You’re better than this. Mia forced down the nasty spikes of jealousy. ‘Sorry. Of course you had to help her. It’s just, I was looking forward to having coffee with you.’
His eyes turned a soft green. ‘Me too. It’s felt like an eternity since I last saw you.’
‘It’s been twenty-four hours.’
‘Exactly. Far too bloody long.’ He picked up her hand, holding it in his. ‘Sorry I wasn’t here at eleven. And sorry I had to send a message via Freya. I did try to phone – you know, that novel way humans have of communicating – but you didn’t pick up.’
‘Ah, I left it in the flat. Didn’t think I needed it.’ She glanced down at their hands, allowing the warmth from his to melt the places jealousy had left cold. ‘Did you fix the leak?’
‘Yep, it was just a joint that needed tightening.’
‘Maybe you should teach her how to do it herself, in case you’re ever not there.’
He gave Mia a half-smile. ‘I have done, but her head’s too full of long lawyer sentences. Not sure she can grasp the practical.’
The conversation with Naomi flooded back to her. Was this Freya trying to keep her claws on Luke? And was he too naïve, too trusting, or too enthralled with her still, to see it?
His hands tightened around hers. ‘I’m off tomorrow. Any chance we can use the day to cross off another Manchester hot spot?’ He saw her hesitation and sighed. ‘You have to work, I know. Don’t worry. Maybe I can cook you dinner?’
She jiggled the dates around in her head. ‘Or maybe I can shift tomorrow afternoon’s work into Saturday afternoon… Wait, where are you going to take me?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Wow, when we weren’t dating, you were happy to come out with me based on a dodgy clue in the window. Now you’ll only see me if the venue is up to scratch?’
Amused, she shrugged. ‘I’m just making sure your standards aren’t slipping.’
He huffed out a laugh. ‘Okay then, game on. But I’m not telling you where we’re going. You’ll have to watch my window for a clue.’
It was after eleven that night when Luke posted his message. Mia knew because, sad cow that she was, she’d waited up to see it on the pretence of finishing the edits on her book. As she watched the sheet of paper going up, the familiar buzz shot through her, the one she’d experienced right from the start, when she’d been telling herself they were just friends. While actually she’d been falling in love.
When the sheet was in place, she did a double-take at the drawing of a bird in flight and the words:
U + Me xx
Okay, so she had no clue what she was doing. Going to an aviary? Feeding the ducks? Was it a love-bird symbol? Were they going to spend the day in bed?
A second later her phone pinged with a message:
Meet at mine at 1 p.m. And be prepared to stay the night L xx
Another message quickly followed:
Err, I should say staying over isn’t compulsory.
A final message:
But your tour guide would be ecstatic if you did. Sweet dreams L xx
She still didn’t know what the day had in store. But she did know that whatever they did, she’d love it, because she’d be doing it with him.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Luke peered at the bedside clock and winced. How annoyed would Mia be if he ignored the time and snuggled back into bed with her?
Wrapping his arms around the warm body next to him, he couldn’t believe that only six months ago, if he found himself waking up next to a woman, he’d eased out of her bed as quietly as possible. Now all he wanted to do was keep Mia in his bed, in his flat, in his life. Permanently.
She stirred, and he kissed her nose. ‘I don’t want you to go, but it’s eight o’clock.’
She groaned, turning in his arms. ‘Why am I so knackered?’
‘Because you can’t keep up with me? Because I wore you out yesterday with all that vigorous—’
‘Sky diving,’ she interrupted, giving him a dig in the ribs. ‘It was all that floating over a wind tunnel that wore me out. I didn’t even know indoor skydiving was a thing.’ She laughed softly into his chest. ‘God, to think, I believed you were taking me to feed the ducks.’
‘Well now you know. My standards don’t slip.’ He nudged her so she looked up at him. ‘They get higher and higher.’
She smiled, blue eyes still cloudy with sleep. ‘Is that a promise?’
‘Yes.’ They were teasing, joking around, yet he felt the certainty of his promise all the way through to his bones. He wouldn’t take her for granted, he wouldn’t become complacent. He’d try to do his best by her. Always.
Yawning, she sat up and pulled off the duvet. ‘Much as I’d love to stay here and discuss your increasingly high standards, I have to get going. I’m half a day behind now.’ She gave him a sly smile beneath her lashes. ‘But it was totally worth it.’
‘I’ll make us a coffee.’ He halted. ‘Damn, I can’t remember if I’ve got any milk.’ She was busy slipping on her bra, and for a moment he watched the beautiful breasts he’d enjoyed last night being tucked neatly away.
‘No worries. I can wait till I get back to mine.’
‘No.’ Desire made his voice hoarse. ‘I just promised you my standards weren’t going to slip. Let me message Freya.’
As he was still watching her get dressed, Luke saw the way Mia stilled, her movements a little stiffer as she pulled on her jeans. Damn, there was something going on between Mia and Freya. Grace had mentioned her mum being a bit frosty with Mia the last time she’d helped with her homework.
He’d have to talk to Freya because the pair of them needed to get along. Mia was a part of his life now – if he had his way, a permanent part – and Freya was going to have to get used to it.
A message pinged back and he glanced at his screen. ‘She’s going to bring some milk over.’
‘Very good of her.’
It wasn’t the words, it was the way Mia didn’t meet his eyes. ‘Hey.’ Finally she looked up at him. ‘You know it’s you I want, you I can’t stop thinking about. You I love.’
He held his breath as he watched her swallow. Tell me you love me, too.
He’d never know if she was going to say the words he longed to hear, or if she was going to smile and ignore them again, because Freya banged on the front door.
When he opened it, she handed over the milk carton, but her eyes narrowed as they focused over his shoulder.
‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t realise you had company.’ Instead of leaving, as he expected, she stepped into the flat. ‘Hello Mia. How are you?’
‘Good, thanks.’ Mia’s words sounded stilted and her usually warm smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Freya’s gaze swivelled between him and Mia. ‘It’s a bit awkward, isn’t it, having me living next door?’
‘Why would it be?’ He nodded at the milk in his hand. ‘You’ve just saved our morning.’