by Lisa Hobman
She shook her head but didn’t meet his gaze. ‘No, I’m not really that hungry.’
‘Bloody hell, did my kiss put you off your food?’ He laughed.
She lifted her chin and was greeted by his handsome smiling face, tilted inquisitively to one side. ‘Why did you kiss me, Lachy?’
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. ‘Because you were insanely gorgeous when you were fretting over your cooking skills. And like I said, I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while now.’ His smile disappeared and he straightened up. ‘I’m sorry if I overstepped the mark. I… I didn’t mean to upset you. I know there are boundaries and I kind of lost myself there for a minute.’
She shook her head. ‘You didn’t upset me… I just don’t really understand what the point was.’
His brow crumpled. ‘Point? I’m attracted to you, isn’t that obvious? I saw an opportunity to kiss you and I took it.’
‘But I’m leaving tomorrow. You and me… well, there is no you and me. I live at the other end of the UK and you live in the middle of nowhere. Our lives are completely different.’
He grinned but his eyes contradicted the gesture. ‘Jeez, Zara, it’s not like I proposed marriage, for goodness’ sake.’
‘I know that. I just… I don’t usually kiss people unless it means something. And now I’m confused.’
He stood from the table. ‘Look, you’re reading too much into this. I kissed you. Maybe I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. I don’t usually do things like that either. But… I’m drawn to you. You’re the complete opposite of every woman I’ve known and, even though you do my head in with your bloody stubborn ways, I’m attracted to you. I hoped maybe you might be attracted to me too but clearly I put you off your food.’ He forced a laugh. ‘So let’s just put it down to experience, eh? Like you said, you’ll be gone tomorrow and so I suppose that’s why I took the chance.’ He ran his hands through the shaggy strands of his hair and his T-shirt rose up to show the bottom of his toned abdomen. She tried not to notice but failed. He huffed the air from his lungs. ‘I’m off to shower. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Zara. It was honestly never my intention. I just happen to think you’re a beautiful, intelligent woman and I really wanted to kiss you. I hope you can forgive me.’ With a haunted expression of regret he turned and left the room.
Zara sat there and closed her eyes for a moment. She lifted her fingers to her lips and remembered the feeling of Lachy’s hand in her hair. The kiss had been incredible but she could tell he had held back a little. If he could turn her blood to liquid fire when he was holding back, what could he do when he wasn’t?
She had fallen fast for Josh; she had trusted him and he had betrayed her so easily at the first opportunity. She wasn’t willing to make that mistake again but to feel that heat that Lachy created was intense. The desire that burned within her made her want him. Even if it was for just one night. It could never be anything more, after all. The physical distance between them was too vast.
Even though she wasn’t a risk-taker, the urge to break free of her self-restraint was almost overpowering. He was a handsome, muscular man and he’d taken a risk to kiss her. But she had to admit she wanted more. Just for one night she wanted to let go and know what it felt like to give in to lust.
She stood from the table and climbed the stairs.
As she walked into Lachy’s bedroom she could hear the hum of the en-suite shower and the pounding of the water, but it was only slightly louder than the hammering of her heart against her ribcage. Outside the closed bathroom door she took a deep breath and removed her clothes, throwing them onto a chair in the corner.
It was now or never.
She reached for the handle and turned it. If it was locked, she would grab her clothes and run as fast as she could for the spare room. But it wasn’t. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Through the steamed-up door she could make out the shape of Lachy’s firm, naked body and she swallowed hard. I’ve gone completely mad. But she didn’t stop. The old floor creaked and Lachy turned to face her through the glass.
He wiped the condensation away and opened his mouth to speak. ‘Zara?’
She inhaled a shaking breath. ‘If… if I join you in there would you promise me not to read anything into it?’ Her voice trembled with the fear he would reject her. But instead he pushed open the door and held out his hand. She took it and stepped inside.
As soon as the water heated her skin Lachy’s mouth was on hers. His tongue slipped over hers and one hand slid down her wet skin to the curve of her bottom. He squeezed and pulled her closer, his arousal pressing into her belly. She smoothed her hands up his chest and into his hair as his kiss grew more urgent. He lifted his hand and toyed with her breast as she moaned at the pleasure and desire coursing through her veins. She didn’t care that this was out of character. She didn’t care that it was just no-strings-attached sex. She’d never had that before and, my God, it felt good. To be touched and explored by an almost stranger was exciting and exhilarating and she couldn’t get enough.
Lachy’s mouth moved to her neck, where he nibbled and sucked. ‘Can I take you to bed?’ he whispered huskily.
‘Yes,’ was her simple reply.
He slipped his hands under her bottom and lifted her effortlessly. She wrapped her legs round his waist and he pushed the glass door open with his foot before carrying her out of the shower room and over to the bed at the opposite side of the room. The chilled air made her shiver and every nerve ending stood to attention.
He placed her down gently and kneeled between her thighs as he devoured her with his gaze. He didn’t need to speak. His eyes portrayed everything he was feeling and she had never wanted a man as much as she wanted him right then. He lowered himself down and kissed her deeply once again as she let her fingertips trail down the damp skin of his back. He lifted her so she wrapped her legs round him again.
‘You’re not going to regret this, are you?’ he whispered as he fixed his penetrating gaze on her.
‘No,’ she whispered and he smiled.
‘Good, because I want you so much, Zara.’
‘I want you too,’ she breathed in reply.
He placed her down again, reached over to the bedside table and took something from the drawer. She closed her eyes; for some reason she couldn’t watch as he sheathed himself. It felt a little too intimate in spite of what they were about to do.
The next thing she knew he was connected to her in the most glorious way, moving slowly as he breathed hotly into the crook of her neck. He kissed her everywhere his lips would reach and his fingers caressed and teased the places his mouth couldn’t.
He moved so that he could look into her eyes and she tried not to read what she saw there. She needed this closeness; to feel desired and wanted. She needed to lose herself in sensation and passion just for one night.
Pleasure, deep and languorous, began to build within her and she arched her back, gasping as Lachy moved over her and in her. No words were spoken. They weren’t needed. And as she soared with her climax he joined her, holding her tightly until she relaxed and a sated haze settled over their intertwined bodies.
24
Zara had slipped out of Lachy’s bed in the early hours of the morning and gone back to the spare room. And the next morning she had showered and dressed in her cycling gear in preparation for the day ahead. When she stopped to make coffee she became acutely aware that she had been busying herself to stop her thoughts from deafening her. She didn’t want to think about the night before; yet, simultaneously, it was all she wanted to think about.
Lachy hadn’t appeared yet and she hoped he wasn’t avoiding her. Bess was following her around as if she knew something was amiss. But then again she guessed that Bess was a particularly sensitive creature. Leaving her behind was going to be tough; that was one thing she had let herself admit to. She seemed to have an affinity with the beautiful black and white dog.
At around nine o’clock there was a knock at the door
and, in the absence of Lachy, she went to answer it.
A guy in the uniform from the bike shop stood there with a big smile on his face, holding a clipboard. ‘Miss Bailey?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, that’s me.’
‘It’s good to see you up and about after what happened. That must have been awful.’
She felt that familiar heat enter her cheeks and she cringed. ‘I’m just so very sorry about the bike.’
‘Hey, don’t worry. Bikes can be replaced. People can’t. Could you sign here for the replacement and point me in the direction of the invalid and I’ll take it away?’
She signed the form on the clipboard and gestured towards the barn adjoining the house. ‘Silver D… erm the wrecked bike is in there. Just inside the doorway. Do you need any help?’
He waved a hand dismissively. ‘Nope, you’re fine. I’ll go get it and I’ll be on my way. Take it easy, okay? And enjoy the rest of your route.’ He jogged back to the van and wheeled the replacement bike over to the door, propping it up against the wall. ‘It’s virtually the same as before but a different colour so the transition should be straightforward.’ Then he waved goodbye and collected the damaged one from the barn. He had to carry it because of the buckled wheels and twisted frame and Zara almost whimpered at the pitiful sight of it. Then the man loaded SD into his van and drove away.
And that was it. No complication, no hassle, no stress. Just a replacement bike and no questions. She was relieved to say the least.
Once she’d closed the door she walked over to make more coffee and Lachy appeared. He slipped his arms round her waist and kissed her neck. A shiver of desire travelled her spine and she closed her eyes before pulling away.
‘Coffee?’ she asked without looking at him.
‘Sure. You’re dressed to go already?’ Disappointment was evident in his voice.
‘The guy has just been and delivered the replacement bike. I should probably make an early start.’
‘Right. Of course.’
‘I’m all packed and ready to go. I hope you don’t mind but I pinched a bit of flapjack and some bread and butter for the road. I’m going to miss your home-made bread.’
‘And I’m going to miss you,’ he whispered.
She turned to face him. He stood there in jeans and a grey T-shirt. His hands were in his pockets and his sad smile made her heart lurch. ‘Lachy…’
‘I know. I’m not allowed to say things like that. Blah, blah. But it’s true, Zara, so now you know.’
She sighed. ‘You’ve been so good to me. I really appreciate everything,’ she said in an effort to change the subject.
He nodded. ‘Yeah. I know you do. And you’re welcome. I… erm I got you a gift.’
‘Oh, Lachy—’
‘Don’t go getting annoyed. It’s nothing major. I have a friend who makes things. And after all that talk about your passion for writing I just… Well, I think you should definitely pursue it. You should be free to do the thing that makes you happy. And anyway, I just thought I’d get you a gift to remind you of this place. But do me a favour; don’t open it until you get to wherever you’re going next. I’ll just get embarrassed and you’ll just get annoyed at me for being sentimental.’ He shrugged as he opened a drawer in the old dresser and took out a small gift bag. He handed it over to her and she took it.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
He nodded. ‘Look, I’m going to go check on… erm… stuff in the yard.’ He cleared his throat and could no longer appear to make eye contact. ‘I’ll see you before you leave.’ He turned and rushed out of the door before Zara could say anything further.
She went upstairs and made sure she had collected everything she had brought, including her memory stick, and had one final glance round the pretty room. Another twinge of sadness tugged at her stomach as she closed the door. As she passed Lachy’s room she noticed that the door was ajar. She stepped inside and gazed at the bed. It was neatly made now and the pale blue duvet cover showed no evidence of what had happened but she could still feel the way Lachy’s limbs had tangled with hers as she’d lain in his arms only hours before.
The bedside clock said it was almost ten and she knew she’d need to leave soon so she made her way down the stairs once more. Lachy was back and sitting at the kitchen table. Bess sat at his feet with her head resting on his knee. The dog gave one brief wag of her tail as Zara entered the room.
‘Well, that’s me all ready to go.’ Her throat tightened as she spoke and she mentally chastised herself for feeling anything other than relief that the trip was soon to be over and she’d soon be home in London ready to get back to normal life.
Lachy stood and walked over to her. ‘Well, it’s been great having you here, Zara. It’ll be strangely quiet when you’ve gone.’
She nodded and swallowed, willing her voice not to sound strained. ‘Thank you for everything, Lachy. You’ve been… well… the perfect host.’
‘Can I at least hug you before you walk out of my life forever?’ He smiled but his eyes remained sad.
She flung her arms round his neck and inhaled the scent of him one last time. ‘Take care.’
He rested his face in the crook of her neck and mumbled, ‘You too. No more time travel or run-ins with tractors, okay?’ He laughed but it sounded forced.
She nodded. Then she crouched to say goodbye to Bess. ‘Bye bye, my little friend. I’ll miss you so much.’ Her voice wobbled and as if the dog knew exactly what she was feeling she placed her paw on Zara’s leg. Zara bent forward and sank her face into the dog’s fur where a few tears could escape, hopefully unnoticed. Bess licked her cheek and whined before lying down on the stone floor.
‘Goodbye, Zara. Be free and be fine,’ Lachy said as he hugged her once more. The lyrics from Florence and the Machine’s ‘Delilah’ echoed around her head and she held on tight for a few more moments. ‘And do what you love. Never think you’re not good enough. Because you’re more than good enough,’ he whispered. He kissed her cheek and stepped away. ‘Come on, Bess. Let’s go to the beach, eh?’ The dog stood as if waiting for Zara to accompany them and when Lachy walked away she paused, unsure what to do.
‘Go on, Bess. Go on,’ Zara said as she gestured towards the sand and eventually the dog ran after her owner.
Through the fog of tears Zara loaded up the new bike and clipped on her helmet. She had never expected leaving this place to be so damned hard. As she climbed onto the bike and glanced towards the beach once more, she saw Lachy standing with his back towards her, head down, with Bess beside him, and a heavy wave of sadness washed over her.
In spite of what she had tried to convince herself, she knew deep down that this was going to be the hardest goodbye.
*
How the hell was it possible that one stubborn, opinionated, strong, independent woman could shake the foundations of his life so rapidly? Lachy had no clue. In the three years he had spent with Saskia he had never felt such a strong connection when they were in bed together. So how the hell could it happen with someone who was – to all intents and purposes – a stranger? And why couldn’t he wave goodbye?
He stood there on the strip of sand with his back facing his home and the woman who had somehow tugged at his heart, leaving her mark after such a small number of days. The thought of waking the next morning and Zara being gone made his chest ache. How was he supposed to carry on as normal after that brief interlude of sunshine and fire?
The water lapped at the pebbles that scattered the edge of the sand and he focused on the familiar sound. A necessary distraction for the reality he couldn’t affect. She was leaving and taking a tiny sliver of his heart with her. How the hell had he allowed that to happen so fast and so unabashedly? Deep down he knew he’d been powerless to stop it. She was like a comet passing through the atmosphere of his life. Beautiful but all too fast.
He hadn’t taken her number. There had been no point. As she had quite rightly said they were living at opposite ends of the
country, living completely different lifestyles. So like a comet he would have to enjoy the memory of her even though it was unlikely she would appear in his sky again.
*
When she had cycled for thirty minutes, long enough to create plenty of distance between herself and Scourie, Zara stopped and took out the little gift bag Lachy had given her. Inside was the most beautiful keyring she had ever seen. Hanging from the ring was a laptop charm and a cute dog charm that looked just like Bess. In addition to these was a silver disc that she thought was blank until she turned it over. But on the reverse it simply said,
Zara
Be free and be fine
Lachy x
25
She cycled right past the turning that led to Balnakeil. The hot-chocolate place reminded her of Lachy and she didn’t need to think about him. She needed to get on with her assignment and then she needed to go home and get on with her life. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.
It was strange to be back on the road again. To be all alone after having company for a few days. Whenever she thought about Bess, she had to swallow that familiar lump of emotion that tightened her throat. Bloody hell, Bailey, she’s just a dog, for goodness’ sake. And even though she repeated that over and over like a mantra she knew it wasn’t exactly true. Bess was just one small part of a strange-shaped hole that had formed in her heart since she’d left Scourie. She could only hope that time would heal it.
She had one brief stop to eat the home-made bread and flapjack that she had taken from the croft and then, after cycling around fifty-five miles during the day, she arrived in Tongue. She was back at the same site she had stayed only a few days before but at least this meant she was back on track. She resolved to have an early night and eat whatever she could buy from the little shop. There were no notes to type up as this part of her journey had been covered already. Tomorrow she would set off for Lairg and then she would be on the home straight.
As she sat beside her tent her phone pinged and she grappled for it. Could it be Lachy? She eagerly swiped at the screen.