AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So I’ve made salmon risotto, there’s wine in the cooler and chocolate mousse for dessert. I’ve also booked us a table at Sally M’s, in case you wanted to go out.”
“This is lovely. I’d like to stay in, thank you.”
“Great. I’ll just cancel the reservation.”
Leah looked around while Callum made the call. The unit was deceptive in its size. It looked quite small from the outside but the open plan of the living, dining area and kitchen were quite spacious. When Callum got off the phone, Leah, feeling a little concerned at the late cancellation asked, “He wasn’t too upset?”
“Nah. He’s a mate from school. He knew it was on the cards.”
“Oh, that’s good.” She frowned though, thinking that it seemed a little unfair, even if he was a friend from school.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Spit it out.” He had a smile on his face as he grabbed the wine glasses from the table.
She sighed. “Well, just that it doesn’t seem right to leave him in the lurch, even though he’s your mate.”
“Well, if that’s all that’s worrying you, don’t sweat it. I didn’t leave him in the lurch. I paid for dinner.”
“Oh. Oh okay. Good.”
“But Gary will be pleased to know you cared,” he teased. “Red or white?”
“White, please.”
He brought her the wine and a kiss, brushing his lips lightly over hers, then leaning back to look at her. Her heart thudded hard when he smiled at her, that glow in his eyes almost her undoing. An image flashed through her mind. Of them. In bed. Wrapped around each other. Skin to skin. His mouth on her mouth. His hands on her body. She cursed the blush she felt creep up her neck, to her cheeks.
He arched a brow. “What are you thinking about?”
“Huh?”
He traced a line along her cheek, down to her chin, running the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. “What are you thinking about?” He repeated.
She cleared her throat. “Oh, nothing.” She was going for a wide-eyed innocent look and barely refrained from sighing in relief when he didn’t pursue it. She was hardly capable of articulating exactly what she’d just been thinking.
“Hungry?”
Was that a loaded question? “Yes.” Yes, she was hungry, but maybe not for salmon risotto.
“Great.” He turned away, moved back into the kitchen.
Leah found she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. It was a mundane task. Getting the bowls, ladling the risotto in. How could he look so good, doing something so basic? “That smells great.”
“Thanks.” He carried the bowls to the table, waiting for her to come over so he could push her chair under as she sat down.
Once he’d sat down across from her, Leah picked up her fork. “So I had a look at your record collection.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s a lotta vinyl for a kid not born in the nineteen fifties,” she teased.
He laughed. “You would not believe the hours I spent sitting in front of the record player, listening to the music through headphones, trying to pick out the chords on my guitar.”
Leah could just picture it and it made her smile. She wanted to say something about his music taste. It was a lot like hers. But she caught herself in time. It would be a very natural progression to move on to a discussion of his own band. They were hugely successful and very well known. The last thing she needed was him asking her if she’d been to a concert of his. She thought there was a good chance she’d bring it up, some day. But it would make it so awkward between them. Hey, I went to a gig of yours, back in the day. Oh, you don’t remember? Well, you pulled me up on stage, sang to me, then later you asked for my number. And you kissed me. But you never called me and I don’t know why. Way too awkward.
“What is it?”
