Chapter 19
NINETEEN
WREN
‘Trapeze artist?’
‘No.’ She could hear the smile in his voice even though she was looking at the path ahead.
‘Mercenary?’
‘I think I would have handled that mugger a bit better, don’t you?’
‘True.’
They’d walked slowly up the winding path to Wren’s hotel without any discussion about what would happen when they got there. With each step, she wondered if he was escorting her home out of gentlemanly concern, or if he had something else in mind. And she wasn’t sure which one she was hoping for. To distract herself from that train of thought, she resumed the guessing game.
‘Archaeologist?’
‘You can tell by your very active imagination that you’re a writer. And no. You can put away your Indiana Jones fantasies right there.’
Their hands brushed together and it felt, to Wren, like she’d grazed a candle – there was a heat there that was both warming and dangerous. What was she doing kissing someone else when she was barely separated from Alex? Despite the fact that she was now single, it felt strange to be in this position with someone new and unfamiliar. But that kiss… It had felt as if Nick’s lips were a connection to something she’d never known she was missing.
He held open the gate for her, and they walked up the path to the door of the hotel room.
‘So, would I have read anything you’ve written?’ he asked as she unlocked the door.
‘Well, that depends on your reading tastes. Are you partial to stories about international crime rings, or do you lean more towards church fetes? And I’m not going to tell you which end of the spectrum I land on.’
‘Maybe something in between? I’m just an average Joe.’
No, you aren’t , she thought, her pulse quickening as she looked up at him. He was maybe half a foot taller, but his mouth was well within reach, and she wanted to meet it with her own lips. But before she could take a step, he was there.
His lips were soft but prickled slightly with stubble at the edges, and his hands weaved up into her hair so he almost lifted her towards him. She was pulled in to his chest, but it was more than just the intensity of his grip – she was drawn in as if she’d been wrenched into his orbit. Helpless but completely intent.
She reached behind her and found the handle, letting the door swing open, and they went inside, breaking away from each other’s lips but not from the eye contact. In the dim light, he looked at her intensely, no longer smiling or laughing or wisecracking. Once the door closed, and he pulled her towards him again, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they lost themselves in another kiss.
Ever since she’d met Nick, she’d felt like she’d been riding waves of adrenaline. The Blue Grotto, her ill-timed dive onto the harbour, Nick taking a punch while acting in her defence… This was a different kind of rush, one that made her feel like every cell in her body was tingling; like her head was spinning.
His lips found the tender spot on her neck where her necklace had torn the skin, and he kissed it softly. Then their eyes met for a moment before she reached up and gently pressed her lips to the bruise that was skirting the edge of his cheekbone.
He pushed her slowly backwards, guiding her across the room, until she realised it wasn’t just him taking the lead; she was pulling him too. Something flickered inside her. They were like magnets, not just now, but ever since the moment they’d met on the beach. Finding and losing each other but being drawn back together somehow.
His hand moved from her cheek down to her shoulder, then further to the curve of her breast. She breathed in sharply as he stopped there, and it was like lighting a touchpaper. She pulled his T-shirt off at the same time as he flicked the straps of her sundress away from her shoulders and unhooked her bra. Her clothes fell to the floor, and as they pressed their naked chests together, she could feel his heart pounding just like her own.
The guessing game was over – she didn’t need to know any more than this. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything.
Her hands worked at the button of his shorts at the same time as he guided her onto the bed, simultaneously tugging her underwear away. His lips worked down her body from her neck, bit by bit, and as they passed below her stomach, she felt as if she’d forgotten how to breathe. The whole time he lingered there she grew more and more lightheaded.
Then she couldn’t wait anymore. She sat up and pulled him to her, with a force that he reciprocated, his strong arms almost carrying her further onto the bed. He moved against her urgently, and she did the same until they were one, and the room seemed to fade away. This small universe that contained only them exploded with white heat.
For the rest of the night, Wren realised they weren’t just magnetised. It was electric, and the fireworks on the harbour were nothing compared to the sparks that flew between them.