Chapter 46
Bloody wildlife. He wasn’t sure what particular bird had jolted him awake, perhaps the owl that had hooted late into the night.
He only knew his backside was so pockmarked with shingle he felt like cellulite had kicked in.
They’d cuddled naked after that spectacular sex.
In the cool night air, under a shared blanket, their body temperatures would have gone from volcanic to glacial, yet his sleep had been deep and satisfying, much like the connection between them earlier.
He turned on the uncomfortable ground and reached out for the blanket Aria was hogging.
She was asleep on her back, her hair laid out around her.
Turning fully towards her and pushing a strand of hair away from her face, he tried to analyse his feelings for her.
The sex had been amazing, probably inevitable, and he wanted it again, if only she would wake up in the next few minutes.
They had chemistry, that much was undeniable.
But it was more than just a little spark.
More than sex. He’d caught feelings for her, and he’d tried to keep them at bay, he really had.
But he also needed to focus on his other life, his real life – a world away from here.
He suspected this sunflower would wither and die if he transplanted her to an urban environment.
By all accounts, she’d tried moving south last year and hated it.
He rubbed his eyes. He had an important meeting today, and following the outcome, some difficult decisions to make.
He still hadn’t sorted the problem of her cabin blocking marina access.
He needed to be on top of his game with his brother gone and keep the goal in mind.
But every time he turned around the goalposts shifted again.
Was Theo right? Did he need to make the fake relationship real – the obvious wins of joy and sex counterbalanced by the hard work of a long-distance relationship?
Did he want to launch into a partnership that might distract him from the task even further?
Damn. It was real already, he decided, and he was in denial if he thought any different.
He rose, careful not to disturb Aria so early in the morning and tucked the blanket firmly around her to keep her warm.
Walking towards his house, Nic read through the messages he’d ignored last night.
One was an alert from Theo that builders were on standby to start digging the road in advance of installing the services for the marina, so they’d be ready to go as soon as planning was called one way or the other.
Nic was pleased – another box ticked on his endless to-do list. Theo also said there was yet another counterbid on extra land they were going for and asked if there was anyone up here Nic could talk to.
Nic sighed. He couldn’t do any more. It was all down to the universe now.
To top things off, there was a voicemail from his dad that he couldn’t bring himself to listen to just yet.
His brain was frazzled by the fitful sleep and his worries.
He needed to get back to his house, take a shower and head to the hotel where he’d agreed to meet his case officer after the meeting.
He was tired of his responsibilities. It had been easier at the beginning of his career when he flipped properties and took regular weekend breaks that sometimes lasted until Tuesday.
As he walked, he looked back, noticing a shift in the light and a change in the intensity of the birdsong as the morning broke properly.
A bright green insect skimmed the lake, making him pause and watch the ripples as he continued up the hill.
On one side of the path was his manicured lawn, and on the other, Aria’s hut and garden, buzzing with life.
Live-wire orange and yellow poppies flirted with other wild flowers.
Some of the vegetable beds were beginning to sprout fine lines of green and the rose bushes beyond were starting to bloom.
Then his eyes were drawn back to her, as they always were whenever she entered his universe.
The most beautiful flower of all. For a moment, he considered walking back and waking her with a kiss, before showing her what else he could do with his tongue.
But beyond her the lake reminded him of what he really was.
If he looked closely, would there be blood in the reeds and where it was as still as a millpond, would he see his own cowardly face?
Her roots were flourishing, but his were tangled with knotweed.
He needed to pull up the trauma of his past or make the barrier she talked about before he’d be worthy of her.
Feeling the morning breeze on his cheeks while wishing his face was buried in that delightful space between her breasts, he continued to walk up the path.