Page 22 of Replay
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A WEEK LATER.SOUTHAMPTON.
Ronnie Bush was doing his best Cliff Richard impersonation.He’d been dancing about the departure lounge for the last ten minutes singing about fun and laughter, only his version was rather more grungy than the original.It was drawing attention too, much to Alle’s horror.A few people had started not so surreptitiously filming.Sneaky bugger was probably thinking a dorky video was ace publicity.Scary thing was that he was probably right.
Today, he’d dressed all in black—they were cruising with Black Halo, so obviously one wore black—which made him seem even more impossibly tall and skinny.He’d been at the eyeliner too, smudging it around his already dark lashes.It made his pretty amber eyes stand out.His twin dimples were flashing away like two beacon lights.
“Will you sit down?”Alle begged, for the umpteenth time.Ronnie didn’t ever seem to do still.
“Sitting’s dull.Aren’t you excited?I’m excited.In fact, I’ve never been so excited in my life.Black Halo.Woo hoo.We’re gonna get hot.We’re gonna get sticky.We’re gonna scream our arses off, and do some majorly sexy grinding.At least some of us are.”He grabbed her by the hands and spun her around.He cajoled a few crazy dance steps out of her too, before flopping onto the bench, only to immediately fold his long limbs up so they were raised before him, his heels against his butt.“So, you and Spook Mortensen, eh?”He gave her an elbow nudge.“Talk about some impressive mojo, girl.That was unexpected.I mean, I totally wished you well, but I didn’t seriously expect you to hook him.Not given how notoriously unavailable the man is, and that nonsense with your brother.Seriously, hot as you are, I confess, I didn’t think it’d be enough.”
“Stop it.”She could already feel herself blushing.
“So, this is the first time you’ve seen him since we left the beautiful Riviera?”
“We spent a night together in London, I already told you.”
“Uh-huh.”Ronnie’s elastic smile was stretched impossibly wide, and his eyebrows had disappeared beneath his crazy, new, super-cool haircut.It made him look boyishly cute, and unbearably perfect in a stupidly charming and adorable way that kind of made her want to hurt him just to muck him up a bit.Curious, she wasn’t normally sadistic.Spook was obviously rubbing off on her.
“So, it’s official?”
“I guess.”
“And?”
“And what?”
His eyes twinkled, and his mouth fell open as he stared meaningfully at her, tongue tip touching his front teeth.
“Really, Ronnie?I’m not talking to you about my sex life.”
“Meaning there’s one to talk about.”His grin stretched wide enough to swallow up most of his narrow face.
“I never said…” What was the point?Any denials he’d only take as proof, as if they were still back in high school.Instead, she sighed and looked at the floor.“End of discussion.We’re not besties, and even if we were, that would be a no go area.”
Ronnie slung an arm along the back of the seating.For a moment, it seemed he’d respect that fact, but no, his irrepressible self just couldn’t let go once his teeth were into something.“That mean the celibacy thing has been given the hoof?Assuming it wasn’t the total publicity grab we’ve all considered it might have been.”
He knew perfectly well it wasn’t.He’d had the conversation with Rock Giant.She knew he had.Apparently, they were super besties these days, having bonded over a packet of flying saucers, which, one had to eat by first nibbling the outer ring off, then cracking open to scoop out the sherbet with your tongue.
“One only has to look at the guy to know—”
“Stop it.Touchy subject.He is… was.”Damn.Her head sunk, heavy on her neck.There she was, revealing more than she’d wanted to again.
“Was,” Ronnie parroted, with a ditzy sort of glee.“Meaning he isn’t any more.Allegra Hutton, you wicked woman.Tell me more.He’s good, eh?Or is he totally ham fisted?”
“Oh, stop it.We’re not having this conversation.”She covered her ears.Thank goodness, they were the only two in the VIP lounge, and everyone else was on the other side of a glass boundary.
“It’s a work in progress, eh?He needs tutoring?”
“Ronnie.”
He cast his gaze skyward.“Poor friendship skills, Ms Hutton.I’m very disappointed.Need I remind you that I’m the reason we’re here about to embark on this entertainment milestone otherwise known as the first Black Halo Cruise?Now, spill.You know I like nothing better than a bit of spicy celebrity gossip.”He raised a hand and crossed his fingers.“So, you two are shagging, correct?Going at it like Duracell bunnies, and their next song is going to be all about you.You’re using protection, right?”He waggled his index finger right in front of her nose.“That’s important.I have some, if you don’t.”
Alle wrapped her fist around the digit, and tugged it away from her face.
“None of your goddamned business.Just like it’s none of mine if you and Rock Giant are going at it.”
“What?”His liquid amber eyes crossed.“You think?Babe, you have that one all wrong.He’s not my type.I mean, come on, the guy would squish me.”He looked almost serious for a second, then laughed in a way that was just pure joy.“You thought, because I said I brought condoms.”He pulled out a packet of gummi bears from his suitcase pocket, and carefully selected three red ones, before squashing them flat and eating them.“It’s not like that.We are thinking we might do a little side project together.”He wove a pattern in the air with his outstretched arms and fingers, like he was casting a spell.“That you’re totes gonna produce for us, yeah?”
