Page 25

DELILAH

And so begins my campaign of how to get Jem off in as many creative ways as possible, without actually having full, penetrative sex.

Granted, it’s a bit odd to agree to do everything but – but I figure, if we can keep it to just playing around, it’ll make it easier for us to walk away from each other once this escapade is over.

Especially because he’s a virgin right now.

There’s something particularly connecting to be someone’s first and that’s the last thing we should allow to happen – not when there isn’t a chance in hell of this becoming an actual relationship.

I don’t want the emotional load of it hanging around my neck.

So, for the next couple of days, there’s a lot of hand, mouth – and on one occasion, feet – work involved. It’s a real blast. I don’t think I’ve had so much fun in ages.

He’s getting pretty darn good at making me come too, learning exactly what I like, how hard and at what speed.

In fact, he’s now playing my body like a pro – in his typically Jem-like precise and nerdy-technique-studying way.

He seems to be on a mission to make up for lost time.

Which I have to admit, I’m very much enjoying being a part of, especially since my whole being seems to be on sexual red-alert at the moment.

We’re keeping it fun and light, though. Teasing and taunting each other into frothy, lusty messes before allowing ourselves that hallowed orgasm.

In between times, we explore the rest of the house, finding more luxury bedrooms and huge, tiled bathrooms, a gym, a sauna and a cinema room with an even bigger screen than the one in the living room.

We watch movies, swim, work out in the gym – I love to watch Jem work out; those muscles of his are something else – eat the delicious food Alina brings into the dining room for us and try to ignore the howling of the wind and the thumps and bangs as it batters the house and surrounding land.

I feel pretty safe here though, especially having Jem here with me. He has a real calming influence on me, smoothing away any fears I have about our wellbeing and distracting me in the most delicious ways.

We don’t see much of Nico and Alina, apart from when they bring out and clear away the meals. I suspect they’re doing much the same things we are, taking advantage of being alone together in the house without Jeff here.

Both Jem and I stay well away from the laundry room, just in case.

Another couple of days go by, with still no confirmation of when we’ll be able to get out of here.

Luckily, I get a text from Bea saying I don’t need to worry about going back into the hotel to work this coming week because Jonah isn’t going to be around.

He’s off for a break somewhere, apparently, and is happy for me to ‘work from home’ while he’s away.

This is a massive relief and means I can relax while we wait out the aftermath of the storm.

Jem’s been programming a lot too while we’ve been here, so he seems happy enough not to have to rush back to England.

He doesn’t say it, but I get the impression he’s actually having a fun time here with me. He certainly appears to be anyway, judging by how relaxed he seems and how much more he’s smiling.

It makes my heart sing.

* * *

A couple of days later, Nico finally comes to tell us the helicopter will be coming to take us back to the mainland later that afternoon.

There’s a horrible lurching sensation in my stomach as his words sink in.

Dammit . Just when I was really enjoying myself.

The wind has completely dropped now and the sun has come back out, shining down on a storm-torn landscape, so it’s clearly time to go home.

Poor Jeff is going to be gutted about the devastation it’s wreaked on his beautiful island.

There are trees down all over the place, from the looks of it, and a couple of the outbuildings have had their roofs torn off. Jeff’s prized garden is an absolute wreck, with plants and shrubs flattened and stripped of their leaves and flowers.

Still, I’m sure he has teams of gardeners and builders who will fix it all the moment he snaps his fingers.

‘Would you consider going to work for Jeff if the business with Bea doesn’t work out?’ I ask Jem idly as we’re lying about naked in bed, wasting some time before we need to shower, pack our meagre things and go to meet the helicopter – once it finally lands on the island.

‘It’s a tempting offer,’ Jem says, rolling onto his side to look at me.

‘Hopefully, I’ll never need to call on it, though.

I’d rather run my own show, but a lot of start-ups fail, so I need to be realistic.

My mum’s care is bloody expensive, so I’m going to need to earn enough money to pay for that soon too. ’

‘He’d want you to move to London,’ I point out.

‘Yeah. That’s another consideration. I’d have to move Mum with me.

’ He rubs his hand over his brow. ‘Anyway, I’m not going to worry about that right now.

Honestly, it’s been quite a relief not to have to think about real-world things while we’ve been here.

It’s almost been a bit of a holiday, weirdly. ’

‘Yeah, for me too.’

We look at each other for a beat.

‘It’s going to be a real wrench going back to our sedate, non-billionaire-style lives in Bath after this,’ he jokes, rolling onto his back again and staring up at the ceiling.

My stomach gives a funny lurch as I wonder whether he’s thinking about Bea right now.

He’ll probably forget all about me and what we’ve experienced together here as soon as he’s back home and deep into working with her again.

I’m just Disposable Dee.

To my horror, my eyes fill with tears.

Turning away from him, in case he looks over at me again, I get up off the bed and stumble to the bathroom. ‘I’m bagsying first shower,’ I call over my shoulder before closing the door behind me and leaning against it with my arms wrapped around my middle.

There’s a hollow ache in my stomach now. It’s almost like I’m hungry. But not for food. For something much more unattainable.

I take my time in the shower, allowing a couple of tears to roll down my cheeks. They’re immediately washed away by the flow of the water.

What the hell’s got into me? Why am I suddenly so morose? I really don’t want to feel like this right now.

I knew from the start this was never going to be anything serious. I was the one who pushed that narrative – but only because I knew he’d never agree to anything more.

And I’d been fine with that. Or, at least, I’d thought I was.

I can’t now expect anything other than what we’d agreed on, though. I’d promised I wouldn’t do that.

Have some self-respect, woman.

Cross with myself, I get out of the shower and towel myself down roughly, welcoming the sting of the friction against my sensitive skin.

I need to pull myself together, pronto.

This ends the moment we’re back home. Like we agreed. I’m not one to go back on my promises. Despite my faults, I’m not clingy.

Plastering on a wide smile, I open the door and saunter out of the bathroom – as elegantly as I can with one foot black and blue and still a little swollen. ‘It’s all yours,’ I say with a throwaway swipe of my hand. Like I’m not melting inside at the thought of this ending.

He jumps off the bed and goes for a shower too, emerging just as I’ve finished dressing and I’m drying my hair.

Determinedly, I keep looking at myself in the mirror and not at his naked, fit – now familiar – body as he moves around behind me, pulling on his clothes in his usual deft way. He moves so precisely; it’s always a joy to watch.

I’m going to miss it.

Miss him.

There’s a loud knock on the door and when we call, ‘Come in!’ Nico opens it and strides into the room.

I shut off the hairdryer and turn to look at him expectantly.

‘The helicopter has just landed,’ he tells us. ‘If you give me your bags, I’ll go and put them in for you.’

‘Thanks, man, but I’m happy to carry them,’ Jem tells him, walking over to the guy and proffering his hand.

Nico holds out his own and they shake.

‘We really appreciate you looking after us,’ Jem says.

‘Our pleasure. I hope we see the two of you again,’ Nico replies.

My stomach does a slow roll as I realise that’s never going to happen. Not the two of us together here again at the same time, anyway.

The same thing seems to occur to Jem, because he just nods and gives Nico a business-like smile.

‘I’ll leave you to finish packing, then see you out at the helipad. Here are the details for the hotel we’re putting you up in until your train leaves tomorrow, plus the information for the rest of the journey,’ Nico says, handing Jem a piece of folded paper, before leaving the room.

Jem takes a quick look at it, then slides it into his back pocket.

‘Let me guess, it’s a five-star hotel,’ I say with a grin.

But Jem doesn’t grin back. ‘Yeah, I expect so. One last step, before we’re back in the real world.’

His tonal switch to sensible, straight Jem brings me up short.

I clear my throat, which is tight. ‘Yeah, I guess we’re nearing the end of this fairy-tale.’

He snorts, but doesn’t say anything to that. Instead, he grabs his bag, then goes to pick up mine too.

‘It’s okay, I can carry my own bag,’ I snap, rushing to take it before he can. I don’t want him thinking I’m too much of a princess to do something so menial.

It suddenly seems really important to disabuse him of that notion.

‘Okay,’ he says, holding up his free hand in surrender, as if I’ve accused him of taking a liberty. ‘Just trying to be helpful.’

There’s a short, tense pause in conversation while we check we haven’t left anything of ours in the room.

My chest is tight with sadness at having to leave our beautiful sanctuary. It’s only been a handful of days, but somehow, it feels a lot longer.

A whole other lifetime.

‘Let’s go then,’ I say when it seems we have everything.

I follow him out of the room, giving it one last longing glance, before pulling the door shut behind us.

* * *