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‘That would be brilliant,’ Ella said, perking up considerably and plastering on her usual cheery smile. Although that cheeriness had been a little forced of late.
The doorbell dinged.
‘I’ll get it,’ Ella said, and left the kitchen.
Ruby crossed to the cold room to fetch six bars of luxury chocolate. She’d unburdened herself to Ella enough. Crying on her friend’s shoulder was getting old. Maybe she would only be going through the motions for a while, but if she trained herself to look happy and carefree again, she might convince herself eventually.
‘You can’t come in! Haven’t you upset her enough?’
Hearing Ella’s pained shout, Ruby ducked out of the cold room.
And dropped the chocolate.
‘What are you doing here?’ she said, her voice soft as her heart rammed full pelt into her ribcage, so shocked at the sight of him, her knees began to shake.
‘I told him he couldn’t come in,’ Ella said indignantly.
‘I’m here to have that talk, whether you like it or not,’ Cal said firmly as he strode across the kitchen, his brows drawn down and his gorgeous face set in a determined frown.
He grasped her arm just as her knees buckled.
‘You can’t talk to her like—’
‘It’s okay, Ella,’ she interrupted her friend’s panicked plea, a little surprised by the steel in her voice as she locked her knees. ‘Do you think you could leave us alone?’
‘If you say so.’ Ella slanted a furious look at Cal. ‘But I’ll be in the reception. If you need me,’ she added, then left.
‘You can let go of my arm now,’ she said, oddly detached from the hysteria that was clutching at her chest.
His fingers released.
She’d let him say whatever he had to say, and then she’d let him go. ‘So what was it you wanted to talk about?’
She probably deserved this. It was no doubt some sort of karmic revenge, for all those guys she’d played at being in love with and hadn’t been.
‘As if you don’t already know.’ He towered over her, the low fury in his voice matched by the swirl of temper in his eyes. ‘You don’t get to drop into my life, explode like an atomic bomb, and then just walk off and leave me to deal with the wreckage.’
Her back butted against the counter. She flattened her hands against his chest, but, instead of pushing him away, her fingers curled into the crisp cotton of his shirt.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said, panic and hope dog-fighting in her belly like dive bombers.
‘Let me spell it out, then,’ he snarled, furious now, his once-rigid control history. Gripping her waist, he lifted her onto the counter, then jerked her back towards him until her thighs were hugging his hips. ‘You don’t get to get over me, Ruby. Because I’m not going to get over you.’
‘What are you trying to say?’ she whispered. Hope winning, but only just.
He gave a deep sigh, dropped his head back and cursed at the ceiling.
She raised a hand to his cheek, brought his gaze back to hers. ‘Don’t you dare stop now, Cal. Or I may have to murder you.’
What sh
e saw wasn’t anger any more but soul-deep longing.
‘I’m saying that this falling in love thing seems to be contagious,’ he said, his lips tilting in a wry smile. ‘And that perhaps we should give it a go together. See where it takes us.’
She stared at him, the hope swelling to impossible proportions as tears stung the backs of her eyes. ‘Do not joke with me. Because it’s not funny.’
He gave his head a rueful shake, wrapped his arms around her hips, drew her even closer, until her eyes were level with his.
