‘There you go.’ She turned the laptop to face him. He tapped in his credit card details and turned it back to her.
‘All done,’ he smiled.
There was a slight pause as each waited for the other to speak.
Jasper broke the silence. ‘You’ve done an amazing job here.’
‘I haven’t finished yet,’ she breezed, feeling a tad self-conscious.
‘But what you have done so far is incredible. It’s made a huge difference to Fletcher.’ For all his initial reservations about Adira, Jasper was actually quite moved to learn that she had refused to take a penny, even though her hard work far outweighed the free rent and use of utilities Fletcher was supplying.
‘You’re making a huge difference too.’ She returned his gaze and felt a lump form in her throat; she was suddenly feeling rather emotional.
‘Let me take you out for dinner, as a thank you.’
How could she resist those gorgeous brown eyes? She tried to speak, but her mouth had gone dry.
‘Tonight?’ he pressed.
‘Yes… OK. Thank you.’
‘Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.’
He took his coffee and went back to the library. Adira’s head spun.
It’s just a thank you meal, no need to read too much into it, she tried to convince herself.
Adira’s mind was still buzzing as she tried to decide what to wear that evening. Where was he taking her? Should she dress sophisticated, as in the little black dress she had debated packing, or smart but casual, as in the strappy red sundress? No – he’d already seen her in that the first evening she’d met him at The Laurels. In the end, she opted for cute black Capri pants and an amber off-the-shoulder top which flattered her tan and highlighted hair.
After showering and rubbing in her favourite freesia body lotion, applying the minimum of make-up and brushing her long hair to fall silkily past her shoulders, she was ready and waiting.
Jasper arrived promptly with a tap at the camper van door. Adira opened it and caught her breath. There he stood, looking tall and utterly handsome in dark trousers and an olive linen shirt. She could see the top of his chest through the open neck and was reminded of how her palms had run across it; it was a strange sensation, knowing his body so well, yet not as his lover.
Jasper was having similar thoughts as he swept up and down Adira’s svelte, curvaceous figure. His eyes rested on her graceful neck and shoulders, then below to her heavenly cleavage dusted with freckles.
‘Ready?’ he smiled.
‘Yes,’ she smiled back, locking the door behind her.
Jasper had parked Fletcher’s Range Rover on the road, by the open gated entrance. Adira was impressed to see he had cleaned the car, being used to seeing it covered with dried mud. Inside looked pretty tidy too.
‘I thought we’d go out of Lilacwell and into Clitheroe for a change. It’s the nearest town.’
‘Great. It’d be nice to see the surrounding area.’
He laughed. ‘So much for your exploring with Sheila,’ he grinned ruefully at her.
‘I know,’ she agreed. ‘Not the best of starts having a broken fuel pump, but there’s plenty of time yet. To be honest, I’ve really grown attached to Lilacwell.’
‘I rather think Lilacwell’s grown attached to you,’ he replied in a quiet voice, making Adira turn her head sharply, but Jasper was simply looking ahead.
He started the engine and was soon pointing out places of interest along the way to Clitheroe.
‘You obviously know this area well, but where did you live as a child?’ Adira asked.
‘Not too far away in North Cumbria.’
Immediately, she pictured him growing up amongst the Lakeland hills and crystal-clear waters, ruddy-faced from the elements, in check shirts and hiking boots. All that fresh air and countryside made her envious, compared to the upbringing she’d had. ‘Must have been heaven.’
