by Rebecca Pugh
‘What about him?’ Marco glanced at Neil with disdain. ‘Leave him there. He deserves it. No real man ever lays a single finger on a woman, no matter how angry they are. Come on, let’s go.’ Marco slung his arm around Laurie’s shoulder and led her towards the car. They both climbed in, while Neil called out to them in the dark.
‘Hey, where are you going? You can’t just leave me here! Laurie? Laurie!’
Laurie swallowed as the car left the car park and they made their way back to the other side of Sunset Bay. She’d known that Neil wasn’t a very nice person, but she’d had no idea he’d get physical to get what he wanted. One thought circled in her mind repeatedly. Thank God for Marco. She exhaled deeply and drove them both home.
Chapter Fifteen
‘Mia, wait!’
She was in a quieter part of town now, her blood no longer rushing through her veins at the humiliation she’d felt in the restaurant. The air had worked well to cool her flushed cheeks. She stopped and turned, surprised to find Cal hurrying up the street towards her.
‘What on earth are you doing here?’ She glanced behind him, wondering if Laurie was with him, but he was alone.
‘I came to find you.’ He stopped once he was in front of her and bent down to catch his breath, hands on his thighs as he waited for his breath to return to normal. ‘Sorry, let me get my breath. I feel like I’ve run a marathon.’ He laughed a little, and Mia couldn’t help but smile despite the evening turning into a complete disaster.
‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you were chasing after me. Are you okay?’ She stepped forward and placed a hand on his back, watching as it rose and fell beneath her palm. She could feel the broadness, moved her hand a little to the right to feel the expanse of it. Then realised what she was doing, stopped and stepped away.
‘I’m fine, honestly, just not as physically fit as I thought I was.’ He stood up to his full height and looked down at her as he took a step closer. ‘But what about you? Are you okay?’ His fingers curled around her upper arm as he waited for her reply with concern.
‘Not really. Tonight turned out to be a complete fail. You wouldn’t believe what happened. I feel like a complete idiot, Cal.’ She didn’t mind confiding in him. Cal could always cheer her up. She turned and walked towards the empty bench behind them, plonking herself down onto it. Cal followed and joined her, sighing loudly as he sat down next to her and shuffled up. ‘Hang on, how did you even know I was here?’ Mia asked curiously, turning sideways to look at him.
‘Laurie called me,’ he explained. ‘She said she’d realised who was taking you out on the date. She’d spotted Neil from the bedroom window back at Honeysuckle Cottage. She tried to call you but she’d also told you to put your phone on silent. So, there was nothing else left to do. She came to rescue you, and I was called in to help.’ He smiled into his lap, seeming shy all of a sudden. Mia wondered what was wrong with him. It wasn’t often Cal seemed shy. He was usually so confident and sure of himself. She eyed him and found herself admiring the side of his jaw, the sharp rasp of stubble lining it deliciously. She wondered, briefly, what it would be like to run her fingertips across that stubble. To feel it at five in the morning as she curled into the side of him. She blinked away. What on earth was wrong with her?
‘Well, thanks. For coming to rescue me, I mean.’ With a swallow, she looked up ahead at the street, lined with orbs of orange from the street lamps above. They were away from the busy areas now, although the noise of the evening could still faintly be heard if they listened hard enough.
‘You don’t need to thank me. It was my pleasure. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, didn’t want you running into any trouble late at night. You never know, do you? Anything could happen, even in Sunset Bay.’ He paused, cleared his throat.
‘I can’t believe Neil would do something like that. I mean, I suppose I could understand him wanting to see Laurie, but why couldn’t he go about it like a normal person? Why did he have to make me believe he was interested? Gah, I feel gross. And I fell for it! I’m ridiculous, aren’t I?’ She shook her head, angry at herself.
‘Hey,’ Cal said. ‘Don’t ever say that. You’re not an idiot at all, not even close. You’re smart and funny and beautiful and …’
Mia absorbed his words but wasn’t sure what to do with them. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her chest flooding with warmth. ‘You’re not so bad yourself, Cal.’
‘I mean it, Mia.’ She wasn’t sure but he sounded more confident when he spoke this time, like he’d been planning what to say and had now found his stride. ‘You are perfect, every single inch of you. You make me smile, you make me laugh, you make me … Well, you know, you affect me in other ways, too.’ He laughed at himself. ‘I don’t need to go into detail but you know what I mean.’ Slowly, he raised his head and met her gaze.
Mia blushed and silently scolded herself for getting excited over his words. ‘Cal, should you really be saying that when you have Hannah? Isn’t it a bit … cheaty?’
‘Cheaty?’ With a snort, he studied her with adoring eyes. ‘Well, it would be “cheaty” if I was still with Hannah, but seeing as I’m not then, no. I don’t think it’s a bit cheaty. Not in the slightest. In fact, I feel better at being able to say the words out loud.’
Mia tried to make sense of his words. ‘You’re not with Hannah? Why? What happened?’
Cal shrugged. ‘The answer for that question is pretty simple, Mia.’ He inched up even closer to her side and, to Mia’s surprise, took her hand in his. ‘What happened is you. You happened, and you’ve been blowing my mind ever since.’
She scrutinised his face for a moment. Was he lying? Was this some practical joke being played on her? ‘What?’ she asked, because that’s all she could think of to say after his confession. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘You, Mia!’ Cal confirmed with a burst of laughter. ‘You are what I’m talking about, with your beautiful face and your gorgeous heart and your infectious smile. I’ve been lying to myself for so long, lying to you, too. I really, really, really like you, Mia. I have done for quite a long time now, actually. I just …’ His fingers ran through his hair, ruffling it up. ‘I just didn’t think you were interested. I know how much you love the diner and how big a part of your life it is, and I respect that. I respect you for handling it all in the way you do. You’re amazing, incredible even. A strong, independent woman, who I fancy the arse off.’
She couldn’t help it. Mia’s lips trembled as she fought hard to keep the smirk at bay, but it refused to go away and kept threatening to appear, sending her mouth into a funny quivering mess. ‘Fancy the arse off?’ she repeated, trying to keep a straight face.
‘Yes,’ Cal replied. ‘I fancy the arse off you. Listen, I’ve been trying to ignore this for a while now. I didn’t want to get in the way of your life, get in the way of the diner. I didn’t want to make life hard for you. But right now, I have a feeling that if I don’t tell you this tonight, I’ll chicken out and it’ll pass me by completely. I’d be a fool if I allowed that to happen. I can’t stop thinking about you, Mia, and it’s about time you knew how I felt about you.’
She couldn’t stop staring at him. His confession had brought on a vulnerable version of him that she’d never seen before, and it was endearing. She wanted to cup his face with her hands and hold it there for a while. ‘You’re serious?’ she asked quietly. ‘You really mean all this?’
‘I’ve never meant anything more in my life, Mia Chapman.’
‘Well, then I guess it’s only right that you know I’ve been silently harbouring feelings for you, too. For a while. Quite strong feelings, actually, and every day I watched you with Hannah was harder than the last, and I was jealous. Incredibly jealous.’ She turned to him. ‘I never in a million years thought you’d feel the same way, too.’
Cal frowned. ‘You’re joking?’
‘Not even a tiny bit,’ Mia replied with a shake of her head. ‘Funny how things work out, isn’t it?’
Strangely, sitting there with Cal, his thigh resting against hers, she’d completely forgotten about the scene back at the restaurant. The only thing on her mind was Cal, and his confession, and how bizarre it felt to hear it being said out loud, in real life.
‘Mia?’ Cal’s voice was barely there. ‘Look at me.’
So she did. She held her breath when she felt Cal’s fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face up to his. His hand slipped lower and curled around her slim neck, fingers sliding across her skin like melted chocolate. She felt his breath humming against the side of her mouth, could almost take his breath for her own. And then, his lips, lips she’d fantasised about so many times before now, were joining with her own. Her body shivered, excited at finally being able to get what it wanted, reacting by moving as close to Cal as it could possibly get. The kiss was everything she’d imagined a kiss between them would be. Soft, gentle, but with an underlying heat that was hard to miss, fiery and simmering just below the tender surface. She cupped his face, felt the bristles of stubble, loved the feel of her fingertips brushing against the roughness, such an intoxicating contrast.
Cal pulled away. ‘You really want to do this here?’ His voice came out as a single breath.
Mia licked her lips, tasting the trace of him, using it as evidence that it had actually happened and she hadn’t imagined it. His cologne surrounded her, spicy and fresh, a heady mixture that hinted at more to come. ‘No, you’re right. Shall we …’ she wondered how she’d sound. Too desperate? Too needy? In the end, she decided that she didn’t care and couldn’t bear to waste another moment. ‘Shall we go back to the cottage?’ she asked quickly.
Cal swallowed. ‘I think that’s a good idea,’ he whispered back. Within seconds, her hand was clutched by his and they were heading back to the other side of Sunset Bay. It was quite a walk, about twenty minutes on foot, but their excitement spurred them on and it didn’t take long for them to crash through the door of Honeysuckle Cottage, beginning to undress each other before the door had even closed.
They tripped up the stairs after kicking their shoes off, and still wrapped up, made unsteady progress up the staircase and into Mia’s room. She’d never felt heat like this before, all-consuming and impossible to ignore, not that she wanted to. It was addictive, already she was hooked. It was if their chemistry had been bottled up and now that the cork had been popped open, it was spilling out and completely enveloping them both. There was no stopping, no way back, but Mia didn’t mind. She didn’t care in the slightest. It was exactly what she wanted, exactly what she needed, and now that they were here, beside the bed as they slowly undressed each other, she knew that nothing could stop them anyway.
Cal pushed her back onto the mattress and moved above her, kissing her neck languidly, summoning breathy gasps of desire from the deepest, darkest depths of her. He was careful, considerate and gentle, treating her like something precious. He wasn’t greedy, refusing to move onto other things until she was satisfied, and Mia didn’t mind in the slightest. It was divine, having him here in the dark confines of her bedroom, only the quietness surrounding them. Nothing else mattered. Mia closed her eyes and her head fell back against the pillow and Cal’s hands slid up her ribcage and grabbed at her skin as if he couldn’t get enough of her, as if he couldn’t bear to not be touching her during every second that slipped by, feeling like an eternity as it did so. It was sweet oblivion as Cal took control and made her feel things she’d never felt before. She felt like an amateur while he was the pro, torturously slow with his fingertips as they pattered over her body like silken raindrops. And finally, when he decided enough was enough, they melted into each other, two souls intertwining and wrapping each other up. Mia cried out into the silence of Honeysuckle Cottage, comforted by the feel of Cal’s beating heart thumping against her own. And then, in the quiet that elapsed afterwards, she curled into his side, like she’d imagined doing so many times, and slowly, gradually, they both fell into an exhausted slumber, refusing to let go of each other even in sleep.
***
Mia woke the next morning feeling deliciously womanly, sexy and desired. It wasn’t every day she woke in such a way so she decided to enjoy it rather than think badly of herself. Fragments of the night before came back to her and her fingers twitched at the memory, her lips curving into a naughty smile while her eyes remained closed. Her mind delved back into what had been the best night of her life, and then some. She rolled over with a contented sigh and smoothed her hand across the mattress, expecting the movement to be halted by the side of a snoozing Cal’s solid body. When her hand continued to move across the sheet, she forced her eyes open and frowned when she realised the bed was empty. The mattress was still warm so he had been there recently, she thought, pushing herself up and wondering where he’d gone. She grimaced as she imagined him waking up, dragging on his clothes and rushing away before she woke. He wouldn’t have regretted it, would he? She tried to convince herself that she was being silly, but as the minutes ticked by and there was still no sign of him, she couldn’t help but panic. She sat upright with the duvet clutched to her chest, scanning the floor for something to wear until she’d showered and dressed properly.
‘And what do you think you’re doing, Miss Chapman? If escaping is on your mind, don’t bother. I’ve locked the door and hidden the key. There’s no getting away from me now.’ Cal was standing in the doorway in only his boxers, the thin material clinging tightly to his thighs. In his hands was a tray, one which Mia usually found beneath the sink in the kitchen, laden with breakfast food. Buttered toast, two mugs of steaming coffee, and what looked like a bowl of fruit, although she couldn’t be sure from where she was sitting.
She relaxed. He hadn’t done a runner after all. Of course he hadn’t. Cal wasn’t like that and she should have known better than to think he’d do such a thing. ‘You made breakfast,’ she said with a smile. ‘Such a gentleman.’
‘Well, it was the least I could do. You probably need a boost of energy after last night. You must be exhausted.’ He smirked as he said the last sentence. He placed the tray down on Mia’s lap, then bent down, smoothed her hair away from her forehead and kissed it softly. Mia melted. ‘Thank you, Cal. This is wonderful.’
‘My pleasure.’ He crawled back onto the bed beside her and removed one of the mugs from the tray, inhaling the scent before he took a large sip. ‘Ah, that’s perfect. I have to say, I make one hell of a coffee.’
Mia sipped hers and nodded, wincing at the temperature of it. ‘You do,’ she agreed. She lay back against the pillows, ensuring the tray remained steady on her legs, and smiled as she bit into a thickly buttered triangle of toast. Absolute heaven, the very definition of perfect. Never in a million years had she imagined that waking up like this could be possible, but there they were, she and Cal beneath the same blanket, sharing a tray of food, eyeing each other with hunger despite eating.
‘So, are we official now?’ Cal raised his brows with interest when he asked. ‘Only, I’d quite like to not have to keep us secret. I don’t mind, of course, if that’s what you want, but it would be nice to show you off, hold your hand, etc.’
‘I think so. What’s the point in trying to hide it away?’ Mia chewed butter-sodden toast and looked towards the window, the sea visible. She swallowed and moved the tray between her and Cal’s body. ‘I need to shower and get dressed. I have to get to the diner.’
‘Wait,’ Cal called.
Mia paused in the doorway. ‘What?’
‘Turn round.’
She laughed. ‘Why?’
‘So I get another look at that delectable arse of yours?’
Mia sighed playfully, but did as he’d asked.
‘Urgh, you’re killing me!’ Cal groaned, then fell back into the pillows theatrically. Mia giggled as she headed to the bathroom.
***
When she arrived at the diner with Cal beside her later that morning, Mia was glad to see Laurie had turned up. After the mess of the evening
before, she’d half-expected Laurie to stay hidden away, but she was there in her uniform, calm and collected, and if Mia hadn’t been witness to what had happened less than twenty-four hours ago, she could have easily fallen under the illusion that nothing had happened at all, that everything was as it had been.
Laurie was chatting quietly to Marco, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat at the mere presence of the woman. He was quite clearly smitten and it made Mia happy to know that Laurie had someone to confide in, too, other than her.
‘Morning,’ Mia called as she and Cal approached. Their fingers were linked together. ‘Everything okay?’ She sent a meaningful look Laurie’s way, hoping she’d know that Mia was talking about the night before. It must have been a shock for Laurie, to have realised it was Neil who’d taken Mia to the restaurant. It seemed the man couldn’t take a hint so had taken it upon himself to come down here and find her like a crazed stalker.
‘Yeah, everything’s fine.’ Laurie offered a quick nod.
‘Okay,’ Mia replied, though she wasn’t convinced. ‘Shall we go in?’ She waved her hand towards the door before stepping forward to unlock it. Everybody gathered inside, and as Cal and Marco disappeared into the kitchen to do their own thing, Mia beckoned Laurie behind the counter. ‘So, what the hell happened last night?’
Laurie snorted. ‘You saw what bloody happened. Neil decided to take it upon himself to visit Sunset Bay and piss me off, as if he hadn’t done that enough already.’ Laurie’s arms crossed firmly across her chest. Her expression screamed distaste. ‘He’s such an idiot. He infuriates me! How could he have possibly thought I’d want to see him? I don’t understand how he wouldn’t have got the message when I replied to none of his texts or calls. Seriously, he’s demented. I don’t know what I ever saw him.’ She clenched her jaw.
Mia sighed. ‘It’s over now. Just forget you ever met him.’ She rubbed a hand over Laurie’s shoulder comfortingly. ‘You’re free.’
