But when Jonathan returned with two hot cups of coffee and two delicious, fresh muffins, she was . . . grateful for him. She didn't even mind when he stroked his fingers over her cheek, brushing a lock of wet hair off of her face.
"Your lips are blue," he told her in that fierce, disapproving voice. "Drink."
She nodded and raised the coffee to her lips. It was scalding hot and utterly delicious. After a few more sips, she gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you."
He simply placed a muffin in front of her. "Eat, too. You're fragile."
Her? Fragile? That was flattering. Her mouth twisted in a wry expression, and Violet broke off a corner of the muffin and popped it into her mouth. Lemon poppyseed. Her favorite. How did he remember all these things about her?
"Better now?"
She nodded, still chewing.
An expression of relief crossed his face and he relaxed in his chair, his posture easing. She hadn't realized how tense he was. "Are you okay?" she asked, putting a teasing note in her voice.
"I just don't like to see you upset."
Violet wanted to protest that she wasn't upset. Not really. She was just fine. But it'd be a lie. She was upset. "I just feel . . ."
"Manipulated?" he guessed.
She nodded and toyed with her muffin. "Messages for each of us to ensure we'd have to work together, and now sending us back to Santorini . . ." Her voice trailed off as memories swept over her. It wasn't a time she'd wanted to remember. Back then she'd been so happy . . . so stupid.
"I don't like to see you this miserable, Violet," Jonathan said. "Whether or not you believe it, your peace of mind is of the utmost importance to me."
She didn't answer. She simply sipped her coffee and thought.
"Do you want to go home, Violet?" Jonathan's voice was full of tension, his face unreadable. His hand clenched on the table, as if anticipating her response.
Did she? A few days ago, she would have said yes and had her bags packed before Jonathan could take his next breath. But that was before this morning, when he'd watched her with such stark, blatant need as she'd stripped off her stocking. And that was before they'd vowed friendship.
And that was before he'd drank himself into a stupor upon hearing that there had been a baby.
So now Violet didn't know what to think. All she knew was that she felt vulnerable and confused about Jonathan. Her world had been so much easier when she'd hated him.
But it was hard to hate a man who quoted love poetry when he was drunk.
Violet wrapped her hands around the warm cardboard of her cup. "Do you want me to stay, Jonathan?"
"I can honestly say I've wanted nothing more in my life."
A pleased warmth flushed her cheeks, and she nodded, then set down her coffee cup. "Then I'll stay."
His hand-clenched into a fist for so long-flexed, and then impulsively, he reached out and took one of her hands in his. "Thank you."
She could have sworn his thumb grazed over the back of her hand in a caress before he pulled away again.
-
Two hours later, they were back at the airport and in the tiny jet once more. Violet had changed into a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved tunic to be comfortable for the flight. Her hair was wavy from air-drying but she just tucked it behind her ears and ignored it. For some reason, she never felt ugly around Jonathan. It was impossible to, considering he looked at her as if she were a slice of his favorite cheesecake.
She wasn't surprised, either, when she picked a window seat and Jonathan selected the seat right next to hers. It didn't matter that the rest of the cabin was empty. Flight time felt like private time with Jonathan, and maybe she was a little crazy herself, but she was starting to crave those interludes alone with him.
She stared out the plane window with longing as they left the teeming streets of London behind. "Someday, I'd love to explore that city."
Jonathan froze next to her. "Do you want to turn around?"
"What?" She glanced over at him, but he was serious. Violet laughed and shook her head. "No, no. We need to head out to Santorini. I was just saying. I've never been to London."
"You should have said something," Jonathan told her. "I would have stayed for you."
Funny how the way he worded that made her entire body tingle. "This is your trip, Jonathan, not mine. I'm just your hired assistant, remember?"
"You are never just anything, Violet."
She shifted in her seat, feeling a little uncomfortable with her own reaction to his words. She shouldn't be thrilled at him saying that. She shouldn't. "So," she said lightly. "Looks like it's just you and me and the next six hours in the plane."