‘Ah.’
‘Yes, ah.’ He tried to remove all trace of neediness from his voice. ‘Have you dismissed the shower idea?’
‘I wouldn’t say I’ve dismissed it.’ She sat up, dragging the duvet with her so he was deprived of the sight of her naked breasts.
‘So taking a shower with me isn’t unacceptable. It’s just not as desirable as a chicken vindaloo.’ Perhaps that would be his new tagline, he thought gloomily. The film star not quite as desirable as a chicken vindaloo.
‘Chicken jalfrezi,’ she corrected. ‘The vindaloo takes my head off.’ He was about to remark he wasn’t sure whether that made the comment better or worse, when she burst out laughing. Proper, belly laughing. ‘Oh my God, look at your face. You don’t seriously think I’d rather eat a curry than have a shower with Zac Edwards and all his rippling muscles, do you?’
He’d rather hoped she wanted the shower with him, not the celebrity version of him, but considering a moment ago he’d believed he’d been beaten by a curry, perhaps he should count his blessings. Besides, this awful insecurity he’d just developed was of his own making. He’d been the one to spill his feelings, to tell her he was falling for her. Now, guess what, he’d left himself vulnerable to second guessing her every action, her every word, for a hint that she felt more for him than simply a passing attraction.
In cricketing parlance, he was an opening bat on a dodgy wicket who should have ducked the bouncer, but instead he’d decided to hit it for six. Now he was crossing his fingers he wouldn’t find his stumps flattened, and the umpire raising his finger.
‘After we shower, I’m taking you out,’ he decided as he took her hand and led her to the en suite. If she wanted that celebrity version, he’d pull out all the damn stops and give it to her. ‘And no,’ he added when he saw her hesitate. ‘You can’t stop this. I’m officially no longer in danger, and you’re officially no longer my bodyguard. Tonight, I’m in charge. I get to decide where we go, and I get to drive.’
***
She’d baulked when he’d suggested she might want to wear a dress, chuntering on about how uncomfortable they were, though she’d slipped her black number on anyway. And taken his breath away.
She’d complained when he’d snatched the Jeep keys off her, though she’d let him open the passenger door for her and only winced once on the drive into London.
When he’d pulled up outside The Ivy and given the keys to the valet though, she’d not said a word. Nor had she spoken when he’d taken her hand as they were escorted to the dining room, with its signature harlequin stained-glass windows, and to a discrete private booth.
And as they sat reading the menus, her head remained down, her eyes not meeting his.
‘You’re very quiet.’
She glanced up and gave him a weak smile. ‘I’m trying to work out what on earth a Casterbridge steak is and how it differs from one from Tesco.’
‘Casterbridge steak is from the West Country. The cattle are grain fed. It’s very tasty.’ Slowly he put down his menu, all the joy from the day ebbing away. ‘But that’s not what’s really on your mind, is it?’
‘No.’ Her neck, elegant, though she’d not thank him to point it out, moved as she swallowed.
The waiter came over and Zac did as he hated to do and ordered for Kat. ‘Before you throw something at me,’ he told her when the man had gone, ‘I did that not because I don’t think you’re capable of making a decision on what to eat, but to get rid of him. So we could talk.’
‘I’m sorry.’ She sucked in a breath, her hand playing with the stem of her wine glass. ‘Places like this make me uncomfortable.’
‘By places like this, do you mean restaurants?’
‘I mean pretentious places.’
‘I see.’ Stung, he reached for the glass of water. ‘You don’t like my choice of venue.’
She huffed, her eyes skimming around the room. ‘I don’t mean it like that. It’s lovely. It’s just …’ Her eyes settled on his. ‘It’s not me. Putting on a dress, sitting here with more wine glasses than I can count, and more sets of cutlery than I own. I feel like a fraud. I don’t belong here.’
‘Yet you look like you do.’ This time he glanced around the room. ‘You’re more gorgeous, more real, than anyone else here. You’re the only woman I see.’ It frustrated him to think she couldn’t see what he did. And it hurt that she thought he was putting on a show. ‘I came here because I wanted to take you somewhere as special as you are.’
‘Oh God, Zac.’ Her hand flew to her chest and he wasn’t sure of the emotion that clouded her face. Was she horrified? Touched?
He shrugged, trying not to show how wrecked he felt. ‘It’s true.’
Her hand reached across the table to cover his. ‘Then I thank you, truly, for the beautiful gesture.’ She smiled into his eyes. ‘For future reference though, I don’t need any of this. I’m happy sat at home with an Indian takeaway. And you.’
The warmth from her smile lit him up inside and just like that, all was well with the world again.
But then his phone, the one he’d unthinkingly placed on the table, began to vibrate as a text came through. And when he gave the screen a cursory glance, that same world shattered into a million jagged pieces.
Chapter 24
Kat saw the blood drain from Zac’s face, and automatically her eyes sought out the message which seemed to shine like a beacon on the table in front of them. Well, that was her excuse for reading it.
Sorry darling. He’s out. Please call me when you get a moment. Xx
‘Can I take it from your reaction that Helena isn’t talking about your childhood tortoise escaping?’
He gave her a dazed look. ‘I didn’t have a tortoise.’
‘I kind of guessed that.’ Bollocks to it. Swanky surroundings be damned. She wasn’t going to sit here and politely wheedle this out of him. ‘Look, if you don’t want to tell me what’s going on, fine. Just because you slept with me, doesn’t mean you owe me any insight into your deep dark secrets. But if this has anything to do with your safety, if it could explain why someone tried to shoot you.’ Fear that he might really be in danger began to gnaw at her insides. ‘If that’s the case then you flaming well owe me an explanation. I can’t protect you if you shove a blindfold on me.’
He hunched forward, burying his face in his hands for a moment, his shoulders moving as he dragged in a few breaths. Then he rose to his feet, his eyes turbulent and troubled. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now.’ Jamming the phone into his jacket pocket, he reached out a hand to help her to her feet. ‘Looks like you’ll get your wish for a takeaway, after all. I need to get back so I can phone Helena.’ He threaded a distracted hand through his hair. ‘Then I’ll answer any questions you have.’
After settling the bill, he walked stiffly beside her towards the valet, all the grace, the elegance gone from his bearing. Instead he looked not just shocked, but defeated, which sent another pulse of alarm shooting through her.