“Tell me,” he whispered against her neck.
“It’s like I had a small flickering flame, a pilot light, and you turned it up.”
“Are you burning?”
“So much.” She led him back to bed.
Whether it was her fire or his, a searing, burning need long hidden inside them both unleashed and took several hours before it burnt itself out, and they fell back into a lazy half-sleep.
It was later the next morning when he came out of the shower still damp and naked that she saw the tattoo on his behind.
“Oh my God.” She laughed.
Suddenly shy, he tried to wrap a towel around his lower half.
“Oh no. Let me see.” She jumped out of bed and went towards him. “Turn around.”
Resigned, he gave in. “Fine, look your fill.”
She knelt down to look. The words A&E FOREVER were written in a circle around a funny heart shape. She touched it and realized it wasn’t a tattoo — the letters were but not the heart. That was a birthmark.
“A and E forever?” She looked up at him.
“I was a medical student and decided to express my love for Accident and Emergency. The birthmark was a bonus.”
She laughed, “You inked your beautiful bottom?” and pressed a small kiss to the heart.
“Stop that unless you want me to throw you back on the bed and express my love foryourbottom.”
“It’s a very tempting thought.” She winked at him. “I don’t believe you.”
He pulled her up and tried to kiss her, but she leaned away. “You told me last night – or...” She narrowed her eyes, thinking. “The night before last. Anyway, you told me that you always knew you wanted to specialize in obstetrics and gynaecology not emergency medicine. Also…” She put a finger to his lips to stop him talking. “I can’t help thinking that A is also your initial, so who was E?”
He bit her finger gently than released her. “An old girlfriend. Emilia. We were at medical school together.”
“Must have been a serious relationship to warrant a tattoo.”
“I’ll tell you tonight. I have a patient to see and you, beautiful Laura, have a wedding dress to finish. I believe your client is back today.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
If Laura hadn’t knownthat Millie and George were due back today, she’d have guessed it from the evident and frenetic anticipation in the house. Cook was preparing a huge lunch to welcome them home; Pierre had been to the garden and came back with baskets of flowers from the greenhouse; Mrs B was dashing about with fresh linen and someone else was polishing every piece of furniture in sight. And they were all smiling.
“When do they get here?” Liam asked for the third time during a hurried breakfast.
“The ferry gets in at half ten,” Pierre answered checking her phone. “The water taxi will be waiting for them and bring them here, so they should walk in about quarter to eleven.” Then, turning to Laura, “You haven’t met George yet, have you? You’ll love him. He’s amazing.”
“Oy-yoy-oy!” Adam winked at Laura. “Watch it!”
“I only meant it platonically. Don’t get your undies in a twist.” Pierre smirked.
The other thing that was evident was that everyone in the house knew about her and Adam. The benign smile Mrs B gave them both made Laura blush.
For God’s sake! Had they been kneeling behind the bedroom door, looking through the keyhole?
Adam, making a hasty bacon sandwich, leaned over to Laura. “Get used to it. Small island syndrome,” he said quietly. “I got a taste of it yesterday morning when I went to the pharmacy and the news about the birth had spread like wildfire.”
And he’d bought condoms from the pharmacy.
