‘I like your hair like that,’ I said, admiring her braids. ‘It suits you.’
Earlier I had worried about paying her a compliment but saying that I liked her hair seemed safer than commenting on how sexy I thought she was.
‘Thanks.’ She ran her hands through her long braids self-consciously. ‘It’s easier to manage like this. I didn’t want to spend time styling it every day.’
‘Did you do it yourself?’
‘No. A girl at work recommended a lady who did hair from home. I couldn’t afford to go to a salon. Because it takes several hours, it would’ve cost a fortune.’
‘Severalhours?’ My brows shot up to my hairline.
‘Yep! It’s not for the faint-hearted. I always come prepared with a book, snacks and a cushion.’
‘Wow, a cushion too. For your back?’
‘No, more for my bum. After sitting for so long it can get sore.’ Laila winced. ‘Sorry! I don’t know why I even told you that. That’s the second time I’ve mentioned my backside in the last ten minutes and you don’t want to hear about my arse!’
‘What makes you think that?’ I smirked and she laughed. ‘Of course, I am a gentleman so I would not raise the topic myself,’ I added, thinking about how I had held back on commenting on it a few minutes ago. ‘But if you decide that it is something that you would like us to discuss, I would very happily engage.’
‘Have you been looking at my bum, Gabriel?’ She raised an eyebrow.
‘Would you be offended if I told you that I had?’
‘Under the circumstances I should be… but I suppose it would depend. If it was because you thought I needed to get in the gym, I’d rather not know because like I said earlier, I’m already aware that I could tone up more. But if you were looking because you… never mind.’ She waved her hand dismissively. ‘Doesn’t matter.’
‘I can assure you that it was nothing bad. Quite the opposite…’ I held her gaze.
Laila swallowed hard, then jumped off the bench.
‘We should… the views are amazing here, but they must be even better at the top. Let’s carry on walking.’
She quickly returned to the steps and did not wait for me to join her before she continued climbing them.
I knew what she was doing.
Laila was trying to create distance between us because she must have felt what I did.
A spark.
Despite what she had said, I questioned if there was a small part of Laila that was attracted to me.
And if there was, I wondered whether she would ever admit it.
16
LAILA
As we finished climbing the stairs to Sacré-Cœur, I exhaled, feeling a sense of achievement.
Walking up almost three hundred steps was no mean feat, especially considering the way my mind was racing right now.
Instead of taking in how impressive this church was with its striking white limestone exterior and the grand, recognisable domes, I was thinking about all of the things Gabriel had just said.
He remembered that I loved Jamaican rum cake. That was surprising because I didn’t eat it often. It wasn’t something you could just pick up from the local supermarket. I usually only bought it if I went to a town which had a Caribbean food shop and there weren’t many of those near where I lived.
And how did he remember how I liked my coffee?
Ricky had lived with me my whole life and on the rare occasions he made me a coffee (usually under duress), he always got it wrong. Even Juliette, who I considered my best friend, didn’t know. I always had to remind her so usually ended up making it myself.
