No Matter What (23 page)

“And what’s that then?” he asked, noticing how her cheeks had become flushed, making her look so much younger.
 
So much more beautiful, if that was really possible.

She moved her mouth close to his as she spoke.
 
“Well, for starters, we would never have left my suite.”
 
She closed her eyes and rested her mouth on his, feeling the warmth of him against her as he kissed her.
 
“I don’t want to be alone tonight, Michael.”

He’d never expected it to be this easy, for it all to happen in one glorious night, but now it was he couldn’t quite get his head around it.
 
She wanted him; this wonderful, beautiful young woman wanted him.
 
And if she only knew how much he wanted
her
- maybe she’d never know how he really felt about her, but he would do his utmost to try and show her.

“Stay with me tonight, Michael.
 
Please.”

“Oh, baby girl, you don’t have to ask me twice.”

She smiled, giving him one last lingering kiss.
 

“Oh, Jesus, get a room will you,” Terry said, coming over to them and pulling his sister away from Michael for a hug.
 
“When did this all happen then, sis?
 
You nearly gave old Reece there a heart attack when he saw the pair of you together.”

“I’ll go get us some drinks,” Michael said.
 
“Happy birthday by the way.”

“Thanks.
 
Can you grab me a beer while you’re over there?”

“Sure.”
 
Michael smiled at
India
, who mouthed something to him that was most definitely meant
only
for him.

“He’s practically old enough to be your father,
India
.”

“Shut up, Terry.
 
He’s a wonderful man, and I love him.”
 
She looked almost dreamily after Michael as he walked over to the bar.
 
“I do.
 
I really think I love him.”

“You
love
him?”
 
Terry raised an eyebrow.
 
“How long’s this been going on?”

She was still watching Michael as he chatted and laughed with Vince.

“About half an hour.”

“
What
?
 
Are you
kidding
me?”

She looked at her brother.
 
“No.
 
I mean, it’s probably been there, beneath the surface, for a while really but ... I didn’t know until tonight.
 
I never knew he felt that way, never knew
I
felt that way.”

“Are you sure about this,
India
?”
 
There was concern in his voice now but that was only to be expected.

“Is anyone ever really sure about anything, Terry?
 
But yeah, I’m as sure as I can be.”

“Well, if he makes you happy ... you seen Kenny by the way?
 
He came in a few minutes ago.
 
What do you reckon
he’ll
say about it?”

“It hasn’t really got anything to do with him, has it?
 
Not anymore.”

“I caught sight of his expression,
India
, and believe me, surprised doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

“If he’s the friend I know he is then he’ll be happy for me.”
 
She kissed her brother’s cheek and smiled at him.
 
“Happy birthday you, now go and enjoy yourself.
 
One of those cute girls over there by the bar there was giving you the eye a second ago.
 
Play your cards right and Michael won’t be the only one getting a present they weren’t expecting.”

“Too much information there, sis.”
 
He winked at her and grinned.
 
“See you later.
 
I’ve got work to do.”

She laughed as he made his way over to the bar, one of the girls who’d been standing there watching him turning to him and smiling as she struck up a conversation.
 
She was so glad her brother was finding his feet in this country.
 
His confidence was so much greater than she’d ever seen it and Charley seemed to be nothing but a distant memory.
 
For both of them.
 

As she turned around she suddenly caught sight of Kenny, his eyes meeting hers for a second, a brief smile passing between them before he turned his attention back to the girls he’d come in with, and India watched him for a while, trying desperately to banish memories from years ago to the back of her mind.
 

She had a new chapter of her life beginning now, and a new man to move forward with.
 
She’d speak to Kenny later.
 
Right now she just wanted to get back to Michael.
 
The night was only just beginning, but she most definitely had plans for the rest of it.

***

Kenny didn’t quite know what to feel as he watched Michael kiss
India
, watched as she smiled up at him.
 
There was something in her eyes he hadn’t seen since - well, since they’d got together all those years ago.
 
He knew he was damn lucky to still have her in his life, to still have her as his best friend, but this was hard.
 
He knew she’d stayed away from relationships all this time while he’d done the usual Kenny Ross thing of jumping into quick and meaningless flings at any opportunity and he’d hoped, somewhat egotistically maybe, that she still had a thing for him.
 
He’d still hoped they could go back to what they’d had before, that she was staying away from getting involved with anyone else because she would, one day, come back to him.
 
But now, well, now the evidence was there, right in front of his eyes that she’d definitely moved on.
 
But, Michael Walsh?
 
When had
that
happened?
 
He’d known they had a growing friendship, known he’d taken her out a few times and he’d always thought it had been nothing but platonic.
 
But he’d never seen her so happy.
 
Her face lit up every time she looked at Michael.
 
She was acting like a little kid at Christmas.
 
When was the last time he’d seen her like that?
 

He leaned back against the bar and ordered himself a shot of vodka.
 
He suddenly needed an instant kick.
 
Michael Walsh had to be at least sixteen years her senior, what was it she saw in him?
 
Kenny had always thought he was a bit of a control freak whenever he’d worked with him, just a little too much into getting his own way.
 
He was a fantastic actor, nobody could deny that, but there’d always been something about him that Kenny hadn’t trusted.
 
He didn’t know what but there was something about him that made him slightly uneasy.
 

He took the shot of vodka and knocked it back in one, immediately ordering another one.
 

India
looked amazing tonight.
 
The older she got the more beautiful she became.
 
She’d changed from a girl into a woman and at times Kenny couldn’t believe he’d thrown away that chance to live every minute with her just because he’d needed a quick escape from reality for one night.
 
He’d re-lived that scene in his head so many times over the years, the night one mistake had changed his life and lost him the one girl he’d ever fallen in love with, and now it was hard to watch her with someone else.
 
It was really, really hard.
 
His own fault, and he knew that, and he often wondered if he’d just, maybe, fought that little bit harder for her if they’d still be together.
 
But that was all pointless, it was a waste of his time going back over things when she’d obviously made up her mind.
 
He had her friendship or he didn’t have her at all, and he wasn’t willing to let her go.
 
Maybe false hope still hung around somewhere but it certainly looked like that had been put to bed tonight.
 
Jesus, had they slept together yet?
 
Had Michael Walsh touched her the way
he’d
used to?
 
Had he lived inside that perfect body?
 
Kenny suddenly felt like he just wanted to run away from it all but this was a party and Kenny did parties like no-one else.

Knocking back his second vodka shot to try and numb the ache developing in his chest he looked around for Candy and Roxy, the two girls he’d arrived with.
 
If Michael Walsh was going to get to heaven tonight then he sure as hell was going to get somewhere close to that himself.
 
Even if it was only ever going to be a second rate place.

***

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

India
looked at Reece.
 
“Why is everyone asking me that?”

“Because we care about you,” Reece replied, trying not to sound too much like he was delivering a lecture.

“So does Michael, so stop worrying will you?
 
I’m twenty-eight, not ten.”

“I’m well aware of that, but after Kenny ...”

“Why is everyone bringing up Kenny?”
 
She was starting to get exasperated now and she wished Michael would make a re-appearance so she could escape.

“I’m bringing up Kenny because this is the first real relationship you’ve embarked on since him.
 
And he hurt you.”

“I’m over it, Reece.”

Reece looked over towards where Kenny was leaning back against the wall, both cocky and handsome at the same time, his eyes more than occasionally drifting over to look at
India
.

“Yeah, well, I’m not altogether sure
he
is.”

India
followed Reece’s gaze and caught Kenny’s eyes again.
 
He smiled at her and she couldn’t help smiling back.
 
He was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen, but she just hadn’t been able to live with him, or his ways.
 
As a friend she could handle him, as a lover she didn’t have the energy.

She turned back to Reece.
 
“That’s
his
problem, not mine.”

“Have you spoken to him tonight?”

“I’ve had a quick word, yes.
 
He’s a bit pre-occupied with the centrefold twins though.”

“Well, that’s Kenny for you.”

India
threw Reece a look and almost breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Michael come back into the room.
 
Reece didn’t miss this and gently took her hand, making her look at him.
 
Couldn’t she see it?
 
Couldn’t she see what
he
saw every time he looked at her?
 
Because the older she got the more evident it became.

“I’m sorry,
India
.
 
I don’t mean to nag I just ... I just care about what happens to you.
 
I always have done.
 
I always will.”

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand and kissing his cheek.
 
“I know.
 
And I don’t care that you sound more like a dad every day because having a dad like you would make me the luckiest girl in the world.”

Reece felt his stomach do a million somersaults all at once.
 
“
India
...”

But she was gone, turning round only to blow him a kiss and throw him another smile as she ran off to join Michael.
 
The only man who seemed to be getting
India
’s full and undivided attention tonight.
 
Reece was just going to have to get in line.

***

“Is everything ok?” Michael asked, taking
India
’s hand as she ran over to him.

“Everything’s fine.
 
Just Reece being Reece.”

“Over-protective?”

She smiled.
 
“Very.
 
Where’ve
you
been anyway?”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her quickly.
 
“I’ve been sorting out a little surprise for you.”

She smiled again, giggling like an excited teenager.
 
“I love surprises!
 
What is it?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?” he laughed, longing to slip that dress – sexy as it was – down over that perfect body and look at her naked.
 
He wanted to do that so bad, just look at her and take in every inch of her.