He settled beside her and they began to eat.
Savannah stared out over the water as she munched on one of the tasty little confections whose name escaped her. It had cheese and shrimp. She wasn’t sure of the other ingredients, but it was good and she was starving.
The sky had started to soften. Wispy pastel tendrils flirted across the horizon as the sun sank lower. She closed her eyes and allowed the breeze to soothe her fried nerves.
She’d expended more emotional energy over the past months than she had in a lifetime. She was tired and wanted to exist free of distress. Just for a little while. She wanted to forget the nights she’d been unable to sleep for crying or the nights she’d lain awake hurting so much that she’d wondered if it would ever stop.
Here she just wanted to be. Here she could at least pretend that the past year hadn’t happened. This could very well have been her honeymoon. A romantic island getaway.
Matt had certainly played the part of the solicitous husband.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he said.
Slowly she dropped her gaze from the vivid splash of blue and turned her head to Matt.
“I was thinking that it’s easy to pretend here.” She replied
His dark eyes deepened until it ran darker than the water rolling onto shore.
“We could pretend,” he acknowledged. “But we don’t have to.”
“So did you get to talk to the investor?” she asked, not wanting to delve into pretend versus real. They were supposed to forget the past. At least for this week. That didn’t leave a whole lot to talk about.
“Yeah I did. He won’t withdraw his funding any more. Just a misunderstanding. I should have it cleared up by tomorrow. I have a joint meeting in the morning with him again. If all goes well, I’ll be finished and we’ll have a few days to do what we want.” Matt said. “I’m sorry I used that as an excuse to make you come with me. I want you to know that there’s still going to be a place for you at my company when we return”
Savannah nodded. How her stay here with him turned out determined if she was going to take the job.
“Thanks. When are we going back to New York?” she asked carefully. Because she knew the whole fantasy would come to a screeching halt once that happened.
“I don’t know yet. I’m not in a hurry,” he said as he studied her. “Right now I prefer to concentrate on the time we have here together.”
She nodded, her acceptance coming a little easier now that she’d had more time to grasp the idea.
He reached over, took her hand and simply held it, their fingers wound tightly. He leaned back and positioned himself up on his elbow at an angle and then pulled her so she could rest against his chest.
They remained that way until the workers came out to light the torches along the beach as dusk deepened and the stars began to pop in the sky.
Soft music floated from down the beach where an outdoor lounge area was located. The notes with the waves made for incomparable music.
She leaned her head back in the crook of his neck and gazed dreamily up at the sky now that the umbrella had been folded down. He turned his face so that his lips brushed across her cheek in a kiss and then he too glanced skyward.
“Make a wish,” she murmured.
“I have my wish. Now make yours.” He said.
She took a deep breath and held it for a long second. Then she closed her eyes and made her wish. Sadness crept in and took hold because she knew that some wishes couldn’t come true.
After a moment, Matt stirred under her and then carefully pushed her upward so he could move from behind her. He got to his feet, dusted sand from his jeans and reached down for her hand.
Thinking he was ready to head back to the house, she let him pull her up. But instead of walking toward the house, he took her closer to the water’s edge.
Moonlight splashed like silver across the surface of the water. The sky was filling rapidly with stars, scattered like fairy dust across the horizon.
How fanciful she was tonight. Wishes and fairy dust. It seemed appropriate for such a magical setting, though. Maybe she’d wake up in the morning and this would have all been a dream.
If that was the case, she was determined to exist in her dream world for as long as possible.
Without a word, Matt took her in his arms and began to move to the distant strains of music. He gathered her close and she tucked her head beneath his chin, leaning into him as they swayed in time with the ocean and the soft melody lilting through the air.
Closer and closer they melted together until they were barely moving at all. She was tucked securely against his body, a perfect fit. He laid his cheek atop her head and turned slowly, his feet guiding their rhythm.
Finally they stopped moving at all and stood locked together as night fell around them. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head.
She tilted back so that she looked into his eyes and she saw need and desire, but she also saw hope.
Her eyelids grew heavy as he slowly, ever so slowly, lowered his head until their mouths were so close but not yet touching. The moment stretched on, their breaths mingling, their gazes never breaking apart.
As the music drifted quietly away, he kissed her.
It was the most romantic, exquisite kiss she’d ever been given. It was a kiss that told her more than words ever could that this man cherished her. He wanted her. He would have her. And she wanted him too.
And when he finally pulled his mouth away, he tugged her into his arms and stood holding her tight as the moon bathed them in pale light.