Page 27 of Commitment Issues
Elliot looks at me, before he laughs out loud, displaying those little creases at the outer corners of his eyes that make something go all wobbly in my belly.
“Well, yes, if you want to put it like that. The villa’s large and the grounds sprawling. There are some little cottages — gîtes — in the grounds. The previous owners rented them out, but Andrew and Marcus use them as guest accommodation when they have weekend parties. The point I’m making is that if you want or need your own space you can easily find it. I really don’t expect you to spend all your time with me.”
I nod, but he’s already turning away from me, retreating back to his own thoughts and inner world.
My stomach twists.But what if Iwantto spend all my time with you?I won’t ask the question because I don’t want to risk the answer. I tell myself we’re each playing a role, that none of it’s true, and I need to remember that.
I gaze out of the window, as the cab bumps and lurches along the rutted road, jolting me from side to side.
“Ooohhff!”
The cry’s knocked out of my lungs as I’m hurled forward, arms flailing, as the cab swings a hard, sharp left before juddering to a halt.
The broken seat belt’s no match for me and my windmill impression as it springs free, leaving me to topple sideways and straight into Elliot with a hard thump. My catapulting weight pins him into the corner and his arms clamp around my middle, holding me tight to his body to stop me from slipping down and getting wedged between the front and back seat. But it’s no good, and I slide down that long, hard-muscled body, coming to a halt in a crouch, my face just a hair’s breadth from his crotch.
I stare up at him, my mouth gaping as I breathe hard.
“Are you—?” Elliot doesn’t have time to say anything more as the door’s flung open.
“Elliot? What on—oh.”
“Hello, Gavin.”
Strawberry blond hair, pouty lips, dark grey eyes and totally, bloody gorgeous. Gavin peers down at me as though he’s studying a sample of slimy pond life under a microscope.
Oh, fuck.
