Chapter 78

As they entered the restaurant, there was something of a heated debate taking place, with two of the staff arguing with Alex.

“No way, Alex! Why would somebody like that come here? You’re nuts!”

“Uh, Alex? Sorry to interrupt.” Sara said, and the argument stopped immediately as the three locals stared at Sara and Jon.

“No problem, Sara. What’s up?”

“We were going to take a walk up the cliffs, and I wondered if Jon could leave his bag here?”

“Sure. I can put it behind the bar - it’ll be safe there. Do you want to leave yours, too?”

Jon hadn’t even noticed that Sara had a small bag strapped around her waist.

“No - my camera’s in there, and I’ll probably want that. How far does that path go along the cliffs?”

“Oh, it goes for miles - it’s part of a coastal path that goes all the way around Cornwall, but you can just go across the cliffs until you come to a concrete walkway and there’s some stairs down to the beach. Go down those stairs and turn left, and you can walk all the way back along the beach to here. Probably take you about an hour at the very least. Depends how much of a hurry you’re in.”

“I’m in no hurry.” Sara said, looking at Jon. “How about you?”

“I’m all yours, babe. I don’t fly back until Thursday, so a walk sounds great. I need to loosen off a bit anyhow.”

“Okay - let’s go, then. Thanks, Alex.”

As Sara and Jon left, they heard the voices inside again, but this time they didn’t seem to be arguing with Alex.

“I think they recognised you.” Sara told Jon, who merely shrugged.

“I’m used to it, Sara. I think young Alex there has a crush on you.”

“Oh, please! I only met him yesterday!”

Jon reached over and took Sara’s hand, interlacing their fingers as they walked, and Sara moved to walk closer to him, their shoulders almost touching as they headed toward a set of partially eroded stone steps. The steps were narrow, and they had to go up in single file, Jon letting Sara walk in front of him. At the top, they came onto a sandy track, just wide enough for them to walk hand in hand again, though fronds of stiff, sharp grass whipped across their jeans, one piece opening a shallow cut on the back of Jon’s hand.

A little way along the path, they found a wooden bench, which had an engraved brass plate which said it had been placed there in memory of somebody-or-other. Slightly breathless from the deceptively steep climb, they sat down to rest, gazing out over the cliff edge to the ocean.

“It’s so beautiful here.” Sara whispered, not wanting to disturb the silence too much.

She had an impulse to lay her head on Jon’s shoulder, and she resisted the urge for a few seconds, then gave in, letting her head rest against him. Jon disentangled his fingers from hers, placing his right arm around her shoulders and taking hold of her hand with his left, still staring out to sea. For a change, he had the sense to keep his mouth firmly shut, just enjoying the closeness he thought he’d lost forever through his stupidity. After a few minutes, Sara squeezed her fingers against his, raising her head to look up at Jon with a slight smile.

“What is it, baby?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking maybe I should’ve given you a harder time about what you said, but I was just so pleased to see you. Kinda crazy, really, considering I cried myself to sleep that night. And I do tears even less than I do emotion!”

“Have I said how sorry I am?” Jon asked with a tender smile, and Sara wrinkled her nose.

“Not in the last ten minutes you haven’t. You could always show me how sorry you are.”

“I’ll prove it to you when we get to your hotel.” Jon promised. “But I can give you a down-payment now, if you’d like?”

He didn’t even wait for her to nod, just slid his hand from her shoulder to the back of her neck, holding her captive as he just barely touched his lips to hers, murmuring ‘I’m sorry’ before opening her mouth with his tongue, skilfully working her lips apart so he could taste the sweetness of her mouth. Jon could feel her slick tongue against his, twisting sinuously in his mouth, and her hand clenched against his as they kissed. They took their time, comfortable in the knowledge that they were alone on the clifftop. Or so they though, until there was a deep bark close by.

A large black chow-chow was watching them, tail wagging gently, and Sara automatically reached out her hand to the dog, who came over to be stroked. Resignedly, Jon also reached to pat the fluffy black coat, and the dog thumped against his leg as it moved closer. A moment later, a blonde woman appeared, and the dog abandoned them, running to her then going off down the track again. The woman nodded politely as she passed, and Jon and Sara smiled in response.

“I guess we should carry on.” Jon suggested, so they stood and continued with their walk, holding hands once again.

The views from the clifftop were spectacular, and Sara took out the small camera she had in her bag, taking a few photos. Jon took the camera out of her hands, turning it on her instead, and Sara covered her face with both hands.

“Aw, c’mon babe!” Jon cajoled her. “Just one, please? You look so pretty with the wind blowing your hair like that.”

“Yeah - so long as it’s blowing over my face.” But she did take her hands down, looking solemnly at Jon through the tangled strands.

He grinned at her as he quickly took a photo, then he stretched out a hand to flick her hair to the side, to it was blowing free behind her, no longer covering her face.

“Say ‘cheese’.” Jon instructed, then had a better idea. “No, don’t. Say ‘fuck’!”

That made her laugh, and Jon got one more photo before she reached for the camera.

“Enough.” She said, taking it from him. “Your turn.”

She took a few photos of Jon, then put the camera away as they came to a rough section of the trail, Jon’s hand steadying her, and now they could see the stairs Alex had told them about. The last part of the path was formed of roughened concrete, leading them directly to the stairs, which Sara eyed dubiously as she noted their open wooden construction.

“Do you think those are safe?”

“Yeah - they look fine to me. Come on.”

Jon dragged her to the stairs, making an exaggerated show of stamping on the first stair.

“See? Solid as a rock. C’mon scaredy cat.”

He led her down the stairs, which were much sturdier than they’d looked from a distance, and they quickly reached the soft sandy beach. Still standing on the bottom step, Sara pulled off her sandals and turned up the bottom of her jeans before stepping onto the sand. Jon was watching her with an amused smile.

“What?” Sara asked. “I hate wearing shoes on the beach - I like the feel of the sand.”

“Come on, then.”

Jon took her hand again, and they started the long walk back along the deserted beach. They hadn’t gone very far when a huge raindrop hit Sara squarely on the head, making her yelp. Jon started to ask what was wrong, then he got stung by a droplet, too. Before they could even think of where to shelter, the heavens opened, a torrential downpour that soaked them almost instantly.

“Over here!” Sara pulled Jon over to the cliffs, where she’d seen caves the previous day.

She headed into one of the deeper ones, but hesitated when she felt the pebbles and shells under her bare feet. Jon stopped beside her, looked down, then just scooped her up and carried her inside the cave, out of the rainstorm.

“And that’s why you should’ve kept your shoes on.” He told her.

“Yeah, but I had my knight in shining armour - or at least soggy denim - to look after me.” She kissed him. “Thank you, kind sir.”

“You’re welcome.” Jon looked around the cave, seeing the entire floor was carpeted with pebbles. “I think you should put your sandals back on, babe.”

Sara pouted as she looked around, then grimaced as she saw Jon was right.

“Okay, then.” She dropped her sandals on the ground, and Jon carefully lowered her so she could slip them back on.

Jon helped her to balance, then he kept hold of her even when she had them back on again. Sara’s white t-shirt was soaked through, and Jon smiled as he saw how the wet fabric clung revealingly to her body, the cold making her nipples stand proud against the shirt. Sara looked at his smirking face, then glanced down to see what had caught his interest.

“Oh, hell!” She exclaimed as she saw the state of her shirt. “That’s not good!”

“It is from where I’m standing.” Jon told her, and Sara laughed.

“You would say that, but would you like to tell me how I’m supposed to go back into the hotel - or into the Watering Hole - like this? I don’t think they’re running a wet t-shirt contest today.”

“Well, if they were, you’d win babe, but I see what you mean.” Jon thought for a second. “Oh, I can sort this out! I bought you a shirt in Florida, and it’s in my bag. All you’ll need to do is sneak into the bathroom and I can bring it to you.”

“You bought me a shirt?”

“Yeah - I saw it, and it made me think of you. I just hope you like it.”

“That’s so sweet - I can’t believe you bought me something, when we weren’t even talking!” Her smile faded slightly. “Still doesn’t help me get from here to the bar, though. I’m kind of indecent.”

“Just the way I like you, but how about…….”

Jon stopped talking as he reached over her shoulders, splitting her long wet hair into two handfuls and pulling one forward over each shoulder, effectively screening her to the waist.

“Perfect.” He said with a grin, and Sara had to nod in agreement.

“That works. Has the rain stopped yet?”

They moved toward the front of the cave, finding that, although it hadn’t actually stopped, the rain had eased to a heavy drizzle.

“We can’t really get any wetter.” Sara said with a smile, walking out onto the wet sand, and Jon opened his mouth to comment then closed it again.

Sara turned slowly in a circle, face turned upward to the rain and a broad smile on her face.

“I do love the rain sometimes.” She said, and Jon grinned as he stepped out beside her.

“Me too. I thought I was the only idiot who liked walking in the rain, though.”

“You calling me an idiot?” Sara demanded, and Jon groaned.

“Awwww shit! That’s not what I meant, baby, I……” He broke off as he realised she was grinning.

“That’s something else for you to apologise for. You’re going to be a busy boy, aren’t you?!”

Jon smiled. “Never let it be said I don’t know how to say I’m sorry - but not here. Just you keep that list going, babe, and I’ll make it all up to you tonight. And tomorrow morning, and tomorrow night, and probably somewhere in between, too.”

“Promises, promises.” Sara took his hand as she gave him that naughty, sexy grin that made his stomach flip over. “You know I’m gonna hold you to that, don’t you?”

“Oh, I hope so.”