‘This is delicious.’
She beamed at him. ‘It is.’
He ate another mouthful and watched as Tasha drank some of her coffee. She had a thoughtful expression on her face, and he presumed she was as reluctant to leave as he was to part with her.
Instantly losing his appetite, Callum picked up his coffee and drank a little before placing the cup back in its saucer.
‘What’s the matter?’ Tasha asked, frowning.
He stared at her, determined not to show how upset he felt about her imminent departure. He despised emotional blackmail and had no intention of using it on her. If Tasha needed to move on and find her next chapter then he had no right to get in her way. He loved her and wanted her to be with him, but more than that he wanted to see her happy and if returning to England and finding work that she loved doing was how that would happen, then he would do everything he could to help her.
She reached out and took one of his hands in hers. ‘Callum?’
‘Yes?’ He didn’t want to discuss what would happen once she returned to England but knew he had little choice if he was to support her wishes.
‘You know you said I could stay here, if I wanted to?’
Was she about to tell him she wasn’t going? He pushed the hope aside, not daring to believe she was about to change her mind. ‘Of course.’
‘Well, does the offer still stand?’
He smiled. ‘It does. Why?’
‘I’ve been up for hours thinking.’
He hid his nervousness, desperate to know what she had decided. ‘You have?’
She nodded. ‘I’ve decided I’m not ready to leave yet.’
His heart raced. ‘Good. I’m not ready for you to go either.’
She sighed. ‘I’m so relieved.’
‘Why?’ he asked, confused.
‘Well, it’s one thing to offer for someone to stay in your home, but another entirely when they do decide to stay.’ She shrugged. ‘I’d hate to outstay my welcome.’
He laughed, unable to help himself. ‘You could never do that, Tasha. I want you to stay as long as you want.’ He lifted her hand to his lips and, turning it over, kissed her palm. ‘The longer the better.’
Tasha stood and, coming around to his side of the table, pushed it away from him to make more room. Callum wondered what she was doing, when she sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck.
‘I promise I won’t be an annoying flatmate,’ she said, kissing him.
Callum wrapped his arms around her and lost himself in her kiss. If this was how his mornings were going to be from now on, or even if they weren’t, he doubted he would ever find Tasha to be anything other than an ideal flatmate.
51
CALLUM
Later that morning, Callum’s phone rang. He waited for the caller to get bored and ring off, but when they didn’t he picked it up and saw it was Erin. Hearing Tasha singing in the shower, he smiled, loving how well they got along and how much more he was enjoying his life since she had come into it.
He answered the call. ‘How does it feel to be a married woman, Erin?’
‘Don’t you give me a hard time too, Callum. I’ve had more than enough with Mum’s theatrics.’ She sighed huffily, making him smile to hear her familiar note of irritation. ‘I would hope you’d be pleased to know I was happy at last.’
‘At last? You’re hardly a spinster sitting on a shelf in one of those Victorian novels. Anyway didn’t you always insist marriage wasn’t for you?’
‘No, Callum. What I said was that I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever find anyone worth marrying.’
