Page 19 of So That Happened
‘I’m surprised you haven’t got more of a plan for the day, then – or are you freestyling for the challenge?’
Josie tipped her head thoughtfully. She hadn’t got beyond thinking about what she was going to have for breakfast, taking the day one step at a time. But if she couldn’t work, she was going to have to think of something pretty soon, before she died of boredom.
‘Something like that.’ She swept her hand around the stillness of the kitchen and the unbroken landscape that stretched away from them outside. ‘There’s not a whole lot going on around here, so I’m going to have to make my own fun.’
He looked at her then and their gazes locked. His pupils darkened, turning his eyes black. He held her gaze, drawing her into a world of fiery longing. What the hell was going on? A need to touch him almost overwhelmed her. Her stomach did a double flip and her fingers itched to run over his golden skin, tracing the swell of muscles over his arms, across his shoulders, down his chest…
Bad idea.
It had been such a long time since she’d been so attracted to someone it had thrown her into chaos. She’d forgotten how exciting it was, how much fun. Not that this could be any more than a passing whim. She should enjoy the novelty of it but give herself boundaries. Stay in control.
‘Uh… do you fancy another game of chess?’ she asked, pulling her thoughts back onto safe ground before she started drooling. It had been entertaining playing last night, especially when he’d been so disgusted when she’d beaten him.
He shook his head. ‘I can’t. I’m meeting a friend for lunch in Aix.’
‘Oh, okay.’ She kept her tone light, but was annoyed by how disappointed she felt.
‘You could always walk up to Guy’s farm and get some eggs. They’re great when they’re really fresh. Just head north-east. It’s a couple of miles away across the fields.’ He waved in the direction he meant. ‘It shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to get there.’
‘Yeah, okay. I might do that.’ Her wayward voice had taken on a childishly reluctant tone without her consent.
Connor didn’t appear to notice. ‘Want me to draw you a map?’
She shoved her shoulders back in defiance at his coddling behaviour – before remembering his comment about her defensiveness and adjusting her posture to make her stance less aggressive. ‘No thanks. I’m sure I can find it,’ she said coolly.
‘Don’t leave it too late to walk over there. The heat gets pretty fierce after midday.’ His face was blank of emotion but she was sure he was deliberately winding her up again.
‘Okay,’ she said, gripping her mug hard.
She wasn’t sure why she was so cross with him. She almost felt as if he was abandoning her by going out, which was patently ridiculous. She was a grown-up who was perfectly capable of entertaining herself.
Wasn’t she?
The truth was she never had to do it at home, because she was either thinking about or totally engrossed in work. Being away from it had left a big gap in her psyche.
‘Okay. Well, I’m making omelettes tonight, so we’re definitely going to need eggs from somewhere.’
She put her mug down carefully on the table before she threw it at his smug head. ‘You don’t have to feed me, you know.’ Her teeth were beginning to hurt from being clamped together so hard.
‘It’s just as easy to make food for two people,’ he said, shrugging. ‘What are you going to have if you don’t eat with me?’
That was a good point. There wasn’t exactly a lot of food in the house, and the meal he’d made last night had been delicious. She should consider it his fee for her agreeing to share the place; he wasn’t exactly the easiest housemate to live with and she should get some sort of recompense for it.
‘Want me to pick some up in town instead?’ he asked, obviously irked at her slow response.
‘No. It’s fine. I’ll go to the farm,’ she said through tight lips.
‘Great.’ He smiled and went to slap her on the arm, but stopped himself. Their gazes snagged and he gave her a curt nod. ‘Make sure you lock up properly when you go out. See you later.’
He turned and walked out, pulling the door shut a little too hard behind him so that it rattled in the frame.
* * *
After taking a rather circuitous route to the farm a couple of hours later, Josie finally arrived hot and frustrated.
The farmyard was deserted, so she knocked on the heavy oak door to the house. It was heaved open a few seconds later by a short, burly man with a thatch of wiry black hair.
‘Oui?’
