Chapter 13 #3
‘Good.’ Will seemed more sure of himself. ‘Why?’
‘Oh, lots of reasons. I caught him cheating on me, for one thing, but mainly because I’m head over heels in love with someone else.’
‘Anyone I know?’
‘You,’ she said, not wanting to tease any more. ‘I love you.’ It was such bliss to be able to say it out loud and to know he felt the same way.
‘Well, thank God for that.’ Relief lit his face. ‘I’d hate to have sat through Fist of Glory for nothing.’
‘Oh God, did Freddie make you watch gay porn?’ Kate giggled. ‘Sorry! And I’m sorry Lorcan hit you,’ she said, touching the bruise under his eye. ‘Does it hurt?’
‘A bit.’
She touched her lips lightly to the bruise. ‘There! All better.’
‘Now I wish he’d beaten me up more. Come here.’ He put a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her face to his, and then his mouth was opening against hers, his stubble rough on her skin. ‘I love you,’ he breathed into her mouth, his hands tangling in her hair as they kissed on and on.
Kate clung to his broad shoulders, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers. She was aware that he was probably naked under the duvet. She wanted to rip off her own clothes and feel his bare skin against hers.
Seemingly he was aware of it too. ‘I feel at a bit of a disadvantage here.’ He slid a warm hand inside the back of her T-shirt, while his tongue darted in and out of her mouth.
The kissing was fantastic, and his hands were driving her crazy, but Kate was very aware that she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and she suspected that there were bits of twig and leaf from the sweat lodge in her crevices.
When Will popped open the top button of her jeans and the warm hand on her stomach strayed downwards, she leaped away.
Will looked wounded.
‘Sorry,’ she smiled regretfully, ‘it’s just that I stink. I didn’t have any clean clothes, and these have been through a sweat-lodge ceremony.’
‘If it’s just your clothes that stink, we could always take them off.’ Will reached for her again.
‘I’m too knackered to take advantage of you, anyway,’ Kate said, flopping onto the pillow beside him and burrowing into his neck.
‘I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.
’ She noticed the rather peeved expression that flitted across Will’s face.
‘Not because I was bonking Brian.’ She grinned.
‘I didn’t sleep with him last night, if that’s what you’re thinking. ’
Relief passed across his face like a wave, smoothing and softening his features.
‘No. Actually, I slept in a dorm with three other women who’d been on a steady diet of beans all weekend – probably all their lives, actually.’
‘Were they not fragrant?’ Will grinned.
‘I was afraid to go to sleep in case I was carried off by carbon-monoxide poisoning.’
‘Serves you right for not coming home,’ Will said, stroking her hair. ‘You could have been here with me.’
‘I still wouldn’t have got any sleep, would I?’
‘Absolutely none.’ He kissed her again.
The magic was shattered by Kate’s stomach, which growled long and low.
‘Sorry!’ she mumbled, embarrassed. ‘I’m also weak with hunger. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.’
‘No wonder you dumped Brian. Come on.’ Will sat up. ‘I’ll take you out to lunch. I’m not going to make the mistake of forgetting to feed you.’
* * *
In a daze of love, Kate didn’t think about where they were going as they walked hand in hand through the winding, cobbled streets.
However, she came to an abrupt awakening when Will stopped outside Paradise, an exclusive Michelin-starred restaurant.
‘We can’t go in there.’ She tugged at Will’s hand as he pulled open the door.
‘Why not? You’re hungry, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, but I’m not dressed.’
‘What do you call this?’ he said, pinching her top between his fingers.
‘You know what I mean! I’m not dressed for this place – and neither are you. I mean, look at us!’ She spread her arms to indicate their general dishevellment.
Though she had changed her clothes, she was still bleary-eyed from lack of sleep and feeling seedy. Will’s clothes looked as if he’d slept in them and, with his rapidly developing black eye, he resembled a low-life thug. ‘You look adorable,’ he said, bending to kiss her.
‘Besides, we don’t have a reservation,’ Kate protested. ‘I’m sure we’ll never get a table.’
‘It’s okay, they know me here,’ Will said, and pulled open the door before Kate could stop him. ‘Come on, the food here is fantastic.’
The tall, glamorous hostess greeted Will by name with a warm smile.
Appearing not to notice his black eye or the walking haystack on his arm, she whisked them to a secluded table in an alcove.
Kate pulled out the chair opposite Will’s, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the plush banquette beside him, their thighs touching.
Bubbling over with happiness, Kate thought how much she liked Will’s world. The tables were covered with thick white linen, the crystal glasses sparkled, the waiters bustled around noiselessly, catering to their every need – and the food was sublime.
‘Oh my God, this is amazing!’ Kate groaned, as she ate the best lobster ravioli she had ever tasted. ‘To think I began today eating quinoa porridge.’
‘Sssh, keep your voice down,’ Will said. ‘You don’t want to get us thrown out.’
She and Will sat practically entwined as they ate, barely able to keep their hands off each other. She made him laugh, telling him about how she had dumped Brian in the middle of his own sharing circle. Then Will filled her in on events in Tuscany.
‘Rory and Louise finally put us out of our misery,’ he said, ‘not to mention themselves.’
‘You mean—?’
‘Yes, they got together. Not before time.’
‘Oh, that’s great!’ Kate was delighted. ‘They’re so obviously nuts about each other.’
‘Owen’s called off the campaign to keep Tessa in the celebrity jail. I think Rory wants her out now, so he can dump her. Louise isn’t happy about sneaking around behind her back.’
‘Oh, I can’t wait to see them! When are we going back to Tuscany?’
‘There’s no rush. Why don’t we have a few days here first, just the two of us?’ A few days in bed, his eyes were saying.
‘Sounds great!’
‘Come home with me,’ Will said, taking her hand. ‘Pack your bags and come to stay at my place. We can go back in a couple of days.’
‘Okay. But I’m seriously in need of some kip first.’ Already exhausted, the wine was making her even droopier and she could hardly keep her eyes open.
‘You can kip at my house.’ Will’s index finger dug into her palm, sending shivers up her spine.
‘I don’t know…’
‘Don’t you trust me to keep my hands off you?’
‘I’m just not sure I’d be able to keep my hands off you.’
Will gave a low growl. ‘You shouldn’t say things like that to me in a crowded restaurant,’ he said, leaning in to kiss her, his lips clinging to hers as if they wanted never to let go.
Kate didn’t want to let go either. Maybe she wasn’t so tired after all, she thought, her senses pinging to life as the kiss deepened.
Finally Will pulled away. ‘Okay, have it your way,’ he said huskily. ‘You go home and sleep and come over to my place later. I’ll cook.’
‘You’ll cook?’
‘Don’t look so surprised. I had lessons from this fantastic chef I know.’
* * *
After another protracted snogging session outside her building, Kate didn’t fancy her chances of getting any sleep, so she was amazed to wake up just after six o’clock and discover she had slept for almost four hours.
She felt marvellous, still dizzy with happiness as the events of the past few hours flooded back to her.
She had always scoffed at those magazine articles that told you how to spend several hours – sometimes even days – getting ready for a date. Now, as she skipped to the bathroom armed with enough products to stock a small branch of Boots, she knew where they were coming from.
‘I see you didn’t manage to wipe that smile off your face,’ Freddie said, when she finally emerged into the living room.
‘Can’t be done,’ she said gaily. ‘Not if I spent a whole week in the bathroom.’
‘You almost did – I had to go next door to pee. I’d hate to see what you’d be like if you were going to the Oscars.’
‘This is better than the Oscars,’ Kate said blissfully. ‘I know my name’s in the envelope.’
By the time she rolled up in a taxi at Will’s, she felt as buffed up and glamorous as a Hollywood starlet strutting the red carpet.
‘Hi!’ Will opened the door, barefoot, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt, looking heart-stoppingly beautiful and gratifyingly excited to see her. He seemed a lot brighter than he had earlier, his black eye only adding to his sexiness, giving him an edgy, rakish air.
‘Wow, you look amazing.’ His eyes devoured her hungrily, and he smelt divine as he bent to kiss her.
‘Thanks,’ she said shyly, moving past him into the large hall. Her heart was pounding already. ‘So do you.’
She removed her jacket and he came up behind her, taking it from her.
‘I can’t believe you’re here,’ he said, stroking the back of his hand down her bare arm.
Kate shivered excitedly. ‘I’ve been here before,’ she said shakily, ‘loads of times.’
‘Not like this,’ Will said, dropping a kiss on her neck.
‘No, not like this,’ Kate gasped as he nuzzled her collar bone and shoulder.
His arms came around her and he pulled her into him, lifting her hair to trail kisses along the nape of her neck and up to her ear.
Moaning low in his throat, he turned her in his arms, and their lips met, his mouth opening against hers.
‘So, did you cook?’ she asked breathlessly, rather hoping the answer would be no.
Will nodded as though he had been woken from a dream. ‘Yes,’ he said absently.
Taking her hand, he led her into the kitchen. The table was set for two and a delicious smell was coming from the oven.
‘Would you like a glass of wine?’ A bottle of red stood open on the table.
‘Yes, please.’