“It was a couple of years ago,” he continued. “He was fit and healthy too. Went out sailing one morning and didn’t come back.”
“God, that’s awful.”
He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. “His boat was found, and a couple of days later his body was found washed up. We don’t know for sure what happened. The theories are that he either had a heart attack and fell in the water, or that the boom swung over and knocked him out. They couldn’t tell from the body since it had been in the water so long and had been beaten up by the rocks.” His ribcage tightened and a lump formed in his throat.
“I’m so sorry. That’s horrendous. Life can be so shit.”
“I don’t know why I told you that,” he said, shifting his weight. “I guess I wanted you to know that I know how you feel. I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but I’m not sure that’s true.” His shoulders hitched. “It’s better now than it was. The first weeks and months were awful. Now it’s more of a chronic dull pain.”
Shaking her head, she stepped towards him. Expecting a hug, he was taken aback when she laid her hand on his cheek and lightly touched her lips to his.
The shock in her features mirrored his own as she pulled away.
“Sympathy kiss?” he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“No!” She put a hand over her mouth. “God, no. That’s not what that was. I don’t know what that was. Apart from completely inappropriate. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he said, feeling his shoulders relax.
“It’s not fine! Imagine if you’d have come into the bathroom earlier and kissed me. It would’ve been so out of line. How is me kissing you when you’re upset an appropriate reaction? What is wrong with me tonight?”
“To be fair, it wasn’t a terrible reaction. I’m not complaining. Just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“Me too! I really am sorry.” She ran her hands down her face. “I hope you’ve at least learned a lesson tonight … the next time your mum tries to set you up with an unstable forty-year-old woman on her birthday, just say no. Run, if you need to, but get away as fast as possible.”
“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.” He took a tentative step towards her. “I had a really nice night.” Which was actually a massive understatement. He’d been happy when his mum had suggested the two of them go out for dinner, but he’d enjoyed it even more than he’d anticipated.
“I did too,” she said, her hands grazing over the front of his shirt as she ventured nearer to him. “Obviously you shouldn’t take the fact that I ended up bawling my eyes out in the ladies’ bathroom as any indicator as to what a good night I had.”
He slipped his hands over her hips and beamed at her. “I’ll be honest, I don’t consider it a good nightunlessI end up in the ladies’ bathrooms, so you don’t need to feel bad about that.”
Her dainty laugh sent a frisson of breath dancing teasingly over his lips. The warmth of her fingertips on his neck sent a shiver through his whole body, and his arms tightened around her until there was no space left between them. With a tilt of his head their lips met again, causing an ache of desire deep in his gut. Their noses touched as the kiss deepened, and he tasted a hint of wine as his tongue flicked into her mouth.
Just when he was about to pull away, she pushed her fingers into his hair and held him in place. The gentle sigh that escaped her lips made him desperate for more.
Dragging his hands up, he held her face and continued to kiss her until they were both breathing heavily.
“As far as sympathy kisses go, that one was way better,” he murmured with his face still close to hers.
“It wasn’t a sympathy kiss,” she said indignantly.
“What then? Anit’s my birthday and I’ve had a couple of glasses of winekind of kiss?”
“No.” Her smile was adorably bashful. “It was anI’ve had a really lovely eveningkiss … and …”
“And what?”
“And I find you very attractive.” She winced. “And maybe also something to do with wine and my birthday.”
“Thought so!”
“Just so long as you know it wasn’t a sympathy kiss. There’s no such thing. Or there shouldn’t be.”
“Maybe it should be a thing,” he said, amused. “Sympathy snogs could really help take the edge of the grieving process.”
She gave him a playful shove as she backed out of his arms, then bent to retrieve her shoes.
Taking her hand, he entwined his fingers with hers as they walked up the beach. Outside the cottage he paused, wondering whether he should invite her in. Sleeping with the guest staying in his mum’s place for the summer might not be his greatest idea. God, he wanted to though.