Page 78 of Away With You
Uncomfortable with the direction of my thoughts, I sit up and rub the back of my neck. “The only thing we’re late for is the buffet breakfast.”
This gets her attention. “Really? Isn’t there a full-day hike on the itinerary today?”
Seriously? A full-day hike after his Stag Do. What was George thinking?
“There isn’t a single part of me that wants to go on a hike today. Why don’t we indulge in that buffet breakfast I know you’ve been coveting, and then spend the day doing what we want to do?”
She nibbles her lip, indecision written all over her face. “Are you sure? We missed the activities yesterday. We’re not really doing what we came here for.”
With an unhappy grunt, I pull her back and against my chest—where she belongs—and smooth away the hair from her face while searching for a way to smooth away her anxieties. What may have started as a week with Katie as my fake girlfriend and buffer has turned into something else altogether. Something that feels much more important than saving face in front of my ex-girlfriend and my brother.
“I think a day of relaxation is precisely what we came for,” I tell her with a gentle kiss on her temple. “Starting with buffet breakfast.”
A small smile tickles her plump lips, and I see the moment she gives in. It doesn’t take long, as the idea of indulging in a decadent breakfast breaks through the last of her hesitancies. “Okay, if you’re sure. I’d love to spend a day lounging out there.” She points to the deck just beyond our sliding doors. “That hammock has my name written all over it.”
“Then let’s get going.” I swing my legs off the bed, the leftover tequila from the night before still sloshing around in my belly. Suddenly, the idea of a full English breakfast is all I can think about. The ultimate hangover cure. “Breakfast awaits us.”
Katie beams and scampers off the bed, without a trace of the awkwardness I’d expected when she tucked up against me in bed. It’s like once she makes a decision, in this case to give in and cuddle me in bed, she goes all-in.
Just another thing to admire about her.
“I can be ready in a few,” she calls over her shoulder as she darts to the bathroom.
“Take your time,” I call after her. “There’s no rush. This day is all about us.”
The bathroom door closes, and I can’t stifle the grin on my face. The day has started off in the best way, and now that I’ve got her all to myself, it is guaranteed to only get better.
?·?·?
“I ate too much,” Katie moans, two hours and three thousand pancakes later. “Why’d you let me eat so much?”
I gape at her from my spot, lounging in the deck chair next to her. She’s rubbing her belly and sighing a lot. She’s adorable. “I tried to stop you. You almost bit my fingers off.”
A pink tinge paints her cheeks as she throws me a cheeky grin. “Well, I wasn’t finished with that croissant.”
“It wasmycroissant,” I argue with a grin of my own.
She tosses her hair over her shoulder and shrugs. “Eh, you were taking too long to eat it. It was just sitting there.”
I chuckle, amused at this version of her. During the hours—yes, hours—we spent at the buffet breakfast, Katie had shocked me by the sheer amount of food she’d consumed. It was truly a masterclass in eating, and I learnt a lesson in what not to do in the face of a hungry Katie. Do not get between her and the last piece of bacon.
“I can’t indulge like you can. I have to watch my weight,” I grumble. “It may be the off-season, but I can’t afford to pile on the pounds. It’s torture having to lose it all again.”
One downside of being a Formula 1 driver is the need to stay light. As elite athletes, we have bodies conditioned to build lean muscles without the bulk. And it’s a real pain to maintain, especially in the months when racing is in my rear-view mirror.
“From where I’m sitting, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Katie’s maple syrup eyes take a slow inventory of my body, lingering on all the muscles I work hard to keep on display. By the look in her heated gaze, she appreciates what she sees, and every hour I spend in the gym is now very much worth it.
“Are you checking me out, Kitty Kat?” I tease.
Her eyes dart from my pectoral muscles out to the horizon before sliding back again. “I mean, I’m only human. And that”—she waves her hand up and down my body—“that is a work of art.”
My arms spread wide as a bolt of electricity zings through me. I want Katie’s eyes on me always. “Stare all you want, Kitty Kat. But just so you know, as you do, I’m returning the favour.”
Her cheeks flame as my words sink in. She’s been lounging next to me in one of those bikinis Rosie made her buy totorture me, and I’ve not been able to glance away for even a second. With so much of her golden skin on display, my gaze has bounced from her taut stomach to the swell of her breasts covered in those ridiculous triangles, then down the length of her toned legs. Katie may think my body is a work of art, but really, it’s hers that deserves to be admired and praised. Her body, just like her mind, is a thing of beauty.
“Right then.” She pushes to sitting upright and rubs her hands together. “I think we need to cool off.”
My racing heart and raging hormones agree. If we spend even one more second here like this, I’m going to pounce on her.
