“Look, I’m no expert, but for all its positives, I think the club is missing a soul. A heart. You’re not able to compete with the big beach clubs or the resort restaurants, so level the playing field. Find a bit of sparkle.”
A burn crept up my chest. “My bar doesn’t needsparkle. It’s honest and traditional.”
“And half empty.”
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer to the ribs.
A line appeared between her brows. “I don’t mean to kick you when you’re down. The club has the potential to be amazing. You’re right. The beach is beautiful. You could create something really incredible.”
As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I didn’t know about sparkle, but the bar definitely needed aspark.We had all the elements for success, but they needed threading together.
“We should head back,”Chloe said, moving towards the road. Her body swayed like kelp in a current as she walked, and my throat tightened.
We reached my bike in silence, but when I handed her my spare helmet, she met my gaze.
“Please remember how much Sophie loves you. Regardless of all the other things surrounding her, you’ll always be her favourite guy.”
Her eyes glowed, and I clamped my jaw tight. The space between us suddenly felt too wide. The thought of her warm skin against mine—her words dissolving all my mistakes—consumed me and I pulled in a breath.
I wanted her.
But the spectre of Valerie lived rent-free on my shoulder, watching my every move. As long as she was in residence, I couldn’t even entertain the idea. I wouldn’t. Maintaining my time with Sophie was too important.
Instead, I nodded and gave Chloe a close-lipped smile. “Thank you,” I said, fastening the strap of my helmet.
She twisted her hair back into a braid, her nose wrinkling. Then she nodded, too. Like we’d come to an unspoken understanding.
I watched, teeth tugging on my bottom lip. For a moment, it felt like there was no one in the world but her; nothing else thatmattered. But no matter how full my heart was right now, wanting something didn’t make it mine.
17
MAXIME
Later, Sophie and I sat at the club, picking over a second bowl of fries together. Her grin made something bubble in my chest. If Valerie had a problem with occasional junk food, she could just deal with it.
I’d found two missed calls on my phone from earlier. It was just like her to be checking up on me, asking what Sophie was up to. I’d call her tomorrow. It felt good not to always be on hand for her.
“What are you thinking about?” asked Sophie, dipping one very long fry into a pot of mayonnaise.
“Sorry?”
“You’re smiling more than usual tonight. Not that it’s bad or anything, but…” She drew out the last word.
I cocked my eyebrow. “Are you keeping track? Would you rather I sit here grumbling about the weather or the fact that the chef overcooked my fish?”
She giggled, poised to pop the fry into her mouth. “No. It’s just nice to see you enjoying yourself.”
I reached out to stroke the back of her hand. The truth? Iwasenjoying myself. For the first time since Sophie arrived, she was really talking.
Maybe Chloe had been right. Sophiedidlike me. Loved me. She’d told me stories about her life: the annoying girl she shared a room with at boarding school, the terrible food they served, and the science teacher she adored. I felt like a normal parent. As if we were sitting around a kitchen table, dissecting our day.
The tiniest pull in my gut made me rethink. If we were truly dissecting our day, I wouldn’t tell her the full truth. How could I admit I’d spent the afternoon with Chloe, tearing along the cliffs on my motorbike, obsessing about her body pressed against mine?
“It’s a shame Chloe didn’t come for dinner,” she said, as if reading my mind.
I took a sip of my wine. “She had to call her friends. You know they’re coming to visit next week?”
It was a partial truth. Chloe mentioned needing to speak to Luc’s wife, and theywerevisiting. They were coming to celebrate his birthday. I had to wonder, though, was he coming to check on his investment?
