it must have been work.’
‘Please, Mark.’ Her voice was barely a whisper and her eyes were closed. ‘I really can’t face thinking about it.’
He swore softly and she felt his hands tighten protectively on her shoulders.
‘You know I’m always ready to slay your dragon,’ he said gruffly. ‘You only have to say the word.’
The memories came crashing down on her like the waves on the rocks below and she took a deep breath.
‘Can we change the subject?’
‘OK,’ he said finally, his voice soft, ‘on the condition that you put that weight back on and lose the shadows round your eyes. And on the condition that you remember that I’m here for you whenever you need a friend. We’ve never had any secrets from each other. Don’t forget that, Holly.’
How could she forget? He was her oldest and dearest friend. She turned to face him and for a wild moment she was tempted to confide in him. But she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Not even to Mark. The truth was, she didn’t want to think about it at all...
She lifted her chin and tried to lighten the mood. ‘You’re worried about the shadows under my eyes? You’re saying I’m not glamorous enough to be your fiancée?’
He lifted a hand to stroke her hair away from her face, staring down at her with an odd expression on his face.
She tipped her head to one side. ‘Mark?’
He stirred himself. ‘You look great. I’m just worried about you that’s all.’ He turned away from her and walked back towards the French windows. ‘OK, back to practicalities. We’re going to the yacht club for supper with Ian, but we’re not meeting him until eight-thirty so how about having a snack?’
She nodded and followed him inside, through the spacious lounge and into the kitchen.
‘Mark Logan, you’re a slob!’ She surveyed the dirty dishes strewn around the work surfaces with mock disapproval. ‘You have a perfectly good sink with a view to die for and you can’t be bothered to wash up.’
‘I told you I needed a fiancée,’ he teased, his smile dying as he saw the look on her face. ‘Just joking—truly!’
‘Don’t do your chauvinist act with me,’ she scolded, tugging open doors in the kitchen. ‘I can’t believe this state-of-the-art kitchen doesn’t have a dishwasher.’
‘Last cupboard on the right,’ Mark said meekly, watching as she pulled it open and started clearing the worktops and loading the dishwasher. ‘Can I get you a drink? Wine? Gin and tonic?’
‘Actually, just a cup of tea would be great, thanks.’ Holly straightened and glanced round the surfaces which were now clear of dirty crockery. ‘No wonder you need a fake fiancée. No one in their right mind would take on the role in real life.’
‘I’m sorry. What with work and the boat, I’ve been busy.’ He looked sheepish as he made the tea and handed her a mug. ‘Sandwich? Biscuit?’
‘Nothing, thanks.’ Holly sipped her tea and wandered back into the living room. ‘This place is amazing. It’s like being part of the ocean.’
‘Glad you approve. When you’ve finished your tea, I’ll show you the upstairs.’
Once she drained her mug, they made their way up an unusual spiral staircase and Mark pushed open a door. ‘This is the spare room. Your room, I suppose.’
It was a bright, cheerful room, decorated in blue and white, with a very nautical theme. Holly fingered a piece of driftwood thoughtfully. ‘This is nice. Where did you find it?’
‘On the beach. I go for a run most mornings before the rest of the world is awake. It’s surprising what you find.’ He turned and walked back onto the landing. ‘Come and see my room.’
Holly gasped as she entered the master bedroom. Again the architect had made the maximum use of windows and the room was drenched in the soft early evening sunlight.
‘Oh, Mark!’ She paced across the bleached wooden floor covered in a soft rug and gazed around the room. ‘It seems a waste to use this room for sleeping.’
‘My sentiments exactly.’ Mark gave her a grin that was pure predatory male and she rolled her eyes.
‘You’re terrible, Mark Logan!’ She laughed and then frowned at him with mock disapproval. ‘Are you still leading innocent females astray?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Mark said firmly, his eyes still gleaming wickedly. ‘I can honestly say that I’ve never had anything to do with an innocent female in my life, and I’ve certainly never led one astray.’
‘So bring me up to date on your love life.’ Holly looked at him expectantly and he gave a short laugh.
‘To be honest, there hasn’t really been anyone since I moved down here. I’ve given up on women. I’ve decided that my perfect woman doesn’t exist.’
Holly touched his arm gently and gave him a soft smile. ‘She exists, Mark. Just hang in there. Maybe you’re looking in the wrong places.’
‘Probably. Still, it’s history now.’ He gave a careless shrug. ‘As I said, I’m totally off women.’
‘You? Off women? I’ll believe that when I see it.’ Holly gave him a wry smile and moved towards the window, giving a gasp of delight as she looked outside. ‘You’ve got a balcony! Can I go out?’
‘Of course. Key’s in the drawer.’ Mark retrieved it and unlocked the door for her, watching as she stepped out onto the balcony and breathed in the sea air with a sigh of appreciation.
‘I love it. Truly, I love it.’ She stared across the estuary for a long time and then stirred herself. ‘Right, then. I suppose I’d better move myself into my room.’
Mark frowned and hesitated. ‘I was thinking about that...’
‘What?’ She closed the door firmly and locked it, returning the key to the chest of drawers.
‘How would you feel about keeping most of your stuff in my room?’ he asked finally, giving her a wary smile. ‘It’s just that if anyone visits, they could easily stumble into your room and if they see that all your stuff is there...’
‘Then we’ve blown our cover,’ Holly finished for him. It sounded logical. So why was she blushing? To hide her discomfort she changed the subject. ‘That’s fine. Perhaps you’d better tell me about Caroline now.’
Mark sighed and closed his eyes. ‘I suppose I’d better. Let’s grab some drinks and nibbles and go and sit on the deck.’
‘Good idea.’ Holly followed him down the stairs to the kitchen and they piled snacks and a bottle of wine onto a tray and took it out onto the deck.
‘OK, tell me the gory details.’ Holly settled herself comfortably on one of the chairs and waited expectantly as he yanked the cork out of the bottle of wine and took a deep breath.
‘Well,
