Page 45 of Secrets of the Eternal Flame

I stared. ‘You made all of that?’

‘I’m good at cooking. Applying heat, using juices to maximal effect.’

I gulped and took a large sip of my wine.

He grinned. ‘I need to heat things through.’

‘Youarethe master of heat,’ I murmured.

‘I’m glad you think so. The Mother knows I’m trying.’

He set downa plate of food for Eva, this time on the floor rather than the dining-room table. That honour was reserved for us tonight.

As he continued stirring his sauces, I asked, ‘So what’s your ideal date?’

‘My ideal date? Apart from this, you mean?’ He smiled but I sensed that it was true: all he really wanted was him and me together. Everything else was window dressing.

‘Okay, but what about a date that doesn’t have George Clooney standing guard in a plant pot?’ I teased. ‘Is there somewhere you’d like to take me? Things you’d like us to do together?’

‘At some point I’d like to take you to where I grew up. It’s beautiful – you can sit on the rocks and watch the pods of dolphins dipping in and out of the water. It’s so peaceful.’

‘I’d love to see it,’ I said truthfully. ‘I love being by the water. We don’t often see dolphins here – and I really adore Scotland.’

‘I thought about taking you when we were up there,’ he admitted. ‘But with the timing and everything – I didn’t want to make a flying visit. There’s a lot to be said for savouring the moment.’

It wasn’t the first time I’d thought about how considerate Fraser was. He’d known how important finding theFlame was for me and he hadn’t wanted to delay me by suggesting taking a couple of days out of our search to show me where he’d grown up.

‘I’d have liked that,’ I said.

‘I don’t go there often and even when we were closest to the place, it was still a four-hour drive away. I’ll take you there soon and show you the places Mum and I used to go.’

Fraser’s mum’s story was heartbreaking and I didn’t want him to be sad, so I cast around for something else to talk about. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you,’ I said. ‘When you swim in the sea do you ever eat fish? Do you catch them with your mouth?’

Fraser turned to stare at me and burst out laughing. ‘Where did that come from?’

‘I was wondering, that’s all. I’m guessing you’re fast enough to catch them?’

‘Yes, I am,’ he said. ‘And I have done that, but only when I’ve been on a long swim and not left the water for days. I wouldn’t just pop into the ocean for a quick snack – I prefer my meals without bones and entrails.’

Fraser picked up our plates. ‘Why don’t we sit down? Can you bring the wine?’ I picked up the open bottle and our glasses and noticed that his had remained untouched.

I turned to Eva. ‘You want to stay here? The underfloor heating is lovely.’ Plus then we could have some privacy. She tapped her tail and stretched out on the warm floor; no wonder Fraser was always barefoot.

I followed him into the dining room and stopped abruptly. ‘Fraser, this is beautiful!’ The table was covered in tiny fairy lights and there were candles in the middle. ‘You didn’t have to do all this.’ Nobody had ever done anything like this for me.

‘I didn’thaveto.’ He put the plates on the table and slipped his arms around my waist. ‘I wanted to – I want to do everything to make you happy. And not just because of some magical bond, but because you are the most amazing person in the world, and I… I—’ He stopped abruptly before he said too much too soon.

I knew the feeling: we were both dancing around the same word. I was coming to accept that, in spite of everything I had thought about soul mates and perfect matches, I might have found mine.

‘And I need to eat,’ he said. We both knew that wasn’t the way he had planned on finishing his sentence. ‘Let’s tuck in before the food gets cold.’

I met his eyes. ‘Just, hypothetically, if we were to … progress things physically, does that progress our bond too?’

He smiled. ‘No. The bond is one of heart and soul, not the flesh. We can do whatever we like without it affecting the bond.’

‘Cool, cool, cool,’ I said, like a dweeb. I licked my lips.Whatever we likesounded all too good, and I knew there was no way Eva and I were walking home tonight.

We ate companionably. Every morsel was like tantalising foreplay. The food – and the company – was delicious. I should have been exhausted, but whether it was the copious amounts of caffeine I’d swallowed during the day, or the way Fraser was looking at me, I found that sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.

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