Page 53 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands

He shrugged. ‘Thanks.’

‘Who was she?’ Bella asked, both from intrigue and to keep him talking.

‘She was a model too. Jet-black hair and eyes that almost matched. She was tall, had these long tan legs, nice natural lips. Francine was her name. She was beautiful… on the outside at least. We did a few shoots together for Sears and Bloomingdales, and I fell… hard. We went on a few dates, kissed… slept together. I thought she felt the same way until a famous rock star came along, who was old enough to be her dad by the way, and the chick… sorry, the lady… was off like a taffeta gown after prom, see,’ he said, mimicking a forties New York reporter, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

Bella gave a light laugh. ‘Delightful analogy.’

He closed his eyes briefly. ‘Sorry. I really need to work on myself, huh?’

She nodded. ‘Indeed, you do.’

‘She broke my heart.’ His words were almost a whisper. The air was thick with melancholy and there was another period of silence. ‘I swore I’d never fall in love again. That I’m not the kind of guy who has proper relationships. One-night stands are more my thing. Or that’s what I keep telling myself. But the truth is, we all want to be loved.’

Bella was shocked by his candidness. She checked the time on her iPad. They had been stuck for almost two hours now. She was hungry, thirsty and wished she’d listened to her granny about carrying snacks with her. She wondered if Harris had tried to call, or if he’d messaged. Would he be concerned yet about the fact she hadn’t replied, or would he just presume she was busy?

‘So, how did you get into decorating?’ Carlton asked out of the blue.

‘I’ve always loved home improvement shows and when I was younger, I loved helping my mum and dad and granny to pick out colours and fabrics for their homes. Then, when I started earning my own money, I used to have a little flat that I worked really hard on before I lost it.’

‘Why’d you lose it?’ he asked. ‘Or is that too private?’

‘Lost my job. It was silly really, but I moved in with my granny after that.’

‘Old people are great, huh?’

‘My granny is a real character,’ Bella said, smiling as she wondered if her granny might be worried too.

The light above their heads flickered and they both looked up. ‘Oh, shit, no,’ Carlton said as they were plunged into darkness. ‘Oh God, this can’t be happening.’ He started flailing and grabbing at the walls again as if trying to find a gap he could crawl out of.

‘Carlton,’ she snapped loudly, hoping to get his attention. ‘It’s fine, just keep breathing how I showed you. Close your eyes and keep talking.’

‘Can-can I sit a little closer to you?’ he asked in a small wavering voice. If Bella hadn’t known better, she’d have been forgiven for thinking this had all been a ploy. She slid herself closer to him and he grabbed for her hand and clung to it tightly. ‘Is this okay? I just don’t think I can handle this in the dark, Bella. It’s like all my worst nightmares coming true. I feel like I’ve been buried alive.’

‘Well, you haven’t and you’re going to be absolutely fine. Although, I’m not so sure about my fingers. Maybe loosen your grip, eh? You’re cutting my circulation off.’

‘Oh, sure, sorry.’ He slackened his hold a little as requested. ‘Please keep talking. I need something to distract me.’ In the dark, Bella’s hearing was heightened and the fear he was feeling was evident in both his strained voice and his shallow breaths.

‘Slow your breathing down. We’re fine. It won’t be long before Harris comes. I know it.’

‘You trust him implicitly, don’t you?’ He sounded a little calmer again and Bella felt like she was on a rollercoaster ride.

‘I do. He’s my safe place. My home.’ She smiled as she pictured Harris’s handsome face and the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed.

‘I suppose it helps that he’s a cop. All masculine and heroic.’

‘It’s not that. I admire those things about him but he’s so considerate and compassionate. That’s important to me. And he respects me.’

‘Sounds exciting.’

Bella could hear the sarcasm in his tone. ‘You can joke about things like respect, but love is so much more than sex, Carlton. I’ve known men who think they can just take what they want and treat women however they like. It’s not attractive. At all. Regardless of the package it’s offered in.’

‘So, you’re one of these women who doesn’t go for looks, I take it?’

‘Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m ridiculously attracted to Harris. In my eyes he’s absolutely gorgeous. But it goes much deeper than that. Looks fade as we age but if the person you’re with makes you laugh and feel good…’

‘But what about excitement? Passion? Fun?’

‘I think you have a skewed idea of what those things are. I have all of those things in abundance with Harris. But we have a solid foundation based on friendship and respect too.’