knew it, it was almost a quarter to one in the morning and all they’d done was talk about work. She’d come up with great ideas for the venture herself. She was so enthused about his plans and he was too.
The failed seduction plans had been forgotten now.
The anxieties and flirting and loaded statements that all simultaneously headed them towards bed had been cast aside.
Instead they’d talked. And laughed.
Then he went for it and told her all about him. Amanda, Jake, the whole shebang. Even how Mark ticked him off. That a new man sharing a part of his son’s life made him feel inadequate.
He described how at early twenties he’d been hit by the baby bombshell. Ailsa watched, with eyes that encouraged a man to let it pour. Emotions he’d never voiced. The pragmatic plan to offer Amanda financial support without involvement was laid bare.
“The thing is, when Jake was born it was touch and go if he would survive. He went from being the baby I never wanted with the woman who didn’t want me to being this tiny life; fighting to live. He was premature and so tiny. His whole fist around my one little finger and I was right on his side because I immediately loved him. He made me grow up overnight and all my old selfish stuff didn’t matter. Have you ever had something change you?”
Ailsa nodded.
She knew exactly what Nick meant.
She’d changed when she’d lost Kirsty. Everything had altered overnight.
Finally it felt like the conversation ran its course. Ailsa said, “Come upstairs with me, Nick? I really want to show you something. And it’s something I’ve never shown anyone. It’s private.”
Her eyes were intense. Her lips quivered in hesitation.
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
He figured she wasn’t about to show him her etchings. Or invite him for on-bed fun. This was something far more serious.
But that was okay; Ailsa’s private view was better than seduction on fast speed setting. The real her fired him within. She was unique and enchanting. Kind and funny and ravishing too.
She was so much better when he got to know her than the hot girl with ready kisses he’d met at New Year.
Nick stood up. “Upstairs? I won’t outstay my welcome.”
“I’m not dressed for vamp tactics,” she answered. “Just promise me you won’t think I’m crazy when you find out how this whole thing began.”
***
Ailsa took Nick into her room.
Somehow tonight he’d become a friend. A friend she wanted to tell about her past. She patted the bed to encourage him to sit down next to her. She drew out the box from beneath the bed. It was pink and featured the pink Toile de Jouy print Kirsty loved. Inside was a photo album and Ailsa flicked open the pages.
“This is Kirsty. My big sister. She died and went into a coma when I left London.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Ailsa shook away the sympathies. “She was amazing; the best sister in the whole world. Beautiful, talented, kind. And one day, because she chose to go a different way to work, she got knocked down. The driver never stayed around to find out if she recovered or not. It took a Crimewatch reconstruction to find him. But they did.”
Ailsa knew there were tears running down her face now but she brushed them aside unable to stop now. Nick reached out and took her hand in his warm one.
“I loved her and I still love her. And a few weeks ago I got this letter,” Ailsa went to her drawer and took out the now crumpled envelope. “Kirsty had written it before she died. It blew me away. Spooked me too.”
She handed it to Nick. “It’s okay open it, read it. I don’t mind. She thought I suck at attracting men. She wanted to tell me how to go about being amazing at it like she was. She’d walk in the room and the men would flock. One smile and everybody pulled out her chair. And that’s why I went out at New Year and zoned right in on you. I vowed to change for the better. To play it by Kirsty’s rules. To listen to her advice.”
“You
The failed seduction plans had been forgotten now.
The anxieties and flirting and loaded statements that all simultaneously headed them towards bed had been cast aside.
Instead they’d talked. And laughed.
Then he went for it and told her all about him. Amanda, Jake, the whole shebang. Even how Mark ticked him off. That a new man sharing a part of his son’s life made him feel inadequate.
He described how at early twenties he’d been hit by the baby bombshell. Ailsa watched, with eyes that encouraged a man to let it pour. Emotions he’d never voiced. The pragmatic plan to offer Amanda financial support without involvement was laid bare.
“The thing is, when Jake was born it was touch and go if he would survive. He went from being the baby I never wanted with the woman who didn’t want me to being this tiny life; fighting to live. He was premature and so tiny. His whole fist around my one little finger and I was right on his side because I immediately loved him. He made me grow up overnight and all my old selfish stuff didn’t matter. Have you ever had something change you?”
Ailsa nodded.
She knew exactly what Nick meant.
She’d changed when she’d lost Kirsty. Everything had altered overnight.
Finally it felt like the conversation ran its course. Ailsa said, “Come upstairs with me, Nick? I really want to show you something. And it’s something I’ve never shown anyone. It’s private.”
Her eyes were intense. Her lips quivered in hesitation.
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
He figured she wasn’t about to show him her etchings. Or invite him for on-bed fun. This was something far more serious.
But that was okay; Ailsa’s private view was better than seduction on fast speed setting. The real her fired him within. She was unique and enchanting. Kind and funny and ravishing too.
She was so much better when he got to know her than the hot girl with ready kisses he’d met at New Year.
Nick stood up. “Upstairs? I won’t outstay my welcome.”
“I’m not dressed for vamp tactics,” she answered. “Just promise me you won’t think I’m crazy when you find out how this whole thing began.”
***
Ailsa took Nick into her room.
Somehow tonight he’d become a friend. A friend she wanted to tell about her past. She patted the bed to encourage him to sit down next to her. She drew out the box from beneath the bed. It was pink and featured the pink Toile de Jouy print Kirsty loved. Inside was a photo album and Ailsa flicked open the pages.
“This is Kirsty. My big sister. She died and went into a coma when I left London.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Ailsa shook away the sympathies. “She was amazing; the best sister in the whole world. Beautiful, talented, kind. And one day, because she chose to go a different way to work, she got knocked down. The driver never stayed around to find out if she recovered or not. It took a Crimewatch reconstruction to find him. But they did.”
Ailsa knew there were tears running down her face now but she brushed them aside unable to stop now. Nick reached out and took her hand in his warm one.
“I loved her and I still love her. And a few weeks ago I got this letter,” Ailsa went to her drawer and took out the now crumpled envelope. “Kirsty had written it before she died. It blew me away. Spooked me too.”
She handed it to Nick. “It’s okay open it, read it. I don’t mind. She thought I suck at attracting men. She wanted to tell me how to go about being amazing at it like she was. She’d walk in the room and the men would flock. One smile and everybody pulled out her chair. And that’s why I went out at New Year and zoned right in on you. I vowed to change for the better. To play it by Kirsty’s rules. To listen to her advice.”
“You
Similar Books
