by Kate Hardy
And it had a great reputation, which was why he’d booked it. He simply shrugged. ‘They might have monkfish.’
She let the teasing comment pass. ‘I’ve never eaten in a restaurant with a Michelin star.’
‘Good. That means you’ll enjoy this,’ he said.
* * *
Enjoy?
This was way, way out of her experience. Dylan, despite the fact that he wasn’t keen on cooking, clearly liked good food and was used to eating at seriously swish restaurants like this one.
Enjoy.
OK. She’d give it a go. Even if she did feel a bit intimidated.
The maître d’ showed them to a table in a private salon. She’d never been to such an amazing place before; the décor was all gilded wood and hand-painted wallpaper. There was a white damask cloth on the table along with lit white candles and silverware, and gilded Louis XIV chairs. The windows were covered with dark voile curtains, making the room seem even more intimate. And the maître d’ told them that the waiter would be along whenever they rang the bell.
Emmy’s eyes met Dylan’s as they were seated. For a moment, she allowed herself to think what it would be like if this were a proper romantic date. A total sweep-you-off-your-feet date.
He’d held her hand as they’d wandered through the city together; so was this Dylan’s way of taking her on a date without having to ask her? He didn’t like emotional stuff, so she knew he’d shy away from the words; but this definitely felt like more than a thank you. More like the fact that he wanted to be with her. Some time for just the two of them. Together.
Unless she was projecting her own wants on him and seeing what she wanted to see...
When she looked at her menu, she noticed that there were no prices. In her experience, this meant the food was seriously expensive. And it made her antsy.
She coughed. ‘Dylan, there aren’t any prices on my menu.’
He spread his hands. ‘And?’
She bit her lip. ‘I’m used to paying my way.’
‘Not on this occasion. I’m taking you out to lunch to say thank you.’
So not a date, then. She tried not to feel disappointed.
‘Just as you took me out to dinner,’ he reminded her.
‘But when I took you out, it wasn’t somewhere as swish as this.’
He sighed. ‘Emmy, if you’re worrying about the bill, then please don’t. I can afford this. My business is doing just fine—and, thanks to this new contract, it’s going to be doing even better. I couldn’t have got this contract without your help, so please let me say thank you.’
‘Can I at least buy the wine?’ she asked.
‘No. This one is all on me. And, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got to the stage where I fall asleep if I drink at lunchtime, so I was going to suggest champagne by the glass.’ His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘But I might let you buy me a crêpe later.’
A crêpe. Which would only cost a couple of Euros, whereas she was pretty sure the bill here was going to be nearer half a month’s mortgage payment for her. ‘I feel really guilty about this.’
‘Don’t. I’m doing it because I want to treat you. So enjoy it. What would you like for lunch?’
Protesting any more would be churlish. Emmy scanned the menu. ‘It’s all so fantastic, I don’t know what to choose. I’m torn between lobster and asparagus.’
‘We could,’ he said, ‘order both—and share them.’
Now it was starting to feel like a date again. And that made her all quivery inside. ‘Sounds good,’ she said.
She actually enjoyed sharing forkfuls of starter with him. Especially as it gave her an excuse to look at his mouth as much as she liked. And she noticed he was looking at her mouth, too. As if he wanted to kiss away a stray crumb and make her forget the rest of the meal.
Oh, help. She really had to keep a lid on this.
After that, she had crayfish with satay and lime, and he chose lamb.
‘Look at this. It’s beautifully cooked and beautifully presented,’ she said. ‘I can see exactly why they have a Michelin star. This is sublime.’
He chuckled, and she narrowed her eyes at him. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘That you’re such a foodie—and, um, in the kitchen...’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, yeah. I’m never going to live that monkfish down. You’ll still tease me about it when we’re ninety.’
Oh, help. Had she really said that? Implied that they were going to be together forever and ever?
‘Yes. I will,’ he said softly, and it suddenly made it hard for her to breathe.
She fell back on teasing. Just to defuse the intensity before she said something really, really clueless. ‘I could point out that this is a bit of a pots and kettles conversation, given that you’re clearly a foodie and you’re about the same as I am in the kitchen.’
He laughed. ‘I admit my monkfish would’ve been just as terrible. But you’re right. This is sublime. Try it.’ He offered her a forkful of lamb.
‘Mmm. And try this.’ She offered him some crayfish.
‘So are you going to tell me that lunch in Paris was the best idea ever?’ he prompted.
‘That,’ she said, ‘depends on the dessert.’
They scanned the menu when they’d finished. ‘How can you not order madeleines in France?’ she asked with a smile.
‘When there’s chocolate soufflé on the menu,’ he retorted, and she laughed.
Again they shared tastes of each other’s pudding, and she enjoyed making him lean over to reach the spoon—especially when he retaliated and did likewise.
‘That was fantastic,’ she said when the meal was over. ‘A real treat. I admit, yes, it’s the best idea ever. Thank you so much.’
‘My pleasure. I enjoyed it, too.’
And his smile reached his eyes; he wasn’t just being polite.
They spent the rest of the afternoon browsing in little boutiques. Again, he held her hand; and again, neither of them commented on it.
Emmy bought a box of shiny macaroons for her mother. ‘And I think we should go to a toy shop, so we can bring something more than just a beret back for Ty.’
Dylan smiled. ‘He probably hasn’t even noticed we’re gone. Unless that’s just a flimsy excuse for toy shopping, Ms Jacobs.’
‘It’s a really flimsy excuse,’ she said with a grin. ‘I love toy shops.’
‘I’d already noticed that,’ he said, ‘given how much Tyler’s toy box seems to have grown recently.’ He checked on his phone to find the nearest toy shop, and when they looked along the shelves Emmy was thrilled to discover a soft plush teddy bear with a beret and stripy shirt. ‘This is perfect,’ she said, and gave Dylan an arch look. ‘Beret and stripy shirt. Hmm.’
He laughed. ‘Don’t you dare call it Dylan.’
‘Spoilsport,’ she teased.
‘You know, we’ll have to bring Ty to Paris when he’s a little older. He’ll love seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night,’ Dylan said.
Making plans for the future, she thought. Neither of them had said it. This was too new, too fragile. But she was beginning to think that there was a future...
* * *
When they’d finished shopping, Dylan allowed Emmy to buy him a coffee before they headed back to the Gare du Nord to catch the train to London.
Back in London, Emmy shivered when they came out of the Tube station and pulled her pashmina closer round her. ‘I wish I’d brought a proper coat with me, now. It’s colder than I expected.’
‘Have my jacket,’ he offered, starting to shrug it off.
‘No, because then you’ll be cold. And it’s only a few minutes until we get home.’
‘I’ll call a taxi.’
‘By the time
it gets here, we could’ve walked home,’ she pointed out.
‘OK. Then let’s do it this way.’ He put his arm round her shoulders, drawing her close to him.
Oh, help. Her skin actually tingled where he touched her. And the whole thing sent her brain into such a flutter that she couldn’t utter a word until he opened the front door and ushered her inside.
Her mum greeted them warmly. ‘Did you have a good time?’
‘The best,’ Emmy said. ‘Oh, and these are for you.’ She handed her mother the bag from the patisserie. ‘How’s Tyler?’
‘Asleep, and he’s been absolutely fine all day.’ She hugged them both. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’
‘Thanks for babysitting for us.’ Dylan hugged her back. ‘I only had one glass of champagne at lunchtime, so I’m OK to drive. I’ll run you home.’
‘That’s sweet of you.’
Emmy checked on Tyler while Dylan drove her mother home.
Today had been magical. The way Dylan had fed her morsels from his plate at lunchtime, and walked through Paris hand in hand with her; the way he’d automatically offered her his jacket and then, when she’d refused, put his arm round her to keep her warm... Was she adding two and two and making five, or was it the same for him? Had they become something more than co-guardians? Was this a real relationship—one for keeps?
Dylan was back by the time she came downstairs.
‘Everything OK?’ he asked.
‘Tyler’s fine. Thank you for today. It really was special.’ She stood up, intending to kiss his cheek. But somehow she ended up brushing her mouth against his instead.
She pulled back and looked up at him.
His eyes were intense, darkened from their normal cornflower-blue to an almost stormy navy. She shivered, and couldn’t help looking at his mouth again.
He leaned forward and touched his mouth to hers in the lightest, sweetest kiss. Automatically, she parted her lips and tipped her head back in offering. He drew her closer and she could feel the lean, hard strength of his body. So much for Dylan being a geek; he felt more like the athlete she’d once dated, all muscular. And she couldn’t help remembering the way he’d looked in her bed, half-naked and asleep.
Her hands were tangled in his hair and his arms were wrapped tightly round her as he deepened the kiss. Her head was spinning, and it felt as if the room were lit by a hundred stars.
He shuddered as he broke the kiss. ‘Emmy.’
‘I know.’ She reached up to trace his lower lip with the tip of her forefinger.
‘Are we going to regret this in the morning?’ he asked, his voice huskier this time.
‘I don’t know. Maybe not.’ She shivered as he drew the tip of her forefinger into his mouth and sucked; she closed her eyes and tipped her head back, inviting another kiss.
He released her hand. ‘Emmy. My common sense is deserting me. If you don’t tell me to stop...’ he warned.
Then she knew what was going to happen.
And every nerve in her body longed for it.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. ‘Yes.’
Still holding her gaze, he scooped her up and carried her up the stairs.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
EMMY LAY IN the dark, curled against Dylan.
Are we going to regret this in the morning? His words from earlier echoed in her head.
Would they?
Part of her regretted it already. Because she was scared that now everything could go really wrong. When had she ever managed to make a relationship last? When had she ever picked the right man? What if Dylan changed his mind about her?
‘I can almost hear you thinking,’ he said softly, stroking her hair.
‘Panicking,’ she admitted. ‘Dylan—I’m not good at this stuff. I’ve messed up every relationship I’ve ever had.’
‘You’re good at picking Mr Wrong,’ he said. ‘And you think I might be another.’ He shifted so he could brush his mouth against hers. ‘Maybe I’m not.’
She swallowed hard. ‘I swore I’d never risk anything like this again, not after the last time.’
‘What happened? He was another one who wanted you to change?’
‘No,’ she said miserably. ‘Far worse. I should’ve told you before. He was married.’ She grimaced. ‘Finding out that I was the other woman...I hated myself for that.’
‘You didn’t know?’
‘No. Especially after what happened to my mum, no way would I ever have tried to break up a family like that. I found out when I called his mobile phone and his wife answered.’ Her breath hitched. ‘I wasn’t the first. Far from it. But I felt so horrible that I’d done that to someone. My mum was devastated when my father had affairs; and I felt like the lowest of the low for making someone else feel like that.’
‘It’s not your fault if he lied to you,’ Dylan pointed out. He sighed. ‘Though I don’t have room to talk, do I? Technically, I’m married.’
‘You’ve been separated for months, and you’re just waiting for that last bit of paper to come through. That’s totally different. You’ve been honest with me. He wasn’t. Though I should’ve worked it out for myself,’ Emmy said. ‘Afterwards, when I thought about it, it was really obvious. We always went to my place rather than his, and he never stayed overnight. If we did go out, we only ever went to obscure places, and half the time we’d have to call it off—he said it was because of work, but it was obviously because he was doing family things. I should’ve seen it.’
‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Dylan said again. ‘You wouldn’t have had anything to do with him if you’d known he was married. He was the cheat, not you.’ He sighed. ‘And his wife...maybe she loved him very much, but it’s still a shame that she’d let herself be treated like that. It sounds to me as if she deserved better. And so do you.’
‘I don’t know, Dylan. Sometimes my judgement is atrocious.’
‘Mine, too,’ he said. ‘But it’s late, we’ve had a long day, and now maybe isn’t the best time to talk. Go to sleep, Em.’ He drew her closer.
Well, at least he hadn’t walked away, she thought.
Yet.
* * *
The next morning, Emmy was dimly aware of crying. Loud crying, which was turning into screams.
She sat up, suddenly wide awake. Tyler. She hadn’t put the baby listener on last night. Because she’d...
Oh, no.
She looked at the other side of her bed.
Where Dylan was also sitting up. Completely naked. And looking shocked, embarrassed and awkward.
That made two of them. They’d complicated things hugely, last night. How were they ever going to fix this?
She glanced at the clock: half past nine. A good two and a half hours later than they were usually up. No wonder Tyler was crying. She’d missed her Pilates class. And Dylan would be lucky to get to the office on time for a meeting she knew he had this morning.
‘Oh, my God. We’re really late,’ she said. ‘And Tyler’s screaming.’
Dylan looked at her. ‘Emmy, we need to talk about this, but—’
‘You have a meeting, and I need to feed Tyler.’
‘I feel bad about leaving without...’ He grimaced.
‘We’ll talk about it later,’ she said. ‘Can you close your eyes for a moment?’ It was ridiculous, she knew, considering they’d both explored each other’s bodies in considerable detail the night before; but she felt shy and exposed.
He mumbled something, clearly feeling as embarrassed as she did, and closed his eyes; she fled to the door, grabbed her bathrobe, and put it on as she raced to the baby’s room.
And hopefully by the time she and Dylan talked, she would’ve rediscovered her common sense and worked out how they could deal with this with the minimum fallo
ut for Tyler.
She scooped Tyler out of his cot and held him close. ‘OK, babe, Aunty Emmy and Uncle Dylan messed up. But we’ll fix things.’ And they would fix things, because they didn’t have any other option. ‘Come on, let’s get you some breakfast.’
The crying subsided, and Tyler was back to being all smiles and gurgled after she’d fed him his usual baby porridge and some puréed apple, and given him some milk.
Dylan was clearly as glad as she was of the respite, because she didn’t see him at all before he left the house.
She put Tyler back in his cot with some toys to keep him amused, while she had a shower and dressed. Then she scooped him back out of his cot, changed him, and took him downstairs to play.
‘I might’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life, Ty,’ she said. ‘Or it might’ve been the best idea ever. Right now, I just don’t know.’ And it terrified her. She’d already made too many mistakes. ‘I don’t know how Dylan really feels about me. But we both love you.’ She was sure about that. ‘And, whatever happens between us, we’ll make sure that your world stays safe and secure and happy.’
She still didn’t have any solutions by the time that Tyler had his morning nap.
And then a mobile phone shrilled. It wasn’t her ringtone, so the phone must be Dylan’s. He’d obviously left it behind and was probably ringing to find out where he’d left it.
She found the phone and picked it up, intending to answer and tell him yes, he’d left it here, and yes, she could drop it in to the office if he needed it. It wasn’t his name on the screen; but she recognised it immediately. Nadine.
What should she do?
This might be important. She ought to answer it. On the other hand, if she answered the phone and Nadine demanded to know who she was, or got the wrong idea, it could make everything much more complicated.
She grabbed the landline and rang Dylan. ‘You left your mobile behind.’
He groaned. ‘Sorry. Well, don’t think you have to bring it out to me or anything. I’ll manage without it for today.’
‘You might not be able to. Um, Nadine just rang.’
‘Why?’ He sounded shocked. ‘What did she say?’