Page 46 of The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove

‘You need to go home and get ready and back to the shop pretty damn smartish.’

‘Oh no! I can’t.’

‘Why on earth not?’

‘Don’t want anyone seeing me do the walk of shame now do I?’

I laughed.

‘You’re nearly forty years old. Is that not a bit past you?’

‘How rude!’

‘You did text Vi last night to tell her you weren’t going home, right?’

‘Yeah, look.’

He showed me the text and I laughed out loud when I read the message trail.

I’m going to stop out at a mate’s house tonight, Nan. Don’t wait up. Be back in the morning.

About time you got your end away with Nancy. Give her one from me. Love Nan

I groaned.

‘I hope she keeps schtum when she comes to the shop today. I don’t want everyone knowing our business. Mum and Dad don’t even know yet.’

‘Oh, I’m sure they do.’ He laughed. ‘You don’t think it was a coincidence that they went out for the night and stayed out, do you?’

I put my head in my hands.

He reached over and kissed me tenderly.

‘I had the best time with you, Nancy.’

‘Me too.’

As he kissed me again, I melted into his arms before realising once more that we really had to get a shift on and get this day started. The open day was starting at 10a.m. and we still had quite a bit to sort out before we could open the doors and I was gagging for a cup of coffee.

‘Be off with you!’

‘That’s a fine way to treat someone you know. After you’ve had your wicked way with me too. Casting me aside. Charming.’

I ran my tongue across his lips. I wasn’t quite sure where this new confident sex goddess version of me had come from but I felt totally liberated. ‘I’m sure I could make it up to you later.’

‘See you at the shop as soon as I can get past Nan and the Spanish Inquisition.’

I finished getting ready. Luckily, the previous afternoon I’d hung up the dress I was planning to wear so I didn’t have to waste time sorting that out, and quickly applied some light make-up. I hoped no one would recognise the ‘Hi-I’m-Nancy-and-I-spent-last-night-shagging-Dennie’ glow that I would be sporting. I grinned as I grabbed the box that needed taking to the shop and slung my backpack on.

I made it somehow at one minute before eight and it wasn’t long before Dennie appeared, smelling freshly showered andgorgeous as always. He bent to kiss my neck, and knowing what influence that had on me, I pushed him gently away.

‘No time, Dennie. Come on, we need to sort out the furniture.’

‘You drive a hard bargain, lady. I don’t want any wages for working here, but I hope you know I’ll be expecting you to repay me in kind later.’

It took all the strength I had not to jump him right there on the counter but there really wasn’t time for more sexual shenanigans, there was still so much to do and I was starting to feel quite anxious about the day. Dennie seemed to anticipate my mood, so his first port of call was the kitchen to get the coffee pot on the go. I needed it to both give me a kick-start and to keep me awake.

‘OK, tell me what you need me to do and I’ll just do it.’

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