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But it was impossible not to stare down at the strong, capable hand covering hers. As she did so, she examined the unique silver and jet ring that he wore. It comprised two black stones in a figure of eight setting and didn’t detract from his masculinity one iota… In fact it enhanced it. She found herself strangely reluctant to extricate herself.
Speaking her thoughts out loud, she commented, ‘That’s a beautiful ring.’
‘Yes, it is. It was a gift.’
He probably should have got rid of the thing, come to think of it, because it certainly wasn’t for sentimental reasons that he still wore it. But Jake wasn’t about to tell Caitlin that the jewellery had been given to him by his ex-wife Jodie a year and a day after they were married and six months before they divorced.
It suddenly occurred to him to wonder if she’d read the sordid little story of their break-up in the newspapers at the time. But, as she hadn’t even indicated that she knew who he was when they’d first met, Jake took refuge in the thought that perhaps the scandal had somehow passed her by.
Withdrawing his hand abruptly from hers, he glanced across the now slowly emptying pub at Rick, who was still engaged in conversation with the buxom Tina Stevens. There was no sign of the blonde’s previous admirer, Jake saw.
Turning back to Caitlin, he asked, ‘Have you had enough?’ His glance fell on her barely drunk glass of wine.
‘Is that a hint you want to leave?’
‘I think I should take you home. You look done in.’
‘You don’t need to take me. I’m quite capable—’
‘Why don’t you just put your coat on?’
Outside the wind was fierce as Caitlin walked along the deserted pavement with Jake. He walked with eyes front, one hand jammed into the back pocket of his jeans, his handsome profile ominously unsmiling as his dark hair blew across his face.
‘How far do you live from here?’ he asked, ‘We can take my car if you’re tired. I’ve barely drunk anything at all.’
‘I’m only ten minutes up the road and I prefer to walk. But I don’t expect you to walk with me.’
Caitlin couldn’t help feeling tense. It was near impossible to guess what he was thinking or feeling. The man was a law unto himself. And the tension between them hadn’t eased one iota. If anything it was worse.
‘So, how do you feel about the way things are going?’
Taking her by surprise, Jake turned his head to examine her as they walked. It took a few seconds for her to get her thoughts together.
‘You mean the rehearsals? I think they’re going well. I mean, I know I’ve still got a lot to learn, but as well as learning the songs when I’m with the band I’m working on them at home whenever I get the time.’
She tucked her flying hair behind her ear and tried to relax, but it was hard when her companion’s enigmatic expression hardly revealed what he might be feeling.
He sighed. ‘You’re doing just fine, Caitlin. I have no doubt that you’re the perfect singer for Blue Sky. You’re got a great voice, you’re beautiful and sexy…you’re the whole package. But even great talent can’t make it work on its own. Blue Sky isn’t some five-minute wonder, like some of these manufactured bands that litter the charts. A lot of those bands are the product of slick marketing, purely designed to make money. They’re not about real, dedicated musicians who get together because they’re passionate about music. I told you it wasn’t going to be easy. If anything, it’s going to get harder. There’s still a lot of work ahead before we start touring, and then the pressure really will be on. I suppose I just want to know whether your commitment is total, or whether you wouldn’t prefer staying here in the village, working in your little book store? Don’t get me wrong—I can see how that must have its appeal for a girl like you.’
‘What do you mean, a girl like me?’ Already bristling at what she perceived as Jake’s patronising tone, Caitlin glared at him in the lamplight. ‘You don’t even know me.’
Raising a dark eyebrow, he smiled. ‘I know you like to pretend you’re tougher than you look, that you can handle anything I throw at you, but—’
