Winter at Wishington Bay

by Maxine Morrey

  ‘I’m surprised that appealed.’

  ‘Admittedly, it was a little more honesty than I’d been expecting, but on the other hand I realised that for the first time in years, I knew exactly where I stood with someone. Even if it that somewhere felt like it was in the middle of a massive cow pat right at that moment. But still.’ He looked down, meeting my eyes. ‘I think I’m in big trouble here.’

  I knew exactly what he meant.

  ‘And how do you feel about that?’

  ‘Pretty damn good, actually.’ His mouth grazed my temple as he spoke and I shivered again as the words whispered softly into my ear, but this time it was nothing to do with the cold.

  ‘You’re cold. We should—’

  I didn’t know what he was going to say and didn’t care. All I wanted was Nate and, pressing myself closer, I tilted my face so that my lips caught his. Instantly, his arms tightened around me as his lips pressed down on mine, opening gently, inquisitively, as we staggered slightly against the window of the shop. His body shifted as he hands moved up, cradling my face as the kiss deepened. I forgot where I was, that I was kissing a man I didn’t actually know all that well in the street for everyone to see. I forgot that I’d been brought up to look upon such behaviour as common and that my mother, had she seen it, would have been the one in need of the smelling salts. None of that occurred to me. None of that mattered. All I thought of, all I could feel, was Nate.

  ‘So I guess you were looking for something after all?’ The voice cut into the moment and sliced it apart.

  Nate lifted his head, resting it momentarily against mine as a small sigh escaped. Both of us recognised the voice, and neither of us had missed the tone that accompanied the words. He turned towards Corinne. She was standing a few feet from us, swaying slightly. The man who’d followed her into the shop earlier was on the pavement a little way back talking into his phone intently, his attention on something other than Corinne, which probably explained some of her annoyance. The rest of it was firmly centred on us.

  Nate met her eyes but didn’t reply. His arms remained around me, and his look was even, his body language confident. He had no reason to explain himself to her, and clearly no intention of doing so. I fell a little bit more under his spell.

  Corinne shifted her weight, glancing back at her date with irritation. ‘Are you going to be on that phone all night?’

  He waved a hand and turned away, continuing the conversation. Corinne narrowed her eyes momentarily before looking back at me.

  ‘I guess he’s got a thing for older women. Some men get off on all those wrinkles and saggy bits.’ I felt Nate tense against me. She gave her already hoisted breasts another hoik so that they were in danger of escaping the bar wench’s outfit altogether.

  ‘I guess so,’ I said casually, giving a one shouldered, unconcerned shrug. ‘Lucky me.’ Nate’s embrace tightened.

  Corinne’s mouth dropped open a little and I met her fiery gaze with my own cool one. Turns out certain experiences at a private girls’ school could prove useful later in life after all. I’d suffered my share of bitchiness and had found, after some trial and error, that not rising to the bait was one of the most effective ways of dealing with the comments.

  ‘Sorry, Babes.’ The man approached her, slipping his arm round her waist, his eyes resting on her boosted cleavage.

  ‘Finally!’ she snapped.

  ‘I know. Come on, let’s get back and try that jewellery on you…’ His lecherous gaze indicated that might be the only thing she would be wearing. Corinne softened a little in the light of the obvious adoration.

  ‘Fine. But no more phone calls or I’m going home. Alone.’

  He made a show of putting his phone in his pocket and pulled Corinne closer to him. ‘Promise.’

  She tossed her hair, her eyes on Nate rather than the man beside her.

  ‘Have a nice evening,’ she said, the tone implying all hopes were for exactly the opposite.

  Nate nodded at them both before returning his attention to me. ‘Come on, you’re freezing,’ he said, wrapping his long line jacket round me despite the fact he was still in it. I snuggled in against him, the feeling of care and attention unusual. It was a simple gesture but it meant such a lot and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that way. Like I was something special. Something, or rather someone, who was worth taking the time to care for.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Corinne give a parting glare as we turned towards my door and I fished in a pocket for my key.

  ‘I’m sorry about that,’ Nate said as we closed the door on the cold outside. ‘I should have been more wary.’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about it. She’s never liked me anyway. Scared off a previous waitress apparently too. You showing up with all your hotness just made it worse,’ I winked at him. ‘But I can handle Corinne,’ I said, giving a little shiver as the warmth of my cosy flat began to permeate into my bones.

  ‘I have no doubt of that,’ Nate replied, pulling me back against him gently. His warmth, plus the faint lingering smell of his aftershave all wrapped up in the scent that was Nate caused another shiver, but this one was for an entirely different reason.

  ‘You’re still cold.’

  ‘No.’ I looked up at him and saw the concern in the bright blue eyes. ‘Really, I’m not.’

  He gave me a disbelieving look that was half smile, half frown and entirely sexy.

  ‘I’m not.’ I bumped against him gently.

  ‘Well, I think I still need to try and keep you warm.’ The frown disappeared and the smile widened. ‘Just in case.’

  ‘Always better to be safe than sorry.’

  ‘That’s what they say.’

  I couldn’t get any closer to him now and still it wasn’t enough. Despite the layers of Victorian style clothing, there was no denying Nate was of a similar opinion. At least, parts of him were, and when I looked up into his face, the darkening heat of his eyes confirmed his mind was on the same track.

  ‘I have no idea what I’m doing but, with you, somehow it feels right.’

  ‘I know what you mean,’ I said, taking a step back and reaching up to remove the hat from his head, tossing it onto the chair. ‘I’ve no idea either but, at this point, I don’t really care because I don’t think anything has ever felt so right.’ I pushed the coat from his broad shoulders as I said this, and he wriggled, helping it slide down his arms. It landed in a puddle behind him and I was already working at the buttons on his waistcoat. My fingers, in their haste, struggled with the small fastenings and Nate’s large, warm hands took over, ensuring a quicker progress. I didn’t take any chances with the shirt buttons and instead pulled the fabric. Buttons pinged in various directions.

  ‘I’ll sew them back on tomorrow,’ I breathed as Nate smiled down at me, his hands around my waist, the long fingers working at the button of my skirt. Of course, I’d first have to learn how to sew a button on but the chest beneath the fabric was worth whatever effort it took. Smooth, tanned and broad, I slid the palms of my hands across it, feeling its strength beneath my touch as I linked my fingers behind his neck and his mouth met mine at the same time the heavy skirt fell to the floor. Without parting our lips, Nate pushed my fitted jacket I’d now unhooked back over my shoulders and began to work on the lacing of the corset beneath.

  ‘What the hell?’ he growled, pulling away, his voice thick with a desperation that made my knees feel weaker than they already were. His hands gently but firmly turned me round so that he could see the problem. Within a couple of moments, he’d loosened the ties and I was able to wriggle out. Not the most elegant of moves, but at this point both of us were beyond caring, as the remainder of our clothes tumbled to the floor, and we tumbled to the sofa.

  At some point, we’d made our way to the bedroom, and when I woke late the next day, it was to the unfamiliar feeling of a man’s arms around me, his hard body pressed against mine under the warmth of the duvet. I turned my head as far as I could b
ut couldn’t see his face. For some reason, I wanted to. Needed to. This was all a new experience. For one thing, I’d never slept with a man on a first date – and I wasn’t even sure that Nate helping me out in the shop qualified as a date at all. But I’d known plenty of people who had. And I’d listened to them lament the throes of passion that had led them into it. But I wasn’t lamenting anything. My body ached in a way it never had before and a happiness, a peace, flowed through me in an entirely new manner. All I could hope was that Nate felt the same way.

  ‘Good morning.’ The words were deep and raspy with an early morning huskiness that did nothing to quell the flames already flickering in my stomach.

  I shuffled round so that I could face him.

  ‘Good morning.’

  His hand lazily stroked up my thigh and the smile on his face matched the sentiment.

  ‘You OK?’

  ‘Um-hmm,’ I nodded, pushing my fingers gently back through his hair.

  Suddenly he moved, scooping me underneath him as he propped himself up on an elbow, and now rested above me. There was no need for any more words as he lowered himself enough to begin tracing the line of my shoulder with soft, butterfly light kisses. I felt my body respond as his did to mine. A small, sensuous moan reached my ears and I realised it had come from me. Something else new then. Nate pulled back and gave me that lazy smile again before reaching back for the duvet and pulling it up over both of us as his free hand moved lower.

  ‘So, I’ll see you later?’ Nate asked as he leant against the door jamb, looking far too attractive for a man I was having to force out of my flat when what I really wanted to do was drag him back in.

  ‘Definitely,’ I replied, standing on tiptoes to plant a kiss on his smiling mouth.

  ‘Good,’ he checked his watch. ‘I’d better go and pick up Bryan from Ned and Carrie, take him for a walk and then get back to the book. I’ll come and meet you after your shift though.’

  ‘You don’t need to do that.’

  His arm pulled me close. ‘I know. But I want to. I really, really want to.’ The last words were muffled as his head dipped and his lips skimmed the curve of my neck.

  ‘You’d better go or I’ll have no job to be met from.’

  Nate made a noise that mixed complaint with regret, but he took the hint.

  ‘I’ll see you later,’ he said, stealing one last kiss before turning and jogging down the stairs and out the front door onto the street, pulling the door closed behind him.

  The look on Eloise’s face told me she’d already heard the news about Nate and me.

  ‘About bloody time too,’ was her greeting as she gave me a hug and helped me tie my apron before turning me back to face her. ‘So?’

  ‘So, what?’ I asked.

  She gave me a look and I grinned. I couldn’t help it.

  ‘That,’ she said, pointing at my face, ‘just answered my question.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ I said, aware that there was a still a big smile plastered over my face and had been for the majority of the weekend.

  Eloise looked at me, laughed and moved to the door to greet our first customers.

  ‘You know he’s married.’ Corinne had been late starting her shift. The look on Ned’s face suggested she was trying his good nature but, for now, she was here and apparently eager to burst any bubble I may have been occupying.

  ‘I’m sorry?’ I said, turning briefly.

  ‘Nate. You know he’s married, right? I saw some pictures of his wife online. She’s absolutely stunning.’ Her glance flitted over me and the rest of her opinion, although unvoiced, was clear. I knew I shouldn’t reply. Should let her words just wash over me, but the dig that I was seeing a married man had lodged in like a barb. I’d been on the receiving end of that situation on plenty of occasions so the accusation that I was now doing the same thing rankled.

  ‘He’s separated, Corinne. And getting a divorce. His ex-wife is already with someone else.’ I turned to face her. ‘And funny that whole situation didn’t seem to bother you when you were desperate for his attention.’

  ‘I didn’t know he was married.’

  I shook my head. ‘Corinne. The whole village knew Nate’s situation before the poor man even got here and you were no exception. Table three is calling you.’ I nodded in the direction of her customers, turned on my heel and walked back to serve one of my own, trying not to let her comments permeate. I’d managed it before and I would do so again. Nate was single. We’d sat at his breakfast bar discussing our respective divorce proceedings so I knew it was certainly happening, not to mention the small matter of his ex already living with another man. Corinne was just trying to put the knife in because, for once, she hadn’t got what she wanted.

  I did my best to put it out of my mind, and continued with my shift. The place was busy and Carrie and Ned had now put the Christmas tree up, adding to the festive atmosphere and lending the restaurant a cosy feel. During a brief lull, I snapped a couple of pictures and uploaded one to my Instagram account. I avoided detailing the location and only part of the tree could be seen, but Carrie had done such a wonderful job decorating it, it seemed a shame not to share it in some way. Slipping the phone back in my pocket, I moved back and tidied the booking area before heading over to one of my tables to see if they could be tempted by some of Ned’s famous puddings.

  The wind coming in off the sea whipped my hair across my face, and the invisible droplets of lifted surf stung my skin as I waited for Nate outside the restaurant. Eloise and Bob had offered to wait with me but I’d sent them home to the warm. I knew Nate wouldn’t be long and had probably just got caught up with his book.

  Twenty minutes later I was beginning to feel less sure as tiny flakes of snow began to flutter down, catching on the bottle green of my wool coat. They lasted a moment, bright and white against the background before soaking in and disappearing. Pulling my phone from my bag, I checked the screen. No missed calls or unread messages. As I’d begun to lose feeling in my feet, I rang Nate. If he’d just got caught up and was now walking along the beach, I didn’t want to start heading to Holly’s place through the village and risk us missing each other. The number connected and rang. It carried on ringing until finally it rolled over to voicemail. I hung up without leaving a message. The surf was roaring and if he was walking that way, it wouldn’t surprise me if he hadn’t heard the phone ring. I decided to head down towards his place and chose the beach walk. Bryan would have a good chance for a run around if Nate came that way, so it made sense he would choose that route.

  Bracing myself against the wind and the now heavier falling snow, I walked fast towards the Art Deco place at the end of the beach, both enjoying and also being battered by the wild weather. If he’d forgotten about meeting me altogether, Nate better at least have the kettle on.

  I rang the bell. Nothing. I rang again and this time, after a few moments, saw movement. The door opened and Nate stood there staring at me. The action was mutual. This was a completely different man from the one who’d left my flat earlier that day, and I hadn’t seen him look this stressed since our first inauspicious meeting over the toilet brush.

  ‘Hi,’ I said when it became clear he wasn’t going to speak first.

  He ran a hand back through the dark, rumpled hair. ‘Oh… er, hi.’ Behind him, Bryan scooted round the corner, sliding like a car on ice, before regaining control and powering towards me. I bent and picked him up, letting his warmth thaw me a little as I remained on the doorstep, still not having been invited in. It was just as well one of the residents was giving out some warmth as there was definitely none coming from the little dog’s temporary master.

  ‘I thought you were going to meet me after work?’ I said, my tone free of recrimination but even I could hear the sense of insecurity in it. Had I got this wrong? Was this not how it worked? I’d taken his words at face value, but was that what people said, whether they meant it or not, in order to save any awkwardness after a one
night stand?

  ‘Oh… right. Yeah. I… sorry. I forgot.’

  I was still standing on the doorstep and feeling more and more awkward by the moment. Placing Bryan back down inside the house, I looked up at Nate. Something was off. A few hours ago he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off me. It had been him that had suggested meeting up again, and the tone he’d used suggested he definitely didn’t mean for a game of scrabble. Behind him I heard the unmistakeable sound of high heels clip clopping on the floorboards. Moments later, the owner of them came to stand beside Nate and looked at me, a mixture of curiosity and something else I couldn’t quite place on her face. Her arm moved casually and rested on Nate’s waistband. Her perfect face matched the toned body poured into a tight, Hermès-style bandage dress. It was a fake, I could tell – but a good one. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was glad that at least some of the skills from my previous life hadn’t been entirely lost. The front of my mind, however, was more focused on what she was doing there. The pieces were slowly falling into place. And now, as the long, fingers with their elegant French manicure curved round Nate’s waist, it was obvious what that expression I hadn’t initially been able to name was.

  ‘I’m Serena McKinley.’

  It was possession.

  24

  I felt sick. And stupid. Hadn’t I learned anything from the many years I’d been married to a cheat and liar? Apparently not. Despite all that experience, here I was again, being made a fool of by a man. And the worst of it was, I’d believed him. I’d believed the broken-hearted, used and abused person he’d pretended to be. Swallowed it whole like a creamy oyster. But now that oyster appeared to have been off and was making me feel like I wanted to throw up, preferably all over Nate McKinley’s very expensive shoes.