Page 74 of The Castle in the Bay

He raised his eyebrow, then choked out a laugh. ‘I blame my upbringing. With a father who wanted me to inherit a castle and a mother who thought I’d be Prime Minister by now, I hardly stood a chance, did I?’

‘You really didn’t. And I can sympathise. I definitely haven’t lived up to my parents’ expectations. But let me tell you something.’ She leaned closer.

‘Anything.’

‘I’m quite sure I’ll be up to the task of gratifying you in any way you please.’

He leaned his forehead on hers. ‘That wasn’t exactly what I meant, but how can I refuse?’

‘You can’t.’

Later that evening, Monty sat in the annex, staring at his phone, but not really focusing on anything. His mind drifted from Sophie to returning to work, to his mother, to his father’s ashes, to Iona. Always, he came back to her. He’d never known anyone quite like her and he wasn’t ready to say goodbye, even though he knew he must. A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He got up and opened it, his jaw dropping.

‘Iona… Wow.’ He ran his fingers through his hair, gazing at her.

She smiled, leaning her hand on the doorframe. A stunning black satin dress clung to her lithe figure, and her hair was styled in a messy updo. She wore makeup, which Monty had never seen her in before. Certainly, she didn’t need it, but it accentuated her features, making her look sultry, sexy and a little dangerous. She was almost eye to eye with him and when Monty saw the heightof the heels she had on, it made sense. Her shapely legs looked even longer than usual. Monty gaped.

‘Good evening,’ she said.

‘You look incredible. I mean, there was no need to dress up. You’re beautiful just the way you are.’

Iona smiled. ‘I rarely get the chance to dress up, so I’m using this opportunity. Do you like it?’ She spread her arms wide, fanning her fingers.

‘I love it. You’re absolutely stunning. You always are, but this is…’ He shook his head. ‘Special.’

‘That’s what I want.’ She slipped inside and closed the door. ‘To make this special.’

Monty looked down at his own clothes and pulled a face. ‘Now I’m completely underdressed.’

‘You look pretty hot to me.’

He smirked. No one else had ever called him that and the funny thing was, he knew she meant it. If she’d thought him boring when he arrived, she didn’t think so now. She saw him for who he really was, liked him for stepping out of his comfort zone, but didn’t see the need to pressure him into being someone he wasn’t. She just encouraged him to try new things and didn’t mind if he didn’t get it right the first time or made mistakes. God knew how many times he’d fallen off that surfboard. But none of it made her judge him or think him unworthy.

‘Give me a second.’ He turned and rummaged through his bag, pulling out the white, smart shirt he’d worn the first day he met her. He whipped off his t-shirt and replaced it with the crisp shirt, buttoning it up as he turned around.

Iona closed the gap between them, putting her hand over his, preventing him from fastening any more buttons. ‘Why bother?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘When I’m about to undo them all again?’

He moved his hands to her hips and held eye contact. ‘I’d love to kiss you, but I don’t want to ruin your make-up.’

‘Not yet.’ She pulled away and took out her phone from down the front of her dress.

‘Why is your phone in there?’

‘This dress has no pockets.’ She opened it up, flicking through screens until soft music played from it. She propped it on the windowsill and returned to Monty. Putting her left hand in his, she placed her other on his shoulder. He instinctively moved into a waltz position, and keeping their eyes firmly on each other, they revolved to the music.

Monty rubbed his palm against hers and she mimicked the action until the friction become oddly sensual. He drew her closer, inhaling her wonderful sea breeze scent. She rested her head on his shoulder.

‘This has been one heck of a ride, hasn’t it?’ She breathed the words onto his neck.

‘It really has.’

‘I don’t do relationships. You know that, but in a different world and under different circumstances, I would choose you.’

He let go of her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace, splaying his palms across her back. ‘Thank you.’ He could hardly get the words out. The soft music was a melancholic background, mourning the impossibility of their situation. Having a holiday fling had never been something he’d even deemed a possibility, and now it was happening. He hadn’t expected it to have such a profound effect on him. But she was right. This was something for another world. His life was in a totally different place. Neither of them could easily uproot and even if he did, she’d made it quite clear long-term relationships weren’t her thing.

What mattered now was making sure these last moments together were the best they could be. That meant holding on, not just to Iona, but to every precious second. This dance was beautiful and when he kissed her, it held so much depth and meaning. Later they’d make love, but it would be so much morethan just a meeting of bodies. He would show her just how wonderfully special she was to him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

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