Page 83 of The House Swap

Martin wasn’t acting any differently, standing relaxed at the wheel, his expression unreadable, but as they headed further away from Spinalonga, the knot in her chest tightened.

‘Are we not heading back?’ she shouted across the noise of the engine.

He barely glanced at her. ‘I thought you wanted to swim?’ he called back. ‘That was the idea, right?’

It was, but Poppy had expected him to stop at a bay or at least somewhere closer to the island. Not take her out to sea.

She nodded, feeling a little foolish. Had she misinterpreted things?

After what felt like another five minutes, Martin slowed the boat, then stopped the engine. The sudden silence was enormous, and only the soft slap of water against the hull remained.

‘This is perfect. We’ll drift here for a bit,’ he said, as the boat rocked gently.

Poppy nodded, looking around her. There was nothing except sea.

She glanced over the edge of the boat. Out here, the water had changed too, deepening into a darker blue that moved in slow, heavy swells beneath them.

It was just her and Martin, and now they were out here alone, she felt awkward. The thought of getting into the water this far from shore made her uneasy.

As he had busied himself checking the console instruments, she stayed silent. She pulled out her phone to see if Jem had replied to her message. He hadn’t, but she saw there was no signal. Of course.

It was warmer now they had stopped, perhaps more so than inland, and after a few moments, she decided to remove her hoodie. As she pulled it over her head, her T-shirt got trapped in the material. Quickly she freed it, pulling it back down to cover her midriff.

She glanced in Martin’s direction, reddening when she saw him quickly look away.

He moved to the rear of the boat and tugged at something mounted beside the engine. A moment later, something unfolded into the water with a splash.

Eventually, he looked her way again. ‘So, are you going to swim?’

The question threw her off guard. ‘I think I’m just going to sit here for a bit.’

He gestured towards the water. ‘Come on. It’s the best part of being out here. It’s warmer than you realise.’

Even though she had worn her swimwear under her clothes, now the idea of being in her bikini in front of him was putting her off.

‘I’ll think about it.’

Martin crossed the deck, leaning casually against the console. ‘Bit of a waste of time coming all this way if you don’t go in.’

‘It’s nice just being out here in the fresh air,’ Poppy lied.

She fished her Kindle out of her beach bag, hoping he would take it as a hint to leave her alone, but although he didn’t speak again, she was aware of him watching her as she read. It was distracting and she found it difficult to focus.

After a few minutes, he asked, ‘Didn’t you bring anything to swim in?’

‘I did,’ she replied, not looking up from her book.

‘Then what’s the problem?’

Heat crept up her neck. Why was he pushing the issue?

‘I just don’t feel like it right now.’

Martin looked out across the water. ‘We won’t be out here all afternoon. It seems like a waste.’

Poppy shifted uncomfortably on the vinyl seat but didn’t respond.

When she glanced up from her Kindle, he was looking right at her.