‘I don’t need a lecture from you,’ she muttered, swigging the rest of her beer and slamming the empty bottle on the bench beside her to make her point. ‘Maybe you should have a few drinks and loosen the hell up.’
His brows drew together in a formidable frown and he crossed his arms. ‘I came here to apologise, but if you’re going to be belligerent, I can come back later.’
One word infiltrated her foggy mind:apologise. It took a big man to say he was sorry. Even after she’d caught Jason cheating on her, he hadn’t apologised. He’d blustered and made excuses, implying she’d been crazy for expecting total monogamy in their relationship, but he hadn’t once said he was sorry. Cruz hunting her down here and wanting to apologise went some way to soothing her bruised heart.
Faking nonchalance, she waved her hand at him. ‘Now is as good a time as any to say what you have to say.’
He took a deep breath and blew it out. ‘I’m sorry for overreacting to the video. I should’ve trusted that you know what you’re doing.’
‘Did George recant on his stance?’
He shook his head. ‘No, but I gained two new clients, much bigger and more lucrative than George’s market.’
‘Because of the video?’
‘Yeah. Go figure.’
‘Are the clients female?’
Puzzled, he studied her. ‘No. Why?’
‘Because of all … that.’ She pointed at his chest.
The corners of his mouth lifted as his frown cleared. ‘One of them did say his wife wanted to work with me because of that video.’
‘Up close and personal work, I bet,’ she muttered, having no right to be jealous but a tad green nonetheless.
‘So you didn’t take down the video?’
‘No. A viral video with such high viewing numbers is a good advertisement formybusiness, too.’ No matter how much of a desperate loser the commentary made her. ‘And it sounds like it’s done the trick for the farm, so it can stay on the farm’s profile.’
‘You’re the expert,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Will you come back?’
‘To the farm? No.’
Stricken, he glanced across the carpark to where Thommo swept the front steps of Reception. ‘Any particular reason?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I have no interest in Thommo. We had a few drinks, shared a few laughs. Mostly about you.’ She jabbed a finger at him.
‘It’s not nice to tease someone who’s struggling since coming back to a town he did everything to escape from and then discovers he’s stuck here for a year.’
She rubbed the tip of her index finger and thumb together. ‘Let me play the world’s smallest violin for you.’
He laughed, its depth rippling over her and raising goosebumps. He’d laughed in bed too, surprisingly relaxed after they’d had sex, and chatted about his favourite foods, the worst cafés he’d ever worked in and his aspirations for the future. The intimacy they’d shared made her realise what she’d been missing out on with Jason. She’d settled for him, craving stability, yet she’d felt more cherished in one scorching interlude with Cruz.
‘I intend on staying here until the end of the week so I can finish my online promotion for the farm, like I was hired to do.’
A dent appeared between his brows. ‘That’s it?’
‘What else is there?’ She threw the question out as a challenge, curious to hear what he had to say. Not that she expected any undying vows of affection after their one memorable night together, but he sounded distraught at the thought of her leaving.
He grimaced, then swiped a hand across his face to erase his pained expression. ‘I’m an introvert, so I’m not very good at this kind of thing.’
‘Talking?’
He tapped his temple. ‘Articulating what I’m thinking.’ He pointed to his heart. ‘And what I’m feeling. That’s the kicker, because I rarely feel anything, yet you …’ He trailed off and shook his head. ‘You infuriate me, captivate me, intrigue me, make me want to—’ He paused. ‘Fuck.’
‘You make me want to do that too,’ she said.
