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‘We’re just about done with the photos,’ Jack said. ‘Help me round up the rabble and get them to the restaurant?’
Alex nodded, happy to have something to do. Something that wasn’t wondering what on earth Lily was up to.
* * * *
Lily bounced through the door to StarFish, grinning when she saw Charlie Frost welcoming Tessa and Jack to the restaurant. He raised a hand and waved when he spotted her.
‘Friend of yours?’ Alex asked from behind her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of him, after the chilly summer wind on the beach.
‘He commissioned an engagement ring recently,’ she explained, glancing around to see if she could spot the famous Mia from Charlie’s description. No one there looked quite right, though.
Charlie had pushed together a number of tables to make a great, long one for everyone to sit around. Even so, it was a bit of a squeeze, and Lily found herself pressed close against Alex’s thigh. She smiled up at him and tried not to laugh at the desperate look in his eyes.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
From Cora’s stories, she knew Alex’s reputation, knew he was used to smiling and having women fall at his feet. It wouldn’t take much, she reckoned, to make him loosen up his rules about his new life. He just needed the right sort of persuasion.
It was strange, watching Alex interact with everyone from the Mill. Tessa and Jack’s families were all up at the top end of the table, leaving the friends to be rowdy at the other end. Alex made easy conversation with them all, charming them effortlessly, as usual. But what surprised Lily most was how much he knew about each of them. He conversed knowledgeably about their businesses, which she’d expect since he’d been photographing their stock and looking at their accounts for a few weeks now, but also about their families, their personal lives. She hadn’t realized how much a part of the place he’d become.
How much a part of her life he’d become.
Sinking back into her chair, Lily toyed with her dessert spoon, wondering exactly how she’d let that happen. And realizing, for the first time that day, how stupid her plan was. Yes, it had been fun to flirt and tease Alex all day. Fun to wear clothes than reminded her of her wilder former self. Fun to imagine she could be that Lily again.
But she wasn’t. She’d grown up, and grown better. She didn’t want to tempt Alex into kissing her just so she knew what it felt like. He wasn’t just Cora’s cousin any more. He was part of the Mill, had made friends there, and she didn’t want to ruin that for him by indulging her fantasies.
Except… The way he’d looked at her on the terrace of the Avalon Inn the week before meant she knew he wanted her too. Wanted to see what this was as much as she did. Even though it couldn’t be what either of them were looking for in their future. But maybe there was a grownup answer to the problem. A way to get it out of their systems.
She hoped so. Otherwise she thought she might go crazy.
Alex leant back in his chair, his thigh pressing against the length of hers, and she couldn’t hide the sharp breath she took in.
‘You okay?’ he asked, and she nodded.
‘The food was great, wasn’t it?’ Dinner. That was a safe subject, surely.
‘Delicious.’ His gaze hovered around her collarbones, high enough for her not to feel objectified, but low enough that she wondered what his mouth would feel like, kissing down her throat.
With dinner over, people had started to drift away from the table, making use of the small area Charlie had cleared for dancing, or settling in smaller groups at round tables around the edges of the restaurant. But Lily couldn’t move. Couldn’t shift away from Alex, even though there was no longer a need to sit so close. Couldn’t think of anyone else she’d rather be talking to. Couldn’t remember why she shouldn’t lean forward and kiss him.
She broke away, turning to watch the dancing for a moment while she recovered her composure. How had this gone so wrong?
‘Did you want to dance?’ Alex asked, stretching an arm around the back of her chair to give himself a better view of the dance floor. Lily tried not to shiver as his shirtsleeve brushed against the bare skin of her shoulders, exposed by the cut of the camisole. Why had she taken her cardigan off?
‘No. Thanks.’ She gave him a brief smile. ‘Anyway, I don’t think dancing was in the wedding buddies remit.’ Although maybe it should have been. Just the thought of his arms wrapped around her, as they had been at the Avalon, holding her close and tight… Lily swallowed. Maybe it was time to stop with the wine.
‘Wedding buddies,’ Alex echoed. ‘Tell me, is that what we’re still doing here?’
Lily’s insides tensed. ‘Of course. What else would we be doing?’ Apparently it was one thing to decide to seduce Alex, another to actually go through with it. Now she was here, all her doubts and fears were flooding back. And poor Alex looked even more confused than she felt.
‘I don’t know.’ Sighing, Alex leant back again, sinking down in his chair. Lily’s shoulders felt cold where his arm had been, and she reached for her cardigan, slipping it back on.
After a long pause, Alex said, ‘Jack told me you cleared your stuff out of the cottage.’
‘I did. Edward… He brought round some stuff from my mum’s. Turned out he was expecting me to go back to him. That’s why he didn’t bring any stuff from t
he cottage.’ Her mother, she didn’t add, obviously had no such illusions about Lily moving back in with her. She was probably just thrilled to have her dressing room back.
‘You told him you weren’t?’ Alex guessed.
‘Of course!’ Lily sighed. ‘We talked, a bit. He’s joining a dating site.’
‘Is that why you’re so… old-school Lily today?’
Lily laughed. ‘Old-school Lily?’
With a grin, Alex shrugged. ‘I don’t know. It seemed appropriate. You’re just so much more… free today. Happy and bouncy and chatting to everyone. Like you’re not watching what you say any more. Like you don’t care what people think.’
Which was the exact opposite of how she’d been for the last seven years. ‘It’s the clothes,’ Lily said, plucking at her skirt. ‘They made me remember who I used to be. I thought it might be fun to take her out and try her on again.’
‘Which explains the flirting,’ Alex said, drily. ‘I thought, after last weekend, you were putting some distance between us. Then today…’
‘I know,’ Lily said. ‘I’m sorry. I just… You nearly kissed me last weekend. And I know that would lead us down a whole path of stupid. I’m not what you want and I don’t want love at all! But…’
‘But?’ Lily watched him as he lifted his glass again, her gaze fixed on his long, tanned fingers. What would they feel like against her skin? A heat rushed through her at the thought, and her breath caught. Looking away, she caught his eyes, speculative and cool. Was he thinking the same thing? Was he wondering if they couldn’t just have one night? She bit her lip. What would old Lily have done? What would she have said?
More importantly, what did new Lily want?
Sucking in a deep breath she stared into his eyes and said, ‘I can’t stop thinking about how it would feel to kiss you.’
Chapter Twelve
She was trying to kill him. That was all there was to it. Her cunning plan was to drive him insane with lust. It was the only logical explanation.
Unable to break away from her gaze, from her green, green eyes, Alex blinked slowly and fumbled for his wine. ‘What, exactly, do you mean by that?’
