As he carried the plates towards the kitchen, a loudthudbehind her made Fern jump.
She shrieked, leaning back in her chair to see a glass-eyed badger had toppled off a bookshelf. The chair gave a terrible creak just before the back leg snapped, sending her tumbling sideways.
‘Whoa…’ Daniel moved fast, dropping the bag and trying to catch her, but his knees buckled and the next thing she knew, they were tangled together in a ridiculous heap on the floor, Daniel half-straddling her, his arms braced on either side of her head.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Their faces wereinchesapart. She could feel the warmth of his breath, smell the faint scent of salt and vinegar clinging to him.
Her heart pounded.
Daniel blinked, his smirk faltering. His dark eyes flickered to her lips for a second before snapping back to hers. ‘You seem to be making a habit of falling for me.’
Fern swallowed, suddenly aware of everything– his weight upon her, the tension in his arms, the way his stupidly attractive face was justthere.
‘Get off me,’ she whispered, but it lacked conviction.
Daniel didn’t immediately move. Instead, his grin slowly returned, this time softer. More dangerous.
‘I would,’ he murmured, tilting his head slightly. ‘But I think you’re holding on to me.’
Fern glanced down, and damn it,her handsweregripping his shirt, like she had no intention of letting go.
Mortified, she shoved at his chest. ‘Move, now. And that chair needs to go.’
‘It does now you’ve broken the leg. Do you know how long that chair has been here?’
‘Probably decades, judging by everything else in here.’
He chuckled, finally rolling off her. He held out his hand to help her up and Fern huffed and took it, scrambling to her feet.
‘You can let go of my hand now.’
She dropped it immediately.
He was watching her, really watching her, as if something had shifted between them.
Fern swallowed. He gave her a heart-warming smile as he picked up the broken chair and moved it to the back of the shop before replacing it with one from the old dining table pushed up against the shop wall. ‘Try not to break this one.’
Fern playfully pushed him towards the kitchen. He was still grinning as he swooped down and picked up the bag of fish and chips from the floor.
‘Why don’t you make yourself useful and set the table?’ he suggested as he moved to unpack the food. He paused, looking back at her. ‘Feels like we’re a proper married couple, doesn’t it?’ He winked.
Fern didn’t answer, too lost in her own thoughts. It had taken her by surprise how completely at ease she felt in Daniel’s company, and she wondered exactly what Daniel Brooks’real story was. She’d come to Puffin Island wanting to get in and out as fast as possible, but he intrigued her. She wanted to know more, even if that meant staying longer than initially planned.
ChapterNine
The bathroom door was half-open, and Fern could hear Daniel humming off-key in the bedroom, not caring in the slightest about his audience. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, brushing her teeth as he came into the room and leaned towards the mirror, running a hand through his permanently tousled hair.
‘This is a bit intimate for a second date, don’t you think?’ he mused, smirking as he applied toothpaste directly to his tongue, forgoing a brush entirely.
Fern gagged. ‘What areyou doing?’
He grinned, foamy-mouthed. ‘Speed-brushing.’
‘That’s revolting.’
‘Efficiency is never revolting.’ He leaned against the sink. ‘At least I don’t brush my hair for ten minutes like I’m about to meet the Queen.’
