Page 27 of Awake in Cheshire Bay
“It’s coming. Just watch.” I pointed to the east at the breach of the horizon with one hand and squeezed his hand with my other. My favourite way to start the day was beginning. “You’ll see.”
“I like what I look at.” But he wasn’t staring toward the dawn of morning, and he wasn’t watching the lighthouse off in the walkable distance, he was looking right at me.
The words but the sunrise failed to come out of me as he silenced all syllables with his coffee-tasting lips. The intensity of his sweet kiss grew from delicate to all out powerful, rendering thoughts of a sunrise null and void. It was beyond perfection.
Breaking apart breathless and wanting more, he stood beside me, and I rested my head against him, my free hand laying on his chest.
“Thank you.” I threw the words out into the open ocean air.
“For me?”
“To whatever caused your plane to malfunction and have you land in my world. I never knew I could feel this.”
He turned me to face him, a hint of fear in his eyes. “Feel?”
“Happy, so unbelievably happy.”
A sadness washed over him, and he looked deeply into my eyes, a lone finger trailing down my cheek. “I go soon.”
“I know.” And knowing that, a tiny splinter streaked across my heart.
We walked back to the motel holding hands and were greeted by the Captain, as he descended the stairs in a full panic.
“Mr. Welsh, it is time to depart.” He tapped his Rolex in rapid fashion.
Sorcha came up beside me, a smug smile on her face. “Party time is over. Mr. Welsh has a meeting at nine. The clients have agreed to meet in Victoria, and it’s imperative he attends.”
My gaze flittered between the two men and over to Sorcha. Antonio had said it was cancelled, yet the Pilot was insistent it was going to happen. Wasn’t Antonio the boss? Didn’t he have final say?
Sorcha ignored me and spoke only to Antonio. “We have an inbound right now picking you up immediately. There it is.” A satisfied grin pushed against the apples of her cheeks.
I glanced up the road to the black limo driving down the hill. Like a train wreck, I was unable to stop watching as it approached and parked in the empty lot.
“Monsieur Welsh?” The chauffeur opened the passenger door.
“Antonio?”
He strode up to me and touched my cheek with a sadness in his eyes. “I go. We knew this day ends.”
I understood but I didn’t want to let him go, too afraid to never see him again. That had been part of the deal – not to get too close, but somewhere through the night it happened, and my heart splintered at the thought.
“Time to go. Your plane is on final approach.” Sorcha produced his suitcase and handed it to the chauffeur. She stood uncomfortably close to us.
How the hell did she have access to his room?
“Ember.”
Tears formed as I tried to ignore her, and take in all of Antonio, but I had no response to his heartbreaking word.
He held my face and kissed me, but it was different; it was more emotional, fueled by pain and desire. “Bad bye.”
“What?” I was sure I’d misheard.
“There no good about this.”
“Mr. Welsh, please.” The Captain urged him into the vehicle and climbed in after.
Sorcha stayed by my side and turned her back to the car. “Don’t get too upset by this. He does this at every layover, makes every woman feel like she’s his entire universe.” She ran her gaze over me. “You’re nothing special, just another notch on his belt. You should get tested.”