when he rose from his seat, catching Ashley’s bag, halting her in her tracks.
‘Please,’ he said, ‘allow me to show you I am not all bad. One more chance? Ashley?’
Ashley looked back at him, her face twitching with indecision. Ade had turned up the charm to maximum and really looked like he meant every word. That, and the fact that I could tell she thought he was majorly hot, made her relent.
‘OK.’ Then she said, a little petulantly, ‘But you’d better be on your best behaviour next time. I don’t date assholes.’
‘Noted.’ He bowed his head sullenly and then something seemed to pass between them. I hoped it was mutual respect.
‘We’ll take you home, Ashley,’ said Luca, getting to his feet.
‘Yep.’ I stood too, looking quickly at Ade. ‘You two go to the car. I just want to talk to Ade about Polly.’
Luca frowned at me. ‘OK. But don’t be long.’ He could hardly bring himself to look at Ade. ‘We’ll be outside. Right outside.’
‘Sure.’ I smiled reassuringly. ‘I’ll be two minutes.’
‘Fine.’
Giving me a final worried look, Luca followed Ashley to the door. I waited until they were both outside before I turned on Ade.
‘What the hell was that?’ I said, all my anger rising to the surface now the others had gone. ‘I did Polly a favour. I didn’t want to. But she seems to think you’re just a shy loner who needs to meet the right girl.’ I shook my head at him. ‘How well do you and your sister really know each other, I wonder?’
Maybe it was because we were alone and Ade wasn’t under such scrutiny, but the strutting alpha-male was gone. And in his place stood an awkward, hulking boy – albeit one with the looks of some kind of classical god. He shuffled his feet, taking in a deep breath, finally looking me in the eyes.
‘She knows me better than I know myself,’ he said, his voice gentle now, and serious. ‘She knew I needed to find exactly the right girl. She knew that once I saw you I wouldn’t be satisfied with someone like Ashley.’ He rubbed at his head, as though trying to find the right words to continue. ‘She’s your friend and she’s obviously pretty, in an insipid kind of way. But next to you … Well, it’s as though the plain daisy had been planted near a rare, beautiful orchid.‘
‘Come on!’ I said. ‘You can’t expect me to fall for that phoney rubbish.’ I glared at him, sounding way more furious than I felt. It was something about his eyes. The ice had melted, so that they were limpid blue pools. They seemed to cast a spell. It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous that I could fall for this.
‘I don’t expect anything of you, Jane,’ he replied quietly. ‘I know better than to assume anything with a girl like you. It’s clear you are not conventional.’ He turned to look out of the window where Ashley and Luca stood waiting. ‘You and Ashley, you are different species.’ He picked up his jacket, his demeanour humble.
‘Just don’t hurt Ashley,’ I warned him. ‘Leave her alone. Don’t toy with her when you’re not even interested in her.’
Ade buttoned his jacket, before his gaze met mine again.
‘And what of your beau?’ he asked me. ‘Is it serious?’
‘As serious as it gets,’ I told him firmly, taking a step closer. ‘See, you and Luca – well, it’s kind of like a pond weed next to a magnificent oak tree.’
Grabbing my bag from where I’d been sitting, I cast him one last withering look and went to join my boyfriend and Ashley outside.
CHAPTER TEN
L uca’s hand gripped the steering wheel as we pulled away from the kerb outside Ashley’s house.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said to his taut cheekbones as he stared straight ahead. ‘That was a truly bad idea. The worst.’
He relaxed his grip a little. ‘Not your fault. The guy’s an idiot.’
I nodded. ‘I warned him off Ashley. If he even tries to go near her he’ll have me to answer to.’
Luca’s face relaxed and I saw the
‘Please,’ he said, ‘allow me to show you I am not all bad. One more chance? Ashley?’
Ashley looked back at him, her face twitching with indecision. Ade had turned up the charm to maximum and really looked like he meant every word. That, and the fact that I could tell she thought he was majorly hot, made her relent.
‘OK.’ Then she said, a little petulantly, ‘But you’d better be on your best behaviour next time. I don’t date assholes.’
‘Noted.’ He bowed his head sullenly and then something seemed to pass between them. I hoped it was mutual respect.
‘We’ll take you home, Ashley,’ said Luca, getting to his feet.
‘Yep.’ I stood too, looking quickly at Ade. ‘You two go to the car. I just want to talk to Ade about Polly.’
Luca frowned at me. ‘OK. But don’t be long.’ He could hardly bring himself to look at Ade. ‘We’ll be outside. Right outside.’
‘Sure.’ I smiled reassuringly. ‘I’ll be two minutes.’
‘Fine.’
Giving me a final worried look, Luca followed Ashley to the door. I waited until they were both outside before I turned on Ade.
‘What the hell was that?’ I said, all my anger rising to the surface now the others had gone. ‘I did Polly a favour. I didn’t want to. But she seems to think you’re just a shy loner who needs to meet the right girl.’ I shook my head at him. ‘How well do you and your sister really know each other, I wonder?’
Maybe it was because we were alone and Ade wasn’t under such scrutiny, but the strutting alpha-male was gone. And in his place stood an awkward, hulking boy – albeit one with the looks of some kind of classical god. He shuffled his feet, taking in a deep breath, finally looking me in the eyes.
‘She knows me better than I know myself,’ he said, his voice gentle now, and serious. ‘She knew I needed to find exactly the right girl. She knew that once I saw you I wouldn’t be satisfied with someone like Ashley.’ He rubbed at his head, as though trying to find the right words to continue. ‘She’s your friend and she’s obviously pretty, in an insipid kind of way. But next to you … Well, it’s as though the plain daisy had been planted near a rare, beautiful orchid.‘
‘Come on!’ I said. ‘You can’t expect me to fall for that phoney rubbish.’ I glared at him, sounding way more furious than I felt. It was something about his eyes. The ice had melted, so that they were limpid blue pools. They seemed to cast a spell. It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous that I could fall for this.
‘I don’t expect anything of you, Jane,’ he replied quietly. ‘I know better than to assume anything with a girl like you. It’s clear you are not conventional.’ He turned to look out of the window where Ashley and Luca stood waiting. ‘You and Ashley, you are different species.’ He picked up his jacket, his demeanour humble.
‘Just don’t hurt Ashley,’ I warned him. ‘Leave her alone. Don’t toy with her when you’re not even interested in her.’
Ade buttoned his jacket, before his gaze met mine again.
‘And what of your beau?’ he asked me. ‘Is it serious?’
‘As serious as it gets,’ I told him firmly, taking a step closer. ‘See, you and Luca – well, it’s kind of like a pond weed next to a magnificent oak tree.’
Grabbing my bag from where I’d been sitting, I cast him one last withering look and went to join my boyfriend and Ashley outside.
CHAPTER TEN
L uca’s hand gripped the steering wheel as we pulled away from the kerb outside Ashley’s house.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said to his taut cheekbones as he stared straight ahead. ‘That was a truly bad idea. The worst.’
He relaxed his grip a little. ‘Not your fault. The guy’s an idiot.’
I nodded. ‘I warned him off Ashley. If he even tries to go near her he’ll have me to answer to.’
Luca’s face relaxed and I saw the
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