Chapter 37
Polly was the sort of drunk friend who was a pleasure to be around – her usual quiet demeanour switched to a bit naughty and she’d say things she’d never say when she was sober.
Mirabel had always been a weepy drunk, Sarah managed to be even louder and more forthright than normal, while Deni would let go of all her inhibitions.
Lola, of course, was the drunk friend who usually caused a scene.
Lola was about to head back outside with her favourite limoncello cocktail when Polly made a beeline for her. It was obvious from the sleepy smile and the shake of her hips as she twirled towards her that her lovely friend was wonderfully tipsy.
‘You’re not heading to bed already, are you?’ Lola asked as she reached her.
‘Already?’ Polly raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s midnight and waaaaay past my bedtime.
’ She put her arm around Lola’s waist. ‘But the night is still young for you, so go back out there. Oh, and if you stay in our room tonight just to keep me company, I will make your life hell for the foreseeable future. There’s a gorgeous man out there who is dying to get his hands on you.
Please, for the love of God, leave me in peace and have some last-night fun!
’ She cocked her head and gave her a sly look. ‘Anyway, I can’t stand your snoring.’
‘I do not snore!’
‘If you say so.’ Polly chuckled. ‘I am perfectly happy having a room to myself away from my husband – who does snore – and my kids who wake me up at some ungodly hour every morning. So please, go, and you and Rhys get rid of all this sexual tension, then you can give me, Deni and Sarah all the gossip on the flight home. Deal?’
Laughter bubbled up inside Lola at her friend’s serious expression.
It would have been formidable on Deni, but her loveable friend just couldn’t quite pull it off, not after a few glasses of wine.
As Polly kissed her cheek and set off towards their bedroom with a wave, Lola wholeheartedly agreed that something needed to happen between her and Rhys, yet there was an unstated pressure, because tonight would be their last chance.
Opportunities had arisen but had been thwarted one way or other.
But tonight, Polly was right. What was stopping her?
Having feelings for someone left her vulnerable to getting her heart broken, but what she was most fearful of was allowing someone close and risking losing herself again.
She reminded herself that Rhys wasn’t Jarek.
The truth was she knew that taking things further with Rhys would make it all the harder to say goodbye tomorrow, but did that really mean they shouldn’t?
Lola returned outside to find Deni and Mark, plus Jenny and her husband, saying goodnight, which seemed to give Freddie and Zoe their cue to head to their room as well.
A couple of minutes later, Sarah gave an overdramatic yawn and stood up.
‘Oof, I don’t know about you guys, but I need my beauty sleep.’
‘I’ll walk you to your room.’ Gareth grinned manically at Sarah as he too scraped back his chair and downed the remainder of his beer.
Barnaby stretched. ‘Think I might join you. Not join you, you know what I mean, just it’s time for bed too.’
It was almost as if there’d been an understanding between everyone – a pinball effect the moment the first person had called it a night.
Lola rolled her eyes at Sarah as she winked and, clasping Gareth’s arm, they strolled across the terrace, a red-faced Barnaby on their heels.
‘Well, that was unsubtle.’ Rhys chuckled.
Heat flooded Lola’s chest. ‘Wasn’t it just.’
There were two empty chairs between them, a chasm that needed breaching.
It was incredibly quiet, as if even whispering would be too loud against the night-time scritch of insects.
The villa was filled with people all anticipating how Lola and Rhys’s night would go; their friends willing them to get together to make magical memories on their last night in Sardinia. That was the hope, wasn’t it?
To hell with it.
Lola scooped up her limoncello cocktail and closed the distance between them.
Placing her drink on the table, she slid onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
It might be a mistake to spend the night together when there wouldn’t be any chance of repeating it, but her body was craving him, her heart was full of him and her head was screaming yes.
She was still weighing up what they should or shouldn’t do when Rhys kissed her.
And then, much like it had been the first time they’d kissed at the restaurant in Porto Cervo, everything else peeled away and there was just her and Rhys.
This time there were no witnesses. There was no need to stop and no awkwardness to navigate afterwards.
As their hands slid around each other and their kiss deepened, it was everything she wanted.
They kissed for a long time, sensual, passionate and expectant, and only paused when one of the candles on the table guttered out. Goosebumps prickled Lola’s skin from the night-time breeze and the thrill of Rhys’s touch.
‘Maybe we should move so Chef Carlo can clear away and get some sleep.’ Rhys’s whisper was edged with laughter.
Lola caught his face in her hands. ‘Do you know that’s one of the things I love about you most. How thoughtful you are.’
‘My intentions aren’t quite that innocent, though.’
Well damn, if the look he was giving her and the promise in his tone didn’t undress her there and then.
‘I should hope not.’ Lola’s tongue flicked and teased across his lips as her fingers started unbuttoning his shirt.
‘I really do think we should continue this somewhere a little more private.’ This time his whispered words were deep and guttural and when he took her hand and led her with purpose through the villa towards his room, any thoughts about how kind and considerate he was turned to just how much she wanted him.
She adored this confident side to him that knew what he wanted too.
The restraint from the night before evaporated the moment he closed his door; Lola’s fear had been replaced by unbridled desire, while Rhys’s reticence had disappeared completely.
His shirt was off within seconds and Lola nearly tripped over her own skirt as it caught around her feet.
Rhys steadied her, his hands on her waist warm, firm and wanted.
Lola led him to the bed and relished the way his eyes roved. His breath hitched as she unhooked her bra and discarded it on the floor.
Rhys fumbled with the buttons on his jeans and gave up entirely when Lola took over, while he focused on her, his hands exploring her body.
Lola pulled his phone from his pocket and placed it on the bedside table, then she yanked down his jeans.
‘I hope your phone’s off, Rhys. No interruptions this time.’ She let his jeans drop next to her bra and pulled him down on the bed with her. ‘If someone knocks on the door, ignore them. Hell, if the fire alarm goes off, we ignore it.’
‘Or head to the beach and continue there.’
‘I like your thinking.’ Lola grinned. ‘Oh, and if Freddie and Zoe hear, I’m okay with that too.’
‘Are you still talking?’ He grazed his lips across the side of her neck and when he trailed them between her breasts, every single thought exited her head.