Page 29 of Just Do It
‘Elizabeth, stop apologising. You are what you are and I, for one, think that’s pretty great. Shall I pour?’
I nodded mutely, his words dancing about in my brain.
‘I do try. I mean… I actually prefer it when I can find things but I grew up in a kind of chaotic household and I suppose I tend to think of plenty of other things more interesting to do than tidying up.’
‘I find it quite therapeutic.’
I turned towards him, genuinely interested. ‘Really?’
‘Yep. And I find I’m calmer and more productive in a tidy environment so it works well.’
‘Oh God, you must be having kittens right now then!’
His laugh was as soft and warming as the fluffy lounge set I wore. ‘Not at all.’ His face was close, those lips, smiling now,within easy reach. If I just leant forward the tiniest amount I could—
‘How long have you lived here?’ Finn asked, turning his head and glancing around.
‘About five years now. My grandmother left it to me.’
‘Wow.’
‘Yeah, I know. And yes, I do realise how lucky I am.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ he replied without turning. ‘You don’t come across as the entitled type.’
‘What type do I come across as?’
The deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. ‘I walked straight into that one.’
‘Slap bang.’
He ran a hand across his jaw. ‘OK, I need to be careful here, don’t I?’ There was a teasing note to his voice but when I replied, mine was serious.
‘No, you need to be honest.’
‘OK. Then I think you come across as highly intelligent and that can unnerve some people – men especially – who don’t get you.’
Colette had suggested this exact thing before but I always dismissed it out of hand.
‘I don’t seem to unnerve you. Obviously you realise the highly intelligent thing isn’t quite what it appears to be.’ I tried to make light of his comment.
‘No, it’s exactly what it appears to be but for some reason you feel the need to excuse yourself for it and come out with daft comments like that.’
‘Did you just call me daft?’
‘I did,’ he answered, clearly with no intention of apologising. ‘Your intelligence is one of the things I admire about you. It makes you one of the most interesting people I’ve ever had the pleasure of—’
My head snapped round.
‘Meeting,’ he finished, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.
‘Hilarious.’
‘I thought so. Your reactions are just too much fun for me to resist.’
‘Try.’
‘My apologies.’ He smiled, looking anything but sorry.
