Page 88 of A Perfect Discovery

Rhona sat up, breaking free of his hold. ‘You’d do that?’

‘Definitely.’

She pushed his knees flat and crawled onto his lap, straddling his hips, and resting her palms on his shoulders. ‘You’re the best.’

He gathered her against his chest. As she made contact with him, tingles shot through her. He kissed her gently, then broke off with a delicate tug on her bottom lip. A whimper escaped her and she closed her eyes. The dying fire cast a flickering glow over Calum’s cheekbones and his aquiline features. ‘I just want us to be together,’ he said.

Rhona chased his mouth and when she caught it, she slipped her hands fully around his neck, pulling him closer, pushing her chest firmly into his. They were lost, meshed together. Rhona shuffled on top of him. ‘Let’s get inside.’

Together they crawled in, tugging off clothes. Calum reclined Rhona gently, barely breaking the kiss, and pulled the soft fleeces around them. The wind flapped the tent as Rhona lost herself in the darkness, the warmth of his embrace, the heat of his tongue, the softness of his lips. This was where she belonged.

∞∞∞

Rhona couldn’t open her eyes. Her breathing had calmed and Calum was still holding her close. His body rose and fell as she snuggled into him. He nuzzled into her hair. ‘I’ve missed us.’

‘Well, you don’t have to miss us anymore.’ Rhona slipped her arm over his tight waist. ‘The thing is, I’ve been thinking.’

‘When?’

‘Obviously not in the last hour.’ She winked. ‘In general. My career has been disappointing for a while now. I’d like to break into consultancy and if I did, then I would live here most of the time and travel to research sites for a week or so at a time, rather than spending half the year away and only coming back for a few weeks.’

‘Perfect.’ Calum stroked her hair. ‘You can do it. I’ve seen your work. I even have office space. We could share.’

‘Can we? That would be amazing. And I might invest in the reconstruction software.’

‘That’s exactly what you have to do. You have such a talent, you need to use it. Let the world see what you’re made of.’

She burrowed in close. ‘I’m not sure what I expected to find when I came back but it definitely wasn’t this.’

His chest vibrated with a laugh. ‘Nope, this wasn’t in my yearly plan either. But it’s easily the best thing that’s happened to me for a long time.’

Rhona let out a happy sigh. She’d found her heart and where it belonged. Of all the discoveries she’d made in her life, this was the most perfect.

Chapter 28

Calum

Blue skies stretched as far as the eye could see. Boats gleamed in the Tobermory marina, dazzling Calum. He squinted and clutched Rhona’s hand. Maybe there would be a time when it didn’t feel surreal walking like this with her but it wasn’t today. People seemed to slow as they passed or do a double take, maybe they were muttering, ‘Look, there’s Calum Matheson, the miser, with Rhona Lamond. Wonder what he bribed her with.’

Will and Morven strolled beside them with baby Angus strapped in his carrier on his mum’s chest. With the meeting he had coming up, Calum wouldn’t have chosen this exact moment for a chat with his friend, but Will had spotted him on the street and there was no shaking him. He was in his usual talkative mood. Calum was used to it but nerves were building and the constant chit-chat wasn’t helping.

‘You two look so perfect.’ Will grinned.

‘Thanks,’ Calum said. Rhona’s cheeks bloomed and she smiled.

‘I couldn’t have picked someone better for you myself,’ Will said. ‘And believe me, I wanted to.’

‘Yes, Will. I know. And now you don’t have to.’ Calum’s focus strayed across the marina, seeking the Dawn Treader. Were his parents there yet? Were Rhona’s? This could be a disaster in the making rather than the bonding trip Rhona had planned.

She squeezed his fingers. Without saying a word, her eyes said,It’ll be fine.

He wanted to believe her but the hope in his heart wasn’t completely divorced from the years of fear.

‘I had a nice visit from Arran before he left,’ said Will.

‘Did you?’ Rhona said.

Calum frowned. ‘You didn’t tell me that.’

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