Page 39 of So That Happened
‘You thought I was her in your bed the other night, didn’t you?’
He so didn’t want to be talking about Katherine right now. He nodded curtly, hoping she’d drop the subject.
‘Why did you split up?’
He sighed, giving her a reproachful look, trying to scare her off the subject. ‘She wanted to get married, I didn’t.’ Hopefully that was the end of the inquisition.
‘Why not?’
Apparently, it wasn’t. ‘We were a bad fit.’
‘Because she was looking for some stability?’
He gripped the steering wheel, the tendons in his hands tensing against the pressure.
‘I didn’t want it enough.’
‘You love your freedom more?’
‘Can we drop the subject?’ he snapped, making her jump. He hated having to explain to new partners why his previous relationships had failed. Not that Josie was a partner. She wasn’t anything to him. Nothing at all.
‘Okay, I’m sorry.’ Josie held her hands up as a peace offering. ‘I was being nosy. It’s none of my business.’
Firing up the engine, he backed out of the garage, killing the conversation. Mercifully, the roar of the engine and the crunch of the wheels on the road made it difficult to talk again.
* * *
It took them an hour and a half to reach Cannes. They headed straight for the centre and parked up.
‘Okay. Let’s rock this place,’ Connor quipped with a wink, unfolding his large frame from the car and running a hand through his windswept hair.
The streets were crowded with summer visitors out enjoying the sunshine. They wove through them to get to the tree-linedCroisette, which was bordered on one side by the calm, sparkling Mediterranean Sea and on the other by some of the most exclusive hotels in the South of France.
‘Wow, this is amazing,’ Josie said, looking around in awe.
Connor glanced over at her. ‘You like?’
‘Sure do. Where are we going first?’ She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. This place was something else – vibrant with life and humming with possibility.
‘The Carlton Hotel. I need a drink.’
Josie would have preferred to head straight to the beach, but she didn’t want to get separated from him and find herself stranded. She’d decided in the car to go with whatever flow Connor chose today. That strategy seemed to have worked out pretty well so far.
Connor strode through the crowds, which parted to make way for him. He had such a dominating presence Josie wasn’t surprised people didn’t want to get in his path. There was a defiance about him that seemed to act like a force field, and apparently she wasn’t the only one to feel it. It felt good to walk beside him, as if he was her own private bodyguard.
They passed rows of designer shops, their windows all dressed with cutting-edge couture. Josie slowed down to gape at some of the crazy fashion on show.
‘Want to go shopping?’ Connor asked, a look of patent dread on his face.
She shook her head. ‘No, thanks. I suspect I’d regret paying five hundred euros for a T-shirt that’ll be out of fashion in a month.’
He swiped a hand across his brow, the relief evident on his face.
They approached the magnificent frontage of the Carlton Hotel and he led her in through the terrace, where groups of fashionistas were soaking up the rays whilst sipping elegant-looking cocktails. Josie squeezed past the crowded tables, feeling the eyes of the patrons on her. Her earlier euphoria at being here evaporated. Dressed as she was, in shorts and a vest, she felt totally out of place. It had been so long since she’d gone to a bar like this one, she’d forgotten how self-conscious they made her feel.
She was surprised Connor had chosen this place. Based on what she knew of him so far, she would have thought he’d be more at home in a dark, anonymous pub. But then she suspected she didn’t really know him. He hadn’t shown her his real self. It was all front and no substance. There was a private self in there somewhere that he wasn’t allowing out.
Josie followed Connor into the grand lounge, stopping at the entrance to take in the magnificent sight that met her while Connor went to the bar.
