Page 21 of Spring Dreams at the Cornish Bakery

‘Little? It was the size of a dinner plate.’ Zac widened his eyes in mock-shock.

‘Only if you eat like a borrower.’ Lynsey laughed.

‘Fair point.’ Stepping towards her, he reached out his hand towards her face, gently brushing his fingers against her hair before holding up a swathe of old webbing. ‘There must have been more spiders than we realised at the reclamation yard.’

‘Yuck.’ She shuddered as though she could feel a million of the eight-legged creatures running across her skin. She ran her fingers through her hair. ‘Are there any on me?’

Holding his hand up against her hair again, he gently tucked it behind her ear. ‘No, you're all good.’

She could feel his fingers against her hair still. ‘Let’s hope we’ve not brought anymore back with us.’

‘No, let’s hope not.’ He spoke softly, his eyes still fixed on hers.

‘Let’s hope.’ She whispered quietly as she brought her hand up to cover his against the side of her face. The seconds stretched out and not once did either of them blink or move a muscle. Taking a quick breath in, she leaned forward just as he closed the tiny gap between them, and their lips touched. As she closed her eyes, she felt his other hand cup her other cheek as he kissed her gently. He really did feel the connection, too.

Leaning back, he grinned. ‘I’ll protect you from the spiders.’

Smiling, she reached up and looped her arms around him, resting her hands on the nape of his neck as they drew close again. This felt better than anything she’d experienced before. And definitely better than the quick pecks on the lips Ross had always given her. When she felt Zac’s lips against hers, she felt something. She felt that elusive spark she’d always read about in soppy romance books.

Leaning back again, Zac held her around her waist. ‘I’ve waited a long time to do that.’

‘A long time? We’ve only known each other a few days!’ Lynsey laughed. She knew exactly what he meant, though. They may not have known each other long and they may have gotten off on the wrong foot together, but you couldn’t make this up. This connection was real. ‘And we’ve spent half of that time arguing.’

‘That just means we have a lot to catch up on.’ He pulled her towards him again, this time raking his fingers through her hair until he was cupping the back of her head as they kissed again.

Chapter Nineteen

Lynsey moved the screwdriver beneath the stubborn plaster a little more before taking the hammer and tapping the end. Still, it wouldn’t shift. She and Zac had begun the task of knocking what plaster was left on the walls off since she’d finished her shift at the bakery, and they’d almost completed the wall with the fireplace in the living room. If only this bit would take the hint and let go of its death grip on the brickwork.

‘Here. Tilt it a little.’ Coming up behind her, Zac encircled his arms around her and covered her hands with his, manoeuvring the screwdriver before drawing the hammer, still in her grasp, back and driving it forward. Sure enough, the plaster dropped to the heap at their feet.

‘Thanks.’ Twisting around in his embrace, she pushed her goggles onto the top of her head and grinned. ‘I’ve got to say, it’s super handy having a builder here.’

‘Haha, I bet it is!’ removing his own goggles he unwrapped his arms from her waist and took the hammer and screwdriver from her hands before lowering them to the floor. Straightening his back again, he wrapped his arms back around her waist as she did the same. ‘We’re almost done with this wall.’

Twisting her head around, she looked at the wall. He was right. Apart from little patches here and there and a ton of white plaster dust, the wall had been taken back to the bare brickwork.

Walking them into the middle of the room, Zac gently turned her in his arms to face the wall. ‘So what do you think? Do youlike it? Hopefully you can get an idea of what the room will look like with all the walls the same.’

Leaning her back against his chest, she placed her hands over his in front of her and took in the scene in front of her, trying to imagine the same exposed brickwork throughout the room. ‘I think it looks cosy. I really like it.’

‘Good. I was hoping you would.’ Leaning his head down, he kissed her on the side of the neck, his lips warm against her skin.

Closing her eyes as he kissed her, she leaned her head back against his shoulder. ‘This isn’t going to get weird, is it?’

‘Weird? What’s going to get weird?’

‘Us, I mean this. What if you decided you don’t actually like me that way and break things off with me? You’ll leave me in the lurch with the cottage.’

Zac gave a low chuckle. ‘Believe me, I can’t see myself breaking things off with you. And, besides, I’m a professional. Nothing would come in the way of my work.’

His words echoed in her mind as she replayed them. He’d said he couldn’t see himself breaking things off with her. Did that mean what she thought it meant? That this wasn’t just a quick temporary thing? She looked down at the floor and tapped the toe of her trainer against the floorboards, watching as a mound of dust fell from the fabric to the floor.

‘What are you thinking?’ His lips brushed against her skin as he spoke.

‘Nothing.’ She couldn’t ask him; she didn’t want to appear as though she wanted more than he did. If she asked him what was going on between them and he turned round and said it was just a bit of fun or something, she didn’t know if she could keep seeing him around the cottage, It would be her not wanting him to continue working here.

Taking his hands away from hers, Zac turned her gently to face him before moving her hair from her eyes. ‘You can ask me anything. I’ll always be honest with you. No secrets.’

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