Chapter Seven #2
Luke lowered his gaze to where it appeared most of Debbie’s buffet had landed. ‘Oh well, that’s just wonderful.’
He raised his eyes, scowling as he saw her expression. Yes definitely a smirk. ‘I’m glad you think it’s so funny,’ he snapped at her. ‘What the hell am I going to do now?’
‘First, I suggest you clean off as much of that mess as you can in there,’ she instructed, waving a hand towards the bathroom.
‘Yes ma’am.’ Luke gave a mock salute and disappeared through the door to begin his clean up. He felt tired, smelt of sick and longed for his bed. The last thing he needed was her issuing orders and treating him like a small helpless boy.
Returning moments later, the damage reduced to two large wet patches, Luke presented himself for inspection. ‘Right I’m ready to go home now, miss.’
‘Not quite.’ Cat shook her head, obviously unamused by his attempt at humour, ‘You need to clean up properly.’
‘I am cleaned up properly,’ he protested. ‘What’s wrong with this?’
‘I am not letting you go home in that state,’ she insisted. ‘No way. Come with me.’ She gestured towards the door.
Luke stood his ground and they glared at each other for a moment.
Why did she have to be so damned bossy? He rubbed his aching forehead.
All he wanted was his bed and sleep; soft sheets to blot out the memory of this dreadful evening.
But right now there was an immovable object in the way, one which he had no hope of shifting.
‘Okay, you win.’ He gritted his teeth annoyed at having to back down. ‘Let’s go.’
Cat stopped off to return the key card and ask reception to organise a regular check on room five.
Then she set off in the direction of the lift.
He followed her, pausing to take a last look over his shoulder.
From her expression the receptionist obviously found the situation highly amusing.
Embarrassed didn’t begin to cover the way he felt.
Thank goodness there were no hotel guests around.
‘Where are you taking me?’ he asked as the lift doors parted with a light hiss and an automated voice announced, ‘Ground Floor’.
‘For a shower and fresh clothes.’
‘You keep spare sets of shirts and trousers, do you? Funny, I thought this was a hotel not a department store.’
‘Oh, you are such a grouch,’ she mocked, with a wave of her finger and an infuriating grin. ‘Lighten up, for goodness’ sake. I’m taking you up to our eyrie on the top floor. Nathan is about your size. He won’t mind loaning you a change of clothes.’
Producing a key, she inserted it in the wall pad and pressed a button marked Private. The doors closed followed by another automatic announcement.
‘Your home is here?’ he asked as the lift got underway.
‘Of course, where else did you think we lived?’
‘The tower, what’s it called? Caer Gwyn?’
‘Oh, Great-Aunt Emelia lives there.’
‘What, all by herself?’
‘Well, apart from her housekeeper and Hamish her West Highland terrier. Aunt Em loves it. She can see everything that’s going on. She’s in her element.’
Luke had heard of Emelia Trevelyan, Rosalind Myers’ newest recruit. ‘Got a spyglass up there, has she?’ he joked.
‘You’d better believe it.’
That made him smile. But he wasn’t fooled.
That calm in control thing she had going on was because she currently had him at a disadvantage: his clothes were wet and smelling of sick.
No doubt it would disappear the moment he left the hotel.
And tomorrow they’d be back to throwing insults at each other once more.
The lift came to the end of its journey. The doors opened and they stepped out into a small lobby, at the far end of which were two large, white double doors. Cat walked ahead, produced her key card and swiped them in.
‘Wow!’ he said, looking around at the huge living area with its coffee-coloured carpets, cream sofas and the contrasting splashes of brown and orange in the modern prints on the walls. ‘What a surprise.’
‘The guest bedroom and bathroom are here,’ she said, guiding him through an archway to the left where a row of white doors punctuated a short corridor.
She opened the door at the far end and he followed her in, finding himself in a room similar, he guessed, to those in the main hotel.
Decorated in green and beige, it had a king-sized bed, above which hung a frameless panoramic aerial shot of Tarwin House.
A dressing table and wardrobe completed the furnishings and a large flat screen TV hugged one wall.
Cat slid back a connecting door to show him the en suite.
‘Everything’s there,’ she gestured inside. ‘Now I’ll just go and sort out some clean clothes. Oh, and there’s a canvas bag hanging on the wall, leave your dirty things in it, I’ll have them laundered for you.’
Before he had time to say thank you she had disappeared. With a shrug he stepped into the bathroom and began to peel off his shirt, eager for the feel of hot water and cleansing shower gel on his skin.
Closing the bedroom door, Cat leaned against the wall for a moment.
Luke Carrack had been a thorn in her flesh ever since their first meeting.
An arrogant know-all who always thought he knew best, especially around women.
And yet this evening, as he’d helped her with Debbie, she realised the praise Jodie had heaped on him wasn’t without some justification.
Most guys would simply have shrugged, distanced themselves from the whole thing and left her to it.
But not Luke. For that reason she felt she couldn’t simply see him off the premises, his trousers and shirt wet and smelling of sick.
Instead, she had played the Good Samaritan, offering him the chance to get cleaned up and change into fresh clothes before he went home.
It’s no big deal; I’d have done it for anyone else in the same situation, she told herself.
In Nathan’s room she picked out jeans, a black V-neck sweater and a pair of boxer shorts.
Returning, she knocked, then carefully opened the door and called out his name.
She could hear water running and the hum of the extractor fan through the partially open bathroom door.
Stepping into the room, she carefully laid the clothes out on the bed.
As she passed the bathroom door on her way out her eyes were immediately drawn to movement inside.
Luke stood with his back to her, towelling his hair.
Cat came to a halt, mesmerised by the sight of tanned bare flesh.
Her eyes followed the lines of his body over broad shoulders and long muscular legs.
Finally they came to rest on those same tight buttocks she’d once skimmed her hand over, a sight stolen from her gaze almost immediately as he wrapped the towel around his waist. Cat took a deep breath and vacated the room quickly, closing the door behind her.
He might be her worst nightmare but, with or without clothes, she agreed with Nessa and Jodie; the man was drop-dead gorgeous.
Reaching the lounge she kicked off her shoes and made a quick call to the club to let Nathan know what had happened.
Replacing the receiver, she headed for the kitchen, retrieving a bottle of Chablis from the fridge.
She uncorked it, poured herself a large glass and took it plus a clean glass, bottle and cooler through to the lounge.
Settling herself comfortably on one of the couches, she savoured a chilled mouthful and closed her eyes, relaxing back against the softness of the pale leather.
‘I’ll be off then.’ Her eyes opened to the sound of Luke’s voice. Setting the glass on the low table in front of her, she swung around to face him. His dark hair was still damp from the shower, the clothes a perfect fit.
‘Not a bad guess, eh?’ he said, indicating the sweater and jeans.
‘No, spot on,’ she nodded in agreement. Silence filled the room.
‘Well, thank you for all you’ve done … for Debbie and for me, I’m very grateful. I’m just going to ring for a taxi then I’ll be on my way.’
‘I think you may have a bit of a wait,’ she said, watching as he pulled his mobile from the back pocket of his borrowed jeans.
‘Harbour Cars will be busy ferrying wedding guests home now.’ Watching him make his call she noted the disappointment as his dark brows butted together, finally ending the conversation with an, ‘Okay, thank you.’
He slid the phone back into his pocket with a shrug. ‘You were right. Nothing till after two.’
‘That late?’
‘Yes, they’re extra busy tonight. There’s another reception going on at the Black Rock Hotel, just up the coast. I’ll walk.’
‘Walk? Are you serious? Carrenporth is three miles from here. There are no street lights to guide you home. No, Luke, it’s a crazy idea.’ She couldn’t imagine anyone walking along those dark, lonely lanes at this time of night.
‘Well …’ He thought for a moment. ‘Then maybe I could have one of the staff bedrooms? You know, like the one you’ve put Debbie in. I’d be willing to pay.’
Cat considered his proposal. ‘Okay,’ she agreed with a nod, ‘but if you’re going to stay anywhere I’d prefer you to have the guest suite you’ve just used.’
‘What stay here, in your home?’ He looked completely taken aback. ‘I can’t possibly do that. What would your father say?’
‘He’s spending the weekend in London with friends. Nathan and I are holding the fort. He’ll be back after two when Ship2Shore closes. Don’t worry,’ she fixed him with a reassuring smile, ‘he’s cool with you being here.’
‘Thank you, but I don’t want to get you into any trouble.’
‘Don’t worry, you won’t. Care to join me?’ She gestured towards the wine.
‘Oh right … thank you.’ He hovered, hands pushed into his jeans pockets, as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. Of course, she thought as she watched him, he was only used to confrontation when he was in her company. This new friendly, relaxed Cat probably had him totally confused.