me. She was always late …’
At that moment it seemed vitally important to pull her out of that memory so, operating on instinct, he bent down and kissed her, hoping to distract her.
Except that it was he who found himself swept away, lost in the moment. She tasted so sweet, soft as her arms drifted up to settle around his neck and her fingers played with his hair. She pulled away from the kiss and her eyes were deep and mysterious when she looked up at him. ‘I like that I can be myself with you.’
‘Good.’
‘And that you don’t sulk.’
Nick brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. ‘You should see me when I don’t get to hold the TV remote.’
‘You’re strong and sensible and you have nice hands,’ Clem whispered. ‘And I like the way you kiss.’ She yawned and glanced towards the window and the billowing curtains. The sudden sound of rain hitting the roof filled the room.
Clem yawned. ‘Rain’s here.’
‘Mmm.’
‘I’ll be OK ‘cos you’re here. ‘Night.’
Nick watched her eyes close and within secondsshe was asleep. He kissed her forehead, her cheek and then her mouth. ‘Night, sweetheart.’
Nick felt her slump against him and gently banged his head against the headboard. He could handle bratty Clem and smart-mouth Clem and even flirty Clem, but sweet, soft, vulnerable Clem had the ability to wiggle her way into his heart.
Sweet Clem was far, far more dangerous than Sexy Clem could ever be.
It was sheer coincidence that Clem’s godmother and her family were spending a week at the private villa during Clem’s stay at Two-B and Clem and Nick accepted Gina’s invitation to dinner at the villa a few days after Andy’s party. After a gourmet meal from the private chef, Clem took her coffee and sat next to Gina on one of the three couches on the veranda. She looked past Gina and saw that Nick was sitting next to Fabio and they were looking at something on Fabio’s laptop.
Gina held her cognac glass with one hand and took Clem’s hand with her other. ‘You’re looking better. Not so unhappy, not so haunted.’
Darling Gina, so upfront and in your face. Clem leaned back, crossed her legs and blew out her cheeks. ‘I know. I feel … I feel like I’m coming back to me.’
‘Tell me more.’
Clem tried to find a way to describe how she was feeling. ‘Um … the best way to explain it is that it’s almost like being on a long trip with anold friend who I haven’t seen for years and I’m getting to know her again.’
‘And that’s a good thing?’
‘It’s a very good thing.’ Clem smiled.
‘And are you a little in love?’ Gina asked, sending a sly glance into the house.
Clem shook her head. ‘I can’t afford to think like that, Gee. I don’t know me, so how can I know what I’m feeling towards someone else?’
Gina placed her cognac on the table next to her and leaned forward, her face serious. ‘I’m glad you’ve left Cai; he was no good for you.’
Clem tapped her fingernail against her coffee cup. ‘Funny that I’ve hardly thought about him, but I have been thinking about Mum a lot lately. That so much has been expected of me from so many people—teachers, the press, my parents—because of my genes. And that I’ve disgraced her memory.’
Gina’s hand gripped hers and her eyes flashed with temper. ‘You are
not
your mother, Clem, so don’t you dare say that!’
‘Oh, Gee, thank you, but the reality is that I’ve made a pig’s ear of my life.’
‘But it’s your life to make a pig’s ear of!’ Gina pursed her lips. ‘I loved Roz deeply but she failed you.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘When you have a child you’ve got to accept that your life will change, that this little person will come first. Roz never got that and you sufferedfor it. She loved you, I know she did, as much as she could, but … it was never enough for you.’
Clem blinked back her tears. ‘No, it was never enough for me. I have an emptiness inside … I can’t explain
At that moment it seemed vitally important to pull her out of that memory so, operating on instinct, he bent down and kissed her, hoping to distract her.
Except that it was he who found himself swept away, lost in the moment. She tasted so sweet, soft as her arms drifted up to settle around his neck and her fingers played with his hair. She pulled away from the kiss and her eyes were deep and mysterious when she looked up at him. ‘I like that I can be myself with you.’
‘Good.’
‘And that you don’t sulk.’
Nick brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. ‘You should see me when I don’t get to hold the TV remote.’
‘You’re strong and sensible and you have nice hands,’ Clem whispered. ‘And I like the way you kiss.’ She yawned and glanced towards the window and the billowing curtains. The sudden sound of rain hitting the roof filled the room.
Clem yawned. ‘Rain’s here.’
‘Mmm.’
‘I’ll be OK ‘cos you’re here. ‘Night.’
Nick watched her eyes close and within secondsshe was asleep. He kissed her forehead, her cheek and then her mouth. ‘Night, sweetheart.’
Nick felt her slump against him and gently banged his head against the headboard. He could handle bratty Clem and smart-mouth Clem and even flirty Clem, but sweet, soft, vulnerable Clem had the ability to wiggle her way into his heart.
Sweet Clem was far, far more dangerous than Sexy Clem could ever be.
It was sheer coincidence that Clem’s godmother and her family were spending a week at the private villa during Clem’s stay at Two-B and Clem and Nick accepted Gina’s invitation to dinner at the villa a few days after Andy’s party. After a gourmet meal from the private chef, Clem took her coffee and sat next to Gina on one of the three couches on the veranda. She looked past Gina and saw that Nick was sitting next to Fabio and they were looking at something on Fabio’s laptop.
Gina held her cognac glass with one hand and took Clem’s hand with her other. ‘You’re looking better. Not so unhappy, not so haunted.’
Darling Gina, so upfront and in your face. Clem leaned back, crossed her legs and blew out her cheeks. ‘I know. I feel … I feel like I’m coming back to me.’
‘Tell me more.’
Clem tried to find a way to describe how she was feeling. ‘Um … the best way to explain it is that it’s almost like being on a long trip with anold friend who I haven’t seen for years and I’m getting to know her again.’
‘And that’s a good thing?’
‘It’s a very good thing.’ Clem smiled.
‘And are you a little in love?’ Gina asked, sending a sly glance into the house.
Clem shook her head. ‘I can’t afford to think like that, Gee. I don’t know me, so how can I know what I’m feeling towards someone else?’
Gina placed her cognac on the table next to her and leaned forward, her face serious. ‘I’m glad you’ve left Cai; he was no good for you.’
Clem tapped her fingernail against her coffee cup. ‘Funny that I’ve hardly thought about him, but I have been thinking about Mum a lot lately. That so much has been expected of me from so many people—teachers, the press, my parents—because of my genes. And that I’ve disgraced her memory.’
Gina’s hand gripped hers and her eyes flashed with temper. ‘You are
not
your mother, Clem, so don’t you dare say that!’
‘Oh, Gee, thank you, but the reality is that I’ve made a pig’s ear of my life.’
‘But it’s your life to make a pig’s ear of!’ Gina pursed her lips. ‘I loved Roz deeply but she failed you.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘When you have a child you’ve got to accept that your life will change, that this little person will come first. Roz never got that and you sufferedfor it. She loved you, I know she did, as much as she could, but … it was never enough for you.’
Clem blinked back her tears. ‘No, it was never enough for me. I have an emptiness inside … I can’t explain
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