She could barely believe what he was saying and her eyes filled up with tears. She wanted to say something back, tell him that she loved him too, but the sound just came out as a sob, and he stepped forward, pulling her into his arms.
She pressed her face against his broad chest, feeling his warmth, his strength, his scent. This was where she always wanted to be, here, wrapped in the safety of his arms. Her tears dampened his t-shirt. He half-pulled her away from him, but she hid her face, embarrassed at her tears.
“So was that a yes? Will you stay?” he asked, not understanding that her tears were pleasure, not pain. “Or are you about to tell me goodbye?”
“I could never say goodbye to you,” she said, wiping away the tears. “All I want is you.”
Epilogue
The boat bounced gently on the waves, the bright sun warming her skin. Lucy raised her face, drinking in its rays. The boat was small enough to skip over the waves, so that its motion felt like a gentle bounce as opposed to the stomach churning lurch she had felt on other boat trips. Of course, it helped that even though it was only seven in the morning, the sun was already strong enough to warm her skin, and the breeze created by the forward motion of the boat lifted her hair away from her face.
It had been a difficult conversation with Max, and another with her consultant at the hospital. Her parents thought she was crazy, her father leaving her with an ominous ‘don’t come crying to me when it all goes wrong.’ (He was none-the-worse for his short spell in the hospital). She knew she was being impulsive. She could see it from the outside and understood why everyone gave her the same reaction. It was possible things wouldn’t work out, but at least she had taken the chance. Whatever happened, she could say she had loved and she had done it with every part of her heart and soul. If she stayed in London, if she went back to her old life, she would forever be asking herself ‘what if?’ Her body would be in London, but her heart would be here. She would only ever be living with half of herself. That was enough of a reason for her.
As Koh Tao appeared as a blob on the horizon, the first flutter of nerves tickled her belly. She looked around at the backpackers who were all nursing dreams of seeing huge turtles, tropical fish, maybe even the occasional shark. They were heading to the island for the first time and Lucy realized she was going to be the local. She would be the one they would be envious of and that gave her a warm feeling inside.
Gradually, the blob took shape and Lucy could see the lush green vegetation of the middle of the island and the tiny coves of white sand bitten out of the coastline. The small dock was filled with people, most of them holding signs advertizing diving resorts, hoping to poach the backpackers arriving without reservations.
She spotted him straight away, his broad shoulders triangle against the sun, his easy stance, leaning against the railings of the port. For once, he wasn’t speaking to anyone. Instead, he was concentrating on the approaching boat. He saw her and a slow grin spread across his face.
She was home.
About the author:
M.K. Elliott was born in Devon, England, where she now lives with her husband and two young daughters. Though she has a degree in Zoology, her true love has always been writing and she now works as a full time author. M.K. writes everything from contemporary romance to steaming hot erotica, and her love of travel and adventure is her main influence in her stories
Also by M.K. Elliott:
Deadly Beauty – An erotic vampire romance.
Some Love it Hot! – Girls who know what they like and know how to get it.
Rescued – Sexy stories of women in danger.
Rescued II – The second in the ‘Rescued’ series.
Novels by M.K. Elliott, written in the name, Marissa Farrar:
Where the Dead Live – A collection of paranormal short stories.
Alone – An abused woman meets a vampire and changes her destiny forever.
The Dark Road – A group of backpackers take a terrifying journey through Cambodia.
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