‘I think I might love you, too.’
He holds me, and I feel a heady mix of deep peace and fizzing energy.
My mind buzzes and I can’t stop talking.
‘And you know, if you ever get bored of me, Ealing has some exciting attractions.’
‘So I hear.’
‘We’ve got the film studios.’
‘Exactly.’
‘The Wharncliffe Viaduct.’
‘Yes – whatever that is.’
‘The Hanger Lane Gyratory.’
‘Theonlygyratory I get hard for.’
I grin. ‘Wait a minute. We talked earlier – how did you get here so fast?’
‘I wasn’t in Caracas. I got back this morning and when we spoke, I was in my hotel room at Heathrow.’
‘And the sound of a Spanish open-air market?’
‘Background noise on my phone. You can find all sorts on the internet.’
‘So you’ve been back a while?’ I reach up to cup his cheek, his stubble tickling my palm. ‘You had time to shave but … you didn’t?’
He smiles slowly. ‘Thought I’d bring out the big guns. In case you needed reminding how much you like me.’
‘Maybe you can remind me in this room of yours. Does it have a double bed?’
My mind is racing ahead, but I don’t think his is far behind. Not from the way his irises have blown out.
‘Queen-size. Plus, there’s a walk-in shower, enormous sofa andexcellentsoundproofing. I’d be happy to give you a tour if you’ve got a spare six or seven hours.’
‘Must be a big room.’
‘Don’t worry, we can take breaks.’
‘As much as I want you to drag me back to this magical room of yours, we need do things properly.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘No hiding from my family, or Theo, or anyone else. I want to walk into the restaurant holding your hand so everyone knows.’
‘Are you sure?’
I nod. ‘You came all this way for me. Sneaking around was fun for a while, but I’m all in. This isn’t just friction and nerve endings.’
He pulls me against him, my cheek smushing against his chest.
‘My nerve endings have had to make do with my hand since the wedding,’ he murmurs. ‘They won’t know what’s hit them.’
I smile against his lapel, silently thanking him for the elegant way he answered a question that often kept me up at night.
