Summer at Buttercup Beach: A gorgeously uplifting and heartwarming romance

by Holly Martin

  What was it going to be like over the next few weeks? She presumed it would be awkward at first but they would eventually be able to work alongside each other fairly normally while they completed the work on the school mural and they would just dance around the elephant in the room.

  She leaned her hands against the wall and lowered her head so the water could pour over her neck and down her back.

  Suddenly she was aware of a heat behind her that had nothing to do with the shower. Her breath caught in her throat, not wanting to turn round and find out she was wrong, not daring to believe she could be right.

  She opened one eye, just as a large hand snaked around her stomach and Rome pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then another kiss just below her ear.

  ‘I’m not letting you go.’

  Just in case there were any doubts of his intentions, he placed a condom on the shelf in front of her.

  Her heart thundered in her chest as he slid another hand over her breast and the hand that was around her stomach slid lower, his hot mouth on her neck the most wonderful feeling in the world. She didn’t say anything as he curled himself around her back, possessing her in every way, but she laid her head on Rome’s shoulder, arching back against him.

  He stroked across her most sensitive area with sure, strong fingers, somehow knowing exactly where to touch her.

  He ran his fingers across her nipple, kissing across her collarbone, and to her surprise he brought her tumbling over the edge very quickly, as she let out a guttural moan.

  He turned her round, his eyes devouring her hungrily. She ran her hands over his shoulders, relishing in the feel of silky skin over rock-hard muscle. Her eyes cast greedily over his body. He was such a glorious sight and for tonight at least he was hers.

  She ran her hands down his chest, across his stomach and further down between his legs, making him take a sharp intake of breath as she held him. He kissed her hard as she continued to stroke him and he groaned against her mouth.

  He suddenly pulled back slightly. Sinking to his knees, he placed a loving kiss on her stomach then dipped his head lower. She cried out as he kissed against the area that was still so sensitive from the last time. She stroked her fingers through his gorgeous black curls, caressing the back of his neck as he worked his magic on her. There was something so glorious about seeing him on his knees, taking care of her needs, and it was that thought that sent that feeling crashing through her again. He sat back on his heels, staring at her, the hunger in his eyes for her so raw and urgent, she knew instinctively what he needed.

  As she caught her breath she grabbed the condom and passed it to him and he quickly slid it on. He hooked his hands behind her knees and pulled her down on top of him so she was straddling him as he knelt on the floor of the shower, the water pouring over them both.

  He cupped her face and kissed her as he thrust up inside her, she gasped against his lips and he stared at her as they moved against each other. He didn’t take his eyes off hers for a second as he slid his hands down to her hips, holding her tight against him. They held that connection, not talking, their breathing shallow, just eye to eye as if they both knew this feeling between them was something special and they didn’t want to break it. Sex had never felt like this before. This was something incredible and they both knew that.

  He ran his hands down her legs, caught her knees and shifted her into a slightly different position so every thrust hit that sweet spot inside her.

  She leaned forward and kissed him, sinking her fingers into his shoulders as that wonderful feeling built in her again. He slid his tongue across her lips and as she let out a little gasp of need, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, colliding with her own.

  Tension and need built in her stomach and she pulled back slightly to look at him.

  ‘I’m never letting you go, Freya,’ Rome whispered against her lips and it was these words of need from him that sent her hurtling over that peak and he quickly followed.

  For the longest time, Freya didn’t move, her arms wrapped tightly round his neck, her face pressed into his shoulder as she was too scared to look at him. He was stroking his hands up and down her back as both of their breathing returned to normal but all Freya could think of was what things would be like between them now. Would he regret it? Would he try to talk his way out of it and tell her it could never happen again? They had shared an incredible connection and for Freya it had been the most intimate moment of her life. But what if he simply hadn’t felt that? What if it had just been nice for him?

  ‘Let’s get dry and go to bed,’ Rome said and Freya sighed a little. There were no soft words of endearment, no whispers of, ‘I love you.’ Was it really over before it had even properly begun?

  She pulled back slightly and he kissed her on the forehead, which filled her with a tiny sliver of hope.

  She stood up, her legs shaking, and watched as he got up too.

  He moved out of the shower and grabbed two towels and came back to her, gently towelling her hair dry and then drying her body. He wrapped the towel around her and then quickly dried himself.

  She wanted him to say something, anything that would indicate they were going to be OK, but he didn’t.

  To her surprise he came back to her and scooped her up and then carried her through to the bedroom. He lay her down then climbed into bed with her, pulling her into his arms as he kissed her sweetly. Her heart soared and he pulled back slightly to look at her, his eyes filled with adoration for her. Almost all of her fears faded away. She could see how much she meant to him and he didn’t need to say a word.

  ‘You’re very quiet,’ he said, his eyes clouding with concern.

  ‘So are you.’

  He smiled and she reached up to stroke his face.

  ‘I’m quiet because that was quite possibly the best sex I’ve ever had and I just wasn’t expecting it to be like that,’ he said.

  His honesty completely disarmed her.

  ‘So no regrets?’ she asked.

  ‘No. None. Not for one second. You?’

  She shook her head. ‘I’ve been waiting for this for years and now it’s finally happened it was everything I wanted it to be and more.’

  He smiled and kissed her again then pulled back again to look at her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

  ‘So what happens now?’ she asked, finally finding the courage to ask the question.

  ‘Well, give me half hour and I think I’ll be ready for round two.’

  She laughed. ‘That sounds like a perfect plan.’

  Chapter Seventeen

  Freya sat next to Rome as the plane taxied down the runway ready for take-off. They were sitting at the back of the plane, he was looking out of his window and she was looking out of hers, almost as if they’d had a row. He was holding her hand again, just as he’d done on the way over to Penzance, but he was quiet, retreating back into himself again. The plane powered up and hurtled down the runway and up into the sky. As the passengers in front of them got excited about the flight, Freya tried to concentrate on the excitement of flying and the incredible views but every second that passed was a step closer to beautiful Hope Island, a step closer to returning to their old lives where they would just be friends again.

  They had made love three times the night before, each time sharing this incredible emotional connection, and she’d known that Rome had feelings for her too, feelings that went way beyond friendship or even just desire. But she got the sense that once they were home he would want to draw a line under what happened. What happened in Penzance, would stay in Penzance.

  Although she didn’t want that to happen, she wanted to make it easy for him. He hadn’t wanted a proper relationship, despite being attracted to her, he hadn’t wanted things to change, so she would give him the out he so obviously wanted.

  ‘Things don’t have to change between us.’ Freya leaned over to talk to him so he could hear her over the sound of the engine.

  He turned to s
tare at her. ‘Everything has changed.’

  ‘Only if we let it. You’re my best friend, I don’t want to lose that.’

  ‘I think we lost that the moment I kissed you underneath the fireworks,’ Rome said.

  ‘It was just a kiss.’

  He smirked at her. ‘It was a lot more than a kiss, honey.’

  She smiled. ‘So what are we now then if we’re not friends?’

  He shifted the hand that was holding hers slightly, stroking her palm gently with his thumb. It was such an innocent gesture but the touch sent need spiralling through her stomach. ‘I’m not sure how to categorise what we have now. Friends who have incredible sex, friends with benefits…’ He arched an eyebrow. ‘Lovers.’

  She looked at him in surprise. ‘You make it sound like you want to carry on where we left things last night.’

  He frowned in confusion. ‘Why would I want to stop? Freya, last night was incredible. I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t that. I knew we would have great chemistry, but last night was so much more than that. Yesterday when I left the glass studio, all I was thinking about was coming home as early as we could today so I could carry on with that mural, and now all I want to do is take you home, strip you naked and make love to you until the sun sets. And then tomorrow I want to do exactly the same, and the day after that and the day after that.’

  Her heart soared. He wanted this as much as she did.

  ‘We’re not going to finish that school mural if you want to spend every day making love.’

  ‘No, I know. So I’m going to have to limit myself to early morning and evening sex and maybe a quickie at lunch times.’

  She burst out laughing. ‘I’d be happy with that.’

  He leaned over and stroked her face. ‘Not today though. When we get back, I’m going to take you up to your flat and make love to you there and then tonight you can come round to my house for dinner and then I’m going to make love to you in my bed. One more day won’t hurt. We can get back to work tomorrow.’

  She smiled with relief. ‘Sounds like a great plan, apart from one tiny detail.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘We have dinner tonight with Eden and Bella.’

  Rome groaned. ‘As much as I love them, I really wanted to keep you to myself for just one more day.’

  ‘Well you’ll have to learn to share. They already moved it from last night to tonight just for us. You can have me all to yourself after dinner.’

  ‘OK, but we’re not stopping for dessert.’

  She laughed and he bent his head and kissed her. For the rest of the journey, and even as the plane touched down on the runway in St Mary’s, she didn’t take her lips from his even for a second.

  Rome rolled onto his back and pulled Freya on top of him so she was lying on his chest. She was breathing heavily and he knew he needed a few minutes to catch his breath before he could speak.

  Sex with Freya was incredible. It was not like anything he’d ever experienced before and he had no idea why it was so different. Sex was pretty basic and he’d been with a lot of different women. Sometimes it had been great and sometimes not so much and while he was quite happy to accept responsibility for the times when it had been below average, he knew largely it was about the person he was with and just not being compatible with them. Freya was in a different league. He felt like he was tasting some new amazing food for the first time. For the first time in his life, he felt like he finally realised what sex should be like. He didn’t know why it was so amazing, and he didn’t want to think about what that showed about his relationship with Paige, but he knew he never wanted to go back to plain ordinary sex ever again.

  Freya shifted slightly on top of him, her silky soft skin sliding against his as she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss over his heart. She leaned up to look at him and he cupped her face in his hands.

  He knew this face, every freckle, the tiny scar above her eyebrow, the length of her eyelashes, the gorgeous whisky-caramel colour of her eyes. He knew her so well and that, he realised, was the reason why sex was so fantastic. The intimacy of making love to his best friend, of being with someone he knew inside and out. That’s what it was. There was no other reason. He ignored the voice in his head that said there was obviously one other reason.

  ‘We need to get ready soon to go to dinner,’ Freya said.

  ‘I need to go home and get changed,’ Rome said. After getting off the boat, they had come straight back to Freya’s flat and not left her bed since. The sun had been shining through the open windows, bringing with it the salty tang of the sea air, and it had been a glorious day. He certainly didn’t want it to end now.

  ‘Will we tell the others about us?’ Freya asked, quietly.

  ‘Hell no.’

  Freya looked surprised by his conviction but he also saw the hurt there too as she laid her head back down on his chest.

  Women were such tricky creatures. Did she really want everyone to know about them? She had been there at Eden’s café the other day when Barbara and her friends had been meddling in their affairs, encouraging him to kiss her. It had been embarrassing. Surely she didn’t want that again? It wouldn’t be long until the islanders found out anyway but he didn’t want to come right out and tell everyone.

  ‘Hey, it’s not that I’m embarrassed by us or anything like that,’ Rome tried. ‘Eden will be arranging our wedding before we’ve even finished telling her, Bella will want to know all the details, Dougie will have something inappropriate to say, and as for the rest of the island, you know what the jungle drums are like. This is something special and something private and I just want to keep it that way for a little longer.’

  She looked up at him and smiled. ‘It’s OK, I understand.’

  He rolled her over and pinned her to the bed and she let out a little squeal. ‘Don’t ever doubt that I don’t want this.’

  She grinned at him, looping her arms round his neck. ‘OK.’

  He bent his head and kissed her briefly. ‘I better go. Save me a seat at the table.’

  ‘I will.’

  He rolled out of bed reluctantly and threw on some clothes. ‘And tonight you can stay at mine.’

  She nodded and he ran down the stairs and out of the flat. Tonight couldn’t come soon enough.

  Freya arrived at Rosa’s to find that Bella, Isaac, Eden and Dougie were already there. No sign of Rome yet though she knew he would be there soon.

  Bella and Eden leapt up to hug her when they saw her, then she sat down in the booth.

  ‘How was the parade? I heard we won,’ Eden said.

  ‘News travels fast,’ Freya said.

  ‘Hell yes it does,’ Dougie said, grinning and nudging her. Eden took a swipe at him but that didn’t stop the eyebrow waggling.

  ‘We heard that the winner won a night in the Under the Sea suite at the Bay View Hotel,’ Eden said. ‘And Dougie’s imagination is now running wild.’

  ‘The parade was fantastic, all the towns had worked so hard, but our float was definitely the best,’ Freya said, deliberately avoiding the question about the room. ‘Here, I took some photos.’ She dug out her phone and found the photos and showed them to the rest of the table.

  Dougie took the phone from her and started scrolling through. ‘These floats look great, though I agree the Hope Island float is by far the best. You and Rome outdid yourselves.’

  ‘Cal was responsible for putting it all together, we can’t take all the credit,’ Freya insisted.

  ‘Whoa, what’s all these naked photos of Rome?’ Dougie said and Freya flushed scarlet and snatched the phone back, despite knowing there were no photos of Rome naked in her phone. But she could see that Dougie had found the topless ones she had taken of Rome for the social media promotions.

  ‘These are just the Instagram photos, he’s not naked,’ Freya said, wishing her cheeks hadn’t gone quite so pink.

  ‘So what did happen about that room? I looked it up on the website, it had a
hot tub, a four-poster bed… Are you telling me that you two didn’t utilise the room’s facilities?’ Dougie nudged her again.

  ‘Leave her alone,’ Isaac said.

  ‘Yes, leave her alone,’ Bella said, scowling at Dougie before turning her attention back to Freya. ‘Well, did you?’

  ‘No. Of course not. Cal insisted we take the room but nothing happened. As we were supposed to be sharing the twin room we had booked, we took a room each. Rome had the suite and I took the twin room.’

  They all looked disappointed with that answer and she hated lying to Bella and Eden but she knew, despite Rome’s wishes, that she would probably tell them the truth later. They would be discreet, she knew that, and as she had trusted them with her inappropriate crush on their brother, she knew she needed to tell them the next development in their relationship.

  Thankfully she was saved from any further interrogations by Rome’s arrival.

  He stood at the edge of the table as Eden and Bella hugged him, nodded his hello at Dougie and Isaac and then turned his attention to Freya.

  ‘You’re looking beautiful tonight Freya,’ he said, softly, and her heart did a little jig in her chest.

  She cleared her throat. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I’m just going to wash my hands,’ Rome said and disappeared off towards the toilets.

  Isaac and Dougie were talking about some computer game they were designing and Freya fiddled with her napkin for a moment or two before looking up at Bella and Eden, knowing they were staring at her.

  Eden leaned across the table and Bella joined her. ‘Something did happen, didn’t it?’ Eden whispered.

  Freya glanced at Dougie and Isaac but they were still too busy talking to notice what was going on down their end of the table. She looked back at Bella and Eden. They were her best friends and there was no way she could lie to them any more. She nodded subtly and they both grinned. They both knew now was not the time to ask questions but she knew she would get a proper grilling later.