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Nice one, Gabs. With any luck she’d be tipped overboard and get swallowed up by the depths of the river.
‘You could try it and see.’
Was he laughing at her? Yup. Her mortification had triggered an upward quirk of his lips and his eyes had a wicked glint that turned her knees wobbly.
‘In your dreams!’
‘Probably,’ he agreed, and her cheeks heated as she narrowed her eyes at him.
‘You need to take this seriously!’
Yet it wasn’t possible not to smile back, not to revel in the flirtatious undertones, the shimmer of attraction that vested their conversation with a thrill.
‘I am. This is part of getting in character—you said we need to almost believe it ourselves. Two people in a fun, flirty relationship where we kick back and enjoy ourselves. Have a bit of banter. That’s what a fun fling is all about, isn’t it?’
‘I wouldn’t know.’ To her own irritation she could hear wistfulness in her voice.
His lips twisted ruefully. ‘Neither would I.’
Realisation dawned on her that he wouldn’t. This guy was a one-woman man, and that in itself sent a cascade of emotion through her, a glow not of desire but warmth. Stop! Lust was bad enough. Warmth was not an affordable emotion.
Before she could stop herself she asked, ‘So since Claudia you really haven’t dated anyone? Or seen anyone? Or...done anything with anyone?’ Very subtle, Gabs.
‘No, I haven’t.’ He leant the oars against the side of the boat, that amused glint back in his eyes. ‘If you’re asking what I think you’re asking—no, I haven’t. Slept with anyone.’
‘Oh.’
Gabby knew she should leave it, but she was having a little difficulty with the whole concept.
‘I understand that you loved Claudia very much and you want to remain faithful to her memory...’
The boat jolted as Zander resumed rowing, his actions jerkier than before, the amused glint vanished.
‘But surely you don’t plan to remain celibate all your life? I mean, why haven’t you had a fun fling? For real? Or a one-night stand?’
For a moment she wasn’t sure he’d answer, wasn’t sure she should have asked. Then he shrugged.
‘I’ve been busy. These past five years I’ve put all my energy into my business. It hasn’t been a deliberate choice as such to avoid women, but I haven’t had the time or the inclination to indulge in any sort of a relationship.’
The word was said as if it were a contagious disease rather than an indulgence.
‘So that’s me. What about you? I gather you aren’t a fan of fun flings. But what about past relationships?’
Damn. Now she really regretted asking him anything, because she could hardly refuse to reciprocate. Though she could at least prevaricate...
‘My turn to row, I think.’
‘Sure.’
It was only then that she realised her mistake, because now they had to swap places, manoeuvre past each other. Rising, she tried to steady herself as the skiff bobbed on the water, and for a moment she wondered if she’d topple over. Then, in one lithe movement, Zander stood up, somehow balanced his weight so that the skiff itself seemed to steady, and his hands were on her waist, steadying her.
Chill, Gabby.
Zander was holding her for practical reasons, to help her get her balance. But, hell, it didn’t feel like that. Her body’s reaction was downright personal, and the cotton of her T-shirt was a flimsy barrier as they carefully edged their way round in a circle, their bodies close. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. It was a Herculean effort not to close the gap between them.
Finally he released her, and she lowered herself into the vacated seat and picked up the oars. She watched the ripples in the water and glanced at the trees that fringed the lake, their branches swaying in the slight breeze, the different shades of green redolent of new beginnings and growth. She looked anywhere but at Zander until she had her breathing back under control.
‘Right. Past relationships. There are two. Steve and Miles. Neither worked out.’
