Chapter 10 #2
“Promise,” I said, excitement and nerves battling it out in my stomach.
She’d given me free rein. I could do the lemon and basil scones I’d been desperate to try – no wait, the salted caramel and pistachio cruffins. If I got up a hour or two earlier, I might even have time to bake a pie or two, test out some recipes for the Cairn it’s just that Alistair is kind of . . .” He trailed off.
“Repressed?” Juniper suggested.
Callum poked her in the ribs, but continued, “I’d love him to finally feel . . . I don’t know, settled here, I guess. That’s all I meant.”
Why was he looking at me like I was the answer to all that? When I was the only person who knew Alistair was leaving.
I’m in way over my head.
I cleared my throat, making a show of scrubbing the counter.
The ring of the bell saved me from answering. I glanced up, a relieved What can I get for you? building in my throat, only to be greeted by a “Hey, baby”.
Music should have been playing. A slow, thumping base as Alistair seemed to sweep into Brown’s in slow motion, à la Edward Cullen at the start of New Moon. Briefcase in hand, not a stray curl in sight, lips curled into a smile that turned my mouth dry.
It was the most erotic look I’d ever seen in my life, and it wasn’t right. It didn’t belong on the Alistair I knew. And definitely not aimed in my direction.
I unstuck my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Hey—”
The press of his lips on mine cut me off.
My eyes snapped wide, meeting his closed ones as the frames of his glasses pressed into my cheek and – oh god. He was . . . kissing me.
My hands gripped the counter, unsure where to place them as I scrambled to decide whether to pull away or kiss him back. Should I kiss him back? Surely, we should have discussed this first?
Alistair’s hand cupped my cheek, and I tried to relax. The position was awkward with the counter in between us. The height difference made it worse.
Absently, I heard Juniper whisper, “New, huh?”
A small sigh puffed against my mouth, hot and minty as his lips slowly parted and – bloody hell – I was already anticipating his tongue.
When was the last time I’d been kissed? Really, truly kissed beyond a cursory peck in the morning?
My mouth made the decision for me, softening. Parting. Muscles finally relaxing – right as Alistair pulled away. No! I wanted to scream. A defiant whimper built in my throat, and I had to stop myself from chasing his lips.
It felt like reading a fade-to-black scene in a romance novel. Cutting off right at the good part.
“Hey, guys,” Alistair greeted Callum and Juniper. Entirely composed. Entirely back to normal, as if nothing unusual had happened at all. “Can I get a black coffee, Isla?”
“Sure,” I heard myself say from some distant planet, in no condition to handle boiling liquid.
My eyes rocketed over to Teddy, relieved to find her bent over her colouring book, headphones back in place. She hadn’t seen it. Good. That was good.
The only good thing to come from any of this.
We were barely three days in and I already wanted my fake boyfriend to kiss me again. I was so screwed.