‘Because you’re not like other girls.’
‘Is that a good thing?’ she asked, her eyes not leaving his.
‘Definitely a good thing. It’s nice to let go and have fun, don’t you think?’
‘Absolutely,’ she murmured, thinking that if anyone had even suggested when she woke up in the morning that before the day was out she would be frolicking in the sea with the most handsome man on campus, she would have sworn they were deluded. She leaned up on both elbows, staring up at his face. The intoxicating warmth of the coastal air was the perfect setting for whatever was unfolding between them. She willed him to kiss her again.
He did.
Softly at first, but then their hands and mouth began exploring each other with an urgency neither of them could control.
Florrie gripped his strong arms, feeling his skin next to hers. Living in the moment, and not thinking of the consequences, had brought her here – and this was only the start.
* * *
‘What exactly did this man do to you?’ Isla asked, breaking Florrie’s reverie. ‘And I have to say according to Google, he’s pretty damn hot and a successful businessman.’ Isla’s eyes widened. ‘He’s also on numerous rich lists.’
‘He runs a business that was passed down from generations before. It doesn’t mean he’s the reason for its success.’ Florrie might have sounded a little bitter but she wasn’t going to let him take the credit. That business was of his grandfather’s making. She knew all about his family. After all, she’d spent hours researching who was who after their short-lived love affair had ended, because she couldn’t quite let go.
‘Are you avoiding the first part of my question?’
‘Maybe.’
‘You can’t leave it there.’
‘What he did to me was take advantage. We shared two weeks of pure raw sex and emotional connection. We explored the coastline in a private boat, took naked midnight swims under the starlit sky. We drank copious amounts of champagne and slept naked in front of fires we’d made on the beach. It was two weeks of excess and boisterous fun and I thought it was just the beginning. We’d talked about the future… Anyway, after our two weeks came to an end, he went to St Tropez to spend the summer holiday with his family on his father’s yacht. He promised to keep in touch and told me he would see me at the beginning of term for our last year in university.’
‘And?’
‘Almost immediately, I learned he’d deceived me. Photos of him and a woman named Sophia Henley frolicking on his father’s yacht in the south of France were posted online and the headline claimed that it was on the cards that the childhood sweethearts would soon announce their engagement. He wasn’t single, Isla, and yet he still spent that time with me. Still gave me false hope for a future he knew would never happen. I blocked him from every form of communication after I saw the photos, and when he didn’t return to university that autumn for our final year, I assumed he’d begun working for his father’s business, which now I know he did.’
‘Blimey, you blocked him and didn’t give him the chance to explain? Maybe there was a rational explanation,’ suggested Isla, always the voice of reason.
It had been a knee-jerk reaction, but Florrie hadn’t been able to help it. ‘I had that very thought numerous times, but I felt humiliated and the only saving grace was no one knew I had been with him so there was no public humiliation. It hurt so much, Isla. How could he just forget to tell me he would be spending the summer with his childhood sweetheart on his father’s yacht?’
‘When you put it like that…’ Isla was tapping away on her phone. ‘Sophia Henley … an entrepreneur since the age of sixteen and heavily involved in charities—’
‘Tom Houston is a pig who grabbed a bit of fun whilst he could,’ cut in Florrie, still thinking about the pain that twisted in her heart when she first saw that photo of him and Sophia together.
Isla was still looking at her phone. ‘She may have been his childhood sweetheart but according to Google she’s now married to a very famous lawyer who represents celebrity clients. And from what I can see Tom doesn’t post much about his private life on social media.’ Isla was still scrolling. ‘Ooh! Actually, here’s a bit of interesting information. Tom Houston is single and in fact one of the world’s most eligible bachelors.’
Even though Florrie had seen for herself that there was no ring on his finger, she was surprised to have it confirmed that he was single. After blocking all forms of communication from him eight years ago, she’d vowed never to look him up again – even though at times she’d had to fight her curiosity hard – but she’d assumed he’d be married with kids by now.
‘He may be an eligible bachelor but he’s also evicting me with only a few weeks to remove all of Great-Aunt Ada’s belongings.’
‘That won’t be him personally. You’ll just be on a database. He’ll have numerous teams and bosses and they will have been informed Ada has passed away. I bet it’s somehow linked to the will,’ offered Isla.
Florrie knew Isla was talking sense, but she still couldn’t piece it all together. ‘What is he doing turning up in Heartcross though?’
‘I’m not sure. Maybe it is something to do with Rose Cottage? Perhaps he’s here to look over the property, the land and gardens, with a view to putting it on the market now that Ada’s no longer renting it? You should have asked him why he was here.’
The welcome Florrie had given him was far from friendly and she knew it was unlikely she was going to talk to Tom anytime soon. ‘And what’s does this part of the letter mean? It says there will be a follow-on letter with a list of all the things that belong to the cottage, and there will be an inspection to ensure the property is left in a habitable state. Do you think the cottage was furnished when they moved in?’ Florrie felt worried. ‘Surely Ada has changed the furniture over the decades.’
‘Let’s not panic just yet,’ said Isla calmly, trying to smooth the way. ‘I bet this is a standard letter that they send out. Surely they could just transfer the tenancy to you, as this has been your home for many years? I bet it’s a simple transaction. You could maybe talk to them about valuing the property and buying it from them.’
‘If this cottage doesn’t stay in the family, it’s going to have a huge effect on business.’ Florrie stood up and looked out of the window. ‘We grow the majority of our own flowers in these gardens. What am I going to do without them?’
‘I know this is a little unexpected, but try not to panic until we know the full facts. Surely the cottage will be rented out again – and why not to you? Better the devil you know, and all that.’
