what was she doing here…?
She knew the answer to that only too well; Nick had read the signs, he had just chosen to ignore them. And he had decided to make her ignore them too.
But not any more. ‘Exactly,’ she told him determinedly, bending to pick her bag up from the floor. ‘Now, if you will excuse me—’ She broke off as Nick reached out and took a firm grasp of her arm, looking first at his hand against the paleness of her skin, and then across at the man himself. ‘Would you please let me go?’ she demanded evenly.
‘In a minute.’ He nodded abruptly, making no attempt to set her free. ‘Joey, don’t let one bad experience sour the rest of your life,’ he told her huskily.
‘One bad experience?’ she returned mockingly.
‘However many there have been,’ he dismissed impatiently.
Joey wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that! ‘Actually, personally, there’s only been the one,’ she conceded grudgingly. ‘But I’ve seen dozens of other terrible relationships to know it’s a lottery out there, and that the man usually has the advantage.’ She shook her head. ‘I used to say that if I ever “came back” I wanted to be a man. But then I gave it a little more thought—and realised that by the time that happened the women would probably be in charge!’ She grinned at the thought.
‘I think you would get on well with my sister,’ Nick said, finally releasing her. ‘She is of similar sentiments,’ he explained ruefully as Joey sank back down into her chair.
‘You have a sister?’ Joey asked interestedly. And not just because it would turn the conversation away from her for a while; she was interested in this man in spite of herself!
Nick gave a grin. ‘And a mother and father,’ he admitted sardonically. ‘In fact, I went up to London and had dinner with them all last night,’ he added drily, brows arched over teasing brown eyes as he saw Joey’s look of surprise. ‘Not the “heavy date” you had in mind?’ he taunted lightly.
Not exactly, no, she inwardly acknowledged. ‘Tell me about them,’ she invited softly, relaxing back in her seat now that Nick no longer had that grip on her arm. But, as before, her skin tingled where he had touched her…
‘Not a lot to tell, really.’ He shrugged. ‘My father is something in the City; my mother is the perfect wife and mother. My sister is two years older than me, editor on a newspaper, divorced—and intending to stay that way,’ he revealed drily.
Joey gave a rueful smile. ‘There’s a lot of it about!’
‘Unfortunately, yes,’ Nick agreed heavily. ‘It’s a bit tough on us men when all you women have decided that marriage and motherhood aren’t for you,’ he explained wryly.
Her mouth twisted. ‘I’ve usually found it’s the other way round—marriage and fatherhood aren’t for you!’ she explained as he raised his brows questioningly.
He shrugged. ‘Speaking personally—’
‘I really do have to go, Nick,’ she cut in firmly—she didn’t want to know how he ‘personally’ felt about the subject. Or any subject, for that matter. In fact, the conversation had become altogether too personal for two people who had only met briefly the previous evening! ‘I have some shopping to do before my two-thirty appointment,’ she added, at the same time taking some money from her bag to pay for her lunch.
‘Don’t,’ Nick warned softly as she would have put the money on the table. ‘I think I can manage to pay for a sandwich you haven’t eaten,’ he added mockingly at her questioning look.
No doubt he could, but it was a fact that most men expected you to pay your own way, even for a sandwich! ‘Thank you,’ she accepted, putting the money back in her bag.
Nick chuckled softly. ‘Very graciously done, Joey. Even if it did almost kill you!’ he added, still laughing.
Joey returned his smile. ‘It was that obvious, was it?’
‘I don’t know what sort of men you’ve met in the past, Joey—’ Nick shook his head ruefully ‘—but when I take you out I’ll do the paying.’
When he…? But this was a one-off—wasn’t it…?
‘Don’t look so worried, Joey.’ Nick reached out and lightly touched her hand as it rested on the table. ‘I only want to invite you to have dinner with me this evening.’
The intensity of his gaze easily held hers, and Joey found that her breathing suddenly seemed laboured, her hand once again tingling where he touched her.
What was it about this man that caused her to react in this way? Oh, he was very attractive, ruggedly so, and he could also be extremely charming; that smile could melt even the most hardened of hearts. But even so…
‘Don’t say no, Joey,’ he urged tensely.
She gave a regretful smile. ‘I’m afraid I have to. ‘I—I already have a date for this evening,’ she revealed reluctantly. Her arranged meeting with David Banning this evening couldn’t exactly be described as a date, but she didn’t know how else to explain it; saying she had to meet the American uncle of her daughter would be revealing too much.
‘I see.’ Nick abruptly released her hand as he sat back in his chair, his gaze narrowed on her speculatively now.
‘I doubt it.’ Joey shook her head. ‘Would you rather I had said I was washing my hair this evening?’ she added impatiently as he continued to look at her in that insulting way.
He shook his head. ‘So much for all those brave words on the worthlessness of men!’ he scorned.
Her cheeks became flushed. ‘I don’t believe I actually said that!’ she defended heatedly. ‘Besides…’ she broke off, biting her bottom lip.
There was no way she could explain about David Banning without totally letting her defences down. And she had needed those the last seven years. Needed them still!
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she dismissed briskly as she stood up. ‘Thank you for lunch,’ she added challengingly.
Nick nodded. ‘You’re welcome,’ he returned tightly.
Leaving Joey with no choice but to walk out of the sandwich bar with as much dignity as she could muster. Which was quite a lot, really. She had needed her pride the last seven years, too!
Another potential romance blown, she accepted ruefully to herself as she wandered around the supermarket picking up something for Lily’s tea—not a Mason’s supermarket; she refused, as a matter of principle, to use that particular chain of supermarkets!
It was a pity, really, that she and Nick had parted so badly, because she quite liked him—actually, more than liked him. There was a physical awareness between the two of them that was impossible to deny. Although there was no guarantee that it would ever have been any more than that, she argued with herself. Even if she had wanted it to be. Which she probably didn’t…
Probably? Get a grip, Joey, she admonished herself. Nick was thirty-five, still single, so what did that tell her about him?
That
