Free Hot Basque: A French Summer Novel 2 by Laurette Long

off, saying they were just too full of food and drink to face anything else that day. But Edward was leaving the following morning; he had an early afternoon flight and would go straight to work from the airport.
    ‘Working on a Sunday afternoon, it’s too much,’ Birdie had cried, horrified.
    ‘Captain of industry, Birdie,’ said Margaret. ‘Example to the troops.’
    Edward and Caroline had cleared things away while the others were chatting outside. As soon as his parents left, Edward proposed a walk while Birdie and Margaret had a snooze.
    Caroline tried to hide her disappointment. She’d been in a state of suppressed arousal ever since Edward had arrived and was hoping they could get a private romantic interlude before going over to The Limes.
    But Edward seemed bent on some outdoor exercise.
    ‘There’s a place I want to show you, in the wood,’ he said innocently. ‘The Green Pool, do you know it?’
    ‘Ah, that one,’ said Caroline. ‘How could I ever forget it? That was where someone once told me I was the ugly sister out of the two MacDonald girls.’
    Edward laughed and grabbed her round the waist. One year ago, at the Green Pool, he had made a thoughtless remark, put his foot firmly in his mouth and Caroline had rushed off, mortified.
    ‘You don’t think it’s going to rain?’ said Caroline dubiously, looking up at the sky.
    ‘Not yet. Come on, there’s something I want to show you.’
    But Edward stopped before they got to the pool, next to a stately chestnut tree which dipped its branches almost to the ground.
    They were both silent. He led her underneath the boughs, into a dim bower where the light filtered through the green leaves.
    Caroline looked up at him. This was where she had first set eyes on Edward exactly one year ago. She’d been in a deckchair, under the tree, had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes just as he was walking out of the woods. Seeing her under the tree he had stepped beneath the branches and walked straight into her heart.
    Now he sat down on the grass, leaned against the enormous trunk and pulled her onto his lap. She could feel the hardness of him through the flimsy material of her dress and her heartbeat accelerated.
    ‘You were sitting right here. Sprawled out, snoring, with your mouth open. Your hair was a mess and your feet looked as though they hadn’t seen a bathtub for at least two weeks.’
    She leaned her forehead against his.
    ‘I thought I was dreaming .You looked like a dangerous hunter, someone out of a Greek myth, who was it who always had a bow and arrow? Except you were holding a big bouquet of flowers which sort of ruined the effect.’
    ‘Yeah. I was the unwitting God Interflora and you were the dangerous huntress goddess with the bow and arrow. Invisible arrows. One of them shot straight into my heart. Bam. I’ve never been able to get it out. Wounded for life.’
    He tilted her head and kissed the little hollow at the base of her neck. She drew in her breath. He moved his mouth upwards, nibbling, licking, making her skin break out in gooseflesh. As her breathing quickened, he pulled her closer, moved his lips to her mouth, forcing her lips apart.
    She was flooded with a delirious happiness for everything that had happened, for what was happening now, feeling her body respond to his touch. She arched her back, rubbed herself against him, wanting to pull open his shirt, and press herself against his warm bare flesh.
    A row of tiny silk-covered buttons ran down the bodice of her dress. He moved her back slightly, began to unbutton them one by one, bending his head to kiss the exposed flesh. Then he slid the bodice off her shoulders, leaving her just in her bra. It was low-cut, pale pink satin edged with lace. Her pearly, perfect skin still held the faintest tinge of summer sun. He looked at her, desire filling his eyes.
    ‘Edward,’ she said.
    He slid the straps off her shoulders and she shuddered as he took one breast in his mouth. Her skirt