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A Proposal Worth Millions
Sophie Pembroke
“I have a proposal for you…”Sadie Sullivan is determined to make her dreams of running a luxurious hotel in Turkey a reality. Then her secret crush, Dylan Jacobs, arrives with an irresistible business proposal, and the chemistry she’s long tried to ignore suddenly feels very real…Dylan’s impulsive lifestyle sets alarm bells ringing for single mom Sadie, but soon she realises it’s up to her to show this playboy he’s capable of commitment. Especially when she admits to herself that all her hopes for the future include Dylan—and in a very different role than business partner!
Sadie looked down at her hands, damp hair hanging forward across her cheek.
“I’m not the same girl you asked that question of all those years ago,” she said, her voice soft.
“You think I don’t know that?” he asked. “Look at me, Sadie.” She did as he asked, and Dylan took a long moment just absorbing everything she was now. Slowly, obviously, he looked over every inch of her, from her hair—shorter now than when they’d met by a good foot—down over her body, past every added curve or line, every soft patch and every muscle, all the way to her feet.
Did she really not know? Not realize how much she’d grown up since then—and how every year had only made her a better person? Who would want the twenty-year-old Sadie compared to the one who sat before him now?
“You are so much more now than you were then,” he murmured, knowing she’d hear him anyway. “You’re stronger, more beautiful, more alive … more than I ever dreamed any woman could be.”
SOPHIE PEMBROKE has been reading and writing romance ever since she read her first Mills & BoonВ® romance at university, so getting to write them for a living is a dream come true!
Sophie lives in a little Hertfordshire market town in the UK with her scientist husband and her incredibly imaginative six-year-old daughter. She writes stories about friends, family and falling in love, usually while drinking too much tea and eating homemade cakes. She also keeps a blog at www.sophiepembroke.com (http://www.sophiepembroke.com).
A Proposal Worth Millions
Sophie Pembroke
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Pete and Kate, for a truly wonderful, memorable holiday.
Contents
Cover (#u483b93ea-f4d0-569c-aa36-752a1adae97b)
Excerpt (#u895e3826-7e3f-5b13-bbd3-07b188c9977a)
About the Author (#uc87c8eee-7cc3-5d7c-bc75-b5e944d602f9)
Title Page (#u993ce3a6-993c-5e60-aa4e-6df000bcc341)
Dedication (#u344b31ed-4c33-54cb-ad32-024795bd2dae)
CHAPTER ONE (#uc198ad7c-3ba4-57f1-a8ef-993bd0173af6)
CHAPTER TWO (#ubd0f08f7-7b33-57e7-97f5-3b6224357579)
CHAPTER THREE (#ue7e82ed0-fd32-5959-b284-e3fbc694c2f6)
CHAPTER FOUR (#ub8e04556-2d80-5300-9995-1c2243a0810c)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_37a0f923-8bbd-5076-98ca-bbc31f12bbe9)
SADIE SULLIVAN BLINKED into the sunshine and waved goodbye to the rental car pulling away from the Azure Hotel. If she squinted, she could just make out Finn’s tiny face pressed up against the rear window, and his little hand waving back. Her father, in the driver’s seat, was obviously concentrating on the road, but Sadie spotted the glint of her mother’s ash-blonde hair beside Finn, and knew she’d be holding him in place, making sure his seat belt was secure.
He was in good hands. She had to remember that. Even if her heart ached at the thought of being separated from her little boy.
The car turned the last corner at the end of the drive and disappeared out of sight, behind the row of juniper trees, onto the road that led up the coast then back inland towards the main roads and Izmir airport. Sadie sucked in a deep breath and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, quickly, in case anyone was watching. The last thing she needed right now was talk about the boss breaking down in tears. Professionalism, that was the key.
�It’s one week, Sullivan,’ she muttered to herself. �Get over yourself. In seven days you’ll be in England with him, getting ready to bring him back. Enjoy the peace until then.’
Except next time it might be for longer. A whole term, even. And what if he didn’t want to come home to her in the holidays? No, she wasn’t thinking about that. Whatever her father said about British schools, about having family around, Finn’s place was with her. The local schools were great, and Finn’s Turkish was really coming along. He’d be fine.
She swallowed, and stepped back into the coolness of the Azure lobby. Even in late September Kuşadasi still enjoyed the warmth of the Turkish climate. In a few weeks, she knew, the locals would start pulling on sweaters and mumbling about the chill in the air—while she, and the few remaining tourists in town at the end of the season, would still be down at the beach, enjoying the sun.
This time next year Finn would have started school. The only question left to answer definitively was, where?
�Did Finn and your parents leave for the airport okay?’ Esma asked, looking up from the reception desk, her long red nails still resting on her keyboard.
Sadie nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet.
�He’s so excited about having a holiday with his grandparents,’ Sadie’s second in command carried on, regardless. �And the timing is just perfect, too.’
Sadie kept nodding. Then she blinked. �It is?’
Esma tilted her head to study her, and Sadie tried to pull herself into her best boss posture and expression. She had the suit, the hair, the make-up—all the things she usually hid behind when she didn’t quite know what to do. That armour had got her through her husband’s death, through taking on his ridiculously ambitious business project that she didn’t have the first clue about. Why on earth would it fail her now, at the prospect of a mere week without her son?
It obviously worked, because Esma shrugged and pushed the work diary across the reception desk towards her.
�I just meant with that potential investor arriving this week. Without Finn to worry about, you will have more time to spend winning him over, yes?’
�Yes, of course,’ Sadie responded automatically, her eyes fixed on the red letters spelling �Investor Visit’ written across the next five days. How could she have forgotten?
Her priority for the week. The only thing she had time to worry about, at all, was this investor and all his lovely money.
She hadn’t wanted to resort to outside help, but things were getting beyond desperate, even if only she and Neal knew the true extent of the Azure’s problems. When their hunt for local investors had failed, Neal had suggested seeking investment from abroad—with similar results. But he’d had a last-chance possibility at the ready when she’d asked where on earth they went next. A business acquaintance, he’d said, who had interests in the hotel industry, and might just be interested enough to send an employee over to check out the Azure.
Sadie had been doubtful, but she was also running out of options. She trusted Neal—he was more than her accountant, he had been one of her late husband Adem’s best friends. And she had no doubt that Neal would have asked his acquaintance to go easy on her. Everyone always did.
She’s a widow. They always shook their head sadly as they said the word �widow’. Lost her husband in a car crash, tragically young.
These days, that was often the only thing people knew about her at all. Well, that and the fact that she was saddled with a white elephant of a hotel renovation that might never be finished at the rate things were going.
Sadie was almost sure there used to be more to know about her once.
Behind the reception desk Esma’s eyes were wide and worried, so Sadie reinforced her �in control of everything’ smile. She had to shake off the negativity. She loved the Azure, just like Adem had, and just like Finn did. It was her home, and she would make it a success—one way or another.
She’d made promises. Commitments. And she had every intention of fulfilling them.
She just might have to accept a little help along the way.
�Did Neal call with the name of the guy the company is sending over yet?’ Sadie asked. �And we have a car collecting him from the airport, correct?’
�Yes, at four o’clock,’ Esma confirmed. �I sent Alim.’
�Good.’ Alim was reliable, and his English was great—far better than her Turkish, even after four years of living in the country and working hard to learn. Finn was a much quicker study than her, it turned out.
And just like that, she’d forgotten all her business worries again and was back to fretting about her son. Part of being a mother, she supposed.
She checked her watch. It was already gone five.
�Has Alim texted to say they’re on their way?’ Sadie asked.
�Almost an hour ago. They should be here any moment.’ Esma bit her lip. �It will all be fine, Sadie,’ she added after a moment. But it sounded more like a question than reassurance.
Sadie smiled broadly. �Of course it will! I’m certain of it,’ she lied. Then something occurred to her. Esma had only answered half her question. �And the name?’ she pressed. �Neal gave it to you, yes?’ How embarrassing would it be to greet this guy with no idea what to call him?
Behind the desk, Esma squirmed, shuffling an irrelevant stack of papers between her hands, her gaze fixed firmly on her nails. Something heavy settled in Sadie’s stomach at the sight. Something heavier even than her guilt about Finn being away all week. Something more like the magnitude of the fears and nightmares that kept her awake at night, wondering how on earth she would achieve everything she’d promised her husband and son.
�Esma? What’s his name?’
Her face pale, Esma finally looked up to meet Sadie’s gaze. �Neal said it might be better if you...’ She trailed off.
�If I what?’ Sadie asked. �Didn’t know the name of the person who might hold the future of this place in his hands? Why on earth would he—? Unless...’
Behind her, she heard the swoosh of the automatic doors and the clunk of a heavy suitcase on the marble floors. Her heart beat in double time, and that heavy feeling spread up through her chest, constricting her breathing and threatening her poor, laboured heart.
Sadie turned, and suddenly it was thirteen years ago. She could almost sense Adem beside her—younger, more nervous, but alive—hopping from foot to foot as he introduced his new girlfriend to his two best friends. Neal Stephens and Dylan Jacobs.
Except Adem was dead, Neal was in England—where she couldn’t yell at him yet—and only Dylan stood in the lobby of her hotel. Dylan, who was supposed to be thousands of miles away in Australia, where he belonged. Instead, he was at the Azure, as self-assured and cocky as ever. And every inch as handsome.
No wonder Neal hadn’t told her. She’d have been on the first flight out with Finn, and he knew it. He might not know everything, but Neal had to at least have noticed that she’d made a concerted effort not to see Dylan since the funeral.
But now she couldn’t run. She had commitments to keep—and she needed Dylan Jacobs of all people to help her do that.
Sadie plastered on a smile, stepped forward, and held out a hand that only shook a bit.
�Dylan! How wonderful to see you again,’ she said, and prayed it didn’t sound like the lie it was.
* * *
Dylan’s chest tightened automatically at the sight of her. An hour’s drive from the airport and hours on the plane before that, and he still wasn’t ready. In fact, as he stepped forward to take Sadie’s hand he realised he might never be ready. Not for this.
Five minutes ago he’d been moments away from calling the whole visit off. Sitting in the car, as they’d come up the long, winding hotel driveway, he’d almost told the driver to turn around and take him back to the airport. That the whole trip was a mistake.
But Dylan Jacobs never shied away from an opportunity. And, besides, it was Sadie. So instead he’d checked his phone again—emails first, then messages, then voicemails then other alerts—his habitual order. Anything to distract him from thinking about Sadie.
He hadn’t seen her in two years. Two long years since the funeral. Hadn’t even heard a peep from her—let alone a response to his card, telling her to call, if she ever needed anything.
And now, apparently, she needed everything and she was calling in that promise.
He just wished she’d done it in person, instead of via Neal. Wished he could have spoken to her, heard her voice, sensed her mood.
Wished he had a better idea what he was walking into here.
She’s coping, Neal had said. Better than a lot of people would. But...she lost Adem, Dyl. Of course she’s not the same. And she needs you. The Azure is all she has left of her husband, and you can help her save it.
So in a rapid flurry of emails Dylan had been booked on the next plane into Izmir and now there he was. At Adem’s dream hotel. With Adem’s dream woman.
Glancing at the sign above the hotel doors, Dylan had winced at the name. The Azure. Why did it have to be that name? There were a hundred perfectly decent generic hotel names on offer. Why on earth had Adem picked that one?
A half-forgotten memory had flashed through his brain. Adem’s excited phone call, telling him all about his next big project, how he and Sadie were moving to Turkey to save some ramshackle old hotel that had once belonged to his Turkish mother’s grandfather or something. What he remembered most was the sharp sting that had hit his chest at the name—and the utter irrationality of it.
It’s just a name. It doesn’t mean anything, he’d reminded himself.
But symbolism was a bitch, and to Dylan the Azure would always mean loss. The loss of his father, his freedom, so many years ago. Loss of hope. Lost chances and opportunities.
Except maybe, just maybe, this time it could be different. So much had changed... And this was a different hotel, thousands of miles and more than two decades away from the Azure where the man who had raised him had walked out on his entire family and never looked back.
This was Sadie’s hotel now.
He’d never told Adem the whole story of his father, and had certainly never mentioned the name of the hotel. If he had, his friend would probably have changed it, just to make Dylan feel more comfortable. That was the sort of man Adem had been, the good, caring, thoughtful sort.
The sort of man who had deserved the love of a woman like Sadie.
Unbidden, images of the last time he’d seen her had filled Dylan’s vision. Dressed all in black, instead of the bright colours she’d always loved, standing beside that coffin in a cold, rainy, English graveyard. She’d been gripping her tiny son’s hand, he remembered, and he’d known instinctively that if she’d had her way Finn wouldn’t have been there, wouldn’t have had to witness any of it. He’d wondered who had insisted he take part, and how lost Sadie must have been to let them win.
Lost. That was the right word for it. She’d looked small and tired and sad...but most of all she’d looked lost. As if without Adem she’d had no compass any more, no path.
It had broken Dylan’s heart to see her that way. But standing outside her hotel...he had just wondered who she would be now.
And then it was time to find out.
Heart racing, he climbed the steps to the hotel entrance and let the automatic doors sweep back to allow him in. He squinted in the relative cool darkness of the lobby, compared to the bright sunlight outside. But when his vision cleared the first thing he saw was Sadie—standing at the reception desk, her back turned to him so he couldn’t make out her face. But there was never any doubt in his mind that it was her, despite the plain grey suit and shorter hair.
So many memories were buttoned up in that suit—of the friend he’d lost and the woman he’d never even had a chance with—that his chest tightened just at the sight of her.
He braced himself as she turned, but it wasn’t enough. Nowhere near enough to prepare him for the shock and horror that flashed across her familiar face, before she threw up a pleasant, smiling mask to cover it.
She didn’t know I was coming. Oh, he was going to kill Neal. Painfully, and probably slowly.
Reflex carried him through the moment, the old defences leaping back into place as she smiled and held out her hand. Her hand. Like they really were new business acquaintances, instead of old friends.
�Dylan! How wonderful to see you again,’ she said, still smiling through the obvious lie. And Dylan wished that, for once, he’d ignored the opportunity and headed back to the airport like his gut had told him to.
But it was too late now.
Ignoring the sting of her lie, Dylan took her cool fingers between his own, tugging her closer until he could wrap his other arm around her slim waist, his fingers sliding up from hers to circle her wrist and keep her close. Just the touch of her sent his senses into overdrive, and he swallowed hard before speaking.
�It’s so good to see you, Sadie.’ And that, at least, was the truth. Dylan could feel his world move back into balance at the sight of her and the feel of her in his arms...well, it just told him what he’d known for years. That the feelings for his best friend’s girl he’d tried so hard to bury had never been hidden all that deep at all.
He really was going to kill Neal for this.
Sadie pulled back, still smiling, apparently unaware of how his world had just shifted alignment again, the same way it had thirteen years ago when Adem had said, �Dyl, this is Sadie. She’s...special,’ and Sadie’s cheeks had turned pink as she’d smiled.
A real smile, that had been. Not at all like the one she gave him now.
�Let’s get you checked in,’ Sadie said, and Dylan nodded.
Even though he knew the most sensible thing to do would be to run, as far and as fast as he could, away from the Azure Hotel.
Maybe his dad had had the right idea after all.
* * *
Sadie’s hands shook as she climbed the stairs to her tiny office—the one that used to be Adem’s—and reached for the door handle. Instinctively, she checked back over her shoulder to make sure Dylan hadn’t followed her. But, no, the stairs were clear and she was alone at last, and able to process what had already been a difficult day.
Hopefully by now Dylan would be happily ensconced in the best suite the Azure had to offer—which was probably still nowhere near the standard he was used to. He hadn’t let her escape without making her promise to meet him for dinner, though. Of course, she’d said yes—she was hardly in a position to say no, now, was she? She just hoped he had no idea how much she’d wanted to.
Stepping into her office, she slumped into her desk chair and reached for the phone, her fingers still trembling. Dialling the familiar number, she let it ring, waiting for Neal to pick up. He’d be there, she was sure, waiting by the phone. After all, he had to know she’d be calling.
�I’m sorry,’ Neal said, the moment he answered.
�So you bloody well should be. What were you thinking? Why didn’t you tell me? Never mind, I think I know.’ Which didn’t make her any happier about the subterfuge. Not one bit.
�You’d have said no,’ Neal explained anyway. �But, Sadie, he really wants to help. And you need him.’
�I don’t need a pity save.’ Sadie could feel the heat of her anger rising again and let it come. Neal deserved it. �I’m not some bank that’s too big to fail. I don’t need Dylan Jacobs to sweep in and—’
�Yes,’ Neal said, calm but firm. �You do. And you know it.’
Yes, she did. But she wished that wasn’t true.
�Why did it have to be him, though?’ she whined.
�Who else do we know with millions of pounds, a tendency to jump at random opportunities and a soft spot for your family?’ Neal teased lightly.
�True.’ Didn’t mean she had to like it, though. Although Neal was right about the jumping-at-opportunities thing. Dylan was the ultimate opportunist—and once he’d jumped it was never long before he was ready to move on to the next big thing. This wasn’t a long-term project for him, Sadie realised. This was Dylan swooping in just long enough to give her a hand, then he’d be moving on. She needed to remember that.
�Is this really a problem?’ Neal asked. �I mean, I knew your pride would be a bit bent out of shape, but you told me you wanted to save the Azure, come hell or high water.’
She had said that. �Which is this, exactly?’
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Sadie began to regret the joke. The last thing she needed on top of Dylan Jacobs in her hotel was Neal showing up to find out what was going on.
�Why does he bother you so much?’ He sounded honestly curious, like he was trying to riddle out the mystery of Sadie and Dylan. The same way Neal always approached everything—like a puzzle to be solved. It was one of the things Sadie liked most about him. He’d taken the problem of her failing hotel and had started looking for answers, rather than pointing out things she’d done wrong. �It can’t be that he reminds you of Adem too much or you’d have kicked me to the kerb after the funeral, too. So what is it?’
Sadie sighed. There was just no way to explain this that Neal would ever understand. His riddle would have to go unsolved. �I don’t know. We just...we never really managed to see eye to eye. On anything.’
Except for that one night, when they’d seen each other far too clearly. When she’d finally realised the threat that Dylan Jacobs had posed to her carefully ordered and settled life.
The threat of possibility.
�He’s a good man,’ Neal told her. �He really does want to help.’
�I know.’ That was the worst part. Dylan wasn’t here to cause trouble, or make her life difficult, or unhappy. She knew him well enough to be sure of that. He was there to help, probably out of some misguided sense of obligation to a man who was already two years dead, and the friendship they’d shared. She could respect that. �And I need him. I should have called him myself.’ She thought of the sympathy card sitting with a few others in a drawer in her bedroom. The one with a single lily on the front and stark, slashing black handwriting inside.
I’m so sorry, Sadie. Whatever you need, call me. Any time.
D x.
She hadn’t, obviously.
�So we’re okay?’ Neal asked.
�Yeah, Neal. We’re fine.’ It was only her own sanity she was worried about. �I’ll call you later in the week, let you know how things go.’
�Okay.’ Neal still sounded uncertain, but he hung up anyway when she said goodbye.
Sadie leant back in her chair, tipping her head to stare at the ceiling. All she needed to do was find a way to work with Dylan until he moved on to the next big thing—and from past experience that wouldn’t take long. Jobs, businesses, women—none of them had ever outlasted his short boredom threshold. Why would the Azure be any different? The only thing Sadie had ever known to be constant in Dylan’s life was his friendship with Adem and Neal. That was all this was about—a feeling of obligation to his friend, and the wife and child he’d left behind. She didn’t need him, she needed his money and his business.
A niggle of guilt wriggled in her middle at the realisation that she was basically using her husband’s best friend for his money, milking his own sense of loss at Adem’s death. But if it was the only way to save the Azure...
She’d convince him that the Azure was worth saving, and he’d stump up the money out of obligation.
Then they could both move on.
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_78cbfb00-5027-5329-9aeb-4dbe4dbc573c)
DYLAN WAITED A while before calling Neal to yell at him. After all, he figured he owed Sadie a fair crack at their mutual friend first.
In the meantime, the wait gave him the opportunity to settle into his suite, his frequent flyer business traveller mind assessing the space the way he always did in a new hotel room. Bed: king-size—always a good start. The linens were crisp and white, and part of his weary brain and body wanted to curl up in them right away and sleep until dinner. But he was there to do a job, and that job required him to be awake, so he pushed on.
The room itself was a good size, but Dylan figured this was probably the biggest the hotel had, so he’d have to explore some of the smaller, ordinary rooms before making a judgement on room size. Wandering through to the bathroom, he clocked fluffy towels, good tiling and lighting, and a shower he very much looked forward to trying out later. If that shower head was as effective as it looked, and the water pressure as good as Dylan hoped, his aching muscles would appreciate the pummelling before bed.
Back in the main room, Dylan ran his fingers across the small table and chairs by the window in the bedroom then strolled into the lounge area through the open arch of a doorway. Again, the size was good, the sofas looked comfy enough, and the coffee table was stacked with magazines and brochures detailing things to do in the area. He flicked through them quickly before deciding the mini-bar and desk were far more interesting.
Crouching down, he yanked open the fridge door and nodded his approval. A decently stocked mini-bar—even if he never used it—was a must in Dylan’s book. Then he dropped into the swivel chair by the desk, tugged his phone from his pocket and checked for the complementary WiFi the girl at the desk had assured him was part of his room package. To his amazement, it worked first time and with minimal fuss over the password.
He smiled to himself. He shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, this was Adem’s place, for all that Sadie was running it now. And Adem had always been vocal about the individual’s right to easy-access WiFi at all times and in all places. Something else he and Dylan had always agreed on.
Twirling around in his chair, Dylan split his attention between checking his mail again and surveying the room as a whole—and spotted something he hadn’t noticed before. Getting to his feet, he crossed the room, pulled aside the curtains and stepped out onto the suite’s small balcony.
Now this was worth travelling all those miles for. Breathing in deeply, Dylan savoured the warm sun on his face and forearms, and stared out. He could see now why Adem had been so evangelical about the place, right from the start, quite apart from his family connection to the hotel.
The view was magnificent. Down below, the Aegean Sea lapped against the rocks, bright and blue and entrancing, sending up puffs of white spray with every wave. Above the rocks, scrubby bushes and juniper trees twisted up towards the clear azure sky, all the way up the peak where the hotel sat. Overhead, a bird called out as it passed, and Dylan thought for the first time all year, since he spent the holidays with his sister and her family, that he might actually be able to just switch off and enjoy the moment.
Except he still had to deal with Sadie—and find out how bad things at the Azure really were for Neal to have sent him here when she so obviously didn’t want his help.
Eventually, he figured enough time had passed that even Sadie would have finished yelling at the hapless accountant and, leaving the sunny warmth of the balcony behind him, Dylan headed back inside to sit at the desk and call Neal.
After just a couple of rings Neal answered the phone with a sigh.
�You can’t possibly be surprised by this call,’ Dylan pointed out.
�I know, I know.’ Neal sounded stressed, in a way Dylan wasn’t used to hearing from his old friend. That alone put his nerves on high alert. �Trust me, I’ve already heard it all from her.’
Her. Sadie. The memory of her expression, the shock and horror that had flashed across her face at the first sight of him, rankled all over again.
�I bet you have,’ Dylan said. �So? Is she going to kick me out on my ear or let me help?’ It wasn’t what he’d expected to ask—he’d expected there to be a lot more yelling first, apart from anything else. But now he had Neal on the phone it seemed like the only thing that really mattered.
�She’ll let you help.’
�Because she’s desperate.’
�Pretty much.’
�Great.’ Dylan put as much sarcasm as he could muster into the word. �I just love being a last resort.’
Neal let out another, world-weary sigh. �You know Sadie, Dyl. She’s proud. And she thinks it’s her responsibility to fulfil Adem’s dreams all on her own.’
�She let you help.’ Which, Dylan had to admit, still irked him a bit.
�Yeah, but I’m less smug than you.’
Smug? �I’m not—’
�Yes. Yes, you are. And you need not to be this week, okay?’ Neal wasn’t joking any more, Dylan could tell. And that worried him more than anything else that had happened that day.
But, to be honest, being too smug and alienating Sadie wasn’t really what Dylan was concerned about. He was far more worried about being obvious than smug. Worried that Sadie still thought she knew more about his feelings than she could reasonably expect to after so many years—and might refuse to let him help because of it.
�Things are that bad here?’ he asked.
Neal huffed impatiently, a far more familiar sound than his concern. �Didn’t you read the info I sent over?’
�Of course I did.’ Well, he’d scanned through it on the plane, which was practically the same thing. It wasn’t that Dylan wasn’t interested in the stats for the Azure Hotel, it was just that he had a lot of other projects on his plate, plus new opportunities coming in. Besides...he hadn’t really been able to imagine any of it until he was actually here.
�She needs more than your money, Dyl. She needs your business brain.’
And, okay, yes, it was bad timing, but it wasn’t really his fault that his brain’s automatic response to a comment like that was a feeling of smug pride, right? �Doesn’t everyone?’
�Okay, that? That’s exactly what I don’t want you to do this week.’
The puff of pride disintegrated as fast as it had appeared. �Fine. So I’m here in a business advisor capacity only?’
�No, she needs your money, too,’ Neal said. �She’s insanely committed to Adem’s dream of making the Azure a successful hotel. Doesn’t matter that he’s not there to see it—she’s going to make it happen anyway.’
Only Sadie. Other people walked out on commitments every day—families, marriages, financial and business obligations—and never looked back. Only Sadie would remain committed to a dead man’s schemes. And only because she had loved Adem so much.
Dylan sighed. �That’s not going to be easy.’ He knew that much from the information Neal had sent him—and the fact Sadie had agreed to let him help at all. If she’d thought she could do it herself, she would have. Sadie was nothing if not bloody-minded and determined.
�Probably not,’ Neal allowed. �But it might save Adem’s dream. And Sadie.’
And so, of course, he would do it, without question. He just hoped no one ever pressed him to say exactly which of those motivations was strongest for him.
�I’m having dinner with her tonight.’ He tugged a sheet of writing paper branded with the Azure logo closer to him and grabbed a pen. �Where do I start?’
�She needs this to be business,’ Neal said. �Not a pity save, even if that’s what it is.’
It was more than that, Dylan knew. This wasn’t just pity. He couldn’t bear to see Sadie struggling, so he’d do whatever it took to save her. He suspected that Neal knew that too.
�So how do I convince her it’s not?’
�By letting her pitch the Azure and Kuşadasi to you as a real investment opportunity. As something you’d want to put money into even if she wasn’t involved. Let her present her proposal for the place, then decide if you will invest.’
Suddenly, a plan began to form, right at the back of Dylan’s brain, where he always got his most inspired ideas.
�I can do that,’ he said, and smiled.
* * *
Standing in front of her wardrobe, Sadie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, squinted, then sighed and gave up. Nothing she could do right now changed the clothes hanging there for her to choose from. If Neal had told her Dylan was coming, she’d have had time to go shopping. Not that she would have done. The last thing she wanted to do was give Dylan Jacobs the impression that his presence was new-clothes-worthy.
Either way, her options now were limited.
She flicked through the hangers again, dismissing each outfit in turn. Black suit? Too conservative for dinner with someone who was, business opportunities aside, an old friend. Navy shift dress? Might have worked, if it didn’t have hummus smeared down the front of it, courtesy of Finn. She tossed it in the laundry hamper. Grey shift dress? She supposed it could work. The neckline was demure, the fit okay... It was just boring and made her look even greyer than she felt.
Hadn’t she once had more interesting clothes? The sort with colour and pop and stuff? She was sure that once upon a time she’d dressed to fit her happy and in-love mood. Maybe that was the problem. When Adem had died he’d taken all her colour and brightness with him—and it even showed in her wardrobe.
Trapping her lower lip between her teeth, Sadie reached right to the back of the closet and felt slippery satin slide through her fingers as she tugged one more dress to the front. The dress. The bright red, sexy dress her sister had talked her into buying on their last shopping trip to London before she and Adem had left for Turkey. She’d never yet found the courage to wear it, for all of Rachel’s suggestions that it would be the perfect dress to wear if she wanted to convince Adem they should give Finn a little brother or sister.
She let it fall from her grasp. Definitely not the right dress for tonight.
Instead, she pulled out her standard black function dress—the one she’d worn for every single event since she’d arrived in Kuşadasi, and the dress she’d known she’d end up wearing all along, if she was honest with herself. It was well cut, didn’t reveal too much, looked more dressy than a work dress, but still had the aura of business about it.
Sadie sank to sit on her bed, her hands clutching at the fabric of the dress. Business. She had to focus on that. This was her last and only chance—she couldn’t afford to think of Dylan as Adem’s twenty-two-year-old university buddy, or the best man who’d brought Adem home from his stag night with an almighty hangover, a blow-up sheep and no recollection of where they’d spent the last two days. Dylan wasn’t that person any more.
She swallowed, blinking away sudden tears of guilt and loss at the memory of her husband. Because that was the problem. She wasn’t thinking of that Dylan at all. Instead, she couldn’t help remembering another one, sitting up too late in a bar after someone else’s wedding, talking too much and too deeply.
Despite herself, she couldn’t help remembering the man who had once asked her if she’d ever imagined what might have happened if he’d met her first, instead of Adem.
Rushing to her feet, too fast, Sadie shook off the memory with the resulting light-headedness. She loved her husband—now, then and always. And she planned to preserve his memory for their son by saving the hotel. Business, that’s all any of it was for her now. And she was sure that was all it was for Dylan too.
She knew business now, and she needed to show Dylan that—needed him to see that she wasn’t the same girl she had been then either. She’d grown up, learned and changed. She could save the Azure all by herself—she just needed his money.
Nodding to herself, Sadie pulled on her black dress and added her work jacket and heels. A business-casual compromise, she decided. It was perfect.
* * *
Heading down to the bar, Sadie was pleased to realise she’d beaten Dylan there, despite her clothing dilemma delay. After a moment’s thought she ordered them both a glass of a local white wine—showcasing the specialties of the region had to be a good way to convince Dylan that Kuşadasi was worth his time and interest. Following her theme, she also asked the bartender to check in with the chef on the menu. He returned in short order, carrying both wine and a daily menu. Sadie scanned it quickly and told him to instruct the chef to serve them both the best local food on offer, once they made it through to the restaurant.
She settled back onto her bar stool and took a sip of her wine, feeling in control for the first time that day. Dylan may have caught her off balance when he’d arrived, but it took more than that to rattle Sadie Sullivan. She had everything in hand now—and it was the upper one.
Then he appeared in the doorway, looking far too good in his navy suit and open-collared shirt, and she struggled to swallow her wine without spluttering. Dylan, Sadie was sure, hadn’t bothered agonising over what to wear at all. He’d just thrown on what he liked and looked...perfect in it.
It was strange; she didn’t remember him being quite so attractive. Oh, he’d always been good looking, but it had been in a single-guy-about-town, flirt-with-the-girls-and-take-them-home way. Whereas Adem had always been more steady, less striking—but so gorgeous when he’d smiled at her. It had felt like he’d saved all his best looks just for her, and she’d loved that.
But now Dylan looked more grown up, more reliable, like he’d grown into his looks and out of his bad habits. Sadie shook her head lightly—it was an illusion. She knew from Neal’s more recent stories that Dylan was just as much of a playboy as ever.
�You look beautiful.’ Reaching her stool, Dylan bent to kiss her cheek, and Sadie ignored the thrill it sent down her spine.
�And you’re just as much of a flirt as ever,’ she chastised him, earning the reward of a positively rakish grin that made it hard not to laugh. �Have a seat,’ she said, waving at the stool next to her. �Drink wine.’
He did as he was told for once, fishing his smartphone from his pocket and placing it on the bar before he reached for his glass.
�This is good,’ Dylan said, after the first mouthful. �Local?’
She nodded. �Everything you’re going to taste tonight is from the area. Just another host of reasons why you want to be investing in Kuşadasi and the Azure.’
�Down to business so soon?’ His smile was a little lopsided this time, like he knew something she didn’t, but since he was already swiping a finger across his phone screen to check his emails Sadie didn’t think he should complain about talking business in a bar.
�Isn’t that what you’re here for?’ Best to be blunt, she decided. History aside, this was a business dinner—for both of them.
�Of course.’ Dylan leant against the wooden back of the bar stool, his arms folded behind his head. �Go on, then. I’m ready to be convinced.’
�About the food?’ Sadie asked, suddenly thrown off balance. Surely he didn’t expect her to convince him to invest a ridiculous amount of money based purely on one sip of wine and the promise of dinner?
�About this hotel. You’re right, this is a business trip. As much as I’d personally be happy to hand over whatever money you need, I have shareholders and board members who might not be so keen. So I need you to convince me that the Azure is a sound investment before I can agree to come on board.’ His tone was perfectly matter-of-fact, even as he admitted he’d give her a pity save if he could. A very small part of Sadie wished it was that easy.
But no. This was exactly what she’d wanted—no pity save, no charity for the poor widow. Business.
She just hadn’t expected him to agree so fast—or for it to be a requirement for him too.
But she could do this. She could show him. She had a plan—Adem’s plan for the Azure—and she intended to follow it to the letter. All she needed to do was convince Dylan it was a good plan.
�Right, then,’ she said, briskly. �Where do you want to start?’
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_af128732-a9c4-5d8c-bf4b-e88619d4c3c1)
THE MOMENT THEY were settled at their table—obviously the best seat in the house—Sadie launched into what had to be a rehearsed sales pitch. Dylan tried to pay attention as she listed the details of room numbers and styles, amenities and so on, but in truth very little of it went in. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her—and apparently he’d lost the ability to stare and listen at the same time.
Sadie was beautiful as ever, he’d known that since he arrived at the Azure. Before, even. Sadie was Sadie, and her beauty was an intrinsic part of her—and had very little to do with what she actually looked like at all. But now, soaking her in over the candlelit table, he had a chance to catalogue the changes. She was more fragile now, he decided, more closed off. Somehow more off limits than she’d ever been, even after she’d married Adem. Now she was The Widow, and he couldn’t seem to help but let those two words—and the tragedy they encompassed—define her in his mind.
Her spark seemed dimmed, and it hurt him to see it. Maybe this week could be useful in more than one way. He’d help her with her hotel, of course. But how could he not try to bring that spark back too? To make sure she was really okay here, alone with a crumbling hotel, a small boy and her memories.
Just as a friend. Obviously. Because there was no way she’d let him close enough for anything else now, if she never had before. Besides, given the position she was in, he wouldn’t risk it. Not if it would just make things worse for her. All he had to offer was the money she needed and business support maybe. Then he would be on his way. He wasn’t Adem and he never had been.
Dylan knew himself too well—at least as well as Neal, Adem and Sadie always had. He was too like his father to ever settle to one life, one set of possibilities—not when the next big thing could be just past the horizon. So this was temporary, and that was fine with him.
It just meant he only had one week to find the promise in the Azure Hotel and come up with a plan to make it good. He needed to get started on that, pronto. Priorities, Dylan.
Their starters arrived without him ever seeing a menu, but as he examined the seafood platter he decided he didn’t mind at all. If all else failed, at least he could honestly say the food and drink at the Azure were good. It was a start.
�Did Adem make you memorise all that?’ he asked, as Sadie reached the end of her spiel and reached for a calamari ring.
�No,’ she said. �Well, just some of it.’
�But it’s all his plan, right?’ He’d known Adem since they’d been eighteen. He’d recognised his friend’s touch before Sadie had reached the second bullet point.
�How can you possibly...? We worked on it together. Of course.’
�Of course. But this was his dream.’ He followed her lead with the calamari, hoping it tasted as good as it looked. One piece of rubbery calamari could ruin a whole meal. But, no, it had the perfect mixture of crunch in the batter and melting seafood. He reached for another.
�His heritage.’ She shrugged, her shoulders slim and delicate now she’d taken her jacket off, and more tanned than he remembered. �He wanted a future here for our family.’
Family. Stop thinking about her shoulders, Jacobs, and focus on what really matters to her. �Where is Finn, anyway?’
A shadow crossed her face, and he almost regretted asking. �He’s staying with my parents for the week. I’m flying over to England to collect him after you leave.’
�Because I was going to be here?’ That stung. He may not have seen much of the boy since he’d been born, but that didn’t make him any less of an honorary uncle.
Sadie gave him a look—the sort she used to give him in the pub when they’d been twenty-two and he’d been acting like an idiot. �To be honest, I didn’t know you were the one coming, which I think you must have guessed. Besides, that wasn’t it. He’s due to start school next year, and my parents wanted to spend some time with him outside the holidays before then.’
There was something else, hiding behind the lightness of her tone, but he couldn’t put his finger on it, and it was still too early to press too hard for information—frustrating as that was. He had to have patience. Eventually she’d open up to him again.
A waiter cleared their starter platters, even as another brought their main course—some sort of delicious, spicy, lamb stew thing that Dylan vowed to find out the name of before he left. But right then he had bigger priorities than his stomach.
�Okay, so, I’ve heard all the grand plans,’ he said between mouthfuls. �How far have you actually got with them?’
Sadie put down her fork and ticked the items off on her fingers as she spoke. �The lobby, restaurant and bar are finished, as you’ve seen. So is the spa. Of the bedrooms, the top floor with the penthouse suite—your suite—and the other family suites is done, and the first floor of luxury doubles.’
�So that leaves you, what?’ He tried to recall the floor numbers from the lift. �Another four floors to go? Plus any other reception and function rooms?’
She nodded. �We had a timescale planned but...’
�The money ran out.’ Not a surprise. He’d seen it often enough, even in projects less plagued by tragedy and uncertainty.
�Yes. So we opened anyway, to try and get enough funds to keep going. But at least one of the floors is uninhabitable as it stands, so occupancy is never very high.’
�What about the outside space?’ That had to be a selling point in a climate like this.
�The outside pool needs retiling and the path down to the beach needs some work. Fortunately the inside pool is attached to the spa, so got done in the first wave, before...’ She trailed off, and he knew exactly what she wasn’t saying. Some days, he thought that if he didn’t say it, it might not be true, too.
�There’s a lot left to do,’ he finished for her, cutting short the moment.
�That’s why we need your money.’
His fork hit china and he looked down to see he’d eaten the whole bowl without tasting anything beyond that first delicious mouthful. What a waste. He put his cutlery down. �Dinner would be worth investing in alone. That was truly delicious.’
She blushed, just a little. �I’m glad you enjoyed it. Somehow I suspect one meal isn’t quite enough to win over your shareholders, though.’
�Maybe not. Okay, listen. I’m going to tell you a bit about my company, and you can decide if you want us involved. If you do...then we can discuss what else I need to see and do, what questions I need answered, before I can take a proposal to the board.’ She’d been straight with him, as far as he could tell. Time for him to do the same.
�Okay.’ Eyes wide, her nerves were back, he realised, pleased to still be able to read her so well.
�My company isn’t generally interested in long-term investment. Mostly what we do is take on a failing business, tear it down or build it up until it’s successful, then sell it on.’
�In that case, I’d think the Azure would be perfect. We have “failing business” written all over us.’ She reached for her wine—a local red, he assumed—and took a gulp.
�The key is, the business has to have the potential to be a huge success,’ he clarified. �In the right hands.’
�Yours, you mean.’ She sounded more sceptical than Dylan felt was truly necessary.
�Or whoever we put in charge. In this case...we’d need to be sure that you could turn this place around on your own, with just money and guidance from us.’ Make it clear upfront that he wouldn’t be staying around—not that he imagined she wanted him to.
�I see.’ This time her tone gave nothing away at all, and he found himself talking just to fill the silence that followed.
�Unless, of course, you’re in favour of taking a bulldozer to the place, putting someone else in charge of the rebuild and taking a back seat until the money starts rolling in?’ He knew she wouldn’t say yes, but part of him couldn’t help but hope she would. It would be the easy way out—but since when had Sadie ever taken that?
She shook her head. �Sorry. This is personal for me. I made a commitment to make this hotel a success. For Adem.’
�I guessed you’d say that. Don’t suppose you’d consider changing the name either?’
�No,’ she said, giving him a curious look. �Why? What’s wrong with the name it has?’
�No reason.’ She stared and waited. He sighed. He should have known that wasn’t a good enough answer for her. �I had a bad experience at an Azure Hotel once.’
Her wide grin made the admission worthwhile. �Let me guess. Some woman’s poor husband showed up at the wrong moment?’
Of course that’s what she would think. And, really, who could blame her? �You know me.’ But not all his secrets—which was probably for the best. For both of them.
�Okay, so if we’re not going to knock this place down, what do I need to show you to convince you we’re worth your time, money and effort?’
Honestly, he could probably make the decision based purely on the numbers. But that would have him flying back to Sydney tomorrow, instead of spending time with Sadie. He had to give her a real chance to convince him.
�Here’s my proposal. I want a proper tour of the hotel. Then I need to see the local area—get a feel for the economy and tourist potential. Numbers are all well and good, but you need to visit a place to get a real feeling for it.’ All true, up to a point. �Then we’ll sit down together and see if I can help you save this place.’
She nodded. �Okay. Do you want me to set you up with the local tour company we use?’
Where would be the fun in that? �No. I think this will work much better if you show me yourself.’ Not to mention give him a clearer idea of how Sadie was really coping after her husband’s death. Multitasking was the key to any successful business, after all.
Sadie nodded her agreement, and Dylan sat back to anticipate dessert, hoping his smile wasn’t too smug. Everything was going to plan.
* * *
After a restless night, full of dreams that were half memory, half fantasy, Sadie met Dylan in the lobby the next morning, dressed in her best black suit and determined to impress with her business skills. His proposal had been more than fair. Neal must have told him what dire straits they were in at the Azure, but still Dylan had agreed to spend time on the ground, studying and evaluating everything himself, before he made his decision.
Sadie suspected that had more to do with friendship than good business sense. Still, he’d made it very clear over dinner what he needed from her—professionalism—and she intended to give it to him in spades.
Except Dylan, when he arrived, was dressed in light trousers and a pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, sunglasses tucked in his pocket, making her feel instantly overdressed—even though she was the one who was appropriately attired. How does he always manage that?
�Right, let’s get going,’ he said, as he approached. �Lots to see today!’
�Before we start our tour,’ she said, stalling him, �I realised there was something I forgot to show you yesterday, and I’d hate you to miss it.’
Striding across the lobby, she led him to the windows at the far side of the elevators. Dylan wasn’t the sort to stop and sniff the roses, unless someone reminded him to, and she couldn’t have him missing the most magnificent thing about the Azure, just because he forgot to look.
�Oh, really? What’s that?’ Dylan asked, following, his eyes on the screen of his smartphone.
�Our view.’ Sadie stared out across the bright blue waters, the sea almost the same colour as the sky, white foam echoing the wispy clouds overhead. They were high enough to see for miles, out along the coast and out to sea. Her heart tightened the way it always did when she looked out over the water and coast beyond the Azure. Whatever had happened here, she was lucky to have had the chance to live in such a beautiful country. She had to remember that.
�There’s a path from the back door that leads straight down to the beach,’ she murmured, but Dylan’s eyes remained fixed on the view, just as she’d known they would.
It was this view that Adem had used to convince her, back when buying a crumbling hotel had just been a pipe dream.
Look at it, he’d said. Who wouldn’t want to be here?
And in that moment she hadn’t been able to imagine anywhere she’d rather be than in the Azure Hotel, making Adem’s dreams a reality.
Dylan looked similarly entranced, his phone forgotten in his hand. Sadie allowed herself a small smile. Perhaps this would be easier than she’d thought.
�Of course, the view would still be there, even if you knocked this old place down and rebuilt it,’ he said, turning his back on the view, but his tone told her he was joking. Mostly. �You could put in a whole glass wall in the lobby, and rooms with a sea view could have folding glass doors and balconies. Really make the most of the asset—and change the name while you’re at it...’
Sadie rolled her eyes. Some woman—or her husband—had really done a number on him in an Azure Hotel, hadn’t she? Funny that Adem or Neal had never told her that story, when they’d shared so many others.
Was that why he couldn’t see it? The romance of this place? This old building was more than just its stones and its view. It was the heart of the place.
�Time for the rest of our tour, then. But I want you to remember—this is all business.’ Sure, he’d said it himself the night before, but it couldn’t hurt to hammer the point home. �I want you to treat me and the Azure like you would any other business proposition. We’re here to impress you, our client. So, what do you want to see first?’
�I’m the client, huh? My wish is your command. Sounds good.’ Giving her a lopsided smile, Dylan stared around him, obviously thinking. �Let’s start with the bedrooms.’
�The suites? Or the luxury doubles?’ Which would be best? He’d already seen the best suite in the place—he was staying in it. So maybe the doubles...
�The uninhabitable ones,’ Dylan said, cutting short any hopes of impressing him that morning. Sadie silently cursed her loose tongue over dinner. It had to be the fault of the wine.
�Right this way,’ she said, her smile fading the moment she turned away to press the �Call Lift’ button.
* * *
The bedrooms were worse than she remembered. A lot worse.
�Lot of work needed here,’ Dylan said, winning the prize for understatement of the year. Sadie sighed as she took in the broken tiles, missing bed, ripped wallpaper and strange black marks on the carpetless floor.
�Yes,’ she agreed. �And a lot of money to do it.’ If there were anything guaranteed to send Dylan running...and she’d brought him straight there. Why had she even given him the choice?
But Dylan just shrugged and smiled. �But I’ve seen worse. Okay. Now let’s see the ones you’ve done up.’
Sadie wanted to ask what sort of hotels he’d been staying in, to have seen worse, but instead she decided to grab the life belt with both hands and swim for the shore. �Luxury doubles coming up,’ she said, with a smile that made her face ache.
At least she knew they had carpets.
* * *
By the time they were done viewing the hotel, Sadie was exhausted from excessive smiling and from scraping around in her brain for the answers to Dylan’s incredibly detailed questions. At least she could never complain that he wasn’t taking this business proposal seriously. For all his tourist clothes, he’d been professional to the hilt, asking questions she’d never even imagined she’d need to know the answers to.
Back in the lobby, she looked over her scribbled list of things to look up for him. It was up to two pages already, and he’d only been there less than a day.
�I’d better get back to the office and type up my notes from this morning,’ she said. �I should have answers for you by this evening...’
�Oh, I’m not done with my tour yet, Mrs Sullivan.’ He flashed a smile. �I want to see the town next.’ He looked her up and down, and Sadie resisted the urge to hide behind her clipboard. �Why don’t you go and get changed into something more suitable for sightseeing?’
Something more suitable... What had happened to this being all business? What was he imagining—a Hawaiian shirt and a bumbag? But she had said he was in charge, so she bit her tongue. Hard. �Give me ten minutes.’
He nodded, but since he was already frowning at the screen of his phone she wasn’t sure he noticed her leave.
As she dashed up to her room she ran through the morning again in her head. Dylan had seemed somewhat underwhelmed by the hotel as a whole, with far more questions than praise, but KuЕџadasi was bound to impress. The local economy and the blossoming tourist trade was what made the Azure a safe bet. She just had to make sure he saw that.
Dylan was so like Adem, in so many ways, she thought as she slipped into a light sundress. Adem had always worked on gut instinct, trusting his feelings to lead him to the right decisions. And instinct mattered to Dylan too—so that was what she needed to win over.
Hadn’t he made it clear his business specialised in short-term, in-and-out projects? All she needed to do was hold his attention long enough to get him to invest. Then the Azure would take off, she’d be able to pay him back or buy him out in no time, and it would be back to just her and Finn again.
Grabbing her sunglasses and bag, Sadie took a deep breath and headed down to wow Dylan Jacobs. Whether he liked it or not.
CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_19c48c3b-ac79-5a6d-8268-ad1a063ac6b0)
IT ALMOST FELT like a date, Dylan thought as they sped down the Turkish roads towards the town centre. The Azure Hotel wasn’t quite close enough to walk in—another point against it—but with Sadie sitting beside him in a pale cotton sundress, her dark hair loose to her shoulders, he found it hard to be objective.
Because this—being alone with her, exploring a new place, relaxing in her company—was everything he’d dreamed about once, in the secret places of his mind he’d never fully admit to. Back in the days when he’d let himself think about a world without his best friend, or one where he’d met Sadie first.
He hadn’t let the fantasies into his mind often—he’d learned early in life there was no point wishing the world to be any different than it was unless you were willing to do something to change it. And he hadn’t been willing, not in the slightest. If even imagining it had felt like betrayal, the idea of acting on those fantasies had been beyond contemplation.
Adem had been the right guy for Sadie—he’d always known that. Known he couldn’t offer her half as much, so he’d never considered trying—not that he’d have risked or betrayed his friendships that way anyway. A woman like Sadie needed love, commitment—she deserved forever. And he didn’t have that in him.
But now, with Sadie in the driver’s seat, sunglasses on and legs bare under that sundress, he could feel those imagined possibilities rising again. And just for a moment he let himself believe that she wanted him here—for more than just his money.
A light turned red and they pulled to a stop, the jerk breaking the moment, and reality sank back in. If this were a date he’d planned, he’d know where he was going. Sadie would be smiling at him, not looking tense and nervous and sad. The familiar guilt wouldn’t be sitting in his chest—smaller than when Adem had been alive, sure, but still ever present.
Plus he’d probably be driving.
The lights changed again, and Sadie manoeuvred expertly past waiting cars and swung into a suddenly vacant parking spot by the marina that Dylan hadn’t even noticed. He had plenty of experience driving abroad himself, but for once he was glad to be driven. It was nice to see Sadie so in control in this place.
�Come and look at the ocean,’ she said, sliding out of her seat and into the sunshine. �It’ll give you a feel for the place.’
They stood by the railings together, staring out at the Aegean, and Dylan felt a comfortable warmth settle into his bones—one he wasn’t sure was entirely due to the sunshine. He was enjoying Sadie’s company just a little too much. He’d always found her presence relaxing, to a point, but before he’d never allowed himself to indulge in that feeling too much. Here and now, though, it felt all too natural.
He shut his eyes against the sparkle of the sun on the water. Business. That was what he was here for, and that was what he needed to concentrate on. He couldn’t afford to forget himself here—he needed to keep on top of his other projects while he was away, as well as work on the Azure proposal with Sadie. Already that morning he’d had enough emails from his assistant back in Sydney to remind him that things never worked quite as smoothly when he was away. He had to stay on top of everything.
Eyes open again, he shut his mind to the view and the warmth of the sun, and turned his attention instead to the practical aspects of the place. A marina, filled with top-end private yachts—and further up, cruise ships. Suddenly he understood exactly why Sadie had parked where she had.
�So, this is your subtle way of telling me that Kuşadasi is a popular cruise-ship destination?’ he said, turning his back on the marina to lean against the railing and study her instead.
She gave him a perfectly innocent smile. �Pure coincidence, I assure you. But as it happens, yes, it is! Tourism is the heart blood of this place. The ships stop here regularly, filled with people ready to explore the town—and spend their money on souvenirs.’
Which all sounded good until you studied the logic behind it. �But how many of them make it up the hill to the Azure?’
�That’s not the point.’
�Of course it is. If the bulk of the tourists visiting this place are only here for the day, what do they need with a hotel?’ She winced at his words, but recovered quickly. He had to admire her tenacity, even if her argument was weak.
�The cruise ships are only a small part of the tourist industry here—and, actually, they’re the gateway to a whole new market. Some of the people who visit for a day might never have even considered Turkey as a holiday destination before—but after a few hours here they may well decide to come back for a longer stay. Or to tell their friends that it was a great place to visit. Or even look into buying holiday apartments or hotel time shares here.’
A slim possibility. People who liked cruises—like his mother and her third husband—tended to take more cruises, in Dylan’s experience. But who knew? Maybe she was right. He’d need more figures before he could make a value judgement.
�Okay, then,’ Dylan said, pushing away from the railings. �So what is it about this town that will make them come back?’
�The history,’ Sadie replied promptly. �The shopping. The atmosphere. The food. The views. Everything.’
�So show me everything.’
�That could take a while.’
Dylan shrugged. �We’ve got all day. So, what’s next?’
Sadie looked around her then nodded to herself. �Let’s take a walk.’
That date-like feeling returned as they walked along the seafront towards a small island, linked to the mainland by a walkway. Dylan resisted the urge to take her arm or hold her hand, but the fact it even needed to be resisted unsettled him. Not just because this was Sadie but because he’d never really thought of himself as a hand-holding-in-the-sunshine kind of guy. He tended to work better after dark.
Sadie turned and led him along the walkway leading out into the sea towards the island, and Dylan distracted himself by reading the signs of fishing tours on offer and checking out the tourist trap stalls set up along the way, selling bracelets and temporary tattoos.
�What is this place?’ he asked, nodding to the island up ahead. Covered with trees, it appeared to have a fortified wall running around it and plenty of people wandering the path along the edge of the island.
�Pigeon Island,’ Sadie replied promptly. �You see over there, above the trees? That’s the fortress of Kuşadasi—built in the thirteenth century. It was there to protect the Ottoman Empire from pirates—including Barbarossa himself.’
�I didn’t realise I was here for a history lesson, as well as a tourism one.’
�There’s a lot of history here,’ Sadie pointed out. �And a lot of tourism to be had from history. Wait until you see the caravanserai.’
�I look forward to it.’ History wasn’t really his thing, but Sadie seemed so excited about taking him there he was hardly going to mention it. Maybe it would be more interesting than he thought, looking back instead of forward for once.
�There’s a seafood restaurant and café and stuff inside,’ Sadie said, as they reached the path around the island, �although I thought we’d head back into town for lunch. But I wanted you to see this first.’
She stopped, staring back the way they had come, and Dylan found himself copying her. He had to admit, KuЕџadasi from this angle was quite a sight, with its busy harbour and seafront. He could see what Adem had loved about the place.
�Does Turkey feel like home now?’ he asked, watching Sadie as she soaked up the view.
She turned to him, surprised eyebrows raised. �I suppose. I mean, we’ve been here for a few years now. We’re pretty settled. I can get by with the language—although Finn’s better at it than me.’
�That’s not the same as home.’ At least, from what little Dylan knew about it.
�Well, no. But, then, I never really expected that anywhere would be home again after Adem.’
One quiet admission, and the whole mood changed. He was wrong, Dylan realised, and had been all along. This was nothing like a date at all.
He looked away, down at the water, and tried to imagine what kept her there in Kuşadasi. It couldn’t just be history and sheer stubbornness, could it? Especially given how strange and lonely it must be for her there every day in Adem’s place, without him beside her.
She shook off the mood, her hair swinging from side to side as she did so, and smiled up at him. �What about you? Where’s home for you these days? Neal says you’re operating mostly out of Sydney?’ Changing the subject. Smart woman.
�Mostly, yeah. My mum left Britain and moved back home to Australia when she remarried again, and my sister is out there too now, so it makes sense.’ And this time, finally, he had faith that they might both stay there now they’d each found some happiness in their lives. He felt lighter, just knowing they were settled.
�Do you see them often?’ Sadie asked.
Dylan shrugged. �It’s a big country. We catch up now and then.’
�Between business trips.’ Was that accusation in her tone? Because he wasn’t going to feel bad for running a successful business, even if it meant always being ready to jump at a new opportunity and run with it—often in the opposite direction from his family.
�Pretty much. Between the office in Sydney and the one in London, I probably spend more time in the air than in my apartments in either city.’
He’d meant it as a joke, but even as the words came out he realised he’d never thought of it like that before. All those years trying to get his family settled, and he’d never stopped to notice that he didn’t have the same grounding at all. He’d just assumed his business—solid, profitable and reliable—was enough to give that security. But in truth he was no more settled than Sadie was, in this country she’d never chosen for herself.
Maybe they were both drifting.
�We’re both very lucky to live in such beautiful places, though,’ Sadie said.
He tried to return her smile. �Yes, I suppose we are. So, why don’t you show me some more of the beauty of this place?’
�Okay.’ She stepped away, back towards the promenade to the mainland. �Let’s go and take in the town.’
* * *
Home.
Sadie considered Dylan’s question again as she led him into the town of Kuşadasi proper. She took him by the longer back route to give him a true feel for the place. In comfortable silence they walked through narrow cobbled streets filled with shops. Half their wares were hung outside—brightly coloured belly-dancing costumes and leather slippers butting up against shops selling highly patterned rugs, or with rails of scarves and baskets of soaps on tables in the street. The smell of cooking meat and other dishes filled the air as the local restaurants prepared for lunch, the scent familiar and warming to Sadie.
As they walked she could see Dylan taking everything in—reaching out to run his fingers over the walls, his eyes darting from one shop display to the next. Had she been so fascinated when she’d first visited? It seemed so long ago she could barely remember.
Would this place ever truly be home? Could it? Or would it always just be the place where she’d lost the love of her life?
When she thought of home she thought of her family—and so, by default, of the pretty English village where she’d grown up, just outside Oxford. She remembered playing in the woods with her sister Rachel, or taking walks on the weekend with their parents and stopping for lunch in a country pub. And she thought of later meeting Adem and his friends in Oxford, when she’d travelled in every day for her first proper job after training in a small, independent spa and beauty salon there. She thought of the first flat she and Adem had rented together in London, after they’d been married.
She didn’t think of the Azure. Not because she didn’t love it but because it seemed so alien to all those other things. Like a permanent working holiday.
She loved Turkey, KuЕџadasi, the Azure. And maybe Dylan was right in an odd, roundabout way. If she wanted to stay there, she needed to find a way to make it feel like home.
They emerged from a side passage out onto the bigger main street, with larger stores and the occasional street vendor stall. Here, after the charm of the old town streets, KuЕџadasi looked more modern, ready to compete in the world tourist market. It was important to show Dylan that they had both here.
Suddenly, Dylan stopped walking. �Hang on a minute.’ Turning, he walked back a few paces to a stall they’d just passed. Curious, Sadie followed—not close enough to hear his conversation with the stallholder but near enough to see what had caught his attention.
She rolled her eyes. A sign advertising �Genuine Fake Watches’. Of course. In some ways Dylan really was just like Adem—they had the same absurd sense of humour and the same reluctance to let a joke lie untold.
Still, she smiled to see that Dylan wasn’t pointing out the error to the stallholder, and instead seemed to be striking up a friendly conversation with him as he took a photo on his phone and examined the watches. Another way he was like her husband, she supposed—that same easy nature that made him friends everywhere he went. She’d never had that, really, and couldn’t help but envy it.
�Enjoying yourself?’ she asked, as he returned.
Dylan grinned. �Immensely. What’s next?’
She’d planned to take him to the caravanserai—she just knew his magpie mind would love all the tiny shops and stalls there, too, and it was a huge tourist attraction with plenty of history. But it was getting late and her stomach rumbled, nudging her towards the perfect way to remember why she was so lucky to live in Kuşadasi—her favourite restaurant.
�I think lunch,’ she said, watching as Dylan slipped his own no doubt authentic and ridiculously expensive watch into his pocket and replaced it with the genuine fake he had just bought.
�Fantastic. I can show off my new toy.’ He shook his wrist and, despite herself, Sadie laughed, feeling perfectly at home for the first time in years.
* * *
From the way Sadie was greeted at the door of the restaurant with a hug from an enthusiastic waitress, Dylan assumed she was something of a regular. Despite the queue of people ahead of them, they were led directly to a table right in the centre of the glass-roofed portion of the restaurant, with vines growing overhead to dull the power of the sun as it shone down.
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