The Little Paris Patisserie

by Julie Caplin

  ‘OK then.’ To Nina’s relief, Nick finally turned to go, adding with a dismal and far too late attempt at humour, which fooled no one, ‘But no sitting on the boss’s knee, Nina.’

  ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, how old are you!’ snapped Nina, conscious of the two burning spots on her cheeks.

  ‘See you later, sis.’

  The minute he left, her eyes met Sebastian’s as he stared at her, his jaw clenched so hard she could almost feel his tension from the other side of the room.

  ‘Well, that’s that then,’ said Sebastian.

  She ignored him. If he thought her family’s arrival made any difference to anything, he was a bigger idiot than she thought.

  ‘Did you mean it the other day when you said you didn’t want me to leave?’ she blurted out.

  It was Sebastian’s turn to look cautious.

  ‘Seriously?’ she said and rolled her eyes as she went to sit down beside him on the sofa. Enough was enough. Without giving him chance to respond she leaned in, slid a hand around his neck and meeting his suddenly wary gaze, she kissed him on the lips. For a second he didn’t move, but there was no way she was letting him get away again. And then a magical thing happened, he kissed her back. Really kissed her back. Kissed her with a hungry passion that took her breath away and made her feel warm inside and out. Kissed her like he really meant it.

  Firecrackers burst in her head. Kissing him was every bit as good and better than she’d ever imagined.

  ‘God, I thought he’d never go,’ muttered Sebastian, leaning his forehead against hers. ‘I love him dearly but Christ, he’s a pain in the arse sometimes.’ He pulled back and smiled down at her. The tender ‘this is just you and me’ look in his eye made her heart stall for a second.

  ‘Welcome to my world,’ said Nina, unable to stop her smile filling her whole face. He was utterly gorgeous and quite possibly the best darn kisser on the planet.

  ‘And this is not what I had in mind for tonight.’ He groaned and took her hand, linking his fingers through hers and lifting it to his mouth.

  Feeling a touch breathless, she widened her eyes. ‘What did you have in mind?’

  ‘Kissing.’ He drew her to him. ‘We seem to be the victims of constant interruptions. I wanted to invite you up here the other day after you took me out in the wheelchair but Alex … well, he was acting very strangely.’

  Nina snorted in an inelegant way. ‘You were both being ridiculous.’

  ‘Oh, we were, were we?’ Sebastian’s voice softened.

  ‘Yes, you were, but I’ve sorted it out.’

  ‘You have?’ Sebastian looked surprised at her firm voice.

  ‘Alex is a good guy. We get on well, but he deserved to hear it from me that…’

  ‘That?’ Sebastian raised a teasing eyebrow.

  ‘You know,’ she said with a reproving tilt of head.

  Sebastian smiled. ‘I know…’ He kissed her again, a gentle beguiling kiss, which gradually deepened, his lips exploring hers, his tongue make a tentative foray along her lower lip. She felt heat nip at her core and opened her mouth as the kiss got hotter. With one hand she stroked the back of his neck, her fingers rubbing over the short hair at his nape as she pushed her body closer to his. He responded with a low moan and she felt a little smug spike of triumph. She liked that she was affecting him as much as he was turning her inside out.

  With a long exhaled sigh, Sebastian pulled away. ‘You do realise we’re going to have to stop this, otherwise the others are going to take one look at us and know exactly what we’ve been up to.’

  ‘We could just run away. Or lock the door.’

  ‘Both sound excellent options.’ He grimaced. ‘Except I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you if we did that.’

  ‘Who says I want you to?’ asked Nina, with an arch smile.

  ‘Are you being a hussy, young woman?’ he asked, a teasing hand skimming down her ribs.

  ‘I think I might be. Are you complaining?’

  ‘Jeez Nina, not at all. I just … you’re Nick’s little sister … I was planning to wait, seduce you with a bit more finesse and without this thing on.’

  His words sent a flash of heat fireballing its way through her, leaving her ever so slightly turned on and very weak at the knees.

  ‘You were planning?’ she asked archly.

  He blushed. ‘Fantasising … for a long time.’

  Her pulse leapt at the brusque, impatient words.

  ‘Well, my family have well and truly put a spoke in the works.’

  ‘They have.’ He gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his forehead. ‘We’re going to have to…’

  ‘I’m assuming you don’t want to go public with them,’ said Nina watching his face carefully.

  ‘No, I don’t …’

  His words pinched at her heart.

  ‘Nick’s just going to have to get over it.’

  ‘Nina!’

  ‘I’m serious. This isn’t about him, it’s about us.’

  ‘Yes but … he’s my family too. Jeez, your mum, dad, brothers, they’re more like family to me than my own family. What if Nick never speaks to me again?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course he’ll speak to you.’

  ‘OK, what if things don’t work out and we break up.’

  Nina swallowed. After waiting for him for all this time, she didn’t even want to think about it.

  ‘Sorry.’ He stroked her cheek as if to soothe away her stricken look. ‘I want this to work. I’ve … when you kissed me that night in the kitchen, the night before I was due to go back… it was heaven and hell. All my Christmases married with all my worst fears. I wanted to kiss you and carry on kissing you but … Nick. Your family. They’re important to me. And all I could think was, what if you didn’t feel the same way as I did? And if you did, it wouldn’t be right. I knew I had to give all my focus to my career if I was going to make it. I couldn’t bear to hurt you. And then I told myself, someone like you would never want someone like me. And rather handily I had the get out clause that Nick had been warning me off. And what sort of best friend would I be, if I ignored that?’

  ‘Wow. And I thought that having my heart crushed was enough,’ said Nina, trying to take in everything he said. ‘Part of me is furious that you listened to Nick. And I will be having words with him one day about it. The other part of me is … kind of heartbroken that you thought like that.’

  ‘Sorry.’ He winced. ‘Your timing was unfortunate. It gave me the chance to run away and bury myself at uni. And when I came back, you barely spoke to me. So I thought Nick was right, it had been a passing thing.’

  Nina scowled again. ‘I barely spoke to you because you’d rejected me.’

  ‘I don’t recall that kiss being a rejection.’ He lifted a finger to her lower lip and gently traced its edge.

  Nina raised her eyebrows and frowned. ‘I … you ran off pretty sharpish afterwards.’

  ‘Because it floored me.’ His hand slipped along her face sliding underneath her hair, his fingers idly stroking her hairline. Nina didn’t dare move in case she was imagining things and this was all a dream or she was getting the wrong end of the stick. ‘I’ve wanted to kiss you again for a long time.’

  ‘But … why didn’t you ever say anything?’

  ‘Nina.’ His sharp self-deprecating laugh made her face relax and almost smile. ‘You’ve been giving me a hard time ever since. I thought you hated me. And I put that down to embarrassment that you’d ever kissed me. Or thought you wanted someone like me.’

  ‘Stop saying, someone like you,’ she said, irritated by the phrase. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re driven, a bit grumpy and very focused but look at your friends. Alex, Nick and my Mum always adored you. And if you must know,’ she added indignantly, ‘I was trying to treat you normally, like one of my brothers, to show that you didn’t mean anything, when for the last ten years I’ve been looking for another sodding man to match up to you.’ With that she
leaned into him and kissed him hard because she was cross with him for being such a flipping idiot for all this time. It was possibly the least romantic kiss ever.

  ‘Mmpf.’ Sebastian muttered beneath her lips as she sat back and glared at him.

  He laughed. ‘Shall we try that one again?’ And he did.

  When they final drew apart, each a little flushed and breathless, Nina wasn’t sure whose heartbeat was pounding the most.

  ‘I also don’t want to say anything to Nick or anyone else because this is new and I don’t want to share it with anyone yet. I like it just being us. Learning to be with each other, without anyone watching, commenting … if we did go public before we’re used to being us, don’t you think it would be like being under a microscope?’

  Nina’s heart stuttered in her chest. There was a reason she’d adored him for so long. Despite being grumpy and overbearing, he was also careful and attentive to the things that mattered.

  She gave him a gentle smile. ‘That sounds a much better reason.’

  With a disgruntled scowl, he touched her lips, ‘Which means we have to stop this and try and look respectable. Have I got time for a cold shower?’

  Lovely as it was to be reunited with her family, dinner was excruciating. There was no other word for it. Inside, she was fizzing with excitement and the rush of remembered kisses. It had been hard tearing herself away from Sebastian.

  It was only halfway through dinner that Nina remembered that she was supposed to tell Sebastian about the patisserie. Sneaking a glance to see Sebastian talking animatedly to Dan, the warm glow still resonating through her from his hungry kisses and heartfelt words, gave her hope that he would forgive her. Declaring mea culpa and apologising would help but she suddenly felt a lot more confident.

  ‘So how has it been in gay Paris?’ asked Nick who was sitting next to her. ‘Enjoyed it?’

  ‘Not that gay to be honest. I’ve been working too hard.’

  ‘Sebastian always was a slave driver.’ Nick put down his knife and fork, having polished off a huge steak. ‘But I thought you were only doing a couple of days a week.’

  ‘Well—’ Sebastian was still deep in conversation with Dan ‘—I’ve been practising my skills. Doing a lot of cooking. Making the most of being here.’

  ‘Good for you. So any idea what you’re going to do when you get back?’

  ‘No,’ said Nina abruptly.

  Nick smirked. ‘That means yes but you’re not going to tell me.’

  She swiped at him with her napkin. ‘How do you do that, it’s so annoying. I have an idea but … I just want to think about it a bit longer.’

  ‘That’s cool. And,’ his mouth quirked, ‘you always answer quickly when you don’t want us probing too much.’

  ‘I’ll have to remember that,’ she said wryly.

  ‘So how’s Sebastian been? Being out of action can’t have been much fun.’

  ‘He’s better now,’ said Nina with a grimace. ‘He was like a bear with a sore head when I arrived.’

  ‘And have you two played nice?’ he asked with a sly smile, picking up his wine glass. ‘Not been tempted to brain him with a rolling pin.’

  Nina took her time answering. ‘We’ve been working. It’s all been very professional and the people on the course are all lovely. We’ve had quite a laugh. There’s a girl my age, Maddie, she’s become quite a good friend. She lives here, so she’s been showing me around.’

  If he noticed she’d changed the subject, he didn’t comment and she spent the next few minutes telling him all about Maddie, Marguerite, Marcel and the others.

  ‘Excellent, you can give us some suggestions. Want to join us tomorrow?’

  ‘I can’t, I’m…’ She glanced at Sebastian who was now talking to Gail. ‘I’m busy.’

  ‘Busy doing what?’

  ‘Working.’

  ‘Sebastian will give you the day off.’

  Nina sucked in a noisy breath. ‘You’re doing it already.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Trying to organise my life for me.’

  ‘I was trying to do something nice,’ said Nick, looking utterly confused.

  ‘I know you were, but if I had another boss, not Sebastian, would you gaily suggest that he gave me a day off because you were unexpectedly in town? If it were you, how would you feel if I told you I’d arranged it with your boss so that you could take the day off.’

  ‘Point taken, sis. Sorry. Force of habit.’

  ‘Yeah, which I haven’t missed at all. Although as it happens I’m not working for Sebastian tomorrow.’

  ‘So you can take the day off.’

  ‘No, I’m busy … I could meet up with you after lunch.’ She was starting early in the kitchen to bake everything for the day and Maddie and Bill were finishing off the last of the blue sky and clouds on the walls. With the increasing number of customers, they’d had to do it in small sections each day to minimise the disruption, although most customers seemed fascinated by the work and often stopped to chat and question Maddie as she hung from her ladder, a second paintbrush in her teeth as she alternated between blue and white paint.

  ‘Busy…’

  Nina shot him a look.

  ‘Sorry.’ He held up his hands. ‘None of my business. So you’ve enjoyed being on your own, then?’

  Nina laughed. ‘Do you know what? I haven’t really been on my own that much. I swapped you lot for another family. Although they don’t all think they know what’s best for me. And they don’t try and protect me all the time.’ She thought of Maddie’s straight talking and Jane’s gentle habit of talking to her as an equal even though the other woman was in her fifties.

  ‘And what’s Sebastian’s place like?’

  ‘Very nice,’ said Nina, her eyes gleaming.

  ‘I bet he’s looking forward to getting back. I presume you’ll be home next week. Isn’t he due to have the cast taken off next week?’

  ‘Yes, although I’m staying on another couple of days to do the final day of the course. I’m…’ Shit! She took a hefty gulp of wine. His cast was coming off the same day as the judges were coming to interview her at the patisserie and make their assessment. At that moment Sebastian looked over the table and she caught his eye and promptly choked on her drink.

  Nick slapped her on the back with brotherly vigour as he asked Sebastian, ‘I was just asking Nina when the leg’s coming out from hiding?’

  ‘Next Tuesday,’ replied Sebastian, giving Nina a brief smile. ‘Are you alright?’

  ‘Y – yes fine. Wine went down the wrong way.’

  ‘Bet you’ll be glad to have it off. That must have hampered any action,’ said Nick with a laugh.

  Sebastian pursed his lips but Nick was oblivious to his sudden discomfort.

  ‘Been going without for the last few weeks, have you?’

  Sebastian flushed.

  ‘Never mind mate,’ said Dan joining in. ‘The girlfriend will be pleased to have you back in one piece. Get a bit of release.’

  Nina didn’t dare look at Sebastian.

  ‘Dan!’ said Gail, giving her husband a sharp, disapproving nudge in the ribs.

  ‘What?’ he asked pretending innocence, grinning like an idiot at her before putting his arm around her and pulling her to him.

  ‘Are you still seeing that girl, Katrina?’ asked Nick, leaning to one side as the waiter squeezed between him and Nina to take their empty plates.

  ‘Katrin, and no I’m not.’

  ‘Shame, she looked hot. Don’t tell me she dumped you.’

  Nina stared down at her lap.

  ‘No, we just agreed to go our separate ways.’

  ‘You dumped her. Why?’

  With a shrug, Sebastian picked pushed his cutlery around his plate.

  ‘You met someone else,’ said Nick. ‘What’s her name?’

  Sebastian realised the waiter was standing beside him waiting for his plate. With reluctance he let go of his cutlery.

  ‘No one
you know.’

  Nick turned to Nina. ‘Not like him to play his cards close to his chest. You know anything?’

  ‘No,’ she said far too quickly which earned a narrow-eyed stare from her brother. ‘Like I said, we barely see each other apart from the days I work.’

  ‘Nina, what do you suggest. Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame?’

  Nina could have kissed her sister-in-law.

  ‘I’ll walk you home,’ said Nick as they emerged from the restaurant which meant there was no chance of sneaking back to Sebastian’s hotel room. Not that she wanted to sneak around. She slipped a quick glance at him. He was listening to Dan and Gail with a studied interest which suggested that he knew she was looking at him.

  Nina wanted to say no to being escorted home but seeing the angle of her brother’s chin, she realised it was pretty pointless and besides it was a lovely evening and the walk across the river and down through the maze of streets behind the Musée d’Orsay was preferable to the Metro.

  She gave Sebastian a cheerful goodbye, which belied the pang she felt as she realised with her family around she wouldn’t see him until Tuesday. It felt as if they always seemed to get so far and then something got in the way. It was unlikely he’d join the others sightseeing, no doubt he’d have his usual ton of work. The arrival of her family had well and truly put a spoke in the works.

  ‘Night, Nina.’ Dan gave her hug.

  ‘See you tomorrow,’ added Gail as she kissed her on the cheek before snuggling up to her husband. Nina felt a pang of jealousy as Dan gave his wife an affectionate kiss, his hand slipping to cup her bottom.

  ‘Night, Nina,’ said Sebastian stiffly.

  ‘Night, Sebastian.’ Her heart sank. This felt all wrong. As if there was a huge divide between them, when she should have been able to go over and slide into his arms and trail kisses along his jawline.

  Gail and Dan waited for Sebastian, as he organised his crutches without looking at Nina. She waited awkwardly for a minute before he nodded at her and then turned to limp away with the other two.

  She and Nick fell into step in silence. They’d walked for five minutes and the silence was starting to feel ominous. As they crossed the Seine, Nina half-heartedly pointed out some landmarks. She knew her brother well enough to know he was building up to something.