‘Wow! Dom, it’s great, thank you.’ Lisa looked at the cuddly penguin, a little perplexed.
Dom sat next to her on the bed. ‘I was on one of those websites that gives youideas for presents. Skydiving and paintballing were out of the question.’ Dom motioned to her bump. ‘I wasn’t sure you were the spa day sort.’
Lisa went to protest but then thought about how Dom usually saw her – in her work clothes and covered in dog slobber, or worse.
‘And then I happened upon sponsoring an animal.’ Dom leaned over and pulled out a sponsorship certificate from the boxthat had contained the penguin. ‘So I got you a penguin.’
‘It’s perfect. Who doesn’t love penguins?’
‘Gran, apparently; she called me a daft beggar and pointed out that a rescue dog would have made more sense.’
Lisa giggled. Trust Winnie to think logically and not to hold back when it came to criticism.
‘But when I pointed out, as it is at a local zoo, you can take your baby andshow him or her your penguin, I won her round.’
‘Dom, that’s so lovely.’
Dom smiled, gave Lisa a birthday kiss on the cheek, and stood up. ‘There’s no good reason for it being a penguin, by the way, other than it was called Jack. You could have ended up with one of those big-bottomed monkeys.’
Lisa laughed.
‘Florian’s outside.’ Nathan stood in the doorway, where he had been watchingLisa and Dom.
As Dom said his goodbyes, Lisa noticed the smile that betrayed his anticipation of the day ahead. He and Florian were going sightseeing. The two of them had spent several evenings together, as Lisa had encouraged Florian to join them for barbecues and drinks. As everyone else retired to the house, Florian and Dom had increasingly stayed on the terrace chatting until late. Lisawasn’t sure how intimate they had become, as Nathan prevented her from spying over the balcony, but it was obvious they were enjoying each other’s company. It might only have the potential to be a holiday fling, but Lisa was pleased to see Dom so happy.
As Dom left the room, Nathan opened the balcony door a little, letting in the morning air before walking over to Lisa.
‘I’m sorry I wasan arse about Dom before. I know he’s your friend and—’
Lisa felt a rush of relief at Nathan broaching the subject. ‘No, I’m sorry. You were right to feel hurt. I should have told you first.’
‘Really, it doesn’t matter. You needed someone to talk to and he was there. After Ben, I get why it wouldn’t have been easy for you. But I want you to know you can talk to me. You can trust me, Lisa.’
Lisa saw the sincerity in his eyes. ‘Thank you, and I do know that. Really I do.’I just need to get better at reminding myself of that.She slid her hand to his neck and moved closer for a kiss.
Nathan kissed her back, making a low growl in response. ‘Finally, I get you to myself.’ He slid under the sheet and pulled her closer to him, wrapping her in his arms.
Lisa leaned into Nathan’sfirm chest, feeling content. ‘Thank you for a lovely birthday.’ She looked at her bracelet, wondering if her present from Nathan might be a new charm. She knew this holiday with her friends would always be a special memory.
Nathan kissed her neck. ‘It’s only just begun.’
Lisa turned towards him, her hands slipping under his T-shirt as she enjoyed the feel and flex of his every move.
