Page 90 of The Secret

“I’m good.” He cupped my face and kissed me, his tongue stroking against mine for less time than I wanted it to. “Now, I’m fucking excellent.”

His grin spread wide across his perfect face, showing off his perfect teeth, and I once again forgot about anything I’d had concerns about; the anxiety in my belly replaced by fluttering butterflies.

“Did I hear Alex say you’re all going out?”

I nodded, “Yeah, we’re going to go for a walk to the town. Is that okay?”

His brows shot up. “Kit, you don’t need to ask my permission. Of course, it is.”

“Murray,” I frowned slightly, “I work for you. I can’t just take off without asking.”

He made that face again. “Okay, go. Of course, it’s fine. But let’s talk about this later.” He leaned forward and kissed me. “I’d say don’t let Wolf and Franks push you around, but I think you’re good there. Enjoy yourself, relax.”

“Thank you.” I stole a kiss but kept it chaste on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

He stood up with me and followed me into the house, where we found the girls waiting.

“Ready?” asked Wolf.

“Yes, let me grab my bag and sunglasses.”

I ran up the stairs, and when I returned, Murray was in a whispered and heated conversation with the three of them. They jumped apart as I rejoined them.

Alex clapped her hands. “Let’s go.”

Murray threw me a wink as I followed them back out to the poolside and through the gate leading to the beach, each of us carrying our shoes as we walked along the waterline. Unsurprisingly, given the weather, it was busy with kids and dogs and joggers.

“Do you guys do this every year?”

“Come out here?”

“Yeah.”

“No. We usually spend Easter together but it’s been back home in England the last few years, since the boys finished playing hockey. But as our parents were here already and we were offered the house, we thought why not?” Wolf picked up a stone and threw it in the water. “It’s beautiful here, and much warmer than it would be in London.”

I could see Freddie looking at me from the corner of my eye. “So, what’s going on with our brother?”

I threw my head back, laughing loudly. “Wow, that’s taken you twenty-four hours.”

“I know. This baby’s made me lose my touch.” She rubbed her belly. “I give you credit though, you’ve been here twenty-four hours and still not spilled the beans on what’s happening.”

“Why are you assuming something is happening?

It was her turn to laugh, Wolfie and Alex joining in. “Because we know our brother.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant. “What was he saying to you when I came back down the stairs just now?”

She grinned, conspiratorially, glancing to Wolfie for a second before she answered. “He told us to behave.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that Murray likes you,” she nudged me, “and we know you like him, if only based on the outright perving on him in the pool just now, so spill…”

I couldn’t deny my perving. Instead, I kicked the sand under my feet, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air. “Yes, I like him.”

It had started with a crush, but after this week, I knew it was more than that. My feelings were rapidly steamrolling through me into something I wasn’t sure I could identify.

“And?”

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