Page 21 of Mistletoe Kisses at Cwtch Cove

‘I haven’t yet but I will. Perhaps I’ll take a notebook with me one day and a flask of tea and see if it inspires me.’

‘I’m sure it will.’ He tried to smile but the corners of his mouth twitched as if it was too much effort.

‘Jack,’ she said, ‘I don’t want to pry but… is everything all right? You don’t seem like… yourself. Not that I know you well, of course, but you seem… sad.’

He looked down at his hands and wrung them together then leant his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his thumbs so that his mouth pressed against his steepled fingers. It was, Lucy observed, a thoughtful pose.

‘I’m fine.’ His words were muffled by his fingers.

‘Pardon?’

Lowering his hands, he turned to her and shook his head. ‘Just having a bad day.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ She swallowed. ‘I know something that might make it better.’

‘You do?’

‘I do.’ Her fingers were stinging now with the cold and she raised them to her mouth and blew on them.

‘You’re freezing.’ A small line appeared between his brows. He reached out and took her hands in his and rubbed at them. The feel of his warm skin next to hers and the gentle rubbing of his thumbs and fingers sent delicious feelings flooding through her and made her mind go blank. Her entire body tingled and she felt as though she was being woken from a long slumber, like she was being brought back to life.

When he stopped rubbing, it was like the spell had been broken. ‘You were saying?’

‘What?’ She looked into his eyes.

‘You were saying that you have something to help make the day better.’ He held her gaze and she had to fight the urge to stroke his face, to move closer and press her lips to his and feel if his kiss would be even more powerful than the touch of his hand.

‘Oh… yes, yes I do! Lasagne and garlic bread with a large glass of red wine.’

‘I like lasagne.’

‘Me too.’ She lowered her gaze to their hands that were still joined. His thumbs had started circling over her palms in a way that was stirring something inside her that she hadn’t felt in a very long time.If ever, with this intensity. ‘So, uh… I was going to make lasagne for dinner this evening and wondered… would you like to join us?’

When he didn’t reply immediately and his thumbs stopped that delicious circling, she worried that she’d put him in an awkward position. Perhaps the last thing he wanted was to have dinner with her and Ellen. Perhaps he wanted time alone or to spend the evening with someone else.

‘I’ll bring the wine,’ he said at last, and she released a sigh of relief.

‘Brilliant. And, Jack… If you want to talk about anything, I’m a good listener. Sometimes sharing something that’s bothering you can help.’

He lifted her hands and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of each one in a way she’d only ever seen done in movies. It made her heart thud.

‘You’re very kind. I won’t burden you with it right now… I’m still trying to process it. But perhaps later… Perhaps then I’ll know how to articulate it.’

‘I understand. Some things are hard to share.’

‘Are you heading back now?’ he asked.

‘Better had.’ She stood up and wobbled slightly, realising that her behind had gone numb, but Jack had risen too and he took her elbow and steadied. Their bodies came close, so close that she could feel his breath against her cheek, smell his woody aftershave, a citrussy soap or shower gel. There was the scent of something else too, something she suspected was Jack’s own incredible scent, but the breeze quickly carried it away leaving her yearning to smell it again.

‘I’ll walk with you,’ he said, and she nodded, knowing she’d hoped that he would.

CHAPTER10

Jack rang the doorbell and waited. The walk from the clifftop development had been bracing in the icy evening air, but he had appreciated the way it helped blow the cobwebs away. He’d had a difficult shift that day and had gone down to the beach to try to compose himself. He hadn’t even been meant to be working but a colleague had been off sick so he’d volunteered to cover for him. Now, part of him wished he hadn’t, but then if he hadn’t worked today, someone else would have seen what he had and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

The door opened and Ellen stood there smiling. ‘Come on in, Jack, it’s freezing. Did you walk?’ She peered behind him as if looking for a car.

‘I did,’ he said as he entered the warm hallway.

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