Page 157 of Worth Every Penny

“Saving our asses once again?” Jack says, reappearing from the kitchen, drink in hand.

“He’s very competent,” Mum says. “I always knew Kate would pick a winner in the end.”

I resist rolling my eyes and Jack meets my gaze with an amused smirk.

“Now we’ve got Kate all loved up, what are we going to do about you, darling?” Mum fixes her eyes on Jack. “I don’t think there’s a woman in the whole of England who’s good enough—”

“I’ll sort myself, thanks Mum,” Jack interrupts.

“Well, fine. But Aunt Venetia has a neighbour who has a daughter—”

Jack slaps his hands together. “Nope.”

Mum’s lips pucker, and we all laugh.

“Seeing as Nico’s got this all under control,” Jack says, “I’m going to shower.” Then he saunters up the stairs, a dark V of sweat down the spine of his t-shirt.

Mum checks her wristwatch. “I’ve got to collect some dishes from Pam down the road. She’s made a queen of puddings and a bread and butter pudding for the barbecue tonight, but she can’t bring them because she’s got a migraine. I’ll run out now and fetch them.”

“I can go,” Nico says, putting his half drunk scotch on the side table.

“No, no, you stay here. Finish your drink. Keep Kate company. I’m sure she’d much rather you than me, anyway.”

And with that, Mum totters off down the corridor on a pair of perilously high espadrille heels and lets herself out the front door. Gravel crunches as she crosses the front drive, jangling her keys in one hand.

When she’s out of sight, Nico pulls me into him with one arm. “Are you going to take this off?” He fingers the beach cover up. “I want to see you in that bikini,” he says, tugging at the strap around the back of my neck.

I slip out of his grip, still holding one of his hands. “You want to see, do you?”

He nods, the desire flashing in his eyes so raw that a pulse sets up in my clit. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of the way he looks at me, like I’m the only woman in the world he’ll ever want. I lead him out through the kitchen and into the back garden, where the hot tub is bubbling.

“Get in,” I say.

He gives me a knowing look. “You want me in the hot tub?”

“I do.”

With a bemused smirk, he pulls off his t-shirt and steps into the water.

When he sits down, his eyes trained on me like a searchlight, I tug off my dress and drop it to the floor, standing before him in only a white bikini. It’s the same one I wore all those years ago, and the last time we were here. The day we finally crossed the line, and I came in his arms. I see the moment he realises it too.

“You delight in teasing me, Miss Lansen,” he says, a dark chuckle rippling across the water towards me as I step into the tub, the warm water bubbling against my shins.

I reach up to the knot at the back of my neck, but I don’t undo the bikini strings. I pause and Nico’s eyebrow quirks.

“This time,” I say, “You’re not allowed to look away.”

He bites his bottom lip and then huffs a laugh. “If you think I’d ever look away from you now, then you’ve lost your mind.” He surges forward in a wave of bubbles and grabs my hips, staring up at me from his knees. “I don’t want to look anywhere else, ever. I’d get on my knees for you every day, Kate Lansen.”

The moment he’s spoken the words, he stiffens.

“What?” I ask.

“This feels like that moment where I should ask you to marry me.”

I laugh nervously. “God, no. Seriously, Nico. It’s been a few weeks. I am totally okay with not getting married. Or engaged. Or any of that stuff.”

“Really?”

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