Romance for Cynics (10 page)

Lucy had had no problem leaving this morning without looking back. And she certainly hadn’t picked up the phone to see how his day had been after what they’d shared.

So this terse message he had to send to re-establish equilibrium? It was for his benefit.

His thumb tapped on the screen.

2 busy to catch up before skate date.

Will C U there

Brief to the point of rudeness. Cash hesitated a second before hitting send.

He wanted to establish that nothing had changed post-sex. Prove to himself that the potent memories of intimacy plaguing him were nothing more than sleep deprivation.

But when he found himself staring at the phone, willing Lucy to respond, he knew it would take more than a pithy message to re-establish some much-needed distance between them.

Her succinct ‘OK’ reply should’ve made him happy. It didn’t. Once again, he was back to thinking about Lucy: what she was doing, how did she feel about last night, whether she’d be up for a repeat.

Cursing his obsession, he flung himself into his office chair, unwittingly drawn to the computer screen. He shouldn’t watch that clip of them at the disco again, he really shouldn’t, but after a hellish day with little sleep he allowed himself the indulgence.

He hit play, clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back, glued to the passion unfolding on the screen.

Cash never lost his head. He weighed up every decision, usually with dollar signs in his eyes. Yet staring at the way he’d steamed up the screen with Lucy, he’d moved way past losing his head and landed straight in uncharted territory.

God, Lucy was hot. She had no artifice, her genuine responses a major turn-on. Something she’d demonstrated last night in the privacy of his bedroom; and how.

If he had any sense, he’d pick up the phone right now and call her.

And say what?
Sorry for the a-hole text.
Come over. I’m lonely. I miss you?

With an angry growl he sat forward and hit the escape key, the screen instantly reverting to a saver.

Yeah, as if that would get Lucy out of his mind.

Ideally, their tryst should end on Valentine’s Day, but with her making over his garden she’d be here daily for weeks...wearing those tight shorts and tank tops...exposing tempting expanses of tanned skin...skin he’d tasted...

He cursed again and strode towards the door.

One more function to get through tomorrow—roller-skating—then the ball, and he was home free.

Objective achieved. Reputation intact. Business booming. Money rolling in.

He should be ecstatic.

So why the annoying niggle that he’d be missing out on something once this week ended?

TEN

‘Sorry I didn’t
call yesterday, got caught up in meetings all day ’til late.’ Cash hated how trite his apology sounded, when in reality he’d been unsure of his reception and her reaction following their night together.

So he’d sent her an impersonal text instead to push her away. Nice.

‘Not a problem.’ She glanced up from lacing up her skate. ‘I had a busy day too.’

Cash knew he had to broach what had happened between them but, for the first time in his life, he was clueless and inarticulate.

She finished lacing up and stood, her teasing smile indication she had a zinger incoming. ‘Though have to admit, I thought you were being a wuss and avoiding me.’

‘Why?’

‘Post-coital embarrassment?’ She threw it out there, casual as you like, another classic example of her signature bluntness.

‘From what I recall, nothing to be embarrassed about,’ he said, lowering his head to whisper in her ear. ‘Unless the many times you screamed my name made you feel uncomfortable—’

‘Shh!’ She shoved him away but the dreamy look in her eyes spoke volumes. ‘What happened in the bedroom stays in the bedroom.’

‘That doesn’t include you stripping downstairs. Or that feisty little sprint up the stairs—’

‘If you’re trying to make me break my leg, you’re going about it the right way,’ she said, her frown as fake as the pout.

Because, like him, she was reliving those moments he’d just mentioned: the flirting, the sizzle, the passion.

They’d been incredible together and merely thinking about it made him hard.

So much for re-establishing distance.

‘Stop trying to distract me with...’ She trailed off, a faint pink staining her cheeks, and he laughed.

‘With scorching memories of how we burned up the sheets?’

‘Something like that,’ she muttered, casting him a coy glance from beneath her lashes. ‘Though have to admit, I’m surprised you’re talking about it.’

‘Why?’

He’d talk about their sexy interlude all day long if it made her look flushed and flustered and incredibly cute. With the added bonus of focusing on the physical between them, keeping it light made him feel better about the idiotic way he was floundering out of his depth and contemplating more than sex.

She glanced around and, satisfied there was no one within listening distance, slid a little closer to him. ‘Because we know that night was an aberration. We’d both divulged too much at the picnic and mistook it for closeness.’ She shrugged. ‘Throw in the natural attraction between us, wasn’t any great surprise we ended up in bed.’

Everything Lucy said made sense but it didn’t mean Cash had to like it. From the moment she’d dismissed their sensational night together as an
aberration
, he’d wanted to protest. Wanted to tell her he’d never had a night like it. Wanted to say that he liked her, beyond the sex.

But he didn’t say any of those things, because Lucy had just given him the perfect out. What he’d wanted since last night.

She didn’t want to complicate what they had with emotions and he respected her for that. She didn’t expect their night of sex to equal a relationship. She didn’t want anything from him beyond the money.

He should be ecstatic. She’d articulated brilliantly what he’d been trying to achieve with that god-awful text. So why the burning disappointment?

‘Glad we’re on the same page,’ he said, feeling like a heel as he snagged her hand. Because despite how she’d brushed off their encounter, and how much he wanted to agree with her, dismissing their connection that night felt plain wrong.

‘Are these people for real?’ Eager to steer the conversation onto safer ground, Cash held Lucy’s hand tight as they waited their turn to enter the roller-skating rink. ‘Who does this once they’re past the age of ten?’

Lucy laughed, the joyful sound making something in his chest twang. ‘I used to love skating when I was a kid.’

‘Not me.’

He’d been too busy doing his homework or tidying up the two-bedroom flat he’d shared with his dad to have time to indulge in frivolous activities.

‘But you can skate, right?’ She shot him a concerned look and he decided to have a little fun.

He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing and shook his head. ‘Not very well.’

Her concern morphed to panic. ‘You’re not going to fall and drag me down with you?’

‘Maybe I need you to hold my hand real tight and not let go?’ Any excuse.

A tiny crease appeared between her brows. ‘You should hold onto the rail along the outskirts of the rink. I think that’s safest.’

‘For who?’

‘Everybody.’

He ducked down to whisper in her ear, throwing in a little stumble for good measure, and her arm instantly shot out to steady him. ‘You should give me a kiss for good luck.’

She eased away to glare. ‘I’m not falling for that—’

He kissed her anyway, a soft tender melding of lips that quickly escalated into heat and yearning.

He’d thought having sex with Lucy would get her out of his system, would assuage what he assumed was a raging case of lust because she was so different from the women he usually hung out with.

It hadn’t. If anything, he wanted her even more now. And damned if he could figure out how to extract himself gracefully from this unfamiliar scenario.

‘You’re up, folks.’ An attendant interrupted them and not a moment too soon, considering he wouldn’t be able to skate at all if he was physically impeded below the belt.

He expected Lucy to look annoyed at yet another public display of affection. Instead, her goofy grin as she entwined her fingers through his told him she liked hanging out together as much as he did.

‘Was that one for the cameras?’ she said, pointing to them on the sidelines.

He shook his head. ‘That one was for me.’

He hauled her against him and planted another hot quickie against her lips. ‘That one’s for you.’

She cupped his cheek with her free hand and stared at him with a seriousness that scared the crap out of him.

‘I think all this fake relationship stuff is starting to get to us.’

He nodded. ‘It’s starting to feel pretty real to me.’

Cash unwittingly held his breath, waiting for Lucy to say something, anything, to reinforce what he already knew: they were halfway to being crazy about each other.

‘Move it along, people.’ The attendant all but shoved them onto the rink, shattering the moment.

Cash should’ve been glad. Last thing he needed was for Lucy to articulate she’d developed feelings for him. So why did he feel incredibly let down?

She nudged him towards the railing. ‘Hold on there and watch an expert strut her stuff.’

He managed a meek nod. ‘Okay.’

He watched Lucy shoot out into the crowd, weaving her way through the skaters with poise and speed. She didn’t hesitate once, darting and weaving like a pro. She was magnificent. And damned if his chest didn’t give another betraying twang.

He waited until she hit the final turn and made eye contact, before he pushed off the railing, picked up speed and executed a perfect backward-double turn.

Lucy gaped as he grinned and shot her a jaunty half-salute.

Who’s the expert now?
He wanted to yell across the rink. Childish? Absolutely, but he loved teasing her. Loved making her eyes sparkle and her lips part a smidgeon before she smiled.

He skated in slow half-circles on the spot, waiting for her to catch up.

Snapping out of her shocked trance after his little display, she sped up, racing towards him.

She didn’t see one of the other couples skate a tad too close.

She didn’t anticipate the girl’s skate snagging on her guy’s.

She didn’t have time to avoid the couple that sprawled at her feet.

Cash saw it all as if in slow motion. Powerless, he watched the woman he cared about trip and land hard.

He swore and raced across the rink. A crowd had gathered by the time he reached her side and he knelt, unable to breathe, pain ricocheting through his chest.

‘Luce, are you okay?’

She groaned in response and pushed herself up into a half-sitting position.

‘Don’t move. I’ll call an ambulance.’

She shot him a death glare. ‘I don’t need an ambulance, you dufus, but you might by the time I’ve finished with you.’

His sheepish smile didn’t help matters. ‘You were so cocky and condescending, I wanted to take you down a peg or two.’

‘You succeeded.’ She winced as she tried to straighten her legs. ‘Now help me up.’

‘Show’s over, folks,’ he said, dispersing the crowd by waving them away before sliding his hands under Lucy’s armpits and helping her stand.

He heard her muttered curses and bit back a smile. She’d be sore and bruised for a while, and he’d like nothing better than to massage her pain away.

‘Make sure you kill each and every one of those bloody cameramen before my fall ends up on the website,’ she said, taking his arm when he offered it.

‘Anything for you, sweetheart.’

The moment the tongue-in-cheek response fell from his lips, Cash knew it was true.

He’d do anything for this strong, capable, amazing woman.

Those few seconds when she’d gone down and he couldn’t stop it? They might just have been the worst of his life. He’d do anything to protect her. Which meant...

Hell, he liked her. Really liked her.

Crap.

This was so not in his plans.

He needed to get back on familiar territory, to keep things light-hearted between them. It was the only way.

He helped her off the rink, eased her onto a seat and knelt at her feet, loosening her laces. ‘There’s an upside to your humiliation.’

Not amused by his try at levity, she frowned. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’ He eased off her first skate. ‘Just think of all the sore bits I get to kiss better.’

Her glower immediately softened. ‘But I’m sore all over.’

‘Now you’re talking.’ He winked and eased off the other skate. ‘Want to cut this session short, head back to my place and make out?’

She rolled her eyes, but not before he’d seen a spark of excitement. ‘Just because we’re at a skate rink doesn’t mean you need to resort to teen vocab. Make out? Seriously?’

‘I’m deadly serious.’ He stood and scooped her into his arms to prove it.

‘Put me down,’ she said, a half-hearted protest tempered by her silly grin. ‘You’re still wearing skates. We’ll both go down.’

‘That’s what I’m hoping,’ he murmured, seeing the exact moment she cottoned onto his innuendo when her cheeks flushed crimson.

She glanced away, unable to meet his eyes. ‘The faster you put me down, the faster we can get our shoes on and leave.’

‘Eager to get me alone?’ He lowered her back to the chair and sat next to her, undoing his skates in record time.

‘Eager for a long, hot soak in some Epsom salts more like it,’ she muttered, grimacing as she raised an arm to run a hand through her hair.

‘Be back in a sec.’ He grabbed their shoes in record time, eager to sink into that hot bath right alongside her.

Kneeling at her feet, he held out her shoe and took her foot in the other. ‘These yours, Cinders?’

‘You’re no Prince Charming,’ she said, tempering her comeback with a coy smile as he carefully slid her shoes onto her feet.

‘I’d like to be.’

He meant it too. He’d like to sweep this wonderful woman off her feet, because he had a feeling she wasn’t used to the attention.

Didn’t take a genius to figure out she’d been burned badly by her bastard ex cheating on her. And for her to marry, she must’ve loved the guy very much. Which was interesting, because Lucy didn’t seem the impulsive type, so how long had she dated the ex? Who was he? A family friend? Love at first sight?

For the first time ever he actually found himself caring about a girlfriend’s past.

As to his feelings for Lucy, he had his answer right there. Using the girlfriend label with a woman wasn’t in his DNA. He dated women. He had female acquaintances. He had female friends with benefits.

But he didn’t have girlfriends. Girlfriends conjured up visions of lust fading to dislike, irrational demands and a badgering for lifelong commitment. Only to have the whole thing fall apart when one or the other in the partnership got tired of the other.

He’d seen it firsthand with his parents; and the resultant fallout. It hadn’t been pretty. In fact, it had scarred his dad for life and he never wanted to depend on another human being for his happiness. Ever.

So where did that leave his relationship with Lucy?

He cared too much about her to revert to being acquaintances once this week was over. But he didn’t want to care too much for fear of stuffing up everything.

‘You want to be my Prince Charming?’ She made it sound as if he’d offered to push her out of a plane without a parachute. ‘Good one.’

She winked, as if he’d made a gaff.

And the fact she hadn’t taken him seriously hurt more than it should.

So Cash did the only thing possible. Shirked the hard stuff for now, until he could get his head around all the new feelings ricocheting around inside him.

‘If you’ve finished laughing at your rescuer, I’ll get you home.’ He swept her into his arms before she could protest, and, to his surprise, she meekly wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled in for the ride.

‘Thanks,’ she murmured somewhere in the vicinity of his chest as she rested her cheek against it.

As he carried her out of the skate rink to the applause of onlookers, he kinda liked having her dependent on him.

* * *

Lucy should’ve been uncomfortable with Cash perched on the edge of the bathtub, filling up her wine glass. But she wasn’t. And that spoke volumes on how she viewed this relationship.

Because it was a relationship.

However they liked to dress it up, pretend it was fake for the PR, whatever, Lucy knew without a doubt that they’d moved into relationship territory.

Cash’s expression after she’d fallen at the rink hadn’t been that of a disengaged guy faking it for the cameras. And for a terrifying second, as he’d skated towards her at breakneck speed, she’d wanted to blurt exactly how she was feeling.