Page 18 of Made Up for Love
He mirrored her action, blowing out a breath. “I found her wrapped around my best man at the rugby club Christmas party. I heard this evening that she’s engaged again, to a totally different guy.” Joel swiftly downed the remainder of his glass. “Guess I had a lucky escape, huh?”
She couldn’t begin to imagine how that must feel. All her previous boyfriends had either dumped her in person or, at worst, by text. “I’m sorry,” she said at last.
“Don’t be. I don’t think Zara’s cut out to be with one man. Or at least that one man wasn’t me.”
“Then she can’t have known you very well.”
Joel’s brows knitted together. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve only known you”—Lydia checked her phone—“for twenty-seven and a half hours and you’ve already shown yourself to be the kindest, most selfless person I’ve met in a long, long time. You didn’t have to offer to pay for my hotel room, you didn’t have to take me out today, you didn’t have to have dinner with me two nights in a row. You didn’t have to do any of that for a total stranger. Yet you did.” The wine had definitely loosened Lydia’s tongue and the words came tumbling out. “Zara doesn’t know what she’s missing out on.”Although thank God she is,thought Lydia,otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here having inappropriate thoughts about someone I’ve known for only twenty-seven and a half hours.
His mouth, which had previously set in a hard line, curved up. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
“I mean it.” She smiled back at him.
Joel reached across the table and covered her hand with his. The touch caused goosebumps to raise across her skin and she felt her insides contract. For a moment, she didn’t know whether the light-headed feeling was from too much wine on an empty stomach or Joel’s caress.
“So, do you think you’d consider going on a date with me when we’re back in London?”
It took all of Lydia’s restraint not to leap up and start shouting ‘yes’ at the top of her voice. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more.”
They stared at each other across the table, Joel’s thumb gently brushing across Lydia’s knuckles, neither of them saying a word. Just as Joel was about to lean farther across, the waiter appeared, holding a plate with a chocolate fondant, a scoop of ice cream, a sparkler sticking out of the dessert and two spoons.
“Sir, madam,” he said. “Compliments of the hotel. We hope you’re enjoying your stay.”
He broke the moment and the two of them pulled apart, as the waiter placed the dessert in between them.
“Mmm, chocolate. They know the way to a girl’s heart.” Lydia reached for one of the spoons. She had thought Joel was about to kiss her, though this was a good consolation. She cut the fondant in half and her mouth started watering at the sight of the melted chocolate oozing out of the middle. Without further thought, she scooped some up, along with some ice cream, and ate it. “Oh, that is so good!”
The pudding was demolished in about four bites between them. Lydia sat back in her chair and held her hands over her stomach.
“I guess my New Year’s resolution is going to be to get more exercise,” she joked.
“I could probably help you with that.” Joel winked at Lydia, causing her to blush. “What I mean is, I could share my workout tips with you. We usually have a few newbies at the rugby club in January and they need training.”
Lydia tried to hide her disappointment. “Of course, yes. I meant more running and weights, obviously.”
Joel’s phone pinged with a message and he glanced down at the screen. He frowned, then looked up at Lydia. “That was my PA. She’s got us seats on a flight tomorrow mid-morning.” He paused. “I guess we should get some sleep.”
Lydia wanted the evening to go on. She didn’t want to break the spell by going back to London. “Sure, I guess.”
They walked through the restaurant, Joel stopping to pick up the bill. Lydia was too tired to challenge him. The huge Christmas tree, next to the reception desk, twinkled with lights and there were presents underneath that Lydia didn’t remember being there. They carried on up the stairs in silence, until they came to a stop outside Lydia’s suite.
“This is goodnight then,” she said. “Thank you again for a lovely evening.”
She turned to put the key in the lock. Joel put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him.
“I’ve had the best time here the last couple of days and I don’t want it to end yet.” He traced a finger along her jawline, then outlined her mouth.
Her breath hitched as he leant towards her. Their lips met, softly and tentatively at first, then more insistent. Joel’s hand entwined itself in her hair as he pulled her towards him and she felt the strength in his chest. Their bodies melted into one another, as Lydia reached up to put her hands on Joel’s shoulders to steady herself. After a few moments, he drew back, a half-smile on his face.
“Goodnight, Lydia.”
“Goodnight, Joel.”
12
Joel had set his alarm for eight o’clock, a massive lie-in for him. As usual, he woke before his alarm. What wasn’t usual was the dream he’d had about Lydia. The intensity of it shook him and he couldn’t wait to see her again. As he glanced around the room, he spotted a piece of paper that had been pushed under the door. Curiosity got the better of him and he pushed back the covers and went to pick it up. Expecting to find the invoice for his stay, his mouth curved up as he saw the girlish handwriting, in what looked like pink ink, scrawled across a piece of hotel stationery.
