Noah intertwined their fingers again. “You need to promise to behave from now on.”
“I promise,” she said, grinning widely.
Chapter Nine
The Skybus wasn’t quite a private jet, but it wasn’t far from it. In terms of size anyway, not luxury. The eight-seater plane had no overhead lockers or under-seat storage and the passengers were well wedged in. Keira sat in the front row beside Noah. They had a perfect view into the cockpit with all its switches, lights and buttons. Behind them, Trystan had put his earphones back in and bobbed his head to a beat no one else could hear. In the rows behind him two middle-aged couples chatted amongst themselves.
“This is amazing,” Keira cooed, unable to take her eyes from the view of the Cornish coast.
“That’s Longships Lighthouse.” Noah leaned across her to point out the stone lighthouse on a rocky islet off the coast of Land’s End.
Twisting to look back, Keira gazed at the patchwork green fields along the southernmost part of England’s mainland. Rugged brown cliffs were pummelled by fierce waves, the white of which contrasted starkly against dark blue water.
“It’s stunning,” she said, turning back around to find Noah staring at her.
“We got lucky that it’s such a clear day.”
“You spoke too soon.” Mist shrouded the windows and Keira’s stomach lurched as the plane shuddered.
“Don’t worry, it’s normal,” Noah said, right before the pilot’s voice came on the PA system to tell them the same thing.
Hearing it was normal didn’t do much to alleviate Keira’s jitters, and she moved her hand to Noah’s. The warmth of his skin against hers made her stomach flutter in a much more pleasant way.
Ten minutes later, Trystan tapped on her shoulder and pointed at the window. She caught a glimpse of the sea below before more cloud blocked her view. It didn’t take long before she got another snatch of water, but the clouds quickly interrupted the view again. Her forehead was almost touching the window when the clouds parted fully.
Her jaw hung slack and her brain struggled to take in what she was seeing. The green and brown islands were bordered by sandy coves and set in the most incredible turquoise water.
“What magical land is this?” she whispered, wanting to turn back to Noah but reluctant to take her eyes off the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. She didn’t want to miss a second and blinking felt like a nuisance. The view seemed like something from a fairy tale. There was no walking through a wardrobe or falling down a rabbit hole, but that’s how she felt. She’d slipped through the clouds and into paradise.
“Not the worst view, is it?” With Noah’s smooth voice in her ear and the scent of his aftershave filling her nostrils, he was making sure most of her senses were getting a treat. As his thumb stroked the back of her hand, she felt a lump form in her throat.
“It’s perfect,” she murmured, sure he couldn’t hear her over the noise of the plane’s engines. “Everything is perfect.”
“The biggest island is St Mary’s,” he told her, his face beside hers as they looked out. “See the stretch of beach down there … with a row of four cottages leading up to the house on the headland?”
Her eyes scanned the coastline until she found what he’d described.
“That’s Old Town Bay,” he told her. “The house is my mum’s. That’s where I grew up. She rents out the cottages for holiday lets.”
“Are we staying at your mum’s house?”
“No. In one of the cottages. She kept it free for the weekend.”
Keira shook her head, not quite believing it. It was no Italian villa, but she couldn’t imagine Sicily could be any more beautiful than what she was seeing now.
The nose of the plane dipped and she tightened her grip on Noah. “Are we supposed to be going down so steeply?”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
They stayed silent for the remainder of the descent, and Keira let out a sigh of relief when they came to a bumpy stop on the short runway.
“What did you think?” Trystan asked, leaning forward as the plane taxied along at a steady pace.
“Unbelievable,” she said with a grin.
The terminal wasn’t much bigger than a motorway service station, and they were standing out on the road with their bags in no time.
“This is some welcome committee, isn’t it?” Trystan said, wandering into the middle of the road and looking off into the distance. “I guess we’re walking.”