make her laugh and she really wished she could. ‘The best by a country mile.’ But a girl needed air in her lungs to laugh. ‘Simon, you have to forget about that kiss.’ So did she.
He shook his head. ‘I mean to cherish it.’
The admission stole her breath. When he turned to her in the moonlight, cupped her face with one hand, she didn’t back away. When his mouth descended towards hers, she didn’t ask him to stop. When his lips brushed hers, she couldn’t contain a sigh. She didn’t know who then took the step forward to close the gap between them—she felt so attuned to this man she thought it might have been both of them. Together. At the same time.
His head dipped again. His mouth covered hers, moved over her lips with a firmness, a sureness, that left her trembling. The kiss told her he knew her, that he liked her and wanted her. She opened up to him immediately and told him she knew him and liked him too.
Sensation and desire surged to life. His hands explored the curves of her hips and waist, touching off sparks and fireworks, urging her closer. Their moans and gasps mingled. His mouth on her throat…her hands working their way under his dress shirt to the bare skin of his back and stomach. The only soundstheir sighs and the swishing of waves and the plashing of a night bird as it hit the water.
A night bird.
Water.
Kate didn’t want to think, but one part of her mind kept niggling and niggling at her until she kinked open one eye…and saw stars, heard a car roar off down the street.
They were in a public place!
She took a step back. Simon released her immediately, then swore at whatever he saw in her face. She took in his kissed-to-within-an-inch-of-his-life dishevelment. And then her own. She took another step back and did what she could to straighten her dress, her hair…her mind.
‘Simon, I don’t do flings.’ Even if her blood was doing a heck of a good impression of a Highland fling right now. ‘You’re only here for a fortnight. I have a child, so even if you do long-term commitment it won’t be with me.’ Her blood started to slow. ‘This can’t happen. I thought we’d agreed on that this afternoon.’ She sagged as the last of her energy fizzed out of her.
Simon bent at the waist, rested his hands on his knees. Finally he straightened. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’
Kate took one look at the grim set of his lips and staggered across to a park bench, unsure if her legs would hold her up much longer. After a hesitation, Simon joined her.
‘Don’t even think of asking me if I’m okay,’ she snapped when he opened his mouth. He closed it again. ‘Of course I’m okay.’ It was only a kiss. Even if it had felt more like a full-frontal assault on her senses.
He dragged a hand down his face, massaging the skin around his eyes, and she knew he hadn’t emerged unscathed either. She forced her eyes to the front, stared out into the inky depths of the bay.
‘Why don’t you like children, Simon?’
She needed talk, chatter, to distance herself from the devastation of that kiss. It made her blurt out the question uppermost in her mind.
‘It’s not that I don’t like them!’ He reared back to stare at her. ‘It’s just that I’m no good with them.’
She blinked. She shook herself. ‘What makes you think you’re not good with them?’
He folded his arms and glared out at the water. ‘Some people are good at business or sport. Others have musical talent or are good with children. I’m good at business. I’m okay at sport. I missed out on the good-with-children gene.’
Something inside her clicked. His disquiet when Jesse and Nick had camped in the back garden. His concern that riding the boom nets on The Merry Dolphin could be dangerous…She tried for light. She had to keep this light. ‘And the musical talent?’
Obligingly his lips curved upwards, but it was more a polite attempt at a smile than the real thing. ‘Zilch.’
The beach in front of
He shook his head. ‘I mean to cherish it.’
The admission stole her breath. When he turned to her in the moonlight, cupped her face with one hand, she didn’t back away. When his mouth descended towards hers, she didn’t ask him to stop. When his lips brushed hers, she couldn’t contain a sigh. She didn’t know who then took the step forward to close the gap between them—she felt so attuned to this man she thought it might have been both of them. Together. At the same time.
His head dipped again. His mouth covered hers, moved over her lips with a firmness, a sureness, that left her trembling. The kiss told her he knew her, that he liked her and wanted her. She opened up to him immediately and told him she knew him and liked him too.
Sensation and desire surged to life. His hands explored the curves of her hips and waist, touching off sparks and fireworks, urging her closer. Their moans and gasps mingled. His mouth on her throat…her hands working their way under his dress shirt to the bare skin of his back and stomach. The only soundstheir sighs and the swishing of waves and the plashing of a night bird as it hit the water.
A night bird.
Water.
Kate didn’t want to think, but one part of her mind kept niggling and niggling at her until she kinked open one eye…and saw stars, heard a car roar off down the street.
They were in a public place!
She took a step back. Simon released her immediately, then swore at whatever he saw in her face. She took in his kissed-to-within-an-inch-of-his-life dishevelment. And then her own. She took another step back and did what she could to straighten her dress, her hair…her mind.
‘Simon, I don’t do flings.’ Even if her blood was doing a heck of a good impression of a Highland fling right now. ‘You’re only here for a fortnight. I have a child, so even if you do long-term commitment it won’t be with me.’ Her blood started to slow. ‘This can’t happen. I thought we’d agreed on that this afternoon.’ She sagged as the last of her energy fizzed out of her.
Simon bent at the waist, rested his hands on his knees. Finally he straightened. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’
Kate took one look at the grim set of his lips and staggered across to a park bench, unsure if her legs would hold her up much longer. After a hesitation, Simon joined her.
‘Don’t even think of asking me if I’m okay,’ she snapped when he opened his mouth. He closed it again. ‘Of course I’m okay.’ It was only a kiss. Even if it had felt more like a full-frontal assault on her senses.
He dragged a hand down his face, massaging the skin around his eyes, and she knew he hadn’t emerged unscathed either. She forced her eyes to the front, stared out into the inky depths of the bay.
‘Why don’t you like children, Simon?’
She needed talk, chatter, to distance herself from the devastation of that kiss. It made her blurt out the question uppermost in her mind.
‘It’s not that I don’t like them!’ He reared back to stare at her. ‘It’s just that I’m no good with them.’
She blinked. She shook herself. ‘What makes you think you’re not good with them?’
He folded his arms and glared out at the water. ‘Some people are good at business or sport. Others have musical talent or are good with children. I’m good at business. I’m okay at sport. I missed out on the good-with-children gene.’
Something inside her clicked. His disquiet when Jesse and Nick had camped in the back garden. His concern that riding the boom nets on The Merry Dolphin could be dangerous…She tried for light. She had to keep this light. ‘And the musical talent?’
Obligingly his lips curved upwards, but it was more a polite attempt at a smile than the real thing. ‘Zilch.’
The beach in front of
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