God, she wanted a bite. And not just of the croissant.
As if he could read her mind, he held it out to her. ‘Believe me, if you eat with Cameron every day you’ll be more than healthy but not very happy. Or full. And definitely not satisfied. Besides, the brain is made up of sixty per cent fat—we need it to think, work, be. So come on, just a mouthful. This is delicious. All that butter. So good.’ He bent and rummaged in the bread bin again, pulled out another pastry. ‘Oh, look, here’s one with chocolate. Chocolate for breakfast—sinful. In the Bahamas...in the sunshine. Just a small piece. Come on...I promise not to tell a soul.’
‘Oh, go on, then, just a little bit. I have zero will-power.’ She laughed, taking the pain au chocolat and tearing off a piece, which she unashamedly popped into her mouth. It was indeed delicious. ‘So you’re being my enabler now? The chocolate is the gateway drug, then the croissant is the road to hell.’
He dipped his head to look her directly in the eyes. ‘I’m just trying to be friendly. The way I see it, we have to get along here. We have a small house and we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. Either we try to put the kiss behind us and make a fresh start, or one of us will have to explain to Cameron our predicament and ask to bunk in with her. I can’t see that going down well. But I can’t live with tension and awkwardness here either.’
Again the direct approach. It was confronting, but also refreshing. She studied him for a moment. Those dark blue eyes weren’t playing her, but actually genuinely trying to reach a solution. She could do this. ‘Okay. Fresh start.’
‘Great. Eat. Good?’
Was it rude to tear it apart with her teeth? ‘Oh, God, yes. Brain food? Just think how much more clever I’ll be after eating it.’
‘I didn’t say it would make you more clever. But what the hell...if it makes you eat, genius. Now, if only I had something to drink too...’
‘Oh, your coffee...I forgot.’ She put the pastry down for a moment while she found him a purple plastic capsule and set the machine. In a few moments the sounds of gurgling filled the silence.
Once he’d finished eating he gave her a satisfied smile. ‘I was just talking to Tina up at the house. She says there’s some excellent snorkelling over near Lyford Cay. If we had time we could charter a boat and go further offshore, but we only have a couple hours—there’s still some interesting fish just off the beach. You fancy heading off and having a look? We can take a couple of motor scooters.’
‘What? Now?’ Up close and personal with a semi-naked Jake? No way. Once was bad enough. Or, rather, good enough. Too good. That wasn’t her idea of a fresh start. ‘What about Cameron?’
‘Well, we’re here to work, but we can’t work if the boss isn’t around, now, can we?’ He shook his head. ‘Have you ever snorkelled in the Bahamas before? Ridden a motor scooter?’
Sharing a standing-up breakfast was one thing, sharing a half-naked adventure was something altogether different. ‘Snorkelling? Motor scooters? My job isn’t the same as yours, Jake, waiting around until someone gets sick. I have other things to do. Lots of things.’
‘Can they wait?’
‘Says the self-confessed workaholic.’
‘Yes, I am... But Tina said if we do nothing else while we’re here we must do some snorkelling. She has all the gear. And I’m hardly extending my surgical skills sitting around here, am I? What will I do...? Practise my injection technique on an orange?’
He picked up an orange from the fruit bowl and threw it into the air and caught it. Then picked up another and juggled the two. Then three. His arms flexed as he threw and caught in effortless yet hypnotising fluid movements. She could see his back muscles tighten and release, his shoulders working, the wry smile as he concentrated, almost meditative. God, he was...well, her gut prickled with heat. She became acutely aware that there was just the two of them here. That kiss may have been put aside, but the way it made it her feel hadn’t been. Her fingers shook as she started to fill the dishwasher just to do something other than watch him. He caught the oranges in one hand and smiled again.
‘You did that?’ Her voice was thick with need. She coughed, tried not to think about his body, lowered her voice an octave. ‘You injected oranges?’
‘Yes, to get the angle right. And practised my suturing on pigskin...then on humans...my classmates, myself...’ He put the oranges back, serious again. ‘Okay, you’re right. I hear you on the work issue. I have to catch up on some reading and there’s research I’m assisting with...’
For just a few minutes he’d been carefree and fun, and she didn’t want to lose that Jake to a serious Jake. But how could she go with him when she felt like this? ‘It sounds lovely...maybe another time. Tomorrow, if we get a chance. There’s a list of errands I need to do today. I can’t take off and play. Besides, we have the dogs to think about.’
‘Tina could have the dogs. I could help you with the errands when we get back.’
Lola lifted her smartphone from the countertop and scrolled through her task list. ‘Because finding a decent manicurist on Nassau who can drop everything and come over as Cameron requires is the kind of thing you do every day.’
‘Whoa. I didn’t realise it would be that kind of difficult.’ He looked horrified, eyes wide and panicked. ‘That sounds way out of my comfort zone. Give me something easier to do, I don’t know...negotiate world peace? But first snorkel?’
What could she say? I’d like to, but if there was ever a possibility of drowning in lust I’d be victim number one. ‘I just...’
‘You just what?’ He was scrutinising her face, his jaw taut, eyes narrowed. Then his whole body stilled. ‘Ah. I get it, now. You just...don’t want to snorkel with me, that right? Sorry I took so long to catch on.’ Grabbing his half-finished coffee, he started to walk outside to the deck and the mood turned decidedly dark. ‘I hear ya, loud and clear, Lola. I won’t bother you again.’
He’d gone way past serious Jake and was somewhere on the edge of angry Jake. She followed him outside, feeling hollowed out. ‘Jake, I do want to go snorkelling. It sounds fun. I’ll come. I was trying to be dedicated to my work... You of all people know how that is.’ Did he believe her?
‘Yeah, I do. But, you know, for one second there I thought, Let’s stuff work for a while. But don’t worry, I’ll go on my own.’
‘No. No, I’ll come. I want to, really. I’m sorry. Please.’
He looked at her, weighing up her words. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking and her stomach knotted. But eventually he nodded, his enthusiasm around twenty per cent of what it had been. ‘Okay. Let’s think time management, then. How about one-hour blocks? One hour to snorkel. One hour to travel there and back, shower... One hour for work?’
‘Okay. I’ll get my things ready.’
He nodded, but the oomph had leached out of him. ‘I’ll take the pups up to Tina, then meet you at the garages—apparently there’s every kind of vehicle we might need in there.’
Looked like she didn’t have a choice.
* * *
This was the worst damned idea he’d had in years.
Jake
