Page 45 of Adrift in Iceland
Now he knew, he bent his head and moved towards her, heading for a kiss but pausing just before he landed on her lips, in case he’d read it all wrong. But there was nothing in Astrid’s eyes that told him to stop. Her eyelids flutteredclosed, and she brought her lips to meet his in the most glorious moment of his life.
They both laughed shyly when they pulled apart.
‘I wasn’t sure you felt the same,’ he said.
‘I thought I’d wait until we got yesterday out of the way. I wasn’t sure you were in the market for a kiss or anything before now.’
‘You thought about it before now?’ As if he hadn’t. He just wanted to hear every detail about how she’d arrived at the same place as him.
‘On the way back from the puffins. I kept thinking you were going to dip your head down and kiss my neck.’
‘I thought about it.’
‘You did?’ She grinned at him, and he could feel himself doing the same.
‘I thought it was too soon. We didn’t know each other very well, and I wanted it to be more than a hookup.’ It was only now he realised that’s why he hadn’t acted sooner.
‘It would never have been that. You’re not like that. I sense you’re an all-in kind of man.’
‘I don’t know.’ He felt bashful, and might have blushed.
‘Well, I’m very happy to have had to wait. It’s all the more special because of yesterday. It felt like we did that together.’
‘We did do it together.’ Leifur took the hand that was still clasped to his on his chest and moved it around to sit on his hip before letting go and taking her in his arms. Properly. She fitted into his embrace as if they’d been made for each other. As if they’d wrapped their arms around each other so many times before that they knew exactly where to hold. It was perfect. Until, in classic Icelandic style, the weather turned, and it started to rain.
‘Come on,’ Leifur said, handing Astrid the bag of buns so that he could unlock the door. Once they were in the galley, they both took their coats off, and Leifur made coffee.
‘Do you think this is a mistake because we work together?’ Astrid asked.
‘No, it’s no one’s business. It won’t affect our work. Are you worried about it?’
‘It’s more than… I don’t know, a summer fling.’
‘It is for me too.’ He sat down next to her, handed her a bun from the bag and a coffee and decided that it was time to be honest with her. ‘Astrid, I haven’t had a girlfriend before. Obviously, I’ve been with women, but no one I felt anything for other than a brief physical attraction.’ As he said this out loud, he half expected Astrid to pick up her coat and leave, thinking she had just kissed someone who had something fundamentally wrong with them.
‘But why? You’re attractive and a lovely person.’
‘Thank you.’ He smiled at her and squeezed her hand before taking a bite of his own bun to give him a minute to think. ‘Fishing isn’t a great career if you want to have a social life too, so it’s hard to meet people who understand.’
He took a breath before continuing because this was the hard part. The part he’d never said out loud to anyone before, mostly because it had taken him an awfully long time to realise it himself. ‘My father was lost at sea one night when we were out fishing. The weather was bad, and one moment he was next to me on deck and the next moment he was gone.’
‘Leifur, I’m so sorry.’ She moved closer to him and reached up and stroked his hair in a soothing way that felt more intimate than the kiss they’d shared.
‘My mother was devastated. We all were. And I knew then that I couldn’t fall in love with anyone and let that happen to them.’
‘You wouldn’t let yourself love anyone? But what if you’d already met the person for you and you let them go?’
‘You’re the person for me, Astrid. I have never felt like thisabout anyone. There was the odd woman that I liked, and I told myself it couldn’t go anywhere, but I never liked them like I like you. Maybe it’s because you love the sea too, I don’t know. But I feel lucky to have met you now that I’m not fishing anymore because it would have been the hardest thing in the world to walk away from you.’
‘I know I said this before, and it’s ridiculous, but I knew there was something between us when I saw you standing on the beach in Hafnarfjörður. Then when I saw you again, it felt like fate or something.’
He patted his legs, inviting her to sit on his lap. She did, straddling his thighs and facing him, arms looped around his neck. ‘So you think this is it for you too?’
She nodded, but there was a hint of reservation in her eyes. ‘I only planned to be here until I got another job. I already know the summer with you isn’t going to be long enough, but I don’t know what will happen after that.’
‘You don’t want to work onBrimfaxiforever?’ He made it sound as if he were teasing her, but deep down he meant it.
‘I can’t abandon my career for you, Leifur,’ she whispered, nuzzling into his neck.
