Page 20 of Stars Shine In Your Eyes

“I’d like that. I’d like that very much. Thanks for giving me a chance to be less of an arsehole the second time we’ve met.” Then he made a wry face. “Although I wasn’t much better at the airport, was I?”

She shook her head. “Not really.”

“I was just so shocked to see you again. And ashamed. It’s no excuse, and I won’t hurt you again. I promise.”

“You’d better not,” she said, but she said it lightly.

Their eyes caught and held, and she gave a little shiver even though she was wrapped in a warm blanket. It was so tempting to spend all night under the stars with Malcolm, to keep talking and sharing. But she knew better. Knew that she needed to keep him in the friend zone.

At the very least, she needed to keep her own head in the friend zone, because she very much doubted that he was looking to kiss her a second time. “I guess we should head back downstairs so you aren’t too tired for work in the morning. I’m assuming you have an early start, with all those deals you have cooking?”

“Nope, no work for me tomorrow. I’m on holiday. I was supposed to be heading to Thailand.” Then he sighed. “But I’ll likely be busy with this New Zealand deal anyway.”

She cocked her head. “You’re not going to Thailand because…”

“For the same reason I showed up smelling like a cosmopolitan. The woman I was going with is going with someone else now. Turns out she’s been shagging her new hire.”

A spurt of laughter was surprised out of her. She couldn’t imagine a woman choosing anyone else if they could have Malcolm. And he clearly wasn’t brokenhearted. “Oh no, sorry, finding that out must have been hard.”

“No, it was fine. I realized we weren’t meant to be together anyway. I’m sure she’ll be much happier with him. With anybody but me, actually. I was a lot more upset over the House in a Box deal nearly going south than over losing a woman. I guess that pretty much defines me as a workaholic.”

She’d thought about giving him a book if the moment was right, and this seemed like the perfect moment. “Just a second,” she said, standing. “I have something for you.”

He looked utterly surprised, and she got the strangest feeling that he was usually the one giving gifts and less often the one receiving them. She ran down and fetched the book she’d chosen for him.

“As a professional bibliotherapist, I’m prescribing a treatment for this workaholism of yours.” She said it in a teasing tone, but she truly felt that Malcolm needed to read the old but still very relevant wisdom.

He accepted the book, and she said, in case he couldn’t read the cover in the dim light, “It’s Walden by Thoreau. I usually suggest this as an antidote to stress caused by overwork. But the lessons are good for all of us.”

He opened the cover and flipped through the pages, though it was too dark to read. “Thank you, Josie. I didn’t expect to be your first patient.”

She smiled at him. “First, you aren’t. I recommended some titles to a woman today in Mari’s bookshop, and second, I don’t consider the people I work with as patients. They’re clients. Or fellow bookworms.”

A moment passed, friendly, peaceful. Then he stood. “I should let you go to sleep, since I’m sure Mari plans to pick your brain bright and early tomorrow for her reading retreat.”

Josie nodded as they collected their blankets and empty cups and plates. “That’s the plan. I’m really excited.” She yawned. “And actually, even though I woke up just before you got here, convinced I’d never be able to get back to sleep, I think I might be able to now.”

“Finding out that he’s put you to sleep isn’t good for a guy’s ego,” he teased. “I normally don’t have that effect on women.”

She laughed, but it was a slightly awkward sound. Not sure what she was supposed to say to what sounded a lot like flirting, she said, “Okay, well then, good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Josie. Sleep well.”

She headed into the back bedroom, feeling a little flushed and overheated, considering that they’d been outside in the cool night air. That was what being around Malcolm Sullivan did to her. Heated her up all over. She put her cool hands on her warm cheeks. She had to stop thinking of him like that. Like a sexy, available man. Okay, so as of tonight it sounded like he was available. And he was completely sexy. But he wasn’t for her. No man was, especially not one who was charismatic and wealthy like her last boyfriend. Men were all dogs, she reminded herself as she slipped under the covers. Except that dogs were loyal.

CHAPTER SIX

Malcolm had a hell of a time falling sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about how soft and warm and wonderfully curvy Josie looked in her pajamas. A gentleman wouldn’t have noticed she had nothing on underneath. As much as his mother had tried to raise him to be a gentleman, she’d failed on that front. He’d been unable to not notice. He had only broken up with his girlfriend an hour before, and yet, he found himself consumed with thoughts of Josie. The sound of her laughter. The way her smile lit up her face. The smell of her faint vanilla scent whenever he got close enough.

And the emotion in her eyes when she listened to him tell her about his father’s difficult past, and also when he apologized to her for treating her so badly in high school. Normally, he would pull out his laptop and phone and deal with some business matters before bed. He couldn’t think of the last time he hadn’t checked in on work before going to sleep. But he didn’t feel like it tonight. He’d liked sitting up on the rooftop deck of his boat, staring up at the stars, listening to the owls hoot. He hadn’t done that in a long time. If he wasn’t working, he was going to some fancy gala or fundraiser, or sitting in the most expensive seats at a must-see show, or attending a new restaurant opening.

He rarely spent an evening relaxing, even with his family. More and more over the years, he’d taken to working every spare moment, his commitments leaving less and less time to enjoy life. Sure, he still got out for a hard run along the Thames most days, and he lifted weights three times a week, but those were things he did for maintenance. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d played football or rugby, games he used to love. No time. He exercised to stay fit, the way he ate because he was hungry and not because he really enjoyed the food he put in his mouth.

Though he’d thoroughly enjoyed the toasted cheese sandwich tonight, even more than the perfectly cooked high-priced steak. Josie was not only beautiful and cheerful, she could also make a mean midnight snack. He couldn’t imagine any of his exes cooking, especially not something laden with cheese and butter and carbohydrates. Which said a great deal about his taste in women, he realized. Josie was refreshing.

He felt a huge weight lifted now that he’d finally done what he should have done fifteen years ago. He’d apologized to a young woman he’d hurt badly. She’d tried to pretend his behavior hadn’t affected her much, but he’d seen the deep hurt in her pretty hazel eyes. He imagined a cocky young man treating one of his sisters that way, and he knew he’d want to take the blighter apart. Still, he’d finally apologized, and now, perhaps, they could move on.

And maybe he could stop thinking about kissing her again.

---