Stolen Kiss (The Turners of Copper Island #2)

Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Heidi

S pending the day with a mega star wasn’t what she expected. When Erica Taylor turned up on her doorstep, she expected darling you have to try this , then have a small dollop of five hundred pound cream dabbed on her forehead.

Instead she got a shy, friendly and talkative down-to-earth woman who shared her thoughts willingly. By the end of the day, Heidi desperately wanted her as a friend and prayed Freya liked her as much as she did.

They primped and primed their skin, eaten scones and jam and watched quiz shows for most of the afternoon. Erica chose to have a bath while Heidi used the downstairs shower room.

Heidi’s eyes widened when Erica pulled out her outfit for the evening earlier that afternoon. She really was going to spend the day with her. Erica asked if she wanted to talk about the previous night but Heidi was adamant she wanted to talk to Jason first.

At half six, they piled into her buggy with their bags in the back. Erica had talked her into packing an overnight bag, just in case. That way Heidi could stay if it felt right and then head to work in the morning rather than getting up earlier to come home to change. Heidi didn’t want to tempt fate but was overruled. They bounced along the path up to Turner Hall and then turned right past Edward Hall and then onto the cottages.

There was only a path that led to all the front doors so she had to leave the buggy at the entrance by Archer and Erica’s cottage.

“Bring your bag,” Erica said hoisting out hers.

“I think I’ll leave it here, I don’t want to be presumptuous.”

“Okay,” Erica said with a soft smile.

Heidi carried the now empty basket. Erica had insisted she kept everything she’d brought and there was no arguing. The luxuriousness of the potions and creams were everything Heidi couldn’t afford on her nursing salary.

Following behind, nervous as hell, Heidi dragged her feet until they reached the front door. Erica unlocked it, stepped inside and called out to Archer.

“Out the back,” came the reply.

Erica dumped her bag and took the basket from Heidi.

For a moment Heidi was terrified that she had nothing to carry, feeling like she had no purpose being there, but then she looked around. The cottage was stunning in creams and browns. The warm welcome encouraged her to step further into the house.

“You have a beautiful home, Erica.”

“I can’t take a lot of credit, but I made a couple of changes here and there.”

Heidi rubbernecked her way past the dining room, living room and then stopped dead in the kitchen. Jason was leaning against the counter, his hip to the edge with his hands in his pockets. Archer was on the threshold to the outside area that was illuminated in soft oranges and yellows. It was dark, and they had lanterns lit along the wall and hanging from the canopy.

Her eyes snapped back to Jason.

“I’ll leave you two alone for a moment,” Erica said and walked straight into Archer’s open arms. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and with an arm around the shoulder led her outside to the seating area and closed the door.

“Hey,” Heidi said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Hi” he replied, his eyes creasing as he smiled.

There was a long silence between them as she stared at his handsome face with a red mark on his cheek. She zeroed in on it and stepped forward until she was right in front of him. Always the nurse.

“Are you in pain?”

Heidi reached up and gently touched his cheek, running her fingers along his jaw.

“The only pain I’m feeling is not knowing if we’re okay enough to talk through what happened. I’m not expecting you to forgive my aunt but I’d like to spend time trying to explain.

“Jason,” she said.

“Please say you’ll talk to me or let me talk?”

“Jason,” she said again, transfixed watching her fingers move along the bruise on his jaw.

“Heidi.”

“I still don’t know what happened last night. I asked Erica not to tell me so you could. I’m only interested in your version.”

He pulled her tight against his body, burying his face in her neck. “Thank God,” he said, his lips grazing her skin. “I thought for sure, you’d want nothing more to do with me.”

“Can we talk after dinner?”

“Of course, food is ready. We can eat, enjoy each other’s company and then we can talk back at my place.”

“Okay,” she said nodding into his chest.

His arms tightened again as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

“Is it too much to ask for a kiss?”

She didn’t answer and reached up on tiptoes to tentatively wait for his kiss. She didn’t want to hurt his mouth. Jason had other ideas and if his kiss hurt him, he didn’t let on. One hand went to the base of her back and the other threaded through her hair while he kissed her slow and easy. She dropped back down on flat feet and pressed her lips together.

“Let’s eat,” he said threading his fingers through hers.

Jason had prepared lamb tagine in authentic pots. Chunky bread, good wine and relaxed chatter. It was a contrast to how Heidi was feeling deep down. In the depths of her core, she was terrified that this was the final meal they’d have together. She’d fallen a little bit in love with Erica and wanted to spend more time with her. She was strong and soft, kind and determined. And everything she wanted to be herself. Plus she had a Hemsworth on speed dial. Heidi thought Freya would lose her shit when she heard that piece of information.

When a lull came over them, Jason cleared his throat and stood up. He looked to his brother and said, “do you need help to clear up?”

“No, you two go, we’ll clear the remaining dishes.”

Jason held his hand out to Heidi. She had a flutter of apprehension of how the conversation would go. Slipping her hand into his, she stood too.

“Thank you for the company, I had a really great time getting to know you both.”

“They’ll be plenty more, Heidi, don’t be a stranger,” Archer said.

He took her by surprise and got up to hug her, he gave her a quick squeeze and she couldn’t help think that was his vote of approval. Until she thought it, Heidi didn’t realise she needed it. Erica was next and came and give her a hug that was more of a cuddle.

“Don’t forget your bag,” she whispered in her ear.

They broke apart and Jason led her away in the darkness to the cottage next door. It took a few minutes to walk along the path until he was letting them into his home. He didn’t turn on any lights as he navigated his way through the kitchen and into the living room. He flicked on a lamp and the room glowed a warm orange. This room was exactly like Archer and Erica’s living room but with different coloured furniture. Blues and greys with slate around the fireplace. She could see herself lying on the sofa with a book and a fire burning.

“I really want to take you to bed, Heidi, but we need to talk.”

Her heart leapt at his voice, talking her out of her daydream, she turned away from a potential future change and a note to buy a slate grey blanket for the sofa and looked at Jason.

“Where do you want to talk?”

He gave her a smirk. “In bed, but we’re not going to do that. Do you want some coffee?”

She shook her head. She wanted to get this over with.

He circled the sofa and waited for her to join him. When she got to his side, he pulled her down to the wide cushions, moved her to her side and hemmed her in on his side so they were front to front with her back pressed against the back of the sofa.

“I need to hold you for this conversation. I need to have the contact in case it’s the last time I get to hold you. You may not want to have anything to do with me after this talk so I want the memory of your body against mine imprinted on my brain forever.”

Heidi’s mouth was inches away from his. She closed the gap and kissed him briefly. “Tell me what happened?” she asked with a whisper.

Jason smiled and his eyes seemed to turn to liquid. Turning on his back, he positioned her to drape over him until one arm wrapped around her shoulder, the other hand lifted her leg at her thigh and rested there. Heidi had never been so comfortable on a sofa and she decided that there was no need for a blanket if she was cuddled to Jason. She tucked one arm to her chest and rested her other hand on his chest. She felt his heart hammering against her hand and tilted her head up.

“Are you okay?”

“One of the things Keith said last night was that I wasn’t good enough for you. He’s right but I want the chance to prove I might be in the future.”

“Jason, why would he say that, why would you think that?”

“My family has traditions. I thought I knew them all, but it seems there is one vital tradition I never knew about. There may be others, only time will tell.”

Jason took a deep breath and then tucked her head under his chin, holding her tighter.

“My aunt is from another world and when she found out you and I were a couple, she instigated her plan earlier than she wanted to. All four of us were to have arranged marriages to keep the Turner line.”

“What about Archer?”

“She didn’t need to worry about him, he hadn’t fallen in love.”

Heidi gasped, “Jason.”

“You’re gonna need to let me get all this out, sweetheart.”

Heidi remained quiet and relaxed against his body.

“I need to find out from Keith how it went down but as far as my conversations went with my aunt she approached him and told him I was engaged to be married.”

Heidi sat up and scrambled to the end of the sofa. She was breathing deeply, her hand on her chest as she stared at Jason, feeling betrayed and dirty. She would not and never would be involved with a man who was promised to another.

“But it wasn’t true,” Jason said holding up a hand, fingers pointed her way, relaxed like he was reaching out to assure her.

She was far from assured. There was a woman out there that thought she would be marrying Jason Turner.

“Who was she?” Heidi asked.

“I don’t know. I never knew my life had been planned this way. My father’s choice for a wife was his choice, and he wasn’t coerced into marrying Imelda Boyle.”

“How did he get away with that?”

“I don’t know and now my dad’s dead, I’ll never know.”

“You could ask your mum?”

“I have no plans to talk to her, not now, not ever.”

Jason’s reply was so sharp, so sure, she didn’t push it.

“Can you come back here, I can’t explain this unless I’m touching you.”

Heidi crawled along the sofa. When she was in touching distance, Jason grabbed her waist and sat her on his lap, then leaned back against the sofa. Heidi pulled up her knees and went with him, tucking her head under his chin.

“I can’t begin to explain why my aunt is the way she is. My heart is breaking for all the wasted time.”

Heidi nodded, feeling the same way. She knew of Jason Turner her whole life. Everyone knew about the Turners, knew what they looked like. The whole family spent most of their time up at the estate. She’d sit with Freya plotting how to sneak up onto the cliff and take a look around the grounds. They never managed it. Her brother had been friends with Jason but they never met at the house. She didn’t really know where they met, but it was never around her.

When he gave her a second glance that summer, she thought she was the luckiest woman on Copper Island. He was on a competing boat in a gig race and her boat had beaten his. The rowers as tradition would have it got drunk that Saturday night to mark the beginning of the summer. School was finished, she’d graduated from midwife school and wanted to spend the summer like a teenager with no responsibilities. She knew when September came the real work would begin. He’d fallen against her at the bar and that was it. Eyes locked, his arm around her back to stop her toppling over. She never seen him at The Anchor in all the years she’d been gig racing. He pulled her tight against him and whispered in her ear.

“I shouldn’t, Keith would kill me, but I’d really like to kiss you.”

That was it for her. She was smitten. Jason didn’t want her brother to know, and neither did she, so they spent their summer hidden away, getting to know each other, every inch of each other. They’d disappear into the sand dunes and come out hours later, hurrying away to their homes keeping their secret.

“Somehow my aunt found out about us. I thought we were so careful. Your brother never knew until she told him. Keith’s face last night when he spat out the words. It was like I’d betrayed him.”

“Keith barely tolerated me after he gave me the message you didn’t want to see me anymore. Our relationship fell apart, and he was in a permanent bad mood. The only time he was ever happy was on his surf board.”

“I’ve missed my friend,” Jason said. “I hope one day he’ll forgive me for falling in love with his sister.”

“Jason,” Heidi said, blowing out a long breath to stop the emotion seeping from her eyes.

“I never told you I loved you back then, but I did, so very much,” he said cuddling her closer. “I’m so very sorry my aunt caused us to split up.”

“It sounds like Keith was played too.”

Heidi couldn’t say the words back. She loved him back then, and she loved him now but she couldn’t say the words. Heidi curled into him and sniffed.

“No tears, sweetheart.” He said lifting her chin.

Her heart ached, like it was being strangled inside her chest. She met his gaze, and the tears dripped down her cheeks. The sob was stuck in her throat as she watched him look back at her, hurt etched in his features.

“Will you let me love you again?” he whispered.

“Jason,” she said and then the sob came.

He stood with her in his arms and walked them up the stairs pressing kisses over her cheeks as he took her to his bedroom. He carefully placed her on the bed like she was precious. Then he stood back, stripping out of his clothes before her.

She felt like he was baring more than just his skin and this was decision time. The moonlight lit the room. Heidi took her time taking in his broad chest and trim waist. Then his erection and his firm thighs.

There was no doubt she wanted him, loved him but could she cope with his aunt in her life.

“Heidi, I’m dying a thousand deaths here,” he whispered, taking a step forward.

Heidi opened three of her buttons of her blouse and then pulled it over her head. She stood and reached behind her and unclasped her bra. Jason took another step forward, and she lifted up her hand and shook her head. He stayed where he was and she continued to undress until she was naked too.

“Christ,” he said it like a prayer, gazing down her body.

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her naked, but she felt like it was the first time he was looking at her.

“Come here,” she said.

“Not until you answer me.”

Heidi had to think of the question he asked and then widened her eyes. “Yes. Yes, I’ll let you love me again.”

“Still,” he replied. “I never stopped.”

“Jason,” she said and then he was at her front, and then covering her on the bed with his mouth on her neck.

It wasn’t long before he was sliding inside her and she sighed, lifting her legs to wrap around him. This was another type of sex, slow, taking their relationship to a more intimate level. She cried when she came around him. Jason kept moving while she sobbed taking his time until he came, buried deep inside her.

“This is it now, this is us, no matter what,” he said, still covering her body. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, I understand. I don’t believe it but I understand you think we’ll be okay.”

“I will spend every moment I can, making you believe it, sweetheart.”

And then he moved inside her again, sliding in and out driving her higher. This time was quick, hard and a different kind of rush.

Later when they were lying in the moonlight, Heidi turned on her side. He’d proclaimed his love for her, declared that they were it forever. But she didn’t know if she was staying or needed to go home to her own bed.

“What’s wrong?” he said sleepily.

“How did you know something is wrong?”

“You stiffened and took a long breath in. You used to do that before when you wanted to ask an awkward question.”

“What are we doing?”

“I thought I’d covered that.”

“No, I mean tonight, what are we doing? Am I staying or do you want me to go home.”

“I’d like you to move in,” he replied.

“Jason,” she said on a gasp.

He turned on his side and faced her.

“I know I’m jumping ahead, but I mean it. I’d want nothing more than to come home and see you in the living room relaxing. Or for me to pick you up in the buggy from work and bring you home. But tonight? I want you to stay. I’ll take you back to your home early tomorrow morning so you can get ready for work if you will stay.”

“Um,” she said, embarrassed that she was presumptuous about staying. Even though she now knew she was staying.

He laughed and cupped her cheek. “What’s got you nervous, sweetheart. Do you want me to take you back now?”

“I brought a bag,” she blurted. “Erica said to, just in case.”

“Remind me to make Erica her favourite cake when I see her next. Where is it?”

“In the buggy.”

“I’ll be right back.”

He flung the covers back and got out of bed, swiping up his jeans as he walked out of the room. She sighed at the sight of his strong body that had rocked her world leave. Falling back into the pillows she came back up when he walked through the door less than a minute later.

“Wow, you’re quick,” Heidi said.

“It was just inside the back door. Looks like Archer and Erica have a lot of faith in us.”

She knew what he wasn’t saying. That she should have faith too. Until she talked to her brother, she wouldn’t be able to fully relax into her future with Jason Turner and his overbearing aunt.

Freya was the only person who knew she had a summer fling with Jason. No one else, she thought, had any idea. But now that she found out her brother and Jason’s aunt knew, did everyone know? Hoping the answer to that question was no, she settled back into Jason’s bed and cuddled close.

“Would you make me my favourite cake?”

“Any time you want. What is it?”

“I don’t know. I’ll let you know.”

Jason laughed and kissed her forehead.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Again she knew there were two meanings to what he was saying, but he’d given her two orgasms and she was fighting to stay awake.