He sat back a little, his intense blue gaze focusing on me.
‘Until you were nearly taken out by a king prawn and blurted something about being in love in the middle of a London street. Then everything came tumbling back.’
‘So why not tell me then? Why make me feel like it was the worst thing I could have possibly done? Why say what you did?’
‘Because I’m about to leave the country and because I thought I’d already dealt with my feelings towards you. I thought they were all nicely packaged away and labelled as “Past Crush”. The fact that I’d never picked up any inkling of encouragement made it easier to deal with in a way. And then there you were saying that and ripping off the Band-Aid. I’ve never felt like this, Libs. I’ve never been surprised or swept up by someone before and you keep surprising the hell out of me, usually in a good way. I didn’t know what to do. How to handle it. And I didn’t react well, for which I apologise.’
Charlie turned towards me and scratched the back of his head. ‘I was going crazy trying to get hold of you.’
‘I didn’t really want to talk to anyone.’
‘I know. And I understand. But, please, please, never do that again. Please, just talk to me. Even if it means you’re going to scream and shout at me. I’d rather that than not know where you are, not know if you were safe.’
‘That’s why I told Amy that I was OK.’
‘Yes, but you could have been anywhere. On your own. You know the sort of statistics that would have been going through my head. Especially after I saw that video on your blog.’
‘You and your statistics.’
‘I know. Which is why I need you and your irrationality to balance me out.’
‘I am not irrational.’
‘You are sometimes.’
I opened my mouth to protest again but Charlie cut me off.
‘It’s one of the many things I love about you.’
I closed my mouth. Charlie’s gaze dropped to my lips momentarily before it lifted back to lock with mine. Heat seared through me at the look of unrestrained longing in his eyes. His hands moved, releasing my fingers and sliding up my arms, brushing the straps on my shoulders, softly tracing along my neck until he held my face in his hands. Desire engulfed me as Charlie bent his head towards mine.
After the softest of kisses, Charlie pulled me towards him, holding me close, and I laid my head on his strong, solid chest and knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
40
‘So, does this mean we’re officially going out?’ Charlie said, one leg draped lazily across me, the expensive white cotton sheet contrasting with his tanned skin.
Whatever I had expected to happen when Alex dropped me off at Charlie’s house this morning, not once had I thought that it would be me ending up in Charlie Richmond’s bed, by way of his kitchen sofa, not to mention the second-floor landing. He might not be comfortable with chatting up women, but it would seem once he got over that hurdle then the whole shy, retiring thing most definitely wasn’t a problem any more. Charlie Richmond had skills. Boy, did he have skills! And then some.
‘What are you smiling at?’
I scooted back in the bed so that I could tip my head back a little on his chest and meet his eyes.
‘How did you know I was smiling?’
‘I could feel it on my chest.’
I grinned again.
He caught a hand under my chin and moved to kiss me.
‘You didn’t answer.’
‘About going out together?’
‘Mm hmm.’
I looked back up at him. ‘I don’t know. You haven’t actually asked me yet. You know. Formally.’
