Page 20 of The Christmas Holiday
‘The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.’ His eyes flicked to the towel and back up again. ‘I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal. It’s not like it’s anything I haven’t seen before.’
I gave him a look. ‘Not recently!’
‘I can’t imagine you’ve changed all that much.’
I pulled the towel tighter, risking the circulation flow from my chestdown. ‘I’d rather you didn’t imagine anything, thank you very much.’
He gave a laugh and shook his head. ‘Don’t flatter yourself.’
I bit back the retort and aimed at being the grown-up, stepping aside to let him in. He entered, his posture supremely casual and relaxed, as opposed to mine, which had racked right back up into super-tense levels. When we’d been together, Hunter had alwaysbeen the calming, relaxing influence in my life. When I was stressed he’d always known just what to say – and sometimes do – to melt all of the tension out of me. I didn’t miss the irony that he was now the one putting all the knots into me instead.
The door to the bathroom was open, a trail of damp footprints leading from the bath. Hunter’s gaze ranged lazily over the full bath.
‘Youcan get back in if you want. I can talk to you from here.’ He strolled over to the sofa next to the window, slung a folder on the table and sat down.
I glared at him.
‘And how am I to go over these oh so important documents that couldn’t possibly wait another half an hour from in there?’
He looked up at me. ‘All right. Then go get back in and call me when you’re ready and I’ll comein. I’ll hold them up to you.’
‘Like that’s going to happen.’
He shrugged. ‘Your choice.’
‘No. Actually not my choice at all! My choice was to stay in the bath for at least the next two hours and make some attempt to soak away all the stress you’ve succeeded in building up in me over the past few days.’
‘It’s not intentional.’
‘No. Apparently, it comes quite naturally.’
He dropped his head and let out a sigh. ‘I’m sorry you feel that way. I’ve tried to explain the way things need to work, and why.’
‘Yes, which I understand. What I don’t understand is why this…’ – I waved my hand to encompass the paperwork in front of him – ‘couldn’t wait half an hour. You seem determined to try and make me slip up, or look bad… or something, just so you can prove to everyone,including yourself, how you were right all along.’
He gave me a look I couldn’t make out then let out a sigh. ‘No. You’re right. This could have waited.’ He stood, gathering up his stuff as he did so.
‘Oh no! You insisted this was so important it couldn’t wait, so we’re bloody well going to do it now. What is all this anyway?’ I reached over and took some of the paperwork from him.
‘Don’t you think you ought to get dressed or something first?’
I gave him a look. ‘You were the one who said you weren’t fazed, and how there’s nothing new for you to see anyway. Not that you can see anything.’ I glanced down, just to check, but yep, the towel was still fully in place and reached halfway down my shins.
‘It’s not that. Your arms have goose pimples all over them and you’restarting to shiver.’
‘I’m fine.’ With my haughtiness level on full, I’d been desperately trying to avoid the fact that the air conditioning had kicked on.
He gave me a look that told me what he thought of that statement.
‘Right. Wait here.’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ I heard him mumble sarcastically as I marched off, back towards the bathroom. I cast a longing look at the bath, the bubblespopping and disappearing as I watched, before dropping the towel and replacing it with the oversized bathrobe. I yanked the belt around me, double-knotting it just in case, and stalked back out to the sofa, where Hunter had now retaken his position.
I sat down next to him. ‘OK. So tell me what I need to know.’
