Page 24 of Coming Home to Roseford Villas
‘Fancy the lord of the manor, do you?’ Leo teased. ‘I’m pretty sure he’s taken.’
‘Oh, my interest in the Treloar family is purely academic,’ Rory replied. ‘You’ve nothing to fear on that subject.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ A husky note, quite in contrast to the innocent, almost pastoral scenes around them, had crept into Leo’s voice, and Rory suddenly had visions of what it would be like to be wrapped in his arms, somewhere far less crowded.
Leo seemed to sense the effect his tone was having on her, and he slid an arm around her waist. ‘Have you seen enough, or do you want to keep wandering?’
Rory tilted her head up and met Leo’s lips with her own. ‘Well,’ she said softly, ‘I can think of other things I’d rather see…’
If Leo was shocked by her directness, he didn’t show it, but a slight stiffening of his back suggested surprise. The kiss lingered, and for a warm, sensual few moments, they lost track of the rest of the world.
Breaking apart, Rory noticed the flush to Leo’s cheeks, and smiled. ‘Shall we get back?’ she asked softly.
Leo nodded. ‘I think that’s a great idea.’
They walked, arms around each other, through the field that led to a footpath back to the village and back to the front door of Roseford Villas.
‘Well, here we are,’ Rory said nervously, trying to keep hold of the adventurous mood that had led to many more kisses on their walk. She looked up at Leo from under her lashes where he was pausing on the doorstep. It was as if she was seeing himin duplicate: the adult Leo of the present day was overlaid with the younger Leo of their adolescence, and for a few precious moments while he pulled his front door key from his pocket, the duality was confusing. Realising she was probably overthinking it and trying to heed her own advice to just live in the moment, she shook her head.
This gesture did not go unnoticed by Leo. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ His gentle voice wrapped around her like the arms she was aching to feel. Rory looked at him as she shifted on the doorstep and was nodding even before he’d got the words out.
‘I want this, Leo,’ she said softly. ‘I want you.’ They stood there for a moment, the weight of their shared history hanging in the air between them. Then Leo’s hand reached out, gently cupping Rory’s cheek in a touch that held both familiarity and longing.
‘I never thought I’d see you again,’ Leo murmured, his thumb tracing the curve of her cheekbone.
‘Life has a way of surprising us,’ Rory said, the touch of Leo’s hand making her heart pound against her ribs.
Leo’s gaze dropped to her lips, a mixture of hesitation and desire dancing in his eyes. ‘Rory, ever since you showed up on the doorstep, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Knowing you were at the bottom of the garden, but not being able to touch you. It’s been almost as bad as being so far away from you when we were teenagers.’
‘You always had the gift of hyperbole.’ Rory gave a nervous laugh. She had the feeling they were both playing a kind of verbal gymnastics, as they had when they were younger, just to get them through the potentially mortifying moments.
‘It’s true,’ Leo insisted. ‘I’ve wanted to level with you so much, Rory, but I didn’t know if that’s what you wanted. I was scared of being rejected and looking like an idiot in front of you.’
A rush of emotions swirled within Rory, and before she could overthink it, she replied, ‘I think we’re both on the same page, Leo, don’t you? Let’s make the most of it.’ Leo’s arms encircled her, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened, until Leo was leaning against the blue front door, and Rory was enthusiastically pressing against him. When they finally pulled away, their breaths mingling, Leo rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. ‘We’d better get inside before we get arrested on the doorstep.’
Rory smiled. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I mean, we wouldn’t want to bring scandal upon Roseford Villas, would we? Imagine the reviews on Tripadvisor!’
‘Don’t mention that website!’ Leo replied. ‘Aunt Vi’s banned all talk of it under her roof.’ He went for his keys again, and Rory followed him through the front door, until it was closed securely behind them.
‘Have you got any guests in who are likely to want anything?’ Rory asked, mindful that this wasn’t just Leo’s current home, but that he was also in charge of the business for the duration.
‘I’ll leave a note on reception to call me,’ Leo replied. ‘But there’s only one occupied room for tonight. More coming in tomorrow for the next couple of days of RoseFest.’
Rory waited with increasing anticipation while Leo scribbled out a note and left it at the desk, then, as he turned back towards her, she smiled. ‘Ready?’
Leo, eyes wide, nodded.
Hand in hand, they wandered up the stairs to Leo’s bedroom and Rory felt the strangest sensation of complete familiarity and apprehension. It was confusing, but oddly right.
‘Do you remember the first time we did this?’ Leo asked as they headed towards the bed. ‘I was so shit scared of messing things up, I don’t think I stopped shaking the whole way through.’
‘I was scared, too,’ Rory replied. ‘Not because it was you I was with, but because everything was so new. We really did learn with each other, didn’t we?’ She gave him a warm smile. ‘But if it’s any consolation, I’m feeling pretty nervous now, too.’
‘Me too.’ Leo gave a gentle laugh. ‘Stupid, isn’t it? We’re both adults. What have we got to be afraid of?’ He sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘Except…’ He trailed off.
Immediately, Rory was on the alert. ‘What is it, Leo? Have you changed your mind? Are we going too fast?’
Leo shook his head. ‘It’s not that.’ He shifted uncomfortably on the bed and looked down at the floor. ‘I’m actually quite out of practice at doing… this. And, if I’m being completely honest, I haven’t been, er, “close” to someone since before I had the car accident. So I’m feeling ever so slightly petrified…’
