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He’d expected nothing in return. Even turned down her offer to reciprocate.
Later tonight, she promised herself, she’d make it up to him.
And how.
She dragged on her fleece while he shrugged on a battered leather jacket. Added to his worn jeans and black sweater, it made him look dangerous. Sexy as hell. Katrina actually had to remind herself to breathe.
He held her hand all the way to the tube station. All the way on the tube. And all the way while they walked on Hampstead Heath, kicking through piles of autumn leaves.
‘I’ve missed this,’ he said, looking wistful.
‘So Cardiff is full of trees and parks?’
‘Not quite in the same way as London,’ he said. ‘I was thinking more of the village where I grew up. There’s a ruined castle with a huge park. I had a holiday job in the tearooms. And, best of all, it meant I got free entrance, so on a dry day I could study under the shade of a tree in the park. Just me, my books and the fresh air.’ He smiled. ‘And I used to really love walking there in the autumn. Crunching through the leaves and collecting the odd conker.’
Why hadn’t he studied at home in comfort, like she and Madison had? Katrina wondered. And if Rhys loved the countryside that much, it seemed odd that he’d chosen to work in a city hospital, rather than as a country GP where he’d get a chance to do house calls and be outside a lot. Or maybe it was something to do with the difficult family life he’d mentioned. A place of escape.
They had lunch, a panini and coffee, in a small café, then spent the rest of the afternoon browsing in the antique and bric-a-brac shops. When he spotted a chemist’s shop, Rhys excused himself, and Katrina felt her face heat. She knew exactly what he was going to buy. And she knew that getting ‘supplies’ was the right thing to do—but she also knew that she was going to spend the rest of the afternoon thinking about what they would do that evening when they got home.
Making love.
The ultimate in closeness.
The weight of his body over hers.
His body moving inside hers.
Excitement and desire shimmered down her spine.
When he walked back out into the street, she couldn’t think straight. And clearly she had some kind of goofy look on her face, because he asked softly, ‘Are you all right, Katrina?’
‘I’m fine,’ she fibbed.
‘Good.’ He took her hand, drew it up to his mouth and kissed the backs of her fingers. ‘I think,’ he said softly, ‘we should have an early dinner.’
She felt her eyes widen. ‘Rhys, we’re not really dressed…’
‘For an expensive restaurant, no.’ He drew her close to him and bent his head so he could whisper in her ear. ‘Katrina.’
She loved it that he’d thought to check she could hear him. ‘Yes?’
‘I would love to see you all dressed up. Especially knowing that I’d have the privilege later of undressing you again.’
His words sent a lovely shivery feeling all the way through her.
‘But the thing is, if we go back now and change, we might not get past the stage of taking these clothes off.’
Oh, lord. The pictures that put in her head.
His mouth brushed the sensitive spot by her ear. ‘So let’s go somewhere a little more casual. Eat. And then I’m taking you home.’
In the end they found a small trattoria. With candles and flowers on the table, the place felt incredibly romantic. Especially as their table was in a quiet corner, Katrina thought.
Every time she caught Rhys’s eye, every time her fingers brushed against his when they dipped their bread in the little dish of olive oil, a little throb of excitement pulsed through her. She could see on his face that it was the same for him. And when the waiter brought the dessert menu to them and asked them if they wanted coffee, Rhys glanced at her. She gave the tiniest shake of her head. She didn’t want pudding or coffee. Just him.
‘Just the bill, please,’ Rhys said with a smile.
Every second they waited seemed to take for ever. Every step back to the tube felt like a mile. And the wait on the platform for a train, watching the clock and willing the minutes to speed by instead of drag by…
‘It’s a pity the train’s so empty,’ Rhys said when it finally arrived.
‘Why?’ she asked, mystified.
‘Because if it was full you’d have had to…Ah, what the hell. We’ll do it anyway.’ He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, catching her off balance so she had to put her arms round his neck for support.
‘Now, that,’ he said with a smile, ‘feels better.’
They didn’t talk on the train. Didn’t need to. And Rhys held her hand all the way from the tube station to her house. With every step, Katrina’s heart was racing. And the second the front door closed behind them, he spun her into his arms, dipped his head and kissed her.
