Gabriel let go of her hand and pulled her into his arms. Holding her tightly he kissed her with a passion she’d fantasised about since leaving him behind in Asia. Daisy’s heart pounded against his firm chest. He held her so tightly her body was almost crushed against his. She hoped she wouldn’t wake up and discover that these delicious sensations were something from a dream.
Unable to resist, she let one hand travel down his back, over his gorgeously tight bum. Gabriel froze for a second and she thought he was holding his breath. Neither spoke. She drew her hand around between them and ran her fingers down the front of his trousers.
‘I don’t want you to stop,’ he whispered hoarsely, ‘but if I have to walk back to the tower without being reported for indecency, then I think you’ll have to.’
She moved back lightly and looked down to where her hand was resting on him. ‘Sorry,’ she fibbed. ‘I couldn’t help myself.’
He cleared his throat. ‘Don’t apologise. I’d love for you to carry on, but maybe we should do so somewhere a little more private.’
She let her hand drop. ‘I thought this was private, sort of.’
He kissed her cheek and lowered his voice. ‘It is, to a degree.’ He motioned his head so she looked up over her left shoulder. ‘But I don’t want to give my Nan’s elderly neighbour too much excitement for one evening.’
Daisy couldn’t see anything apart from the edge of a house. ‘What do you mean?’
He bent his knees so he was her height and pointed a little further to the left. ‘The sun room, can you see it?’
She gasped. Sitting at the window staring out to sea was a wizened old man. ‘You don’t think he saw anything, do you?’ she asked, horrified.
‘Put it this way,’ Gabriel said trying not to laugh. ‘When I spotted him a few moments ago, he wasn’t as interested in the horizon as he now seems to be.’
Mortified, Daisy turned away. ‘I’m so embarrassed.’
Gabriel hugged her tightly to him. ‘Don’t be silly,’ he soothed.
She looked down at the bulge in his trousers. ‘Maybe I should walk slightly in front of you,’ she said, unable to help laughing. ‘Come along, I don’t want to give that old guy anything more to think about.’
They made their way towards Lydia’s garden as the sun set down behind the hills towards the west of the island. Just as they reached the steps Gabriel hesitated.
‘What’s the matter?’ Daisy asked, noticing his troubled expression.
‘I need to tell you something,’ he said.
Her heart pounded. It had been such an exciting evening so far, she didn’t think she could bear for him to disappoint her by confiding something that would ruin everything between them. ‘Go on then,’ she said.
He stared at her and then down at the sand for a few seconds. Then taking a deep breath, he said, ‘I showed the photos I took of your paintings to my grandmother.’
Was that it? Daisy smiled, relieved. ‘I know, she told me. She was very complimentary too, which was lovely.’
He narrowed his eyes. ‘I also showed my mother.’
She could sense there was more. ‘Go on,’ she said warily.
‘She loved them too,’ he said.
‘She did? And what else, because I can tell there’s more.’
‘They’ve both agreed to hold an exhibition of your paintings at the hotel.’ He stared at her as she thought about this unexpected turn of events.
She could see he was concerned about her reaction, but how could she be angry with someone who was making adream of hers come true?
‘Seriously?’ She almost held her breath, unable to believe what he’d just told her, picturing how her paintings would look hung on the pristine walls of the Encore.
Gabriel’s mouth drew back in a wide smile. ‘Yes, of course seriously,’ he laughed. ‘How do you feel about it?’
She shrugged, trying to gauge how this news made her feel. ‘Scared that people will see what an amateur I am, embarrassed that they’re not more professional…’ She tried to think of other things to add. ‘Um…’
‘But you don’t mind?’
