Page 67 of Right Place, Right Time
‘Would you like me to leave?’ he asks now.
This time I don’t have to think. I jump up, forgetting I don’t have the blanket around me any more, and pull open the door.
‘No, I don’t want you to leave.’
Adam looks me up and down and smiles. ‘You don’t knowhowpleased I am right now that you said that.’
When we finally extract ourselves from the bedroom, it’s too late to order any food, so instead Adam insists on making me cheese on toast. Which he does extremely well.
‘This is lovely, thank you,’ I tell him as we sit together on the sofa. I’m now wearing the very unsexy items of pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt, and Adam has pulled his jeans and shirt back on. But his shirt is only half buttoned up, leaving the incredibly arousing view of his rather lovely chest partially on view, and I have to keep averting my eyes to prevent a repeat of before happening.
‘I’m glad you like it. Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?’
‘Which particular time?’ I ask, grinning.
Adam raises his eyebrows suggestively. ‘I actually meant what happened when you rushed to the toilet. That wasn’t just because you needed to pee, right?’
Adam said he could read me like a book.
‘No, it wasn’t just that. I panicked.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been in that situation with a man,’ I answer honestly. ‘And I wasn’t sure what I wanted.’
‘I think you made that pretty clear when you came back to the bedroom!’
‘Funny. No, I mean… look, I just overthought everything, that’s all. I’m fine now.’ I take another comforting bite of my cheese on toast.
‘I don’t make a habit of one-night stands, if that’s what you were wondering?’ Adam says. ‘Maybe in the pastthat suited me. But not now. As I said earlier, tonight completely surprised me. But I’m glad it happened – really I am. Clearly I find you attractive, that goes without saying.’
I feel myself beginning to blush once more.
‘But I didn’t want to act on it before, because I didn’t think you felt the same way.’
‘I didn’t know how I felt until this evening. Actually, no, maybe it was earlier today when we were having our breakfast in the shop.’ I think again. ‘Or maybe even earlier than that. I thought we might have had a moment last night when we were down in the office together.’
‘You felt that too, then?’ Adam asks. ‘Over the negatives?’
‘Yes, exactly then. I mean, clearly you are a very attractive man. I’ve known that from the moment I met you.’
Adam smiles. ‘You didn’t let on.’
‘Because you were also very annoying back then too,’ I say, grinning. ‘And full of yourself.’
‘Steady,’ Adam says, but he’s still smiling. ‘Don’t ruin it.’
‘I don’t want to ruin anything,’ I say. ‘I feel like I’m living in a very strange fairy tale right now with everything that’s been going on, and like in all good fairy tales, I’ve just kissed the handsome prince!’
Adam grins. ‘I’m pleased I got cast in that role in your fairy tale. A while ago you’d have cast me as a troll or a gremlin, or something equally as annoying.’
‘Nah, I wouldn’t do that. Maybe an ugly sister …?’ I grin at him.
‘I knew it was too good to be true,’ Adam says ruefully. ‘I should have quit while I was ahead. Talking of fairy tales, I couldn’t help but notice your collection ofchildren’s books up in your bedroom when I was getting dressed. Some of those editions look quite old.’
‘You’re not having them to sell in your shop if that’s what you’re thinking!’ I say, still joking with him. I’m really enjoying being with Adam tonight, not just when we were upstairs but now, simply sitting on the sofa with him eating toast and having a laugh.
‘As if. Have you collected them over time?’
