Page 41 of Wild About You

‘Thanks,’ he said tightly. ‘Always good to be slapped down.’ The way he held my gaze with his piercing blue eyes set my heart spinning like a worry bead.

‘Where’s Hugo?’ I valiantly tried to steer the conversation onto safe topics.

‘He’s snoring on the sofa upstairs. He was getting overwhelmed by the kids. He loves them, but after getting poked in the eye for the third time I think he fancied some alone-time too.’

I gave a cry of laughter and he smiled. But when our eyes met, I couldn’t hold his gaze. Instead, I focused on the rain falling in rivers down the glass.

‘Anna,’ he said softly, sitting down opposite me. ‘Are you okay?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘After the horse thing. I was terrified.’ He blinked, changed direction. ‘Thought you might sue me for broken bones or concussion or something.’

‘Of course not,’ I said stoutly. ‘I normally behave as though I’m slightly concussed anyway.’

‘Good to know.’

I smiled blandly.

‘Looks like that scratch is healing, anyway,’ he said. And he reached out and brushed my face with his thumb.

At his touch, a feeling trembled into life in me that I could not name. A connection that made me catch my breath.

‘I’m glad you’re safe,’ he murmured.

‘Employee safety is very important,’ I murmured back. He was close to me now, and I could smell the fresh air scent of his skin. It felt as though my skin was humming. His hand was still on my face, the lightest touch.What is happening, I thought, as our eyes locked on to each other, enough electricity in our gazes to flip the trip switch of the house. Everything was tingling at the softness of his touch as he ran his index finger down the length of my face and tipped up my chin. Moreover, I didn’t want to move away. I wanted to move towards him. When his hand gently brushed against the back of my neck I felt as though my veins were filled with liquid honey.

There was an enormous boom, as though someone had set a cannon off, and the room vibrated with a techno beat that sent us leaping apart. Someone in the hall had got the ancient boom box working and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Again.

‘Woah,’ I gasped and started laughing.

Jamie had let go of me. He looked dazed, but he wasn’t smiling; it was as though someone had slapped him.

‘I apologise.’ He got to his feet and stood soldier-straight.

My heart was rattling in my chest a ridiculous amount. ‘Yes, best get out there,’ I said. ‘There’ll be some potential countesses queuing up.’

The look of horror on his face silenced me. ‘I’m joking,’ I said forlornly.

‘That was unprofessional of me, Anna.’ He cut through any attempt at humour. ‘Could we – forget that happened?’

My heart dropped in my chest. Really? I fought the urge to breathe on my hand and check I didn’t smell of swamp or something. I’d been just as blindsided as him, but the way he was trying to get away was pure bad manners.

‘No problem,’ I said, in a small voice.

‘Great,’ he nodded, looking anywhere but at my face. ‘I hope the rest of the day goes well. Make sure you sell all that candy floss.’

Luckily he wasn’t looking at my face so he couldn’t see the bewilderment painted across it as he disappeared out of the door.

‘You’ve beentwenty-seven minutes!’ hissed Tally, as I staggered back to the candy floss stall, feeling very much like a Victorian maiden who might faint at any moment. I stood there for a moment, my face burning at the memory of Jamie scuttling back through the halls of the house as though I’d blown araspberry in his face. The realisation was dawning on me: I had definitely wanted to kiss him. I’d been pretty sure he’d wanted to kiss me. And now, kissing him or slapping him was even.

‘Anna! You left me for ages!’ Tally’s voice was like a pail of iced water over the head.

‘And you’ve done fine,’ I said, observing the empty candy floss box and Jim’s thunderous expression; it was clear he and Tally had not got on. ‘Do you think the children of Northumberland have had enough sugar for now? I can go and help with teas. They look a bit inundated.’ As I glanced over, Pat mouthed ‘help’ in my direction. She wasn’t the only one who needed help. I did.

‘Fine,’ said Tally. ‘No one’s listening to me anyway.’

I felt like pointing out to her that she’d abandoned her project when things got tough. ‘It’s worked out well though, hasn’t it?’ I said.

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