by Sofia Grey
She wanted Jasper to go tramping? Did she forget his broken leg? Something occurred to me. “Are you going too?” I asked her.
“Yes, of course. It’s my big chance to impress Roddy. Who else will be in the group? Your father, obviously, but some young people too, I hope?”
“Oh yes,” I lied. “Tourists, I think.”
Her face lit up, and I hid my smile. It would serve her right, to be the only person there under the age of fifty. I handed over Dad’s contact details and left with a spring in my step.
Chapter Twenty-nine
I had a steady stream of visitors all afternoon, from gym clients asking about buying snacks and smoothies, to repeated drop-ins from Tane and then Andy, when he started his shift. I didn’t mind the interruptions. In some ways, I enjoyed them. By five, I’d done enough. I was in the process of cleaning up, when Holly arrived.
“Hi,” she said, all smiles. “This is so cool. What are you doing this evening?”
Pleasure flickered inside me at the thought of hanging out with her some more. “I don’t have plans.”
“That’s settled, then. I’m cooking tonight, and I’d love for you to come over.” I was about to refuse, when she gave me a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re staying here for a while. I’d like us to be friends.”
“I’d like that too.” We could be friends without me having to see Jasper, right?
“That’s settled, then. Dinner tonight at our place, any time after seven. You like chili?”
Goodbye, diet. “Love it. Can I bring something?”
Holly’s gaze drifted across the work surface, taking in the sturdy plastic storage boxes. “Any cakes left?”
There were plenty to spare. I promised to see her later and went back to my cleaning. Like iron filings jumping at the presence of a magnet, I knew the moment Jasper stepped into the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder, and he stood in the doorway, watching me.
“Hey.” I turned to face him. “Holly invited me to dinner. I hope you don’t mind. I thought it might be a bit weird, but I found it hard to say no.”
He huffed a laugh. “That’s my sister. And yeah, I’m cool with it.” He shifted, and then stepped closer. “It’s been a weird few days. It’ll be good to chill out tonight.”
“It’s been hectic.” I shouldn’t say anything about Cindy, but I couldn’t help myself. My inner bitch-goddess was looking for an outlet. “You’re helping Cindy get ready for her movie? I may be wrong, but I thought you couldn’t stand her.”
“Yeah, about that...” Jasper ran a hand over his eyes.
I kicked myself. Did I want to hear they got back together? “It’s none—”
“You’re right. I ask myself what I ever saw in her. It’s like I was a different person. Maybe I was.” He came to an abrupt halt, and I was unsure how to reply.
“You looked good together. You know—today.” Why did I say that? He told me several times he was glad they were no longer a couple, so why was I doubting him?
“She promised to promote the gym. To recommend it to her friends and mention it in interviews. That kind of celebrity endorsement could be great for business. Way better than paid advertising.” He shrugged. “If it means I have to treat her like my best friend, I will. It’s only for a few weeks, and then she’ll fuck off back to Wellington.”
And Jasper would fuck off to Europe. I didn’t want to bring that up.
He took another step toward me, coming almost close enough to touch. “I was shitty to you, Caitlin. I’m sorry.”
I waved his words away. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” He moved closer, right into my space. I had to lift my head to meet his gaze. He looked at me with undeniable heat in his eyes. Not apology. Not guilt. Desire. I wasn’t imagining it. “I spent half the day playing nice, but all the time I wanted to be in here. With you,” he said.
Yet again, I had no idea how to react. Half of me wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and claim a kiss, but the rest of me shrank away. Jasper complained about headfuckery, but that was exactly what he was doing to me. Did he realize?
He smelled amazing. His hair was damp and crinkled, and he wore jeans and a hoodie instead of the sweat pants and T-shirt he wore in the gym. Not that I was looking, but if a guy was made for distressed denim, it was Jasper.
He blinked, and apology flickered across his face, along with resignation. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was a giant ass and took my frustration out on you. And you absolutely did not deserve it.”
Common sense surfaced. “Apology accepted. So where does that leave us?” I swallowed my nervousness, and it jammed in my throat. “Are we friends? Or more?”
“Here’s the thing.” His voice was husky. “You know I’m leaving soon, and I plan to be away for a year at least. It’d be dumb to start something new.” He hesitated. “But we’ve already done that, and I can’t stop thinking about you.”
I could say something vague or go for brutal honesty. “Because you feel bad for hurting me?”
He flinched, as though I’d hit him. “You made me feel alive, Caitlin. Having to think about someone else, instead of being stuck inside my head all day... It’s like I was frozen, and you thawed me out.”
“I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” It was getting harder to keep my hands to myself. I itched to touch him.
“I’m glad I could say something nice for a change.” He fixed his gaze on my mouth. “Every time I speak to you, it feels like I’m digging myself a bigger hole.”
Fuck it. Even if we only had a few weeks, I’d rather spend them with this delicious man than be alone. I closed the scant distance between us and rested my hands on his broad shoulders. “Maybe don’t say anything at all?”
Jasper made a muffled noise and spun us around, so he leaned against the counter. His stick clattered to the floor, and he cupped my cheeks with both hands. “Okay.”
My heart raced like an express train. I wanted to punch the air in delight. To sink into his embrace and not emerge for a week or three. “You’re still talking,” I whispered, and he laughed.
His kiss was everything I wanted. Soft, gentle, and reassuring, as though he was still apologizing.
And then he turned up the heat, and my heart melted.
Without thinking about it, I wrapped my arms around his body, sneaking my hands under his hoodie and searching for the hot skin underneath. Jasper hummed his approval, and I pressed against him.
In the distance, I heard someone call his name, but they could wait. I’d waited for this moment and didn’t want to release him until I had to.
The voice came closer. It sounded like Rose. “Caitlin, have you seen...” Her question dissolved into a cough. “Ahem. It’s okay. I’ll... catch him later.”
Jasper lifted his head. “I’d better see what she wants.”
“Yes.”
He didn’t move. “Stay with me tonight?”
That was easy. “Yes, please.”
Chapter Thirty
Jasper had gym business to attend to, so I went back to my cottage alone. This was almost a date. It was worthy of a full-on grooming session. I shaved my legs and under my arms, and trimmed my bush with a pair of nail scissors.
After a long shower, I slathered myself in moisturizer and stared at the woeful selection of underwear I’d packed. There was nothing remotely pretty and no time to go shopping for more. The plain black bra and black panties were the best of a bad bunch. If the lighting was dim, they might appear to match.
My wardrobe was limited. I settled for clean jeans, and a tight-fitting black camisole underneath my floaty shirt. I’d packed the bare minimum of make-up too. The last thing I expected was to meet someone, let alone sleep with them.
Gods. Tonight wasn’t a random doped-up shag. Jasper wanted to spend the night with me. Glorious anticipation made me shiver. I should buy condoms, in case he didn’t have any. I had enough time to drive to the nearest shop and be back by seven.
I drove past Jasper’s house on the way out, as a pretty blonde girl knocked on their front door. She looked familiar. Where did I see her before? The shop was only a few minutes away, and I was soon heading back with my purchase tucked into my shoulder bag, the only petite-sized thing I owned.
No. I wasn’t going to think about the size of my arse tonight. Not when Jasper had made it abundantly clear that he liked me as I was. I can’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to hug myself. Even better, I wanted to hug him. Naked.
In all probability, I’d be spending the night at his place, so I grabbed my toothbrush and a clean pair of panties before I set out to walk the short distance. I remembered to bring a tub of cupcakes, and since there’d been no time to decorate them, I also took a bag of icing sugar and a miniature bottle of tequila. I could whip up a simple frosting when I got there.
To say I was excited would be the understatement of the decade. I trotted up to their house and took a moment to calm myself, so I didn’t appear out of breath. A series of deep woofs sounded when I rang the bell, and I hoped Holly or Jasper remembered to hold the hellhounds back.
Holly opened the door, and to my relief, there was no sign of the dogs. “Caitlin. Come in. Should I take these?”
I handed over the cakes. “I need to ice them. It’ll only take me ten minutes.”
“Mmm... I can’t wait. I’ll put them in the kitchen. You go in the lounge.” She gave my arm a quick squeeze. “The dogs are in one of the spare bedrooms, so you’re safe.”
Did she know Jasper invited me to stay tonight? Should I mention it? “Thank you.” Before I could say anything else, she disappeared into the house.
I walked into the lounge and there was Jasper leaning against the windowsill, talking to the blonde I saw earlier. She spun around and I remembered where I’d seen her. In the bar up the road, when we went out for pizza.
Like Cindy, she was stunning, but in a hippy fashion. A long skirt hung from her narrow waist, and a multitude of colored metal bangles decorated each wrist. Dangly earrings sparkled in the light, and she wore more mascara than I’d use in a year. She smiled at me and tugged down her lacy sleeves, the trailing ends of which covered her hands. Her bracelets made a pretty chinking noise when they moved. “Hi,” she said, her voice low. “I’m Steph. You must be Caitlin. Jasper was just talking about you.”
Steph. Holly mentioned her. While my brain tried to recall the conversation, Jasper walked up to me, slid one arm around my shoulders, and kissed me.
“Hey,” he said. “You look great.”
Standing next to Steph, I felt like a lumbering elephant, but I pushed the thought away. “Hey,” I echoed. Was Steph another ex-girlfriend? And why did I care? He invited me here tonight, and that was all that mattered.
I looked at her and held out a hand. “Yes, I’m Caitlin. Nice to meet you.”
Panic flitted across her eyes and she shrank back, wrapping her arms around herself. Christ. I was chubby, not toxic. I was tempted to tell her she couldn’t catch fat, but managed to rein back the snark. I was leaving the inner bitch at home tonight.
“I was hoping to talk to Holly,” she said to Jasper.
He shrugged but kept his arm around me. “Hol’s busy. Why don’t I ask her to call you?”
Steph hunched her shoulders. “Do you know when Zack is coming home?”
Jasper hesitated. “Yeah... no. Not really.”
What had I walked into? Last time I came here, it was to find Cindy. Was there a succession of gorgeous blondes who took turns to lurk in Jasper’s house?
Moisture gleamed in her eyes, and she swiped at them with her fingertips. “Do you want me to leave?”
“I think it’s for the best.” Jasper spoke gently. “Zack’s still in Germany, but I’ll let you know when he’s back. Okay?”
“Thank you.” Her lower lip trembled, but she gave me a tight smile. “Goodbye, Caitlin. It was nice to meet you. I’ll let myself out.”
She left the room, and Jasper pulled me into a tighter embrace. “I thought she’d never go.”
I was about to ask what he meant, when the doorbell rang. The dogs barked, and Jasper looked puzzled. “It’s like Wellington Station during rush hour. We’re not expecting anyone else.”
Steph opened the front door, as we reached the hallway. A tall guy wearing fatigues stood on the doorstep, and Steph squealed, before hurling herself into his arms.
“Fuck,” said Jasper, as Holly emerged from the kitchen.
That had to be Zack, but what was the deal with Steph?
Chapter Thirty-one
For a few moments, it was chaos in the crowded hallway. The soldier looked startled, and then worried. He disentangled himself from Steph’s embrace. “What the fuck? Where’s Hol?”
Holly stood there, hands to her cheeks, and then she held up her cellphone. “You just texted me,” she said to Zack.
“Yep.”
“From Germany.”
“Ah no. I didn’t say that.”
“You let me think that.” Her words were cross, but her dancing smile said otherwise.
He grinned. “Surprise.”
They moved toward each other, and then Holly was in his arms, and he swept her up off the ground, their lips locked. So beautiful.
I forgot about Steph, but Jasper was on his way to her side. “You need to go,” he said firmly. “You’ll get the chance to see him, but this is Holly’s time. Okay?”
Holly and Zack were oblivious, wrapped up in each other, but once Steph was gone, I grabbed Jasper’s hand and led him to the kitchen. “Help me ice the cakes.”
“Good idea.”
The chili smelled amazing, and I checked the pot on the stove to make sure it wouldn’t burn. It looked fine, so I grabbed the tub of cupcakes and placed it on the table. “You can sit down for this.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Irritation flickered on his face.
A quick search located the items I needed, and I claimed the seat next to Jasper, while I stirred tequila and hot water into the powdered sugar. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”
He pulled a face. “It’s complicated.”
In a flash, I recalled my conversation with his sister. “That’s what Holly said. Complicated how? Is she an ex?”
“Nah.” Jasper picked up the tub and opened it. “These smell great.”
“And now you’re changing the subject.”
“She was best friend to Zack’s sister, Marnie, who died last year. Hol thinks Steph has a major crush on Zack, and it’s annoying how she keeps hanging around. Hol’s too nice to tell her to piss off.”
“And so are you.”
He scratched at his chin. “I guess. I feel sorry for her. She doesn’t seem to have any other friends. Marnie was the sweetest girl, and I was sad when she died, and I don’t think Steph is over it yet.”
I squeezed his hand, my heart fluttering. “You really are the kindest guy.”
“I’m also an asshole.”
Emotion clogged my throat. “Only sometimes.”
Silence hung between us. I was dangerously close to making an idiot of myself and saying something stupid, to hint at how I was starting to feel about him.
I dragged my focus back to the bowl of frosting. “So,” I said, making my voice bright, “do you want to test it for me?”
“Sure. What am I testing, exactly?”
“The taste.” I scooped a tiny amount onto a teaspoon and handed it over.
I expected Jasper to take it from me, but instead, he ran his finger through the icing and held it to my lips. “I want to see what you think, first.” Mischief twinkled in his eyes.
I couldn’t resist. If he wanted to play, I was game. I opened my mouth intending to suck on his fingertip and tease him right back, but at the last second, he smeared the frosting across my lips.
“Oops,” he said. “I’ll have to taste it after all.”
He leaned closer and proceeded to kiss me so thoroughl
y, I was in danger of forgetting my name. Kissing Jasper was amazing. Add some tequila-flavored sugar, and it became incredible. He teased, licked, and nibbled, and when I thought I might combust, he pulled back and reached for another fingerful of icing.
I wanted to protest at him ruining the batch, but this was too hot to interrupt. Especially when he swiped the sugary mix over my chin.
“Uh oh. I missed your mouth again.” He pressed his lips to my skin, and I sighed and gave myself over to his play.
“I now have a dirty fantasy in my head,” he whispered. “You, lying in my bed, while I lick icing off your breasts.”
Nobody had ever in the history of the world vocalized a fantasy about me before. I’d let Jasper do it. Hell, I’d whip up an endless supply of the stuff, for that purpose.
“Okay,” I managed to say.
He groaned. “You are so fucking perfect. And so fuckable. Are you sure you want dinner? We could go straight for the dessert.”
“What about Holly?”
“Who?”
“Jasper.” I tried to scold him, but it was hard when he looked at me with such puppy dog eyes.
“Actually, now Zack’s here, it might be best if we went back to your place.”
“You don’t like hearing your sister in bed with her boyfriend?”
“Jeez, Caitlin. I told you—Holly is a nun. She doesn’t indulge in anything like that.” He nipped at my lower lip. “But in case, we’ll give them some privacy.”
Holly and Zack came into the kitchen, and caught us mid-kiss. Jasper lifted his head and grunted. “You could always knock first.”
“I could, but where’s the fun in that?” Holly’s eyes sparkled, and her lips were full. Probably like mine. “Zack, this is Caitlin.”
My cheeks heated, though it was silly to be embarrassed. “Hi,” I mumbled.
“Hey,” he said, and then he grinned at Jasper. “Dude.”
Jasper stood and took a step toward Zack. “Mate. Good to see you.” They bumped fists. “You staying long?”
“Couple of days.”