‘Lets.’ Not thinking too much about it, he closed his eyes, still facing her. There was something simple about being this close. Nothing suggestive or sexy, just comforting. Two friends happy to be together. He let the warmth envelop him and take him to a happy place.
Chapter Fifteen
Clara
Clara glanced down to find her hand entwined with Sam’s, his larger fingers wrapped around hers on top of the duvet cover. When had that happened? The warmth of his palm was like a soothing balm to her chilly fingers. His grip was solid and comforting. She nuzzled into the pillow with a sigh. Some lucky woman would one day get the benefit of this and so much more. She was just stealing it while she could.
Careful not to disturb him, she shifted into a comfier position, taking in the sight of him in the faint morning light. Asleep, with his hair tousled against the pillow and slightly parted lips, he looked so peaceful, so natural.
After a few moments, he stirred, his eyes blinking open, and he stared at her, his astonishingly blue irises wide and bright. He let go of her hand before saying rather hoarsely, ‘Morning. And sorry. I’m not sure when I took hold of your hand.’
‘Morning,’ she whispered back, smiling. ‘It’s fine. Just part of the authentic fake-date experience.’
‘Ah, I see. I knew you’d have an explanation.’
‘Sleep well?’
‘On and off.’ He yawned, rolling onto his back. ‘I kept waking up and thinking I wouldn’t get back to sleep, but I must have done.’
‘Yeah. I’m always like that in strange beds. I usually don’t get used to them until the night before I leave a place.’
He chuckled. ‘Sounds about right.’ He flipped back the duvet and swung his legs out of bed, stretching his arms up.
Clara’s eyes drifted over his bare shoulders, lingering for a moment longer than she meant to. She hadn’t quite expected him to look… well, like that. His forearms had been one thing, but this was quite another. He was lean and muscular, and his back looked strong.
‘I hope you’re looking forward to meeting a lot of people today.’ Stooping down, he retrieved his shirt from the floor. He stood up to pull it on, and Clara got a brief view of a well-defined chest before the t-shirt eclipsed it.
‘Yeah. I am.’ She sat up.
‘We’ll go to Dom’s after breakfast. He’ll be busy with wedding prep, something we won’t stay long. That way we won’t have to do too much faking.’
‘I’ll just have to try not to laugh and give the game away.’
‘Well, if you start laughing, I’ll just tell him you’re a naturally funny person.’
‘Good plan.’ She watched as Sam left the room, barely resisting the urge to cuddle back into the warm duvet and bask in the heat he’d left. She should probably get up and get ready. And she could really do with a coffee before the shenanigans started.
Later that morning, Sam rolled the car up a short gravel drive, tyres crunching softly in the pale morning light. Dominic and Astrid’s house came into view – a handsome sweep of blond sandstone glowing faintly gold against the fresh green blooming on the surrounding trees. Daffodils bobbed along the borders, and the scent of damp grass drifted through the open window.
Dominic had warned Sam that things might be a bit chaotic, which apparently wasn’t unusual for him – from what Sam had said, Dominic thrived on chaos.
Clara didn’t mind; hopefully the briefness of the visit would mean less scrutiny regarding their relationship history. A thread of nerves wound through her chest.
‘Nice house.’ Clara took in the honeyed stone and the climbing wisteria just beginning to bud, trying to calm herself.
‘Yeah. Dominic’s done well for himself – made good money in business.’ Sam pulled the car up before the house.
As they got out, a man appeared in the doorway, grinning. He wasn’t quite as tall as Sam but was a commanding presence. His teeth were very white, and he was handsome in a distinguished kind of way.
‘Here goes.’ Sam winked at Clara.
She suddenly felt like she’d been thrust into a fire – her face was very warm. Crossing her fingers, she intoned inside her head,please don’t let me mess this up.
‘Sam, the man.’ Dominic stepped forward, embracing Sam in a solid man-hug. Clara held back, toying with her bag strap and adjusting the neckline of her loose white top.
‘So good to see you.’ Sam shifted back, grinning. ‘This is Clara, my… girlfriend.’ His voice shook slightly on the word, which wasn’t like him.
Clara stepped closer.
