Startled, she glanced up as his fingers caught hers and firmly unclenched her hand, tipping the pebble onto the sand.
‘Out of what?’
‘The game. You had three strikes.’ He frowned, his eyes picking over her face. ‘Or in your case, three sighs! So come on—what’s bothering you?’
It was the perfect opportunity to tell him the truth. That she loved him with a love that was rooted so deeply nothing could cause it to wither. That she would always have his back and would willingly go into battle for him.
But before she could reply he said quickly, ‘Is it coming here? Meeting Emily?’
His eyes were startlingly green in the sunlight, his voice brusque with that anger again, and she felt her spine stiffen and the words dry in her mouth. For a moment there was no sound but the surf and the crooning cry of a distant gull, and then his fingers tightened on hers.
‘Sorry.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to sound so forceful.’ His mouth twisted. ‘I know this is hard for you. James and Emily are good people, and I know how much you like them.’
Reaching into the sand, he picked up a pebble and handed it to her.
She nodded. ‘They’re so generous and humble. And so in love still.’ Her heart gave a thump as he handed her another pebble. ‘I suppose they remind me of my mum and dad.’
Shifting in the sand, she glanced over her shoulder to where the mansion could just be seen behind the sand dunes.
‘Although Swan Creek is slightly bigger than the Love Shack.’
‘More Love Chateau?’ he said softly.
She smiled, responding to the teasing note in his voice. ‘That’s good. Perhaps you should try running a business.’
‘I would love to run my own business, but I have this girlfriend. She takes up all my time.’ Abruptly his face shifted, grew serious. ‘How are they like your parents?’
His question pulled her up short. She frowned. ‘I suppose they have the same sort of closeness...like they’re always aware of each other.’
She bit her lip. It was the sort of closeness she’d dreamed about for years. A closeness born of trust and honesty.
‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it?’
He sounded so unsure that she burst out laughing. ‘I think it is.’
He nodded. ‘Only you sounded like it might not be.’
His eyes searched her face so intently that suddenly she felt shy, self-conscious.
She shrugged. ‘It’s what I’ve always wanted.’ She gave him a swift, tight smile. ‘But you can’t always get what you want—’
‘Just what you need?’
Their eyes met.
I need you, she thought helplessly.
Instead she nodded. ‘Which is why you can buy chocolate and stationery everywhere.’
He groaned. ‘Chocolate, I get. But stationery?’
She laughed. ‘I love notebooks. And pens.’
‘That stops as soon as we’re married.’
‘Is that your version of a prenup?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘Then you’re going to need a lawyer, because stationery is non-negotiable.’
His eyes gleamed. ‘In that case I might have a few non-negotiables of my own.’