They remained sitting side by side and watched the surf catch the moonlight as it broke on the shore. The staff beach was enclosed by forest, its own natural barrier to the rest of the island. Apart from the moon and stars, the only light came from the courtyard behind them and the room lights that glowed. Even at night, the air was heavy with heat. It was quiet and late, the beach empty now after most people had gone to bed ready for an early start. For Freya it was a little different with the bookshop not opening until ten, and Aaron didn’t seem to care that it was late.
As birthdays went it was a memorable one. A perfect way to start her thirties. She had no idea how she would have felt celebrating back home. Everything felt easier here, perhaps because it didn’t feel like real life, which meant she didn’t have to deal with the emotions she’d been battling in the UK.
Aaron’s deep voice broke the silence. ‘So, I, uh... got you something.’ He handed her a folded paper bag. ‘One of the housekeepers makes traditional jewellery. Happy birthday.’
‘Oh Aaron, you didn’t have to.’
‘I know, but I wanted to.’
She undid the bag and pulled out a lacquered wooden bangle with a repeating pattern carved into it. It felt warm and heavy in her hand. She slipped it on to her wrist and held her arm up so she could see it in the faint light.
‘I don’t know what to say. Thank you. It’s beautiful.’
There’d never been much of an opportunity to talk to Aaron on his own, certainly not somewhere secluded away from the hustle and bustle of the staff village. She realised that they’d moved closer to each other and her bare shoulder was against his arm, toned, solid and warm. She was staring at the bangle because she knew if she looked at him, she’d want to kiss him.
‘I really like you, Freya.’ His voice seemed to come out of nowhere and it made her turn.
He was looking at her intently, his full lips slightly open. Freya gazed into his dark eyes. She closed the distance between them and kissed him. The taste of salt and the feel of his rough cheek against hers made her heart pound. He responded to her kiss and his hands found her waist, dipping beneath her top and caressing across her back. She longed for him in a way she hadn’t felt since Owen.
It was dark and quiet on the beach with no voices, only the chirrup of insects, the chatter of fruit bats in the trees and the sigh of the surf. The fire had turned to ash, and they were hidden by darkness and the undergrowth behind them. Their kiss intensified and he peeled off his T-shirt before removing hers and dropping it on the sand. She ran her hands down his firm smooth chest. He kissed her throat and across her bikini-clad breasts, pushing her gently back on to the sand. Their hands explored but they didn’t take it further, not out in the open on the staff beach. They lay together, their hands entwined, gazing up at the black night and the silver stars.
‘It’s been a good birthday,’ Freya said.
Aaron laughed. ‘Which part?’
‘All of it.’
He squeezed her hand tighter and ran his thumb along hers. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’
Freya didn’t dare look at him. Her insides were doing somersaults, her senses overwhelmed by his touch, the rhythmic waves folding on to the beach, the sultry heat of the night, the scent of wood smoke on the slightest of ocean breezes.
‘We’d probably better get back before someone finds us.’ Aaron stood and brushed the grains of sand off the back of his shorts. He reached down and pulled her to her feet. ‘Come on.’
Freya pulled on her top while Aaron made sure the fire was completely out. They walked up the beach together to the path between the glossy leaves of cheese plants. The dim glow of the courtyard tainted the clear dark night and as they reached the side of the women’s block, Freya realised she didn’t want the evening to end.
‘I’d give anything to invite you up.’ Aaron took her face in his hands and kissed her, manoeuvring her until they were hidden by the shadowy corner of the building and the drooping leaves of a ficus. It felt like things had moved fast between them this evening. She recognised the underlying passion that had been bubbling away since they’d first met. However much she wanted to continue the night and spend it wrapped in Aaron’s arms, the fact that they couldn’t was probably a good thing to not move too fast. She placed her hands on his chest, gave him one last kiss and pushed him back out into the open.
‘Time for bed,’ she whispered and laughed when he raised an eyebrow. ‘Alone.’
He grinned and turned to go. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’
She watched him make his way across the courtyard while she headed for the door of the women’s block. The hallway light switched on and she sighed. She went upstairs and crept quietly along the corridor to her room. No one else was awake. She showered and washed away the sand and sweat and the smell of the fire and of Aaron. She imagined him doing the same across the way, his firm body glistening with water as it ran down his dark skin in rivulets. She switched the water to cold, blasting herself with an icy shot, trying to rid her head of a naked Aaron.
Chapter Sixteen
It was late and she slept fitfully, her head still filled with Aaron and their kiss. She woke early with a sleep-fogged head, damp with sweat having forgotten to turn the ceiling fan on. She couldn’t get back to sleep so she gave up trying. She was so hot and bothered she had another cool shower. Wrapped in a towel, she nipped across the
