Love You Better Read Free Page A

that?’ Oliver asked, stroking the back of her neck as he watched Smith leave.
    ‘Smith. He used to hang out with us.’
    ‘Did we invite him?’
    She shook her head, trembling. ‘Definitely not. He’s nothing but trouble.’
    ‘Speaking of trouble, if I don’t get you out of this dress soon, I’m going to end up getting arrested for harassment.’
    He nuzzled her neck, but all Effie could think about were the grey eyes that had stared back at her and rocked her world.

2.
    T urquoise water stretched for as far as Effie could see, punctuated by brightly coloured fishing boats and a few huge slabs of rock, poking out from the seabed like pillars. T he last ten days had been bliss: snorkelling with tropical fish in the crystal -clear, coral-lined waters, sleeping in and sunbathing.
    Lifting the brim of her enormous sun hat, she watched Oliver as he emerged from the sea. His skin had bronzed in the sun, and water ran in streaks down his chest, clinging to his abs. He jogged across the sand and kissed her, sending tiny drops of water onto her ch est.
    ‘Morning, sleepyhead. Have you had breakfast yet?’
    Effie shook her head. She’d gorged herself from the moment they’d arrived on Koh Tao, with enormous, juicy tiger prawns drenched in lemon and garlic sauce, mouth-watering curries and the best pad thai she’d ever tasted, not to mention a frankly overindulgent amount of mangos.
    ‘How was the swim?’
    ‘Amazing,’ Oliver replied, grabbing the towel from the back of the lounger next to her. ‘You should go in.’
    ‘Maybe later.’
    As beautiful as the sea was, she could do without the disastrous effect it would have on her hair today, but nothing could stop him. He’d headed out for a swim every morning and usually followed it up with a run.
    ‘Later might be tricky. We’ve got plans today.’
    She raised an eyebrow. ‘We do?’
    Aside from finishing her book and topping up her tan, she hadn’t planned on doing anything else. The sun was doing a great job of enhancing her already brown skin, and they only had two days left before returning to the depressingly bleak London winter.
    She took her hat off and shook out her frizzy curls. ‘Where are we going?’
    ‘It’s a surprise,’ Oliver replied, throwing the towel down on the ground. ‘Christ, you look good.’
    She grinned as he climbed astride her on the sunlounger, his blonde hair glistening in the sunlight.
    ‘Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?’
    Effie raised an eyebrow and lifted her thigh between his legs. ‘I thi nk the whole of Thailand does.’
    He leaned down to kiss her, and for what felt like the millionth time over the last ten days, she thanked god for Lou and her skills of persuasion. If she hadn’t dragged a heartbroken Effie out of her bed for that night out back in July, she would never have met Oliver, and she wouldn’t be on this paradise island now.
    She broke away from his kiss, and he looked down at her with a frown. ‘What?’
    ‘We can’t.’ Effie glanced around at the beach.
    ‘Can’t what?’ he mumbled into the hollow in her throat as he stroked his hand down over her bikini top, pushing a triangular strip of material to one side.
    ‘You know what.’
    ‘Nobody’s around – it’s fine.’
    The beach stretched for miles on either side, and there was nobody else around, but still, she didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of getting frisky on a public beach, whether they were alone or not. Oliver’s blue eyes twinkled, and he grinned at her before leaning in for another kiss. Maybe she was being too prim. Effie lay back on her lounger and ran her hands over her husband’s shoulders. Husband. Could she ever get tired of the word?

    I’m going to die.
    Effie’s stomach churned as her heart raced under her light cotton shirt. After their risqué sex on the beach, Oliver revealed her surprise – a bike ride to Mango Lookout Point, apparently an absolute must for sunset views across the