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‘That’s the one.’ Candy nodded. ‘When I first moved out of home last year we went out, though not for very long.’
‘You only moved out last year?’
‘Believe me, twenty-four years of age is way too early in my family, unless it’s to get married. I should only have moved out to marry the boyfriend they had sort of pressed onto me... Instead, I dumped him and rented a flat.’
‘That would have been tough,’ Steele commented.
‘Yes, it caused a lot of arguments with my parents and I mean a lot, but in the end it was far easier to do that than marry someone just because my parents considered him suitable. Anyway, Gerry helped me a bit with the move, given that my parents were sulking. We went out for a while, like I said, but pretty quickly I ended it. That was last year but he’s been having a few problems of late. He asked if we could go out for a drink a couple of months ago...’ Candy gave an uncomfortable shrug.
‘One thing led to another?’ Steele checked, and she nodded.
‘It was a complete mistake on my part—he thought that signalled we were back together and he wasn’t best pleased to find out we’re not. Since then he’s been making things difficult for me at work. No one knows that we slept together again, thank God.’ She looked at Steele, surprised she could meet his eyes after her big revelation. ‘It should serve as a reminder—never get involved with anyone from work.’
‘Too late,’ Steele said. ‘I think we both know we’re heading for bed—guilt free.’
He liked it that she blushed and he liked it even more that she didn’t disagree with him. Now was the time to make it clear that, though this could be incredibly pleasant, there was no question of it lasting for very long.
‘I can assure you that I won’t turn into a monster when we’re over,’ Steele said, not very gently spelling it out for her. ‘I have very many exes who will tell you the same.’
Candy sat there as a delectable plate of roast beef, with all the trimmings, was placed in front of her. She was glad of the chance to think over his words rather than react immediately to them as she smiled and thanked the waitress. Steele was sitting there basically telling her that he was a playboy and warning her that before they started they had a use-by date hanging over them.
The strange thing for Candy was that she didn’t mind. His openness was, in fact, refreshing. She was tired of games, tired of pretending she was enjoying herself. Tired of simply going along for the sake of going along. Gerry had got way too serious too soon, and Franco had been happy to marry her before they’d had so much as a coffee. She had been brought up with the expectation that any man she dated was a potential husband and had to somehow be a suitable provider. It drove Candy insane. She wanted to be twenty-four, she wanted to have fun, and with Steele she could. With him it was different—there were no games, just pleasure to be had with no expectation or end aim. There was something so unique about him, something that said she deserved to have sex with him at least once in her lifetime.
‘What are you smiling at?’
‘My thoughts,’ Candy said. ‘And they’re not for sharing.’
‘Would your parents be disappointed in you if they knew what they were?’
‘Very.’ She smiled.
‘Good.’
‘So you’re here for six weeks?’ Candy checked.
‘Five now,’ Steele said, ‘and the last two of them without you, given that you’ll be off on your holiday.’
Getting over you, she thought.
But, oh, at least she’d get to be under him.
That was the only sex Candy knew.
‘Then where will you be living?’ she asked.
‘Kent,’ Steele said. ‘It’s an amazing opportunity. I’m overseeing a complete overhaul of their geriatric department. I’m implementing an acute geriatric unit, where all medical patients will be admitted first.’
He had such energy for his job. Candy could hear it in every word he spoke. They had the loveliest lunch, chatting about work, about them, oh, about lots of things, but then Steele said he had to get back.
‘I’m speaking with Macey’s nieces at two. I’ll give you a lift home...’
