‘Now, stop right there.’ Rob held up a hand, his eyes wide. ‘I love Dilly, you know that, but only ever as a friend. Her chaotic energy is delightful, in small doses, but I think she might drive me to distraction if I were to spend any length of time with her,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Besides, I only had eyes for one person at the time. Even if I wasn’t in the market for a romantic relationship.’
Tess smiled, her gaze hooking onto his.
‘I don’t think either of us was.’ It had taken them both by surprise, swept up by the moment, leaning on each other when they were both in need of a friendly ear. Now she wondered if their connection had been heightened because of their emotional vulnerability at the time and now that they’d moved on, in their individual ways, perhaps they weren’t so reliant on each other in the same way. Brushing those thoughts aside, she continued. ‘Anyway, I bumped into Michael the other day. He has a very friendly dog called Monty, who took a liking to Barney, so I took him on one of our favourite walks over in the woods. He seems like a nice guy. Someone must have told him about the annexe because he asked if I had any availability over Christmas. He’s popping round next week to take a look and to hopefully book some dates in.’
‘What did I tell you? Word of mouth is always the best recommendation. Although I’m not sure I like the sound of this silver-fox fella.’ Rob narrowed his eyes and his brow crumpled in mock disconcertion. ‘He’s already turned Dilly’s head. I hope he doesn’t have intentions of doing the same to you.’ He was teasing her, his blue eyes shining mischievously, making her toes curl.
She gave a careless shrug, neither confirming nor denying the possibility. Tess could understand why Dilly might be so enamoured by Michael, what with his strong bone structure, lean build and nice smile, but Tess wasn’t attracted to him in the same way. She had warmed to his personality and was pleased to welcome the newcomer to the village, but only in a platonic, friendly way. Funny how since she’d met Rob, she’d only had eyes for him too. ‘He told me he’s been single for years, ever since his wife died. I don’t think he’s looking for a relationship.’
‘Phew, well that’s a relief.’ Rob swiped his forearm across his brow dramatically. ‘I would hate to lose you when I’ve only just found you,’ he said, fixing her with a probing stare. ‘Now, I didn’t get round to making a pudding, but I did pick up a salted caramel cheesecake from the local farm shop. How does that sound?’
‘Hugely calorific, but far too enticing to resist.’
‘Great, that’s what I hoped you might say. Let me go and see to it then.’
Tess smiled, enjoying being waited on by Rob, appreciating the effort and care he’d put into preparing supper. Despite her head having been filled with anxieties about their relationship, wondering if the closeness between them had shifted, spending time in Rob’s company had allowed those concerns to flitter off into the distance. It was always the same. Rob had the ability to take her out of herself and guide her into a different headspace, making her feel lighter, happier, and able to fully immerse herself in the moment. She picked up the bowls with the remaining salad and bread and followed Rob out into the kitchen.
‘Thank you.’ He took the dishes from her and placed them onto the worktop, the kitchen resembling a disaster area. He caught her surreptitious glance around the room. ‘Please don’t judge,’ he said, with a comical grimace.
‘I wouldn’t dare,’ she said, laughing with him, resisting the urge to roll up her sleeves and clear stuff away.
‘It’s nothing that won’t keep until later. Tomorrow, even. There’s more important things for tonight.’ He rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. ‘Pudding, for starters!’
They wandered back into the living room and ate the decadently rich cheesecake, both of them indecently full after finishing every last morsel on their plates.
‘That was delicious and a proper treat to be cooked for. Thank you. I’m not used to someone waiting on me, hand and foot, but I could definitely get accustomed to it.’
‘Well, I aim to please.’
They were sitting beside each other on the small sofa and Rob had turned his body towards her, reaching a hand up to trace a finger through her hair that fell onto her face. ‘You will stay tonight, won’t you?’
She had done so on other occasions when Rob had cooked for her, but she hadn’t assumed it as a given, especially not this evening, not knowing how events would unfold between them. Even so, she had taken the precaution of popping her overnight bag in the boot of her car. Just in case. Now, the last thing she wanted to do was to call a taxi as she’d had too many glasses of wine to drive. Hannah would still be entertaining Billy and she would have to slip inside and make polite conversation, when all she wanted to do was to head to bed and unwind.
Her prolonged musing was interrupted by Rob, whose expectant expression told her he was waiting patiently for an answer, his gaze running over her face. She locked eyes with him and smiled, wondering why she was questioning everything, when really, if the last six months had taught her anything, it was to seize the moment. And in this moment, there was nowhere else she would really rather be.
‘Please…? I’d love you to, but only if you want to, of course. No pressure.’
‘There’s nothing I’d like more,’ she said, leaning forward, meeting his lips with her own and falling into his embrace.
11
Tess woke early the following morning, the grey light filtering through the thin curtains of the bedroom, the sound of Rob’s deep breathing beside her, strangely reassuring. She stretched out and turned on her side so that she could observe him as he slept, fascinated by the rise and fall of his chest, the way his mouth was set in an upward turn as though he was smiling, and the sight of his firm, bronzed limbs sticking out from beneath the duvet.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked, opening one eye to look at her.
‘Oh, I was just happily staring. I thought you were asleep,’ she said, her voice barely a whisper, not wanting to rouse him any more than was necessary.
‘Come here,’ he said, pulling her into his arms, and hooking a leg around hers, capturing her in his hold. ‘I don’t know what time it is, but it’s far too early.’
Tess laughed. She’d always been an early riser and once she was awake, there was never any possibility of her falling back to sleep. Not that it bothered her. She was more than happy to laze in bed and watch Rob as he snoozed. She loved these slow mornings, where there was no expectation on her to get started on the day and when she could savour and enjoy every exquisite moment. In her mind, she always associated being at Rob’s with being on holiday, as though she was inhabiting a different part of herself, the Tess who was more carefree and relaxed, although all too aware that it would have to come to an end soon. She shook away the distracting thoughts. It was no good; she would have to get up, as she was in desperate need of a pick-me-up.
‘Let me go and make some coffee,’ she offered, disentangling her limbs from his.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely,’ she said, already out of bed and heading towards the stairs.
In the kitchen, she was surprised to find the mess from the previous evening cleared, the washing up done and the surfaces gleaming. When had he done that, she wondered with a smile. She flicked on the kettle, found some mugs in one of the cupboards and spooned coffee inside, resting against the worktop while she waited for the water to boil, thinking how thoughtful Rob was. Too good to be true even.
