front door slammed behind her, once again almost falling from its hinges.
“Whoops. My lady is not pleased.” He grinned as he bounced gently on the bed. Then as he thought about the expression on her face as she had rushed out of the door, his grin faded. Enough was enough. He’d had his little joke and it hadn’t worked too well. She was still acting the high and mighty but underneath she was scared, and that wasn’t his scene, to scare young women.
He looked around the bedroom and getting up, walked into the living area studying it analytically in the dim light. Yeah. Who could blame a lovely girl like Lara for being cranky? The place was a dump. He mentally calculated the last time he was here and realized it was over a year ago—a wonderful hot summer, like now, when he had managed to escape from his busy life to come here to his special, lovely place. His island, where he could fish and swim and generally laze around, a world away from his usual frantic work life. And that was all Lara had wanted to do, for whatever reasons she might have, except she had chosen the popular tourist resort of Seagull Island with its up-market holiday homes and expensive souvenir shops.
Jack frowned as he drew his fingers through the dust spelling the word I D I O T. Idiot, that’s what he was. He had acted on an impulse in bringing her here, although Jezebel had quite legitimately broken down, and he couldn’t help that. However, they could have stayed on the boat, even if it was uncomfortable. He had made things worse. He loved this old place—his special island, but how could he expect this classy lady to be at ease?
He had to admit he was physically attracted to Lara with her perfect features and beautiful body. Her demanding attitude had annoyed him at first, but now he found he was enjoying the challenge she presented with her sharp, rapier-like tongue arguing with him at every turn. It was a while since he’d met such a woman. Except, he was here alone and she had decided to give him the cold shoulder completely and sleep on the beach, for Chrisssake.
Still, he could make it up to her and if she insisted on sleeping there, he would make sure she was warm and well fed. That was the least he could do. Tomorrow, he would coax Jezebel into life and take Lara to Seagull Island, which was only thirty minutes away. He would never see her again—no harm done.
He reached for the heavy duty flashlight he always carried in his knapsack and made his way to the rear of the house to start up the generator.
~ * ~
The sunset was the most beautiful Lara had ever seen. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the glorious, changing colors as the sun’s red orb gradually slipped behind the horizon. She rested her chin on her knees as she sat on the soft, warm sand. This is what she craved, the beauty and isolation with no one in the world knowing where she was. Well, except him.
She knew he had been quietly making fun of her since she first insisted he take her on board. She, like a stuck up snob, had fallen hook, line and sinker for every teasing situation he’d set up. She smiled at her own turn of phrase. Very apt considering the tall, dark fisherman.
It had been quite a day. This reminded her that she hadn’t written in her journal today and soon it would be too dark to see. Hastily opening her case, she pulled out her precious diary hugging it closely to her for a few moments. Her secret world lay between these pages, her private thoughts that she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, share with anyone. It had become an obsession to write her innermost thoughts in her journal. She believed it kept her sane in this mad world, particularly when faced with what lay ahead when she returned to her own country.
Unfastening the gold pen from its holder, she turned to the next blank page and began writing in the half-light.
Dear Diary,
You wouldn’t believe where I am. On an island, a beautiful island, but it isn’t what I’d planned. Don’t know what to think of fisherman Jack. I was so dumb to insist he take me to the resort. His boat is called Jezebel and she’s an old junket but I can