Page 33

Get it together, Lila, a scolding voice sounds in my head.Stop making an arse of yourself. He’s still talking to you. This is not that hard. Just. Speak.
I draw in a breath and smile, steadying myself. “Can I have the grilled chicken salad please, with honey mustard? And a strawberry banana smoothie, please.”
Phew. Ok. Managed to order your lunch in one clear sentence. Good job. See, youcando it.
I hold my phone out to tap the card reader, but Marcus lifts his hand slightly, stopping me.
“And I’ll have the chicken teriyaki bowl,” he says to the cashier, setting a bottle of water on the counter – the one he nearly dropped when I crashed into him. “And a black coffee.”
“I can pay for mine,” I say quickly, a flush rising across my cheeks, but he shakes his head, calm and easy.
“It’s on me.”
I swallow a lump in my throat. He’s standing so close to me that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. My lips tingle with the memory of the kiss.
“Thank you,” I say as we step to the side. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“My pleasure,” he says. “How have you been?”
“Okay, I guess. Had a bangin’ headache on Saturday, but you know, I’m fine,” I laugh lightly, trying to sound casual.
“Yea, I bet,” he grins. “You were pretty gone by the end of the night.”
Heat sweeps across my face as I draw my arms around my waist, wishing I could disappear. I feel my shoulders tense up and my chest tighten with embarrassment.What did I do? What did I say? And why can’t I remember any of it?
“Sorry,” I whisper. “I don’t normally drink that much.”
“I know,” he says with a smile.
Meeting his eyes, a surge of confidence rises from deep within me. His mood is clearly light-hearted, and his smile is warm and comforting.
“It was your fault, you know? It was the whiskey that did me in!” A smile starts creeping back onto my face and I deliberately decide not to tell him about skipping dinner that night.
He laughs. “Oh, is that right? Well, if I remember correctly, you said it was my choice!”
My cheeks warm again as I search for the right words.
“It was a good choice,” I decide, remembering the courage I felt the moment I kissed him.
A moment’s silence falls between us before our food is thankfully called. Marcus picks up the tray, carrying it over to a small table.
“Thank you again,” I say, taking my coat off as I sit down.
“Seriously, don’t mention it.” He unbuttons his coat but leaves it on, sitting upright in his chair as he takes the lid off his bowl.
I look across the table at him, fully taking him in. He’s wearing a black wool coat that goes almost to his knees, and underneath it I can see a white, collared shirt under a black suit jacket. He’s not wearing a tie and the top button at the neck is undone just enough to give a glimpse of golden skin underneath.
“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he says.
“I am, thank you.”
He leans forward just slightly, the corner of his mouth tugging into that dangerously disarming smile. “I also wanted to say… I had fun the other night.”
He smiles, his eyes holding my gaze in a way that makes it impossible to look anywhere else.
My heart trips over itself and my stomach flips as an enormous smile takes over my face.
“Me too.”