leaned on one crutch as he brushed his bent knuckles down her cheek. ‘She’s a bit like you. You can be prickly and unfriendly until you establish trust. Maybe she recognised that same quality in you.’
Kat turned and hung up his coat as she thought about it. She straightened out the sleeves, dusted off an imaginary bit of lint from the back and turned to look at him again. ‘What would you like for dinner?’
He was looking at her strangely. There was a slight frown between his eyes and his mouth had lost its easy smile. Then he did a slow blink and refocused. ‘Sorry, did you say something?’
‘I asked what you wanted for dinner,’ Kat said. ‘I didn’t have time to pick anything up after the rehearsal, but I can go out now to the convenience store and—’
‘No,’ he said. ‘This has gone on long enough. You don’t need to wait on me hand and foot. I can order something in but only if you’ll stay and share it with me.’
Would that be all that she was sharing? The thought of spending another night in his bed was tempting. More than tempting. But what if what Elisabetta had said was true? That he would only have her in his bed when it suited him? How long would it suit him? A week? A month? Until Richard’s party was over?
Why are you stressing about how long he wants to sleep with you? It’s a fling. They’re not meant to last long.
I’m not stressing. I’m just wondering...
You’re in too deep. You know you are. You’ve got feelings for him, deep, scary feelings that involve weddings and babies and a white picket fence.
I want a career first. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.
So you keep saying.
When the food arrived, Kat set it up in the dining room. Once they were both seated, Flynn raised his wine glass to hers. ‘To the most beautiful new talent to hit London’s West End.’
Kat gave a self-deprecating snort. ‘I don’t know about that. I’ve got so much to learn. It’s a big step up from toilet-paper ads to playing Sylvia.’
‘You got that part on your merit.’
She fingered the bottom of her glass. ‘Did I? Or did Elisabetta choose me because she wants to get back at Richard by publicly humiliating me?’
He put his hand over hers, stilling its restless fidgeting. ‘Look at me, Kat.’ His eyes were dark and serious. ‘Whatever her reasons were, you have to take control now. It’s up to you. Actors have to deal with difficult casting arrangements all the time. Good actors don’t bring their personal life to the stage. You have to be Sylvia on that stage, not Richard Ravensdale’s love child. Understood?’
Kat let out a wobbly breath. ‘You’re right. You’re so right.’ She smiled. ‘Thanks for the pep talk. If ever you get sick of practising law, you could be a life coach.’
His smile was rueful as he pulled his hand back from hers. ‘Yeah, well, I’m good at sorting out other people’s problems. It’s different when it’s closer to home.’
Kat searched his features for a beat. ‘Is there something you’re struggling with? Personally, I mean?’
His expression closed like curtains on a stage. ‘No.’
His answer was too abrupt, too definite. Was he having second thoughts about their relationship? Did he want it to end sooner rather than later?
They ate in a companionable silence but Kat got the feeling he was mulling over something. Every time she glanced at him he was frowning. It would relax whenever he caught her looking at him, and his smile would quickly replace it, but it only lifted half of his mouth.
Was his foot annoying him? Slowing him down at work? Her guilt over injuring him came back with a vengeance. Everything had changed between them once she had run over his foot. The dynamic of their relationship had changed. They had gone from enemies—at least on her part, that was—to lovers. Intimate partners in a fling-relationship that had a scarily loose time frame. It never used to bother her when she’d had temporary relationships in the past. It was just how things were. She had never felt a pressing ache in her chest at the thought of it ending. She had never envisaged a future together where she could have it all: the career, the loving and supportive husband, the kids, the house and the pets.
But now, after just one night sleeping in Flynn’s bed, she realised how much she wanted to repeat it. To spend not just one night but many nights, all the nights that were allotted to her on this earth.
But what did he want? He had made it clear he wasn’t going to settle down. Even Elisabetta, who knew him well, had said the same.
‘I bought you something today,’ Flynn said into the silence.
Kat looked up in surprise. ‘What? Why?’
He leaned back in his chair to reach for a small package on the sideboard she hadn’t even noticed was there when she’d come in to set the table. He handed the package to her with an unreadable look. ‘Actually, it’s from Cricket,’ he said. ‘For taking him for all those walks.’
Kat unpeeled the satin ribbon and the paper to find a jewellery box from a well-known jeweller inside. Her heart flip-flopped. Jewellery? What sort of jewellery? She tentatively opened the box and found a beautiful tortured pearl on a delicately crafted white-gold chain. The pearl was irregular in shape but she knew from reading about them somewhere that each one was completely unique. Was he telling her something by this lovely gift? That he saw her as unique and special? She looked across at him. ‘I don’t know what to say...it’s beautiful. But you shouldn’t have bothered.’
‘Cricket insisted,’ Flynn said. ‘Anyway, it’s just a trinket.’
A trinket? Kat looked back at the gorgeous pearl. This was no throwaway trinket. This would have cost a packet. She had never been given jewellery as a gift before. In fact, as far as gifts went, she had received very few over the course of her twenty-three years. Her mother had never had enough spare cash for presents, and certainly none of Kat’s past boyfriends had ever gifted her with anything—not so much as a bunch of flowers.
Kat leaned down to where Cricket was sitting at her feet waiting in hopeful enthusiasm for a titbit to be offered his way. ‘Thank you, Cricket,’ she said, ruffling his funny ears. ‘You’ve made me feel very special. I’ll treasure this for always.’
Cricket yapped as if he understood every word she said and then did one of his crazy little twirls.
‘Mad dog,’ Flynn said with a relaxed smile.
Kat met his gaze across the table again. ‘I think he’s the nicest dog I’ve ever met.’
Are you talking about the dog or him?
The dog... Okay, both.
Sucker.
Kat lifted the pearl and its chain out of the box and trailed it across her palm. ‘Does Cricket buy all your lovers gifts?’
‘You’re the first because I’ve only had him since Christmas.’
She put the pearl back in its box and gently
