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“Still not quite on the same page?” he murmured. “What’s stopping you?” he asked, rubbing his forehead. His face was a picture of rejection, and as he backed away from her, Kitty moved to follow him, reaching out for his hand.

“I honestly don’t know,” she lied.

Daniel looked at her, his dark brow furrowed. He looked like a child whose candy was taken away, and a burn filled Kitty’s gut. She wasn’t being fair. She wasn’t giving him a chance.

“Can I still come for that drink?” she heard herself say.

Daniel eyed her through narrowed lids.

“Please don’t play with me, Katherine.”

He bent down and kissed the top of one lightly freckled shoulder, unlocked the car and opened the door for Kitty. Stunned, she slid into the seat, not sure what would happen when she entered Daniel’s lair.

40

KITTY

By the timethey arrived at Daniel’s flat, Kitty already had misgivings about agreeing to join him. Could she trust herself to have a drink, then cut and run when Daniel whispered sexy suggestions in her ear?

His door was part of the facade of the antique shop on High Street. Bright red and ornately carved, it stuck out like a sore thumb in the quaint village of Tottenbridge. He fumbled with the key in the lock.

“I’m more pissed than I thought. Probably shouldn’t have driven.”

He opened the door and led Kitty up a steep set of stairs.

“Why don’t you live at the pub?” she asked.

“And have Amber keeping tabs on my every move? She lives there. It would be like living with my mother. I’d never be able to breathe. Besides, it's embarrassing for somebody our age to still be living at home.”

Did he just make a dig at Josh?

At the top of the stairs, Daniel opened a second door, and they stepped into his flat. His sitting room was larger than she’d expected.Muted colours filled the walls, accented with cream. Two standard lamps provided the light, and a large leather couch dominated the room, along with a pile of cushions on the floor next to a coffee table. Kitty wandered over to a cabinet, its shelves brimming with books.

“I didn’t know you enjoyed reading?”

“Don’t you remember? I loved reading your mum’s stuff.”

Kitty’s brow creased.

“I’m just kidding,” he said. “I don’t read much. It just makes me look smarter.”

“You are smart.”

“But not as smart as you, my beautiful Katherine.” He took her hand. “Your brains turn me on. However, there seem to be some gaps in your education. Let me get that wine, and I can provide you with a lesson.”

He disappeared into the kitchen, and Kitty found the bathroom. It was smart with a beautiful, standalone roll-top bath with clawed feet. She appreciated the simplicity of the room and the lack of clutter. She’d tidy her own bathroom at Rose Cottage in the morning.

In the morning?Did she hope to expect to spend the night? The thought terrified her, but here she stood in his apartment, against her better judgement and not exactly nipping Daniel’s advances in the bud. Bile rose in her throat as she looked at her flushed face in the mirror, not recognising herself. She swallowed it down and washed her hands.

When Kitty returned to the lounge room, Daniel sat on the floor against the large cushions, rolling a joint. The bottle of wine lay open and poured on the coffee table. Kitty kicked off her shoes and joined him, a tight smile on her lips. He lit up the joint, took a deep drag, and offered it to her. She hesitated.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’ll help you relax.”

Why the hell not? Kitty hadn’t smoked since university and then only once. She didn’t like the lack of control. It had certainly loosened her up that night, though. It was the night she’d lost her virginity, seduced at a party by one of the smartest and sexiest guys on her course.

She’d later found out that it was a dare to see who could score with the plain, quiet girl. She’d wiped the sniggers off their faces atgraduation, though, when she’d taken top honours and landed the best job.

Kitty eyed the joint, then took it from Daniel.Just one drag. She’d still be fine for the interview. The smoke hit the back of her throat, and Kitty’s eyes watered. She resisted the urge to cough her lungs up and held the smoke down for a while before finally blowing it out. Her head spun, and she lay back on the cushions.