Page 83 of The Romance Library

Before, I was trying to push the fantasies of being with Jessica out of my mind. But now I knew exactly how it felt to have her, it’d be even harder to keep my cool.

And of course there was Glenda. There was no way she wasn’t going to make some sort of suggestive comment.

It was settled. I’d head to the bakery cafe and grab a coffee and some crumpets.

Just as I was about to leave, my phone rang.

When I saw who was calling, my chest tightened.

‘Father.’ I plonked myself down on the bed. Whatever he had to say wasn’t going to be good.

‘Where’s the proposal? You still haven’t sent it to me.’

‘Is it really necessary?’

‘If I tell you I want to see the proposal, then you send it to me.’

‘Fuck’s sake,’ I muttered under my breath, grinding my jaw.

‘What did you say?’

‘Nothing,’ I sighed. ‘You’ll have it by tomorrow.’

‘Make sure it’s in my inbox by tonight.’

I hung up and punched the mattress. I was so sick of his bullshit.

Trust him to ruin my good mood. I just wanted to forget about this pitch for an hour before I started my day. Was that too much to ask?

My gaze fell on the bag of books I’d bought yesterday. I hadn’t given them to Jessica. For a second I wondered whether it was a good idea and then I dismissed it. It absolutely was the right thing to do.

I wanted Jessica to find her joy for reading again. And I couldn’t let our one-night stand get in the way of that. Maybe I’d leave them outside her door with a note. I’d work out what to do later.

For now, though, I needed to escape reality. And thanks to Jessica, I knew exactly how to do that.

I reached into the bag and pulled out the thriller I’d started reading on the train.

Time for breakfast and to lose myself in a book.

28

Jess

After checking the coast was clear, I slipped out of the B&B. I already knew Theo had left. I’d heard him go for his run and then out for breakfast, so it was Glenda I was avoiding.

It was crazy. I was a grown woman, yet I felt like I was a teenager who’d got caught sneaking a boy into my parents’ house when I should’ve been at school.

But if I wanted to stand the best chance of winning this pitch, I had to toe the line. It’d only be for ten more days. After that, I’d either be going back to my shitty bedsit, or… I was too nervous to think about it.

This was the first time since I’d arrived that I was having breakfast outside. As I wandered down the high street, I wondered where Theo had gone. I’d put money on him going to Carl’s cafe a few streets away. Although from what I’d seen from the window, Carl mainly did fry-ups, Theo would probably persuade the staff to make something healthy just for him.

Healthy was definitely not what I wanted today. I wanted something naughty. Just like I did last night.

Having a one-night stand was so out of character for me. I hadn’t done that since I was nineteen and fell for a handsome Greek guy who was visiting London on holiday. He’d promised me the world and, surprise, surprise, the next morning he was gone and I never heard from him again. I’d vowed never to do that again, but how could I not with Theo?

My thighs still hurt from where he’d stretched me open, and I’d have loved nothing more than to feel him inside me again. But I wasn’t nineteen anymore. I couldn’t afford to make mistakes. This was serious. I really, really had to focus. There could be no more sex with Theo. No more fantasising about Theo. From now until the presentation, my mind was a man-free zone.

I stopped outside the bakery. It was heaving. The queue was so long I could barely see the main counter, never mind whether there were any seats available. But I needed something sweet and satisfying. If I couldn’t have any more sexy time with Theo, chocolate or cake, preferably both, was an acceptable substitute.

---