kiss her, even if this was only a holiday flirtation.
He kissed her the next night, though, and the one after that. And very good kisses they were, too.
When the last evening came, she entertained him to a meal, insisting on repaying his hospitality.
‘I wish you weren’t going back to Perth,’ he said wistfully.
‘So do I.’
‘You could stay another week.’
‘My daughter would have a fit. And there probably isn’t a flat free.’
‘There is, actually. Or you could be my guest?’
She hesitated. ‘Do we know each other well enough for that?’
‘Not yet. But we will. So you’ll stay in the flat?’
Did she dare? Of course she did. This was . . . important. Or it might be. She hoped it would be. ‘Yes. And thank you.’
Jan did have a fit when she phoned, and they insisted on coming down on the Sunday to check that she was all right.
The next day she went round to James’s beautiful house for lunch and wandered on to his jetty as he was getting the meal ready.
There was a thump behind her and another pelican landed. This one had a malformed foot and it stumbled, bumping into her and sending her flying into the water.
She let out a yell of shock and by the time she surfaced, James was there on the jetty. Without hesitation, he dived in and came up spluttering next to her.
She bobbed about in the water, laughing at him. ‘I didn’t actually need rescuing. I used to be a good swimmer.’
He grinned at her, water streaming down his face. ‘Don’t say that. I’ve always wanted to be Sir Galahad and save a fair damsel in distress.’
‘Is that what I am?’
‘Oh, yes. A very fair damsel.’ He pulled her to him in the water.
This time his kiss was very different, full of passion. When they clambered out of the water, he held her hand as they dripped their way into the house.
In the guest bedroom, she changed out of her wet clothes into his silk dressing gown and came out looking like a drowned rat, she thought.
He was waiting for her with a tender smile on his face. ‘Dear Sarah, you seem as if you belong here. Would it be too soon to ask you to stay with me tonight?’
She gave up fighting the attraction. ‘No. Definitely not too soon. In fact, it’s perfect timing.’
‘And would it be too soon to ask you to stay on here with me, with a view to making that permanent?’
Joy flooded through her and she gave up fighting her own feelings for him. ‘No. Not too soon for that, either. If you’re sure, James?’
‘I’m very sure, Sarah darling. I’ve felt happy with you since the first time we had lunch.’
‘I’ve felt the same.’
‘It’s amazing, isn’t it, how two strangers can suddenly feel attracted. I thought I was past all that, but I’m not.’
She gestured around her to the magnificent house. ‘I feel like Cinderella, only I’m staying at the palace, not going home.’
‘In that case, you’d better marry the prince. It’s the obligatory ending to the story, you know.’
She couldn’t help chuckling. ‘Strange kind of fairy godmother, a pelican.’
‘I shall never think badly of them again.’ He drew her into his arms, gentle as ever, and it felt so right she pulled his head down and kissed him rather less than gently.
Take A Chance
Anna’s Notes
I’m not a big gambler, but I do like to buy a Lotto ticket every now and then. I once won $700, and as this came at a time when we were a bit short of money, it was very exciting.
I enjoyed giving my heroine a much bigger win, and this story led to me writing my book Licence to Dream .
I love writing about happy ever afters and fantasies that lift people’s lives out of the ordinary.
L ouise got herself a cup of coffee and sat cradling it in her hands, staring into space. Thirty-eight! No husband, no family, nothing she’d once hoped for. She was just good old Auntie Louise. She sighed and opened the Sunday paper.
As usual, she checked the Lotto results last. She liked to dream about winning for
He kissed her the next night, though, and the one after that. And very good kisses they were, too.
When the last evening came, she entertained him to a meal, insisting on repaying his hospitality.
‘I wish you weren’t going back to Perth,’ he said wistfully.
‘So do I.’
‘You could stay another week.’
‘My daughter would have a fit. And there probably isn’t a flat free.’
‘There is, actually. Or you could be my guest?’
She hesitated. ‘Do we know each other well enough for that?’
‘Not yet. But we will. So you’ll stay in the flat?’
Did she dare? Of course she did. This was . . . important. Or it might be. She hoped it would be. ‘Yes. And thank you.’
Jan did have a fit when she phoned, and they insisted on coming down on the Sunday to check that she was all right.
The next day she went round to James’s beautiful house for lunch and wandered on to his jetty as he was getting the meal ready.
There was a thump behind her and another pelican landed. This one had a malformed foot and it stumbled, bumping into her and sending her flying into the water.
She let out a yell of shock and by the time she surfaced, James was there on the jetty. Without hesitation, he dived in and came up spluttering next to her.
She bobbed about in the water, laughing at him. ‘I didn’t actually need rescuing. I used to be a good swimmer.’
He grinned at her, water streaming down his face. ‘Don’t say that. I’ve always wanted to be Sir Galahad and save a fair damsel in distress.’
‘Is that what I am?’
‘Oh, yes. A very fair damsel.’ He pulled her to him in the water.
This time his kiss was very different, full of passion. When they clambered out of the water, he held her hand as they dripped their way into the house.
In the guest bedroom, she changed out of her wet clothes into his silk dressing gown and came out looking like a drowned rat, she thought.
He was waiting for her with a tender smile on his face. ‘Dear Sarah, you seem as if you belong here. Would it be too soon to ask you to stay with me tonight?’
She gave up fighting the attraction. ‘No. Definitely not too soon. In fact, it’s perfect timing.’
‘And would it be too soon to ask you to stay on here with me, with a view to making that permanent?’
Joy flooded through her and she gave up fighting her own feelings for him. ‘No. Not too soon for that, either. If you’re sure, James?’
‘I’m very sure, Sarah darling. I’ve felt happy with you since the first time we had lunch.’
‘I’ve felt the same.’
‘It’s amazing, isn’t it, how two strangers can suddenly feel attracted. I thought I was past all that, but I’m not.’
She gestured around her to the magnificent house. ‘I feel like Cinderella, only I’m staying at the palace, not going home.’
‘In that case, you’d better marry the prince. It’s the obligatory ending to the story, you know.’
She couldn’t help chuckling. ‘Strange kind of fairy godmother, a pelican.’
‘I shall never think badly of them again.’ He drew her into his arms, gentle as ever, and it felt so right she pulled his head down and kissed him rather less than gently.
Take A Chance
Anna’s Notes
I’m not a big gambler, but I do like to buy a Lotto ticket every now and then. I once won $700, and as this came at a time when we were a bit short of money, it was very exciting.
I enjoyed giving my heroine a much bigger win, and this story led to me writing my book Licence to Dream .
I love writing about happy ever afters and fantasies that lift people’s lives out of the ordinary.
L ouise got herself a cup of coffee and sat cradling it in her hands, staring into space. Thirty-eight! No husband, no family, nothing she’d once hoped for. She was just good old Auntie Louise. She sighed and opened the Sunday paper.
As usual, she checked the Lotto results last. She liked to dream about winning for
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