They turned a corner to what their driver jokingly called the main business district. It comprised the community hall, a place called the co-op shop where the islanders brought and sold their local produce, a general store, a beauty salon, a clothing shop, and a café/restaurant called Humpty Dick’s where—they were advised—they could buy themselves a nice lunch. Or breakfast. Or dinner. Whatever they liked.
Tammy grinned at the name. Someone had a very sexual sense of humour. Fletcher squeezed her hand, having taken possession of it again once they were settled in the van. His grin shared her amusement, and the highly sensual pressure of his touch heightened her awareness of how soon they would be sharing so much more…alone together.
The rest of the instructions being given floated around a buzzing core of anticipation in her mind. It was impossible to give her full attention to them, but she listened, not wanting Fletcher to know how dominant her yearning for him was.
They could also get breakfast and lunch at the museum café and dinner at other restaurants which they’d find listed in their apartment. If they booked into a restaurant for an evening meal they would be picked up and brought home so they didn’t get lost in the dark. Alternatively they could buy provisions from the co-op, the general store, the top shop, which was closest to their apartment, or Joy’s shop, which was near the museum, and cook for themselves in their own kitchen.
All this information brought home how far this island was from being a high-rise tourist resort bustling with holiday-makers. Even the various accommodation places they passed were virtually hidden away behind palm trees and shrubbery. When they finally arrived at the property where Fletcher had booked them in—the closest one to Ned’s Beach which was the most popular beach on the island they were told, it too was secluded behind trees and beautifully nestled in tropical gardens, offering an immediate sense of exclusive tranquillity.
Peace and privacy, Tammy thought. No one would bother Fletcher here, even if they’d read the publicity about him and recognised his name. It made her doubly aware of how intimate these five days were going to be—definitely a test of how right they were for each other on a very basic level. As Fletcher helped her out of the van, the simmering look in his eyes set her nerves twitching at how basic he intended it to be as soon as they were left in total privacy.
The colonial architecture of the low-level buildings was charming, reinforcing the idea of a bygone era—tin roofs with bullnosed eaves, verandahs with wooden railings, inviting time to sit out and simply enjoy the ambience of the island. Inside their apartment the decor was tropical with cane furniture and fabrics printed with hibiscus flowers. Every modern convenience was supplied in the kitchen and bathroom. They were given a rundown on how everything worked and told that the licensed restaurant in the main house was open for dinner.
Having thanked their driver/guide, Fletcher ushered him out and closed the door on the outside world. Tammy took a deep breath. This was it—the real beginning of what this time with Fletcher was about. Her pulse was racing, her heart thundering in her ears. Her gaze was fixed expectantly on him as he turned from the door, a wide grin on his face, his dark brilliant eyes sparkling with devilment.
‘Happy with where we are?’
‘Yes,’ she answered huskily, her throat dry from the heat burning through her.
He laughed as he walked to where she stood in the middle of the living room. ‘I could have flown you to the most expensive resort on this planet, fitted you out with glamorous clothes, pampered you with every luxury, had the red carpet rolled out for us everywhere we went. I’ve been totally selfish in choosing this place, wanting you to myself.’ He drew her into his embrace, his eyes suddenly serious, keenly probing hers. ‘Sure you’re not disappointed?’
‘I came for you.’ It was the simple truth. She slid her arms up around his neck, inviting what she wanted. ‘And I’m on the pill now, so why don’t you just give yourself to me, Fletcher?’
He smiled. ‘That was worth waiting for, too. I didn’t want to think about condoms with you.’
‘Was that why soon wasn’t so soon?’ She wasn’t sure she liked that kind of calculation, waiting for the pill to be absolutely safe.
‘Tamalyn, normally I wouldn’t trust any woman. You, I do. Let’s leave it at that. We’re here…in this moment. No more waiting.’
Trust… it was a sweet word. It meant a lot to Tammy, making her even happier that she was here with him.
They kissed in a frenzy of hunger for each other, hands eagerly, urgently re-learning each other’s bodies as clothes were hastily discarded, Fletcher sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her into the bedroom, both of them too excited, too needy to wait a moment longer for the intense satisfaction of the ultimate intimacy.
It was sex at its most basic, a wild, primitive drive to possess and be possessed, exulting in the sense of mutual passion for total fusion, the wild incitement to give and take and rise together to the exquisite tension before climax, feel it coming, feel it burst upon them, hug the sheer ecstacy of it, then slowly, slowly slide into euphoric contentment, lying nestled together, snug in their private little world, stripped naked of everything but themselves.
‘Tamalyn…’
Her back was turned to him but she heard the smile in his voice as he said her name.
‘What?’ she asked, wriggling around to face him, a smile on her own face.
His eyes were soft, warm with pleasure. ‘Nothing. Just good to be with you again.’
‘Mmm…’It was a hum of agreement. ‘I’d have to say I’m definitely not disappointed.’
Nor was she disappointed in anything they did on the island over the next five days. The book Jennifer had given her was never opened. Being with Fletcher made every activity exhilarating from the challenge of the guided climb to the summit of Mount Gower, to feeding the huge kingfish that swarmed into the shallows at Ned’s Beach.
On other walks she marvelled at the massively spreading groves of banyan trees—weirdly exotic towering over all the palms—and loved the boat trips that took them on snorkel tours of the best viewing areas around the coral reef. Even the food tasted better—the home-baked cakes, freshly caught seafood, locally grown tomatoes. Everything about Lord Howe was marvellous, and sharing the pleasure of it with Fletcher made it absolutely magical.
The sexual attraction between them was so constant and vibrant, just a touch of the hand, a smile, a flash of eye contact, and her body was happily humming in anticipation of the next opportunity for intimacy. She fell so madly in love with him she stopped thinking of it as sex.