In the end, James accompanied Cassie into the shower, so they didn’t even have time for lunch before they dived into a taxi.
‘Are you sure you want to come all the way to the airport?’ she asked.
‘Yep.’
They held hands and talked about nothing and everything in the back of the cab.
When it was time for Cassie to go through airport security, James took her hands and kissed her full on the lips.
‘Can’t wait to see you on Wednesday,’ he said.
‘Me too.’ Cassie looked gorgeous when she’d just been kissed, her eyes hazy and her lips plump and red.
She turned round to leave, and as she moved away, James said, ‘I love you.’
Her back stiffened and she turned round, her mouth forming an O shape and her eyes wide.
She looked stunned, frankly.
As well she might. He was pretty stunned himself.
He’d just told her he loved her. And they’d only been in each other’s lives since April, what, seven months ago. And, yes, they’d talked alotand they’d spent some time together, including this whole fantastic weekend, and they’d spent last night having a lot of fantastic sex. But what the hell had he beenthinkingsaying he loved her?
He was pretty sure hedidlove her.
Certain, actually.
But you didn’t tell someone you loved them when you barely knew them. Or when there was no chance of things going anywhere because you didn’t live in the same place and one of you was never having kids and the other was desperate for a baby.
She didn’t even know the full story of why he didn’t want kids. He’d have to tell her, as soon as possible. He couldn’t say he loved her with all that that might imply without giving her the full facts about himself. He’d broken his own rule of not letting anyone think he was more serious about them than he was.
Although, in fact, he was serious about her. But he did not want kids and she did. He should not have told her he loved her.
What. An. Idiot.
She was still staring at him.
Oh, to hell with it. He’d talk to her about it properly later in the week.
‘I love you,’ he repeated.
Twenty-Four
Cassie
Cassie’s tote was swinging uncomfortably from her elbow from when it had fallen down when she’d spun round to stare at James. She hitched it back onto her shoulder.
He’d just told her he loved her. Twice. She should definitely reply. Unfortunately, it seemed that she couldn’t speak.
‘Excuse me.’ A tall woman in extremely pink lipstick and a heavily shoulder-padded power suit gestured at the door behind Cassie and the handful of people behind herself. ‘A queue’s forming.’
‘Oops, yes, so sorry.’ Cassie tried to move to one side to let people through, but there wasn’t space. And she was supposed to be boarding any minute. And she had no idea what to say.
So she lifted her non-bag arm and gave James a little wave, said, ‘Bye,’ and scuttled through the door with the tall woman close behind.
What? What? What? James had told her he loved her, twice, and she’d told himBye. She stepped onto a travelator in a daze, thinking about James’s face as she’d left him. He’d been smiling when he spoke but the smile had faded significantly when she’d just walked off.
What should she do now?
