Aidan had never really considered himself to be a romantic man. He knew what to do to tick those boxes for the women he dated but romance wasn’t something he’d ever really considered he needed in his own life. He had seen plenty of sunrises and could appreciate their beauty but, for some reason, standing on the shore of the small beach next to the heartberry field, holding Tori’s hand as the sun rose over the sea, he could suddenly appreciate it in a whole new light. Was it crazy to think he wanted to watch every sunrise with her?

She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her head.

‘What a beautiful sunrise,’ Tori sighed happily.

They had worked throughout the night as Tori had shown no sign of stopping and managed to clear ten rows between them. It was only half past five but already the warmth of the day was surrounding them.

The waves were lapping gently onto the sand, but he knew later, at high tide, it would be a different story, the waves crashing onto the rocks at the back of the beach in great swells.

‘So, you own your own beach?’ Tori said.

‘No, I don’t think this is mine. I mean, there is no way of accessing it unless you walk over my land or climb down the cliff over the rocks or come by boat, so I guess technically it’s mine. But I’ve heard somewhere that all beaches are public property and I’ve seen quite a few people on here in the summer months and it’s never occurred to me that they’re not supposed to be there.’

‘It’s so peaceful here. I feel like we’re standing on the edge of the earth.’

‘Well, there is nothing out there between us and Canada. The Scillies are over there towards the left but if we could travel west in a straight line from here, we wouldn’t reach land again until we hit Newfoundland. We get the full force of any storms that come across the Atlantic, the rest of Sandcastle Bay and Sunshine Beach is a little more protected by the headland over there, but the storms gather force across the Atlantic and hit here on Orchard Cove. Sometimes the heartberry field floods in the autumn and winter months because of the storms but not normally this time of the year, apart from the tidal flood at the end of June.’

‘But there’s that big storm coming now, I heard more about it on the news,’ Tori said. ‘There was that hurricane that was supposed to hit Florida, Hurricane Imogen, but it veered off at the last moment and they think it will travel across the Atlantic. They think it will hit here with eighty mile an hour winds somewhere near the weekend.’

‘I know. It figures that almost two years after Imogen, my ex-fiancée, wreaks havoc over my life, Hurricane Imogen is back to finish the job.’

‘Are you worried? I know you said that the weather never normally causes floods at this time of year but hurricanes are unpredictable. We have so many heartberries to pick, we’d never clear the field before the weekend.’

‘It could be a problem. With the supermoon we had last night, we’ll have really high tides, so with the storm, it wouldn’t take a lot to send the sea over into the field. But the storm could change course again, head south towards Europe, or north towards Ireland and Scotland, or blow itself out completely before it gets here. There’s no point worrying yet. We won’t know what damage it will do until it hits, if it even gets that far.’

She looked up at him and smiled. ‘You’re not really a worrier, are you? You seem so calm and laid-back about most things.’

He shrugged. ‘Worrying isn’t going to change what will happen. I can only do what I can do and stressing over possible outcomes in any situation won’t help anything.’

‘That’s a great quality to have. I worry about everything; what I’ve said, what I should say and do. What other people’s reactions will be to something I’ve said and done, whether I should do something, whether I shouldn’t.’

‘How does that work out for you?’

She laughed. ‘It doesn’t.’

He smiled. ‘Maybe you should try my way for a while. Whatever will be, will be.’

‘Maybe I should.’

He laughed because he knew it wasn’t that easy. ‘Look, I’ll take care of the worries for the farm, you don’t need to worry about that for me.’

‘OK.’

‘And you never need to worry about what you’ve said and done around me, just be yourself.’

She nodded.

‘And the rest…’ he gestured to the two of them. ‘We’ll work it out together.’

‘Que sera, sera.’

‘Exactly.’

She nodded and leaned back into him.

He looked back out over the sea and wished he was really that laid-back about them. He wanted her to enjoy what they had and not worry about where it was going, but in truth he wasn’t relaxed about the two of them at all. He felt like something important was happening here and he didn’t want to lose that.

---

As Tori walked back down the drive with Aidan, she felt energised, full of life, more so than she had in a long time. Aidan had suggested they stopped berry-picking at four, but she had felt so awake, adrenaline coursing through her as if she’d just ridden on a rollercoaster, that she insisted they carried on for a bit longer, knowing that it would help Aidan if he had more of the full moon harvest to sell.

She looked up at him as he held her hand. Being with him made her feel alive.

They reached the front doorstep of Blossom Cottage and she suddenly wondered if he was expecting her to invite him in and whether in fact she should. She wanted to continue kissing him, she knew that much. But it was too soon to take it any further than that. Wasn’t it?

He leaned down and kissed just between her eyes.

‘Stop worrying,’ he said.

‘I’m not,’ Tori lied.

‘You get a little crease here when you’re worried.’ He ran his thumb across where he’d just kissed her. ‘What are you worried about?’

She smiled at how well he knew her already. But there was no point worrying, she had to remember that.

‘Nothing, it’s OK.’

He hovered, and she wondered if he wanted to kiss her. She didn’t say anything, just waited to see if he would make a move. But he didn’t do or say anything either.

She decided to tease him.

‘Would you like to come in and tuck me up?’

He grinned. ‘Is that a euphemism?’

She laughed.

He paused. ‘I’m not expecting you to sleep with me. It’ll happen when you’re ready and I’m happy to wait. And if it doesn’t happen, then that’s fine too.’

She smiled. God, she really bloody liked this man. Luc had pushed and pushed her into going out with him and then it had moved to sex probably a little too quickly for her liking. Aidan was incredibly laid-back and she liked that about him.

‘I’m glad to hear that but I was just teasing; you seemed to be hovering.’

‘Oh.’ He pushed his hand through his hair. ‘It’s silly but I don’t want this night to end. It’s been wonderful.’

‘It really has.’ She smiled and stepped up onto the doorstep, so she could kiss him. He moved his hands to her waist and kissed her back. Every time they kissed it was so sexy, so lazy and slow, his tongue sliding against hers in gentle sure movements. He was so confident, and she loved that about him.

He pulled back slightly and kissed her on the forehead. ‘I think this might be my best summer ever, Tori Graham.’

She stroked his face. ‘I think it might be mine too.’

‘I’m talking about the berries, we’ve got a good crop.’

She felt her heart fall in disappointment before she saw the twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

‘I was talking about being here in Sandcastle Bay, it’s such a pretty village. I definitely wasn’t talking about us.’

He grinned. ‘Why don’t I pick you up for the memorial later, say eleven? We could go for a drive along the coast first, there’s some lovely viewpoints.’

She nodded. ‘That would be great.’

He kissed her briefly. ‘Sweet dreams, Tori Graham.’

‘Oh, I’m sure they will be.’

He smiled and walked away.

She headed into the cottage and closed the door, noting that there was no sign of Beast this time and she wondered idly where he was. She put some food down for him outside the back door, noticing that the bowl she’d put out for him the night before had actually been taken. Maybe Beast had dragged it into the shed. She’d look for it later.

She walked back inside and upstairs to her bed. She was tired now and starting to ache a little. She pulled off her top and her shorts and flopped face down on the bed. The sun was pouring through the skylight and she couldn’t be bothered to move to close the blinds.

She closed her eyes and felt herself falling asleep with a huge smile on her face.

---

Aidan knocked on the door of Blossom Cottage later and then turned and looked out over the valleys and hills that made up Heartberry Farm. The sun was shining again, making the fields look like meadows of emerald and gold. The sky was a wonderful gas-flame blue today. It was a great day to remember a friend.

He turned back to the door, which was still closed. He peered through the window next to it but there was no sign of life inside. He knocked again and waited a few minutes but there was still no response.

He turned the handle and it opened. So, she hadn’t locked it earlier that morning, which made him frown, although he couldn’t remember the last time he had locked the door on his own house. He stepped inside.

‘Tori?’ he called.

There was no answer. Maybe she had gone out.

He wondered what to do for a moment, whether to wait for her or go on to the memorial celebration without her, although they still had plenty of time before it started. He’d planned to take her on a coastal drive first, so she could see more of the village and the local area.

He decided to just check upstairs in case she was in the shower, although of course he wouldn’t go in there, but he could at least hear if the shower was running from the bedroom.

Aidan climbed the stairs and smiled when he saw her face down on the bed, fast asleep. She’d pulled a sheet over herself at some point, so it was half covering her back and legs, but she was wearing very little else. The morning light caught her hair like fire, her skin was a wonderful pale cream, her long lashes dusting her slightly freckly cheeks. She looked glorious.

He wanted to crawl under the sheet with her and hold her as he slept beside her.

Aidan grinned when his eyes fell on the ridiculous tattoo. He wouldn’t tell her but several people in the village already knew about her tattoo, they’d spoken to him about it that morning. That had to be Agatha’s doing; she wasn’t going to leave this alone.

He sat down next to her on the bed and stroked his hand through her hair.

She stirred slightly, a smile spreading on her face, although her eyes didn’t open. He stroked her again, his hand lingering on her back, relishing the feel of her skin.

She stretched and her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. ‘What a wonderful way to be woken up,’ she said, sleepily.

He kicked his shoes off and lay down on the bed next to her. She didn’t hesitate, immediately cuddling up to him and laying her head on his chest with her arm around his stomach.

How had they arrived here so quickly? A few days ago, they had sat outside Blossom Cottage on Tori’s first day where they both had said they weren’t looking for a relationship, and that nothing was going to happen between them, and now they were cuddling in bed as if they’d been together for years. And he couldn’t be happier about it.

He would have thought he would be having doubts. This was the first woman he’d been involved with since Imogen had left him at the altar. He had guarded his heart so fiercely, not getting involved with anyone for fear of getting hurt again, and here he was snuggling up to this wonderful woman. And this couldn’t possibly have a happy ending. She was leaving in less than two weeks. There was no way she would stay in Sandcastle Bay, she had lived in London her whole life, what could this tiny village offer her in comparison to London? In reality, he should end things now before they got any closer. He knew that if he let things continue, he could easily fall in love with her. But he couldn’t walk away from her either. He was enjoying himself way too much spending time with her to put an end to it now. He would just have to make sure he didn’t involve his heart in this. This was a fling, nothing more, and he was damned well going to enjoy it now before it ended.

He looked down at her, her eyes still closed, a smile on her face, and he stroked a finger down her cheek. Whatever happened, he needed to make sure that Tori wasn’t hurt through this thing between them.

Her breathing was slightly heavy, little warm puffs of air tickling his neck, and he realised she was still half asleep.

‘Are you enjoying your time here in Sandcastle Bay?’ he asked, softly.

‘I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy,’ she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.

He smiled at this. He shouldn’t feel so protective of her. She was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. They both knew this was a short-term thing and if it made them both happy, then there was nothing to worry about.

She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw him.

‘I brought you something,’ he said, proffering the lilac paper lily.

Her smile grew and then she leaned up and kissed him. There was something so wonderful about kissing her, it filled him with this glorious feeling of excitement. He felt a connection to her he’d never felt with anyone before. Something pulled him to her. But it wasn’t love, it was lust, that’s all it was. He needed to keep telling himself that.

Tori pulled back a little. ‘What time is it, are we late?’

‘We have time.’

She grinned. ‘Time to continue doing this?’

‘Absolutely.’ He bent his head and kissed her again, he didn’t know if he could ever stop.

Eventually, Tori pulled back again. ‘I need to get a shower before we go out, want to join me?’

He laughed. ‘Have you seen the size of that shower? I wouldn’t fit in there by myself, let alone with you. Besides, lying here in bed kissing you is hard enough without taking it any further. I don’t think us both being wet and naked together is going to help my restraint.’

‘Fair point.’

She slipped from the bed and walked into the bathroom, wearing only her knickers and bra, and he quickly averted his eyes. Although it didn’t seem she was shy, and he’d already seen her half naked the night before when the bat had attacked her, it didn’t seem right to ogle her in that way. He smiled. At least not until they’d slept together.

The shower started running and suddenly her bra came flying out of the bathroom and landed on the bed, followed by her knickers.

He laughed, and she peered round the door, only her face and her bare shoulder showing. She smiled mischievously and then ducked back inside the bathroom.

Maybe they would be together a lot sooner than he thought.