Page 50 of Knots About You
I missed it.
‘We need more bags,’ Isla hissed, scribbling on a pad. ‘And more of everything. We’ll need to up production and bottling. And sign these order forms – all of them.’
‘Breathe,’ I said, leafing through the pages and signing as quickly as I could.
‘Iambreathing. What I need is caffeine.Lotsof it.’ She shoved a box of keyrings at Jeff as he blundered through to help. ‘Not those, the other ones. Owen, your next lot are salivating by the entrance.’
I checked my watch and sighed. What I wanted was to wrap myself between Claire’s thighs and hide from it all. To lose myself in her delicious freckled grin and shut the world out. I went through the motions with the next tour, trying to keep my tone even and the jokes light. The pipes sang outside as they neared the end. Whisky, rain, damp and sweat tainted the air. Someone asked if the cat ever made a public appearance.
‘Rarely,’ I said on his behalf. Three women took a photo of the cat flap anyway.
By the time I saw my last lot out and locked up the tasting room, my back had ached and my feet throbbed.
The last checks took longer than usual as I grumbled my way through the building. I turned off the lights and checked the valves. Despite my bone-tiredness, I still made my way to the village after a speed shower and a change. I couldn’t help it, Claire drew me to her like a flame to my horny little moth.
She waited by the low wall, and my heart skipped at the sight of her tumbling red hair, the breeze dancing its fingers through it. She wore the jumper I’d loaned her on that fateful day she tumbled into my distillery like a wet cat. Claire gripped two paper-wrapped parcels, and her face lit up as I parked beside her.
‘Hungry,’ Claire said, holding up the bags. ‘Two haddock’s, one obscenely large portion of chips. And the curry sauce smells divine.’
‘Mmm.’ The car door shut behind me as I made my way over, stealing a lingering kiss before leaning on the wall beside her. ‘You’re amazing.’
‘Tell Isla that, she thinks I keep distracting you.’
‘She’s thrilled.’ I grinned at her. ‘She’s been wanting me to find… well, ayou,I guess. How was your day?’
‘Finished the bedroom. Learned how to use a staple gun to upholster the kitchen chairs. It was quite satisfying, to be honest. Even Trevor took one look at me with it and left to hassle someone else.’ She handed me a warm paper parcel. ‘Eat.’
We ate with plastic forks and frozen fingers, swivelling on the low wall to look out over the sea. The sun set behind us, but the sea still stole its pinks and oranges. Gulls hovered nearby, calculating their chances of thievery. Trevor lurked three benches down, the one dark feather in his chest giving him away. He may be a relentless thug, but I admired his optimism.
‘Don’t think about it,’ I told him.
Claire tucked her hair behind her ear and gave a contented little sigh. Salt clung to her cheeks, and paint creased in the lines of her knuckles. I wanted to kiss both off. ‘How many tours today?’
‘Too many. I need to hire a tour guide or two, I think. There’s only so many times I can tell the family story and let old women pinch me.’
Her laugh spread warmth in my chest. ‘Do I need to come down and fight off the competition?’
‘Maybe. Do you carry Werthers Originals in your purse? I get offered at least three a day over there.’
‘I’m sure I can make that happen.’ She blew on a chip before popping it in her mouth and moaning over the soft potatoey goodness.
We ate in an easy hush. As the sun dipped and threw the sea into the darker shade of blue, I slid closer to her on the wall, stealing the heat from her thigh against mine.
‘Owen?’
‘Mmm?’
She took in the horizon a moment before stealing a glance at me.
‘I want to touch you. Properly this time. We can do it on your terms. Tie me down and show me what you like. But…’ She swallowed, crumpling the chip paper in her hands. ‘I need more.’
The wind slipped up my back. The instant urge was to say no. To keep pretending like it would stop me from falling for her if I kept a veneer of separation between us. But who was I kidding? I’d already called for the red-headed whirlwind. I looked at her pretty pink lips and imagined them exploring me. My grip tightened on my own takeaway wrapper.
‘Claire,’ I started.
‘Can you resist an offer of me on my knees for you? Will you make me beg to taste you? Because I will. I need to feel you come. To know it’s at my touch. I wantallof you.’
In honesty, the nightly discipline of a cold shower and my hand wasn’t cutting it when I could have her. Maybe I could give her more… I wanted to.
