“It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you,” he said, letting the rest of his words hang in the air unspoken.

“I understand,” she said, fixing her eyes on the ground.

Isaac touched her chin, tilting her head so that she was looking at him. He gently traced her jawline with his fingers and her breath hitched. He brushed her lips with the pad of his index finger and then closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Her skin tingled from his touch. Her desire for him was almost painful. He bent his head to hers so that their foreheads were pressed together, sliding one arm around her waist and pulling her body against his. With his free hand he twisted her hair and gently pulled her head back so that her throat was exposed. She gasped as the cold air hit her skin and then again as Isaac’s warm mouth found the sensitive skin on her neck. She pressed herself to him.

A call rang out.

“Nory! Where are you?”

It was Ameerah’s voice, some way off in the deep black night.

The spell was broken. Isaac released her.

“You’d better go,” he said, his voice husky.

Ameerah’s figure came into view, appearing out of the shadows like a specter.

“There you are!” she said. “Where have you been?”

“I was just . . .” Nory turned, but Isaac was already gone.

“Come on,” urged Ameerah, linking arms.

Nory looked ahead to the bobbing phone torches of her friends, and she and Ameerah hurried after them. She’d be glad to get back into her warm bed, but she couldn’t help wishing it was Isaac’s warm bed she’d be climbing into.

She was going to have to speak to Thomas, and she needed to do it soon.

Seventeen

You’ve got flower girls?” asked Camille.

Sitting in the morning room after breakfast, everyone was tired after last night’s outdoor sport. Jenna had some final wedding arrangements to make with Pippa today, and so there wouldn’t be any scheduled activities. Nory and Ameerah were planning to take advantage of their free time to go down and visit her family.

“Yes,” Jenna replied. She had an overfilled A4 ring binder open on her lap, each page laminated and pertaining to some element of the wedding. “Four flower girls, two page boys, and two bridesmaids. I know it seems excessive, but you know what it’s like, you can’t have one without the other, and besides, Harry and Meghan had ten!”

“So, there will be children at the wedding.” Camille’s brow was furrowed. “When I asked you at the shoot, you didn’t answer me.”

“Didn’t I? Sorry, I’m terrible for getting distracted at the moment. Bride brain!”

“But there will be. Children at the wedding, I mean,” Camille pressed.