“Oh, Elijah, this is amazing.”
Pen sighs, as we walk hand in hand along the shoreline, the evening sun warming our skin.
“It really is,” I say, my eyes never leaving the woman in front of me. I can’t believe how different I feel in the short time we’ve been together.
Pen makes me feel like a new man. My heart rate picks up when we’re together. I’m smiling a lot more, the world seems lighter, brighter. Everyone has noticed and is questioning what has changed. I remember a time when my life was always like this. The time before. It’s like I’ve jumped back in time fifteen years. But I haven’t. I have responsibilities now, and Pen does too. I own a business, have a daughter. People who rely on me.
I now understand why Pen walked away from our business venture; her illegal activities would have made starting up our business impossible. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Lookingback, I see it was probably for the best. After the past few weeks, being with her, working alongside her day in, day out, unable to touch her would have been torture. I would never have been unfaithful to Darra, but wanting someone is a problem when you’re with someone else. Maybe fate knew this and made Pen leave, saving us both a lot of heartache.
Oh hell, I sound like my mother!
Pen runs towards the waves, splashing through the surf. Her face alight.
My breath halts at the sight, and I wonder how Kristophe could let this amazing woman go? His loss, my gain.
Pen turns to me, her face glowing, and I charge forward, sweeping her into my arms and swinging her around. She squeals, and I silence her with my mouth.
As always, she melts against me, her legs wrapping around my waist, her tongue teasing the seam of my lips as it demands entry.
“I’m so happy.”
She pulls back and looks down at me, her legs wrapped around my waist.
“Me too,” I say.
Our foreheads touch, and we stay there for a moment, enjoying the sound of the waves gently breaking on the shore.
Pen drops her legs, and I lower her until she stands in the surf.
She takes my hand in hers and interlinks our fingers, bringing them to her lips.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” I say, looking down at her.
She smiles. “I shall send a thank you to Kris,” she tells me.
I frown. “What?”
What has Kris got to do with this?
Pen’s hand comes up, and she smoothes away the wrinkle I know has appeared between my brows.
“Kris refused to marry me after I went back. He told me I deserved to be happy.”
Pen tries to walk on, but I pull her to a halt and take her other hand in mine, making her look at me.
“Didn’t he make you happy?” I ask.
Ashamed at the spark of joy beginning to spread through my chest.
She gives a small smile.
“He did, but I think we both realised we weren’t marrying for love.”
I incline my head but say nothing.
“We reached that point in our lives where we wanted to settle down, start a family. That old adage. I love him as a friend, and I respect him greatly, but I wasn’tin lovewith him.”
My heart stalls as she mentions starting a family. How had I forgotten that is what Pen wants?
