Chapter 23 #3
“They need them for the teeny tiny preemies. I’m not very good though, and I’m slow. You’re looking at a third of my output.”
“A third, so you’ve finished at least one.”
“Two.” He mushed his lips together, considering, then reached over to where he’d stowed the hook and presented the finished articles.
They were both pastel yellow and bore cute ribbon detailing.
“Paul, these are amazing.”
“You don’t have to be kind. I know I’m not very good.”
“Shut up,” she smacked his shoulder, the nearest bit of him to her. “They’re fab. Mind you, they do kinda look like something else.” She demonstrated by stretching one of the hats over her left breast. “Bra cups.”
Rock Giant groaned.
Jodi positioned the second hat.
“See. Just needs a bit to attach them together at the front and some straps.”
“Oh, I can see, all right. I can see you’re determined to spike my blood pressure.”
“How?”
“How, she says.” He levelled his gaze right at her breasts. “By being temptation incarnate, that’s how. I’ll have my hats back now, please. Unless you’re going to be kind and whip your top off to model them properly.”
“Ah!” She bit her lip but failed to stop her smirk, then passed him the articles. “It’s not like these itty-bitty things would cover my girls.”
Paul groaned again. Then his hand was behind her head, and their brows were pressed together and his hazel eyes looking straight at her. “You’re making this difficult, Castle. I’m doing my best here to give you space, but it’s hard when I want you, and—”
“I’m not intentionally leading you on. I’m sorry. Truly.”
“I know. This is just you. You and your defensive banter and wandering hands.”
“My hands don’t—” They were clasped around the lapels of his fleece jacket, practically holding him in position. She cautiously willed them to uncurl.
“Jodi. I think you’d better order me not to kiss you.”
“Didn’t think you were much for orders.”
“True.” He recaptured her gaze. “But I don’t want you to think I’m a dick, either.”
“You’ve a nice one, but I don’t think you are one.” What the heck was she saying to him? “Sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m gonna give you the totally wrong impression. We said we were just going to be friends. We both agreed that. I should go and find Nash.”
His hold on her didn’t release, nor had she quite left hold of his clothing.
He tilted his head.
Jodi’s heart gave a kick. Don’t kiss me. Don’t kiss me. Nothing good would come of it. Nothing... “Don’t.”
The smile slid from his face. “Actually don’t, or?”
She took a shallow breath. But the only proper answer sat on her tongue unspoken.
It didn’t help that he was sexy as hell and that she could remember the touch of his lips far too well.
A week ago. Three years ago. The tickle of his tongue against hers.
Against other places. For a moment she was back in that glass house that’d been their home for the night.
He was there, licking mushroom pate off his fingers, while she drank all the tea.
Him playing spoons, naming the kittens, and optimistically presenting her with a strip of condoms he’d pulled from that bag of tricks he’d brought along and calling them entertainment.
He moved her hair behind her ear. “Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?”
She didn’t dare answer.
“How much I’d like to steal your top away, not so you can model my crochet, but so that I can cover you with my hands. Just sit with you in my lap, your back to my chest, your breasts in my hands. Just holding you.”
“I think you’d get wrist ache.” Again with her stupid quips. Why couldn’t she just hold her tongue?
“It’d be worth it. You’ve the best rack I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve encountered a few.” It wasn’t a boast on his part, simply a statement.
His thumb swished against the bare skin behind her ear.
“Paul, we can’t. God, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. For all of this. For everything.”
“Don’t be.”
“But I am. I know you must have regrets. I’m sure this isn’t what you wanted when you gave your heart away.”
“And you’d be wrong. I don’t regret anything.”
“You don’t wish you’d chosen someone else to tie yourself to? Someone prepared to love you like you deserve? Who’d happily shag you silly and doesn’t come with a prior attachment?”
“No. You’re the only person I want. I knew it in the moment, and I know it now. I’m not saying I wouldn’t mind you coming round to the idea of me shagging you silly, but I’ll never regret the vows we made.”
Her eyes were welling with tears over his words. What sort of defence was she supposed to mount against that sort of affirmation? “You’re too good for this world, Paul Reed.”
“Nah, just blindly optimistic.” He raised his free hand between them and explored her lips with his fingertips.
Then, he leant in and kissed the tips of them where they still rested against her lips, before releasing her.
He pushed to his feet and turned to the door. “I hear voices. We should go down.”
She followed him back through the bunk room. “Do you think they’ve found everybody?”
“Only one way to find out. Look, you go down first. It’ll spare us awkward questions.”
Them both emerging from the same bus would still raise questions, even if it was minutes apart. In fact, it’d look super shady.
“Don’t worry, I’ve a plan. Fire escape and some army crawling.” He obviously had it all mapped out in his head. “No one needs to know anything, Castle. It’s none of their fucking business, anyway.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
“Won’t they think it’s weird I hid on your bus?”
“Just say you were under the kitchen table ’cause you weren’t sure you wanted to brave the woods alone in the dark. No one will think anything of it.”
She nodded and headed down the steps. Most of the gang were back. No one even noticed she’d joined them from the direction of the buses. Nash, Jez, and Balin were by the fire, but Lee was still missing. He returned along with Dani and Ronnie a few moments later. Ginny following them.
“Still no sign of Rock Giant?” she asked her hubby, who had evidently already given up the search.
“Evading even my super-secret-agent powers.”
“Guess that’s another win to him, then. Backroom’s his for the night.”
“Like this was even a contest,” Paul said emerging in their midst and making several of them jolt. Judging by the dirt now smeared over his face, and over his arms, he had indeed army crawled under the bus. “All yours, Castle.” He gave her a sly wink. “Got to be some advantages to being my missus—”
She sensed Nash stiffen.
“—I’m good out here. But keep the noise down, so you don’t disturb the rest of them, right. No one needs an angry Cave Troll to deal with.”
“Wait, you mean me and...” He was giving her and Nash his prize.
Nash’s back remained broom straight, and he was eyeing Rock Giant like this was a trap despite his bandmates affectionately battering him with their knuckles muttering about accepting the gift horse.
Why are you doing this? Jodi wanted to ask, but Rock Giant avoided her gaze, and lingering around to ask while people were trying to steer her towards a cosy night with Nash in a double bed instead of their usual teeny bunk didn’t feel like an option.