up and give me your hand.’ He leaned down and grasped her hand in his. ‘Grab the ladder with your other hand,’ he said as he pulled her up into the boat and into his arms. Luci might not have thought about the logistics of getting back on the boat but Seb hadn’t thought about the logistics of helping her. There wasn’t much room at the back, just the small ledge. His back was to the gate and to open it he had to turn round and let her go. He didn’t want to do that. They were squashed into a space less than a metre square. Her body was soft against his, slick with water. Her skin was cool and he could feel her heart beating in her chest, beating against his.
She looked up at him.
They stared at each other in silence until he could stand it no longer.
He didn’t stop to think about what he was doing. He couldn’t think. All he could do was see and smell and feel.
He saw her blue-grey eyes looking at him, the freckles dusted across the bridge of her nose, the tip of it turning red with the sun. Saw the pink rosebud of her lips and wanted to taste her.
He couldn’t ignore her and he couldn’t resist. He bent his head, making his intention clear, waiting for her to tell him to stop. But she remained quiet. He couldn’t hear the sound of the ocean or the other bathers. All he could hear was the sound of their breathing, heavy in the stillness. He could see her eyes watching his and then they flicked down to his lips. He knew she understood his intention but she didn’t protest and that was all the invitation Seb needed.
HE BENT HIS HEAD.
Luci lifted her chin, offering her lips to him, and he claimed them. Claimed her.
He kissed her firmly, just like he’d been wanting to.
He pressed his lips to hers. She tasted of salt and she smelt of sunshine.
She parted her lips, opening her mouth to him. His tongue darted inside, tasting her, touching her. He couldn’t control his desire. She was irresistible. But while his own lack of control surprised him she surprised him more when she kissed him back. His hands slid down her back and over the bow of her bikini top. With one flick of his fingers he could untie that bow and he would be able to feel the swell of her breasts pressed against him, skin to skin. But this time he did resist. He moved his hands lower until they cupped her buttocks instead. Firm and round, they fitted perfectly into his palms.
He pulled her into him, pressing her against him as he deepened the kiss. Her mouth was warm, soft and inviting. Her body was cool and soft under his hands.
His body was hard and firm and he held himself back. He didn’t want to overpower her.
He felt her hands on his chest. They were cool over his racing heart.
She pushed gently against him, pulling away.
She looked up at him. Her blue-grey eyes were enormous, her pupils dilated. She was panting softly. She was out of breath, they both were.
They stood in silence, looking at each other, waiting for someone to say something. He wasn’t going to apologise for kissing her. It had been the right time and the right place and she certainly hadn’t resisted. But now she looked unsure. Albeit thoroughly kissed.
Her lips were dark pink now, almost red. She didn’t look upset. Just uncertain.
He didn’t think she wanted an apology. She hadn’t objected but now she looked wary.
‘Should I stop?’ he asked.
She didn’t reply immediately. She just stood, wrapped in his arms, staring up at him, and he could almost see her thoughts spinning in her brain, swirling behind her eyes.
‘I don’t know what you should do. I don’t know what I should do,’ she replied. ‘I can’t think.’
‘Did I make you uncomfortable?’ He wasn’t going to apologise for kissing her. He wasn’t sorry and he didn’t think she was either.
‘It’s not that.’ She paused and stepped away. ‘But I wasn’t expecting it.’
‘The kiss?’ he asked. He was pretty sure she’d seen it coming.
She shook her head. ‘No. How it felt.’
He thought it had been amazing but his heart stopped for a second as he wondered if perhaps she hadn’t been quite so astounded. ‘And how was that?’ he couldn’t stop himself from asking. He had to know.
‘Different.’
‘Good different?’ He had never fished for compliments before but he had to know if the kiss had rocked her world in the same way it had his.
‘Good and different. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as “good different”. I’m not used to different. I think that’s the unexpected thing. I’m not used to kissing a man I’ve just met. I’m not used to kissing anyone except my ex-husband.’
‘Really?’ That was it? She’d had one relationship?
‘Ben and I were together since I was fifteen. I’ve only been divorced six months.’
In that sentence lay the answers to several of his questions, the first being how long she had been divorced, but the second answer was even more telling. If she’d been ready to move on from her marriage then six months was a reasonable length of time, but if the end of her marriage hadn’t been something she’d chosen then a period of readjustment was only normal. She’d said her husband had met someone else. Seb guessed she wasn’t ready to do the same. But that didn’t preclude them from having some fun. Not if she wanted to. It was all up to her.
‘I get it. You need time.’
‘Don’t get me wrong. It felt good but I don’t know if it felt right. I’m not sure what I should be doing. I don’t know if I need more time but part of me feels like I should be a bit cautious and the other part is saying just close your eyes and jump.’
‘Only you can make that decision,’ he said. He wanted her to jump, he desperately wanted her to jump, but he knew that wasn’t his call. ‘Let me know what you decide. I’m not going to put any pressure on you but I will say this—you’re only here for a few weeks. We can enjoy each other’s company, no strings attached, no commitment, and then say goodbye. But it’s up to you. Think about it. You know where to find me.’
He dropped his arms from around her waist and leaned back to open the gate, allowing them to step into the boat.
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Conversation flowed easily, there were no awkward pauses, but the awareness was always there. He could feel the tension in the air around them, crackling and sparking, but they both ignored it. They talked about work, about places he’d visited and her home town; they talked about everything but the kiss they’d shared and where they were going to go from there.
He was serious about his suggestion, though. He was pretty sure she wasn’t the one for him long term, it was obvious she wanted to settle down and have a family, something that was definitely not on his
