Persuade Me

On the other side of the world, somewhere off Kangaroo Island, a man and a woman sit on the deck of a boat watching the stars. It’s a time for reflecting on the past, dreaming of the future, and celebrating …

… the power of persuasion.

It was like being in a dream, a beautiful, never-ending dream, where everything Rick said and did showed her how much he loved her.

‘I love you.’

She rolled over to face him, blinking back the tears. ‘I love you, too. And I don’t want you to go.’

Bliss, utter bliss. To wake up and know that love was only a touch away.

Anna shut her eyes to the dull morning light edging round the curtains, and stretched out her hand. Instantly, his fingers curled around hers; and she wondered if he’d been lying awake, waiting …

It was the same old magic, enriched by a new understanding – that the pain of loss only made the joy of rediscovery more intense.

‘What are you reading?’ He sounded oddly apprehensive – but no wonder, when the title was in Russian!

She smiled up at him. ‘It’s called First Love – what else?’

He smiled back – and it was that special little smile, the one she’d always thought of as reserved for her alone; only now she was absolutely certain about it. And the rightness of it all – of being with him, like this – stung her eyes with tears.

It was what he’d wanted, deep down, for ten long years: to hold her close and feel the beat of her heart.

As he strode towards her, she ran into his arms.

smiled; and he smiled back, because now he knew everything was going to be just fine.

Tell me tonight how you feel. If there’s any chance of you loving me back, then I’ll wait for you as I should have waited before. If not, say the word and I’ll leave you in peace. But I’ll never forget you, or what we had, or what might have been.