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I don’t care what Rory might or might not have done in the past, she thought. It’s of no importance to me.
But was that entirely true? Carrie didn’t like to admit it, but she was attracted to Rory. Nothing was going to happen between them, but she had found herself thinking about him more than she probably should have done. He had kissed her on the cheek, when she’d left work that time, and she kept thinking about it. What did it mean? What did she want it to mean? She didn’t know. But there was a primal physical attraction there, and she was surprised by it.
She changed back into her clothes and walked back into the shop. ‘I’ll take both dresses, and the mac in black, I think,’ she said. ‘Thanks, Fiona.’
‘Nae bother.’ Fiona nodded and took the dresses from her. ‘Let me put this all in a bag for ye.’ She took the garments to the counter and started putting them through the till. ‘Ten per cent discount fer new customers.’ She twinkled at Carrie, as she gave her the total.
‘That’s very kind of you. Thanks.’ Carrie paid and took her bag.
‘Hope tae see you again soon,’ Fiona said. ‘And I hope the dresses have the desired effect,’ she said, with a wink.
‘But that’s not why…’ Carrie trailed off. ‘They’re for work,’ she added.
‘Aye. Work with Rory McCrae.’ Fiona winked again. ‘No judgement. He’s a good-lookin’ fella, like I said.’
‘That’s not what I was thinking,’ Carrie insisted.
‘Ah, dinnae worry, hen, I’m just teasin’ ye,’ Fiona chuckled. ‘Ye enjoy yerself, that’s what I say. Life’s too short.’
FIFTEEN
‘So, you take the bread dough and knead it like this.’ Rory picked up a ball of soft dough from a stainless-steel tray of perhaps twenty identical balls. His strong hands kneaded the bread dough, stretching and pulling, in and out. Carrie found herself a little hypnotised by the motion, and Rory’s hands themselves, which were large and square and somehow so muscular. She’d never particularly noticed anyone’s hands as being muscular before.
Don’t stare, she told herself. But, of course, she had to pay attention to Rory’s instructions. And that involved watching him.
Nice work if you can get it,Claire’s voice said in her ear. She ignored it.
‘Now you try.’ Rory handed her a lightly floured ball of bread dough.
Their fingers brushed each other’s; Carrie fought the impulse to touch his hand.
‘Okay. Like this?’ Carrie began copying Rory.
He watched her for a moment and nodded, but reached for her hands and held them in his. ‘You’ve almost got it. More like this.’ He gently guided her hands against the dough, pushing and opening her fingers with his.
Carrie tried to concentrate, but the motion of his hands on hers was…
Intensely erotic?Claire’s voice suggested.
It’s something, all right, Carrie thought, hoping she wasn’t blushing.
‘That’s it.’ He caught her eye. ‘Bit like that scene inGhost, isn’t it?’ he chuckled. ‘You know, with the pottery wheel.’
‘Oh. Haha. Maybe.’ Carrie laughed, surprised at Rory’s abrupt change of mood. ‘I hadn’t thought about it. I haven’t seen that film for years.’
‘One of my favourites.’ He took his hands off hers. ‘So, when we’ve kneaded the dough, you put it into the greased, floured tin – see, you’ll need to prep all these,’ he pointed to a pile of small rectangular bread tins stacked neatly by the sink, ‘and let it prove. Then we knead them again and bake them. All right?’
‘Sure.’ Carrie picked up the stack of tins from next to the sink and brought them to her workspace. ‘I’ll get going on these and then finish the kneading.’
‘Great. Thanks. I can give you a hand for ten minutes or so, but then I’ve got to prep the salmon for the gravlax.’
‘So.Ghost.’ Carrie caught Rory’s eye this time. ‘All-time favourite, or you’re just really into Whoopi Goldberg?’
‘Top five. But yeah, I did also loveSister Act,’ he confessed.
‘I’m almost frightened to ask what else made it into the top five.’ Carrie raised her eyebrows as she started to brush oil around the bread tins. ‘Crocodile Dundee?’
‘Crocodile Dundeeis a perfect eighties movie. Don’t try to suggest it isn’t.’ Rory continued kneading the bread dough, a smile lifting the corner of his lip.
