‘Mmm?’
‘I’m glad you brought me here, but right now—’ she snaked a hand around to the nape of his neck, ‘—I want you to take me home.’
* * *
The kitchen was empty when Beth, freshly showered, emerged from Noah’s bathroom a short while later. Noah had said he’d prepare dinner while she took her turn getting cleaned up, but she spied him out on the verandah instead. She stepped outside and, struck by the way the sun kissed the horizon and bathed the world in golden light, sucked in a quick breath. Noah turned at the sound, though, and immediately stole her attention. His face lit up when he saw her and he followed her every move as she crossed the deck towards him. The soft fabric of her skirt skimmed her ankles and fluttered around her legs, caressing her skin and sending her heart rate rocketing.
‘Hey,’ she murmured and stepped into his arms. Would her smile be permanently etched on her face from now on?
‘Hey, yourself.’ He tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. ‘You hungry?’
‘Mm-hmm.’ Not that she’d be able to eat much, thanks to the butterflies currently frolicking in her belly.
He edged sideways, turning her and giving her a view of the picnic he’d laid out on the grass. He’d thought of everything—a blanket for them to sit on, cushions for comfort and bamboo lanterns to keep the bugs away.
Her smile widened. ‘What’s this?’
‘A celebration.’
The huskiness in his voice nearly undid her. Forgetting all about the meal he’d prepared, she was a heartbeat away from dragging him inside, but he took her hand and led her down the steps. In the centre of the blanket, he’d arranged a grazing platter of cheese, crackers, olives, Italian meats, sun-dried tomatoes and strawberries. A bottle of wine sat in a bowl of ice, and beside it lay two champagne flutes.
‘Noah, this looks amazing.’ She settled onto the blanket and popped an olive in her mouth.
Noah lit the torches before joining her and pouring them each a glass of sparkling wine.
They talked about everything and nothing, and soon, the lanterns were flickering in the twilight, promising that a romantic glow would remain once dusk fell.
Once they’d had their fill of the impromptu picnic feast, Noah moved the platter from between them and rearranged a few pillows.
‘So,’ he said as she snuggled into his side, ‘what swayed you in the end? What does Karlup have that Townsville doesn’t?’
‘I’m not sure I can put it down to one thing, you know? To start with, everyone here feels like family now. I can’t imagine not being able to have a glass of wine with Ellie or afternoon tea with Flo—’
‘Or perving on me when you think I’m not looking.’ Noah shot her a wink.
‘That, too.’ She grinned. ‘But there’s so much more to this place. Learning that my dad grew up here, feeling a connection to him and his family, to their land, hearing stories about him from your parents. I don’t want to walk away from all that.’
The topic of her father’s family made her think of her mother and the secrets she’d kept. She’d come to the conclusion that she needed to talk to Flo again, see if she had answers—maybe she’d gained insights from Pru—but right now, she didn’t want to think about Rosie.
‘Well, I think that deserves a toast.’ Noah topped up their glasses and raised his. ‘To your new life here in the heart country.’
Smiling, she clinked her flute against his and they drank, then, putting his glass aside, Noah stretched out his legs and propped his head on a pillow. ‘Join me.’
Doing her best not to gawk at the way his biceps bunched beneath his sleeves or at the hint of dark hair only just visible between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his jeans, Beth lay down beside him, interlacing her fingers on her belly.
The first stars shimmered overhead, but she couldn’t relax. Her body thrummed with need, only she had another confession to make and she wanted to get it off her chest before they took things any further. Thankfully, the wine had boosted her confidence enough that she didn’t think twice about voicing her thoughts.
‘I want to tell you something, but you need to know that it had nothing to do with my decision to stay in Karlup—or, well … maybe it did. Just a little. But it’s not the only factor that led to that decision, and truth be told, I only realised it today at the top of the mountain.’
Noah nudged her side with his elbow. ‘Not a mountain. And also, not making much sense right now.’
‘Okay, so I’m just gonna come right out and say it …’
The seconds ticked by as she wrestled with exactlyhowto say it.
‘Don’t overthink it, Beth. Just say it.’
She felt the heat of his penetrating stare.
