away, scared of being exposed to what was sure to be emotional turmoil. But another part of her was frozen to the spot. He had her face clasped in both his hands and once again she found her eyelids closing as he caressed her cheeks.
“I have to admit something,” he said.
She nodded, eyes still tightly sealed. Here it comes, she thought. He’d given her the good stuff and was now about to deliver bad news, to tell her he was in a new relationship or something. She didn’t want to see him as he said it.
“You know I think you’re beautiful,” he continued. “But, I have to admit, I prefer you without make-up.”
Her eyes snapped open as she giggled.
“I don’t normally wear make-up. This was put on me this morning for some silly screen test Georgia put me up to.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“It was nothing,” she brushed it off.
She wanted to close her eyes again, but his gaze held her magnetically. She wasn’t sure if her thirty-seven year old heart could keep up the cracking pace it was now thumping at and she knew she must look ridiculous. Her lower lip was quivering uncontrollably and her porcelain make-up was no doubt now a streaky mess. Idiot , why hadn’t she removed it before coming? She couldn’t stop herself from looking down at his mouth, his luscious, thick, sensual lips. No-one’s lips had ever matched up to his, either before or after. It was as if he could read her mind.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said.
She clamped her eyes back shut and nodded.
“I can’t watch,” she whispered.
She waited for so long that she considered telling him to hurry up, but then she felt his teeth gently take her lower lip in its grip, as if trying to stop the tremor. When she’d calmed down, he released it, pulled away for a second and she could feel the smile on his lips as he crushed his mouth deliciously into hers.
CHAPTER FOUR
Twelve hours later the phone rang, stirring Claire rudely from slumber. She’d been looking forward to a lie-in. 09.00. Ugh. She’d got back late and slept only fitfully. The evening’s dramas had been playing on a loop in her mind - Jonah’s voice, his touch and the dreamy moment their lips had reconnected after thirteen long years. She brusquely pulled the handset off its charger.
“Hello,” she mumbled.
“You dark horse.” Her mother screeched so loudly into her ear that any chance of Claire dozing off again was instantly undone. “How could you not tell me?”
Oh, no! Her mother must somehow have found out about Jonah. She’d always told her when she was growing up that she had ‘eyes on the back of her head’ and now Claire was actually starting to believe her. Had she been outside the Dorchester, or in Hyde Park, or driving along Park Lane? Or perhaps that wasn’t it at all. Claire clapped a hand over her mouth. Paparazzi had been hanging around outside the entrance to Nobu but they hadn’t appeared even remotely interested as she and Jonah had left. It’s not as if Jonah’s star was in the ascendant any more. Who could possibly be interested in him? Or was she being naive?
“Oh no,” Claire groaned. “Don’t tell me I’m in the papers.”
“Papers?” her mother sounded confused. “I don’t know about any papers. But you’ve been on the TV all morning. Every fifteen minutes.”
Every fifteen minutes? Claire sat bolt upright and scanned her room for the remote control.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re making gooseberry fool on Morning Cuppa . And oh, darling, what a mess with the fruit and the milk and the whisk……..shame, you poor thing. But I thought you looked lovely if that’s any consolation? And so did your father.”
Ah, there was the remote, on her dressing table. Miriam must have moved it. Claire jumped out of bed to grab it, aiming it at the TV set as she pressed the ‘On’ button. She clicked
“I have to admit something,” he said.
She nodded, eyes still tightly sealed. Here it comes, she thought. He’d given her the good stuff and was now about to deliver bad news, to tell her he was in a new relationship or something. She didn’t want to see him as he said it.
“You know I think you’re beautiful,” he continued. “But, I have to admit, I prefer you without make-up.”
Her eyes snapped open as she giggled.
“I don’t normally wear make-up. This was put on me this morning for some silly screen test Georgia put me up to.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“It was nothing,” she brushed it off.
She wanted to close her eyes again, but his gaze held her magnetically. She wasn’t sure if her thirty-seven year old heart could keep up the cracking pace it was now thumping at and she knew she must look ridiculous. Her lower lip was quivering uncontrollably and her porcelain make-up was no doubt now a streaky mess. Idiot , why hadn’t she removed it before coming? She couldn’t stop herself from looking down at his mouth, his luscious, thick, sensual lips. No-one’s lips had ever matched up to his, either before or after. It was as if he could read her mind.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said.
She clamped her eyes back shut and nodded.
“I can’t watch,” she whispered.
She waited for so long that she considered telling him to hurry up, but then she felt his teeth gently take her lower lip in its grip, as if trying to stop the tremor. When she’d calmed down, he released it, pulled away for a second and she could feel the smile on his lips as he crushed his mouth deliciously into hers.
CHAPTER FOUR
Twelve hours later the phone rang, stirring Claire rudely from slumber. She’d been looking forward to a lie-in. 09.00. Ugh. She’d got back late and slept only fitfully. The evening’s dramas had been playing on a loop in her mind - Jonah’s voice, his touch and the dreamy moment their lips had reconnected after thirteen long years. She brusquely pulled the handset off its charger.
“Hello,” she mumbled.
“You dark horse.” Her mother screeched so loudly into her ear that any chance of Claire dozing off again was instantly undone. “How could you not tell me?”
Oh, no! Her mother must somehow have found out about Jonah. She’d always told her when she was growing up that she had ‘eyes on the back of her head’ and now Claire was actually starting to believe her. Had she been outside the Dorchester, or in Hyde Park, or driving along Park Lane? Or perhaps that wasn’t it at all. Claire clapped a hand over her mouth. Paparazzi had been hanging around outside the entrance to Nobu but they hadn’t appeared even remotely interested as she and Jonah had left. It’s not as if Jonah’s star was in the ascendant any more. Who could possibly be interested in him? Or was she being naive?
“Oh no,” Claire groaned. “Don’t tell me I’m in the papers.”
“Papers?” her mother sounded confused. “I don’t know about any papers. But you’ve been on the TV all morning. Every fifteen minutes.”
Every fifteen minutes? Claire sat bolt upright and scanned her room for the remote control.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re making gooseberry fool on Morning Cuppa . And oh, darling, what a mess with the fruit and the milk and the whisk……..shame, you poor thing. But I thought you looked lovely if that’s any consolation? And so did your father.”
Ah, there was the remote, on her dressing table. Miriam must have moved it. Claire jumped out of bed to grab it, aiming it at the TV set as she pressed the ‘On’ button. She clicked
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