Billionaire on Her Doorstep (22 page)

“When they reached the bottom and Maggie was standing on the edge of the tiny beach, which would have been five meters at its deepest and perhaps fifteen meters wide, she felt… fabulous.

She felt even better than she had imagined it would make her feel. Though she had a feeling that feeling had a little to do with the man there with her, holding her hand.

“You first,” he said.

“Together,”she insisted. “On three. One, two - “

But, as well as having no skills with a chainsaw. Smiley also couldn’t count. He scooted past them with all the dexterity of a mountain goat and lolloped along the virgin sands, leaving a jagged row of doggy footprints.

They both laughed. “So much for the grand reopening of your beach,” Tom said.

“Story of my life,” she said. “Never expect anything to go according to plan.”

“Mmm,” Tom said, turning her and drawing her back into his arms and lifting her and carrying her onto the beach. “I’m beginning to see that about you. Even so, I think you really should plan to stay,” Tom said, his voice deep and low and insistent and concerned and sexy as hell. “For ever.”

“For ever,” Maggie repeated, and for the first time in her whole life she could see for ever stretching before her, years and years of eating The Sorrento Sea Captain’s beer-battered fish, and walking these sands, and holding this hand. And it made her smile, a big toothy grin that made her cheeks hurt.

“Only if you do too,” she said.

And, as he lowered his smiling mouth to hers, Tom promised, “Count on it.”