Perfect Stranger (12 page)

We spent the night playing in bed, learning each other’s pleasure points and preferences. There was little sleep in the early hours, our bodies hot and damp, tangled in the sheets.

This time, there was no embarrassment in the morning. I yawned and stretched, still entwined in Jordan’s arms, and he sleepily pulled me onto his chest for a kiss.

“Is it morning? What day is it?” His voice was gruff and sleep filled.

“Yes. It’s morning. And it’s Saturday.”

“Thought so.” He rolled me over, to pin me to the bed, before running his fingers through my mussed hair. “We need to go shopping today.”

I blinked. I didn’t expect that.

He grinned at my surprise. “Unless you’ve got more condoms in your purse? I only have one left.” He nudged my hip, hard again.

I was very tempted. “I have to go soon.” His fingers paused, waited a moment, then continued stroking my hair. “
Jordan
. Really, I’m busy today.”

Now he stopped and paid attention. “I was kinda hoping we could be busy together.”

“I can’t. I’m going to visit Gran in Bristol. I promised my sister we’d go.”

“I could take you.”

The double meaning was clear, and I laughed at his persistence. “You already
have
taken me. Three times, I think.”

“Only three? I’m slipping.”

“Let’s shower.” I climbed out of bed and tugged on his hand. “We can use that last condom.” He didn’t need me to tell him twice.

* * * *

We had a lazy room-service breakfast in bed, and I reminded myself I needed to leave.

“So,” said Jordan. “Any plans for tomorrow?”

“None at all, apart from catching up on some work email.”

“You work at the weekend?”

“Not usually, but we’re really busy at the moment. Adam’s been hinting at something going on. I’m reviewing our accounts and staff appraisals, as well as doing the day-to-day stuff.”

“You enjoy it?”

“
Enjoy
makes it sound tame.” I poured myself some more coffee and topped up Jordan’s cup. “It absorbs me while I’m at work; I don’t have time to think about anything else.” I took a sip of the hot brew, relishing the feeling as it slid down my throat. “I get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction from making it all work. I set up the Operations Department, I’m working on plans for the new Customer Services Department, and I recruited all my staff. It feels a bit like the big family I never had.”

He nodded, his gray eyes soft, as he regarded me. “Yeah. You know, a lot of people in management can’t come to grips with that. They think they’re in charge and everyone else should just follow orders.” He could have been talking about Adam.

“Do you have many people working for you? It’s a family company, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and yes. My father keeps saying he’s going to retire as soon as he considers me responsible enough to take over.”

“You seem quite responsible to me.”

He shrugged. “He doesn’t agree. He has this outdated view of a man only becoming a pillar of the community when he gets married. Anyway”—he was brisk and businesslike—”what are we doing tomorrow?”

Leaning back, I winked. “Anything you like.”

“Anything?” He raised one eyebrow, and my pulse galloped.

“Anything. You choose.”

“I’ll give it some thought.” His smile was positively sinful.

I started getting dressed and then Jordan offered me a fresh pair of boxers from his bag. They were large on me but clean, and I thrilled at the intimacy.

I had to go but didn’t want to leave. Especially not when Jordan only wore a towel around his waist. If he was hot in a business suit, he was scorching out of it. I draped my arms around his neck and stole a kiss. And another. It wasn’t fair to Sophie for me to be late, but a few minutes wouldn’t hurt.

I gave him my address, and we arranged for him to pick me up on Sunday morning, for us to spend the day together. Still, I lingered. “What are you going to do today? I hate abandoning you.”

“I may catch up on work email.” There was a twinkle in his eyes when he echoed my words from earlier.

“Working at the weekend?” The playful banter was fun and gave me another excuse not to leave.

“It’s not my first choice. You could save me, y’know.”

So tempting. But I couldn’t stay.

I left Rob gazing at the wine selection in the supermarket, while I picked up cream, mascarpone, and sponge fingers, for the Tiramisu he asked me to make. Apparently, his boss loved the trifle I made last week. Did Rob think my baking skills would be enough to swing him a promotion? Who knew?

“Jen.
Hi
.” Isobel hugged me from behind. “How are you?”

I turned to face her, and saw Greg standing beside her, a wire shopping basket in his hands.

A smile lit her face, as she peered in my cart. “What are you making? Can we come for dinner?”

“Tiramisu. And no, Rob and I are going to his boss’s place tonight. What are you guys up to?”

“Clubbing tonight. I persuaded Greg to come to Minx with me.” Isobel slipped her arm through her boyfriend’s. “We’re getting some snacks for afterward.”

“Bella always gets the munchies after she’s been dancing.” Greg was so good with her, and I loved seeing them together. It reminded me of how I was when I first met Rob. Sweet.

“I’d better go, before Rob wonders where I’ve got to. Have fun tonight,” I said.

“You too.” Isobel air-kissed my cheek before walking away. She took a couple of steps, paused, and called to me over her shoulder. “We need to set up those drinks with Kate and Cade.” She giggled. “Sounds so cute like that. See ya.”

“Kate and
Cade
?” It was Rob’s turn to sneak up on me. I almost dropped the carton of cream I held.

Oh, shit. I froze. The breath jammed in my lungs, and I gazed at the dairy shelf, hoping for divine intervention. So much for my plans of telling him tonight, when his boss was there to deflect the flak.

“Not that fucker, Cade Brisley?”

Praying he wouldn’t see the shock on my face, I turned slowly and tried to look pleased to see him. “There you are. Did you pick some wine?”

“Never mind the fucking wine. Why is Isobel inviting you to drinks with Cade?”

With a calmness that amazed me, I took the two bottles from his hands and placed them carefully in the shopping cart. “Yes,” I replied, busy rearranging items. “She’s talking about Cade Brisley.”

Inspiration struck.

“He’s going out with Kate.” I saw the scowl on my husband’s face, the cold glint in his eyes. “It took me by surprise, but you know we all worked together years ago. They’ll be good together.”

I had to stop rambling. He’d notice I was nervous. Would he see my lie for what it was—a faint attempt at diverting him? I fashioned a smile and gestured to the shopping cart. “I think we’ve got everything now. Shall we go pay?”

“I’m not happy about you going out drinking with Isobel and Kate. They’re not good for you, dumpling.”

They were my closest friends. I’d have to work harder at getting him to accept them. “Let’s not talk about it now. I need to start on the Tiramisu.”

* * * *

Hours later, while Rob showered, I called Kate. It went straight to voicemail, but I was ready with a message.

“Hey. It’s me. It’s kinda complicated, but I told Rob you were seeing Cade. Can you please go along with me on this? Just for the moment. Let’s meet for coffee next week, and I’ll explain. I promise.
Thank you
.”

I finished packing up the array of food I made for this evening. I thought it was over the top, but Rob insisted. Tiramisu, loaded with coffee liqueur. Homemade fudge. A chocolate cake. It took my entire afternoon, and I barely had time left for a shower.

My hard work was worth it when Rob walked into the kitchen. He beamed with evident delight. “Well done, Jen. That’s brilliant.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind. “You’re a fucking diva in the kitchen. Where did you learn to make all this?”

I leaned back against him, delighting in the kiss he pressed on my neck. “My mum. If you think my cooking’s good, you should try hers.”

He stiffened, and curled his hands into fists. “I’d love to, but you know they don’t like me. I’m not good enough for their precious little girl.”

“They’ll come around.” I hoped they would. I missed them so badly.

“Mmm huh.” Hot breath drifted across my throat. “Maybe when we start a family. They’ll want to know their grandchildren.”

Rob mentioned having children recently, enough that I noticed. I loved the idea in principle, but I wasn’t so sure right now. I couldn’t put my finger on what had changed. It had to be my hormones going crazy.

I showered, dressed, and ate breakfast, all by eight on Sunday morning, and I was impatient to see Kate. I tried calling her, but her phone went straight to voicemail, and I didn’t have a landline number. It felt like a good idea to surprise her. I might get her out of bed to answer the door. We might have another shower together… The thought was irresistible, and I set off for Didsbury.

As I drove along, something niggled at me. I hated surprises, and while Kate handled it pretty well when I turned up at her office without notice, I didn’t have carte blanche to keep doing that.

We agreed to see each other today, though. It wasn’t my fault she didn’t pick up her phone or that I might be a little earlier than she expected.

She said she was visiting her grandmother on Saturday. I hated to admit it sounded like a brush-off. Whatever she was doing, she didn’t want to include me, and that was fair.

For fuck’s sake. I
never
second-guessed myself. I was here to see Kate, and I’d make the most of it. I pushed my uncertainty to one side and focused on the positives.

In my pocket, I carried a pretty silver charm bracelet I bought the day before. It held two charms—a tiny red Mini Cooper and an iridescent letter
K
. She’d love it. On an impulse, I stopped at a florist and bought a big bouquet of summer flowers, and then carefully fastened the bracelet around the tissue-wrapped stalks.

It
was
going to be a good day. This thing between us was too new to be defined, but I liked it. Liked the way she made me feel. I hummed to the radio station, a local one Kate had mentioned. This station wasn’t bad at all.

Her house was easy to find in the long, terraced street, and I snagged a parking space on the road outside. It looked like a nice area, with a clean sidewalk and neat bushes outside some of the houses. A couple of small children rolled past on skateboards, and a teenage girl cycled along, a heavy bag of newspapers slung over her shoulder. A typical, quiet Sunday morning.

I picked up the flowers, sauntered to the door, and leaned on the bell. I waited, and then rang again.

“Hang on,” said a muffled voice. A guy’s voice.

What the fuck? A man—absurdly young and dressed in just a pair of boxers—opened the door. He stood in the doorway, yawning and scratching his stomach. I gazed at him, speechless. 

This guy was barely
legal
. His chin held a soft fuzz of hair, and his body had the lanky appearance of teenagers. His sleep-furred eyes were huge and dark, and he smiled with a satisfied look I recognized only too well. The look of someone who’d spent the night fucking.

I struggled to find my tongue. There was a chance I had the wrong house.

“I was looking for Kate.” My voice caught on her name, my mouth dry as the Sahara.
Please, God, don’t let this be what I think it is.

The guy yawned again. He’d obviously not had much sleep. “Sorry man, she’s not here right now.”

No, I had the right house. Shit. Fuck. Damnation. Yet again I’d acted on impulse and it had bitten me in the ass. My doubts roared to life, unchecked this time.

The kid glanced over his shoulder, then back at me. “She said something about going out for milk.”

Shit. Fuck.
Fuck.

“Are you the boyfriend?” I blurted out the question, and then wanted to sink into a hole when I saw the amusement on his face.

“Naw.” He grinned, his face open and honest. “Dude, I’m the fiancé.”

If he’d socked me in the gut, it couldn’t have shocked me more. Fiancé? The fuck?

“Do you want to come in and wait? She won’t be long.”

Wait? Wait here and confront her? I’d rather stick pins in my eyes. The way my vision blurred, I thought I had.

How stupid was I? It
never
occurred to me she might be lying about the ex-boyfriend. I clenched my fists. There was a great temptation to beat the crap out of this guy, but sadly, that wouldn’t help things.

“No. I’m good.” I snarled the words and turned on my heel. The door closed behind me, as I stood there, frozen.

I remembered the flowers in my hand and threw them on the sidewalk. They could rot there, for all I cared.

I slid behind the wheel of my car, gunned the engine, and roared down the street. Back to my hotel and my life before Kate.