Kitty handed him a mug of tea. ‘I can leave if you want.’
‘No, that’s not what I meant.’ Nick ran a hand through his hair.
His face was lined with exhaustion.Exhausted yet still gorgeous, thought Kitty. How was that humanly possible?
‘I’m pleased you stayed.’ He carried his mug through to the living room, and Kitty followed.
The space could look stark in daylight. In the light of a single floor lamp, it was far cosier. They sat on the sofa, and Kitty kicked off her sandals, crossed her legs, and tucked her feet beneath her. She blew on her tea, then took a sip. ‘You’ve had quite the day.’
Nick turned to her and smiled, and her stomach flipped. Most of his face was in shadow, giving him the look of a photograph you’d find in a high-end fashion magazine.
‘Thanks so much for coming to the hospital,’ he said. ‘I would have gone out of my mind if I’d been alone.’
‘You would have managed fine,’ said Kitty. ‘You’re a brilliant dad.’
Nick stared into his mug. ‘Thanks.’ His voice was gruff, and Kitty wondered if it was from emotion or tiredness.
From the corner of her eye, Kitty saw a flash against the inky night sky. She climbed off the sofa and walked to the bifold doors. ‘I think I saw a shooting star.’
Nick joined her, unlocked the doors, and stepped outside. ‘Come on,’ he said, holding out a hand. ‘There’s no chance Emily’s going to wake up now. Let’s sit outside and watch the sky.’
Kitty took his hand, shivering as the cool night air tickled her skin. Nick led her to the outdoor sofa.
‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ he said, returning moments later with a blanket. ‘Sorry, I could only find one. Budge up.’
Kitty shuffled along and he sat beside her. Her body instantly warmed as his thigh pressed against hers. The last time her body had responded like this, she’d been a teenager blushing over Kieron Donnelly, the resident school heartthrob. Kitty shuffled in her seat and beneath the blanket. Her hand brushed Nick’s,sending a bolt of electricity through her. As his fingers wrapped around hers, Kitty held her breath.
‘Kitty.’
When she turned, she was so close she could count the flashes of gold in his hazel eyes. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, then leaned forward to kiss the delicate skin on her neck. Kitty groaned with longing, and Nick pressed himself closer. His kisses traced the line of her jaw, trailing down her neck and as far as the opening of her shirt before weaving their way up to her face. By the time he reached her lips, Kitty was close to combustion. She met his kisses with a hunger that shocked her.
As their limbs entwined and their hands explored the new territory of each other’s bodies, a series of shooting stars filled the sky above them. They missed every single one.
Chapter 49
They were down to their underwear when Nick sensed the change in Kitty. He pulled back, searching her eyes. ‘What’s wrong? Have I done something wrong?’
She reached up and kissed him deeply. A different kiss from the brutal longing of moments before. There was something more to this one that he couldn’t identify. When she pulled away, her eyes were glistening with tears.
‘I want to keep going, you have no idea how much I want to, but I can’t.’
‘You can’t?’What the hell? ‘I’m sorry, maybe I misread the signals.’
‘No,’ said Kitty. ‘I wanted this as much as you do.’
‘But?’
‘But… It’s a mistake.’
‘I’m not good enough for you.’ Nick climbed off Kitty and pulled his T-shirt over his head. He should have known. He’d been a fool to think someone like her would be interested in someone like him.
Kitty’s laugh surprised him.
‘You can be ridiculous sometimes,’ she said, buttoning her shirt. ‘This has nothing to do with you. This is about me. Or, more specifically, about my past.’
The past she avoided speaking about, had told him not to ask her. Was she going to tell him now? Nick needed to understand, for his own sanity. ‘I’m listening.’ He sat on the sofa to pull on his shorts.
Kitty finished dressing and sat down beside him. ‘My ex has found me in Saffron Bay.’
