hoped so. In every way possible. She climbed up on the rock, sitting cross-legged next to him and taking her sandwich with a smile and a mumbled thanks.
She hadn’t told him, but today would be her last day here. She’d booked a flight out of Caracas in the morning, which meant she would have to leave the lodge before sunrise. She’d run away from her problems, and apparently that’d just made them worse. Thanks to her no-longer-anonymous tell-all blog, she’d lost her professional reputation and her job. She’d sparked a legal inquiry that had embroiled her in a process she’d never wanted to be part of. She’d been called a feminist hero and a gutless bitch, when all she’d wanted was a way of relieving the overwhelming stress of her job. Having given her testimony, she’d thought she was in the eye of the hurricane. Turns out her former employer thought it the ideal time to strike back and release the email she’d stupidly sent a senior staff member, criticizing his bedroom performance. Fuckers.
They ate in silence, both content to listen to the forest’s sounds as they reenergized. The river tumbling over the ledge and onto the pool. The water babbling as it left the pool behind them and carried on its journey down the mountain. The screech of a howler monkey somewhere in the tree branches behind them. The rustle of bushes made by a small creature—hopefully a frog, not a snake.
So different from the noises Tess had been surrounded by her whole life. Horns honking. Brakes squealing as a Tube train pulled into a station. Cyclists shouting at taxi drivers, and taxi drivers cursing back at cyclists. The forest’s noises acted as a balm to ease the nagging stress that had eaten away at her nerves and her stomach lining for years.
Liam balled up the wax paper his sandwich had been wrapped in and shoved it into the paper bag. Stretching his arms overhead, he lowered himself onto his back and closed his eyes, a slight smile touching his lips. One of his hands reached out and found her lower back, insinuating under the hem of her shirt to skim her skin with a touch as light as butterfly wings. She shivered with anticipation. Such a simple touch, yet nothing about the feelings it provoked was simple.
“This is paradise.” He let out a deep yogic sigh, as if the forest had helped him release toxins that had plagued him too. “I wish I could stay here forever.”
Her brows drew together. She’d only known him a couple of days, but that was long enough to see he was exhausted and preoccupied with something other than having a holiday. What could have knocked him back so hard? The upcoming World Cup, which England was hosting? The normal stress of a season, or was it something more? She wished she could stick around long enough to find out.
His fingers set up a rhythmic back-and-forth stroke, following the path of her waistband from hip to hip. She shoved their rubbish into her backpack and drew her knees under her chin, content to allow herself to be mesmerized by his touch and the wild sounds creating a tranquil den around them. Her feet ached from the hike, which hadn’t been too difficult but had been steep and required a lot of climbing. Her feet felt swollen, sweaty and constricted. She tugged at the knots of her laces, loosening them until she could slip her boots and socks off. A quiet moan escaped when she wriggled her toes. Freedom.
Liam chuckled behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. “What?”
His eyes stayed closed, but his grin had grown. “I was just lying here thinking I’d found Eden, and then I heard Eve moan. Seemed like perfect timing.”
Waves of energy rolled through her from his fingertips stroking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She took a risk and lay down on her side next to him, inside the arc of his arm but just far enough that she could pretend it wasn’t an intimate gesture if he rejected her. He didn’t. He drew her closer, cuddling her against his
She hadn’t told him, but today would be her last day here. She’d booked a flight out of Caracas in the morning, which meant she would have to leave the lodge before sunrise. She’d run away from her problems, and apparently that’d just made them worse. Thanks to her no-longer-anonymous tell-all blog, she’d lost her professional reputation and her job. She’d sparked a legal inquiry that had embroiled her in a process she’d never wanted to be part of. She’d been called a feminist hero and a gutless bitch, when all she’d wanted was a way of relieving the overwhelming stress of her job. Having given her testimony, she’d thought she was in the eye of the hurricane. Turns out her former employer thought it the ideal time to strike back and release the email she’d stupidly sent a senior staff member, criticizing his bedroom performance. Fuckers.
They ate in silence, both content to listen to the forest’s sounds as they reenergized. The river tumbling over the ledge and onto the pool. The water babbling as it left the pool behind them and carried on its journey down the mountain. The screech of a howler monkey somewhere in the tree branches behind them. The rustle of bushes made by a small creature—hopefully a frog, not a snake.
So different from the noises Tess had been surrounded by her whole life. Horns honking. Brakes squealing as a Tube train pulled into a station. Cyclists shouting at taxi drivers, and taxi drivers cursing back at cyclists. The forest’s noises acted as a balm to ease the nagging stress that had eaten away at her nerves and her stomach lining for years.
Liam balled up the wax paper his sandwich had been wrapped in and shoved it into the paper bag. Stretching his arms overhead, he lowered himself onto his back and closed his eyes, a slight smile touching his lips. One of his hands reached out and found her lower back, insinuating under the hem of her shirt to skim her skin with a touch as light as butterfly wings. She shivered with anticipation. Such a simple touch, yet nothing about the feelings it provoked was simple.
“This is paradise.” He let out a deep yogic sigh, as if the forest had helped him release toxins that had plagued him too. “I wish I could stay here forever.”
Her brows drew together. She’d only known him a couple of days, but that was long enough to see he was exhausted and preoccupied with something other than having a holiday. What could have knocked him back so hard? The upcoming World Cup, which England was hosting? The normal stress of a season, or was it something more? She wished she could stick around long enough to find out.
His fingers set up a rhythmic back-and-forth stroke, following the path of her waistband from hip to hip. She shoved their rubbish into her backpack and drew her knees under her chin, content to allow herself to be mesmerized by his touch and the wild sounds creating a tranquil den around them. Her feet ached from the hike, which hadn’t been too difficult but had been steep and required a lot of climbing. Her feet felt swollen, sweaty and constricted. She tugged at the knots of her laces, loosening them until she could slip her boots and socks off. A quiet moan escaped when she wriggled her toes. Freedom.
Liam chuckled behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. “What?”
His eyes stayed closed, but his grin had grown. “I was just lying here thinking I’d found Eden, and then I heard Eve moan. Seemed like perfect timing.”
Waves of energy rolled through her from his fingertips stroking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She took a risk and lay down on her side next to him, inside the arc of his arm but just far enough that she could pretend it wasn’t an intimate gesture if he rejected her. He didn’t. He drew her closer, cuddling her against his
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