‘LOOKS LIKE YOUR sailboat is coming in again, Audra.’
They were eating a late lunch of crusty bread, cheese and olives, and Audra’s mind was buzzing with Finn’s plans for the future. If they were both going to be living on Kyanós, then...
Her heart pounded. It was possible that things could happen. Romantic things. She knew he hadn’t considered settling down, falling in love—marrying and babies. Not yet. But who knew how that might change once he settled into a new life here? Given time, who knew what he might choose to do?
She tried to control the racing of her pulse. She had no intention of rushing him. She was in no rush. She meant to enjoy their friendship, and to relish the changes she was making in her life. And—she swallowed—they would wait and see what happened.
He’d risen to survey the beach below. She moved to stand beside him, and was greeted with the now familiar pink and blue sail. ‘It looks like they’re coming ashore.’
Heat burned her cheeks when she recalled her earlier musings about the honeymooners who might be on board. She hoped they weren’t planning to have hot sex on her beach. Not that it was hers per se, but... She turned her back on the view, careful not to look at Finn. ‘Do you want any more of these olives or cheese?’
He swung back and planted himself at the table again. ‘Don’t take the olives! They’re the best I’ve ever eaten.’
She tried to laugh, rather than sigh, at the way he savoured one.
He helped himself to another slice of a Greek hard cheese called kefalotiri. ‘Whose turn is it to choose the activities for the day?’
She helped herself to a tiny bunch of grapes. ‘I’ve no idea.’ She’d lost count. Besides, the day was half over.
‘Then I vote that a long lazy lunch is the order of the day.’
She laughed for real this time. ‘It’s already been long and lazy.’
‘We could make it longer and lazier.’
Sounded good to her.
‘We could open a bottle of wine...grab our books...’
Okay, it sounded perfect. ‘Count me in.’
‘We could head down to the beach if you want...’
She shook her head. ‘Let the visitors enjoy it in privacy. I’m stuffed too full of good food to swim.’
He grinned. ‘I’ll grab the wine.’
‘I’ll grab our books.’
But before either of them could move, the sound of voices and crackling undergrowth had them looking towards the track. Audra blinked when Rupert, accompanied by a woman she didn’t know, emerged.
A smile swept through her—he should’ve let them know he was coming! Before she could leap up, however, Finn’s low, savage curse had her senses immediately going on high alert. She glanced at him, and her stomach nosedived at the expression on his face.
Finn rose.
Rupert and the woman halted when they saw him. The air grew thick with a tension Audra didn’t understand. Nobody spoke.
She forced herself to stand too. ‘What’s going on, Finn?’
He glanced down at her and she recognised regret and guilt swirling in his eyes, and something else she couldn’t decipher. ‘I really should’ve told you about that woman in Nice I’d been trying to avoid. I’m sorry, Princess.’
Audra stared at the woman standing beside Rupert—a tall, leggy brunette whose eyes were hidden behind a large pair of sunglasses—and her mouth went dry. That gorgeous woman was Finn’s latest girlfriend? Her stomach shrivelled to the size of a small hard pebble. Why had Rupert brought her to the island? She recalled his warnings about Finn and closed her eyes.
‘Trust me!’
Her eyes flew open at Finn’s words. She wasn’t sure if they were a command or a plea.
His eyes burned into hers. ‘I promise I will not allow anything she does to hurt you.’
What on earth...?
‘You’re going to make damn sure of it,’ Rupert snarled, striding forwards. He kissed her cheek with a clipped, ‘Squirt.’ But the glare he shot Finn filled her stomach with foreboding. And it turned Finn grey. ‘Audra, this is Trixie McGraw.’
The woman held out her hand. Audra shook it. Trixie? She hated that name. It took all her strength to stop her lips from twisting.
‘What Rupert has left out of his introduction,’ Finn drawled, ‘is that Ms McGraw here is an investigative journalist. Not an ex-girlfriend, not an ex-lover.’
She wasn’t...
She was a journalist!
Audra swung to Rupert, aghast. ‘You’ve brought the press to the island?’
Rupert opened his mouth, but Finn cut in. ‘She’s not here for you, Audra. She wants to interview me.’
‘Why?’
If possible, Finn turned even greyer and she wanted to take his hand and offer him whatever silent support she could, but Rupert watched them both with such intensity she didn’t want to do anything he could misinterpret. She didn’t want to do anything that would damage their friendship.
‘My recent accident—the ski-jump disaster—it happened on a resort owned by a friend, Joachim Firrelli. Trixie here was Joachim’s girlfriend before they had an ugly bust-up. She’s now trying to prove that his facilities are substandard—that he’s to blame for my accident. Except I’m not interested in being a pawn in her little game of revenge.’
‘It doesn’t sound little to me. It sounds bitter and a lot twisted.’
Trixie didn’t bat so much as an eyelid. Rupert’s mouth tightened.
‘As I’ve repeatedly told Ms McGraw, the accident was nobody’s fault but my own. I lost concentration. End of story. And I’m not going to let a friend of mine pay the price for my own recklessness.’
His guilt made sudden and sickening sense. He felt guilty that his actions could cause trouble for his friend. And he felt guilty that he’d unwittingly attracted a member of the press to the island when she was doing all that she could to avoid them. Oh, Finn.
Finn had crossed his arms and his mouth was set. Her heart pounded, torn between two competing impulses. One was the nausea-inducing reminder that Finn wasn’t the kind of man to settle down with just one woman and that to love him would leave her with nothing but a broken heart.
The other...well, it continued to hope. After all, he’d wasted no time in telling her who this Trixie McGraw was, and what she wanted from him. He hadn’t wanted her to think this woman was a girlfriend or lover, and that had to mean something, right?
She glared at Rupert. ‘Why on earth...? Did you know this woman was on a witch hunt?’
Rupert’s hands fisted. He turned to Trixie. ‘Is what Finn said true?’
One shoulder lifted. ‘Pretty much. Except for the “witch hunt” part.’
The woman had the most beautiful speaking voice Audra had ever heard.
‘Your sister seems to think I’m motivated by revenge, though I can assure you that is not the case. I believe it’s in the public interest to know when the safety standards on a prominent ski resort have deteriorated.’
It was all Audra could do not to snort. ‘I can’t believe you’ve brought the media to the island.’ Not when he’d done everything he could to protect her from the attention of the press before she’d arrived here.
‘I didn’t bring her. She was already here. I received an email from her yesterday. That’s why I’m here now. I left Geneva this morning. I’m not this woman’s friend.’
She took a moment to digest that.
So... None of them wanted to talk to this woman?
The press had made her life hell back in Geneva. She wasn’t going to let that happen again here on the island. She wasn’t going to let them turn Finn and his friend Joachim into their next victims either. She folded her arms. ‘Rupert, you have a choice to make.’
He blinked. ‘What choice?’
She met his gaze. It was sombre and focussed. ‘This is your house. You can invite whomever you want. But you either choose me or you choose her, because one of us has to leave. And if you do choose her, there will be repercussions. There won’t be any family dinners in the foreseeable future, and you can kiss a family Christmas goodbye.’
Rupert’s nostrils flared.
‘Audra,’ Finn started, but she waved him quiet.
‘I don’t trust her, Rupe, but I do trust Finn.’ Something in Rupert’s eyes darkened and it made her blink. Wow. He didn’t? When had that happened? She swallowed. ‘And you trust me, so—’
‘Forgive me, Ms Russel,’ the beautiful voice inserted. ‘I understand your current aversion to the press given the circus surrounding your relationship with Thomas Farquhar but I’m not here to discuss that. Your privacy is assured.’
Maybe, but Finn’s wasn’t. She ignored her. ‘I want her off this property. Choose, Rupert.’
‘It’s no competition, Squirt. You’d win in a heartbeat. But I need your help with something first. We won’t go inside the house, I promise. But bear with me here. This will take ten minutes. Less. If you still want Trixie to leave after that, I’ll escort her off the premises.’
It didn’t seem too much to ask. And in the face of Rupert’s sheer reasonableness she found her outrage diminishing. ‘Ten minutes.’ She pulled out her phone and set a timer.
Rupert motioned to Trixie and she pulled a large A4 manila envelope from her backpack and placed it on the table. Rupert gestured for her and Finn to take a look at the contents. His glance, when it clashed with Finn’s, was full of barely contained violence that made Finn’s gaze narrow and his shoulders stiffen. Wasting no further time, she reached inside the envelope and pulled out...photographs.
She inhaled sharply, and her heart plummeted. Pictures of her and Finn.
The first captured the moment yesterday when she’d leant forward and in the excitement of the moment had kissed Finn. The next showed the moment after when they’d stared at each other—yearning and heat palpable in both their faces. She could feel the heat of need rising through her again now. She flipped to the next one. It was of her and Finn drinking champagne in a harbourside tavern afterwards. They were both smiling and laughing. And she couldn’t help it, her lips curved upwards again now. This dreadful woman had captured one of the happiest moments of Audra’s life.
‘This is what you do?’ she asked the other woman. ‘You spy on people?’
Trixie, probably wisely, remained silent.
She glanced at Rupert. ‘You’re upset about this? I know you warned Finn off, but I kissed him, not the other way around. I took him off guard. He didn’t stand a chance.’ Behind her Finn snorted. ‘Besides, it was a friendly kiss...a thank-you kiss. And it lasted for less than two seconds.’
Without a word, Rupert leaned across and pulled that photo away to reveal the one beneath. She stared at it and everything inside her clenched up tight. It was of her and Finn outside the art studio that day, and they were... She fought the urge to fan her face. They were oblivious to everything. They were wrapped so tightly in each other’s arms it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended. It had, quite simply, been the best kiss of her life.
She lifted her head and shrugged. ‘I’m not sure she got my best side.’
Nobody laughed.
‘Trixie has informed me that unless she gets an interview with Finn, she’ll sell these photos to the tabloids.’ Rupert speared Finn with a glare that made all the hairs on her arms lift. ‘Finn will give her that interview and make sure you aren’t subjected to any more grubby media attention.’
A fortnight ago she might’ve agreed with Rupert, but now... She drew in a breath, then lifted her chin. ‘I’m not ashamed of these photos.’
‘It’s okay, Princess. I don’t mind. I don’t have anything incriminating to tell our fair crusader here, so an interview won’t take long at all.’
She wanted to stamp her feet in her sudden frustration. ‘No, you’re not hearing me. I’m not ashamed of these photographs.’
He met her gaze, stilled, and then rocked back on his heels. ‘I—’
She held up a hand and shook her head. Pursing his lips, he stared at her for what seemed like forever, and then eventually nodded, and she knew he was allowing her to choose how they’d progress from here. She swung back to Rupert and Trixie. ‘In fact, I’m so not ashamed of these photographs, if Ms McGraw doesn’t mind, I’m going to keep them.’
‘I have the digital files saved in several different locations. Your keeping that set won’t prevent them from being made public.’
‘I didn’t doubt that for a moment.’ Audra’s phone buzzed. ‘Time’s up, Rupert.’
‘You still want her to leave?’
‘Absolutely! I’d much rather these pictures appear in the papers than any more gratuitous speculation about me and Thomas.’ The situation with Thomas had left her feeling like a fool, not to mention helpless and a victim. The pictures of her and Finn, however... Well, they didn’t.
‘Besides, we all know how the press can twist innocent words to suit their own purposes. It sounds to me as if Joachim doesn’t deserve to become the next target in a media scandal that has no substance.’
‘You’re mistaken. There’s substance,’ Trixie said.
‘Then go find your evidence elsewhere, because you’re not going to hit the jackpot here,’ Audra shot back.
Rupert’s eyes flashed as he turned to Finn. ‘So you refuse to do the honourable thing?’
Rupert’s words felt like a knife to his chest. Finn refused to let his head drop. ‘I’m going to do whatever Audra wants us to do.’ He’d known how disempowered Farquhar had left her feeling. He wasn’t going to let Trixie McGraw make her feel the exact same way. He wasn’t going to make her feel that same way.
He’d sensed that the photographs had both amused and empowered her, though he wasn’t sure why. She’d been amazing to watch as she’d dealt with the situation—strong and capable, invulnerable. He wasn’t raining on her parade now.
Rupert’s hands clenched. ‘You promised you wouldn’t mess with her!’
Finn braced himself for the impact of Rupert’s fist against his jaw, but Audra inserted herself between them. ‘Not in front of Lois Lane here, please, Rupe.’ She pointed back down the path. ‘I believe you mentioned something about escorting her from the premises.’
A muscle in Rupert’s jaw worked. ‘You sure about this?’
‘Positive.’
Trixie shook her head. ‘You’re making a mistake.’
‘And you’re scum,’ Audra shot back.
Amazingly, Trixie laughed. As Rupert led her to the top of the path, she said, ‘I like your sister.’
‘I’m afraid she doesn’t return the favour. I’ll meet you back on the boat later.’
Without another word, Trixie started back down to the beach. She waved to them all when she reached the bottom.
‘I think we should take this inside,’ Audra said, when Rupert turned to stare at Finn.
Finn’s heart slugged like a sick thing in his chest. He’d kissed Audra, and Rupert’s sense of betrayal speared into him in a thousand points of pain.
Rupert hadn’t been joking when he’d said he’d no longer consider Finn a friend if Finn messed about with Audra. Finn had to brace his hands against his knees at the sense of loss that pounded through him. He’d destroyed the most important friendship of his life. This was his fault, no one else’s. The blame was all his. He forced himself to straighten. ‘I think we’ll do less damage out here, Audra.’
‘The two of you are not fighting.’
He met the other man’s gaze head-on. ‘I’m not going to fight, Princess.’ But if Rupert wanted to pound him into the middle of next week, he’d let him. Rupert’s eyes narrowed and Finn saw that he’d taken his meaning.
‘Rupe,’ Audra warned.
Rupert made for the house. ‘You’re not worth the bruised knuckles.’
The barb hit every dark place in Finn’s soul. He’d never been worth the sacrifice Rupert had made for him. He’d never been worth the sacrifices he’d always wanted his parents to make for him.
Hell! A fortnight on this island with Audra and he’d laid his soul bare. He lifted his arms and let them drop. He didn’t know what any of it meant. What he did know was that this Greek island idyll was well and truly over. He wanted to roar and rage at that, but he had no right.
No right at all. So he followed Rupert and Audra into the house, and it was all he could do to walk upright rather than crawl.
They went into the living room. Audra glanced from Rupert to Finn and back again. ‘I think we need to talk about that kiss.’
Finn fell into an armchair. Was it too early for a whisky? ‘It won’t help.’ He’d broken his word and that was that. He’d blown it.
Rupert settled on the sofa, stretched his legs out. ‘I’m interested in what you have to say, Squirt.’ He ignored Finn.
‘The kiss—the steamy one—it wasn’t calculated, you know?’
She twisted her hands together and more than anything Finn wanted to take them and kiss every finger. He hated the thought of anything he’d done causing her distress. You should’ve thought about that before kissing her!
For a moment he felt the weight of Rupert’s stare, but he didn’t meet it. The thought of confronting the other man’s disgust left him exhausted.
‘It was Finn who ended the kiss. I wanted to take it to its natural conclusion, but Finn held back because of how much he feels he owes you.’
He sensed the subtle shift in Rupert’s posture. ‘You know about that?’
She nodded. ‘I’m glad you did what you did when you were sixteen, Rupe. It was a good thing to do.’ She folded her arms. ‘But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m furious with you at the moment.’
Rupert stiffened. ‘With me?’
She leaned forward and poked a finger at him. ‘You have no right to interfere in my love life. I can kiss whoever I want, and you don’t get to have any say in that.’
Finn dragged a hand down his face, trying to stop her words from burrowing in beneath his flesh. Rupert knew Finn wasn’t good enough for his sister. Finn knew it too.
‘I understand the kiss,’ Rupert growled. ‘I get the spur-of-the-moment nature of being overwhelmed before coming to your senses. I understand attraction and desire. None of those things worry me, Squirt.’ He reached for the photos she’d set on the coffee table, rifled through them and then held one up. ‘This is what worries me.’
Audra stilled, and then glanced away, rubbing a hand across her chest.
Finn glanced at it. What the hell...? It was the second photo—the one after the kiss. Okay, there was some heat in the way they looked at each other, but that picture was innocent. ‘What the hell is wrong with that?’
Rupert threw him a withering glare before turning his attention back to his sister. ‘Have you fallen in love with him?’
Every cell in Finn’s body stiffened. His breathing grew ragged and uneven. What the hell was Rupert talking about?
‘Princess?’ He barely recognised the croak that was his voice.
Her face fell as if something inside her had crumbled. ‘Your timing sucks, big brother.’
‘You’re family. You matter to me. I don’t want to see you hurt. Have you fallen in love with Finn?’
Her chin lifted and her eyes sparked. ‘Yes, I have. What’s more I don’t regret it. I think you’re wrong about him.’
Finn shot to his feet. ‘You can’t have! That’s not possible!’ He pointed a finger at her. ‘We talked about this.’
Audra’s chin remained defiant. ‘We talked about a lot of things.’
They had and—
He shook himself. ‘None of what I said means I’m ready to settle down.’
Her hands went to her hips, but the shadows in her eyes made his throat burn. ‘I think that’s exactly what it means. I just think you’re too afraid to admit it to yourself.’
He might be ready to put his freewheeling, adrenaline-loving days behind him, but it didn’t mean he’d ever be ready for a white picket fence.
Even as he thought it, though, a deep yearning welled inside him.
He ignored it. Happy families weren’t for him. They hadn’t worked out when he was a child and he had no faith they’d work out for him as a man. ‘Look, Audra, what you’re feeling at the moment is just a by-product of your excitement...for all the changes you’re going to make in your life, and—’
From the corner of his eyes he saw Rupert lean forward.
‘And the romance of the Greek islands.’ If he called her Squirt now, she’d tell him that was Strike Three and...and it’d all be over. He opened his mouth, but the word refused to come.
Audra drew herself up to her full height, her eyes snapping blue fire. ‘Don’t you dare presume to tell me what I’m feeling. I know exactly what I’m feeling. I love you, Finn.’ She dragged in a shaky breath. ‘And I know this feels too soon for you to admit, but you either love me too. Or you don’t. But I’m not letting you off the hook with platitudes like that.’
He flinched.
Her eyes filled and he hated himself. He glanced at Rupert. The other man stared back, his gaze inscrutable. Finn wished he’d shoot off that sofa and beat him to a pulp. Rupert turned back to Audra. ‘When did he start calling you Princess?’
He could see her mentally go back over their previous conversations. ‘After that kiss—the steamy one.’
Rupert pursed his lips. ‘He doesn’t do endearments. He never has.’
What the hell...? That didn’t mean anything!
Audra moved a step closer then as if Rupert’s observation had given her heart. ‘You might want to look a little more closely, a little more deeply, at the reasons it’s been so important to you to look after me this last fortnight.’
‘I haven’t looked after you!’ He didn’t do nurturing.
‘What do you call it, then?’ She started counting things off on her fingers. ‘You’ve fed me up. You forced me to exercise. And you made sure I got plenty of sun and R & R.’
He rolled his shoulders. ‘You were too skinny.’ And she’d needed to get moving—stop moping. Exercise was a proven mood enhancer. As for the sun and the R & R... ‘We’re on a Greek island!’ He lifted his hands. ‘When in Rome...’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘You read a book on the beach, Finn. If that’s not going above and beyond...’
Rupert’s head snapped up. ‘He read a book? Finn read a book?’ Audra glared at him and he held his hands out. ‘Sorry, staying quiet again now.’
So what? He’d read a book. He’d liked the book.
‘And that’s before we get to the really important stuff like you challenging me to follow a path that will make me happy—truly happy.’ She swallowed. ‘And don’t you think it’s revealing that you sensed that dream when no one else ever has?’
His mouth went dry. ‘That’s...that’s just because of how much time we’ve been spending together recently—a by-product of forced proximity.’
She snorted. ‘There was nothing forced about it. We spent three days avoiding each other, Finn. We never had to spend as much time together as we did.’ She folded her arms and held his gaze. ‘And I know you spent those three days thinking about me.’
His head reared back.
‘You spent that time bringing my dream to full Technicolor life.’
He scowled. ‘Nonsense. I just showed you what it could look like.’ He’d wanted to convince her she could do it.
‘And while you’re analysing your motives for why you did all those things for me, you might also want to consider why it is you’ve enjoyed being looked after by me so much too.’
She hadn’t—
He stared at her. ‘That ridiculous nonsense of yours when we went running... And then making sure I didn’t overdo it when we went jetskiing.’ Enticing him to read not just a book, but a trilogy that had hooked him totally. ‘You wanted me to take it easy after my accident.’
She’d been clever and fun, and she’d made him laugh. He hadn’t realised what she’d been up to. She’d challenged him in ways that had kept his mind, not just active, but doing loop-the-loops, while his body had been recuperating and recovering its strength. Clever.
‘You haven’t chafed the slightest little bit at the slower pace.’
Because it hadn’t felt slow. It’d felt perfect. Everything inside him stilled. Perfect? Being here with Audra...? She made him feel... He swallowed. She made him feel as if he were hang-gliding.
She was perfect.
Things inside him clenched up. She said that she loved him.
‘You’re planning to move to the island too. Don’t you think that means something?’
It felt as if a giant fist had punched him in the stomach. He saw now exactly what it did mean. He loved her. He wasn’t sure at what point in the last fortnight that’d happened, but it had. She said she loved him. His heart pounded. With everything he had he wanted to reach out and take it, but...
He glanced at Rupert. Rupert stared back, his dark eyes inscrutable, and a cold, dank truth swamped Finn in darkness. Acid burned hot in his gut. Rupert knew Finn wasn’t good enough for his sister. Rupert knew Finn couldn’t make Audra happy...he knew Finn would let her down.
A dull roar sounded in his ears; a throbbing pounded at his temples.
‘I have a “truth or dare” question for you, Finn.’
He forced himself to meet her gaze.
‘Do you or don’t you love me?’
The question should’ve made him flinch, but it didn’t. He loved her more than life itself. And if he denied it, he knew exactly how much pain that’d inflict on her. He knew exactly how it’d devastate her.
He glanced at Rupert. He glanced back at her. She filled his vision. He’d helped her find her dream, had helped her find the courage to pursue it. That was no small thing. She would lead a happier life because of it. And he—
He swung to Rupert, his hands forming fists. ‘Look, I know you don’t think I’m good enough for your little sister, and you’re probably right! But you don’t know how amazing she is. If I have to fight you over this I will, but—’
Rupert launched himself out of his seat. ‘What the hell! I never said you weren’t good enough for Audra. When have I ever given you the impression that you weren’t good enough?’
Finn’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
‘When have I ever belittled you, made light of your achievements, or treated you like you weren’t my equal?’
Rupert’s fists lifted and Finn kept a careful eye on them, ready to dodge if the need arose. He’d rarely seen Rupert so riled.
‘That’s just garbage!’ Rupert slashed a hand through the air. ‘Garbage talk from your own mind, because you still feel so damn guilty about me giving up that stupid prize all those years ago.’
Rupert glared at him, daring him to deny it. Finn’s mind whirled. He’d carried the guilt of what Rupe had sacrificed for him for seventeen years. He’d used that guilt to keep him on the straight and narrow, but in the process had it skewed his thinking?
‘But you ordered me to keep my distance from Audra. Why?’
‘Because I always sensed you could break her heart. And with you so hell-bent on avoiding commitment I—’
‘Because of the promise he made to himself when he was eighteen,’ Audra inserted.
‘What promise?’ Rupert stared from one to the other. He shook himself. ‘It doesn’t matter. The thing is, I never realised Audra had the potential to break your heart too.’
Finn couldn’t say anything. He could feel the weight of Audra’s stare, but he wasn’t ready to turn and meet it. ‘You saved my life, Rupe.’ Rupert went to wave it away, but Finn held a hand up to forestall him. ‘But Audra is the one who’s made me realise I need to live that life properly.’
Rupert dragged a hand down his face. ‘I should never have interfered. It wasn’t fair. I should’ve kept my nose well and truly out, and I hope the two of you can forgive me.’ He looked at Audra. ‘You’re right to be furious with me. It’s just...’
‘You’ve got used to looking out for me. I know that. But, Rupe, I’ve got this.’
He nodded. ‘I’m going to make myself scarce.’
She nodded. ‘That would be appreciated.’
He leaned forward to kiss the top of her head. ‘I love you, Squirt.’ And then he reached forward and clapped Finn on the shoulder. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow.’ And then he was gone.
Finn turned towards Audra. She stared at him, her eyes huge in her face. ‘You haven’t answered my question yet,’ she whispered.
He nodded. ‘All my life I’ve thought I’ve not been worthy of family...or commitment. I never once thought I was worth the sacrifice Rupert made for me seventeen years ago.’
‘Finn.’
She moved towards him, but he held up a hand. ‘I can see now that my parents left me with a hell of a chip on my shoulder, and a mountain-sized inferiority complex. All of my racing around choosing one extreme sport after another was just a way to try to feel good about myself.’
She nodded.
‘It even worked for a while. Until I started wanting more.’
Her gaze held his. ‘How much more?’
He moved across to cup her face. ‘Princess, you’ve made me realise that I can have it all.’
A tear slipped down her cheek. She sent him a watery smile. ‘Of course you can.’
A smile built through him. ‘I want the whole dream, Audra. Here on Kyanós with you.’
Her chin wobbled. ‘The whole dream?’
She gasped when he went down on one knee in front of her. ‘At the heart of all this is you, Princess. It’s you and your love that makes me complete. I love you.’ He willed her to believe every word, willed her to feel how intensely he meant them. ‘I didn’t know I could ever love anyone the way I love you. The rest of it doesn’t matter. If you hate the idea of me opening up a hang-gliding school I’ll do something different. If you’d prefer to live in the village rather than on the plot of land I’m going to buy, then that’s fine with me too. I’ll make any sacrifice necessary to make you happy.’
Her eyes shimmered and he could feel his throat thicken.
He took her hands in his and kissed them. ‘I’m sorry it took me so long to work it out. But I realise now that I’m not my father...and I’m not my mother. I’m in charge of my own life, and I mean to make it a good life. And it’s a life I want to share with you, if you’ll let me.’
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
‘Audra Russel, will you do me the very great honour of marrying me and becoming my wife?’
And then he held his breath and waited. She’d said she loved him. But had he just screwed up here? Had he rushed her before she was ready? Had—?
She dropped to her knees in front of him, took his face in her hands and pulled his head down to hers. Heat and hunger swept through him at the first contact, spreading like an inferno until he found himself sprawled on the floor with her, both of them straining to get closer and closer to each other. Eventually she pulled back, pushed upwards and rolled until she straddled him. ‘That was a yes, by the way.’ She traced her fingers across his broad chest. ‘I love your dream, Finn. I love you.’
He stroked her cheek, his heart filled with warmth and wonder. ‘I don’t know how I got so lucky. I’m going to make sure you never regret this decision. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.’
She bit her lip. ‘Can...can you take me back to your plot of land?’
‘What, now?’ Right this minute?
She nodded, but looked as if she was afraid he’d say no.
He pulled his baser instincts back into line and hauled them both upright. Without another word, he moved her in the direction of the car. From now on he had every intention of making her every wish come true.
Audra stared at the amazing view and then at the man who stood beside her. She pointed towards the little bay. ‘Do you think we could have a jetski?’
‘Will that make you happy?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then we can have two.’
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her in close; the possessiveness of the gesture and the way his eyes darkened thrilled her to the soles of her feet. ‘I want you to teach me to hang-glide.’
His eyes widened. Very slowly he nodded. ‘I can do that.’
She stared deep into his eyes and all the love she felt for him welled inside her. She felt euphoric that she no longer had to hide it. ‘Do you know why I wanted to come here this afternoon?’
‘Why?’
‘Because I want this to be the place where we start our life together.’ She swallowed. ‘I love your vision of our future. And this...’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘This...?’
She raised an eyebrow too and he laughed. ‘Spot on,’ he told her. ‘The practice has paid off.’
Heat streaked through her cheeks then. His eyebrow lifted a little higher. ‘Is that a blush, Princess?’ His grin was as warm as a summer breeze. ‘I’m intrigued.’
Suddenly embarrassed, she tried to ease away from him, but his hands trailed down her back to her hips, moulding her to him and making her gasp and ache and move against him restlessly instead. ‘Tell me what you want, Audra.’
‘You,’ she whispered, meeting his gaze. He was right. There was no need for secrets or coyness or awkwardness. Not now. She loved him. And the fact that he loved her gave her wings. ‘I wanted to come here because this is where I want our first time to be.’ She lifted her chin. ‘And I want that first time to happen this afternoon.’
His eyes darkened even further. His nostrils flared, and he lifted a hand to toy with a button on her blouse, a question in his eyes.
She shook her head, her breath coming a little too fast. ‘No more kisses out in the open, thank you very much. I bet Lois Lane is still lurking around here somewhere. And one set of photographs in circulation is more than enough.’
He laughed.
She glanced down the hill at the outbuildings. ‘Why don’t you walk me through your plans for our home?’
He grinned a slow grin that sent her pulse skyrocketing, before sliding an arm about her waist and drawing her close as they walked down the slope. ‘What an excellent plan. I hope you don’t have anywhere you need to be for the next few hours, Princess. My plans are...big.’ He waggled his eyebrows. ‘And it’d be remiss of me to not show them to you in comprehensive detail.’
‘That,’ she agreed, barely able to contain her laughter and her joy, ‘would be very remiss of you.’
When they reached the threshold of what looked as if it were once a barn, he swung her up into his arms. ‘Welcome home, Princess.’
She wrapped her arms about his neck. He was her home. Gazing into his eyes, she whispered, ‘It’s a beautiful home, Finn. The best. I love it.’
His head blocked out the setting sun as it descended towards her, and she welcomed his kiss with everything inside her as they both started living the rest of their lives right now.