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Chapter 16
As the first week of the holiday slipped by, it was becoming harder and harder for Annabelle not to give in to temptation and snog Ron at every opportunity. She didn’t know what had happened the other day when they’d gone surfing, but he seemed to have lost his inhibitions and he’d kissed her as eagerly as she’d kissed him – with the added bonus of him not pushing her away this time and telling her that they couldn’t.
She was a bit hesitant, uncertain whether now was the best time to be diving headfirst into a new relationship, considering that her life was a total mess. But she had been single for a while now, and before she’d even booked their flights to the UK she had been thinking it was about time she started dating again. Not because she needed a man in her life, but because she missed having a special someone. She missed the companionship; she missed coming home from work and chatting about her day; she missed someone to mull over her problems with, to share her concerns and her highlights; and most of all she missed having someone in her bed. Sex wasn’t the be-all and end-all, but it was certainly something to be considered. And she’d definitely been considering it – or the lack of it – for quite some time. She had been planning on dipping her toe into the dating pool as soon as they returned from the UK, but that idea had been shot out of the water by her abrupt change in circumstances.
She knew she had a great deal to sort out – namely a place to live and a job – before she could start thinking about romance, but it seemed to have been thrust upon her regardless. She’d not gone looking for it, yet the minute she’d set eyes on Ron something had clicked inside.
The click had transformed into a fizzing and a tingling, until now she couldn’t even look at him without her heart leaping out of her chest and desire running rampant.
It wasn’t just desire that she felt, because if it had been she could have simply scratched the itch and walked away with her heart intact. She actually liked Ron tremendously. He was so thoughtful and kind, and he was great with her kids, too. She liked him as aperson,and not just as a potential lover.
Lover… the word swirled around in her head, making her skin tingle, and the little dip at the base of her throat throb in time with her heartbeat.
She and Ron had been sending each other lingering glances when they thought no one was looking, and she was finding it harder and harder to deal with the tension humming between them.
Although Kate and Brett were aware of what was going on, thankfully Beverley and Helen seemed oblivious, as did the children, and Annabelle wanted to keep it that way. The less the kids knew about her growing feelings for Ron, the better. Until she was utterly sure what was happening, she wanted to keep them well out of it. Luckily Ron seemed to understand, because he made no further move towards her, just sending her the occasional deep and meaningful glance instead.
If it hadn’t been for those looks, she might have thought he wasn’t interested and that the kiss had been a one off, but every time she caught his eye she was aware of the hunger and the desire that lurked in their depths, and it made her heart squeeze with excitement and longing. At some point in this holiday she knew she would go to bed with him, and the anticipation was exquisite.
As was the fear.
The crunch came on Sunday afternoon, a full two days since that magical kiss in the water.
Kate and Brett suggested going to the cinema, then a meal out, which Annabelle was totally up for (although the money she’d be spending made her cringe), but she’d developed a migraine and the thought of sitting in a room with a huge screen and lots of colours and noise, made her feel quite faint.
Annabelle was hiding in the bedroom, the curtains drawn, wishing her head wasn’t hurting when Kate had come to find her.
Kate offered to remain behind to keep her company, but Annabelle insisted she go.
‘You’ll enjoy it,’ she said. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘I don’t like leaving you on your own,’ Kate protested. ‘Mum isn’t too keen on going because she doesn’t want to leave the dog for that length of time, so how about if I ask her to—?’ She stopped as a thought occurred to her. ‘Ron!’ she exclaimed, clapping her hands, the noise sending a bolt of pain through Annabelle’s head. ‘Hecan stay with you,’ Kate continued. ‘Mum will be happy leaving Pepe for most of the day if she knows Ron will take him for a walk. After all, she couldn’t ask you, not the state you’re in. Perfect.’
Kate clapped her hands again, and Annabelle let out a groan.
‘Oops, sorry,’ Kate said, lowering her voice. ‘But you’ve got to admit, it’s the perfect opportunity.’
‘For what?’ Annabelle croaked.
‘For you and Ron to spend some time together.Alone.’
‘If you haven’t noticed, I’m feeling like crap,’ Annabelle said. ‘I think it’s a migraine.’
‘Do you get them often? How long do they last?’
‘This is my first,’ Annabelle admitted.
‘It’s probably just a headache,’ Kate said.
‘It feels like more than just a headache.’
‘Helen always has an assortment of pain killers in her bag. I’ll ask her to give you some.’
Annabelle didn’t usually like taking tablets, but the way her head felt right now, she’d happily take anything if it relieved the pain.
‘Gimme,’ she said feebly, when Kate returned with a couple of capsules and a glass of water, and she downed them eagerly. ‘I suppose I should have asked what they were.’
‘Who cares as long as they do the trick?’ Kate replied. ‘Now, Ron is around if you need him—’ Kate winked at her ‘—and Brett and I will take good care of Jake and Izzie, so there’s no need for you to worry about anything. I’ll text you when we’re on our way back – just in case.’
