Page 46 of Stars Shine In Your Eyes

“You stayed awake a lot longer tonight,” he noted. “But between jet lag and hard work, it’s no wonder you’re exhausted.”

He pulled up the anchor, then turned the boat around so that they could head home.

Funny, River Star truly did feel like home already. Just as she truly felt like his river goddess, at least for now. “I think my jet lag might be waning.” Then she smiled at him. “Thank you for the date.”

“This is the best date I’ve had in… ever,” he said once they were back at the riverboat, and she was helping him tie up the dinghy.

“Me too.”

They smiled at each other in the moonlight, and then with one more kiss, he stepped out of the dinghy and offered her his hand. It felt so natural to take it and walk into his arms, and then to walk up the stairs and into the houseboat. It was so easy, too easy, to imagine this being her life. To imagine actually being a local on Elderflower Island. And to imagine being in a relationship with Malcolm.

One that lasted not just two weeks, but forever.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Malcolm could get used to this. To waking up with Josie in his arms after a night full of the sweetest lovemaking imaginable. It’d been hard to let her sleep at all. But he knew she wasn’t just here for him. She was here to work with Mari to get the reading retreats up and running. And he needed to catch a few hours of sleep as well so that he could continue to help out in any way he could.

Yet again, they woke too late to do anything more than give each other a lingering kiss, gulp down some coffee and a quick bowl of cereal, throw themselves in the shower, and head out. The painters and the decorator were already there, waiting for them.

“Sorry we’re late,” Josie said, dashing over with the keys to unlock the doors.

A part of him wanted to lay claim to Josie in front of everyone, to make sure all of them knew that he was the reason they were late, because she hadn’t wanted to get out of his bed. But he knew she wouldn’t appreciate that, so instead he headed over to finish work on the rock wall.

A couple of hours later, he was able to give her the good news. “The rock wall and the stone pathway are completely repaired. No one coming to the retreat will trip on tilted or fallen stones.”

She launched herself into his arms, giving him a huge hug. For a moment, it looked like she was about to kiss him, but then she realized at the last moment that wasn’t their agreement.

He wanted to tell her to forget about their agreement. That he didn’t care who knew they were together. Hell, that he wanted everyone to know. But it wasn’t just him in this relationship. Because that’s how it felt—a proper relationship. More real, in spite of their agreement that it was just a casual fling, than any relationship he’d ever had. And what she wanted mattered as much, if not more, than what he wanted. So he wouldn’t dare do anything without discussing it with her first.

It was the mark of not just a real relationship, but an actual partnership, he found himself thinking. He could see it all so clearly in his mind. The two of them working together to set up reading retreats all over the world. Exploring all those places that she had talked about and more, while they both enjoyed the work. Working with his hands, building and rebuilding. Josie making the spaces cozy and welcoming and filled with books and private gardens that would delight people. It was crazy to have such a clear vision of the future with a woman, especially with one who’d made it plain she wouldn’t be staying.

Reluctant to let her out of his arms, he finally let her go. He needed to spend more time with her and had an idea.

“Will you be okay to take off for a few hours with me? I’d like to take you somewhere.”

Josie looked surprised and then uncertain. “But there’s so much I have to do here. I wouldn’t feel right about just blowing off the afternoon.”

“Oh no, this would come under the category of work,” he told her. “When I was renovating the houseboat, I found an outdoor marketplace in East London that sells the tiles I used in the kitchen and bathroom, and some of the rugs and even some of the paintings on the walls. I thought it would be good for us to go there today and see if there’s anything you might be able to use. Fiona’s doing a wonderful job with the soft furnishings, but we might find some paintings and furniture that would fill in the extra spaces.”

Her face lit up. “That’s a great idea. As long as we’re back in a few hours so I can continue working, I’d love that. But Fiona might—”

“I already told Fiona our plan, and we have her blessing, plus a list of things she wants us to look for specifically.”

What he didn’t tell her as they headed out, catching the Tube to make their way from West to East London, was that there were also several antique booksellers in the market. He had a feeling she was going to want every book she saw. Fortunately, it would be simple to ship as many as she wanted to acquire to the cottages.

He forgot that it was Josie’s first time on the Tube until they went into the station.

“Wow, the London Underground,” she marveled. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to travel on the Tube.”

He was glad that he was there for her first ride. She loved everything about the Richmond Station, and he couldn’t wait to take her to some of the older, more ornate stations. She even seemed to think that being in this crowded carriage with dozens of other people was romantic.

“It’s just as I imagined,” she said in a soft voice. Everyone else was reading or looking at their phones, and she spoke softly enough that it would be difficult to listen in.

Strangely, he found himself enjoying the ride too. “The key is to avoid rush hour,” he said. “It’s not nearly as fun then.” And yet, how much of his life had he spent on Tube trains during rush hour? Barely able to find space to stand, let alone sit and read a paper. Not that he spent much time reading the paper either, even if there had been space, because he’d always been so busy dealing with another call or email or another fire that needed to be put out. He could have afforded a chauffeur-driven Lamborghini, but he preferred to pop out and use the Tube.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about their conversation on the dinghy last night. He’d always thought that he was an adventurer. And because he had spent so much time on planes in exotic locales, he figured that counted.

But did it really? Did it count when all he saw was the inside of a boardroom or another airport? He hadn’t ever been free to explore. No, that wasn’t true either. If he really had wanted to explore, he could have made time. He could have told his assistant to hold his calls, to deal with his email until he could get back to deal with it himself. He could have blocked off time. Delegated more. He’d had choices. But he’d chosen work. Genevieve Duvall was a brilliant woman, ready to take on more responsibility, but he still felt he needed to be involved in every deal.

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