Page 82 of You Only Live Once
‘You’re right. It’s fine. Let’s just go to bed.’
‘There’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear from you.’ He gave a devilish grin.
‘You’re not helping,’ I said, taking off my shoes and letting out a sigh of relief and pleasure.
‘I know,’ he said, coming to stand in front of me. Without the heels, I had to tip my head back further and between the champagne and the tiredness that was definitely now kicking in, I felt myself overbalance. Jack’s arms were around me within an instant, steadying me.
‘You all right?’
‘You’re just a long way up.’
‘I can fix that,’ he said, taking my hand and sitting down on the bed so that we were more eye to eye.
‘That’s better.’
‘Good.’
‘I never did ask – did you enjoy the film?’
‘I did,’ he replied. ‘I really did. I thought they made a very sympathetic interpretation of your book. Obviously, the book is better, as they always are, but I was glad to see such a faithful version of your work.’
‘You’ve read the book?’
‘I’ve read all of your books.’
‘You have?’
‘You seem surprised.’
‘I’m stunned,’ I said.
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. I just didn’t think they would be the sort of thing that appealed to you.’
‘You wrote them. I wanted to read them.’
‘You’ve really read them all?’
‘I most certainly have, and loved every one. Now,’ he said, standing so that he was even closer, ‘you look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up, so go and take first turn in the bathroom so you can get to bed.’
Gently, he laid large, strong hands on my now bare shoulders and turned me gently in the direction of the large bathroom we’d passed on the way in. I headed off like a clockwork toy that had been pointed the right way.
‘That dress is amazing, by the way. I’ve been trying to find a way to say it properly since we were back at the house and still haven’t, so I’m just going to blurt it out now.’
I looked back over my shoulder and grinned, feeling a rush of warmth at the compliment and the low tone of his voice as he said it, roughened with tiredness.
‘Seriously. Sexy as hell.’
My grin got wider and then I disappeared into the bathroom to undo all the amazing work Jemima and Martin had done. Leaving the bathroom free for Jack, I crawled thankfully into the crisp white sheets and was asleep before he’d even closed the bathroom door.
26
When I woke the following morning, for a moment, I thought I’d died. Then I tried to open my eyes and wished that I had died. I was still in exactly the same position I’d gone to sleep in, and got the feeling that I’d passed out rather than drifted off. I let out a large groan as I made an effort to move, with both my head and body objecting to the decision.
‘Good morning, sunshine,’ a cheery voice greeted me.
I prised open one eyelid to see Jack sitting on the end of the bed, looking annoyingly chirpy and unhungover.
