The feeling of such exquisite joy at having her skin touched by another human. The tendrils of sensation that sparkled through her body at moments, like feeling the touch of Angus’s tongue on her nipples and his hands holding her hips – histhumbs pressing into the softness of her belly as he traced the curve of the bones leading to the place she needed him to be. Where those sparkles were gathering and dancing, deep in her core, waiting for the ultimate release that would blind her with the pleasure of it.
This…
It couldn’t get any better than this.
* * *
Except it did.
Much later.
After they’d had a shower and wrapped themselves in fluffy towels and discovered that thepoulet aux oliveswas just as delicious cold and Tilly had more than made up for having lost her appetite earlier that evening.
When they went back to the same bed, even though there was another one available in the cottage.
And they started all over again, only this time it was slower. More considered, as if they both needed to make sure they weren’t missing anything – like the incredibly silky skin on the inside of Tilly’s thighs and the way Angus made that low growl of approval when a chain of kisses was linked with a lick of a tongue.
The silhouettes of the beautifully shaped olive trees became sharper in the first hint of approaching dawn before both Tilly and Angus gave in to the need for sleep.
They didn’t say anything aloud in those moments of drifting into slumber, so they couldn’t know that they were thinking exactly the same thing.
That sexabsolutelycould not get any better than that.
11
The sharp, alarmed-sounding shriek of a bird woke Tilly with a jolt the next morning.
She felt an echo of that alarm as she found herself staring into a pair of dark blue eyes, only inches away from her on the other pillow.
‘It’s just a falcon,’ Angus said softly. Reassuringly. ‘A peregrine. I know that cry. My father and I used to take Robbie walking in the Trossachs and we’d watch the falcons circling overhead.’
‘Oh…’ Tilly let the air escape from her lungs. It felt like memories of last night were circling over the bed right now but they didn’t feel anything like as dangerous as birds of prey. ‘Robbie?’
‘My dog. He was a Christmas present when I was a wee lad and he was…’ Tilly could see the muscles in Angus’s throat move as he swallowed. ‘He was the best dog in the world.’
Who would have thought that this reserved, controlled man would look all misty over the memory of a dog?
Tilly could feel something melting inside her chest and, without thinking, she snuggled a little closer and tucked herhead into the hollow of his shoulder. Angus might not be remotely romantic but he was quite capable of feeling true love, wasn’t he? Tilly had to concede that that was rather a big tick on any checklist she had for men.
She might have to add another box after last night. Or maybe not. She had the feeling that she might never find another man who could live up to the standard of lovemaking that Angus McLeod had made her realise existed.
She could feel his breath on her hair as he spoke again.
‘About last night…’
Tilly caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Had Angus seen what she was thinking before she hid her face on his chest? Or could he, too, sense what was swirling in the air around this bed?
‘You need to know that I don’t normally approve of sex that’s not in the context of a committed relationship.’
Tilly was trying to translate the implications of what was being said as much as its meaning.
‘It was… a surprise,’ she offered. ‘For both of us, I think.’
There was a moment’s silence and then Angus cleared his throat. ‘A nice surprise,’ he said.
Tilly could feel her cheeks going pink. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘Very nice.’
‘It’s not as if it can be part of a committed relationship, of course,’ Angus continued. ‘But there’s something different about being here. Being on holiday.’
