2. Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWO
Colin held the ice cream cone high over his head. “If you want it, you’ll have to come and get it.”
They were back in San Jose after a day at Muir Woods and a boat trip to Alcatraz. His skin had tanned a golden brown and his dark hair was windblown. He was currently walking backward on the sidewalk as they approached her condo.
Mabel lunged at him and tickled him under the arm.
“Ha! I’m not ticklish there.”
She pretend-glared up at him. “Then where are you ticklish?”
“That would be telling.” He stopped in front of her building’s door. “How about we do a trade? You get the rest of my ice cream, and I get a kiss?”
“You’re way too easy.” She shook her head.
“I’m going to miss kissing you, Mabel Howard.”
She stared at him as he lowered his hand to offer her the ice cream.
He’d made her feel so special over the past three days that the thought of being cut off from him forever was alarming.
For the first time in her life her job didn’t seem like it was enough.
She wanted to feel. She wanted to live a little.
“What’s wrong?” Colin’s smile died.
“It’s just.” Her lip wobbled like a toddler’s. “I know It’s stupid, but I’m going to miss you.”
The ice cream slipped out of his suddenly lax grip and dropped unheeded to the sidewalk. He stepped in close to cup her chin, his expression grave. “This isn’t good, is it?”
“Oh God, don’t say that.”
His smile was beautiful and all for her. “Why not? It’s the truth.”
“We don’t have to spoil it,” she stammered. “We can pretend it was just fun, and—”
“It was fun, but it meant more to me than that.”
He kissed her, and the combination of pistachio and Colin was possibly the greatest thing she’d ever tasted. She didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want him to go, period.
She moaned into his mouth as he ended the kiss. “I wish I could keep you,” she said.
“Truthfully?” He held her gaze, his blue eyes betraying a vulnerability that took her breath away. “I don’t do casual flings. This must mean something to both of us.”
“It does.” She gathered her courage and looked him in the eye. “Will you please come upstairs with me?”
He took a deep, shuddering breath. “I would be delighted.”
She led him into her building’s glass-walled lobby and, after they got on the elevator, he couldn’t seem to stop touching her, his expression focused and intense, his hands everywhere, connecting them in one desperate spiral of need.
She managed to open her front door and get them inside her apartment, but the moment the door closed behind them, he was flowing over and around her, his mouth hot and hungry as they tried to get each other undressed as fast as possible.
Perfect.
Like creating a piece of new code that made everything fall into place.
As they came together, the perfection continued. It seemed like they’d been lovers for ages, and he instinctively knew her…
With a groan, Colin rolled onto his back, his hand reaching for hers as she stared up at the ceiling and contemplated the cracks in the ceiling. If she could just connect all the lines into something tangible, then everything would make sense.
She finally managed to get some words out. “I don’t normally bring men I’ve just met back to my apartment and have awesome sex with them.”
“Of course, you don’t,” he said soothingly.
“Not that there is anything wrong with anyone who chooses to do that.”
“Absolutely.” He squeezed her hand. “Actually, I’m far more interested in the last thing you said than in making moral judgments about other people’s sex lives.”
“Which thing?”
He came up on one elbow and looked down at her. “About the awesome sex.”
“Ah.” She studied his face. “Did I say that out loud?”
“You did.” He leaned in and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “And for the record, it was ‘awesome’ for me, too.”
“You sound like an American.”
He kissed her nose. “Only because my countrymen don’t have any words to express just how good that was. Super or brilliant aren’t working for me right now.”
“It was that good?” Having only her experience with Joss to compare it with, she’d thought it was pretty damn amazing. The fact that Colin thought so too made her feel like a sex goddess.
“So, what comes after awesome?” He tugged at her hand and helped her to her feet. “Because I assure you, I can do much better than that.”
Mabel woke up to a steady thumping sound and wondered why someone was hammering on her door only to realize her ear was pressed against Colin’s chest. She eased away from him and studied him carefully.
His chin was now darkened with stubble, which she had enjoyed feeling on her skin.
His hand lay on the pillow palm up, as if he was in graceful free fall motion.
He looked completely out of place in her boring little bed.
She wasn’t even sure what day it was. Was it Monday?
Had that ever happened to her before? Normally, her schedule was fixed, and every minute was accounted for.
But this… Being with him felt right.
“Mabel?”
She blinked and realized he was awake and regarding her just as seriously as she was him.
“Yes?”
“I have a confession to make.”
She tried to smile but it was surprisingly difficult. She reminded herself that she’d always known he would be leaving and that she would only have him for three days. “Let me guess, you’re married with six kids from four different wives.”
No, hang on, that was her father. She shouldn’t automatically assume all men were rat bastards like him
“I’m not married. I wouldn’t be with you if I was.”
Mabel sat up and clutched the sheets to her body like the heroine on the cover of a romance novel.
Colin reached up to stroke her cheek. “This is such appalling timing.” He must have seen something on her face because he immediately winced.
“That didn’t come out quite how I meant it.
I don’t regret meeting you for a second.
” He hesitated. “Remember when I told you I was trying to be a more responsible person? Well, there’s a meeting in England that I have to attend soon.
If I don’t turn up, my family will go back to considering me a complete tosser. ”
“And we can’t have that.” Mabel nodded wisely although she had no idea what a tosser was. “Being responsible isn’t always easy.”
He sat up and took her hand, his vivid blue eyes fixed on hers. “You have no idea just how much I want to blow them off right now.”
“For me?” She considered his tousled morning beauty. “Why?” she blurted like an inarticulate teenager. “I’m so average and you are—”
“You are not average. Don’t ever think that.
I like being with you. You make me believe things aren’t as bad as I imagine them to be—that there is hope.
” He grimaced. “Now I sound like a complete idiot.” He kissed her.
“The question you should be asking yourself is how you ended up with such a jabbering fool in your bed.”
“I like jabbering fools?” His smile made her want to smile back at him. “When are you flying out?”
“Tomorrow. Why?”
Mabel took a deep breath. “I could come with you.”
His blue gaze became unreadable. “Are you sure you want to? The family matter I must attend to is a big one and might take much of my time.”
“Will I be in the way?” she asked.
He hesitated and she added quickly, “I could stay somewhere else while you’re busy, or—”
He cupped the back of her neck and drew her close. “I would be honored if you were there for me. In fact, you might prevent a murder.”
Mabel smiled at him, helplessly. Anyone who knew her would call her crazy, would think this plan to fly off to England with a man she’d just met was unbelievable. But as she looked into Colin’s eyes, she felt that everything was finally making complete sense.
“I promise I won’t let you murder anyone,” she said.
“That wasn’t quite what I was worried about,” he admitted. “If anyone is going to die, It’s probably me.”
“Can you keep an eye on my bag while I go and confirm my ticket, Colin?”
“Yes, of course.”
Colin took charge of Mabel’s suitcase as she navigated across the shiny, white-floored concourse to the reservations desk.
She was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved hoodie in bright pink.
Her brown hair was tied back in a high ponytail that bounced when she walked, and she wore almost no makeup.
Unlike most of his previous girlfriends, she was not particularly tall, thin or beautiful. In fact, she was perfectly average.
And he was completely and totally obsessed with her.
Which was ridiculous and unheard of, and…
Not good timing at all.
Colin sank down onto the nearest seat and let the astounding fact that she was willing to go to England with him resonate. He knew almost nothing about her except that she worked for a tech company and did software coding. But it might be worse that she knew nothing about him.
Nothing important anyway.
But that was a good thing if he wanted her close, if he wanted to see where this relationship might lead them. Still, all it would take to change her mind and have her running for the hills would be one quick google of his name.
Was he using her? Was his sudden infatuation with a woman who was totally outside his normal dating pool simply an attempt to avoid dealing with his current massive problems? A few years ago, he would’ve had to say yes. Now? He was done being that person.
Mabel was… something else entirely.
She reached the head of the queue and leaned forward to talk to the customer service rep. She gesticulated in his direction and then resumed her conversation. He liked that about her, liked the way she treated other people and her positivity.
Now he was sounding like an American—or even worse, a Californian.
Optimism was frowned upon in old Blighty and he’d better not go home spreading sunshine and roses and positivity or he’d be treated like an outcast. But dammit, if he was expected to save the family and be the hero of the hour, he needed something optimistic in his life.
He covered his mouth against a huge yawn.
Jet lag combined with the best sex of his life made for an interesting combination of sensory implosion.
A big reason why he was so hellishly attracted to Mabel was her confidence and independence. But was it fair to drag her into his drama? Perhaps he should tell her what was going on.
Mabel beckoned at him, so he gathered the bags and made his way over to her.
“Do you have your boarding pass?”
He took it out of his back pocket and gave it to her. “Ceremonial burning?”
“No.” She started to blush. “Actually, and I hope you don’t mind, I had about a million air miles about to expire, and so I asked if we could both be upgraded to first class and they said yes.”
“That’s…very kind of you.”
She was kind, something that was woefully underappreciated these days. God, he wanted to tuck her under his arm like his old teddy bear and hold onto her forever. He added, “But I’m quite happy to sit in business class and glower at the back of your head for eleven hours.”
“I’d much rather you sat next to me and guzzled champagne.” Her hazel gaze was suddenly shy. “But I also get it if you don’t want to accept something like this or feel like you owe me. It’s just that the miles were about to disappear, and—”
“I’m more than willing to owe you, whatever that means. And I’d much rather sit with you than a random returning tourist. Thank you.”
“Cool.” She let out her breath. “That’s great.”
He had to kiss her. But then he wanted to keep kissing her, strip her naked, and make love to her, which wasn’t going to work in the middle of San Francisco International.
A discreet cough behind him made him ease away from Mabel.
The customer service agent held out two new boarding passes and smiled at them like they were newlyweds.
“Would you like to wait in the club lounge? I can show you the way.”