‘I’m parched.’
He poured me a huge glass of red wine, handed it to me and then, taking my hand, led me to the pool. Pulling at the ties of my dress, I watched his breath catch when he realised I was naked underneath. He climbed in first, sitting down on a step. As I walked in, he pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arm around my waist.
My body, full of surprises this evening, startled me again when I relaxed back into Nick and for a few moments we sat, simply watching the ocean and the stars.
He kissed my back, sweeping aside my hair to give him better access to my neck. ‘You are very unexpected, Abigail Parker.’
I shot him a grin over my shoulder, and he kissed my lips.
‘How was your holiday today?’ he asked.
‘Significantly improved. I think I’m getting better at it,’ I said confidently, before adding, ‘I have … never had a holiday romance before.’
‘Holiday romances are good. They have end dates, rules everyone is aware of. No heartbreak. Just fond memories.’
I thought it was interesting that he was setting boundaries with this statement. I mean, I knew one night in paradise did not mean happily ever after and I don’t think I believed in love over forty, anyway. Plus there was the glaring issue that we lived on the other side of the world from one another.
‘Did you get this suite on Groupon, like I got mine?’ I asked, turning back to him.
He paused, bemused. ‘Umm. No.’
‘It’s very nice.’
He nodded and then returned to kissing my neck, pressing his lips into my jaw and occasionally letting his tongue sweep across my skin. I let out an involuntary sigh, which made him smile. His hand rose from my waist, between my breasts, and he touched the necklace around my throat. ‘This is beautiful. It looks art deco.’
‘It’s my grandmother’s. Her name is Iris Cavendish, she’s a character. She’s ninety-four and has had seven husbands!’
‘Wait, people get married more than once?’ he said with pretend astonishment.
‘Husband number seven, Giovanni, passed away several years ago. Her first husband, Ray, bought this for her in London after the war. Also, after my grandfather, Harry, husband number two and Ray’s best mate’ – I paused for effect – ‘she never changed her name again.’
‘My goodness, she must be some kind of woman.’
‘Mm-hm. She has spent years telling my sister and me that all Cavendish women are spectacular mates and lovers. But I am almost divorced, and Kate is single, so I’m not sure. Love over forty seems unattainable to me, though Gran had three husbands after she turned forty and she married Giovanni when she was eighty-three.’
‘Wow, that is fantastic. Is she done? Or is husband number eight still to come?’
‘Well, I’m not certain because there is this old guy, Lionel, at her nursing home. Lionel has a pink rose delivered to her each pension day.’
‘Bloody hell. Those are some decent moves, Lionel.’ He gave me one of his rare laughs. ‘Okay, Abigail Parker, tell me three more things about yourself that you haven’t already.’
‘Three? Well, I told you I have a little girl. Her name is Ella. Nick, she’s amazing, she just doesn’t see it yet. She has decided this year that she wants to be a surgeon and work in an ER.’ I paused, considering the next one. ‘Umm, oh, I know, I’ve worked for the same guy for twenty years. He retired before I went away and now I’m a little bit panicked by the future.’ I considered the last one. ‘Christmas is my favourite time of the year. Ella and I line up a classic film each day we can. We play carols in the car for the entire month. If I could put up a Christmas tree and start playing carols in November, I would.’
‘Urgh, Jesus, a whole month of Christmas carols?’ He shook his head, laughing at me, and I got the impression it sounded like his worst nightmare.
‘Why do you think you can’t fall in love in the real world?’ I really should have asked Nick to tell me three things about himself because getting information out of him was difficult. It was as if that expression about getting blood from a stone had been made just for him. But my question had been on my mind since he’d uttered that sentence on the island. I’ll admit I also intentionally asked it suddenly, hoping to catch him off guard.
He swallowed, and I felt the tension in his jaw next to my head.
‘I don’t know. Trust.’ He took a breath, and it seemed as if it hurt him. ‘Faith. Control. I wouldn’t want to love someone so much that if something happened, I couldn’t recover.’
‘That seems like a pretty fatalistic view.’
‘Life doesn’t always work out the way you think it will.’ He said this without emotion, like someone who had learned hard life lessons. ‘Now, stop talking and turn around.’ His voice had turned seductive and chocolatey, but it was still commanding.
‘You are very bossy.’ I stood as directed and turned to face him, straddling his legs.
He wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, holding my gaze. His eyes glittered. He was so … smouldery.
