He turned to look at Lara, but she was still sitting in the pool on the steps, hugging her knees up to her chest. Why wasn’t she helping him? Was she trying to prove something by letting him struggle alone?“Pass me that towel,” he said.Lara bit her lip and stared up at Chris. Seeing him hold her daughter—their daughter—made a strange feeling run through her. She’d seen an expression of love pass across Chris’s face as he met his daughter’s eyes, and it had filled her with a mixture of emotions.She was profoundly happy that Helen would grow up in the warmth of such powerful paternal love.She pushed herself up out of the pool. She held the towel up and moved closer to Chris and Helen.“I can take her,” she said, reaching for the baby.“It’s all right,” he said, holding on tight to Helen. “I’ve got her. Just help me get that towel round him”

As she felt his hands sliding upwards over her ribs, she instinctively looked down at herself. The sight of her own naked breasts, jiggling slightly with the trembling of her body and the rapid rate of her breathing, startled her. Her nipples were jutting forward, taut and throbbing with the need for his attention, and even looking at them herself seemed to make them ache even more.Suddenly his hands curved up and over her breasts, and a shuddering sigh escaped her. He massaged her tender flesh, sending waves of sensual pleasure rolling through her. Then he teased her nipples gently between his fingers and thumbs, and the pleasure intensified.Her head fell back against his shoulder and she closed her eyes. It felt so perfect standing there, feeling the skin of her back pressed against his solid chest while his hands created marvelous sensations, spiraling out from her breasts.The he lifted one hand to sweep her hair to the side, baring her neck so that he cou

Chris strode through the hotel on his way up to see Lara. He did not want her to stumble across them inadvertently, possibly creating an awkward situation. It was his intention to be present the first time they encountered each other, so that a potentially tricky moment would be under his control.He walked through their suite quietly, in case Helen was asleep, and found Lara standing on the balcony looking down at the terrace below. Something about her body language pricked his attention immediately. Her shoulders were drawn in and she was shaking.Suddenly he realized she was weeping.“Lara?” He spoke her name quietly, but she spun round at once, her face an open book of remorse.“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “Oh, Chris—I’m sorry for what I did that night.”The pure emotion in her voice cut into him disconcertingly—but he told himself it didn’t matter what she said, how she tried to def

Chris fell into step with Victor as they walked through into the dining room, but his eyes were on Lara. She was clearly relieved that seeing Tina and Victor again had gone so well—and Chris shared that relief.He wasn't in the habit of worrying about what other people thought, but he realized he'd been ill at ease, waiting for this meeting to take place.Perhaps it was because up until this afternoon Lara had never truly apologized for what had happened. He'd only known that she regretted the outcome—rather than the fact that she had interfered in the first place. But now he believed that she was genuinely sorry. And he'd been impressed by the open honesty she had shown Tina and Victor.As he looked at her a strange sensation passed through him. He frowned, momentarily disconcerted as he couldn't identify what he was feeling. Then he realized what it was-pride. He was proud of how she had taken responsibility and given such a heartfelt apology to Ti

Chris watched his Aunt Dacia's face as the helicopter approached the island. He'd met her properly for the first time in his life that morning.It was a strange feeling, finally bringing her back to the island where she'd grown up with his mother. He'd been amazed and pleased that she had agreed to come with him so readily. After the way she'd refused to have anything to do with him—even slamming the door in his face once or twice, before he'd given up on direct personal contact he'd been prepared for a lengthy process of persuasion.She didn't speak as they walked along the ridge from the helipad, but as he glanced sideways at her he could see her eyes were shining brightly, and he knew coming back to the island was an emotional experience for her.“I can't believe I'm really here,” Dacia said eventually, as they followed Danny's assistant into the house.“Does it seem very different?” Chris asked, as he held the door for hi