He must be out of his mind. Still, it hadn’t put her off him. Quite the contrary. And he didn’t know what to think about that. Except he had achieved one end goal. She wanted to stay the night. Which meant he could put her down on her feet now. She wasn’t about to run away.
On the other hand, he liked holding her like this. It gave him the sense of being in control, directing the action. He reached the edge of the pool before he thought to ask, ‘You can swim?’
She laughed. ‘Yes, I can. But please don’t dump me in.’
‘A mutual dive,’ he promised, still not wanting to let her go. He wanted everything to be mutual tonight.
For Serena, it was another first. She’d never gone skinny-dipping by herself, let alone with a man. It was a fantastic sensation, feeling their naked bodies sliding together, the water engulfing them like warm silk. She kept thinking this would be a night to remember for the rest of her life.
Even when they started swimming side by side, there was a sense of intimate unison about it, the shared pleasure of watching each other, smiling, enjoying the intoxicating freedom of being together like this, no inhibitions. It was a perfect night, a cloudless sky full of stars, a full moon rising above the fronds of a palm tree, the air still warm and balmy from the hot summer day. Again Serena thought this was like a dream, too good to last, though she wanted it to…wanted it to last forever.
They kissed and played a teasing game of catch-if-you-can in the water. Nic hauled her out of the pool and wrapped her in one of the towels he’d laid out ready before she’d arrived, but they were both too aroused to dry themselves properly. The towels were dropped as desire erupted into urgent need. A nearby sun-lounger was quickly put to use, providing cushioned comfort as they merged and found more heights to climb.
It was all incredibly idyllic, lying cuddled together afterwards, looking up at the stars, Nic asking her what she wished for when they spotted a falling one.
‘I’m completely content,’ she answered without hesitation, feeling nothing could be better than this.
He laughed a happy laugh.
They put Cleo to bed in the mud room, leaving her with the radio playing music.
Showering with Nic was another sensual delight, leading to an even more intense exploration of their sexuality. Anything and everything seemed so perfectly right with him. Brilliantly right. So much so, Serena was tempted into thinking that they did suit each other. Perfectly. They belonged together, at least on some primal level that wasn’t influenced by outside factors.
And it didn’t change when she woke in the morning.
It just continued on.
They had a late breakfast on the patio—eggs, bacon, tomato and mushrooms which they’d cooked together. Nic had pulled on a pair of shorts and found a sarong for Serena to wear. The mood was happily casual, yet bubbling with an exhilarating sense of togetherness that sharpened their appetites for more and more sharing.
Serena thought fleetingly of calling Michelle to explain where she was but decided her sister wouldn’t worry. Besides, she didn’t want to introduce an outside note. It might jar on this very special time with Nic.
But an outside note did come.
And it jarred everything.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SERENA and Nic were in the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast. The Sunday newspapers had been delivered and they were about to take them down to poolside when the telephone on the bar counter rang. Nic picked up the receiver, answered ‘Yes,’ a couple of times, then passed the cordless instrument to Serena with a rueful little smile. ‘Your sister…sounding anxious.’
She frowned as she took the phone. It wasn’t like Michelle to break into what was essentially Serena’s private business. Something had to be wrong at home. ‘What’s up?’ she asked without preamble.
‘Sorry to interrupt but we have a visitor here and he’s not about to be turned away,’ Michelle rattled out. ‘Can we talk or is Nic still close by?’
He’d left her to the call, heading out to the patio, carrying the newspapers and his mug of coffee, probably expecting her sister’s concern to be quickly soothed. ‘We’re okay,’ she assured Michelle.
‘It’s Lyall Duncan, Serena.’
Lyall! Her night with Nic had driven her ex-fiancé completely out of her mind. It was a shock to realise that had actually happened, especially when linking them had previously affected many of her reactions and responses to Nic. Now…the memory of Lyall was like an unwelcome ghost at a feast, casting a shadow she desperately didn’t want.
‘He’s driven up from Sydney this morning, arrived about ten minutes ago,’ Michelle went on. ‘And he’s determined on seeing you. Says he’ll wait all day if he has to.’
‘Why?’ It was more a cry of protest than a request for information.
‘Perhaps it’s a case of absence making the heart grow fonder.’
‘Not for me it hasn’t.’
‘Lyall isn’t about to accept that message from me, Serena. He’s actually demanding to know where you are and I can’t really pretend I have no idea. As it is, I’ve left him out on the verandah, cooling his heels while I’m on the phone, trying to contact you.’
Serena heaved a fretful sigh. What on earth did Lyall think he would achieve, just landing on Michelle’s doorstep and throwing his weight around? Was he looking to effect a reconciliation, having given Serena six weeks to reconsider her position? Did he expect her to be grateful that he’d come to offer her a second chance?
‘Serena…?’
‘Sorry…I just can’t believe this. What’s over is over.’
‘Then I suggest the sooner you tell him that, the better. And the most tactful place to do it is here, not there,’ Michelle said pointedly.
Which meant leaving Nic and all they’d been sharing because Lyall’s super-ego couldn’t accept rejection from a woman he considered his whenever he felt like crooking his finger. After all, he was a top prize for such as Rene Fleming, and she would surely have come to her senses by now.
Anger and frustration boiled through her at being trapped into responding to a man she didn’t want anymore, and being forced to part from a man she did. But this was not Michelle’s problem and it was unfair to leave her with it.
‘All right! I’ll be home in half an hour. But please try to get Lyall to come back in an hour because I don’t want him there waiting for me. Okay?’