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“Emma’s been gone for about ten years. I made out she was still there in order to keep kissing you.”
Sam arched a brow, and it gave her jelly legs. “That’s disgraceful behavior.”
She shrugged, still smiling. “Sorry, not sorry.”
Grinning, he leaned round to whisper in her ear, the sensation of his breath making her skin prickle with delicious sensitivity. “I know she wasn’t there. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, going into the center.”
Still wearing a smile, he took her hands in his and pressed his lips to them. “Your hands are cold.” He placed them onto his chest and drew his open jacket around them. “Can I pick you up tonight? We can go to our stargazing spot.”
A burst of delight flowed through her. “I’d love that.”
Sam leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Bring a blanket.”
Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Maya looked at her watch, then peered out of the small window in the front door.
Yvonne entered the hallway from the kitchen. “Maya, you’ve been dancing around in the porch for ten minutes. What’s going on?”
Glancing back at the door, Maya tried to keep her feet planted. “Sam’s coming to collect me.”
A smile spread over her mum’s face. She came down the hallway. “Is this a date?” she whispered.
Maya glanced at the living room door. Omar and Hana were in there. “I don’t know,” she whispered back.
Yvonne peered out of the little window. “Why don’t you know? He’s broken up with Cat and everything that happened was a misunderstanding.”
“Not a misunderstanding. A lie.”
“Okay, a lie. But not from either of you. So . . .” Yvonne gave Maya a knowing look.
“Ugh, Mother,” Maya said, rolling her eyes. “Stop.”
Yvonne laughed, then put a hand over her mouth and glanced toward the living room. “Listen. We need to have a talk. A proper one, I mean. About these companies your dad asked you to send your CV to.”
Maya’s insides tightened. “Why?”
“You know why,” Yvonne said, raising her eyebrows. “I can tell your heart’s not in it.”
Maya’s mouth went dry and she swallowed. Then the doorbell rang, signaling Sam’s coming to rescue her from her discomfort. “That’s him. I’ll see you later.”
She grabbed her blanket and opened the door, unable to resist giving him a hug on the doorstep.
Sam kissed her and gave Yvonne a smile. “Hey, Mrs. B.”
She laughed. “It’s Yvonne, Sam.”
Color streaked his cheeks. “Yvonne.”
“You two have fun,” Yvonne said, waving, and closing the door after them.
Sam took her hand as they went down the drive to his car, and she leaned up to kiss his face where the flush was still apparent. “You’re so cute.”
He raised his eyebrows as they climbed in. “Cute? I was hoping you were going to say handsome and sexy.”
Maya smiled as they set off. “Those things too.”
A little seed of guilt sowed itself into the back of her mind. Had it been unfair of her to suggest that fake-but-actually-very-real kiss earlier? Sam had only discovered his long-term girlfriend’s deception, and finished with her, barely twenty-four hours ago. Perhaps she should have kept her distance a little longer. But it had seemed such a natural progression.
A warm feeling erupted as she remembered how he’d told her that he used to be in love with her. She’d nearly told him that she’d felt the same, but it had been too overwhelming, and now she was worried about doing or saying anything that might be too full on for him.
