Page 20 of The Cloud Catcher

His fingers traced a path along her arm, sending ripples of electricity through her skin. ‘I can’t imagine my life without you,’ he confessed, his words adrift on the night air. ‘Over the past six months, you’ve brought so much joy and love into my world, and I’d really like it if we could plan to move in together.’

Her breath caught, held captive by the gravity of his declaration. ‘Really, you’re ready for that?’

Jay’s strong hands, those bastions of safety and comfort, cupped her face with a reverence that made her think of his upbringing, of the parents whose unconditional love had been his guiding star. ‘Yes, I’m very ready, but more importantly, are you?’ His gaze searched hers.

‘Yes, yes I am!’ Happiness engulfed her. ‘Are you thinking Brisbane, or Cairns?’

‘I’m going to leave that decision up to you.’ He cupped her cheeks. ‘I want you to be happy, and if that means me moving to Cairns, then I will, in a heartbeat.’

‘Oh, my goodness, I love you!’ Reaching up on her toes, she planted a kiss on his lips.

When they pulled back, Jay smiled. ‘And oh, my goodness, I love you, Miss Monroe, more than all the stars in that there sky.’

Zara wrapped her arms around him, adoring the feeling of him doing the same until she was cocooned against his chest. His heart was her home. His presence was her anchor. His love was the sail that propelled her forward. Jay Maverick, with his steadfast gaze and heart wide open, offered not just words, but his very being, and in doing so, illuminated the path to a future neither of them could have envisioned alone. And in the stillness that followed, as nature continued its eternal dialogue — the whispering wind, the rolling tide — their two souls intertwined even tighter as the Mediterranean moon shone down like a benevolent observer. Time seemed to waver as the whispering waves wrote sonnets upon the sand, and the stars twinkled above as if in silent celebration. Zara couldn’t believe just how lucky she was, especially after where she’d come from. The slums of Mexico were a far cry from here, from this amazing man. She lifted her lash-framed gaze, and their lips met in a tender kiss that was soft and unhurried. No more words were needed as their caress deepened, the steady thrumming of Jay’s heart against hers conveying all she needed to know.

Once their lips parted, Zara emerged from the cocoon of their embrace, and leaning back slightly, her breath caught as she stared into Jay’s mesmerising pools of blue. Moving in together was the next step, and as natural as it felt, it was also a little scary. Nonetheless, in knowing he was the most genuine, kind, loving man she’d ever met, a surge of courage coursed through her, stronger than any fear she had of them falling apart, and propelled her forward and into the vulnerability of forever.

Now she needed to think hard about where they should live together. With Suzanne nearby, and her tropical surroundings comfortingly familiar, she really wanted to remain in Cairns, but it made more sense with their jobs for her to move to Brisbane. Jay was stepping out on a limb, and she wanted to meet him halfway. He deserved that much, and more.

Way more.

And so her mind was made up.

With a trembling voice, she whispered, ‘I want to move to Brisbane, to live with you there.’ Her words hung in the cool night air like leaves about to take flight in the wind.

‘Brisbane, really?’ He couldn’t hide the shock written all over his handsome face. ‘But Zara, you love Cairns.’

‘I do, but I love you much more.’ There was an unwavering conviction in her tone, a tangible force that grounded her to reality. ‘Like, a million times more.’

‘Wow, that’s a lot.’ Jay’s dimple-clad smile was radiant, like the dawn after a lifetime of dusks. ‘You really are my everything, Zara,’ he declared. ‘I promise to love and support you, to stand by your side through thick and thin, no matter what.’

Each word washed over her like dewdrops on a summer morning — refreshing and life-giving. ‘I know you will, and I promise I’ll do the same for you, Jay, always.’

In the distance, the ocean murmured its approval, the tide pulling at the sands as if to remind them that though many things changed, some remained constant. Love, like the sea, was eternal, and each wave was a heartbeat in the earth’s chest. And as they stood there together, watching as sky kissed water on an endless, moonlit horizon, the future stretched out before them like an open canvas waiting to be filled with their shared adventures.

* * *

Zara’s tight embrace was Jay’s sanctuary, and his arms were the walls that shielded them from the vastness of the world outside their cocoon of moonlight and shadows. Gazing at the blanket of stars while drawing her in closer, he relished the feeling of her cheek pressed against the solid warmth of his chest, as if listening to the rhythmic drumming of his heart. He hoped she heard reassurance there and felt the love that pulsed through him with every beat, for her, and her alone. He hoped she felt the same unbreakable bond that he did. He hoped, when the time was right, that she’d say yes to becoming his wife, his forevermore, the mother of the children he longed to have. He was both shocked and grateful that she’d made the decision to move to him. Because he’d truly believed it would be the other way around.

God, he prayed she wasn’t going to regret it. Or regret him. ‘Are you happy, Zara?’

‘Happy?’ She spoke against his chest before turning her gaze up to his. ‘I’m more than happy, I’m exuberant, blissful, ecstatic.’

He chuckled. ‘Well, I’ll take that over happy any day.’

Her soft pink lips curled into a half-moon. ‘I trust you with my heart, and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that together we can, and will, conquer anything that stands in the way of us.’ Her voice was a tender vine, intertwining with the timber of his spirit, as if seeking sunlight within the depth of his soul. ‘Please don’t worry about me moving to Brisbane, I won’t regret it, and I won’t make you feel guilty for it either.’

It was as if she could read his mind. ‘This is why I love you so very much, for knowing me, and loving me, the way you do.’ He tenderly kissed her forehead. ‘Let’s sit here for a little bit, before we head to bed.’

‘I’d really like that.’ Her voice cascaded over his chest. ‘It’s a gorgeous night, too gorgeous not to enjoy it a little longer.’

‘You’re so right,’ he replied.

They settled back onto the sand, under the watchful gaze of the moon, its silver beams dancing on the rolling waves. The pearly-white grains shifted and cradled them in their soft embrace, creating a perfect fit for their entwined forms. Cuddled up to one another, silence fell over them like a veil, its texture woven from the threads of understanding and mutual respect. The melody of waves breaking upon the shore filled the spaces between their breaths. And the sea’s rhythm was a metronome for his thoughts, each crashing wave marking another moment they were granted to spend together. It had been challenging of late, trying to merge their different rosters together so they didn’t have too much time apart. Time and distance didn’t just make his heart grow fonder — it made it ache too. The longest they’d gone without being together had been a little over two weeks, and that had been torture. But in this tranquil pocket of existence, with the salt air kissing his skin and the starry sky above as their only witness, he found an echo of eternity, reminding him this hardship would be transitory. Especially now Zara was moving in with him. And as they sat there, side by side, the world beyond the beach faded into insignificance, leaving only the certainty of two hearts entwined, beating in perfect harmony against the backdrop of the infinite sea.

‘Jay, honey.’ Zara’s words were barely more than a breath carried by the sonata of the sea. ‘I found this earlier, and I want you to have it.’ She extended her hand towards him, offering a lustrous seashell, as fragile and profound as the feelings swelling in his chest.

‘Thank you, it’s lovely,’ he murmured, lifting the shell to his heart where it rested against his shirt, only a heartbeat away from his skin. ‘This will be a reminder of our love and the adventures we’ve already had, and the ones that still await us.’