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‘If that’s your sorry look, it needs work.’
I lowered my eyelashes. ‘Better?’
‘No.’
‘You want me to beg forgiveness?’ I remembered I’d already begged and felt myself colour. His eyes dropped to my mouth and I knew he was remembering the same thing.
‘You’re so sexy. Keeping my hands off you has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done.’
It was so not what I’d expected him to say I almost sank under the water. ‘Really?’
His eyes gleamed with incredulity. ‘You have to know that, Hayley.’
‘Er—no. Why would I know that? You’ve barely ever spoken to me.’
‘Exactly.’ There was a hint of exasperation in his voice, as if we were talking about something that should have been obvious.
I thought about what Rosie had said on Christmas Eve. ‘So if you felt that way, why didn’t you ever talk to me?’
‘You were with Charlie.’
‘And I don’t even know why.’ I slid deeper in the water, forcing myself to think about stuff I’d avoided. ‘Rosie and I have never been very good at relationships. Charlie seemed like the stable, traditional type. I suppose part of me thought if I was going to make a relationship work with anyone, it would be with someone like him.’
‘Someone who would ignore the person you really are and sleep with your friend?’
‘Thanks for reminding me.’ I didn’t even think of Cressida as a friend any more. Friends didn’t do that.
‘Does it hurt?’
I skimmed my hand over the surface of the water. ‘No. Not any more. And if I’m honest, it was only ever my pride that hurt. I should have been heartbroken, but I wasn’t. I suppose that should tell me something. Honestly, I’m just rubbish at relationships. My New Year’s resolution is to have emotionless sex. That’s why I’m here.’
‘Right.’ The way he was looking at me made my cheeks burn.
‘You haven’t told me what happened after I left the wedding.’
‘I had to arrange a fleet of ambulances to transport all the men who had heart attacks.’
‘Don’t.’ I shrank at the thought. ‘I honestly don’t think I can ever show my face in daylight again.’
‘No one was looking at your face, so you’re fine.’
I laughed, surprised by how easy it was to talk to him. It was like removing a pile of rocks from a river. Conversation just flowed, held back for too long.
‘I haven’t
thanked you for rescuing me. Everyone else just stood there gawping. Even Rosie was useless. If it hadn’t been for you, I’d still be standing there like a Playboy centrefold. You were very quick on your feet. What happened during the speeches?’
‘Having seen your impressive breasts, Cassie was in a foul mood for the rest of the wedding, but it served her right for stealing your man in the first place.’
‘I’m glad she stole him. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here now.’
‘Yes, you would. It was always going to happen.’
My stomach flipped. ‘It was? How do you know?’
‘Because I was going to make it happen.’ Droplets of water clung to his shoulders. ‘I was just waiting for you to come to your senses and realize he wasn’t going to make you happy.’
‘You were?’
