a viewpoint. And it even has a seat.’
Scott pointed to the old wooden bench, which Toni had not even noticed on her mad dash that afternoon from the office to the kitchen. It was half hidden in a tiny arc of flowering bushes and potted plants which almost covered the surface of a small paved patio area. Completely secluded and separated from the house by a low hedge, it was a perfect private space.
‘Nice spot,’ Toni murmured after a few minutes to break the silence. ‘Come here often?’
Scott seemed to stretch out longer and laid his head back against the wooden bench so that when he spoke it was as though his words were addressed to the sky.
‘The first time I saw this garden I was fifteen years old and my parents had agreed to divorce. My mother had finally had enough of cooking meals that never got eaten because my father slept at the office and simply forgot to tell her. I can’t remember a time when he ever spent more than a couple of days with us in a row. Family holidays were a joke. So out went the old Victorian museum we called home and in came this modern clean house. With heating. And lights and plumbing. It was quite a shock.’
‘Tell me about it—’ Toni laughed and stepped closer ‘—I think you just described my house.’
‘Some things stayed the same.’ Scott raised one arm and pointed upwards. ‘The constellations didn’t stomp around and cry like Freya did or collapse on the sofa exhausted every night like my poor mother. They stayed in pretty much the same place in one part of London compared to another.’
‘Well—’ Toni tried to keep her voice light and her heart from exploding ‘—I wondered where all of those lovely diagrams came from on your maps. Scott the astronomer.’
He chuckled, his voice low, deep and resonant in the absolute stillness and silence of the night.
‘Star signs were traditional on sea charts and it helps having a basic knowledge when you’re out in the wild,’ he replied. ‘How about you? Long history of solar exploration in your family?’
‘Oh, just one of my many talents,’ Toni replied and was just about to make some dismissive quip when it struck her that, from the tone of his voice, he sounded different somehow. Relaxed and comfortable. At home. Unencumbered by responsibility.
So she fought back the urge to be sarcastic and strolled over towards the bench in the dark. Except her toes connected with something solid on the way.
‘Ouch,’ she muttered, ‘what have I just banged into?’
‘That would be the metal chair,’ he replied with concern in his voice. ‘Any damage done?’
‘To my toe or your furniture?’ she whispered, and then flexed her toes. ‘No, I don’t think so; I still have some movement. I can’t speak for the other party.’
‘Excellent,’ he replied. ‘Then please feel free to enjoy the free floor show. No charge.’ Then he patted the bench next to him and Toni could have sworn that there was a certain smirk on his lips.
‘Perhaps I will,’ Toni said and pushed her hands into the pockets of her dressing gown as she perched on the edge of the bench and looked up into the night sky.
They both gazed skywards without speaking for a few minutes, their peace disturbed only by the sound of the traffic on the road nearby and the occasional sound of distant laughter.
She snuggled deeper into her gown. ‘The sky in Alaska must be wonderful on nights like this.’
‘Stunning. Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? They are the most astonishing effects. Last week I spent most of the night with the aurora as my guide.’
She shrugged and then realised that Scott probably wouldn’t be able to see her. ‘That makes me so jealous. I spent four days in Iceland last January and it was cloudy every single night but I still went out, just in case. My reward was a bad nosebleed and frozen eyeballs.’
Just the memory of those evenings sent a shiver down her back and she quivered and rubbed her arms.
‘Feeling cold?’ he asked.
‘Very’ she replied. ‘Time for me to head back inside. Lots to do tomorrow. Oh. Make that later today.’
She heard a low grunt as Scott shuffled closer along the bench. Before she had a chance to speak, he pressed his body against the length of her side and slid his arm around her waist. A delicious glow of warmth spread across her hips and she instinctively leant sideways to enjoy the heat from his body, wrapped in his warm fleece around the front of her gown.
The whole sensation was absolutely wonderful. Solid, protective and exactly what she needed. This had been one hell of a day and she was already missing Amy so much.
‘Another five minutes. We stargazers have to stick together,’ Scott murmured.
He raised one arm and pointed to the bright star on the horizon below the new moon. ‘On a night like this Venus and the pole star are my navigation. They get me back to base.’
‘My sister is travelling in South America,’ Toni replied in a low voice, thinking of Amy. ‘She arrived this evening and somehow it makes me feel better to think that she is seeing the same stars as I am right now.’
‘Ask me to show you a star map tomorrow.’
Toni lowered her head and watched the steam from her breath in front of her face.
‘The only stars I’ve ever seen have been through the London haze.’
‘Well, that is a shame,’ Scott replied and rubbed her arms with his unbandaged hand. ‘Maybe one day.’
He turned and smiled at her, and the expression on his face was so overwhelmingly full of understanding and emotion that the invisible bond that drew her to him tightened so much that it was impossible for her to resist.
Then he kissed her on the tip of her nose. And the touch of his lips was as gentle as a butterfly landing and she closed her eyes to revel in that brief moment when her skin was in contact with his.
Scott closed the tiny gap between their bodies. It seemed only natural for him to tip her chin towards him, slant his head and press his lips against hers. Softly at first, then firmer, harder, wider.
And Toni kissed him back, filling her lips and mouth with such luscious sweet warmth that any lingering resistance melted away and she moved deeper into the kiss. Eyes closed, she revelled in the sensation of falling into his mouth, their tongues touching, heads pressed together for a moment longer than she should have, before she felt Scott pull back.
His breath felt hot and fast on her neck, and Toni pressed the palms of both hands flat against the front of his fleece so that she could feel the pace of his heart beat faster to match hers as he gently lifted a strand of her hair behind one ear.
‘I do have one more suggestion,’ he whispered.
‘Um?’ Toni murmured as his fingertips slid down from her forehead to her chin in one smooth motion, as though he was unwilling to lose contact with her skin.
His fingers stilled on her chin, but she knew that his gaze was firmly locked on to her face so that when he spoke
