. ‘Are you happy for me to organise something with Andreas?’ Both Ben and Jonas had spent time out fishing with Andreas this afternoon, and Ben would have had the chance to get to know him and see how good he was with children.
‘Yes, of course.’ Ben didn’t hesitate.
Andreas and Eleni were sitting at a table in the far corner of the taverna, and when Arianna explained what was needed they agreed immediately. They hadn’t started eating yet, and they brought their drinks over to where Ben and Jonas were sitting. Ben fetched a chair for Eleni and Arianna shifted up a bit so that they could sit down.
‘Hey, Jonas.’ Andreas grinned at the boy and Jonas’s eyes lit up immediately when he saw his new friend.
‘Andreas has a few hours off work tomorrow. We thought we might go out fishing,’ Eleni added.
‘Can I come?’
Eleni smiled at Ben. ‘We’d like you to come, but you’ll have to ask your dad whether it’s all right.’
‘Dad, please...’
Arianna supposed that Ben might have pretended to think about it, but he was already trying not to laugh. ‘Of course you can go, Jonas. Thank you both.’
Andreas smirked. ‘Thank you for getting me out of going to the hotel tomorrow with Arianna. I’d far rather be fishing.’
The five of them ate together, and then Andreas and Eleni bade them goodnight, telling Jonas that he was to be ready at three for their fishing expedition. She strolled to her car with Ben, resisting the temptation to slip her hand into the crook of his arm. The time she had left to ask the question that had been nagging at her all evening was dwindling now.
She wanted the sense of security that only Ben could give her. She knew he wouldn’t say no if she asked, but somehow she couldn’t quite find the words. Jonas was dozing in the back of the car by the time they reached the hotel, and this was Arianna’s last chance. She got out of the driver’s seat, catching Ben’s gaze.
His eyes always took her breath away. Bright in the sunlight, and now the deepest shade of blue possible in the darkness. ‘Would you...um...?’
‘Yes. I would.’
‘You don’t know what I’m about to ask yet,’ Arianna reproved him.
‘Whatever it is, it’s a yes.’ His fingers found the side of her jaw, his touch sending shivers down her spine.
‘I could...wait for you. Until you’ve put Jonas to bed and he’s asleep.’ Arianna would wait in the car. Sitting in the suite with Lizzie and James seemed awkward, and she didn’t want to share what she had with Ben right now.
‘Go home. I’ll walk across.’
‘But...’
He leaned in, brushing a kiss against her cheek. ‘Go home. I’ll be there.’
* * *
Arianna had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, and curled up on the wide settle on the ve
randa. Listening to the sound of the sea, the waves measuring time as she waited for him. Then she saw him, at the other end of the veranda.
His shadowy figure, walking towards her, made her catch her breath. Ben sat down at the other end of the settle, stretching his legs out in front of him. It felt as if he was coming home to her.
‘Jonas is asleep?’
He nodded. ‘He’s very excited about going fishing again tomorrow. But he settled down in the end.’
‘And Lizzie? What does she think about you disappearing for a second night?’
She heard his quiet laugh in the darkness. ‘Lizzie and I have an understanding. I didn’t play the concerned older brother when she was first dating, and she doesn’t give me the concerned little sister act now. We have our own lives.’
‘And this is dating?’
He thought for a moment. ‘Not sure. What do you reckon?’
‘I’m not sure either. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.’
Whatever it was, it was fine for Arianna to move towards him, snuggling up against him. He put his arm around her shoulders and they sat in silence, the hurricane lamp on the table flickering feebly, a small pool of light in the darkness.
‘So do you? Date.’ Arianna tried to make the question sound casual.
‘Nope. I have enough on my hands with a job and a child.’ Ben laughed quietly. ‘That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.’
He could have found the time. Arianna knew other single parents who managed to hold down a job and a relationship. But Ben just didn’t want to. He was manacled, by his own feelings of guilt and the feeling that he could never again be the person he’d wanted to be.
‘Do you? Date,’ he asked.
‘I have enough on my hands, building up a practice. That’s my excuse.’
‘And what’s the real story? I’ve told you mine.’
‘I was engaged once. It didn’t work out.’ Even that had lost its sting. Somehow, when Ben was around everything else really didn’t matter so much. ‘I met him at one of my father’s parties in London.’
‘One of the suitors he had lined up for you?’
‘Yes.’ Arianna could laugh about it now. ‘It was a bit like speed dating. Fifteen minutes apiece, and then I got whisked off to the next one.’
Ben chuckled. ‘Did they have to form an orderly queue?’
‘No, nothing like that. My father’s secretary used to be there though; she’s always at his parties to oversee things and she’s ferociously efficient. I dare say she had a carefully disguised plan, that didn’t look like a plan at all.’
‘They’re the worst. If you’re going to have a plan, the least you can do is let everyone else in on it. So how did it feel to have all those guys lined up for your appraisal?’
It had always felt to Arianna that it was the other way round, that she was the one on show. Ben put a different perspective on a lot of things.
‘When I met Lawrence the first thing he suggested was that we sneak away somewhere, so that we didn’t have to be polite and talk to everyone in the room. I liked that about him immediately. He pinched a bottle of champagne and a couple of glasses and we climbed the railings in the square opposite my father’s house. I tore my dress.’
‘That sounds very romantic.’ It was difficult to know whether Ben was teasing her or not. It was just his way—laid-back and without attaching any judgements.
‘It seemed so at the time. Lawrence didn’t much care about rules; he’d just do whatever seemed right at the time.’
‘I can’t disagree with that approach to life.’
Arianna dug her fingers into his ribs. ‘You’re quite different. Lawrence always took the easy way out.’
‘Trust me. When Jonas makes his mind up about something, the easy way out seems like a very good option.’ Ben chuckled.
‘That’s different. I’ve always had nightmares from time to time, and Lawrence just used to tell me to get a grip. He didn’t see why I’d want to work as a doctor when I didn’t have to. My father didn’t much like him, but that was the one thing they did see eye to eye about.’
‘Because, of course, it’s up to them what you do with your life.’ There was a judgement there. In the shadows, she could see that Ben’s lip had a definite curl to it.
‘It became very clear that Lawrence’s expectation of marriage was very different to mine. He wanted to live the life that I’d spent all my time trying to get away from. It was one of those tough break-ups where you argue every day for months and finally it’s a relief to get away from each other because you’re just so exhausted.’
‘I’m sorry. It sounds as if he didn’t give you what you needed.’
‘Lawrence’s opinion was that no one could give me what I needed. Too high-maintenance.’ Arianna was inclined to agree on that score. She’d never been able to let go of the repercussions that her brother’s death had had on her family, even though she’d tried to hide it. Lawrence’s observation had hurt, because she knew that it was true.
Ben shook his head. ‘That wasn’t for him to say. We all need what we need. That’s not high-maintenance; it’s just a fact of life. High-maintenance is asking for a load of things we don’t really need.’
‘Maybe...’
He snorted with disgust. ‘Come on, Arianna. We’re both doctors. Someone comes to see us saying that their leg hurts and we don’t tell them to get a grip. We address the problem.’
‘Is that what you’re doing? Addressing the problem?’ Fear lent a sharpness to her tone. She wanted to be more than just a problem that needed addressing to Ben.
He leaned forward slowly, catching her hand in his and raising it to his lips, his eyes dark and tender. A sudden stab of longing penetrated her heart.
‘I care about you as a friend. If you want a doctor, you should go and make an appointment with someone else.’
‘I don’t want anyone else, Ben. I want you, as my friend.’ She clung onto his hand desperately. ‘I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m sorry...’
‘You have nothing to be sorry for, Arianna. We don’t need to define our relationship. I wouldn’t know how to.’
Maybe that was his way of avoiding the sexual tension that always seemed to hover around them. Maybe it was hers too. Arianna stifled a yawn. All she really cared about at the moment was that Ben was here, with her.
‘It’s going to be a hot night. Do you want to sleep outside?’
* * *
Arianna’s version of doing anything was always far more delightful than Ben could have expected. To him, sleeping outside was a bundle of hastily assembled bedding and a tent. But she shooed him off the long settle, pulling at a mechanism underneath it to unfold it into a full-sized bed.
She brought bedding out from the house, spreading pillows and light quilts. And then the finishing touch. A thin muslin drape was suspended from a hook in the canopy above them and arranged around the edge of the bed. It took five minutes to turn the outdoor dining area into a sleeping area with a touch of magic.
She pulled back the drape a little, sitting down on the bed and beckoning to him. ‘What do you think?’
‘It’s wonderful.’ They were surrounded by the sounds and smells of the outdoors, caressed by a fresh breeze from the sea to keep them cool. But here, in their own bubble, all that Ben could see was Arianna.
She was still suddenly, staring into his eyes. In the dark depths of hers, he saw an exploding warmth of desire.
So close. So very close to tipping over into sweet passion. If they did, they could never go back, but Ben couldn’t resist. He dropped a kiss onto his own fingers, brushing it against her mouth.
Arianna smiled, raising her hand to her lips and transferring her own kiss to his mouth in return. The feeling was breathtaking, so much from such a small gesture.
‘You are so beautif
ul.’ He took her hand, feeling her fingers curl around his. ‘But if we do this... I can’t stay with you, Arianna.’
She nodded. ‘I know. And I want you to stay.’
Could she trust him to stay? He’d made it very clear that he wanted her, and maybe she didn’t believe that he could sleep beside her without acting on that. Arianna stood, letting go of his hand.
‘I won’t be a minute.’ She shot him a smile. ‘I need to go and get into my pyjamas.’
‘Pyjamas? Really?’ The idea was oddly entrancing. But then Arianna would be just as entrancing if she chose to wear a suit of armour to bed.
‘Don’t worry. I’m not worried about having to fend you off in the night. I’m just giving you a minute to get undressed and get into bed, without having to fend me off.’
She trusted him. And even though Ben wasn’t quite sure that he had the same confidence in himself, he knew that Arianna’s trust would stop him from making a move. He watched her go, smiling at the thought.
He took off his clothes, slipping under the covers. Arianna returned in an oversized pair of striped pyjamas, which somehow failed to obscure her lithe frame and the way she moved. And then they were together. Separated by layers of bedclothes, but together in ways that really mattered.
‘I’m not sure that anyone could have a nightmare here.’ He put his arm around her and she snuggled against him.
‘I don’t think so either.’ She smiled up at him. ‘Maybe that’s the trick of it. If you dare the nightmares to come, then they don’t. It’s falling asleep dreading them that lets them in.’
‘I don’t know. Do you dare them?’ Ben wondered if she would. It seemed to him to be a step forward from fearing them.
‘Yes. I dare them. They can’t get me here.’
He hoped not, with all his heart. Ben held her, listening to the sound of the sea, until she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Greek Island Fling to Forever Page 10