‘I did. I saw puffins, and dolphins.’
‘Oh! Well, that’s a win. Now you’ve seen the puffins you can leave!’
He sits opposite me and frowns. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘Well, you only came to see the puffins didn’t you? And now you have. So you can go.’
I’m making a mess of this, which comes as no surprise. What I’m trying to do is give him space, to let him know that we have made no commitment to each other, that I have no expectations of this thing going any further.
‘You want me to go, Kate?’ he asks seriously.God no, I think, taking in the way his T-shirt clings to his body. I’ve seen those abs now, and there’s no unseeing them.
‘I want you to do whatever you want to do, Brody.’
He huffs out a big breath, and shakes his head. ‘Well, in that case, I’m staying. Last night…’
‘Was probably a mistake,’ I finish for him. ‘That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it?’
‘No. Your mind-reading trick needs some work. I was going to say that last night was great. That I want more, that I thinkyour suggestion about a mutually beneficial arrangement over a short period of time has some merit. But hey, if that’s off the table, it’s all good.’
The churning in my tummy evolves into fluttering, and I let out a surprised ‘oh’. He’s looking at me, eyebrows raised, and I realise he’s waiting for a reply. That I’m not the only person taking a chance here. Brody is tough on the outside, but he has his tender spots, and I have no right to trample all over them.
I nod, and reply: ‘Okay. Yes. I mean, I think it has some merit too.’
Like multiple orgasms and wild, screaming uninhibited sex. The kind Jackie Collins used to write about, and I’ve never encountered in real life.
‘Good,’ he replies. ‘So, ground rules, for both of us. I’m not looking for love, or a serious commitment. I need to be upfront about that from the get-go. We’re only here for a couple of weeks, after all, and we’ve agreed to work together on the bookstore. That’s not just about us, that’s about Moira as well, and I wouldn’t want to jeopardise that.’
‘I agree,’ I say, trying to keep my tone even. Of course he’s right – this isn’t a love story, and doing up the shop for Moira is just as important. He’s right to bring these things out into the open. He’s being honest and realistic, and even though my heart is thudding and my pulse is racing, I need to be those things as well. ‘I suppose maybe I view this as a… uh, a stepping stone? It could help us both get back on our feet, so to speak. So no need to worry, I won’t be pursuing you back to the States, or sending you love letters. Or boiling your bunny rabbit.’
‘I don’t have a bunny rabbit, but I get your meaning. Also, honesty. We need to be honest with each other. No game-playing on either side.’
‘I’m not that kind of person, Brody,’ I tell him, sipping my coffee and wondering how long his list is going to be.
‘I didn’t think you were, but I needed to say it. All of this goes both ways, Kate, and I promise you exactly the same in return. Finally, we need to talk about logistics.’
‘Logistics?’ I echo, confused. ‘I’m not a trucking company!’
His face darkens slightly, and he runs his hands through his thick, wavy hair, leaving it in little ridges. It distracts me, because I want to do exactly the same.
‘Kate, I plan on taking you to bed as soon as this conversation is done. And I plan on keeping you there for a significant part of this vacation. So, we need to talk logistics.’
I stare at him, my heart racing at this very clear statement of intent. Yikes. It’s really going to happen. I’m already squirming slightly in my chair, heat rushing between my legs at his no-nonsense tone. He’s a take-charge kind of guy in every respect, it seems. I finally understand what he’s talking about though, and he’s right.
‘I see. Yes. Okay. Well, when I found out my husband had been getting jiggy with a sales manager from Basildon, I went and got a full check-up. Just in case he’d left me with any nasties. He hadn’t, and since then there’s been nobody else, as you know.’
‘Great. Same for me, without the sales manager from Basildon, wherever the hell that is. What about contraception? Not sexy, I know, but neither is an accidental pregnancy.’
Bloody hell, he really is a logistics man. I shake my head and bite down on my lip. This isn’t easy for me to discuss, and I decide I don’t intend to. ‘You don’t need to worry. We won’t be making a baby.’
‘You’re on the pill?’
‘Something like that. It’s definitely not a possibility though. So… what happens now? I feel like I just brokered a deal, which isn’t all that sexy!’
A flicker crosses his face, and he looks so stern I wonder if I’ve annoyed him. I’m almost ashamed to say thatissexy. Except I refuse to accept shame of any kind. This is the new me, and if I get turned on by a big, gruff American, then so be it.
He stands up so abruptly he knocks the chair over, and doesn’t even bother to pick it up. ‘Upstairs. Now.’
FIFTEEN
