Chapter 80
Chapter Eighty
T he next morning, Chris watched Evie as she slept. He had risen with the sun, his body invigorated. When he looked at her naked body stretched out before him, a sense of serenity overcame him. Life had come full circle.
After a shower and cup of tea, he cleaned the kitchen and retrieved the bowls of melted ice cream from where they were, still on the veranda. The ocean glistened to the east, and a cloudless sky filled the expanse above. A small mob of kangaroos lifted their heads to watch him, all returning to eating the fresh shoots of grass on his front lawn when he quietly went back inside.
When he returned to bed, he lay on his side and watched Evie sleep. She was as beautiful as she’d ever been. Her thick brown hair was spread across the pillow, her long eyelashes splayed out, dark against her gorgeous olive skin. Slender arms and legs were flung across the bed, one leg pushed under a sheet. His heart was full and there was nothing else he wanted in his life, except her love. He was successful, rich, and owned a multitude of properties. He had travelled the world and mixed with the famous and high-fliers of the business world, but there had always been something missing. Evie brought him a contentment and happiness he had not found with anyone else.
When she opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes were green like the emerald depths of the rainforest. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. Her arms reached out for him and she wriggled in close to his body, the towel he had wrapped around his waist coming loose so they lay naked together.
Their eyes met and his lips moved to her body. When she giggled and squirmed, he placed his leg gently over her body and whispered in her ear. ‘My heart has been empty without you. I love you.’
Her words were clear, and her eyes sparkled in the early morning light. ‘I love you too, Chris.’