It was all going to work; she could do this after all.
When Lovro ambled through from the back room ten minutes later, he found Kate busy taking photos and tapping notes into her phone. All traces of her earlier trepidation gone, she smiled warmly and shook his hand, accepting his offer of coffee before talking him slowly through everything she had come up with so far. Fortunately, Lovro’s grasp of English was far better than hers was of Croatian, and he understood her vision for the place immediately, nodding away and patting the pockets of his jeans in search of pen and paper to write things down. Within an hour, they had compiled a comprehensive list of materials and agreed a workable schedule. Beaming with pride and anticipation, she practically skipped back out into the lane when it was time to go and reached straight for her phone.
All she could think was that she wanted to call Alex and tell him how well it had gone, but there was already a message from him waiting.
Had to meet my friend – sorry to miss dinner.
Ten little words, eleven devastating syllables, and one confirmation that Kate could no longer deny her feelings.
Chapter 37
There was no point trying to sleep.
Kate was still sharing her double bed at the hostel with Robyn, so she inched the sheet down as quietly as possible and crept from the room. She guessed from the darkness and total silence that it must be around three a.m. – an assumption that was verified by the clock on the communal kitchen wall.
Kate filled a glass of water from the tap. As much as she’d loved the hostel when it was freshly painted and free from clutter, she felt more at home here now that it was full of guests. She liked seeing boxes of food labelled and stacked on the shelves Alex had built, enjoyed the echoes of footfall on the central staircase as people left for early flights or ventured in late after a night of partying at Carpe Diem, Hula Hula or one of the island’s many other bars. It was people that made a house a home – or a hostel, in this case.
There had only been four of them on the terrace for dinner in the end, and Kate had thought she’d done a good job of pretending she couldn’t care less about Alex’s decision not to join in. That was, until she and Robyn headed down to bed.
‘Where was it Alex had to be again?’ her friend asked casually, slipping off her sandals and pushing them towards her open suitcase. Despite Kate’s not-so-subtle hints, Robyn had yet to unpack properly, and a trail of clothes, shoes and toiletries were spilling over the side.
‘He had to see a friend.’
‘And you’re not annoyed?’
Kate looked up. ‘Annoyed? Why would I be?’
‘OK, maybe annoyed is the wrong word. I should have said disappointed.’
‘I’m not annoyed or disappointed,’ Kate said, but she couldn’t meet Robyn’s eye. She always had been a terrible liar.
‘I think it might be my fault,’ Robyn said, her voice uncharacteristically meek. ‘I may have said a few things to him earlier, after we left you and Tobe . . .’
Kate paused in the bathroom doorway.
‘Oh?’ she said. ‘What things?’
‘I might have suggested to him that the two of you . . . liked each other.’
Kate felt a sensation like a bath plug being pulled out in her stomach.
‘And before you get cross – hear me out! He didn’t seem appalled by the idea. He didn’t say much, to be honest; he just kind of smiled and shook his head a bit—’
‘But what did you actually say?’ interrupted Kate. ‘What were your exact words?’
‘I said, “Kate’s nice, isn’t she?” And he agreed that you were. Then I said, “She’s single, you know?” And he replied, “I know”.’
So far, so typically non-committal Alex.
‘And then what?’
‘I said that what I thought you needed was a bit of fun – and that perhaps he was the man to provide it.’
‘Robyn!’
Kate put her face in her hands. ‘Why?’
‘Because I can tell that the two of you are attracted to each other. Honestly, the tension is palpable – it was all day. Every time I looked at you both, you were staring at each other. He may not say much, but he doesn’t have to – it’s written all over his face. The guy is smitten.’
‘Well, obviously not, if he then decided to do a runner,’ Kate retorted. ‘Poor bloke probably thought I’d jump him.’
She held back from mentioning the kiss. That would only strengthen Robyn’s resolve to bring the two of them together, and Kate didn’t want to risk losing Alex’s friendship. Nor, if she was being honest, did she want news of such a thing finding its way back to James. Because while Robyn would not set out to betray Kate’s secrets, she might be tricked into giving them away – especially if goaded. And it had only been the briefest of kisses; there was little chance of it happening again. Clearly, Kate thought, as she had got stiffly into bed half an hour later, Alex had articulated that point by failing to materialise that evening.
But no matter how many times Kate told herself not to worry, she couldn’t rid her mind of Alex, of where he had really gone and what he genuinely felt about her. It was why she was awake now, prowling around the hostel after dark, unable to settle.
She drank her glass of water and glared solemnly out of the window; her gaze drawn as always towards the black satin surface of the sea. She would go to it; make her way to the shore and seek direction from the stars above.
There was a hooded top of Toby’s on the back of the chair in reception, and Kate pulled it on over the shorts and vest she slept in. In the lost property box, she unearthed some flip-flops a size or two bigger than her own, but that didn’t matter. She wouldn’t go far.
It was quiet without the usual cacophony of crickets, the only sound the soft slapping of her too-big borrowed footwear, and Kate started violently when something small and lithe scampered between her feet.
‘Siva,’ she hissed, as the cat stared beadily up at her. ‘What are you doing out here?’
The cat raised her leg and began to wash her bottom disdainfully.
‘Charming,’ Kate said, bending to stroke Siva’s over-large ears. ‘Come on then, let’s go and see if we can spot any fish.’
The street lights illuminated their way until they reached the stony slope that led down to Pokonji Dol beach, after which Kate became far more cautious, her hands poised to steady herself if she were to slip or fall. It was a treacherous undertaking in daylight hours, let alone in the pitch black, but she had deliberately chosen this particular area of the coastline. From up here on the path, the beach below appeared deserted, and there were only a few lighted windows on the opposite side on the bay. Kate scanned the harbour until she found the familiar shape of Alex’s boat with its deckchair adornment, but there were no lights visible on board. Either he was asleep or staying elsewhere for the night.
Siva reached the bottom of the hill first and shot across the road onto the white stones beyond, Kate hobbling behind her in her too-big sandals. The first time she’d seen this beach, the white pebbles had reminded her of fallen petals, but tonight they were a shoal of silent fish; an echo of life that remained beautiful even in death. Pausing for a moment, she heard what sounded like purring and frowned. There was only one person who could elicit such a response from Siva, and he was –
‘Hello.’
A figure had sat up suddenly on one of the nearby sunloungers and Kate let out a shriek, stumbling backwards right out of her flip-flops.
‘Shit, Alex – you scared me half to death.’
‘Sorry,’ he said, sounding bemused. ‘In my defence, I didn’t really expect to see you here.’
‘Ditto,’ she exclaimed, not altogether truthfully.
‘Sleepwalking is it?’ he said, resting his elbows on his knees.
‘No.’ Kate trod carefully across the stones and took a seat beside him. ‘I just fancied a walk, that’s all.’
‘At half-past three in the morning?’
; ‘That’s right.’
‘I see.’
Kate smiled. It was so nice to see him; she felt immeasurably better simply being in his presence.
‘What’s your excuse?’ she asked, bringing her feet up onto the edge of the lounger and pulling Toby’s hoodie down to her ankles. ‘Moon bathing, is it?’
‘Couldn’t sleep,’ he said, tugging at the sleeves of his own hooded top. It was the same one he’d worn the night they’d stayed in Brač, and Kate was sure she could detect a faint smell of candle smoke as he shifted position. He was wearing a bandana she’d not seen before over his dreadlocks that looked blue in the moonlight. Blue to match his eyes.
‘You were missed at dinner,’ she said. ‘I ate my own body weight in squid-ink risotto, and it turned my tongue black. Look,’ she said, poking it out. ‘Halloween has come early.’
His eyes flickered downwards. ‘Nice.’
Kate re-inserted her tongue, wondering why she must always behave so ridiculously.
‘Did you meet your friend?’ she asked, to which he looked puzzled.
‘Friend?’
‘Whoever it was that made you miss dinner?’
‘Oh. Yes. Sure I did.’
‘Really?’
Alex cracked his knuckles, watching wordlessly as Siva writhed her soft body against his shin. ‘I had somewhere else to be, that’s all.’
‘Where? Here?’
A slight shake of the head.
‘Then where?’
‘Are you cold?’ he asked. Kate had slid her arms out of her sleeves and cocooned herself inside Toby’s hoodie, her shoulders hunched, and toes curled.
‘A little bit,’ she said. ‘But that is no reason to change the subject.’
‘Fair enough.’
‘So . . . ?’
‘I wanted to come, but—’
‘Robyn scared you off,’ she prompted, and Alex turned in surprise.
‘Scared me? No. Nothing like that. I guess I wanted to give you some space, that’s all.’
‘All of us, or just me?’
Alex took a deep breath, lifting his chin so he could see the stars. ‘You.’
They sat for a moment in companionable silence while Kate absorbed this, watching the distant form of Siva as she picked her way daintily over the stones. When Alex raised two fingers to his lips and whistled, the cat came back straight away and hopped up into the empty space between them.
‘She looks almost docile when she’s like this,’ observed Kate, as Siva curled up and began to purr once again. ‘You definitely have a calming effect – on people as well as animals,’ she added. ‘I think I’m the opposite – my nervous energy ends up putting people on edge.’
‘Not me,’ he said. ‘I think you have good energy. I mean’ – he gestured out in the vague direction of his boat – ‘sometimes it might lead you to make some crazy decisions, but— ’
‘Point taken.’ Kate laughed, rocking forwards on the balls of her feet.
‘You are cold,’ he said, scooping up the cat and propping her up on his shoulder. ‘Come on – my camping stove is on the boat. There might even be a blanket or two, if you haven’t fashioned them into a makeshift sail or suchlike.’
‘Funny,’ replied Kate, getting swiftly to her feet.
Under any other circumstances, it might have felt eerie to be cutting through the dark water in the dead of night, but with Alex there beside her, Kate found the dinghy crossing a thrill. After depositing a rather disgruntled Siva on the deck, Alex insisted on giving Kate a proper leg-up over the side, which somehow ended up with her bottom on his shoulders. And was it her imagination, or did his hands linger longer than they needed to on her thighs?
The air on the boat felt alive. Kate was no longer cold.
‘This way,’ he said, pushing open the cabin door with his foot.
Kate followed, her heart a trapped butterfly, every nerve ending a live wire poised to spark. Alex unfolded a blanket.
‘Shall we sit in here or out on the deck?’ he asked.
‘In here is fine,’ she said, her voice high and strange. She didn’t remember the space inside the cabin being so small. If she moved at all, she would touch him.
Alex laid one blanket across the floor, then passed her another.
‘Get comfortable,’ he said. ‘I’ll dig out the stove.’
‘No don’t,’ Kate said quickly, closing the space between them and almost treading on Siva who had shot in from outside. The cat’s squeal of outrage was enough to break the tension, and they both smiled at one another.
‘You don’t want the stove on?’ he clarified.
‘No.’ Kate stared down at her toes, refusing to meet his gaze. There was no light on inside the cabin, the porthole windows blacked out by night.
‘If you sit down with me, we can keep each other warm.’
There was a long pause.
‘All right,’ he said, hunkering down and folding his arm beneath his head. Kate hesitated for a moment, then took off her glasses and lay down beside him, shaking out the blanket he’d given her until it was covering both of them. Alex waited while she fidgeted around, eventually offering her his shoulder to rest her head on. She knew that if she allowed herself to get too close to him, she would be lost, but Kate was past the point of logic. As if he could sense her internal battle, Alex unhooked his arm and wrapped it around her, pulling her close against his chest and holding her there.
Time seemed to stand still.
Kate could feel the frantic rush of his heart as she lay against him, her knee over his thigh and her fingers tracing a pattern up and across his torso. She felt him swallow and lifted her chin, wrinkling her nose as it was tickled by his beard. He was looking at her, but it was more than that – the sensation was one of being seen.
Alex saw straight through the person she projected to the world; he saw her.
Kate brought up her hand and slowly slid her thumb across his lips, feeling him shiver. There was no longer any space between them, but she pressed herself further forwards regardless, telling him with her body what she was feeling, how much more she wanted to feel.
‘I don’t want you to give me space, Alex.’
He turned at her words, his breath hot against her cheek, and she parted her lips, closed her eyes in anticipation.
‘Kate.’
A single word, full of infinite meaning.
‘Alex.’
The name seemed to surprise him, and for the briefest second, Kate saw a glimpse of what looked like doubt pass across his face. There were doubtless many reasons why they shouldn’t do this, but Kate could not remember any of them. Desire was too impatient an opponent to deliberation. It had already won.
Without so much as a murmur, Alex slid his hands around her waist and lifted her until she was sitting across his lap. Kate could feel him, hard against her, and arched her back as he sat up and pulled her gently forwards, his lips finding the hollow of her throat. The blanket had fallen away from them and Kate pulled off her hoodie, smiling as he followed suit, his bare chest warm against hers.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he said softly.
‘So are you,’ she said. And it was true. In that moment, Kate was sure that Alex was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.
‘Are you sure?’ he murmured, looking at her with such intensity that Kate felt scorched. To say anything now felt impossible, muted as she was by longing, and so she nodded instead, pushing down against him until there was no room for doubt, no need for words, no reason to stop. Alex brushed a curl off her cheek; the sensation made her tremble.
‘Kate, I need to—’ he began, but she silenced him with her eyes.
‘Later,’ she whispered, resting her nose against his. ‘After.’
Alex looked down and for a second, Kate felt the connection between them falter. She waited, barely daring to move or even breathe, until he slid his hands back around her waist. There was a difference to his touch now, an urgency that hadn’t been
there before. Kate felt it – felt him – and it was this that gave her the courage she needed.
To finally, blissfully, press her lips once again to his.
Chapter 38
Kate must have dozed off, because when she awoke, Alex was gone, and the boat was moving. He had only half-closed the cabin door and she could see through the gap that it was not quite daylight. The two of them had made a mess of the makeshift bed, but at some stage Alex must have covered her up with a blanket. Bringing the scratchy material up to her face now, Kate breathed in the scent of him, of the two of them together. Siva, who was curled up on a pile of T-shirts, opened one eye and gave her a scathing look. That was fair enough, thought Kate, given what the poor cat had witnessed.
‘Morning,’ she said, emerging onto the deck a few minutes later. Instead of putting Toby’s hoodie back on over her shorts, she had decided to wear Alex’s red one, and he smiled when he saw her.
‘Hey,’ he replied, pulling her towards him by one of the drawstring cords and kissing her lightly on the lips. They fitted together so well, thought Kate. She didn’t have to stand on tiptoes to reach him and all the most exciting parts of their bodies were aligned.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked, as Alex sat up on his seat and manoeuvred her between his thighs. He was only wearing his frayed denim shorts, but his bare skin felt hot to the touch. Kate wanted him to let go of the controls so that he could put his hands on her instead.
‘Somewhere we can watch the sunrise,’ he said, gently turning her around. ‘Here.’ He lifted her hands and put them on the small wheel. ‘You can help me steer.’
‘I’ll end up crashing if you keep doing that,’ she said teasingly, as Alex started to kiss her neck. ‘But don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.’
The Getaway: A holiday romance for 2021 - perfect summer escapism! Page 23
