Page 84 of A Taste of Paradise

‘So … Holly told me the two of you talked earlier,’ he said then, and Naomi’s stomach lurched a little.

‘Did she?’

‘Yes. She said that she told you she told me it was OK for me to like you,’ he prattled and Naomi saw where Holly got it from.

Now she turned and met his gaze squarely. ‘You don’t need to be uncomfortable about it. I didn’t take it to mean anything,’ she lied, trying to mask her nervousness with a casual laugh.

‘Perhaps you should have.’

She searched his face for any sign of deceit or manipulation, but as with every conversation they’d had, there was none to be found.

‘What are you saying?’

‘I’m saying that my daughter likes you, Naomi, and I do too.’ Will cleared his throat and fidgeted a bit as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, before taking a deep breath and continuing. ‘I’m saying that, when we go back home, I’d really like it if I could see more of you. Holly would too, of course, but I’m not asking for her,’ he clarified.

Naomi was speechless. The questions she’d been wondering had been answered, but how was she to respond? Did she want to see more of them? Yes, she adored the little girl and had come to very much like her dad too, but was she ready for something like this so soon?

‘I’m not asking you to date me or anything,’ Will reassured her, evidently sensing her unease or indecision. ‘I’m just saying I’d really like the opportunity to get to know you better, and for you to get to know me and Holly better too. If you want to, of course.’ Naomi found herself strangely disappointed by this, but tried her best to hide it as she allowed him to continue. ‘I completely appreciate that you’ve recently got out of a long-term relationship, and I know that moving on from that isn’t an easy process, so I don’t want you to feel there is any obligation. I only want to let you know where I stand.’

She was still unable to speak as Will moved towards her, closing the space between them in one stride. Her breath hitched as she looked up at him.

‘So yes, I like you, Naomi. I think that what I know of you is already wonderful and you are definitely someone I’d like in my daughter’s and my life, whether as a friend or, in time, maybe more.’

They each took a breath.

‘I am not a man who minces words, so I apologise if all of this seems too forward or out of place, but tomorrow when we get on a plane there’s always a chance that you’ll go home and patch things up with Greg, and we’ll never see each other again, so I have to speak my mind while I can. I need to let you know that even if you do want to fix things between you and him, there’s … another option.’

He’d already said so much and Naomi wasn’t sure if her tongue knew how to function anymore; it was so tied up by her emotions. Finally, once she’d got her head around everything that had been revealed, she found her voice.

‘One, there is no way I’m going back to Greg except to collect my stuff. Two, you and Holly have become treasured new friends and I’d love to maintain that relationship for the future,’ she added and watched as his expression visibly fell. ‘Lastly, I … like you too, Will. I’m actually not sure if I trust this feeling right now, because it all seems too soon after Greg, but it is there. I want you to know that.’

He nodded silently, now his turn to hear her out.

‘I’d very much like it if we could all see each other more back home, so we both have time to figure out what this feeling is. Anything other than that wouldn’t be right to commit to. For Holly especially.’

‘You see that’s how I know you’re a good person. You care about people, including my daughter. I completely understand and I definitely wouldn’t want you to move in any direction you aren’t ready for. That wasn’t my intent.’

It was a nice feeling to be wanted and something Naomi actually hadn’t felt in quite a long time. The feeling only increased as Will drew nearer and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ‘Happy birthday, Naomi.’

‘Thank you,’ she replied, looking up at his kind eyes, and knowing in her heart that this man could not be more different to the one she’d recently cut from her life. ‘I think it truly was the best one ever.’

And as they both turned back towards the water and Will’s hand found hers, Naomi realised that she’d been right all along about this beautiful place and its power to transform her life.

Chapter 59

‘I need to talk to you,’ Erin raged.

Grant might be her superior, but the hotel manager had lied to her, used her and, worst of all, played her for a fool. And he wasn’t going to get away with that.

‘Erin, wonderful evening. You’re right, everything is perfect. We really couldn’t have asked for—’

‘Couldn’t have asked for what? A better puppet? A better fool to string along?’

‘What do you—’

‘I mean that I know, Grant. I know what you’ve been up to lately. I realise now why you employed me. And it wasn’t to prove myself up to some task. Because the task was already doomed to fail, wasn’t it?’

‘My dear, I have no idea what you—’