Christian shook his head and Merry’s breath caught as he stepped closer.
“You shouldn’t have to fight so hard to feel like you’re enough,” he said. “Because you are.”
Merry took a step towards him. “You don’t know that,” she whispered.
“I see it.”
The silence between them pulsed. She could feel the beat of it in her fingertips and her body leaned in to his without her permission. They were almost close enough to touch, and the quiet room suddenly felt strangely intimate.
Christian fixed his eyes on her, the corner of his mouth twitching into a kind smile. “Thank you for forgiving me,” he said, almost in a whisper.
She took another step, every single one of her cells urging her to press her body against his. There was just something magnetic about him, even in his creased overalls, even in the store bathrooms. There was something she couldn’t resist.
“Thank you, for standing up for me,” she said, lifting her face. “Even though I didn’t ask you to. I don’t think he’ll be back in a hurry.”
“If he comes back, he’d better be wearing rubber boots,” said Christian, a smile tugging at his mouth.
He lifted a hand as if to stroke her cheek or tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, but stopped short, looking at his hand hovering there in the space between them. His chest filled and stuttered and she felt it like a spark. Every inch of her burned with the want of his touch.
Neither of them moved, the air around them electric.
“Christian . . .” Her lips parted.
“What on earth is going on in there?”
The voice was like a klaxon, and Merry leaped back in shock. Somebody was pushing the bathroom door open — and only one person had a voice like that.
“Dragon Lady!” Christian hissed. “Hide!”
She didn’t hesitate, just threw herself into the nearest cubicle and shut the door behind her. Climbing on to the toilet, she crouched down and listened to the clack of Mrs Cradley’s heels as she marched into the room. She could just about see through the crack in the door as Christian pulled a screwdriver from his belt, holding it like a vampire hunter coming face to face with Dracula. Fortunately, Mrs Cradley didn’t seem to recognise him from yesterday.
“Excuse me!” she snapped. “What are you doing?”
“Uh . . .” Christian stammered. “I was just asked to fix a toilet.”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“Uh . . . it . . . exploded?” he said. Despite the tension in the room, Merry had to cover her mouth to stop the laugh escaping.
“Exploded?” Dragon Lady asked.
“Yeah, there was . . . uh . . .stuffeverywhere. I was trying to repair it.”
“Are you a qualified plumber?”
“No, I’m just the janitor.”
“Then you will leave this facility immediately and call for the relevant technician. Am I clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Christian said, glancing at the cubicle where Merry was hiding. “I just need—”
“Now!” barked Mrs Cradley, loud enough for the word to echo off the tiled walls. Christian flinched, walking from the room like a chastised schoolboy. Mrs Cradley looked at the row of cubicles, and for a dreaded moment Merry thought she wascoming to investigate. But she pivoted on her heels and exited, plunging the room into silence.
Chapter 10
CHRISTIAN
“There you are! Where on earth have you been?”
