She shook her head. ‘Did I love him? No. I didn’t hate him, either. I just accepted. We didn’t have that flame that only burns when you’re with the other person, the thing that makes them more important than anyone and anything in the world. Even though he was careful not to say too much about Renée and the baby, I think she completes him. She is his world.’

Aaron’s heart felt as if it rocketed up and burst like a firework in the sky. He felt liberated. He could ask her out to dinner or for a day away from Nelson’s Bar to enjoy the summer and each other’s company. But his gaze fell to her lips and …

He dipped his head and kissed her. His arms slid around her body as he felt her lips part beneath his. Excitement flooded him, tingling at the base of his spine. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, prickling with desire as her tongue stroked his and her hands grasped his T-shirt. Her hair blew against his cheek like silk as the wind buffeted them and she leaned in close enough that his arousal pulsed against her. Her hands dropped to his buttocks to pull him closer and he ran his fingers up her ribs, remembering in the nick of time before reaching her breasts that they were in a public place and any one of the residents of Nelson’s Bar could be watching.

Slowly, Clancy disengaged, and Aaron came to his senses enough to realise that rain was falling in large drops, landing on the parched earth and dry grass to leave circles the size of coins.

‘It’s raining,’ she said stupidly, holding out a hand as if her bare shoulders and arms weren’t enough to feel the droplets. She glanced up at the sky that was deepening to purple. In the distance, thunder growled.

Aaron grabbed her hand. ‘Let’s go. My place is closest.’ The rain began to fall harder, to pelt exposed skin. Thunder rumbled like Nelson growling in the back of his throat. Clancy laughed as she had to hop when she almost lost a sandal. ‘The weather gods must have decided we need a cold shower.’

He laughed back, uncaring that rain was running down his face and neck, that his T-shirt was beginning to cling to his back. Droplets were running over the uppermost slopes of her breasts above the curve of her neckline, making him feel that the weather gods would have to hurl snow or hail at him to affect his level of desire. In fact, he stopped, caught her to him and kissed her again.

If it hadn’t been for wanting privacy, he could have stayed there kissing her all night.

Chapter Eighteen

They arrived at his cottage as, out to sea, lightning zigzagged across the horizon. Clancy paused at the back door to watch as it illuminated a thousand white caps on waves racing before the squall. Then Aaron unlocked the door and they fell into the kitchen. ‘Whoo,’ Clancy gasped, laughing as she wiped rain from her face, aware of the racing beat of her heart.