Nolan must have noticed her smile slip. ‘Let’s make the most of the time we have together.’ He leaned in again, taking her by surprise. This time, his kiss was long and deep.
Never in her life had she taken a chance like this or been attracted to anyone in this way. As they kissed she turned the words over in her mind:Live for the moment. Have fun.His kiss was like no other and Bea forced herself to breathe calmly, even though her whole body was trembling.
He pulled her in closer and instantly Bea pressed herself against him. Still kissing him, she felt an immense tingle and wanted this moment to last for ever. They started to run their hands over each other’s body, and Bea felt truly alive for the first time in ages. It had been a while since she’d touched a man’s body – her ex was always claiming he was tired or it was the wrong time, though now she knew why he’d been so reluctant. And besides, what she’d had with Carl had never felt like this. It feltso goodkissing and touching Nolan. He lifted her off her feet and into his arms, then strolled through the water and onto the sand. He laid her gently on the blanket and then lay down next to her, one arm bent at the elbow, his head resting on his hand. The excitement of the situation electrified Bea’s body. Feelings of excitement and trepidation were all rolled into one. Wanting to feel in control, she leaned up and kissed him again, pulling him on top of her. Nolan stopped kissing her for a second and looked at her with adoration. In this moment she wanted him, and despite weighing up the consequences, she embraced the tingling pleasure that flooded her body. All she could think about was having him right now.
‘I want this,’ she murmured.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I’m sure.’ And then Nolan kissed her again, taking her breath away.
* * *
An hour later, Bea was perched on a rock, posing, while Nolan sat on an upturned wooden barrel that they’d found in the hut. His easel was in front of him and he had a palette of paint and a brush in his hands. He was painting Bea’s portrait while she sipped champagne, enjoying the scenery and the overwhelming feeling of happiness that engulfed her.
‘I hope you’re making me look beautiful.’
‘I don’t need to make you look beautiful because you are, and your skin is flawless.’
The feeling of confidence his words gave her surprised her and she glanced down at her body, the red bikini complementing the warm tone of her skin.
‘Let me have a look?’ She attempted to move to take a peek but Nolan stopped her in her tracks. ‘Keep still, don’t move.’
‘Spoilsport!’
* * *
Nearly twenty minutes later, Nolan declared he was finished. Excited to see the painting, Bea strode towards him, sliding her arms around his waist while she rested her head against his chest and stared at the canvas. She gave a tiny gasp. The painting was beautiful; he’d captured her completely, even down to the freckles dotted across her nose. At the bottom, he had written ‘Castaway Bay’ with the date and his initials, followed by a tiny love heart.
‘What do you think?’
‘It looks like me!’
‘That’s good then.’ He laughed, swiftly kissing the tip of her nose.
‘I love it and will treasure it for ever.’
‘A reminder of our time together,’ he said, packing up his paints before washing out his brushes in the shallows. Bea was still staring at the painting, wishing this day could go on for ever but knowing it was drawing to a close. She joined him at the water’s edge, the water lapping around her ankles. The inlet was extremely calm and Bea was astonished to see hundreds of tiny fish swimming around. She bent down and tried to cup them in her hands. She giggled as they squirmed through her fingers. Then something sparkling under the water caught her eye. She felt about and attempted to pull it out of the sand. ‘I’ve found treasure,’ she declared. ‘I think it’s a bottle but it seems to be stuck.’
Nolan joined her and looked at the water. ‘Itisa bottle, but it’s wedged in the sand at the side of that large stone.’ He bent down and began to dig around the bottle with his hands. ‘Yes, definitely a bottle.’
‘Probably a broken one. Be careful you don’t cut yourself.’
He reached for a triangular stone that was lying on the sand, then began to dig around the bottle. ‘It’s getting looser.’ He gave it a tug and finally pulled it out. As he held it in his hands, they could see that the bottle wasn’t broken. Bea’s eyes widened.
‘Blooming hell. It’s a message in a bottle! And what’s that with it?’
Nolan held the bottle up and tipped it to the side. ‘It looks like a necklace.’
‘Do you think we should open it?’ asked Bea, taking the bottle from him. ‘How recent do you think it is?’ She couldn’t contain the excitement in her voice. ‘We could have stumbled across another romantic love story.’
‘Or a note that says, “I was here”,’ Nolan replied, laughing.
‘I’m opting for romance. I want to know what the letter inside says.’
‘There’s only one way to find out.’
Taking the bottle back to the blanket, they knelt and Bea watched as Nolan dried it off. After a couple of attempts, he managed to open it and tipped it upside down. The necklace fell straight on to the blanket but the letter was trapped inside. Nolan scanned the area and pointed to a pile of sticks. ‘Grab me a couple of those long thin sticks, please.’
