“Good morning.” Linc’s deep voice washes over me and the reality of what we did last night comes crashing over me like a tsunami.
The romantic picnic.
The gift his grandfather made.
The tears.
And the rest…
Last night, I wanted to forget. The pain of Christmas, the loneliness, the emptiness that dogs me every day. I wanted to indulge a whim, do something spontaneous, allow myself to feel cherished for once.
Linc had done all that and more.
With his skilled mouth and hands, he had brought me to life. And the sex had been superlative.
I have no regrets.
“Hey.” I roll onto my side to face him and my breath hitches. Golden dawn filters through the shutters, creating a halo around his tousled curls and sparking his eyes a vivid green. He’s gorgeous and I want to clamber on top of him all over again. “Last night was something, huh?”
“Yeah, it was.” He studies me and I try not to squirm beneath his scrutiny. “I expected you to bolt in the night.”
“With your prowess, I can barely walk, let alone run.”
“My prowess thanks you.” He peeks under the sheet and grins. “And he’s up for a repeat.”
Heat flushes me cheeks as I chuckle. “I’ve got repairs to finish today, remember?”
“They can wait…” He nuzzles my neck and I can’t help but moan.
“Aren’t you hosting a wedding here tomorrow?”
He eases away, and winces. “Don’t remind me. I hate hosting events like that on the island, even though we need them to stay afloat.”
“Which means I have to get to work,” I say, reluctant to move but knowing it’s for the best. I may have had my first one night stand at the grand old age of forty, but no point wishing for a repeat.
“Will you be my date for the wedding?”
My eyebrows shoot upwards. “But I don’t know the couple. And I’m leaving later today. Plus you’re hosting so you don’t need a date, and—”
“Ssh.” He presses a fingertip to my lips. “If you’re willing to stay a few more days, I’d love to spend more time with you.”
Code for ‘sex on tap’ now that I slept with him.
“I don’t see the point. This is a job for me and—“
“Okay.” He sits up so fast I almost topple out of bed. “Let me know when the job’s done.”
I try not to ogle his butt as he strides to the bathroom, every muscle in his back rigid with tension.
I’ve screwed up. Big time.
11
LINCOLN
“Can you check if I have something in my eye?” Kai pulls down his lower lid. “Because I could’ve sworn I saw Vera doing a walk of shame back to her cottage this morning and you weren’t mooning after her.”
“Fuck off,” I mutter, strolling into the final cottage. I have a routine: inspect the bathroom, check the mini-bar, walk around the room’s perimeter. I do it before any function, even though Sadie, our housekeeper, is the best and is as pedantic as me, if not more so.
