An Ocean Between Us

by Serenity Woods

  Hermione had felt that shock, but unfortunately not with the guy she was supposed to be marrying. “Yes.”

  “And if we have kids and we go through a sticky patch and ten years down the line I suddenly realize we’re not spending enough time together, I’d do everything I could to win him back, like you say in your business, by making time for each other, making the effort.” Genie sat forward. “But I couldn’t marry a man I wasn’t in love with and think that either the excitement didn’t matter, or hope it would magically appear.”

  Tears pricked Hermione’s eyes. “You’re right.”

  “Oh fuck, I’m sorry. Jeez, I’ve put my foot in it. Look, as I said, I’m sure there are lots of successful marriages out there where the couples aren’t swinging from the chandeliers every night. I just meant it’s not for me.”

  “I know. The thing is, I thought I could be one of those women—I thought it didn’t matter to me. But I’m beginning to realize that it does. Very much.” She sniffed and rubbed her nose.

  Genie tipped her head to the side. “Are you in love with Danny?”

  “Goodness! No! Well, I don’t think so. I don’t know. Maybe. Yes, probably.”

  Genie chuckled. “I’m not surprised. He’s a sweetie.”

  “Yes, he is.” Hermione’s head spun. Was she in love with him? Already? They’d only spent one night together!

  But Genie hadn’t asked Do you love Danny? She’d asked Are you in love with Danny? They were two separate things. The second might well be possible—that was the spark Genie had been talking about, and that was most definitely there. But did she love him? She couldn’t. Love was organic and grew slowly, over time, like everything else in nature. Apart from bamboo. And mold on cheese she left in the fridge that seemed to spring up overnight.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment her phone rang, making her jump. She picked it up and looked at the screen. “It’s Danny.” For a brief second, she wondered whether he somehow knew they’d been talking about him. She felt as if she’d jumped into a scalding bath, her body burning from her face to her toes.

  Genie laughed. “Well that confirms it.”

  Pressing a hand to her cheek and giving the other girl a wry look, Hermione answered it. “Hello, Danny.”

  “Hey, you. How are you?”

  “I’m good.” Just the sound of his voice gave her goosebumps, and suddenly she realized how much she missed him. Good Lord, girl, you’ve got it bad...

  “What are you up to?”

  “I’m having lunch with Genie.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” She could almost hear his smile. “Whereabouts?”

  “Flukes. It’s lovely here. It’s going to rain though.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. Hey, I have something to ask you.”

  “Go on then.”

  “Um... I was just talking to Fleur about whether she had any time to look after Dad.”

  “Oh yes? And?”

  He fell silent for a moment. She had the distinct feeling he was looking sheepish. “She’s offered to stay for two weeks here with Jack—her husband. So, if you wanted, I could come and stay with you. But I don’t have to, it’s just an idea.”

  Hermione’s eyes widened, and she stared at Genie, seeing her own delight reflected in Genie’s smile. “For two weeks?”

  “I know it’s a long time, so we could just make it a day or two if you’d rather, and perhaps I could—”

  “Oh Danny, that would be lovely.”

  He stopped talking. Then he said, “You’re sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. You’ll sleep in the spare room though, right?”

  Genie chuckled, and Danny gave a wry laugh. “If you want. I’d be happy to, if it meant being close to you.”

  Hermione lowered her gaze and played with her napkin. “That’s a sweet thing to say.”

  “I mean it. I miss you. I want to be with you. I know it’s only two weeks, and part of me thinks it’s mad because we’re probably just digging ourselves a hole, but hey, life’s short. If we can snatch two weeks of happiness, I think we should, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do.” His words told her that he felt the same way. That spending time together was a little bit dangerous, because they were only going to fall for each other further, but should that be a reason to stay away from each other? She didn’t think so, and neither did he apparently.

  “I’ll carry on working,” he said, “but I’ll stay at the house at night.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “I’ll do a few things at home this afternoon, and then I’ll come back this evening, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

  “See you later, sweetheart. Oh, by the way, what are you wearing under your clothes today?”

  Hermione blushed, very aware that in comparison to the embarrassment she’d felt when Richard had asked her a similar question, this time all she felt was warmth and pleasure at the thought of Danny imagining her in her underwear.

  “Genie’s sitting opposite me,” she scolded, dipping her spoon into the chocolate pot, her appetite having miraculously returned.

  “Meh. She won’t care. If she embarrasses you, just ask her about the bar stool.”

  Hermione laughed, winking at Genie and causing her eyebrows to rise. “All right, I’ll give you a hint. Black, and lace.”

  “Fuck. I’m coming over now.”

  She chuckled. “See you later.”

  “Damn straight.” He hung up.

  Hermione put the phone down and grinned at Genie.

  “No need to ask what his question was,” Genie said, scraping around the edge of the chocolate pot.

  “He told me I’m supposed to ask you about the bar stool.”

  Genie stopped, and her lips curved up. “Cheeky sod.”

  “Come on, spill the beans.”

  Her cheeks turning a pretty pink, Genie pushed the chocolate pot away and rolled her eyes. “Beck had to pick up his son one evening. He’s separated from his wife and he has a toddler, and he was due to have him for the night, so I said I’d lock up the bar. Niall came to help, and we’d tidied up and were about to leave and...well...Niall was feeling amorous, and we got carried away on a bar stool...and Danny came in halfway through.”

  She covered her face with her hands as Hermione giggled. “Don’t, please. I was mortified. I honestly thought Niall had locked the door, and he thought I had. Danny’s never going to let me forget it.”

  Still chuckling, Hermione finished off her dessert as the waitress brought their lattes over. Stirring in a sweetener, she gave Genie a rueful smile. “Look, I want to apologize for getting jealous earlier.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about it.”

  “No, it wasn’t right. I’m not used to this kind of friendship. Girls and guys being close but not being romantically involved, you know? Actually, I think it’s lovely, and I’m very envious of you all. You seem to have a great group of friends, and it must be nice to have that feeling of love and support around you.”

  “It is.” Genie sipped her coffee. “I suppose we’re unusual in that most of us have ended up settling down near to where we grew up. And our situation was fairly unusual, with me growing up with Niall and Finn, and of course Ciara’s death brought us all closer. We’ve had our ups and downs, but yes, we are all good friends, and it’s only got better since we’ve met up with the guys from Mangonui occasionally.”

  “It’ll be fun when you start getting married and having families. You’ll all be there to support each other.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be great. Will you have the same sort of support in the UK if you marry Richard?”

  Hermione’s throat tightened instantly, and she put her cup down in the saucer with a rattle. “No, I don’t think so. I have two sisters but they’re unmarried, and we’re quite different—we’re not close like you and Billie and Tess seem to be. Most of the friends I made at uni have moved away, doing jobs around England and some have even gone
to France and Germany.”

  “You’d have a busy social life, presumably, though? Balls and soirees and stuff?” Genie grinned.

  “Yes... There will be charity events to go to, and I expect I’ll make other friends eventually.” But her voice petered out. It would never be the same as the sort of life that Genie had here. She’d never be able to explain to Genie how envious she was of the freedom the girls had, and the lovely, relaxed way of life they lived.

  She looked out to sea. It was beginning to rain, and the ocean had turned gray, matching the clouds that were scudding across the sky. She wasn’t going to think about Richard now. Danny was coming to stay with her for two whole weeks, and no matter what happened in the future, she was going to make the most of him and have the time of her life while he was there.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Danny pulled up outside the Spencers’ house and turned off the engine. It was just after five, and a light rain was beginning to fall. He’d planned to wait until the evening, not wanting to appear too eager, but in the end his father and Fleur had gotten fed up with him pacing the floor and had told him to get going.

  He rose from the car and retrieved the large bag containing a good proportion of his clothes, as well as the bag of things he’d bought in the supermarket, locked the door, then turned to see Hermione standing at the top of the deck steps, leaning against the post, watching him.

  Conscious of the way his heart lifted when he saw her, he walked forward, pleased when she smiled and said, “Hello you. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Hey, gorgeous. Me too.” He walked up the steps and stopped before her. She wore a short black dress, not quite a little black number, but not far from it. Her feet were bare, though, Kiwi-style, and her hair hung loose about her shoulders. She looked like a Greek goddess, but with a touch of naughtiness about her in the way her lips curved, and her eyes held a hint of knowledge about what delights awaited them, knowledge that hadn’t been there a week ago. Knowledge that he’d put there. The thought thrilled him.

  “You look fantastic,” he said, and bent to touch his lips to hers. She raised her face, and they had a long, slow kiss that sent his heart hammering in seconds.

  He lifted his head, not wanting to throw her onto the carpet and do her moments after walking in the door, and smiled, holding out the shopping bag. “For you. I eat a lot.”

  She laughed and took it, leading the way into the room and crossing to the kitchen. “You didn’t have to bring your own food.”

  He slid the door closed behind him. “Ah, it’s not much, extras mainly, plus I thought I should introduce you to proper Kiwi chocolate. We’ll have a tasting session later.”

  “Mmm.” She flashed him a glance with an expression he couldn’t quite catch. Was it the mention of the word tasting? Or chocolate? He remembered the way she’d eaten the truffles in the Treats cafe, licking the melted chocolate off each finger, her tongue lacing around the pads and causing his jaw to drop. There was something sexual and sensual about chocolate. He seemed to remember Maisey telling him it melted at body temperature, making it the perfect food to use in sex play. He made a mental note to try it out later, and his body stirred at the thought.

  Hermione turned and walked away, her hand trailing along the kitchen worktop and then the back of the sofa as she circled. There was a strange tension in the air, as if a storm was approaching. It was beginning to rain harder, the sky heavy and gray, but he hadn’t heard any thunder. Was the storm inside him? His heart pounded, his body hardening as he imagined taking her in his arms, kissing her, making love to her.

  He shook his head—for fuck’s sake, he should at least wait until after dinner! He didn’t want her to think he was only there for sex, because he wasn’t—he wanted to be with her, to talk to her, to spend time with her.

  But he wanted her too. He couldn’t deny it. His gaze followed her around the room, watching the way she moved, how the fabric of her dress flowed over her curves, wondering if she still wore the black lacy thing she’d mentioned beneath it.

  She adjusted a magazine on the coffee table, moved a cushion from the center to the corner of the sofa, then straightened and raised her gaze to his again, that odd look still in her eyes. Her breasts rose and fell rapidly as if she was breathing hard, and her lips parted.

  Danny lowered his bag to the floor, strode across to her, pulled her into his arms, and crushed his lips to hers.

  She lifted her arms around his neck, molding her body to his, and he slid his hands down to her butt and tightened them there, lifting her so he could press the erection that had miraculously appeared against her.

  “Oh, I’ve missed you,” she whispered as he kissed around to her ear.

  “I’ve thought about you all day.” He moved his hands under the hem of her dress and up to feel the stretchy lace that covered her butt. “I swear I’ve had an erection about ninety-five percent of the time.”

  “Only ninety-five percent? I must be losing my touch.”

  He laughed, turned, and sat on the sofa, pulling her down with him so she sat astride him. She took the hem of her dress in her hands and lifted it over her head in one swift move. Danny’s eyes nearly fell out of his head at the sight of her slim, toned body covered in sexy black lace.

  “Fuck,” he said, lifting his hands to her breasts.

  “God, yes, please.” She smothered his laugh with her lips and tugged his T-shirt up over his head, then fumbled at his waist to undo his button and zip.

  Danny let her, loving her enthusiasm. He couldn’t believe this sexy, gorgeous girl wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  “I have something to ask you,” she whispered as she freed his erection, kissing up his jaw to his ear.

  “Mmm?”

  “As we’ll be together for a while, I wanted to offer...um...” She lifted her head and rubbed her nose. “I thought I’d tell you that I’m on the pill, have been for a few years for medical reasons. So...if you don’t want to use a condom, it’s okay with me.”

  His breath stilled, and he looked deeply into her warm brown eyes. The notion of sliding inside her without barriers fired him up in a way he hadn’t thought possible. He knew he was clean, and there was no chance of her having any issues.

  He felt a brief twinge of concern that she might be trying to trick him into getting her pregnant, but he pushed it away. She wouldn’t do that to him—he knew that instinctively. He trusted her. That in itself was something special.

  “Okay.”

  Her eyes lit with pleasure, and she lifted up, pulled the lace underneath her to one side, and went to lower herself onto him.

  “Hey.” He caught her hips. “Hold on, sweetheart. A little foreplay would be a good idea, make it easier for you.”

  “I’m ready, Danny.”

  He slid a hand down over her butt and beneath her, and tested for himself, his eyebrows rising when he discovered her already swollen and slippery to the touch.

  “Hmm,” he said, stroking her, “get started without me, did you?”

  “Danny!” She whacked his arm, then groaned as he slid a finger inside her.

  “I don’t mind. Can’t say the thought of it doesn’t turn me on.”

  “Goodness!” Her cheeks flushed. “Really?”

  “Really. At least once over the next few weeks I want you to show me how you pleasure yourself.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God, I couldn’t.”

  He continued to stroke her, his gaze locking onto hers, refusing to let her look away. “Oh, you can, and you will.”

  Her lips parted, and her hips rocked a little against his hand, an involuntary movement as he aroused her with his fingers. “You like shocking me don’t you?” she whispered.

  “I do.”

  “Why?”

  “I might have walked across that field of snow, but there are lots of other places where it’s still untouched.” He slid his other hand over her abdomen and down so he could circle his thumb over her clit
, and lightly stroked the swollen button, loving the way little gasps escaped her. “I plan to corrupt the whole of you before my two weeks is up.”

  She gave a short laugh, then tipped her head back and moaned.

  “So, were you then?” he prompted.

  “Was I what?” she said, panting.

  “Touching yourself?”

  “Not this time.” She smiled. “It’s just... I’ve been thinking about you for hours...” Her eyes held a kind of hopeless lust, warming him right through.

  He raised his hand to cup her face. “All right, sweetheart. Come on, then.”

  She lifted up and lowered herself down onto him. He felt the tip of his erection part her folds and enter her velvety softness, and groaned as she pushed her hips down and he slid all the way in. The sensation of being buried inside her without barriers, skin on skin, was warm and luscious and almost too much to bear.

  “Ahhh...” Her fingers tightened on his shoulders.

  He waited, letting her adjust, waiting for her tense muscles to relax. “Mmm. That feels good.”

  “Yes.” She dipped her head and kissed him, then began to move, rocking backward and forward so he slid in and out of her.

  He stroked up her body, admiring the way the stretchy lacy clung to her curves, and cupped her breasts, feeling their weight in his palms. Her nipples had tightened, and when he rolled them between his fingers, she moaned and thrust her tongue into his mouth.

  As sexy as the lingerie was, he wanted to feel her bare skin, and he pulled the thin straps down her shoulders, exposing her breasts, then bent his head and lifted a nipple to his mouth. Hermione arched her back, still rocking her hips, and Danny sucked, feeling a fresh rush of moisture easing his way inside her when he stroked the tender skin with his tongue.

  She sank her fingers into his hair, gasping as he swapped from one nipple to the other until they were both wet and gleaming, and when he eventually lifted his head, she kissed him hot and hard, their tongues tangling as passion built between them.

  It wasn’t long before her breathing grew irregular, and he held her hips and thrust firmly, feeling her body tense around him.