by Imelda Evans
This extraordinary speech left Kate at a loss for words, but it didn’t really matter, since Josh wasn’t waiting for her reply. As soon as he finished speaking, he took a firm grip on her arms and half-lifted her out of the corner and planted her in the clearing where they had started. Then, when he was sure she was steady on her feet, he took her hand and towed her towards the door, as firmly as she had towed him in.
Kate followed meekly, still not at all sure where this evening was taking them. The only thing she was sure about, if somewhat astonished by, was that she was on the journey with a creature widely believed to be extinct: a real, live gentleman.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Luckily, by the time they emerged, even the last recalcitrant few at the nearby tables had been cajoled into getting up and dancing, so Kate and Josh were able to slip unobtrusively into their respective bathrooms to brush off the dust and make any other adjustments necessary to conceal where they had been and what they had been doing.
Kate found herself humming as she touched up her makeup and realised with a start that she was finally feeling relaxed. It wasn’t the feeling she had expected from this evening and it definitely wasn’t one that she had experienced much of in the past month or so. Before that fateful last evening in Paris, she had spent a jittery couple of weeks knowing that something was up with Alain and waiting for him to speak. Afterwards, she’d been incredulous, angry, depressed, miserable, grumpy, hopeful and angry all over again in what felt like a never-ending spiral. There had been a few, brief periods where she’d forgotten to be miserable, but none she could have described as relaxed.
Now, though, she felt cool, calm, and ready for anything. She doubted whether even Crystal herself could rattle her right now. Why she was feeling this way, after the evening she’d had, she didn’t really know. But relaxed was definitely the word for it.
Maybe it was because she now knew for sure that Josh fancied her. After her recent rejection, it was very pleasant to know that she was still desirable to someone. Especially when that someone looked like Josh. She smiled seductively at herself in the mirror at the thought. Then, summoning up a mental image of her ex-boyfriend, she poked her tongue out at it, and said (under her breath, in case anyone was listening), ‘Take that, Alain!’ Then she giggled. It was such a childish thing to do – but heavens, it felt good!
Also, since she hadn’t been able to hide her own attraction to Josh, it was a relief to know that the feeling was mutual. At least she didn’t have to deal with the humiliation of being caught with her tongue hanging out over a man who thought she was a hag.
Although knowing he fancied her did come with problems – mainly that it was a bit too pleasant. It might have implications that, at the moment, she wasn’t up to thinking about. She’d rather stay with the relaxed feeling and leave anything more serious till later. Much later.
Accordingly, she firmly closed off that train of thought. For once, she would not plan, or think ahead, but go with the flow. What did they call it? Living in the moment. That’s what she was going to do. After all, that’s what she’d done so far tonight, and it hadn’t worked out so badly, had it? Perhaps this was the beginning of a new and improved, risk-loving, impulsive Kate, who lived for now and never considered tomorrow! Kate snorted and shook her head. That wasn’t very likely. But enjoying what was left of the evening without stressing, she thought she could manage. So she gave her dress a final brushing-off and headed out to meet Josh.
A few dances, many conversations and a completely missed dessert course later, they found themselves back at their table. Jo was alone, sipping coffee with an odd expression on her face.
‘Where is everybody?’
‘Clare and Andrew are, I believe, as Clare put it, “shaking their groove thing”. I’m not sure how much shaking she’s going to be able to manage in her condition, but since she has considerably more experience than I do on that subject, I didn’t think I should say anything.’
Kate laughed. ‘I bet you didn’t! And what about Matt? Is his groove thing not up to shaking?’
Jo briefly flicked her head in the direction of a table tucked into a corner, halfway across the room from them. ‘He ran into someone he knew from his work and went to talk to him, and it would seem he found something else at that table to interest him.’
Kate followed Jo’s gaze and saw Matt with his lips fused to Crystal’s. She couldn’t immediately think of anything to say, but Jo correctly interpreted her stare.
‘Yes. Quite. Apparently some men – one hesitates to say gentlemen – prefer blondes.’ She paused, and looked over again, even more briefly. ‘And some men are also apparently too stupid to see when they are being used by said blondes.’
‘Jo, I —’ Kate began, as Josh stared daggers at Matt.
‘Oh Kate, don’t worry!’ Jo interrupted. ‘I’m not taking it personally. If he prefers her he’s welcome to her. It’s not as if I really wanted him anyway. Mind you, I don’t think she does either. I’m fairly certain this little performance will only last as long as we’re here to see it. But I don’t want to be seen to be encouraging it, so if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to go.’
‘Yes, of course, if you want to! I’m feeling pretty tired, anyway.’ To help Jo, Kate would have agreed to go home even if she had been feeling on top of the world, but as it happened, it was true. She’d had a better time than she would have thought possible, but, overall, it had been an exhausting evening and there was no denying that hitting the sack sounded like a fabulous idea.
‘Are you going to let him get away with that?’ This was from Josh, who was looking thunderous at this insult to his sister. He looked ready to charge over there and haul Matt away bodily.
But Jo put a restraining hand on his chest.
‘Not exactly, love, don’t worry. You see, if we leave now, I doubt Matt will notice until we’re safely home. And that may prove inconvenient for the poor boy, since he lives in Geelong and his keys are in my handbag.’
Josh let out a bark of a laugh, and Jo smiled back. But Kate saw a problem.
‘What if he pesters us with phone calls all night?’
Jo shrugged. ‘He doesn’t have our home number, only my mobile – and I’ve already turned it off. And before you suggest he’ll come and lean on the doorbell,’ she said, forestalling Kate, who had been about to suggest that very thing, ‘he’s welcome to. I’m not going to refuse to answer the door. I’ll quite happily give his stuff back, whenever he shows up. The more ungodly the hour the better, really, since it will mean that Crystal has kicked him out. But right now, I’m so distressed by his defection that all I can think of is getting home. I can’t be expected to be concerned about the contents of my handbag at a time like this!’ She affected a simultaneously ditzy and wounded expression for a grand total of two seconds, then let it slip and replaced it with an impish grin. ‘So, can we leave?’
Kate felt a little guilty about leaving Matt like that, but another look at the corner revealed them to be even closer than they were before and she hardened her heart. It was bad enough that he was making out with any other woman when he had come with Jo . . . but Crystal? He deserved all he got. She turned back to Jo and Josh.
‘I’m ready, if you are. I’ll just leave a note for Clare.’ She fished a tiny notebook and pen out of her bag, wrote a quick message and propped it up against the flowers in the centre of the table. Then they left, with Kate shaking her head over such an abrupt ending to what had to be one of the strangest evenings of her life.
In the taxi, Josh reached for Kate’s hand, and she didn’t stop him. She just sat quietly, holding his hand and leaning on his shoulder while he and Jo bickered, with the ease of long practice, about where Josh would be spending the night.
‘Hon, I’m sure Mum and Dad are expecting you home!’
‘Jo, I have lived away from home for more years than I care to count. I think Mum and Dad are used to it by now. Besides, I told them that I might stay with you,
and Mum told me to make sure I did, if I wasn’t fit to drive.’
Jo snorted. ‘You’re not drunk!’
‘I know that. But Mum doesn’t. And anyway, the point is that she isn’t expecting me. Anyway, why don’t you want me to stay? Don’t you love your big brother any more?’ Josh stuck out his bottom lip and quivered it, in impersonation of a toddler about to cry. He’d been doing this to Jo since they were children, and even though she knew it was fake, it still got to her. She made a rude noise and looked away.
‘Don’t be silly. You know I love you, and you are welcome any time. But you’ll have to sleep on the couch.’
Josh looked down at Kate, who was half-asleep on his shoulder.
‘Yes, I know. But I’ve slept on many in my time.’
‘And moaned about it! You know my couch isn’t long enough for you. So what’s with the sudden enthusiasm for it now?’
Since both of them were perfectly well aware of the answer to that question, Josh didn’t bother to reply. Instead, he looked down at Kate again, this time brushing a stray lock of hair away from her mouth. Jo pursed her lips and made another rude noise.
‘Oh, all right! But no flirting over the breakfast table. My stomach is delicate first thing in the morning.’
‘Flirting? Can’t imagine what you mean,’ Josh replied, with an enormous grin that gave lie to his words.
‘Yeah, right. I believe you, thousands wouldn’t. If I’d had any idea what I was starting . . . Anyway, we’re here. Shove over, will you?’ Josh shoved and she retrieved her handbag from where it had been squashed half under him, while the cab driver pulled over.
‘Josh, can you pay him and get Sleeping Beauty here upstairs? I’ll go ahead and open up and put the kettle on.’
Josh nodded his assent and Jo took off. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was an appropriate name for Kate, he thought, as he gently lifted her off his arm so he could reach his wallet. She had dropped off completely somewhere around the interchange about the couch, so the sleeping part was right, and as for beautiful . . . he’d thought she was lovely at fifteen. At twenty-seven, she was heartbreaking. Even as he gave his credit card to the cab driver, the sight of her, draped against the seat at the edge of his peripheral vision, took his breath away.
When had he ever felt like this about a woman? He couldn’t help comparing this experience to the last time a woman had fallen asleep on him in a taxi. Where was that? Had it been New York or Toronto? He couldn’t remember. But wherever and whenever it had been, he remembered that all he had felt that time was a tad insulted that she hadn’t thought he was interesting enough to stay awake for.
But now, with Kate, he felt flattered. Indeed, he felt more than flattered. He was foolishly delighted that, in spite of everything they’d been through that evening, she felt comfortable enough in his presence to fall asleep. He felt privileged that she had accepted his comfort and his help on what must have been a difficult evening for her. He felt . . .
‘Mate! I said, you need to sign this!’
The taxi driver’s acerbity jolted Josh back to the task at hand. He hurriedly signed the slip, adding a generous tip out of embarrassment, and went around to Kate’s door to help her out. She had stirred when he had moved her, but she was now asleep again. So he slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her out, partly not wanting to wake her, but mostly because it gave him an excuse to hold her.
It amused him to be looking for excuses, like a love-struck teenager on a first date. As if a grown man should need an excuse to hold a grown woman who he knew liked him! But she wasn’t exactly herself. She was still grieving over that idiot who’d dumped her and he didn’t want her to have any excuse to give him his marching orders before he’d had a chance to finish what they’d started.
Not that he was at all sure what it was they’d started. But he knew it was something he didn’t want to end. For now that was all that mattered. So he’d play it carefully and be grateful for opportunities like this.
She stirred as the taxi pulled away and murmured, as though she were dreaming. She looked so young and adorable that Josh couldn’t resist. He bent and kissed her on the forehead and she opened her eyes.
‘Look, it’s true,’ he teased. ‘The princess does wake when you kiss her.’
‘Careful,’ she teased back, sleepily. ‘If you wake a princess with a kiss, you have to marry her.’
‘Well, maybe I will then.’
Had he said that aloud? Where had that come from? For a second, Kate stiffened in his arms, then she slapped him clumsily and he breathed again. Obviously she thought it was a joke. Which of course it had been. Except that it didn’t feel funny. Clearly, he was off his form. Would have to try harder.
‘Actually, since I got engaged to this particular princess without even buying a ring, I think a kiss probably means we are already married. Good evening, Mrs Marchant.’
Kate threw back her head and laughed, and Josh’s heart performed a strange sort of acrobatics in his chest. God she was beautiful.
‘Mrs Marchant! Honestly, Josh! Mrs Marchant is your mother!’ Kate laughed again, then pretended to be serious. ‘But you’re right of course. After tonight, I’d say that kiss definitely sealed the deal.’
She smiled up at him and Josh’s heart gave another leap. Perhaps he’d drunk more than he thought. Perhaps that accounted for the lightness in his head and the bizarre behaviour of his internal organs. Perhaps someone had put something in his chicken. It must be something like that. Because otherwise something very odd was happening.
The idea of being married had never before engendered anything more in him than an urgent desire to run away. Far away.
But now, here, in the dark with Kate, it sounded like a grand idea. If there had been a priest handy, he wouldn’t have put it past himself to ‘seal the deal’ on the spot.
Even rotten drunk, it wasn’t a feeling he’d ever had before. And he wasn’t drunk. He gripped her harder, in an attempt to steady himself, as his head spun with it.
Kate didn’t know his head was spinning but she did know that if he kept holding her like this, they would soon be heading straight back to a place where he had already said he didn’t want to go, or at least, not tonight. So she smiled what she hoped was a friendly, non-committal smile and said, ‘You know, I’m quite capable of walking.’
But Josh wasn’t taking the hint. Instead, he hoisted her higher in his arms and said simply, ‘And I’m quite capable of carrying you.’ Then, suiting action to words, he headed through the door that Jo had left propped open for him and across the lobby towards the lifts, talking as he went.
‘Besides, you just told me that we are married. And if we are just married, shouldn’t I carry you across the threshold?’
Now the conversation was really getting out of hand. If he kept this up, she was going to start believing they were actually engaged and who knew where that would lead? She hit him gently with her handbag.
‘Josh, put me down. Honestly. You must be giving yourself a hernia, anyway.’
‘Ah, now she’s casting aspersions at my manhood! We must be married!’ He swung down to push the lift button and in doing so dipped her alarmingly. She gasped and grabbed on to him and he straightened up, but not before she saw that he was looking decidedly pleased with himself.
‘I thought you wanted me to put you down. You aren’t acting like it,’ he said as he crossed into the lift.
Kate rolled her eyes and gave up. What with the wine, and the hour, and being pressed against him, with his scent assailing her, there were only so many snappy come-backs she could come up with.
‘Fine. If you want to strain something, go ahead and keep carrying me. Have it your way.’
Josh promptly put her down, backed her against the wall and leaned down so that they were face to face, with his glorious eyes blazing into hers.
‘Am I to understand that you are inviting me to have my way with you?’
‘Why not?’ she replied, surprising them b
oth.
It hadn’t been what she had meant to say, and it was hardly her usual way of going about date relations, but right now, she didn’t care. Her usual way hadn’t exactly panned out, had it? And it had never made her feel the way she was feeling now, pressed against his chest with every nerve ending in her chest on fire.
So what if this was exactly the kind of spontaneous, unplanned, almost certainly unwise thing she had spent her entire adult life avoiding? Maybe that was exactly what New Kate needed. She was already so far out of her comfort zone she wasn’t sure she even remembered its postcode. She liked him. She liked him a lot. And she wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man. She was going to go for it.
But first there was something that she had to do. It was only fair.
‘Josh?’
‘Yes?’
Funnily enough, they both sounded somewhat breathless.
‘It was the same for me.’
‘What was?’
‘I had the biggest crush on you when we were teenagers.’
He pulled back. Not enough to release her, but far enough to look at her properly. But she couldn’t meet his eyes. Her gaze was fixed on his immaculate shirt.
‘When?’
She raised her head.
‘Pretty much from the moment I met you.’
There was only so much temptation a man could take.
He’d stopped her earlier, partly because he was being gentlemanly, but that wasn’t the only reason. It was mainly because, if they had continued any longer, he was far from sure that he would have been able to stop.
She did something to him that he had never felt before. It wasn’t her lips, no matter how they tempted him, or her hair, no matter how much he ached to bury his hands in it and see it draped over his skin. It wasn’t even her scent, which worked on his senses like some kind of wonder drug, which stimulated and soothed at the same time. There was something more.