Page 104 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars

We eat our breakfasts while we chat and sip our coffee under the warm January sun. It’s nearly February now, and the days are long and hot, even this far south. Queenstown and its environs lie nestled in the mountains and because of that they have a kind of microclimate that lends itself perfectly to wine production. The area is littered with vineyards, as well as a gin and whisky distillery.

He’s lowered his sunglasses and is sitting with his head tipped back, catching the sun. “I love this warm weather,” he says, reminding me that it’s winter in the UK. “It’s one of the things I miss. It can get hot in England in summer, but the weather is a lot more changeable.”

“What else do you miss?”

He thinks about it. “The All Blacks. I mean they play rugby there, of course, but football is much bigger.”

“Have you been to any matches?”

“Yeah, a friend of mine supports Crystal Palace. They’re in the Premiership—that’s the top league. I’ve been to quite a few home games, and also to some away games with him. It’s good fun.”

I surprise myself by feeling a surge of pleasure that his friend is a ‘him’, not a ‘her.’ I’ve never considered myself to be a jealous person, but then I guess I’ve not had anything to be jealous about.

I don’t particularly like the feeling. I can’t afford to get all possessive about Linc. He’s not mine. I have no rights to him, to his affection or his time.

“Would you like to go?” he asks.

“To a football match?” I ask, surprised. “Yes, of course. I mean, rugby will always be my first love, but I watch the Wellington Phoenix when they play on TV, and I’ve been to a couple of live matches.”

“I hope you don’t call it soccer, though.”

I chuckle, knowing that the English hate the term. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

He finishes off his coffee. “How are you doing?”

“Yes, I’m done.”

“How do you fancy a drive up to Lake Wanaka?”

I warm through at the thought that he wants to continue spending time with me. He doesn’t have to. He could say he’s going to drop me off for shopping or something and then go and do his own thing. But he seems keen to stay with me. And for that I’m glad.

“Sounds great,” I say.

So we walk slowly back to the car, hand in hand, warmed by the summer sun, and I’m so happy I think if he let go of my hand I’d fly up into the clouds.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Linc

I drive an hour or so to the small town of Wanaka. It sits at the bottom of Lake Wanaka, surrounded by native bush and with the splendid background of the Southern Alps. We spend a while wandering through the shops in the town, which, as well as the usual high-street shops, sell themed mementoes and gifts.

We treat ourselves to a fancy box of truffles in the chocolate shop and a latte, then decide to go for a walk. Neither of us is dressed for a hike, so we choose the easiest option—the Outlet Track that follows the Clutha River, which should take an hour or so. Sipping our coffees and sucking on the truffles, we meander along the trail, admiring the willow, sycamore, and larch trees in their summer coats that are reflected in the crystal-clear waters. The mountains behind the lake are the color of the nearby lavender fields, and the sky is a brilliant blue.

About halfway along, I give Elora the gift I bought her. She opens it with the eagerness of a child, her cheeks flushing with delight. It’s another pair of earrings, these ones a white-gold disc engraved with mountains and the name Wanaka printed underneath it.

“I love them,” she says breathlessly, and promptly takes out her current earrings—which are the Southern Cross ones I bought for her—puts them carefully in her purse, and then slots in the new ones. “Thank you,” she says, sliding her arm through mine. “You shouldn’t spoil me.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t know. Can’t think of a reason.”

I chuckle and put my arm around her shoulders, and she slides hers around my waist.

I shouldn’t have asked her to join me on the cruise. Talk about a sucker for torture. But I’m not ready to let her go just yet. I’m enjoying myself immensely, and the thought of prolonging our time together was impossible to resist. I’m already tingling at the thought of taking her to bed when we get back, and the notion of being able to do so a few more times before I leave is exciting.

I’m not going to think about what will happen when I leave. In true Linc Green style, I’ll worry about it when the time comes, and deal with it on the fly. In my experience, even if you spend ages preparing for an event, it never occurs the way you expect, and you always have to change your plans anyway. So it’s best to be adaptable and flexible and make it up as you go along.

Eventually we make our way back to the car. It’s mid-afternoon now, and pleasantly warm. Elora put sun lotion on this morning, but her cheeks and nose now have a permanent light flush from the sun.

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