Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
F elipe stopped his bike at the crest of the hill and watched Rebecca pump her way up the last few metres to catch up with him, desperately trying to hide how hard she was breathing and, he could bet, how much her thighs were burning.
‘You’re good. Fast and strong,’ said Felipe. He loved that she never gave up or gave in. She was more than a match for him.
‘Are we talking about cycling?’ she asked with a roll of her eyes.
‘That too,’ he said.
She caught her lip between her teeth. ‘You’re a man. Can I ask you a question?’
‘Depends what it is. Will it get me into trouble? Do I need to know the right answer first?’
‘No… actually no, forget it.’ She pushed off, yelling over her shoulder, ‘See you at the bottom.’
He watched her speed down the hill, her blonde ponytail flying behind her, and felt an annoying kick of desire.
They’d had that one incredible weekend in Lisbon with uninhibited, amazing sex and unreserved fun and he’d assumed they’d carry on when they came back.
Will turning up had put a spoke in that wheel, which he now realised he was starting to regret.
He didn’t want– couldn’t have– commitment… but Rebecca was so easy to be with.
Dwelling on this was only giving her a further head start on the next hill. He pushed off, feeling the wind whip past his face, his legs pummelling at the pedals, keeping pace with the spinning wheels, aware of the endorphins rushing through his body. This was the high he’d once lived for.
It took a while for him to catch Rebecca, who was more than halfway up the next hill.
She glanced over her shoulder with a quick smirk but he noticed she didn’t waste her breath by saying anything.
They battled side by side to the top of the next hill, but gradually he inched ahead towards the finish line they’d pre-agreed.
She didn’t give in, just put her head down and pushed on.
When she reached the crossroads by a little pastelaria , she punched the air.
‘I did it! I did it!’
‘You did. Well done. You get a drink for that.’
‘I need more than a flipping drink,’ she said, getting off the bike, her legs almost bowing and her face dripping with sweat.
She propped up her bike and turned to face him.
She shouldn’t have been sexy, but with tendrils of hair plastered to her face and her T-shirt sticking to her waist, he thought he’d never seen anything more gorgeous. A pang hit him in the chest.
‘I’ll buy you a nata ,’ he said hurriedly, discomforted by the weird sensation, as if someone had thumped him.
With natas and cold beers in front of them, sitting in the shade of an olive tree out in the garden, Felipe pulled out a laptop from his rucksack.
‘Okay. Where should we start?’ he asked.
‘I think a five-day plan plus an additional two days for leisure. So a whole week,’ said Rebecca. ‘People could visit Lisbon or go over the border to Seville.’
‘You’ve been giving this some thought.’
‘Yes. And I think you could run the cycling and Pilates retreats concurrently because Pilates would be good strength-building for the cyclists.’
Felipe clapped. ‘That’s perfect.’
‘Perhaps if you invited your pro cycling friends to host guided routes, that would be quite a draw.’
‘I’m sure it would. Cycling fans are big fans.’
‘Fanatical, you could say,’ quipped Rebecca, her lovely smile lighting up her face.
Felipe metaphorically shook himself. Concentrate and stop drooling over her like a teenager! What the hell was wrong with him?
He just wanted to take her to bed again. That was all. While he was berating himself, she was already talking again, making so many operational suggestions it was obvious that she was the perfect person to set up and run the retreats.
When he blurted it out, she said, ‘Me?’
‘Yes. You’d be perfect.’
Her eyes shone as she gazed up at him. ‘Seriously?’
‘This would boost guest numbers in our low season. I think it could really work. You could stay here and run the retreats. Organise everything. Even payroll,’ he added with a wink.
‘Oh my goodness. I would love that.’
‘And you could run your own classes in the evenings.’
To his surprise, she jumped up from her chair and flung her arms around him, pressing her hot, sweaty body up against him, which he didn’t mind at all. ‘Oh, Felipe. That would be incredible.’
Without thinking, he yanked her onto his lap and kissed her soundly because he couldn’t resist her anymore. It was supposed to be a quick, friendly, impulse kiss, but the minute he tasted her salty mouth, he delved straight in, wanting her with a fierce, hot need.
Without hesitation, she responded, pressing closer to him, her mouth meeting his with equal enthusiasm.
His lips ranged over hers, slowing now while he tugged her closer, exploring and teasing with languid strokes.
When her hands tangled in his hair at the back of his neck and pulled him to her, he heard her low moan.
Eventually, they parted and he didn’t think he’d ever seen anything sexier than when she put her fingers to her swollen lips.
‘Well, that wasn’t in the plan,’ she said and he was pleased to see her chest heaving.
‘Who needs a plan?’ he said, raising his hand and pushing her finger out of the way to trace her lower lip with his index finger.
His groin tightened when her tongue reached out and licked his finger.
‘Rebecca, it’s a good job we’re in public, otherwise I’d be taking you straight to bed.’
That was when he noticed her face fall and she made to move.
‘Don’t move.’
‘Oh,’ she said, looking down.
‘Give me a minute.’
‘Sorry. I shouldn’t be doing this.’
‘We’re just enjoying ourselves.’
‘I know, but… it doesn’t feel right. I need to tell you. I was’—she put her face in her hands—‘I was… kissing Will earlier. What am I doing? I shouldn’t be doing this.’
Felipe had little sympathy. He couldn’t understand why Will hadn’t swept her off her feet and locked her up in his bedroom by now, instead of pussyfooting about with ‘dates’. The man clearly didn’t appreciate Rebecca the way she deserved to be appreciated.
‘You’re not breaking any laws,’ said Felipe a little more harshly than he meant.
‘No, but I can’t do this anymore.’ Her body stiffened. ‘This is crunch point,’ she said, locking her eyes on his.
For a moment they stared at each other and his breath caught in his chest.
‘I have to make up my mind one way or the other.’
He didn’t say a word because he didn’t want her to continue, to issue the ultimatum.
‘I have to make a decision. Move forward with Will or…’—she pointed between them—‘us.’
Holding himself rigid, he didn’t say anything.
He wanted to, but the words stuck way down in his soul.
Hethought of those harrowing months immediately after the crash that had killed his father and the ever-present knowledge that he had to support his family.
Rebecca deserved someone who could give her everything. He couldn’t give her any guarantees.
In one lithe, smooth movement, Rebecca stood up and dumped his rucksack on his lap.
‘There,’ she said and went back to her seat on the other side of the table.
She sat down and folded her arms, giving him a long, level look.
‘We can’t do this again, Felipe. It’s too confusing.
I’ll understand if you don’t want me to be involved in the retreat.
I’m guessing that’s the only offer on the table. ’
Felipe forced himself to smile and pretend. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You know exactly what I mean.’ She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. ‘I want… I want the whole package.’
‘I want you for the job, but… this doesn’t change anything.
We’re friends and I really like you. You’re perfect for the job.
’ He deliberately ignored the implications of what she was saying.
She deserved someone who could be all in, not worried that it might all be snatched away again at any moment.
She shook her head and strode off to her bike. It took everything in him to force himself to remain seated as she cycled away.