Page 32 of The Forbidden Fling

The rumble of tyres against gravel grew louder, and then Ella appeared on the buggy, red hair flying out behind her. She waved as she drove past, then parked at the reception, hopping out and singing a tune to herself. When she disappeared through the door, the quiet lingered, birdsong carrying on the wind.

“I was checking my emails,” Diana said. “My boss has announced a new permanent position.” She shook her head, feeling foolish for voicing it out loud. “But…I don’t know. It’s made me more confused about what I want.”

Faye didn’t jump in; she just listened, her careful eyes observing her.

“I’ve always been driven,” Diana continued. “I’ve known what I wanted. Each paper was a burning idea I needed to write out of my system. My book was the same. Nothing else mattered until I’d finished it. Teaching those ideologies felt right—a natural progression. I never doubted myself. But now? Doubt is all I’m sure of.”

“Is that why you came to Sandy Springs? To get a break from it all?”

She brushed a hand through her hair. “I told my agent I would use the time to work on my proposal for my next book.”

“It sounds like you’re a little burnt out.”

“Burnt out,” she repeated, with curled lips, like it was a slur. She caught concern in Faye’s soft eyes. In the sunlight, the green and blue danced together, forming a new colour Diana had no words for.

“When was the last time you enjoyed a day without ticking items off a checklist?” Faye asked. “When you did things that made you happy, for fun?”

Diana frowned as she combed her brain. “I’m not sure.”

Deciding to study alongside raising Molly had been her decision. She’d pushed for her education. Earned it. Worked hard to get where she was. But a sickly uncertainty swirled in her gut. The long nights, the endless meetings, the pressure to keep performing and doing and creating. When did she start doing that for someone else, and not for herself?

She turned her phone over in her hand, suddenly feeling its weight. She had an urge to throw it over the stone wall and let it tumble down the cliff.

Faye leaned back into the bench. “You don’t seem like the type of person who takes breaks. Am I right?”

Diana nodded, but her mind was still somewhere else. Maybe that’s why she felt so detached lately.

“Maybe you should take a break these few weeks.” Faye nudged her playfully. “I think that was kinda the point of being on a remote island.”

Diana let out a breath that wasn’t quite laughter. “I can’t really argue with that.” When she looked back at Faye, something in her chest fluttered.

Faye’s gaze held hers. Steady. Grounding. Kind. “You don’t need all the answers right now,” she said.

“No. I suppose not.”

Faye’s eyeliner had smudged at the edges, her cheeks tinged pink from the heat. But as Diana let herself admire her for a moment longer, the finer details shone through. How her small nose perfectly balanced her square jaw. How beneath the make-up, she was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Until now, Diana had never noticed how unaware Faye was of her own beauty. The subtle way her hand rested over her abdomen. The baggy T-shirt. How she made herself small. She hated how she hid herself away.

Her gaze dropped to Faye’s mouth.

A tingle spread from her sternum, dropping down into her navel. Excitement buzzed around her. A feeling she hadn’t experienced in so long, it felt foreign. Like an out-of-body experience, lifting her up and out of her skin.

So why did she feel guilty? Like she should be doing anything but exploring this?

“I should probably go,” she said, hating the way disappointment flashed over Faye’s features.

“Okay. Catch you later.” Faye smiled and stood to leave.

Diana watched her go, wondering why she’d said anything at all. There was no denying her attraction to Faye, yet her mind pushed back at the first sign of feeling something.

Maybe because this trip wasn’t supposed to be about you, but about Molly.

With that reminder, she headed back up the trail to the cabins, the sun hot on her back. Faye’s conversation played on her mind, her stomach warring with opposing feelings.

Why shouldn’t she feel excited over the prospect of someone being interested in her? Not in her position or her connections, but in her, Diana Thompson?

Yes, this holiday was for reconnecting with Molly, but there was no reason Diana couldn’t do something for herself, too. Her lips quirked at the idea. Why not have some fun? She worked hard. She deserved a break. Faye was right.