“Twenty dollars and fifty cents down,” William said as they walked through an archway, then out a double-glazed glass door into an enormous butterfly enclosure.
“Tell me, what would you have organized if I hadn’t put a budget on our first date?”
He thought for a moment and had to admit, he would have gone overboard. “A helicopter ride somewhere, a swanky restaurant on a rooftop terrace with crap music and expensive wine.”
She laughed. “See, this is better, isn’t it?”
He watched her for a long moment as she looked around, her curls going wild in the humid air. “Yeah, this is better.”
She brought her gaze back to his, with a small smile curving her lips. “Just to let you know, I’m going to be very disappointed if you haven’t kissed me by the time we get to the end of this walk.” She turned and strolled off on the words, down the wooden ramp, into the lush foliage. He followed, and a little thrill of anticipation made his heart tighten in his chest.
Juniper heard his footsteps behind her and waited for him to catch up, slipping her hand in his as they walked on. They paused here and there to watch the butterflies as they danced about above their heads. She hoped she hadn’t upset him in the car. He didn’t seem upset, but he didn’t seem exactly happy, either. He was just so…quiet. She felt a little sad about it, but also felt it was better to be honest and upfront with him. She paused by a wooden railing to watch a particularly stunning butterfly fluttering about, the blue of its wings so vivid and beautiful it almost brought tears to her eyes. It fluttered closer, hovering just near her face. She turned her head very slowly, wanting to make sure William was watching it too. Then it landed ever so lightly in her hair and she went utterly still, barely restraining a gasp of delight. She let the moment spin out, not sure how long butterflies liked to lie around in people’s hair. “What is it doing?” She whispered.
“I don’t know. Laying eggs?” He whispered back, his eyes dancing mischievously.
“Butterflies don’t lay eggs.”
“I know, which is lucky for you, because she looks like she’s settled in for the long haul. Do you want me to get her out?”
“Yes.”
He reached up and very gently slid his finger into her hair, pushing at the butterfly. It rested on the tip of his finger for a moment, wings flapping gently, before lifting off and fluttering back into the foliage.
CHAPTER 8
Juniper
Juniper linked her fingers with his and walked on. As they rounded the final corner, she felt him tug at her hand and she turned back, looking at him inquiringly. He tugged again and she took two steps forward, until they were almost touching. She raised her gaze to his face, feeling a little shiver at the heat she saw swirling in the brandy-colored depths of his eyes. He lowered his head, ever so slowly, watching her. She leaned into him, letting her eyes drift closed as his lips found hers, brushing softly, gently. Then he increased the pressure, and she opened her lips, sighing as she felt his tongue tangled with hers. She wound her arms around his neck, felt his arms come around her and she was pulled tight against him as he deepened the kiss with long, languorous strokes of his tongue. The heat pooled in her belly, and she sighed again, luxuriating in the pure pleasure of it. Then he slowly lifted his head and she let her eyes drift open, gazing up at him for a long moment before saying, “Hmm, lovely.”
He chuckled. “Thanks.” He reached up and pushed a golden curl back from her face. “You ready for what comes next?”
“That depends on what it is.”
He grinned. “You’ll see.” He took her hand again and led her out to the car, then they were cruising back down the road, towards Blessed Inlet. He bypassed the town, taking the steep, curving track up to the lighthouse, driving around a triangular patch of stubby grass to park in front of one of the smaller buildings, closest to the towering lighthouse. She got out of the car and had a good look around. The sandstone buildings squatted in the high summer sun, their red, iron roofs shimmering in the heat. There were a few buildings of varying sizes dotted around and she wondered what they were all for.
“Would you like to have a look around?”
“Yes, definitely.”
She followed him down the gravel drive and across more brittle grass towards a tall building. She stepped inside the open cavity onto flagstones and into the cool shadow. She looked up at the soaring ceilings and the sectioned space. “Stables?”
“Yes. It had become a bit of a dumping ground, so it was a bit of a job to clean it out, but it’s got great bones.”
“What will you use it for?”
“Evening functions.”
She could see that quite easily, the space filled with people in fancy suits and dresses, milling about, snacking on delicate canapes while they schmoozed. It was a bit depressing, so she wandered out into the hot sunshine, heading towards the long, low building at the bottom edge of the compound. William opened the thick wooden door but stopped her from stepping inside. “The floor’s not safe.”
She peered into the dusty gloom, looking at the wide-open space. “This’ll be the conference and team building area.”
“Correct.”
The next building had been the lighthouse keeper’s cottage and was in similar condition to the conference center. Evidence of John’s work was everywhere, from the sawhorses with long planks of flooring resting on them to the window frames neatly stacked against the wall.
William led the way to a small cottage closest to the cliff, nestled in the shadow of the lighthouse. Curious, she followed him inside. A lot of work had been done here.
“They’ve been hard at work here.”
