She thanked Gramps, waving to him from the jetty as the boat drew away. Drew opened the diving centre, carrying their tanks inside and leaving them with the others that needed to be refilled. Caro made for the changing rooms, stopping to ask Drew if he’d undo the zip that ran across the back of her shoulders for her. He’d done that a thousand time
s before for his fellow divers, but it had never seemed so intimate. He decided to wait for her out on the jetty.
She joined him, her face shining. ‘Thank you so much, Drew. That was one of the best things I’ve ever done.’
‘Right up there with robotics?’ If that was the case, it was praise indeed.
‘Definitely. It’s given me some ideas as well.’ She shot him an impish smile.
‘Don’t...’ Drew held his hands up in an expression of surrender. ‘If I find that your tortoise has been banished to a cupboard in favour of a cleaner fish, I’ll feel very guilty.’
‘That’s not going to happen. Tony will always have a place in my heart.’
He should get into his car and go home now. But Caro didn’t move, and he couldn’t leave. Drew reached out, skimming his fingertips across the arm of her jacket.
‘It’s been good to get back to diving. Thanks for giving me a good reason.’
She nodded. Caro had a habit of thinking about every aspect of a given situation, and no doubt she’d thought of that, too.
‘It must have been hard. After everything that’s happened, you must have wondered if it would still be the same.’
‘It’ll never be the same. But this was as good as the best of what I had before. Better, because...’ He shrugged, unable to put his feelings into words.
‘Because you knew you’d come close to losing it?’
No. Better because Caro had been there. Something suddenly fell into place and for a moment it seemed as if the void inside him could be filled.
Trapped in her gaze, he reached for Caro’s hand, bringing it to his lips. She moved closer, stretching towards him as if she were about to kiss his lips. Then suddenly a tear rolled from her eye and she backed away, her hand over her mouth.
‘I’m sorry...’ Drew didn’t know what he’d done wrong.
‘No... It was nice of you. I’m just not that girl...’
She seemed upset. Drew couldn’t let this go. ‘Not that girl?’
‘You know. Pretty girls who say the right thing and don’t speak their minds.’ Caro wrinkled her nose. Perhaps she thought that was speaking her mind a little too plainly.
‘You’re definitely not that girl, then. You’re a beautiful woman who says the things that should be said.’ The words came easily because they were true. And suddenly it seemed that Caro needed to hear them.
She blushed suddenly, shaking her head. She really didn’t know how beautiful she was, and words weren’t enough to convince her. Drew reached for her.
‘Caro, I would like very much to kiss you.’
‘Would you? Really?’ She looked genuinely surprised. ‘I’d like to kiss you too.’
He brushed his lips against hers and felt her melt against him. Then he kissed her again, this time a little more insistently. She gasped, smiling up at him, and he kissed her again.
All thought was gone. All he wanted to do was carry her away and make love to her. And then Caro flung her arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss that was sweeter and wilder than the rest.
She drew back a little, her eyes still warm with desire. Her hair blowing in the breeze. One last thread of sanity tugged at Drew. They had to stop this.
‘This morning... I had the best time. Thank you.’ Caro seemed to know that they had to stop, too.
‘Yeah. Me, too.’ He pressed his lips to her cheek in quite a different kind of kiss. One that allowed the possibility of a parting.
‘I think I need to go now.’
‘You have work to do?’ The thought seemed more bitter to Drew than usual. Caro would always put her work before anything else.