Chapter 20
20
A stream of sunlight poured through a crack in the curtains pooling on the bed. The sheets were bundled up around me after my restless night. I turned over with a groan to look at the time. It was eight o’clock. I had no idea when I had finally drifted off to sleep but it had definitely not been until the early hours. I had replayed my day with Jake over and over again in my mind, spending a lot of time reliving our kiss against my hotel room door. It felt somewhat like a dream and I hadn’t wanted to wake up from it.
But now I had to.
With a sigh, I sat up and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. I touched my hair. It was tangled from my tossing and turning, and I hadn’t bothered to remove my make-up so there was mascara imprinted on my pillow.
On the bedside table, my phone lit up with a message. I saw Jake’s name flash up on my screen and my heart quickened instantly. I took a breath and read it.
Morning, Freya. Would you like to have breakfast together?
I exhaled. No immediate calling our kiss a mistake. I was relieved about that. No declarations about it being the best kiss ever again, but maybe he was unsure how I would feel when I woke up. And my mind was all over the place. Still processing the fact that Jake Richards had kissed me. How good it had felt. How I wanted more.
I realised I hadn’t responded to his text. I was nervous to see him but I wanted to see him too. And it wasn’t like I could hide in this hotel room. We were still at the conference together. It was better to see him sooner rather than later before I could overthink too much about the situation.
Sounds good. When shall we meet?
He replied quickly.
Can you be ready in 45 minutes? Meet you outside our rooms…
I jumped out of bed and sent a message back as I hurried into the bathroom to get ready.
See you then!
Diving into the shower, I made myself look as good as I could in the forty-five minutes I had. Remembering what he had said about liking my outfits, I pulled on my favourite dress – it was short and white with tiny sunflowers on it – along with my favourite boots. I left my hair loose, did quick, basic make-up and was spritzing myself with my floral perfume when there was a knock on the door. I took a final look in the full-length mirror. I still looked a bit tired from lack of sleep but much more like myself again.
I opened up the door. Jake stood there wearing light-coloured trousers and a white shirt, looking extremely handsome. His hair was ever so slightly damp from the shower I assumed he’d not long had, which then led my thoughts astray and I had to try to stop myself thinking about him in there. He smiled warmly, oblivious to my naughty thoughts, thank God.
‘Morning.’
‘Morning,’ I replied.
‘Are you ready?’
‘Sure.’ I stepped out, closed the door and then we headed for the lifts together. I could smell Jake’s familiar aftershave as we got in one.
‘How did you sleep? I was a little bit distracted to get much,’ Jake said as the doors closed. He turned to look down at me and when our eyes met, my breath hitched as the memory of the way he had held me and kissed me flooded back.
‘I didn’t get much sleep either,’ I admitted.
‘You were on my mind,’ he said.
I smiled. ‘Yeah? You were on my mind too.’
‘I was really hoping you didn’t regret our kiss. Because I didn’t.’
Happiness washed over me that he felt the same way about it. ‘Nor did I,’ I said, my cheeks heating up a little bit at both my confession and remembering his lips on mine.
‘Good.’ Jake smiled at me as the lift reached the ground floor and the doors opened up. No longer alone, we stepped out and made our way to the breakfast room without any more talk of kissing. I wondered though if he was still thinking about it like I was. We were shown to a table for two at the back of the room. I looked around but couldn’t see Liv or Tessa, which was a relief as I would have been hopeless at pretending this breakfast was normal. I recognised some people also attending the conference but thankfully, no one spoke to us.
Over at the buffet section, I tried not to glance at Jake too much as I got myself a large coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and a side of fruit and yoghurt, but it was hard. Twice, our eyes caught, and we smiled at each other. It was nice knowing he was looking over at me too. I went to our table and Jake joined me with his coffee, and a full plate too. It seemed we both needed lots of fuel after our lack of sleep.
I took a gulp of my coffee while Jake cleared his throat. ‘So, we had a kiss that we don’t regret but we are here working together,’ he said quietly so no one could overhear us.
I nodded. ‘You have your second author panel later this morning,’ I said, trying to focus on said work and not how handsome he looked across the table.
‘I’ll do better this time,’ Jake replied with a wry smile.
‘When I couldn’t sleep,’ I said, keeping my eyes on my plate as I felt shy admitting how much that kiss had played on my mind, ‘I checked social media and everyone is talking about what you said at the reader session yesterday. I did see some people praising you for trying to make it right but just as many are on the fence about what you said yesterday. We have a lot of work to do to convince them that you can be their favourite romance author again.’
Jake nodded. ‘I know. I will do all I can to win everyone round.’ Then he gave me a small smile. ‘But I have to admit right now, I’m mainly thinking about winning you round. Am I still your favourite romance author?’
I shook my head but I had to smile. ‘You need to focus on what we’re doing here.’
He raised an eyebrow.
‘I mean work wise! God.’ I put a hand to my face, flustered, feeling my cheeks heat up. I looked away from his gaze because it felt like he was peeling away layers off me with it. ‘But you’ve always been my favourite romance author,’ I admitted quietly.
‘Even though I let you down yesterday,’ he said. ‘I am sorry about that, Freya. I want to be more like you.’
‘If that’s a good thing,’ I said. ‘Hayley definitely doesn’t think so. I suppose you and me are very different.’ I wondered if that was something that should be making me even more wary of this spark between us. ‘Although they do say that opposites attract,’ I added absentmindedly.
‘So, if opposites attract then we’re agreed we’re attracted to one another?’ he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
‘I suppose I didn’t mind kissing you…’ I said, teasing him right back.
‘Oh, it was just an okay kiss for you?’ Jake leaned on the table and lowered his voice. ‘Am I going to have to try harder next time?’
‘Next time?’ I questioned, my heart thumping faster at the thought of him doing that.
‘There you are!’
Before Jake could answer me, Liv was suddenly standing by our table. I jumped when she appeared, my cheeks flushing further. ‘Morning,’ I said to her, in a high-pitched voice, tearing my eyes from Jake’s.
Liv frowned a little bit and looked from me to Jake as if wondering what was going on between us. ‘So, are you ready for the panel later? I was going to come and listen with you as I’m free until lunch.’
‘I can’t promise it will be as entertaining as the last one,’ Jake said.
Liv stared at him for a bit as if confused by him making a joke. I had to admit I was still getting used to him loosening up a little bit too. ‘A lot of people will be there wondering what confessions you’ll make this time.’
‘What are people saying after the reader session?’ I asked her, pushing our kiss as firmly as I could to the back of my mind. ‘Can we still salvage the conference?’ I knew that Hayley had decided we couldn’t and I hated that I was losing hope.
‘Of course we can,’ Jake replied instead. ‘I told you, I’m sorry I let you down; I will do better today. Have faith in me.’
Our eyes met again and I really was desperate to trust him.
‘I think the problem is by giving them just a little bit yesterday, they want more,’ Liv said. ‘I’ve heard some wild theories going around about what the secret you wanted to hide from Davis Mulberry was. Like you have your wife hidden in your attic.’
Jake chuckled. ‘ Jane Eyre is one of my favourites but there is no wife. I’ve never been married. Anything else?’
‘That all your books have been written by someone else,’ Liv said, smiling at his response like I was.
‘That’s definitely something Mulberry would be very gleeful about.’ Jake said. ‘But sadly, I have the neck pain to show for being hunched over my laptop for hours on end.’
Liv grimaced. ‘Mine gets sore by the end of a writing day too. Well, just be warned: things are getting pretty crazy out there.’ She gestured into the air. ‘I think your panel today will be packed in case you share any more secrets.’
‘I don’t think I have any more secrets, do I, Freya?’ Jake asked me, his expression innocent.
My face heated up again. ‘Um…’
‘I had an email from Hayley this morning,’ Liv said to me. ‘She told me I wasn’t posting enough on social media. Sometimes, she scares me a little bit.’
‘She was terrifying when she phoned me after Jake revealed that article was true. If I don’t do better, there won’t be a job for me when I get back home.’
‘Oh, Freya.’ Liv shook her head then gave Jake a glare. ‘Freya would make a brilliant agent. She has great instincts and as her client; you should be listening to her more.’
‘Jake isn’t my client,’ I said quickly.
‘While you’re here, he kind of is,’ she replied with a shrug.
‘I’m sorry, Liv,’ Jake said. ‘I’m doing my best. I just can’t say any more about it.’
I couldn’t look at Jake after Liv’s comment about Jake being like my client while we were here. It made our kiss feel inappropriate.
‘Well, anyway, we should probably prepare for the panel.’
‘Sure. I’m looking forward to it. Writing meet-cutes are my favourite part. I’ll save you a seat,’ Liv said. She turned to Jake. ‘Good luck!’ Then she faded away to the breakfast buffet.
I sagged in my chair. ‘Is it me or did that make you feel worried about what happened with us last night?’ I was nervous to ask, afraid he would say that we couldn’t kiss again, but also because that seemed like the right thing to do.
‘You’re not my agent but yeah, we are working together. I don’t want to hurt your career, Freya. I feel really bad that Hayley is so pissed off.’ Jake sighed. ‘But I can’t deny that I would like to kiss you again.’
‘Shh,’ I hushed him, looking around anxiously in case someone had heard him. ‘This is too public. And we should prepare for the meet-cute talk.’
‘Didn’t you say that your arrival at Heathrow would have made a good meet-cute?’ he asked. His eyes were twinkling again. I liked seeing this other side to Jake Richards. Although it was making me more attracted to him, which felt dangerous.
‘What when I was sprawled on the floor in front of you?’ I shook my head. ‘I can’t believe that didn’t put you off for life.’
‘It was the penis pencil that got me,’ he said, chuckling.
‘Yeah, my humiliation is hilarious,’ I said with an eye roll. But I couldn’t not smile back. ‘I’m glad it didn’t put you off.’
‘I told you – I’ve never met anyone quite like you.’ He looked at our empty plates; breakfast had passed by in a flash. ‘Come on, let’s plan this panel and then we can talk more about us.’
The word ‘us’ lingered in my brain.