she possibly survive a holiday in his company? She couldnât. It was impossible.
âWell?â Xanderâs prompt came again. âDo you think Joey would not enjoy the seaside?â
She would not, would not be steamrollered like this.
âHe can enjoy it here, in this country. Taking him to the Caribbean is just ridiculous.â
âItâs at its best at this time of year,â said Xander. âAnd though the flight is long, one of the advantages of a private plane is that we can not only fly whenever we want, but there will be ample room for Joey to move about freely and be entertained. Surelyyou remember,â he said, and his eyes levelled at her, âhow easy travel is when you can do it in comfort?â
She pulled her eyes away. Oh, God, she remembered only too well. Remembered how Xander had taken advantage of the sleeping accommodation on his private long-haul jet.
Not that that they had slept muchâ¦
âJoey will have a lovely time,â Vi said, speaking decisively. âAnd thatâs whatâs important. Isnât it, Clare, love?â
She looked speakingly across at her, and all Clare could do was feel totally, absolutely betrayed.
Xander got to his feet. âMy PA will be in touch on Monday, and will make all the arrangements necessaryâincluding whatever is needed to expedite Joeyâs passport.â He glanced at his watch.
The gesture was not lost on Clare. It was SaturdayâXander Anaketos would not be spending the evening alone. What was his current mistress likeâblonde, brunette, redhead? Petite, voluptuous, tall? She let the litany run like a river of pain through her head. The one who had replaced her four years ago had been her oppositeâa fiery, tempestuous Latino beauty, with a taste for flamboyant, revealing clothes. Sheâd seen a picture of them together in a gossip magazine at the antenatal clinic. Clearly Xander had got bored with the cool, classic type that she had exemplified, had wanted something more excitingâ¦
She tore her mind away. Xander Anaketosâs sexual tastes, both past and present, were of no concern to her.
They never would be again.
The river of pain in her head intensified.
CHAPTER SIX
âS EA !â yelled Joey, beside himself with excitement. âThere, there!â
He pointed through the car window to where a bay of dazzling azure blue had just become visible, fringed with vivid emerald-green, all drenched in the hot glare of the Caribbean sun. They had landed at the small, deserted airport of this tiny Caribbean jewel half an hour ago, and were heading to the coast in a chauffeur-driven car.
Contrary to Clareâs apprehensions about the long flight, Joey had revelled in every moment, fascinated with the swivelling leather seats, the seat belts, the huge TV screen, the onboard bathroom, the portholes, the cockpit, the galley, and every other aspect of the private jet that had winged them across the Atlantic. To Clareâs astonishment Xander had spent the time exclusively devoting himself to keeping Joey entertained, whether by playing childish computer games with him or doing colouring and jigsaws. It was very different from her memories of travelling with Xander as his mistress. He had either spent flights working at his laptop and his papersâor sweeping her back to the sleeping accommodation for some undivided personal attention.
Now he was giving her his undivided personal in attention. He was turned away from her, chatting to Joey, pointing out the sights of the islandâs landscapes.
âSee those big trees, and all the round fruits dangling off them like theyâre on bits of string? Those are mangoesâyouâll like mangoes. Weâll have some for breakfast. Theyâre very juicy andsweet. And those trees there are banana trees. Do you know something funny about bananas?â
Joey shook his head, eyes wide.
âThey grow upside down. Iâll