Promised

She gazes at me, her old navy eyes thoughtful. ‘I’m glad,’ she says softly. ‘You can’t hide from your mother’s history for ever.’

I shrink a little, but not wanting to extend this line of conversation, especially with Miller hiding behind the curtains, I just nod my head at her, my silent way of saying yes. She nods in return and slowly backs out of my room, all cool and casual, but I know she’ll be rushing back to the lounge window to see if the man has returned to his swanky car. My bedroom door shuts and Miller appears from behind the curtain. I’ve never been so embarrassed, and the interested look on his face only enhances it, even if it’s nice to see him display a facial expression other than the completely serious one that I’ve become used to.

‘Your grandmother is a busybody, yes?’ He’s really amused by her interrogation performance, yet I can also see curiosity lingering on that perfect face.

Straightening myself out, just for something to do other than feed his amusement and his curiosity, I shrug, feeling smaller than ever. ‘She’s entertaining,’ I flip, my eyes darting across the floor. I want the ground to swallow me whole right now.

He’s pushed up against me in a second. ‘I felt like a teenager.’

‘Did you hide behind a lot of curtains back then?’ I step away to gain some breathing space, but my attempted escape is in complete vain.

He moves forward. ‘Are you ready, Olivia Taylor?’

I get the feeling he doesn’t just mean to leave. Am I ready? And for what? ‘Yes,’ I say, decidedly staunch, not quite knowing where the word spoken with such confidence comes from. I stare at him, unwilling to be the first to look away. I don’t know where I’m going or what I’ll experience while I’m there, but I know that I want to go . . . with him.

His lovely lips give an almost undetectable smile, telling me he knows I’m feigning confidence, but I keep my eyes on his, unwavering. He leans down, getting us nose to nose, then blinks slowly, parts his lips slowly, drops his eyes to my mouth slowly, and then he increases my heart rate further by singeing my bare arm with his delicate touch. Nothing extraordinary, but the feeling is beyond extraordinary, like nothing I’ve felt before . . . until I met him.

He dips his head, coming so close I can’t help closing my eyes. I’m dizzy and exhilarated all at once, feeling his tongue trace my bottom lip.

‘If I start, I won’t stop,’ he murmurs, pulling away. ‘I need to get you in my bed.’ He grasps my nape and twists his hand slightly, forcing me to turn away from him and walk forward.

‘My nan.’ I barely splutter the words out in my wanton state. ‘She can’t see you.’ I’m led across the landing and down the stairs – me cautious, him hasty.

‘I’ll wait in the car.’ He releases me from his grasp and strides to the front door, opening it and shutting it with no regard for my peeking grandmother.

‘Nan!’ I shout, panicked, knowing she’ll have her face squished against the glass of the window looking for him. ‘Nan!’ I need to get her away before Miller appears from the recess of the front door. ‘Nan!’

‘Bloody hell, girl!’ She appears in the doorway with George in tow, looking at my frozen form with worried eyes. ‘What’s the matter?’

With a blank mind and blank face, I step forward and kiss her cheek. ‘Nothing. See you tomorrow.’ I don’t hang around. I leave my nan frowning and George muttering something about a strange woman, and run down the pathway to the shiny black Mercedes, diving in and sinking into my seat. ‘Go,’ I press impatiently.

But he doesn’t. The car remains idle at the kerb, and he remains idle in his seat, showing no sign of rushing away from my house as I’ve demanded. His tall, suited frame is relaxed, one hand draped casually on the wheel as he looks at me, completely serious, his steely blues giving nothing away. What’s he thinking? I break the eye connection, but only because I want to confirm what I already know. I look up to the front window of my house and see the curtains twitching. I sag further in my seat.

‘What’s the matter, Livy?’ Miller asks, reaching over to rest his hand on my thigh. ‘Tell me.’

My eyes are on his big, manly hand, my flesh burning beneath it. ‘You shouldn’t have come in,’ I say quietly. ‘You may have found it amusing, but you’ve just made this even harder.’

‘Livy, it’s polite to look at someone when you’re speaking to them.’ He clasps my chin and pulls, making me face him. ‘I apologise.’

‘It’s done now.’

‘Nothing about the next twenty-four hours is going to be difficult, Livy.’ His hand slides across my cheek tenderly, pushing me to nuzzle into it. ‘I know being with you will be the easiest thing that I’ve ever done.’

It might very well be easy, but I can’t see the aftermath being easy. No, I foresee a mountain of hurt on my part and easiness on his. I’m not myself around him. The sensible woman I’ve moulded myself into has gone from one extreme to the other. Nan’s at that window, Miller’s hand is stroking my cheek sweetly, and I can’t even muster up the energy to stop him.

‘The windows are tinted,’ he whispers, slowly moving forward and resting his soft lips on mine.

That may be so; however, he’s not my boss, and my cute nan knows that very well. But I’ll deal with the interrogation when I get home tomorrow. I’m suddenly not so concerned. I’ve been distracted from my sensible self again.