Page 61 of Read Between The Lines

Perhaps some of my internal dilemma showed on my face, because Leo suddenly made the decision for me, leaning in close, his lips just a breath away from mine.

‘May I?’ he started to say, but I didn’t let him finish. If I didn’t seize the moment now, I never would. I closed the distance between us and kissed him. I forgot the reason we were here, forgot even that we were sitting in a car on a busy street. All that mattered was the wonderful pressure of his mouth moving against mine, the tickling friction of his stubble against my skin and the sensation of tingling warmth that had started in the depths of my torso and was now spreading throughout my body.

I tried to shuffle forward, then winced as the forgotten gearstick jabbed me in the ribs. Leo reached out and untucked my t-shirt, gently caressing upwards, soothing the ache away and replacing it with one of a very different kind. As I mirrored his action, his lips left mine and started slowly tracing the line of my jaw. Then his mouth moved onto my ear lobe and he whispered something. I took a deep, juddery breath, the roar of growing arousal deafening me to his words. All I knew was that I wanted him to carry on kissing me. I ran my fingers through his hair, pulling him still closer.

‘The coast is clear; Brian’s gone now,’ said Leo against my lips.

ChapterTwenty-Three

‘Brian’s out of sight,’ repeated Leo. ‘He didn’t spot us while he walked past the car.’

Finally, his words filtered through into my consciousness and I sat back in my seat, my heart pounding. I cleared my throat.

‘Oh, er, jolly good,’ I said, trying, and failing, to sound normal. A wave of humiliation was engulfing me and I couldn’t even bring myself to look at Leo, scared at the pity which I would undoubtedly see in his eyes. I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been, how carried away I’d allowed myself to get. There I was thinking we were enjoying a genuine moment of mutual passion, when in reality Leo had instigated what had been the kiss of a lifetime, as a cover so Scammer Brian wouldn’t spot us as he emerged from the theatre. What had been so real for me had apparently been purely practical for Leo, a mere surveillance tactic so we could stay incognito while Brian passed by.

‘Did you spot which way he went while we were kissing?’ asked Leo. ‘You’d have had the better view of him from your position. I could only see so much in the reflection of the wing mirror.’

‘No,’ I squeaked. To admit that my entire being had been overwhelmed and that I’d been unaware of anything but the kiss would be even more mortifying, given that Leo had apparently managed to continue tracking Brian through the passenger wing mirror.

‘About the kiss…’ Leo started to say, but I didn’t want to hear his next words, where he’d no doubt tactfully make it clear it had been born out of expediency and I should most definitely not read anything more into it.

‘I need to go,’ I said, already opening the car door.

‘Brian’s long gone. I don’t think you’ll be able to catch up with him,’ said Leo, ever practical.

‘I need to leave,’ I repeated.

‘Kat, we should…’

But I didn’t hang around to hear what it was that Leo thought we should be doing. The door slammed shut behind me and I set off at a near run.

‘What about Betty?’ called Leo after me.

I pretended I hadn’t heard. I’d text later and ask him to drop my bike off at the library next time he was going. But I needed to get far away from what was now the most embarrassing situation of my life.

* * *

To give her credit, if my sister Caro was annoyed to have me turn up uninvited on the doorstep of her home in London a few hours later, bedraggled and exhausted, she managed to keep it to herself.

‘Kat, love, what a nice surprise,’ she said, giving me a big hug and hustling me inside, thankfully without bombarding me with questions first.

I responded by bursting into tears which made me even more cross with myself.

‘Looks like you’ve had a tough day,’ she soothed.

‘You don’t know the half of it.’

‘Hmm, like that, is it? Well, I think the first priority is for you to go and run yourself a hot bath. Don’t worry, we’ve got the house to ourselves, and it’ll do Harry good to entertain himself on a Saturday evening for a change.’

I was grateful that Una, Caro’s housemate and long-time best friend, was out, and I was too exhausted even to find the strength to protest against my sister cancelling her date night because of me.

‘Have you got a change of clothes?’ I nodded and shook my rucksack which I’d thankfully not forgotten to grab in my haste to leave. ‘Good, then off you go. Take your time,’ she ordered. ‘I’m sure whatever it is can wait until you’re feeling more human. I’ll go and fix some supper for us. You come down whenever you like and we’ll chat properly then.’

It was bliss to sink into the water and scrub off the remaining traces of the obstacle course. And when the spectre of Leo briefly appeared as I examined the gearstick-shaped bruise starting to form on my ribs, I firmly told it to go away.

When I finally descended the stairs into Caro’s basement kitchen, my skin still glowing from the heat of the bath, I felt a bit stronger. Which was good, as I was going to need all the strength I could muster to deal with the interrogation I was about to face.

‘Who is he?’ was my sister’s opening line as she put a sizzling plate of macaroni cheese in front of me and I jumped on it. It was a very long time since breakfast, and I’ve never been one of those people who loses their appetite during moments of emotional turmoil.

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