Page 14 of Tainted Love

‘You do.’ Yet, on some level, I think I believe that he was trying to do right by me. The wrong thing for all the right reasons.

‘Come tonight. Let me try. Otherwise I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering about what could have been, what I threw away. Give me a chance to beat my past, Scarlett. Please. I can’t promise you’ll stay and if you do, I can’t promise things will always be perfect, but I can promise you that I’ll try my best to be a man worthy of you. I’ll spend every second for the rest of my life trying to be what you need.’

Like he always has the ability to do, he takes my breath away.

‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’

I nod. ‘Okay.’

That half-smile I’ve missed so much draws on his lips and just like that, although I didn’t think it possible, I fall deeper.

5

‘Is this a good idea?’ Amanda asks through a mouthful of popcorn: her pregnancy craving, so she says. Williams is so giddy about being a daddy that he just caves, driving around London at all hours to find the particular brand of sweet and salty she likes.

‘Probably not,’ I admit.

Brows raised on my phone screen, she asks, ‘Do youwantto know everything?’

‘That’s the million-dollar question,’ I confess, moving from my hotel bed to the mirrored wardrobe doors. ‘It feels like a first date.’

She sighs. ‘Just be careful, okay? Don’t forget he’s the reason you’re over there, alone.’

My best friend makes no attempt to conceal her dislike of Gregory. ‘You’re getting in some practice at playing Mummy here.’

She smiles but it’s fleeting. ‘Seriously, don’t fall for his shit; keep your wits about you.’

I nod at the phone.

‘All right. Well, off you go, have fun. Don’t wear anything too short and definitely donotput out.’

‘This conversation just ended.’

She laughs, a belly chuckle, then I hang up and cast the phone onto the bed.

I scrutinise my reflection one last time. The cream dress I rushed out to purchase from one of Dubai’s extravagant malls is demure at the front. A high, square neck, nipped in at the waist, resting an inch or so above my knee. I bite my lip as I turn to look over the open back, held together by two gold chains, one between the shoulders, the other midway down, the drooping fabric finishing just above my coccyx. I’ve curled and pinned up my hair and now, looking at myself, I feel silly. I’ve dressed up to find out the worst there is to know about the man I love. I’ve let myself get that whirling sensation in my stomach that only Gregory has ever caused.

He broke your heart, I remind myself.

He’s talking to Paddy at the poolside bar on the fourth floor. The night is warm but a light breeze chills my back as I watch him. His shirt is unbuttoned just enough to tease me with the olive skin of his chest. The sleeves are rolled up hench forearms, like they were last night. Grey trousers hug every part of him they should and he looks tall, strong and suave. His chiselled features tighten when Paddy inclines his head in my direction. Gregory turns and watches me walk across the bar towards him.

‘Good evening.’ He holds out a cocktail glass for me to take.

I cast my eyes to Paddy, then back to the glass that Gregory is offering. ‘There’s an olive in my glass.’

‘It’s a dirty martini,’ Gregory says, stating the obvious.

I turn again to Paddy. ‘It’s not a dirty martini night.’

‘That’s what I said,’ he says, throwing his bar towel across his shoulder. ‘I said it’s a dry martini night but your man there said you’d like it dirty.’

Gregory smirks, smug and supercilious.

I take the cocktail stick with two olives from the glass Gregory’s still holding. ‘Did he?’ I put the stick in my mouth, locking my lips around it then draw back slowly, pulling off the olives.

His lips part slightly. Mission accomplished,I drop the used stick back into the glass. ‘I’d like a dry martini, please, Paddy. There’ll be nothing dirty about tonight.’