Page 54 of Teacakes & Tangos
He nodded, his arms still loosely around me. ‘Obviously I knew she’d had an accident that day. We were just all so relieved that she was all right. She kept talking about the man who’dpulled her out of the way of that speeding van and wanting to thank him. The local newspaper report didn’t include your dad’s name so we had no way of finding him. So although we were all so grateful to this mystery man, I guess we accepted that we might never be able to thank him in person.’
‘But then Minnie – your gran – managed to find out Dad’s name from a friend at the W.I. and she came round to see me.’
Xander nodded. ‘I popped round to see her after work the same day and she told me she’d actually been to see her hero’s daughter earlier. Well, when she said you were called Anika, I knew it had to be you.’ He smiled. ‘It’s not exactly a common name.’
‘That’s true.’
‘So I was planning on contacting you anyway – but then we bumped into each other on Sunnybrook High Street only a couple of hours later, when you were leaving the Swan Hotel after being stood up.’
‘Ugh. Don’t remind me,’ I groaned. ‘He’s never been in touch since to explain why.’
‘Can’t say I’m sorry.’ He gave me a rueful smile. ‘If you’d met your date that night,wemight never have got together.’
‘True. I’d be feeding chickens in Stephen’s back garden instead. Or becoming the proud owner of a Nando’s loyalty card.’ I chuckled at his understandably confused expression. ‘Don’t ask. By the way, where was the flat that almost got repossessed?’
‘Oh, in Guildford. I sold it long ago to pay my folks back.’
‘Then later you bought your flat in Risley Green?’
He nodded. ‘Where I’m living now.’
‘I’d love to see it. Your flat. When are you going to take me there?’ I smiled up at him. ‘I hope it’s not a typical bachelor pad... all black satin sheets and a mirror on the ceiling above the bed.’
He looked at me in fake alarm. ‘How did you know?’
‘I think I know you well enough to know you have better taste than that!’
‘I’ll take you there soon. How about I cook you spaghetti Bolognese?’
‘Sounds good.’
He grinned. ‘A kind woman took pity on me recently and gave me a cookery lesson, so hopefully it won’t be a total disaster.’
‘I can’t wait. Can I have a date for my diary?’
He hesitated. ‘Erm... the thing is, the hob’s not working right now. So... maybe once I’ve had someone in to look at it?’
‘Okay.’
He shrugged. ‘I usually use the microwave so it didn’t seem important getting the hob fixed. Until now, when obviously I’m going to have to start cooking from scratch for you.’
I smiled. ‘Glad to see you’re taking my advice on healthy eating.’
‘You’re a very wise woman. I’d be mad not to.’
Smiling, I snuggled closer, and things began getting a little heated between us.
As we kissed deeply and passionately, I could feel just how much Xander wanted me, which only made the flame of desire between us leap even higher. We were supposed to be taking it slowly – but all logical thought had flown out of the window and all I wanted to do was get naked and horizontal with him as quickly as possible so that I could get to know this gorgeous man in every way imaginable...
I felt something change. Xander had stopped responding.
Reluctantly, I pulled away from him so I could see his face.
‘Sorry.’ He was panting, as I was, and gazing down at me intently. ‘We were going to be taking things slowly, but I...’ He shrugged and looked down. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t apologise,’ I murmured. ‘I feel the same. I... think I’m falling for you, Xander. I didn’t want to but I can’t seem to help it.’
His hold on me tightened and he groaned in reply and pressed me against him, and I felt quite light-headed with longing at the feel of him.
