‘I say, these are a bit special.’ Lifting out the tiny velvet-trimmed bra and knickers, Marcella’s dark eyes danced with mischief. ‘Been out buying for a lady friend, darling?’
‘Nothing to do with me.’ Jake raised his hands, absolving himself.
‘Maddy? I thought you said you didn’t find anything you liked.’
‘I ... I changed my mind.’ Maddy stammered, uncomfortably aware of Jake’s gaze upon her. ‘I mean, I did like them, so I bought them, but I’m going to take them back to the shop. Too ... um, expensive,’ she added hurriedly as Marcella glanced at the price tag and let out a low whistle. ‘It was a moment of madness, I don’t know why I did it. I mean, you know me, it’s usually Marks and Spencer’s multipacks.’
Maddy knew she was gabbling, but this part of the lie was actually true. She could get worryingly excited about tearing open a pristine M & S multipack.
‘You don’t know why you did it? Spent sixty pounds on these? Well, I think I can probably hazard a guess. So,’ Marcella gave her a less than subtle, tell-us-everything nudge, ‘who is he?’
Now Maddy really couldn’t meet Jake’s eye. She didn’t know where to look.
‘No one. Really. I just saw them and liked the colour.’
‘See that?’ Marcella pointed out of the kitchen window. ‘Flying pig. Sweetheart, you must have your eye on someone – hey, I know, why don’t you invite him to the barbecue? Bring Jen and Susie along too, then it won’t be so obvious, just tell him it’s a casual get-together for a few friends. Wouldn’t that be a fabulous idea? Then we can all meet him and see what we think!’
What Marcella would think truly didn’t bear thinking about. Shovelling the bra and briefs back into their black carrier, Maddy said, ‘Mum, I promise you, there isn’t anyone. This stuff’s going back to the shop, I’m meeting Jen and Susie in Brown’s at seven and if it’s OK with everyone, I’d quite like a bath before I go.’
‘She thinks I was born yesterday,’ Marcella said cheerfully as Maddy squeezed out of the crowded kitchen, ‘but she’s forgotten two important things.’
Ever inquisitive, Sophie said beadily, ‘What important things?’
‘I’m her mother,’ Marcella told Sophie, raising her voice so that Maddy could still hear as she escaped up the stairs. ‘And I’m always right.’
Chapter 14
The glorious bra and knicker set, now destined never to be worn, was back at the cottage. Wearing a bronze lace top and tight black trousers – because she was, after all, supposed to be out clubbing with Susie and Jen – Maddy parked in Armitage Close, an anonymous cul-de-sac around the corner from Kerr’s house. Feeling like a fugitive, she checked all around before sliding out of the car, then made her way hurriedly to his address.
He answered the door so quickly that Maddy knew he’d been looking out for her. Now that she was actually here, she could barely make out what he was saying, so loud was the adrenalin-fuelled pumping of blood in her ears.
She took a deep breath. This was it; she was here.
‘ I’m sorry, I’ll calm down in a minute. I just feel so bad about deceiving Mum ... Marcella ...’
Managing a shaky smile, Maddy said, ‘And then I thought about not coming here tonight and that made me feel worse.’
Kerr led her through the panelled hallway, into a high-ceilinged sitting room. Primrose-yellow walls and a cream carpet didn’t go at all with the heavy, reddish-brown mahogany furniture or the dark blue rugs sprawled across the floor.
‘I know.’ Kerr intercepted her gaze. ‘It’s horrible, a complete nightmare. I rented it furnished.
The kitchen has to be seen to be believed. Anyway, that’s not important.’ He shook his head. ‘Being appalled by my kitchen tiles isn’t why you’re here. Bloody hell, life would be a damn sight easier if it was.’
Maddy nodded, acknowledging this with feeling. If only she were Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, life would be a doddle. Apart from having to wear the clothes, obviously.
‘I still can’t believe this is happening,’ Kerr went on. ‘It’s only been a week, for heaven’s sake. This time last Saturday I hadn’t even met you.’ He paused. ‘And then at the party, barn. Since that night I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.’
He was wearing a dark blue cotton shirt and faded jeans, the body beneath them — frankly — to die for. Her stomach knotted with lust, Maddy whispered, ‘I know. Me too.’ There was no point in trying to deny it; the attraction was fairly obviously mutual. She cleared her throat. ‘But what if we’re feeling like this because we know it can’t happen? Like being on a diet and knowing you can’t have chocolate mousse?’
‘OK, I thought about that too. That’s why I invited you here tonight.’ Moving towards her, Kerr smiled slightly and reached for her hands. ‘Come here, mousse.’
Pulling her towards him, he kissed her on the corner of her mouth, then on the other corner, then properly, and Maddy thought, At last. It was like going to heaven, feeling Kerr’s warm body pressed against her own and his fingers (thank goodness she hadn’t used hair gel) sliding unimpeded through her hair. All too soon he pulled away, surveying her with an expression in his dark eyes that almost made her want to cry.
‘OK, you have to bear with me now because I’m not used to saying this kind of stuff. I’m not sure, but I think I love you.’
‘Oh God, don’t say that ...’ Maddy covered her mouth, not meaning it for a moment; this was what she wanted to hear him say more than anything. But it was just so scary, so impossible. How could anything but misery result from a situation so dire?
‘It’s the only way. We both know how we feel, it’s too late to back down and pretend it hasn’t happened. Not seeing you again would only make me want you more.’ Kerr waited. ‘Right, so this is the plan. We are going to see each other. We’ll be incredibly discreet, no one else will know, and with a bit of luck we’ll discover we don’t like each other as much as we think we do.’
Maddy stared at him in disbelief. ‘With a bit of luck?’
‘I know, I know.’ He shrugged helplessly. ‘But what other choice do we have? And it could happen, you know. In fact, the odds are that it will. How many boyfriends have you had?’
Taken aback by the bluntness of the question, Maddy said cautiously, ‘Well ... quite a few, I suppose. All in all.’
‘OK, same here. Maybe a bit more than quite a few.’ A flicker of a smile crossed his face. ‘I’m sorry. If only I’d known, I’d have saved myself. But the point is, we went out with other people because we liked them. And each time, sooner or later, and for whatever reason, we stopped going out with them. Fingers crossed, that’s exactly what’ll happen to us.’
It didn’t help that while he was saying this, he was running his fingers magically down the side of her face, touching her neck, looking very much as though he wanted to kiss her again.