Page 35 of Love By Sunset

‘Emily. Emily, my darlin’. I know… I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not true.’ He gave a parody of a smile before his face twisted and he broke down into anguished sobs.

‘Care to explain?’ Emily tugged him to his feet, her voice terse.

He looked shamefaced. ‘I needed to exhaust myself. To stop myself thinking. That’s all, I promise. Robbie came round last night and showed me the will. But before I saw it, before he told me you’d vetoed the purchase, I’d already realised I should have trusted you more and let you explain. I can’t tell you how stupid I feel. How fucking stupid! The love we’ve shared over these last couple of weeks has come out of nowhere, and it frightened me. Even worse was the feeling I wanted to commit to a relationship.’ His teeth were chattering as they struggled up the beach, the wind knocking the board and making it all so much harder. ‘And then your mate came back, and I felt… I felt so fucking angry when I realised you were connected…’

‘Oh, Jake.’ Emily looked at him, but his eyes were downcast. ‘I’m partly responsible. It’s not surprising you felt you couldn’t trust me because I’d kept everything a secret. I’d hoped it would all go away and be sorted by the time you found out my connection to the company.’

‘Wh-what are you doing here, anyway?’

‘Trying to exhaust myself too?’ she answered wryly.

He stopped and looked at her directly, a glimmer of hope entering his eyes. ‘It totally fucked me up, thinking I’d lost you, you know that?’

‘Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I know exactly how you felt, believe me.’

Their gazes locked. Emily’s heart fluttered and danced, and her throat closed up. Then both turned to continue their walk up the beach.

They finally made it to the café. The key was on the lintel above the kitchen entrance. Still supporting him, they reached his small office where Emily stripped off Jake’s wetsuit, not a straightforward task as the wet rubber clung and was so closely fitting. Eventually, she pushed him under the warm water of the shower, where he stood helplessly, shivering too much and far too exhausted to do anything.

Pulling her lips together, Emily stripped off the remnants of her own soaking clothes and stepped in with him. By the time she’d washed herself and him, despair had given way to lust. Their eyes met again, his full of doubt. Tightening her lips, she gave a small nod then her face contorted as her tears fell. ‘What were you thinking? Oh, Jake, what were you thinking?’

‘That I’d lost you through my rejection of you. And I didn’t care about anything anymore, not even knowing I own this place. I wanted oblivion, but not to die, Emily. I promise you that. Just oblivion. For a long time.’

They reached out and tangled themselves in an embrace, the hot water still pouring over them as their mouths met in a desperate kiss. Jake groped behind him and turned off the shower, then grabbed a couple of towels from the nearby shelf.

Towelling each other, they continued to murmur apologies and explanations, to caress each other and drop kisses on faces and lips. Finally dry, they stood looking at each other, sadness on Emily’s face, shame on Jake’s.

‘Annie’s invited me to have a coffee with her later today.’ Emily spoke hesitantly, with no idea why she was telling him.

Jake gave a rueful grin. ‘We better both go then. I’ll tell her what an idiot I’ve been, and she can get her scold out of the way. But I think we’ll need clothes. I’ve enough to get us both back to Solhaven decently, but nothing suitable for going to have coffee with your future mother-in-law.’

Emily’s eyes widened in shock, and her heart thumped. ‘I-I—you’ve left me speechless, Bradstock! Are you sure you mean that?’

His face was sombre. ‘One day, yes. I nearly said something yesterday but was too much of a coward. Then that thing with your mate happened, and I couldn’t think straight. All I could hear was Approach, and all I took in was you and he were partners in the very company trying to oust me.’

‘Ah, but we withdrew our offer the day you told me Gerry had been in to offer you money. I’m surprised Robbie Jones didn’t think to let you know.’ Shivering, despite the small electric fire now burning near the desk, Emily pulled her towel closer.

‘It would have helped,’ Jake admitted with a sigh, reaching out to push her hair behind her ears. ‘But I should have let him finish what he was saying and I certainly should’ve asked you for an explanation.’

‘Would you have listened to me?’

Looking shamefaced, Jake’s eyes dropped, and he fiddled with a pen on his desk. ‘Maybe not. Not then. I was so distraught. But at least I could’ve thought about what you might have said. I never gave you a chance, and for that, I’m desperately sorry.’

‘I think maybe we both made mistakes. If I’d told you more about what was going on, and reassured you about the ethics clause, you might have had a greater trust in me.’

‘Mmm. Or I might never have got involved, knowing you were part of the company wanting my café?’

Their hesitant laughter was full of relief and joy.

‘Tell you what, lover boy,’ Emily finally said, ‘I think we recently had a rather good quickie in here. How about we try again now?’ Emily pulled his head down and kissed him gently, her hand sliding across his bare chest, feeling his nipples tighten even as hers did. Glancing down, she gave a wicked smile, her hand drifting further until she caressed his erect penis, which leapt at her touch. ‘Looks like you’ve gotsomeenergy left.’

She felt him lift her and lay her down on the old settee.

Their coming together was slow and gentle. His heart was full of tenderness as he slipped inside, and she clenched her legs tight round his body as he moved, concentrating on Emily, shifting to give her the greatest pleasure. Their climax brought them both to tears again, but this time, tears of love. Finally, at peace, they lay in each other’s arms. The recriminations and blame were in the past. All that mattered today was themselves, and for them both, a future.

EPILOGUE

Emily woke slowlyand turned to see Jake’s beloved face on the pillow next to hers. He’d let out his harbour-side cottage and now lived with her up at the Haven House Hotel, where she could more easily oversee things. Annie had taken on the job of domestic housekeeper, and Claire, full of delight, had accepted her offer of Gardener’s Cottage down by the shoreline, and the position as head, and for the moment, only, gardener. It would be another three months before she could move in, having chosen to see her current class through to the end of the school year. Sasha was considering the offer to be head receptionist, and had indicated she’d like to train in massage as well. It was all coming together beautifully.

---