There’s a storm brewing #2
“Speaking of gin.” Shona picked her rucksack up and put it on the table. After rummaging around in the big thing for a bit, she pulled out a bottle of her gin. “Thank you for having me over for dinner,” she said and handed it to Kendrick.
“Thank you!” He was delighted and also wondered what else she had hidden in that monster of a rucksack, which was still far from empty. Was she planning to stay the night? Now that would be a real gift.
“You’re welcome. But that’s only my contribution to dinner. This is my actual gift.” As she spoke, she produced a bulky brown paper bag adorned with a slightly dishevelled bow. She handed it to him, and he could have sworn that her hands were shaking a little.
His retained his calm demeanour, but inside he too was quaking. What was she up to? And why did she have such a huge gift for him?
“Aren’t you going to open it?” she asked, sounding nervous now.
“Aye, of course.” He had a hard time taking his eyes off her but resolutely undid the bow and opened the bag. Inside was something big and soft that he couldn’t immediately place. A moment later, he held up a neatly folded, grey and blue checked blanket. “A blanket?” he asked in surprise.
“Unfold it,” she asked, biting her lower lip.
Kendrick did as he was told and when he shook it out, a halter fell to the floor. A horse halter in the same design as the brand-new horse blanket he was holding.
“I bought all these lovely things for my animals, and I thought your Azzedine deserved something too. That shabby old blanket he has right now is a disgrace. I think it’s a leftover from my childhood pony,” she babbled before he could say a word.
Shona had gone shopping for his horse! Kendrick was so touched that for a moment he didn’t know what to feel or how to respond.
He put the blanket down on the kitchen table, took a step towards her and cupped her face with both hands.
“Thank you,” he said in a hushed voice, surprised that he could speak at all. Then he leant down and kissed her.
Shona thought her heart would stop when Kendrick stared at her so surprised, the new horse blanket in his hand.
Was her gift presumptuous? Or just plain too much?
But she had meant well and wanted to do something nice for him.
As she took a deep breath to explain, he came to her, stroked her cheeks with his large, strong and slightly rough hands and whispered: “Thank you.” And then he kissed her.
And how he kissed her! It wasn’t a hungry, greedy, devouring kiss like the one they had sunk into in Inverness.
Not a kiss that promised unbridled, wild passion.
Not a kiss that was foreplay or a power struggle.
She could have handled any of that. No, this kiss was breathtakingly tender and touched her more deeply than she had ever experienced.
It was a kiss that spoke to her heart and her soul.
How could that be? What did that mean? And were such feelings even possible?
Shona lost all sense of time, unsure if their connection lasted seconds or eons.
She simply surrendered to this all-encompassing, sweet feeling.
A feeling a defiant part of her subconscious called love.
Love? Panic flickered up, but only for a moment, then the intoxicating, exhilarating sensation settled over her like a soft blanket.
“Thank you,” Kendrick breathed again as he finally broke the kiss.
Shona didn’t know what to say. She had no idea if this last ‘thank you’ still referred to the horse blanket – or maybe the kiss? She didn’t know what to think and only longed to wrap herself in the mesmerising sense of completeness, of togetherness his kiss had given her.
Kendrick also looked slightly disoriented, his eyes a little vacant, but he managed to get a grip on himself much more quickly than she did. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “If we’re planning to have food, I’d better get to the barbecue, or the embers will be gone.”
This sobered her up enough to get her act together too. “So we have to decide which flames to ignore?” She giggled as she took in the puzzled look on his face.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Actually, I’m starving ...”
“You’re being cryptic now, aren’t you?”
“Not really. I think it’s very clear what I am in the mood for ...
” She watched in fascination as his Adam’s apple twitched at her words and was sure that he was just as excited as she was.
“But since you’ve gone to so much trouble, I want to show my appreciation for your cooking.
” There was still time for everything else later.
As much as she wanted to get on with the kissing right away – and all that would inevitably follow – the idea of delayed gratification was actually quite tempting.
She had enjoyed talking to him last night, hearing his astute thoughts, seeing him so vulnerable, feeling him so close.
It was all just as attractive as his soft lips, his demanding tongue and his strong body.
“Are you sure?” he asked, apparently a little undecided himself.
Was she sure? Of course she wasn’t! Whatever was happening between them was way outside of her comfort zone.
When had she ever been interested in a man for anything but his skills as a lover?
Whatever conversations she’d had on dates in the past – were it over dinner, in a club or at a bar – had been superficial and, well, goal-oriented.
But with Kendrick, she wanted to get to know him properly, learn everything about him: his passions and interests, his likes and dislikes, his life plans.
Everything. So there was only one possible answer: “As sure as I’ve ever been.
” She went up on her tiptoes again to give him a peck on the cheek. “How can I help?”
“Don’t worry about it. Or wait … you could dress the salad. Everything else is ready. I just have to put our food on the grill and rescue the potatoes from the embers.” He smiled at her and suddenly seemed as happy as she felt.
“That sounds just about doable,” she replied. “What are we having?”
“I didn’t know what you liked, so there’s steak and vegetable kebabs. After the afternoon I’ve had, lamb was out of the question.” He chuckled and went to the fridge, watched over closely by the two dogs, and pulled out two covered plates.
“That’s fair,” she muttered and took in the sight of four huge steaks and six appetising vegetable skewers. “Are you expecting more company, or do you really have me down as such a glutton?”
“Of course not, silly! Though I have to say, it was impressive how quickly you polished off those two bowls of tikka masala yesterday,” he teased.
“I’m not used to shopping and cooking just for one or two people, so I always misjudge how much I need.
Plus, I am famished. Those sheep really took it out of me.
” He carried the two plates out to the patio, swiftly followed by the dogs and then Shona.
“The sky looks weird,” Shona pointed out as she looked at the horizon. It was getting dark, but there was something else. A storm was brewing, announced by dark clouds with an odd yellow tinge.
“Aye, probably a thunderstorm,” he said, but didn’t seem concerned.
“There was nothing about a storm in the weather forecast, and this is not the time of year for thunderstorms …” She shook her head.
“The forecast didn’t say anything about this either,” he replied and surprised her with another deep kiss that left her breathless. And made her reconsider if she really wanted steak and salad all that much ...
“If you carry on like this, we’ll have to feed the meat to the dogs,” she gasped when he let go of her.
“I just find it hard to control myself around you,” he admitted and finally placed the meat and vegetables on the grill. “Will you take care of the salad? And feel free to explore the house if you like. I’ll be here a few minutes.”
It was a charming way to send her out of his immediate vicinity because if she stayed where she was, he may not be able to hold it together, Shona assumed.
She winked at him and disappeared back into the house, swaying her hips seductively.
She could almost feel his gaze on her derriere.
After pouring the dressing on the salad in the kitchen, she took the bowl into the adjacent living room.
She liked the large room, even if it still looked a little unfinished.
A comfortable, contemporary sofa was placed across from the fireplace, in which she found a fire burning.
I wonder what Kendrick had in mind? She placed the salad on the dining table, which had been set with great care for two but could also accommodate a large family.
It reminded her of the giant kitchen table in Harriswood House, where she had spent so many hours when she was young.
Shona looked out to the patio, where Kendrick was standing at the barbecue and talking animatedly to her dogs.
Naturally, they didn’t answer but they paid close attention to whatever the man in control of the meat was saying.
Shona smiled. The wolfhounds looked so much more at home with him than with her; they even reminded her of Kendrick in a way.
Like him, they could come across as a little rough and stern at first, and just like him, they had soulful eyes that could express more emotions than words ever could.
She swallowed, struggling to process what Kendrick’s looks and kisses had revealed to her.
Especially after yesterday’s conversation.
Hadn’t they both agreed that they weren’t ready for a committed relationship? Not yet anyway?