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“I have to get home. It’s been a big day and I need to crash before starting all over again tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
He slid several notes onto the table before she could reach for her purse and he held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest.
“My shout. I asked you to come, I want to pay. Besides, you never know when I might need a snappy espresso fix again and I want to keep the proprietor of that great place next door happy.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she said, secretly thrilled by his chivalry in insisting on paying, remembering the old times they’d had to go Dutch because they both didn’t have a spare cent to their names.
“Will it?”
“What can I say? The café’s my baby.”
“You have every right to be proud. It’s a great place.”
He took hold of her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his touch warm and steady, infusing her with a sense of security she hadn’t had in a long time.
“I know.”
This wasn’t a time for false modesty. She knew theNichewas fabulous, from it’s cozy corner with low leather sofas in the softest fawn surrounded by comfortable matching ottomans and strategically placed fuchsia and turquoise bolster cushions, to the monstrous timber bar topped by stainless steel with its co-ordinated bar stools.
She loved every inch of the place, from the exquisite water views to the views of Melbourne’s city skyline. She’d built it up from scratch, competing in a high-end hospitality market, and could now proudly say it held its own.
TheNichewas exactly that for her: a niche in Melbourne, a personal space, a home. Something she’d craved since leaving Rainbow Creek, something concrete and solid and all hers to fill the aching void in her heart.
He squeezed her hand, understanding exactly where she was coming from. He should, she’d bared her soul to him, poured out her hopes and dreams about owning a place just like theNicheall those years ago.
Pity he hadn’t listened to her other dream, the one where she’d said ‘till death do us part.’
“Would you like me to take you home?”
“No, but thanks for offering. Still the gentleman, huh?”
In a rash, spur of the moment gesture she didn’t rationalize and would probably regret later, she leaned forward and placed a quick peck on his cheek, fighting the urge to linger.
His stubble prickled her lips, leaving them tingling and hyper sensitive as she inhaled deeply, savoring his natural, outdoorsy scent. Crushed leaves, the woodsy cedar instantly transporting her back to Rainbow Creek and the huge cedar tree with its old rubber tyre she used to swing on in her parents’ backyard when he’d pushed her for hours one sultry Sunday afternoon.
It was a safe smell, an evocative smell, and she pulled away fast before she did something crazier, like fling herself into his arms, how she used to run from the swing into his waiting arms.
“I guess there’s something to be said for old-fashioned manners if that’s the type of response I get,” he said, rubbing his cheek where she’d left the faintest lipstick mark, a goofy grin on his face.
Her heart hitched at the familiarity of his expression, the same loopy way he’d looked at her when she’d served him the very first day they’d met, and she swayed toward him, torn between wanting to fling herself into his arms and resurrect the good old days and run as far from him as she could get.
Pulling up short, she hoped he hadn’t read the yearning in her face. “I don’t have far to go.”
“Okay then. I guess we call it a night.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me, Cam.”
She held her breath as he leaned toward her, his head descending slowly, her heart pounding in anticipation of a good night kiss she shouldn’t want so damn much.
He took his time and she clenched her hands into fists to stop from reaching out, bunching his T-shirt, and yanking him closer.
Her eyelids fluttered shut and she tilted her face up, silently praying he’d go for her lips, guessing he’d play the gentleman to the end and settle for her cheek after all this time.
“You have my card. Use it,” he whispered against her ear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin behind her lobe and sending tiny shivers of desire down her spine.
