Page 80 of Adrift in Iceland
‘Not if I’m here with you.’ He reached out and took her mug, putting it down so that he could pull her onto his lap. ‘This place is incredible. There’s a different pace of life somewhere like this, and I’m ready for that. Hibernating with you over the winter isn’t going to drive me mad. Livingwithout you would.’
‘It’s too good to be true.’
‘I’m glad you feel like that because I was so scared you would think it was a terrible idea. I thought you might have moved on and not looked back.’
‘Like you told me to.’
‘I didn’t want you to do that.’
‘I know. And that’s why I’m still in love with you, Leifur. Because you love me enough not to make me choose. Even now, you’re not making me choose. You’re giving me everything I want in the world.’
He kissed her like she’d never been kissed before, and it wasn’t until they came up for air that they realised it had started raining.
‘We should go in,’ Astrid said, picking up the mugs.
They stood in the kitchen and pulled off their wet clothes.
‘My bag is on the boat,’ Leifur said, standing in her kitchen in his underwear.
‘You’ll have to stay here until your clothes are dry then,’ she said, moving towards him, revelling in the moment their skin would touch and she’d feel his warmth against her. And she’d have this for the whole winter.
‘I’ll pick my bag up tomorrow,’ he murmured into her neck as he began kissing her.
‘You’re staying. For the whole winter.’
‘The whole winter, my love.’ He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, laying her on the bed. The rain lashing at the window made the idea of being in bed together even more tempting.
‘I love you more than narwhals.’
32
SIX MONTHS LATER
Leifur stood on the quay, staring at the road that led to the harbour car park, waiting impatiently for Olafur, Gudrun and Astrid. The rest of the Iceland Adventures team were on boardBrimfaxiwaiting for the other three to arrive so that they could set off for the dry run for the new season of whale watching trips.
After a long winter in Greenland which had been some of the best months of Leifur’s life, they had parted ways for a couple of months while he came back to Iceland to take over from Isak and Astrid went on a trip to Australia to see her friend from school.
‘Bet you wish your reunion wasn’t on the boat with everyone else here,’ Isak said, coming up behind him. He looked tanned after a month of island-hopping in the Caribbean, and Leifur had been surprised to find himself looking forward to working with his brother again.
‘I don’t care, I just can’t wait to see her.’
Isak clapped him on the back. ‘Well, you have all summer now.’
Leifur had a lump in his throat. It was hard to believe howfar he’d come in a year. As well as starting a new business, he’d found the love of his life and a relationship with his brother that he never thought he’d have.
‘Yes,’ he managed, keeping his eyes firmly on the car park. ‘Here they are.’ He walked over to where Olafur pulled up the truck and watched Astrid climb out of the back seat. She was wearing the very first Lopi sweater that he’d knitted in Greenland and it warmed his heart that she wore it, even though it wasn’t perfect. She looked amazing. The Australian sun had lightened her hair and dusted a few freckles across her nose and cheeks. She was grinning at him as he took her in his arms.
‘You look wonderful,’ he said, squeezing her to him.
‘So do you.’ Her eyes were shining, and any worries he might have had that she wasn’t looking forward to being back here for the summer disappeared.
‘Nice sweater.’
‘Knitted with love.’ She reached up and touched his cheek and he wished more than anything that they didn’t have to spend the afternoon with everyone else.
‘Are you sure you’re ready to launch straight back in?’
‘I’ve been looking forward to it from the moment you turned up in Nuuk.’
