“It’s nice.”
He grins and holds the T-shirt against me. “I’m going to buy it for you.”
I grab his wrist. “You don’t have to.”
“But I want to, so I shall. It’ll be our secret.”
I tug him against me, sandwiching the T-shirt between us. “Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Making me smile and laugh. Helping me relax.”
“You’re welcome.” He kisses me and goes to the till to pay for the T-shirt.
If we can keep carving out time together like this, maybe the holiday won’t be so bad after all.
Chapter 16
Archer
Nervous energy got me out of bed, and even a run and a swim didn’t help exorcise it. So here we are, sitting on a white-washed wall outside a hotel, waiting for the tour bus to pick us up, even though it won’t arrive for at least half an hour.
This isn’t a date. At least, neither of us has dared call it that, but it feels like one. After all, we’re going on a day trip together. We get to walk through the rainforest, swim in pools, and have lunch at a farm. We and up to eighteen other people. So yeah, not a date.
We barely touch. If I move my foot half an inch, we’d be playing footsie, except our sensible walking boots would get in the way. If I relax, my elbow will knock into his, and our upper arms will brush. It’ll be better once we’re on the bus, as any chance of Mum or Barry wandering around the corner at exactly the wrong time will evaporate. Until then, I have to avoid any behaviour that can’t be brushed off as friendly.
It’s been the same for the last two days. I could probably break a record with how many times I’ve had to stop myself flirting with Jacob or touching him. I’m not sure what record, but there must be one; there’s a world record for everything. Like throwing a washing machine the farthest and putting themost paper straws in a beard. This trip will be amazing because I won’t have to hide my feelings for Jacob. It’ll be like the time we spend together in my flat, only without the sex. We’ll be getting a workout of a different kind, as we’re going to walk for three hours along the bottom of a rainforest ravine.
“Are you okay?” Jacob asks.
I jerk my head up. “Huh? Me?”
He smiles. God, I love his smile. “Yes, you. You seem a little tense.”
“No. I’m fine. Looking forward to the trip.” I grin.
“Me too.”
I glance left and right. What are the chances of Mum or Barry appearing? If Mum’s awake, she’s probably already on a sun lounger. You couldn’t pay me to do nothing but work on a tan for three days, let alone two weeks. Once or twice, Barry has mentioned coming on a trip with us but baulked at the idea of this one due to the amount of walking on uneven terrain it involves. Besides, he’s spent most of his time sitting with or near Mum. Am I being needlessly paranoid? Maybe. But Mum reading my text messages hammered home how easy it would be for this thing I’ve got going with Jacob to be discovered, and then he’d run a mile. Unlike Yumbo Centrum, this hotel is a short walk from our villa. It’s also right next to our closest shop, so there’s a chance that Mum or Barry—probably Barry—nip out to buy something while we’re sitting here.
“You’re so fidgety this morning,” Jacob says.
“Just wondering when the bus will be here.”
“Soon.”
A family joins us in sturdy boots and huge rucksacks. I guess they’re waiting for the same bus.
“How soon?”
Jacob laughs. “We were early, and the tour info says they could be up to twenty minutes late. I’m normally the one who’s tense.”
“Tense? I’m not tense.” I shift, my knee knocking against his. “I’m looking forward to spending time with you where we don’t have to look over our shoulders.”
“Me too.” He inches towards my hand but pulls away.
And that’s why this trip means so much to me. We’ll be able to touch freely. I hadn’t realised how much I needed him to hold me until he couldn’t.
