Chapter 8 #2
As she righted herself, Theo helped her upright.
Eventually she was stood in front of him with his hands still on her waist. He pulled them away and thrust them into his pockets, strolling on.
She turned around, taking in the scenery while her body still felt the lingering warmth of his hands and her mind replayed how much she’d enjoyed having them there.
She could immediately see why he liked this place so much.
Hidden behind larger historic buildings and away from the busy streets, it was a hidden gem in the middle of the city, calm and serene.
There were flower beds full of red roses and another white flower she couldn’t identify, gravel walkways and banks of trees offering welcome shade from the strong summer sun.
In the middle was a large pond with a huge fountain sprinkling water from the top.
The gentle sound of water seemed to be everywhere in the city from the sea surrounding it, to the canals winding through it, and now here.
Milly took a moment to pause on one of the benches, feeling the air cool the moment she stepped into the shade.
Theo sat down beside her, and his close proximity made her wonder if he was about to place an arm around her shoulders. She found herself hoping he was.
‘Do you like it?’ Theo asked, glancing at her then swiftly looking away.
‘I love it. It’s so calm.’ She looked around at the other visitors and they too were respecting the quiet. She studied the historic building, wondering what it was like to work there and nip out here every day during lunch breaks. How blissful it would be.
After a few moments of simple, comfortable silence, Theo said, ‘Shall we head back for some dinner?’
She nodded and they walked side by side, their hands almost brushing. Milly could feel the pull of his body next to her, urging her closer. ‘Why is this place so special to you?’
Theo peered around for a moment, drinking the place in as though he was the one seeing it for the first time. ‘It’s somewhere I’ve always gone for peace and quiet and to think.’
‘Think about what?’
‘The business, the house, life … love.’
He didn’t meet her eye, staring in the opposite direction, and Milly wondered if he was talking about the woman she’d seen in the Instagram pictures. She was definitely going to have to ask Ada about them. She had to know more.
‘That seems like quite a lot.’
‘It is sometimes though, isn’t it?’
‘It can be.’
‘What do your family and friends think about you coming here for the summer?’ Theo asked after a beat, moving the conversation along.
Milly sighed, nervously adjusting her glasses. ‘My mum’s sort of okay about it. She worries about me. A lot.’
‘Even though you’re a grown woman?’
‘Even though I’m a grown woman. She can’t help it, and she means well,’ she added quickly, wanting him to think well of her. ‘My dad’s not really in the picture and I’m an only child, so our relationship is close but also a bit … difficult sometimes.’
‘Ah, I see.’
He didn’t see. Not all of it. But she wasn’t ready to reveal everything about the past – about her dad and his leaving, and the events that had changed her life.
And she didn’t want to revisit those feelings herself.
It had taken a long time to get over them and she didn’t want to be dragged back down into that darkness, to feel that pain again.
‘What about you?’ she asked, eager to know more. ‘Do you have brothers and sisters? Family living nearby?’
‘Not exactly nearby, but they’re not too far away. I come from a small, rural town outside of Copenhagen. I have a brother. He’s married with children and he and my parents still live there, so I travel out to see them as often as I can.’
‘That sounds lovely. It sounds like you all get on.’
‘We do.’
‘But no girlfriend?’ she asked, testing the waters, her curiosity proving too much for her. That lopsided grin lifted the corner of his mouth, and she hoped desperately the answer was no. A ghost of sadness filled his expression and his tone lowered. ‘No. No girlfriend.’
The questions in her head were battling to tumble out of her mouth.
When had he last had one? When had they split up?
Had it been amicable? Had she been the one from the photos?
What had she been like? But she clamped her lips shut as they strolled through more of the gardens, the scent of flowers she couldn’t name filling her nose.
Some of the beds were riotous with colour while others were dainty and sweet.
The air was thick with birdsong, and it seemed like the most perfect summer evening she’d ever had.
‘Shall we have a swim before dinner? I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long, hot day.’
A swim? Oh Lord. She was going to see him semi-naked, up close and personal, which would be great, but would also require a lot of self-control. ‘Umm, yeah. Sure.’
‘Come on. Let’s go.’ He held out his hand for her again and she took it.
Back at the house, Theo went up to change and suggested Milly do the same.
She moved around her room, finding her swimming costume with nerves mounting in her stomach.
After slipping it on, and an oversized T-shirt over the top, she made her way back downstairs, through the house and out onto the little dock.
Alone, she thought about dipping her toe in to feel the temperature, but perhaps it would be better not to know until the time actually came to get in.
‘The water’s perfectly safe,’ Theo said from behind her, causing her to spin in surprise. As she did, she stepped back, too close to the edge. Her body fell backwards, but then his strong arms grabbed hold of her, pulling her close towards him. ‘Whoa!’
‘Sorry,’ she muttered as her hands pressed against his naked chest. The nerves in her stomach erupted into a frenzy of flutters before settling into a tight knot.
His skin was smooth, the muscles underneath taut, and there was just a smattering of dark hair beneath her fingertips. She swallowed heavily.
‘You were about to go in backwards,’ he teased, but his head had dipped a little lower as though he wanted to be as near to her as possible. His eyes flicked over her face, then rose back to her.
They couldn’t go there. Could they? What would Ada say? Should she even be thinking about it so soon after Tom? Tom who? a part of her brain whispered. She really couldn’t have been as in love with him as she thought because even from the beginning their relationship had been nothing like this.
Suddenly, Theo’s arms loosened, and he stepped away from her. ‘The water will be cold at first, but you’ll soon warm up.’ He took two steps to the edge and dived in, popping back up a moment later. ‘Come on!’