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Enjoying being close, he lay on his back beside her and reached for her hand, curling their fingers together. 'What do you do to relax at home?'

'I read. And I love walking, swimming and cycling. My friends and I go ten-pin bowling or to the cinema. Sometimes we stay in with pizza and wine and just chat.'

'But no dating?' he murmured, turning on his side and propping himself on one elbow so he could study her.

'No dating.'

Her eyes were closed, long lashes fanning her cheeks, and the dappled sunlight filtered through the trees, kissing her face. 'What happened? With the man you were seeing four years ago?' he added, as her lashes lifted and he found himself looking into solemn dark eyes.

'Malcolm was in hospital management. He was charming, persistent.. .1 was flattered. We'd been together nearly a year, and I thought things might go somewhere between us,' she admitted, and he felt a strange tightening inside him.

'You were in love with him?'

Gina looked thoughtful, but shook her head. 'I cared about him, and before all this happened I thought I could come to love him. But afterwards I was more hurt and angry at what he did than heartbroken that we had broken up. I could never have stayed with or loved someone like that— not when he showed his true colours. In the end, he wasn't the person I thought he was.'

'I see.'

Seb hesitated, feeling guilty because he hadn't told Gina the full truth about himself. What would she think of him when she discovered that? As he wrestled with his conscience—liking her, wanting her to like him, needing to be with her, but scared that if he told her it would drive her away—she continued with her story.

'My grandparents were becoming increasingly frail, and their Glasgow house was unsuitable, so I persuaded them to move in with me. Malcolm didn't like it. He turned surly, rude and demanding—to them as well as to me.' She shifted restlessly and he brushed his thumb across her wrist as her fingers tightened on his. 'Then he issued an ultimatum. He'd gone behind my back and made enquiries about residential homes. He called my grandparents horrible names, referred to Nonna as "the old crone", and said I either put them in the place he had found or he walked.'

'Bastardo,'
Seb swore, hating the man for hurting Gina and disrespecting her grandparents, for his selfishness and lack of understanding.

A ghost of a smile curved her mouth. 'I said something similar. There was no choice at all—not for me. My grandparents meant everything to me, and no way was Malcolm, or anyone else, coming between us.'

'He had no idea of the importance of family.' Leaning down, his lips whispered softly over hers. 'I'm sorry, Gina.'

'It was a long time ago—we weren't meant to be. Things were unpleasant at the hospital for a while. Malcolm made remarks about me. But support was on my side and thankfully he got a job elsewhere soon afterwards and moved away.'

No wonder she had been wary of getting involved again, and had put that part of her life on hold, unsure who she could trust, concerned that whoever she dated wouldn't understand her loyalties and responsibilities. As far as he was concerned they only made her more attractive, more special.

Gina sat up beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees, affording him a tantalising glimpse of the small dolphin tattoo at the base of .her spine. Unable to help himself, he reached out and traced the shape of the leaping form with his fingertips, feeling her response to his touch in the ripple of her skin.

'This is pretty,' he murmured.

'Thank you.' A mischievous smile curved her mouth as she looked down at him, and he didn't know what he wanted most—to taste her kiss or set his lips to her tattoo. 'I had it done when I was eighteen.'

'Why a dolphin?'

A reminiscent look crossed her face and her smile faded. 'I think I heard nearly as many stories about my grandfather's time at sea as I did about Elba when I was growing up. He often saw dolphins—they were his good luck symbol—joy and spirit and freedom. He took me to see them off the Scottish coast once. It was amazing. I'm a Pisces...I love the water. I love dolphins and I love my grandfather. Instead of the fish of my star sign, I chose this.'

'I like it.' It was symbolic of her—her loyalties, her loves. His fingers lingered a moment more, then he moved, sitting up before he gave in to temptation and drew her down to the grass again, to spend the next few hours kissing her all over. 'We have the afternoon ahead of us. If you could do anything you wanted, go anywhere on the island, what would you choose?'

'I want to see
everything,'
she confessed with a laugh. 'I've been in love with the idea of Elba all my life, and have read everything I can find about it—from the many invasions over the centuries to Napoleon Bonaparte's exile here in 1814.'

His insides knotted when she smiled at him, her dark eyes sparkling with interest and delight.

'I want to see Napoleon's country villa at San Martino, the island's mineralogical museums and old mines, the Medieval and Renaissance fortresses, the Roman villas, the hidden churches and shrines, and to explore the unspoilt landscape.'

'I don't think we'll squeeze all those in before returning to see Maria this evening,' he teased, enchanted by Gina, her freshness and natural beauty.

'Spoilsport,' she accused with a mock pout, which focused his attention back on her delicious mouth.

He clenched his hands to fists to stop himself reaching for her and forgetting all about sightseeing. 'Pick one,' he requested, hearing the roughness of desire in his voice.

'Marciana Alta.'

The oldest settlement on Elba, with origins dating back to 35BC, the medieval village was perched on the mountainside. Seb was unsurprised by her choice. Rising to his feet, he took her hand and drew her up, unable to resist one more kiss, lingering as she moaned, her response eager and immediate. He had meant everything he had said to her earlier. Anything further that happened between them would be Gina's choice. But he couldn't help grasping these stolen moments when they came his way. Before things got out of hand, he set her away from him. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips rosy and plump. Smothering a groan, he dredged up every atom of control he could muster and led the way back to the car.

Before long, they had reached the picturesque village. Gina's enthusiasm was infectious, and sharing this with her was like seeing it all again through fresh eyes. They visited the archaeological museum, with its Paleolithic, Etruscan and Roman finds, walked the narrow alleyways and cobbled lanes of red-tiled houses, their doorways festooned with colourful flowers, and saw the crumbling remains of the Pisan fortress.

'Are you scared of heights?' he asked a while later.

'No. Why?'

'Would you like to take the cableway to the summit of Monte Capanne? It's the highest mountain on the island at over one thousand metres. On a clear day you can see as far as Corsica from the top.'

She looked almost childlike in her delight, her eyes wide, her smile broad. 'I'd love that. Can we go?'

'Of course,' he agreed, happy to indulge her.

He had never spent time with a woman like this, and he was amazed at how much he was loving it. His desire for Gina was ever-present, but the longer he was with her the more relaxed he felt, the more he liked her, and the more he came to realise how false the life he had been living—and the people in it—had become. He could also now admit how much he hated it.. .and himself for ever getting caught up in it in the first place. The reconstructive surgery he'd used to do full-time might not have paid so well, but it had been more emotionally and professionally rewarding.

Seb had decisions to make about his future. The loss of money didn't bother him, nor did he care about the ending of a fame he had never wanted, nor the loss of the hangers-on, the so-called glamour, the women who had used him for their own ends. What he
did
care about was the loss of his ability to perform surgery. The enlightenment that he had taken a wrong turning had come too late—he had been too caught up in the moment to recognise it. Having to take a step back due to his injuries, combined with meeting Gina, was opening his eyes, making him reassess his life and his priorities.

'Are you all right?'

Gina's soft query drew him from his dark thoughts. He saw the confused frown on her face and the concern in her eyes. What would she think of him if she knew? He couldn't tell her. Not yet. He didn't want to spoil this special time with her.

'I'm fine,' he reassured her with a smile, pushing his self-doubt to the back of his mind. 'Let's take that ride up the mountain.'

The base of the cableway was only a short distance from the village, and they were soon climbing into one of the yellow open-framed metal cradles which held only a couple of people. Gina stepped in first and Seb followed.

'This is cosy!' She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him.

'Mmm.' Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, relishing the feel of her snuggling back against him. 'Perfect for two.'

They journeyed upwards, suspended precariously over crags and crevices, chestnut and holm oak woods, ancient vineyards and a wide array of native fauna and flora. Encouraged by Gina's interest, he pointed out places they could spot across the island.

'The view is amazing,' she exclaimed, her gaze focused on the rugged coast and across the sea far below to other islands in the chain.

'It is,' he agreed softly, captivated by the graceful curve of her neck, her profile, the expression of wonderment on her face.

Dipping his head, he nudged the satin fall of her hair aside and nuzzled against her neck, hearing her soft moan as his lips worked their way to the sensitive hollow beneath her ear, his tongue-tip tasting her skin. She smelled of vanilla, sunshine and Gina. He didn't think he'd ever get enough of her. As she leaned back into him, he flattened his palms on the rounded curve of her belly, nibbling her ear as he inched up towards the tempting jut of her breasts.

Glancing down, he could see her nipples had beaded to tight peaks. Her breathing turned ragged and she gasped when he finally skimmed the rest of the way up her body and cupped her fullness, shaping gently, grazing across her taut nipples. Her hands tightened their grip on the cradle railing. Arching to his touch, she dropped her head back, and his mouth took advantage of more exposed skin, gently biting at her, salving with strokes of his tongue. He wanted more. Wanted to see her, taste her.

Then a noise from above reminded him where they were and he groaned, sliding his hands back down to her waist, holding her steady as they both fought for control in the few moments before they reached the mountain top and exited the cradle. For a while they lingered to enjoy the view, arms around each other, then rode the cableway back down to the village.

'It's time to head back to the hospital,' he told her as they returned to the car. 'Will you come to the villa for a meal afterwards?'

'Thank you. But I'll have to go back to Signora Mancini's tonight.'

Her words dampened his hopes. 'Are you sure? You're welcome to stay.'

'I know.'

'I don't like to think of you being there alone,' he commented, knowing that was partly true, but equally that he just didn't want to let her go.

She met his gaze, a small smile playing at her mouth. 'I'll be fine. There are things I need to do before tomorrow.'

'OK.'

He tried to be satisfied with that, to tamp down his disappointment. He had promised not to rush her, and he wouldn't, but that didn't mean he wouldn't miss her. All he could hope was that Gina would come to want him as much as he wanted her.

Gina wriggled onto a high stool at the counter in the villa's impressive kitchen, watching Seb move around with casual ease, gathering things together to make them a quick meal before taking her back to Signora Mancini's. Having promised the woman by phone that she would return with news and stay a final night, Gina felt obligated to keep her word. She also needed to do the packing for herself and her grandmother. But she had sensed that Seb's unspoken reluctance matched her own. She didn't want to leave him, but the timing and the circumstances weren't right. Not until her grandmother was safely out of hospital and settled in the guest suite Seb had shown her on a quick tour of the large, single-storey villa.

'Maria was looking better,
tesoro,
no?'

'Much better. It's a big relief to know there is apparently nothing more serious going on than a mild flu-like virus and some pleural inflammation,' she continued, feeling a big weight of worry had been lifted off her shoulders.

Her grandmother had been in much better spirits, her breathing easier, and with more colour in her cheeks after a restful day. The X-ray had revealed a small amount of fluid on the lungs, but tests had shown the cause was not bacterial so no antibiotics would be needed. Instead she had been prescribed diuretic tablets to help clear the lungs and prevent any increase in the oedema which was starting to show in puffy ankles, the skin pitting when pressed and slow to return to normal. She had also been given some antiinflammatories to ease the pleural discomfort that had caused the chest pain and made breathing painful lying down in the night.

'We'll get things Checked out with our own GP when we get home.'

Nodding, Seb stroked one hand over her hair as he passed her. 'A good idea to follow things up,' he agreed. A small frown creased her brow as she recalled how unfazed he had been at the hospital on their second visit at the end of the day, how interested in and understanding of what was happening to her grandmother.

Gina bit her lip as she thought over the various possibilities that could lie behind her grandmother's symptoms. 'Dottore Vasari suggested it might be poor circulation that's causing the water retention and leading to fluid on the lungs.'

'A few days rest here, where we shall watch over her and pamper her, and Maria should be much improved,' Seb promised with a smile.

And then they would be able to return home. Gina didn't want to think of that part, much as she wanted her grandmother well again. Smothering a sigh, she folded her arms
and leaned on the counter, watching Seb work, already enjoying the aromas that were starting to emerge from the dish he was preparing for them. He seemed so proficient, and it made her realise how little she really knew about him—how seldom she could encourage him to talk about himself.