Stolen Kiss (The Turners of Copper Island #2)

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Jason

J ason was hunched over his laptop checking and rechecking what he was looking at.

“I don’t believe it,” he muttered scrolling up and down.

“What don’t you believe?” Stan said on the opposite side of the metal kitchen tables, their laptops positioned like they were playing battleships.

“The menu for Remi’s wedding.”

“Yeah, saw that. Great isn’t it. Nothing too fancy.”

“Well, that’s the problem. It’s too simple. How can we showcase a simple wedding?”

“Before you were assuming she was going to want an extravaganza that you wouldn’t be able to cater. Now she’s handed you an elegant, simple menu, you’re not happy. I hope you’re not going to be one of those diva chefs, mate.”

Jason looked at him and then back to his laptop. “I’ll try to keep a lid on it. How is the staffing going?”

“We have the entire eighteen to twenty-five-year-old demographic booked in to interview. Not a lot of jobs on the island so we’ll have the pick of the bunch. Interviews start next week.”

“Have any of them applied for the kitchen positions?”

“Quite a few. None of them have any formal training. So if you can keep a lid on it, hopefully they’ll stay to learn. I heard your roast potatoes are the shit.”

“Christ, word gets round fast,” Jason said, dragging his hand through his hair.

“You better believe it. Everyone’s rooting for you and Heidi too. The entire island loves Heidi Shaw. Who doesn’t love a woman who helps bring babies into the world?”

He wasn’t wrong about people loving Heidi. Jason had strangers coming up to him in the high street shaking his hand, welcoming him back and asking when the wedding would be. He hadn’t got past first base with her and the wedding date was being bandied about like it was already announced. Most had opted for a spring wedding. Including Mrs Shaw.

“Why is everyone planning the wedding? We’re just friends.”

“You swooped her up off that boat and marched her through town then took care of her all night. In Copper Island’s eyes you should be married already.”

“How the hell does everyone know I stayed the night?”

“Nosy neighbours, mate.”

“Great.”

Jason was over the moon that Heidi was receptive to his touch but getting married was way off. He kept his head down and the subject off Heidi as he worked through the requirements for the wedding. Having a simplistic menu was a godsend to practise the first event, especially with all new staff. But the food wouldn’t be all that photographic. He considered making a separate dish and pretending that was what was served.

The day flew by and before he knew it, he exited his cottage at the rear and walking past Archer and Erica’s place.

“Hey, we still on for tomorrow?” Archer called out.

“Yeah, eleven, right?”

“Yep, Luke and Daisy will be here first thing. They’ll come across on the morning helicopter.”

“All right, sounds good. I’ll meet you all here then?”

“Sure. Where are you off to?” Archer asked.

“I’m taking Heidi to the Rum Distillery. It opened six months ago, and I thought I’d sample their stuff, see if I can incorporate it into dishes.”

“Oh what about rum and raisin ice-cream,” Erica said from her seat.

She had her legs draped over Archer’s thighs, reading a script under a giant hat.

“Might be an option. That’s what Remi has asked for in her menu for dessert to go with her Rhubarb crumble.”

“Oh man, she’s got great taste. That sounds mouth-watering, I’m so glad I have an invitation,” Erica said.

Jason narrowed his eyes. He didn’t think he’d know any of the guests so if it was awful he wouldn’t hear anything of it after the guests left.

“That means you’re going too?” Jason asked his brother.

“Yeah, it’s going to be slightly awkward. The owner of the wedding business sitting down at the wedding breakfast.”

“I’m feeling very nervous now.”

“Why?” Erica said, tossing her script on the coffee table.

“It’s one thing to cater for a top movie star for our first event but to have my brother and sister-in-law there is tremendous pressure.”

“You need to calm down, it’s going to be fine,” Archer said. “Go and have a great time with Heidi. Say hi for us and tell her we’re glad she didn’t have any lasting effects from the knock out.”

“Okay, brother, see you both tomorrow.”

Jason walked away and headed to Ralph’s shed to collect the keys for the buggy. He didn’t want to keep using Heidi and Freya’s fuel. Plus he wanted to pick her up like a proper date.

He arrived at her house and parked up the side where her buggy usually parked. He assumed Freya must be out. He rapped on the small moon shaped glass towards the top of the door and waited. The door opened a few moments later and Heidi stood in the doorway looking like heaven.

She’d always had an easy way of dressing, making it look effortless but there was something more together about her. Not just her tight body, straight back or naturally wavy hair. She just seemed perfect.

“Hey,” Jason said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, making sure he caught the edge of her mouth. He slipped his tongue out to swipe at her lip gloss. “Blackberries,” he said.

“Hi, Jason,” she replied giving him a smirk. “Yes, blackberry chapstick.”

She picked up her bag and slung it crossways over her body.

“Hmm, are you sure it’s blackberries?”

“Very,” she answered and backed up when Jason stepped over the threshold.

He closed the door behind him and then stepped back to lean against it, tagging her waist to bring her flush with his body. Wrapping his arms around her back his kissed her on the mouth, swiping and licking at her lips. When she opened, he swiped inside her mouth and groaned. She tasted fruity like she’d been drinking punch. When her arms wrapped around his neck, he spun them so she was against the door and his thigh was between her legs pressing gently against her body.

After a few heated moments, Heidi turned her head to the side. “Jason,” she said on an exhale.

He fucking loved the way she sighed his name. He wanted to hear it in his bed, after he’d made her come.

“What are we doing?” she whispered.

“Going on a date, sweetheart.”

“We broke up, like a lifetime ago.”

“Don’t deny you don’t feel this, you can feel it right?”

Heidi turned her head back and looked at him with glassy eyes. “I’m so confused.”

“Do you want me to stop kissing you, to stop touching you. If you do I will, just tell me.”

Silence stretched between them and he was holding his breath, waiting for her to answer.

“No, don’t stop.”

Thank fuck. Jason grabbed her again and gave her a hard deep kiss and then stepped away, before he was tempted to carry her up the stairs.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” she said, eyes still glazed over.

He stroked his knuckles down her cheek. “Let’s get going. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, no after effects.”

Thank fuck.

“Did you eat? I don’t want you getting drunk on me. Trying to get your way and seducing me.”

“Not on a week day,” she said and winked at him.

He was so shocked, she giggled. It was so carefree. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt carefree let alone heard it. Probably eleven years ago.

She gently pushed him back with her bottom and then opened the door. “How are we getting there?”

“I brought the buggy from the house.”

“The Turner Buggy?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, I am being spoiled.”

“It’s just a buggy, sweetheart. Get in,” he said once he’d slammed her front door.

“This is the special buggy. No one is allowed to ride in it unless they’re being picked up at the quayside.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Cynthia Turner has made it very clear.”

“Well, I’m her favourite so she’ll forgive me.”

Heidi gave him a side glance as if to say Cynthia doesn’t have favourites. Heidi would be half right. She tolerates him the most and he’ll take that as being a favourite.

Jason waited for Heidi to settle and then he drove off to the Rum Distillery. They had tours running in the evening and he’d booked them into the final one of the day at eight.

“I haven’t drunk rum in years. I used to love long island iced teas but the hangover the next day is the worst,” Heidi said.

They’d wandered around the giant cylinders with a shot glass of rum that was replaced in every room with a different blend. By the fourth room, Jason was feeling the effects. He’d slung his arm around Heidi’s waist and she didn’t pull away. There were at least ten others on the tour and he didn’t know a single one of them. They could be locals or they could be tourists. The rum was good, and he picked up a couple of bottles at the exit. The distillery was the first part of the date. The second part and the bit he was most looking forward to was coming up on the horizon. Island life was better at night when you wanted to be alone with a girl. Especially when it was cloudy, and the moon was hiding. They’d spent many evenings cosying up in the flower fields at night before she had to be home and he took a risk bringing her back. The place had sentimental value for both of them. Heidi thought it was just sentimental for her and tonight he would confess.

He’d met her at the beginning of summer and by the end he was in love.

She was his best friend’s older sister and not someone he should be lusting after. Six weeks into their secret relationship, and one starry night, he made love to her in the flower fields. It was the best night of his life. The downside to life on an island, there were no quick one-night stands to lose his virginity. Everyone would know. But he trusted Heidi not to tell. Well, he would’ve trusted her if he’d told her it was his first time too. She’d asked him to be her first, and he was so nervous he’d put it off for weeks.

“Where are we going?” Heidi asked bringing him back to the present.

“I thought we could go for a walk along the hills. It’s fairly private along here, so you might let me kiss you.”

He took her hand and helped her from the buggy. They walked in silence to the other end of the secluded hills and walked through the wild flowers and into the tall grass. He brought both of his hands up and rested them on each side of her neck and then rested his forehead against hers.

“Do you remember this place?” he asked.

“I’ll never forget it, Jason. It was the best night of my life. Everyone remembers their first time.”

“Do you regret it was me?”

“Never, why would you think such a thing?”

“Because of how we ended.”

“Jason, it was so long ago.”

He brushed his lips against hers, licking off the blackberry she had swiped across her lips before they’d left the distillery. In a flash, he crashed his lips against hers and pushed his way into her mouth. She opened for him immediately. When he slid his tongue against hers, he dropped to his knees and took her with him. He landed on his back in the soft ground broke her fall. Never once breaking the kiss.

“Until my dying day, I’ll never forget that night,” he whispered against her neck. “It was perfect.”

“I’m sure you had others before me that was better.”

He shook his head in the crook of her neck, trailing his hand down her side and then over her hip to catch her at the back of her knee. He brought up her jean clad leg, so it hooked over his thigh.

“I didn’t have any practice before you, sweetheart. You were my first too.”

“What?” she said and pulled her head back. “Are you being serious?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know how to tell you. The pressure was too much with how you wanted your first time to be. There was so much faith that I’d give you the best first experience but I didn’t have a fucking clue what I was doing.”

“You did give me the best night of my life, Jason. I couldn’t want for a better first time. I had no idea.”

She grabbed the back of his neck and crashed her lips against his. This time the kiss was incendiary. Tongues and moans as he fell between her opened thighs and pushed against her hips. She met him thrust for thrust through their clothing. He wasn’t going to fuck her in the grass. If she let Jason fuck her, it would be in bed where he could take his time. Instead, he slipped his hand between then and flicked open the button on her baggy jeans and then slid his hand into her panties.

“Oh Jason,” she cried when he pressed his fingers against her and then cupped her over her panties, feeling the heat seep into his hand. She was wet.

“Open your eyes, sweetheart. Look at who is touching you.”

Her eyes snapped open as dipped inside her panties and parted her, seeking entry and pushing inside, feeling her pulse. He slipped out and up, circling and rubbing as her mouth widened until he felt her shudder. When her moans turned to cries, he covered her mouth, plunged his tongue inside and sped up his movements until she called out her release. He pushed his fingers inside her until the pulsations stopped and she dropped her hips back into the ground. When she completely relaxed, he pulled his hand away and did her trousers up. Bringing her in for a cuddle his kissed her temple and told her how perfect she was, holding her tight like he was afraid she’d run away.

He needed to get the courage from somewhere to find out why she dumped him. But not tonight. Tonight he would hold her until she wanted to go home.