Chapter 11 #2
‘Good to know,’ he whispered in her ear before he returned to sit by the fire with his own glass.
They sipped in silence for a few moments, his eyes never leaving hers, as she tried desperately to find the right words for please could you just fuck me, I’m literally going to explode if I don’t have you right now, without sounding like a psycho.
‘Actually,’ he said, leaning forward and her skin tingled in anticipation of another kiss, ‘do you fancy a stroll down to Stanley’s? I can cook us something for supper. Otherwise, I have nothing for us to eat, and it’s already six. Unlike London, it’s not as easy just to grab a takeaway.’
‘That sounds perfect – I’d love that. I seem to be living on a diet of Victoria sponge at the moment. Also, I’m very keen to try your cooking I’ve heard so much about.’
‘Okay, well let me just set some expectations here, I can make a mean omelette and I love creating recipes –’ he stood up again and reached down to pull her up – ‘but I’m hardly a Michelin star chef!’
‘I’ll take it,’ she responded with a smile. ‘At least you know how to crack an egg.’
She quickly popped the puppy back in with the rest of her family and grabbed her coat. She was already two glasses of red wine down, and as she was feeling a little lightheaded it seemed like some food wouldn’t be a bad thing.
As she stepped outside, Luke pulled the door shut behind them and reached for her hand.
‘Shall we?’
‘Let’s!’ she said, and together they wandered down the tree-lined track towards Stanley’s. It really was a peaceful little enclave he had found for himself.
‘Stanley’s looks very much alive this evening,’ remarked Eliza, noting that the lights were on and there seemed to be music playing. ‘I thought you were a strictly four p.m. only café!’
‘Oh, we are, but I came down earlier to open it all up for us, so we had somewhere to eat. Does that get me some brownie points?’
‘Luke, you are full of surprises,’ said Eliza, as they went inside. ‘You look after puppies, you swim half naked in rivers, and you open up cafés just to feed a girl you hardly know a slap-up supper. What am I missing, what are your bad bits? Why aren’t there women lined up outside to marry you?’
‘They’ve all given up waiting – the line was just getting too long, and they were getting bored.’
‘Seriously, Luke, come on – how can you possibly be single? There has to be a story you’re not telling me.’
He seemed to be ignoring the question and instead shifted around looking into the industrial-sized fridge behind the counter. ‘Let me see what I can rustle up – how about a bowl of fresh tomato pasta and a green salad? I think I can just about manage that.’
‘That’s one way to my heart,’ she said, wishing she hadn’t used those exact words.
‘Good to know,’ he said, smiling at her.
‘Anyway, how about you, Eliza, what are your negative attributes? You’re the girl who just turns up unannounced in the countryside, judges tractor competitions, sings badly but confidently, and within weeks is arranging my sister’s wedding.
So maybe it’s you I need to worry about . . .’
‘Where’s the wine?’ she asked, changing the subject. Having the focus reversed was far from comfortable. ‘Can I pour you a glass while you cook?’
‘I put the bottle in my coat pocket – grab it out of there. You can find glasses behind the till.’
She reached into his pocket to grab the wine, unaware that his phone was also in there, causing it to accidentally drop to the floor.
As she picked it up, she noticed an unread message from none other than Bella.
A chill ran down her spine as she slipped the phone back into his coat pocket. Jealousy flared inside her.
She was desperate to read the message, but she didn’t know his passcode, and besides, it wasn’t her place to snoop.
Marjorie was convinced that Luke wasn’t interested in Bella.
Maybe it was Bella who was just infatuated with him.
Regardless, Eliza decided not to dwell on it tonight, because, for now, he was hers.
And rule number one of rebound fun, no jealousy.
But it would be a lie to say her curiosity wasn’t starting to get the better of her.
Even if he couldn’t be hers, she still didn’t want Bella to have him.
She came back into the kitchen like nothing had happened and handed him a glass.
‘Smells delicious,’ she said, jumping onto the counter opposite him watching him cook. ‘So come on, Luke, tell me more about yourself! You cook, you build houses, and you look like a superhero – are you real?’
‘I like to think of myself more as self-sufficient, but thanks for the compliment.’ Luke looked up and laughed.
‘But in truth I suppose, seeing as I’ve never lived with anyone, I had to learn how to look after myself.
My parents taught me well. For the rest of it, I enjoy nature, the outdoor life, manual labour; it keeps me healthy and happy.
I don’t think there’s any great secret to it. ’
‘So why have you never lived with anyone, have you never fallen in love?’
‘So many questions, Eliza! No, I have definitely loved before, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the kind of love I need to settle down. Whatever that is. Is that enough information?’
‘You’re a commitment-phobe!’ she announced, oddly overjoyed to discover the one flaw, whilst also feeling her heart sink just a little.
‘I never said that,’ he said, as he deftly chopped up the tomatoes, onions and garlic to be thrown in with the pasta. ‘Anyway, why don’t we talk about cars, or tractors, or your life?’
Eliza laughed. ‘Okay, I get it, I’ll stop asking questions, but it’s interesting. I want to know everything about you. I just can’t believe no woman has ever tied you down.’
‘Now, I never said that . . .’ he quipped, grinning at her, wiping his hands on his apron and walking towards her.
‘You are inquisitive, aren’t you,’ he whispered, as he leant in to kiss her, ‘but maybe you just need to have a little more fun and worry a little bit less.’
He took Eliza’s glass of wine out of her hand and placed it down on the counter beside her.
Then he kissed her, his mouth searching, his hands slowly reaching up under her top, tenderly caressing her breasts, teasing her erect nipples through her silk bra.
She let out a virtually inaudible gasp as he moved his mouth along her throat and then slowly unbuttoned her shirt.
He moved to her breast, pushing her bra aside, teasing her nipple gently with his tongue.
Desire coursing through her, she grabbed him, pulling him back up to her, mouth on mouth, desperation and need driving her forward.
She reached down to feel his hardness and when she went to undo his belt buckle, he eased her away.
‘Not so fast, tiger, the water’s boiling, and I wouldn’t want to ruin your appetite.’ He smiled, his eyes burning into hers, and then simply turned and went back to his cooking.
‘I need to have more fun, do I?’ asked Eliza, rearranging her top and trying not to look too harassed by her longing for him. ‘Well, maybe you just haven’t seen me having fun yet.’
‘Oh, I don’t doubt you can, I’m just saying, don’t sweat the small stuff.
Let’s enjoy the now. It’s a beautiful evening, the sky is bright, and we have the whole night to ourselves.
How damn lucky are we. Here, taste this,’ he said, holding out a spoonful of the most delicious tomato sauce to her lips. ‘Good? Or does it need more salt?’
Eliza who wasn’t lying about not being able to boil an egg thought it tasted perfect, although she wished he’d been putting something else in her mouth . . . ‘It’s scrumptious, which is good as I’m starving, so please tell me it’s ready. If I can’t have you, I might as well have some supper.’
‘You’re in luck, then,’ he said, laughing, ‘follow me.’ He carried two big bowls of steaming pasta over to one of the corner tables by the window and then brought over a bowl of fresh green salad.
The table was already laid for two, and he seamlessly pulled a lighter out of his pocket and lit the candles.
With the sun going down, and the music playing softly in the background, Eliza thought this might be the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her.
As she took her first mouthful, she also wondered whether it was one of the most delicious things she had ever eaten.
‘Oh my God, Luke, this is so good, there must be a secret ingredient in there. How can something so basic taste so delicious?’
‘Things don’t have to be complicated to be great, Eliza.’ Smiled Luke. ‘Sometimes the simplest things are the best.’
‘Such a philosopher, I learn something new about you every day.’
‘Please, enough compliments for one day! I’m going to get a big head. Now tell me, how are the wedding plans going? Is Fenella turning into Bridezilla? I can’t actually believe my little sister is getting married – that blows my mind. At least my parents might get off my back now.’
Eliza laughed. ‘No sign of Bridezilla yet, and I think the wedding planning is going well. We have a venue, which we’re sitting in right now, so that’s the easy bit.
Wine, as we know is from Jean Pierre, and we’re down to the last few options on music.
I was thinking about asking my sister Agatha if she could do the catering.
I was going to suggest that to Fenella tomorrow.
Unless of course you want Stanley’s to do the food? I don’t want to step on any toes.’
‘No, please, now we’re doing a proper wedding, my guys aren’t really equipped, but please make use of the kitchen. Is Agatha a caterer?’
‘Not anymore but she used to be – and I think it would do her so much good to get back out there. To escape the clutches of her children.’ Something about Agatha’s last few messages had made her think her big sister might need a gentle nudge to mix things up a bit.
‘What does she think about that?’ he asked wryly.