Chapter 36
36
SKYE
Skye lay in her bed the following morning, thinking back over the previous night.
She thought how supportive Joe had been to her, yet again. How understanding when she had acted like a right weirdo. He really was a thoughtful man. Kind. That’s what he was, she decided. Above all else Joe wanted to see people happy. Skye decided she wanted to do something nice for him.
She could begin showing her appreciation by getting out of bed and making him a cooked breakfast before they started their day. It would soon be time for the pair of them to set off to work, she realised as she glanced at her phone screen. Gasping in shock at the lateness of the time, she quickly got up, showered and dressed then ran downstairs to get there before he did. She heard him humming to himself before she was halfway down the hallway.
‘Why are you up already?’ she asked, not expecting him to have got down before her and hoping it didn’t have anything to do with her telling him how nervous she was about the job he did. She also couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that her plan to do something nice for him had been quashed. Clearly Joe had had the same idea as she had done. ‘Did you sleep OK?’
‘I did,’ he replied as he cooked. ‘You?’
‘Sort of,’ she said, not admitting to spending the night going over and over how exciting it had been getting closer to him. ‘I’m sorry about the way I acted last night.’
He stopped and turned to her. ‘You’re not sorry about what happened between us, I hope?’
‘What? No, not that. That was nice.’
He gave her a cheeky grin. ‘Nice?’
‘Stop it, Joe. You know what I mean.’ She cringed. ‘I meant what I said about your job.’
‘Ah, that.’ He turned back to the cooker and continued what he was doing. ‘Do you still feel that way?’
‘Yes, it’s a concern of mine. But I’m trying to reconsider after what you said about life itself being full of risks.’
‘I’m glad.’
‘Anyway,’ she said, wanting to change the subject. ‘I was going to cook for you this morning.’
‘Don’t let me stop you.’ Joe turned, holding the pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. ‘Want to take over?’
Amused to see him wearing one of Lindy’s aprons, she grinned and pulled out a chair, quickly sitting down on it. ‘No, you seem to be doing well. I’m happy for you to feed me.’
‘Damn, I should have waited in bed for a bit longer before getting up.’ He smiled over his shoulder. ‘I won’t make that mistake twice.’
‘What’s the plan for today?’ she said, changing the subject. ‘The usual?’
‘That’s right.’ He cracked a couple of eggs into the pan next to the bacon and Skye was transfixed by his muscles moving as he did. ‘How many?’
Taken off guard for a moment and unsure what he meant, she had to think back to what he had been saying. He looked over his shoulder at her again. ‘You OK?’
‘Sorry, I was miles away.’
‘Everything all right?’
‘Yes, just not quite fully awake yet probably. Sorry, what did you want to know?’
‘One egg or two?’
‘Oh, just the one for me, thanks.’
Having cooked her egg, Joe served their food. Skye thanked him and began eating, relishing every peaceful moment alone with him.
Skye finished her food and leant back in her chair, her hands resting on her full stomach. ‘That was delicious, thank you.’
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it,’ Joe said, putting the last forkful of food in his mouth.
‘Do you enjoy cooking? You seem relaxed doing it and certainly know what you’re doing.’
She couldn’t help thinking that wasn’t all he knew about. Then catching him watching her, wondered if he was confused or simply embarrassed by her double entendre.
Skye took his empty plate with hers to the sink and began washing up, hoping he didn’t notice how pink her cheeks had become. She turned on the hot tap and squirted some washing-up liquid into the bowl, swirling the water around to foam it up.
Skye sensed an atmosphere between them. She turned slightly to look at him. ‘Something wrong?’
He frowned. ‘I’ve just had a really selfish thought that I’m not sure I can share with you.’
Skye forgot her hands were wet and turned to face him, suspecting she might have had the same thought. ‘You wish Lindy and Gareth weren’t coming back quite so early, am I right?’
He nodded slowly. ‘You are. Is that really selfish of me?’
‘No. To be honest I was thinking the same thing. So if you’re being selfish then so am I.’
Joe sighed. After a moment’s thoughtful silence he said, ‘I’m just not ready to go home and live with my mum again, or…’
Willing him to say something about her, Skye said, ‘Or, what?’
Joe stood and walked over to her. Skye’s breath caught in her throat and she wondered whether he was about to kiss her. Her excitement petered away when he took her wrists in his hands and gently moved them over the basin. ‘You’re dripping all over the floor.’
Cringing inwardly, Skye hoped he hadn’t seen the look of longing that she was sure had been on her face. ‘Ooh, sorry about that.’
‘No worries.’ He went to the utility room so Skye finished the washing-up, realising for the first time that the tops of her feet were wet from the drips. What a dope she was. She really needed to focus more on what she was doing.
Seconds later, Joe returned with the mop. ‘Can you move over for a moment?’
She did as he asked, drying her hands on the nearby towel. ‘Thanks. I should be the one doing that though.’
He mopped the area where her feet had been. ‘I don’t see why.’
‘Because I was the one to make the mess.’ She laughed, picking up the first plate to dry it.
Joe stopped and looked at her. His face was inches from hers and Skye could almost hear her breath, the air between them had become so still.
She wanted to kiss him so badly. She was deciding whether to when his face moved closer to hers and their lips connected.
Joe must have rested the mop against something to free his hands, because immediately after that he had one arm around her back and the other took the plate she had forgotten she was holding from her hands. She was only vaguely aware of him placing it on the draining board next to them as his lips pressed against hers once again.
Loving being in his arms, Skye gave in to her instincts and slipped her arms around his neck, making the most of being alone with him in the house and free to kiss him.
A few seconds later, their kiss over, Joe leant slightly back from her, staring at her with such intensity that Skye wondered if it were possible his feelings might mirror her own. She really hoped they were.
‘I know we both feel guilty about wanting this…’ he hesitated ‘…whatever this is between us, to last as long as possible. And I know you have your concerns about my work and also that this current situation will soon going to be over when the Torels return, and we’ll go our separate ways, but I’m not ready for that to happen. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help myself.’
‘Neither can I,’ she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at his perfect lips, missing them being against her own. Not wishing to waste a second longer of the short time they still had to be together, Skye pulled him down slightly until her lips pressed against his again, happy when he reacted exactly how she had hoped he would and kissed her.