saying Sebastian kissed you because he was desperate? That’s not very self-complimentary is it?’
‘What?’ That wasn’t very amusing in her opinion. ‘I didn’t mean he was kissing me because he was desperate. I meant he was desperate to kiss me. There’s a big difference, you know. Huge! He said he’d been dreaming about me all night and he couldn’t wait to hold me in his arms again, to make love to me like we used to, to ... God! Why am I telling you this?’
He scowled. ‘Really? He said all that and you were still unsuspecting ... and unwilling when he kissed you. My, my. Didn’t you believe him?’
‘Of course I believed ...! Look, I’m not going to continue this conversation with you. I came here to work, not discuss my sex life. This may come as a surprise to you, oh Lord and Master, but what I do in my personal life really is no concern of yours. And ... not that that is what happened as I think I’ve explained in some detail, but if I want to kiss another man, I’ll damn well do so whether I’m engaged or not. Is that clear?’
Their eyes locked for several seconds and her breath came in short sharp gasps.
‘Practically engaged,’ he said, grinning slightly. ‘You’re not engaged yet, or so I’ve been led to believe. And yes, that’s perfectly clear. I’ll bear it in mind for the future. I assume you’re staying. If so, once you’ve restacked the boxes, you can make some coffee if that’s okay with you. I’ll be working on the beds out the back for about three quarters of an hour so I’ll be ready for a cup by the time I finish that. I take mine white with no sugar.’
Carole tutted. ‘It won’t take me that long to stack the boxes and make coffee,’ she said with a hint of annoyance, taking off her coat and tossing it onto one of the chairs.
‘I should hope not,’ he replied, stroking Nicodemus who was standing by his side. ‘But I’m guessing you’ll want to give the kitchen a thorough going over before you even attempt to touch the kettle – and that will.’
‘Very funny,’ she said, even though she knew he was absolutely correct; that was exactly what she would do.
He glanced across at her and his eyes seemed even darker as they travelled the length of her body, stopping their journey at her flushed face.
She fidgeted, feeling somehow almost naked by the way he was looking at her.
‘They fit,’ she said, pulling at the hem of the tight T-shirt before realising that emphasised her curves even more.
‘So I see,’ he said, coughing as if something had stuck in his throat.
‘Haven’t you got work to do?’ she added.
‘What? Oh yes. Sorry, I was just wondering why those clothes look so much better on you than they ever did on Mary. It seems an inch definitely does make all the difference.’
He smiled down at Nicodemus, cocked his head to one side to indicate the hound should follow him and marched off towards the land at the back of the garden centre without another word, leaving Carole fuming in his wake.
‘That man makes me so mad,’ she said through clenched teeth.
She was sorely tempted to throw something at his back only because she was stupidly hoping that he’d turn round and smile at her the way he’d just smiled at his dog. And that thought made her madder still.
CHAPTER NINE
Carole felt very tired by the time she got back to her gran’s cottage around midday. It wasn’t because she’d been working so hard at the garden centre although she had certainly done that. She’d stacked the boxes, swept the very large floor space, moved piles of pots and plants and various other things to make more space and tidy around them, and then she’d cleaned the kitchen.
By the time Nick came in for coffee, he said he hardly recognised the place and asked if, like the animated version of Cinderella, she had a secret army of mice and birds to help her. She wasn’t sure if he was pleased or not and when he took his
‘What?’ That wasn’t very amusing in her opinion. ‘I didn’t mean he was kissing me because he was desperate. I meant he was desperate to kiss me. There’s a big difference, you know. Huge! He said he’d been dreaming about me all night and he couldn’t wait to hold me in his arms again, to make love to me like we used to, to ... God! Why am I telling you this?’
He scowled. ‘Really? He said all that and you were still unsuspecting ... and unwilling when he kissed you. My, my. Didn’t you believe him?’
‘Of course I believed ...! Look, I’m not going to continue this conversation with you. I came here to work, not discuss my sex life. This may come as a surprise to you, oh Lord and Master, but what I do in my personal life really is no concern of yours. And ... not that that is what happened as I think I’ve explained in some detail, but if I want to kiss another man, I’ll damn well do so whether I’m engaged or not. Is that clear?’
Their eyes locked for several seconds and her breath came in short sharp gasps.
‘Practically engaged,’ he said, grinning slightly. ‘You’re not engaged yet, or so I’ve been led to believe. And yes, that’s perfectly clear. I’ll bear it in mind for the future. I assume you’re staying. If so, once you’ve restacked the boxes, you can make some coffee if that’s okay with you. I’ll be working on the beds out the back for about three quarters of an hour so I’ll be ready for a cup by the time I finish that. I take mine white with no sugar.’
Carole tutted. ‘It won’t take me that long to stack the boxes and make coffee,’ she said with a hint of annoyance, taking off her coat and tossing it onto one of the chairs.
‘I should hope not,’ he replied, stroking Nicodemus who was standing by his side. ‘But I’m guessing you’ll want to give the kitchen a thorough going over before you even attempt to touch the kettle – and that will.’
‘Very funny,’ she said, even though she knew he was absolutely correct; that was exactly what she would do.
He glanced across at her and his eyes seemed even darker as they travelled the length of her body, stopping their journey at her flushed face.
She fidgeted, feeling somehow almost naked by the way he was looking at her.
‘They fit,’ she said, pulling at the hem of the tight T-shirt before realising that emphasised her curves even more.
‘So I see,’ he said, coughing as if something had stuck in his throat.
‘Haven’t you got work to do?’ she added.
‘What? Oh yes. Sorry, I was just wondering why those clothes look so much better on you than they ever did on Mary. It seems an inch definitely does make all the difference.’
He smiled down at Nicodemus, cocked his head to one side to indicate the hound should follow him and marched off towards the land at the back of the garden centre without another word, leaving Carole fuming in his wake.
‘That man makes me so mad,’ she said through clenched teeth.
She was sorely tempted to throw something at his back only because she was stupidly hoping that he’d turn round and smile at her the way he’d just smiled at his dog. And that thought made her madder still.
CHAPTER NINE
Carole felt very tired by the time she got back to her gran’s cottage around midday. It wasn’t because she’d been working so hard at the garden centre although she had certainly done that. She’d stacked the boxes, swept the very large floor space, moved piles of pots and plants and various other things to make more space and tidy around them, and then she’d cleaned the kitchen.
By the time Nick came in for coffee, he said he hardly recognised the place and asked if, like the animated version of Cinderella, she had a secret army of mice and birds to help her. She wasn’t sure if he was pleased or not and when he took his
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