Chapter 21 Joanie
Joanie
I applied my lipstick in the mirror in the bathroom.
I didn’t want to, because it meant erasing this tingling from Kieran’s lips.
He’d kissed me, and I’d kissed him back.
Kieran Earnshaw. It was so unexpected. There were so many reasons why this was crazy, but it had felt so right.
I smoothed my hands over my emerald silk dress.
I’d styled my hair in waves that brushed soft against my shoulder.
Would he like what he saw? What would the best footballer in England see in me, anyway?
Kieran was a leader, and I was percussion.
You’re the boss.
My veins still sang from his kisses, but I’d felt him holding back.
He made me feel safe, and I believed him when he said he wouldn’t rush me.
If we were doing this slow, then I could do it.
There had to be so much about Kieran I didn’t know, and I wanted to know all of it.
I wanted to peel back those gruff, prickly layers and know everything.
He’d looked after me on this trip. And that kiss!
It had been like an out-of-body experience.
I’d been floating above myself somewhere, wondering why on earth Kieran Earnshaw had his lips pressed to mine.
Now dinner. Was this a date? Our first date?
Would he kiss me again after this dinner?
What if he wanted more? Calm down. It was one kiss.
One sensational kiss. I’d always thought it was a cliché when people said their knees went weak with a kiss, but Kieran’s persuasive mouth had made my whole body weak. I’d barely been able to stand.
I went downstairs to the living area, but it was strangely silent. Kieran lay on the couch with his eyes closed. His chest moved up and down in a slow, even rhythm. He looked young and peaceful asleep, like the eighteen-year-old I’d crushed on all those years ago.
I gave him a gentle nudge. “Kieran.”
His eyes fluttered, but he didn’t stir. He was probably exhausted.
Playing with those kids in the heat all day must have worn him out.
Maybe it was better to leave him and let him sleep.
He’d told me before that he could sleep under any conditions.
It was disappointing. I’d wanted us to go out, but I didn’t have it in me to rouse him when he looked so serene.
I grabbed a throw from an armchair and covered him. My stomach groaned with hunger.
I went to the kitchen and peered into the pathetically empty fridge.
The cupboards weren’t much better. That’s the thing about athletes.
We ate a lot. A sandwich wouldn’t cut it.
The idea hit me. This was an opportunity to tick something off my list. I’d wanted to go out to a restaurant alone.
Better to do it in Menorca, where I wouldn’t be recognized.
A shiny resolve went through me. This could be a “seize the day” moment.
I’d leave Sleeping Beauty a note. He could join me if he woke up, although from the look of him, he’d be out for hours.
I’d take a taxi to Cala Galdana, bring Kieran food, and when I came back, maybe we could pick up from where we left off.