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She stares at me blankly. “What?”
I reach out, take the end of her braid in my left hand, and wind it around my fingers. She watches me warily. When I get to the point where it tightens, she says, “Ow.”
“So move forward,” I direct, winding it again.
She leans on the table, and her lips slowly curve up as she realizes what I’m doing. I wind the braid until she’s close to me, until our lips are only six inches apart.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
Her eyes are a beautiful green. Her pale skin has a few freckles across her nose. I drop my gaze to her mouth, which is pale pink and looks extremely kissable. “We’ve got to start somewhere.”
“But—”
I close the gap and press my lips to hers.
She inhales, but she doesn’t pull away. Conscious that Chris could appear through the curtain at any moment, I keep it PG-13, but take my time, giving her butterfly kisses, soft and gentle. After so long watching her, wanting her, it’s amazing to finally be so close to her, so intimate. God, her lips are soft, like the clouds outside the window, and I have to stifle a groan that threatens to rise within me.
It’s been a tough year, and after Poppy turned me down back in June, I doubted I’d ever get the chance to do this. But here I am, kissing her. It feels like a gift, as if an angel has granted me a wish. The sun slants through the windows of the plane, coating us in warm bars of gold. I can smell Poppy’s perfume, something light and flowery. I close my eyes, imagining how it’s going to feel later, when I’ll be able to undo the buttons on her blouse and slide it off her shoulders, kiss her breasts, and make love to her. This is a little like what heaven feels like, I think, as the plane passes through the clouds, heading for the jewel of Hawke’s Bay. I never thought I’d associate this place with happiness again, but Poppy has blown away all the dark feelings, and suddenly all I can think of is being there with her, and having her all to myself.
Chapter Nine
Poppy
After the plane lands, we pick up the hire car, and Marc drives us to the new Ark.
It’s extremely difficult for me to concentrate after the kiss. I hadn’t expected that at all, and I half-regret giving in to him. He took me by surprise, and I wasn’t prepared. I have to keep my wits about me this week. I don’t believe that men are the only ones who can have sex without getting their emotions involved, but equally it’s going to take willpower of iron to maintain the kind of control I’m going to need to keep myself distant from him. The way Marc wound my braid around his hand and pulled me toward him… the touch of his lips… it made my heart race. What on earth is it going to feel like when we take off our clothes; when he’s touching me, kissing my skin; when he’s inside me?
I shiver as he takes the turnoff for the new Ark and resolve to put the memory of the kiss out of my mind or I’m going to get nervous.
As if I’m not already.
The Ark is in a beautiful location on the outskirts of Hastings, although I don’t think its views are quite as breathtaking as ours in the Bay of Islands.
As it’s Sunday, the site is clear of building crew, but Ashton, the estate manager, has called in to meet us, and he gives us a brief tour. It’s coming along well; they’ve completed the main office block, and the veterinary center is nearly finished. He’s very interested in the petting farm, and asks to meet with me later in the week to discover what’s worked and what hasn’t, in case they decide to have one further down the line.
We don’t want to keep him on his day off, so after an hour we part ways, promising to return the next morning around nine.
Marc makes a quick phone call, then returns to the car and buckles himself in. “So… time to discover our magical destination for the week.” He gives me an impish smile.
I’ve asked him a couple of times where we’re staying, but he’s refused to tell me. I’m guessing it’s a flash hotel in Hastings somewhere. It’s difficult to know how to handle the fact that I’m wealthy when I’m with a guy. Daniel used to make a show of taking me to expensive restaurants and hotels as if he felt the need to make the point that he could afford to do it, even though I knew he was having to pay child support and alimony.
