Then. Now. Always. by Isabelle Broom

Author:Isabelle Broom [Broom, Isabelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780718186678
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2017-04-19T18:30:00+00:00

20

In all the many fantasies I’ve had about Theo in the years since I met him, none of them have ever featured what the two of us have been doing today. When I daydream about him, it always involves him kissing me ravenously, tearing my knickers off with his teeth and having his wicked way with me, while some sort of cheesy love-scene soundtrack plays in the background. Don’t get me wrong, all those vivid concoctions are pretty amazing, but none of them come close to the simple pleasure of just hanging out with Theo for the day.

Since we finished the delectable omelettes he prepared for us this morning, Theo and I have swapped stories about our childhoods – I told him all about Chewy and he actually bellowed with laughter when I admitted some of the scrapes we used to get ourselves into – played thirteen games of Rummy, seven of which I actually managed to win, and eaten all the rest of the Manchego plus a good portion of the bread.

It’s been so nice to be here by the sea all day, watching the waves scurry up the shore gobbling sandcastles and displacing shells. From up here on Theo’s wide balcony, the wet pebbles down below us look like scattered gems, the light from the sun making the polished surfaces gleam and sparkle. There’s been a steady stream of human traffic passing by, with families, couples, dog walkers, joggers and noisy groups of teenagers all taking their turn on the sand. The mischievous wind provides a comedy element, too, and Theo and I have shared many chuckles as we watch people hurtling along after a rogue beach umbrella or errant napkin. At one point during an extremely intense round of cards, somebody’s straw hat blew right up on to the balcony and landed in the plunge pool.

As well as enjoying the view of the world going by coupled with Theo’s undivided attention, it’s been a relief to get away from Tom and Nancy. For the past few hours, I’ve allowed myself to pack that particular problem away into a far corner in my head to be dealt with another day. Distraction was all I needed, and I can’t think of a better person than Theo to provide it. After touching on the subject of my best mate and my half-sister in the morning, he has been astute enough not to mention it since, and with every hour that passes and I’m still here in the villa, I’m starting to feel more relaxed. I even managed not to collapse into a quivering heap on the floor when Theo took it upon himself to rub sun cream on to my back and shoulders, but I was still tingling all over at least half an hour after it happened.

My bikini dried hours ago, but I still haven’t bothered to put it back on, and now that I’m feeling more at ease in Theo’s company, I’m even enjoying the fact that I’m going commando.

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