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“Have you been here before?” Alex asks.
I shake my head. I’ve only lived in Christchurch less than a year, and although I walk through the park often, I haven’t seen every nook and cranny.
“It’s a World Peace Bell,” he says. “After the Second World War, a Japanese mayor presented the United Nations with a bell as a token of world peace. There are twenty-two replicas around the world now, and Christchurch is the Peace City in New Zealand.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Ngai Tahu blessed the site and gifted a piece ofpounamu, which was placed in the pond.” He gestures to the water beneath the bell. I know that Ngai Tahu is the principaliwior Maori tribe in the South Island, andpounamuis the Maori word for greenstone. “A sister piece was placed under the Cloak of Peace sculpture which New Zealand gifted to the Nagasaki Peace Park. So when the bell here is rung, thepounamuresonates between New Zealand and Japan.”
“Oh, what a lovely story.”
“Henry’s a member of theiwi,” he says. “He was only young, but he was there at the unveiling in 2006. He taught me a saying. ‘Aio ki te rangi, Aio ki te whenua, Aio ki nga mea katoa, Tihei mauri ora.’”
“That’s beautiful. What does it mean?”
“Peace to the sky. Peace to the land. Peace to everything. I am alive.” He smiles and cups my face. “You’re alive. You made it through. You’re going to be okay, Missie.”
I bite my bottom lip as tears prick my eyes again. This guy is determined to make me cry tonight.
“Don’t do that,” he murmurs. “It makes me want to kiss you.”
My gaze drops to his mouth. God, I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life.
Lifting onto my tiptoes, I raise my arms around his neck and crush my lips to his.
We’re not alone—other people are here, looking at the bell—but we’re off to one side, in the shadows, and anyway, I don’t care. I open my mouth to him, and he sweeps his tongue inside, and we exchange a long, luscious kiss that soon has me filled with yearning. Our tongues tangle, and for a moment heat flares between us, causing a growl to rise deep in his throat that gives me tingles all the way through.
He lifts his head, and his eyes are very dark. “You drive me insane,” he says gruffly. Sliding a hand into my hair, he wraps the strands around it and pulls gently to make me tip my head back. Then he bends his head and kisses my neck, just beneath my jawline.
I shiver, and he straightens and sighs, releasing my hair. “Come on.” He takes my hand again. “I think we could both do with a strong coffee.”
His hand curls around mine as we cross the park and then we walk the short distance through Riccarton to where I live. “You’re sure about this?” I ask as we go up the short drive to the front door. “Finn’s going to be over-excited to have you in the house.”
He chuckles. “I’m sure I can manage.”
I’m not so certain, and I’m also conscious that our house is probably very small compared to what I’m sure he’s used to. But I slide my key into the lock, open the door, and lead the way in. “Stay here a sec,” I tell him, and I go through to the living room. Mum and Finn are sitting watching an episode ofStranger Things, but Finn pauses it as I enter, and they both look over eagerly. Finn’s in his pajamas but Mum’s still dressed.
“Hey,” Finn says, “how did it go?”
“Um, Alex wants to come in for a coffee,” I tell them. “Are you both okay with that?”
“Oh, of course!” Mum springs to her feet.
“Yeah!” Finn says enthusiastically.
“Think calm thoughts,” I tell him, and he rolls his eyes.
I go back to the hallway. “You can come in,” I say to Alex. He’s taken off his jacket and hung it on the peg by the door. “You don’t have to do that,” I say as he toes off his Converses, but even as the words leave my mouth, I realize he’s obviously been brought up to do that, and there’s no way he’d go into someone’s house without removing his shoes.
He follows me into the living room and says, “Hey, dude!” to Finn, holding out his fist. Finn bumps it, beaming at the manly interaction.
“Where’s Zelda?” Finn asks.
“With my folks. She didn’t want to go to the party. Hello, Sandra,” Alex says to Mum, “it’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise,” she says. “Did you have a nice time this evening?”
“We had a great time,” he replies.
