now was humiliated and exposed. If he just wanted to be
friends I could do that, but not right now. Right now I needed to be alone to
nurse my wounded pride.
“I’d better get back,” I said
quietly, pulling myself from his warm embrace and the musky sweetness that
invaded my senses and turned again to look out on the raging storm.
“Rose,” he said quickly, catching
my elbow but I couldn’t answer, moving away to retrieve the box from the table
before making my way to the patio door.
“Goodnight, Sam,” I smiled,
summoning every ounce of strength to hold back the tears pricking at my eyes.
“Goodnight,” he whispered apologetically as
his gaze fell to the floor.
The wind and rain whipped at me
for the short distance back to the house, mingling with the wetness from the
tears I had held back just long enough. I wasn’t sure why I was crying. Partly
the shock of buried feelings about my father being dragged out in to the light,
and partly an overreaction to a non kiss with someone I barely knew.
I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I had come
through a lot and it was no surprise I was emotionally vulnerable. Struggling with the box and the door I
finally got inside and was relieved to be home. Dart had followed me,
whimpering at the sound of the clapping thunder outside which was rolling
closer and closer to the shore. I could see from his sad brown eyes that he
knew there would be no chance of a walk tonight and he looked as dejected as I
felt.
I ran over the events of the night in my head.
The question about my father was a huge one and I would take my time to find
out more about the contents of the box before I made any decisions. There was
no guarantee I would find him and no guarantee that he would want to know me if
I did. He was unaware that I existed. Sam’s image occupied my mind, his gaze,
the unmistakable flirting and the pounding of his heart when he pulled me
close. I knew it wasn’t just me, he felt this too, but he was unwilling or
unable to do anything about it. Maybe it was out of a sense of loyalty to
Alice, maybe because of his ‘situation’ or maybe because he was already spoken
for. Hell, what did I know, the man was just as much a mystery now as he had
been before. I fired a quick text to Joy;
I don’t know what is going on in his fucking sexy head. x
Her reply was instant. She had clearly not got lucky either.
Don’t worry. Just find out what’s going on in his fucking sexy pants. X
Typical Joy I thought, falling into a night of restless
sleep.
Chapter 4
It was late when I woke, desperate for coffee
and slightly forlorn about the amount of work I had to do in the house. I
should keep busy. It would do me good and stop my overactive mind from musing
too much about the humiliating events of last night. I had only two choices,
forget it had happened, swallow my pride, move on and be friends or ignore him
forever.
Hell, I could guarantee I wasn’t
the first woman to fall for his charms. I was sure there would be so many women
who had wanted him to kiss them over the years, that if you lined us all up you
would see us from space, a bit like the Great Wall of China. You just couldn’t
go around looking like that and not cause a stir. The second one wasn’t really
an option so I’d have to suck it up. I would call round later. The longer I
left it, the harder it would be. I’d have to forget the ‘almost kiss’, but from
the way my body responded to his touch last night I wasn’t sure I could. I had
never reacted that intensely to a man. Not even Daniel.
Sauntering into the kitchen for a
caffeine hit, I spotted the note immediately. When the hell had that arrived? I
really need to check these doors.
I owe you a dinner. I have settled on pasta as it doesn’t need peeling.
Please let me know if you don’t like pasta. Otherwise I’ll see you at 7.00.
Looking forward to it Sweetheart x
My stomach flipped and my heart
lurched. Talk about mixed
friends I could do that, but not right now. Right now I needed to be alone to
nurse my wounded pride.
“I’d better get back,” I said
quietly, pulling myself from his warm embrace and the musky sweetness that
invaded my senses and turned again to look out on the raging storm.
“Rose,” he said quickly, catching
my elbow but I couldn’t answer, moving away to retrieve the box from the table
before making my way to the patio door.
“Goodnight, Sam,” I smiled,
summoning every ounce of strength to hold back the tears pricking at my eyes.
“Goodnight,” he whispered apologetically as
his gaze fell to the floor.
The wind and rain whipped at me
for the short distance back to the house, mingling with the wetness from the
tears I had held back just long enough. I wasn’t sure why I was crying. Partly
the shock of buried feelings about my father being dragged out in to the light,
and partly an overreaction to a non kiss with someone I barely knew.
I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I had come
through a lot and it was no surprise I was emotionally vulnerable. Struggling with the box and the door I
finally got inside and was relieved to be home. Dart had followed me,
whimpering at the sound of the clapping thunder outside which was rolling
closer and closer to the shore. I could see from his sad brown eyes that he
knew there would be no chance of a walk tonight and he looked as dejected as I
felt.
I ran over the events of the night in my head.
The question about my father was a huge one and I would take my time to find
out more about the contents of the box before I made any decisions. There was
no guarantee I would find him and no guarantee that he would want to know me if
I did. He was unaware that I existed. Sam’s image occupied my mind, his gaze,
the unmistakable flirting and the pounding of his heart when he pulled me
close. I knew it wasn’t just me, he felt this too, but he was unwilling or
unable to do anything about it. Maybe it was out of a sense of loyalty to
Alice, maybe because of his ‘situation’ or maybe because he was already spoken
for. Hell, what did I know, the man was just as much a mystery now as he had
been before. I fired a quick text to Joy;
I don’t know what is going on in his fucking sexy head. x
Her reply was instant. She had clearly not got lucky either.
Don’t worry. Just find out what’s going on in his fucking sexy pants. X
Typical Joy I thought, falling into a night of restless
sleep.
Chapter 4
It was late when I woke, desperate for coffee
and slightly forlorn about the amount of work I had to do in the house. I
should keep busy. It would do me good and stop my overactive mind from musing
too much about the humiliating events of last night. I had only two choices,
forget it had happened, swallow my pride, move on and be friends or ignore him
forever.
Hell, I could guarantee I wasn’t
the first woman to fall for his charms. I was sure there would be so many women
who had wanted him to kiss them over the years, that if you lined us all up you
would see us from space, a bit like the Great Wall of China. You just couldn’t
go around looking like that and not cause a stir. The second one wasn’t really
an option so I’d have to suck it up. I would call round later. The longer I
left it, the harder it would be. I’d have to forget the ‘almost kiss’, but from
the way my body responded to his touch last night I wasn’t sure I could. I had
never reacted that intensely to a man. Not even Daniel.
Sauntering into the kitchen for a
caffeine hit, I spotted the note immediately. When the hell had that arrived? I
really need to check these doors.
I owe you a dinner. I have settled on pasta as it doesn’t need peeling.
Please let me know if you don’t like pasta. Otherwise I’ll see you at 7.00.
Looking forward to it Sweetheart x
My stomach flipped and my heart
lurched. Talk about mixed
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