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‘No, you’re not. You’re just having some fun on a night that would’ve been difficult for you otherwise. Nothing serious, no consequences. Just live for the moment and enjoy it. And, actually, snogging Hot Guy there will be very good for you. It’ll produce more endorphins. We like endorphins. Endorphins are good.’
Trust Bailey to take that tack. Joni couldn’t help smiling. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?’
‘I’m sure,’ Bailey confirmed. ‘Stay and have some fun. Call me tomorrow, OK?’
‘I will.’ Joni hugged her goodbye, then carried on dancing with Aaron until her feet were sore.
‘Shall we have a break and get a drink?’ she suggested.
‘Great idea,’ he said.
She liked the way he walked with her towards the bar, with a hand protectively at her back and yet not making her feel helpless and pathetic, the way her exes had always ended up making her feel. Aaron had beautiful manners, and he didn’t seem the sort who would put a woman down to make himself feel better. Not that she trusted her own judgement on that score any more. She’d got it wrong so many times in the past, thanks to the rose-tinted glasses she couldn’t seem to remove.
‘My shout,’ she said as they reached the bar. ‘Bailey and I were drinking champagne, earlier. Would you like to join me?’
‘Are you celebrating something?’ he asked.
She certainly was. The luckiest escape of her life. Though, at the same time, part of her mourned the wreckage of her future plans. It should’ve been so good …
For a second Joni looked sad, and then Aaron wondered if it had just been his imagination because she gave him a broad, broad smile. ‘It’s Saturday night, and that’s always worth celebrating, isn’t it?’
He had a feeling that she didn’t mean anything like that at all, but he didn’t push her to elaborate. He simply smiled and accepted the glass of champagne she’d offered.
Then they danced until most people had either drifted home or gone elsewhere, and the dance floor was almost empty. Aaron noticed that Tim hadn’t bothered trying to find him or say goodnight when he left. But that was Tim all over—a good-time guy who didn’t think too deeply. Maybe he ought to take a leaf out of his old friend’s book.
And he wasn’t quite ready to see Joni home just yet.
‘There probably aren’t any cafés open nearby, so would you like to come back to my place for a coffee?’ he asked.
She looked wary. ‘Thanks for the offer, but—’
‘Hey,’ he cut in softly, ‘when I said coffee, I meant just coffee. I’m not expecting anything else.’
She bit her lip. ‘Sorry, I’m not used to … well …’
She had to be kidding. That gorgeous, and she didn’t date?
Or maybe she’d just come out of a relationship, one that had left her confidence shaky. Making him Rebound Man. Which was fine, because that meant she wouldn’t want forever from him. ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Me, neither.’ He didn’t date much. In between work, studying, work and more work, he simply didn’t have time.
Wanting to lighten the atmosphere, he said, ‘Though I can tell you that my coffee-making skills are a lot better than my dancing.’ He’d worked as a barista to help put himself through university, and his expensive Italian coffee machine was the one gadget he’d never part with.
‘Then thank you,’ she said. ‘I’d love a coffee.’
As they left the club, they were lucky enough to see an empty taxi passing. He hailed the cab, gave the driver his address, and held the door open for her to get in.
Joni was quiet in the back of the cab and Aaron didn’t push her to talk; he simply curled his fingers round hers, and eventually the pressure was returned.
How long was it since he’d held hands with someone in the back of a taxi?
He reminded himself not to think. This relationship wasn’t going anywhere. This was just for tonight; he didn’t do ‘for always’. Never had and never would.
When the taxi stopped outside his flat, he paid the driver and ushered her across to his front door.
She removed her shoes as soon as they were inside the front door. ‘Um, may I borrow your bathroom, please?’
‘Sure.’ He indicated the bathroom door. ‘I’ll be through here in the kitchen when you’re ready.’
She was a while in the bathroom. When she joined him in the kitchen, she said, ‘Can I be immensely rude and cheeky and ask for a glass of orange juice and a sandwich as well as the coffee, please?’
Oh, help. He’d come across this before. Someone who was suddenly hungry and thirsty after going clubbing and then going to the bathroom. If he looked closer, he’d just bet her pupils would be pinpoints.
His thoughts must have shown in his face because she said, ‘Actually, yes, a needle was involved.’
Uh-oh.
‘But not drugs,’ she said crisply.
‘Not drugs.’ He really wasn’t following.
She took something out of her bag to show him. ‘I’m a diabetic and this is a blood glucose monitor. I prick my finger and test the blood on a strip to check my blood sugar levels. Right now, my blood sugar’s a bit out of whack—probably because I had a couple of glasses of champagne tonight and I don’t usually drink very much, plus I’ve spent all night dancing. So right now I could do with some carbs to get my blood sugar stable. I’m not going to pass out on you or anything like that,’ she reassured him swiftly. ‘This just happens sometimes, and a sandwich and some orange juice will sort me out pretty quickly.’
He relaxed, then. Diabetes explained a lot. Joni might still be trouble with a capital T, but at least it wasn’t going to get complicated and he wouldn’t feel responsible for someone else making a bad lifestyle choice. And clearly Joni was very used to looking after herself properly because she’d explained exactly why her blood sugar was a problem right now and how it could be fixed.
He almost told her he was a doctor, but he didn’t want to make her feel awkward. Instead, he poured a glass of juice and handed it to her.
‘Thank you.’
He rummaged in the fridge. It had been years since he’d done a stint on the endocrine ward, but he remembered that a protein and carbohydrate snack was good for someone whose blood sugar was a bit low but not in the unmanageable range. ‘Would a bacon sandwich be OK?’ he asked. And please don’t let him have offended her because she was a vegetarian. He’d already made enough of an idiot of himself.
‘A bacon sandwich would be absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much.’ She gave him another of those sweet, sweet smiles. ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’
‘No, it’s fine. You can sit and chat to me, if you like.’
He put bacon under the grill and grabbed the bread, then turned to face her. ‘What kind of coffee would you like? Cappuccino, latte, flat white?’
She looked surprised. ‘You can really do all those sorts of coffees?’
He gestured to his coffee machine. ‘Yup. My one bit of self-indulgence.’
‘Impressive.’ She smiled. ‘A cappuccino would be lovely—but no chocolate on the top for me, please.’
‘You don’t like chocolate? Or is that a diabetic thing?’
‘A bit of both,’ she said. ‘I’m probably the only woman in the world who doesn’t really like chocolate. My best friend says I’m weird.’
He laughed, and made her a cappuccino.
She took a sip and her eyes widened. ‘This is fabulous. What coffee do you use?’
‘It’s a blend from a deli in Manchester,’ he explained. ‘I’m hoping I’ll find somewhere like it in London.’
‘So you’ve just moved here?’
He nodded. ‘I’m starting a new job.’ Moving on. Moving upwards. Making a difference. The one thing he hadn’t been able to do when it really counted, and he’d vowed to spend the rest of his life making up for it. Not that he wanted to talk about why he’d always been so driven in his career. Especially to someone he’d only just met. So he concentrated on making them both a bacon sandwich, then handed a plate to her.
She took a bite. ‘You are perfect.’ Then she blushed. ‘Sorry.’
Aaron couldn’t resist teasing her. ‘Were you talking to me or the sandwich?’
‘The sandwich,’ she confessed. ‘Though I guess that, as you made it, you’re perfect by association.’ She grimaced. ‘Sorry, my social skills are usually a bit better than this. Blame it on the champagne.’
‘No problem.’ He smiled at her. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d met someone so cute; her warmth and sweetness made him like her instinctively.
And that made Joni exactly the wrong kind of woman for him. The more he talked to her, the more he could tell that she wasn’t the sort who kept relationships short and sweet and didn’t let them get in the way of her life, the way he did. He didn’t want something permanent—and it wouldn’t be fair to lead her on and let her think that he could offer her something he knew he just wasn’t capable of giving.
He managed to make small talk until she’d finished her coffee. ‘I’ll drive you home.’
She looked nervous. ‘That’s very nice of you to offer, but you were drinking at the club.’
‘I had half a pint of beer, plus one glass of champagne with you, and we’ve just eaten. I’m safely under the alcohol limit for driving, but I can call you a taxi if you’d rather.’
‘Thank you, but I think I’ve impinged enough on you. I’ll call one myself.’
He knew he should just let her go—it would be the sensible option. But something made him want to keep her close, just for a last few moments.
‘Dance with me again first?’ he asked.
She looked at him. For a moment he thought she was going to say no; then she nodded. ‘OK.’
He put on an album by a jazz singer with a soft, smoky voice and held out his arms. She walked into them and rested her head against his shoulder. He rested his cheek against her hair; it was as soft and silky against his skin as he’d expected it to be.
This was a bad, bad idea.
But he couldn’t help himself. There was just something about her. Something different. Something that drew him. Something he couldn’t put his finger on.
As they swayed together, he gave in and closed his eyes, letting himself focus on holding her and dancing with her.
He wasn’t sure which of them moved first, but then he was kissing her—really kissing her—and she was kissing him all the way back.
He dragged his mouth from hers. ‘Joni,’ he whispered.
She stroked his face, and he ended up pressing a kiss into her palm. ‘I honestly didn’t ask you back here for anything more than coffee.’
‘I know,’ she said softly.
He was finding it hard to breathe. ‘But now … Will you stay?’ he asked, his voice hoarse.
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_e60d7169-30e0-51f1-bda7-3fc6c548ce62)
WOULD SHE STAY or would she go?
Aaron didn’t have a clue.
Joni was silent for a long, long time. And then she said, ‘I, um, don’t usually do this sort of thing.’
‘I’d already guessed that,’ he said softly. ‘Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you.’
‘It’s not that,’ she said. ‘I’m flattered. But I’m not looking for a relationship right now.’
‘Neither am I,’ he said. ‘Which makes it even more unforgivable of me to have asked you to stay. It’s totally dishonourable.’
He was about to turn away and grab the phone to call her a taxi when she slid her hand over his and squeezed it. ‘The answer’s yes.’
He knew he ought to give her a chance to change her mind. But right now he wanted this so badly. Needed this so badly. And he had the strongest feeling it was the same for her.
In answer, he kissed her.
Then he lifted her up and carried her to his bedroom. He stood by the bed and let her slide down his body so she was left in no doubt about how much he wanted her.
She looked him in the eye and licked her lower lip.
He took the invitation and kissed her, then lifted her hair so it fell over her shoulder towards the front of her body, turned her round and undid the zip very, very slowly. He caressed her skin as he uncovered it; it was so soft, he couldn’t resist touching his mouth to it and kissing his way down her spine. She made a tiny noise of pleasure, so he unsnapped her bra and continued kissing his way downwards. When he eased the dress over her shoulders so it could slide to the floor, she stepped out of it. Then, once he’d dealt with her bra, he turned her to face him.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ he said softly. She was still wearing her knickers and, with her hair falling to cover her breasts, she looked almost as modest as she would’ve done wearing a bikini at a beach. Yet, at the same time, she was sexy as hell. The ultimate temptress.
‘I need to see you, Joni,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Lift your hair.’
Just as he’d hoped, she pushed her hair back with both hands and lifted them to the back of her head.
‘Like a goddess,’ he whispered.
She blushed. ‘Hardly. I’m just an ordinary woman.’
Did she really have no idea? ‘You’re gorgeous,’ he said. ‘Everything about you. Your hair, your smile, your eyes—just gorgeous.’
This time, she actually smiled. ‘And I’m feeling just a little bit vulnerable here, because you’re wearing an awful lot more than I am.’
It took him less than ten seconds to get naked. ‘Better?’
‘Much better.’ And this time it was his turn to blush as she surveyed him.
She leaned forward and traced a line from his ribcage to his belly button. ‘Very nice abs.’
‘Thank you. But I’m just ord—’ He caught himself as she laughed.
‘You’re not very good at taking compliments,’ she said.
‘That makes two of us,’ he said wryly.
