Lost in You. Sommer Marsden

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СКАЧАТЬ very much but –’

      ‘There is no replacement for dad,’ he said. ‘Trust me, I get it.’

      ‘Anyway, I guess I saw one too many Disney movies because I used to imagine seeing us dancing up there in those globes. I fantasised that one day it would come true. That my father would come back and dance with me. Somewhere. Sometime.’

      But my mother and I were not my father’s cup of tea, it seemed. There were flights to be had to exotic places, deals to be made, a life to be lived. He went off and continued to live his and my mother raised me right.

      ‘Did you ever meet him?’ Dorian asked, breaking up my internal pity party.

      I forced myself to look right at him but I cheated and stared at the bridge of his nose instead. ‘No. I’ve never met him. And at this point I really don’t want to.’

      He nodded briskly and stood, set his wine down near the bench and held out his hand. ‘Clover Brite?’

      I swallowed hard. ‘Um … what?’

      ‘May I have this dance?’

      He started humming even as I took his hand. I felt silly and chaotic inside. It was wonderful. Dancing with a man who looked like Dorian would be memorable. I could only pray I didn’t trip over my own feet before we could actually dance.

      He pulled me to him, his hand chivalrously against my lower back. He held my right hand, not stiffly and formally but close to his chest, and pressed his cheek to mine. We danced.

      I shut my eyes and simply let myself be. I didn’t want to analyse this situation, I wanted to cherish it.

      He hummed softly and we rocked. It wasn’t a big shiny dance number, it was subtle. It wasn’t that flashy movie moment, it was two people holding each other and moving just a bit as a storm raged outside.

      ‘What are you humming?’ I whispered. It felt right to whisper.

      ‘You don’t recognise it?’

      I inhaled deeply and the scent of Dorian Martin filled my head. It was magical. It made me feel unhinged in the most wonderful way.

      ‘I do but I can’t quite put my finger on it.’

      ‘My mother used to play it endlessly when I was growing up. On an album, no less.’

      That made me laugh. ‘You really are ancient, right?’

      He chuckled. I felt him kiss my hair and desire, sudden and startling, hit me. I tried to remember wanting a man the way I found myself wanting this one. I couldn’t recall a single instance.

      ‘I know. Old as dirt.’ Then he turned me slowly and I could see the empty marquee over his shoulder. He hummed a bit more and then, softly, ‘Strangers in the Night …’

      I smiled. ‘Only it’s not night.’

      ‘Sounds better than strangers in the rainy afternoon.’

      ‘Strangers in a monsoon?’ I teased.

      ‘It’s actually a super-storm. Like a sci-fi movie.’

      ‘When does the octosharkogator arrive?’

      ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. Up close his eyes were a true evergreen. He watched me intently. I’d never felt more naked. Especially while utterly clothed and upright.

      ‘Oh.’ I’d run out of pithy responses.

      ‘But I know I’d better do this before it gets here.’

      We didn’t stop moving. We kept rocking gently, more of a cooperative sway than a dance, as he pushed his hands into my hair and held my head. His mouth was warm and soft and tasted of sweet red wine.

      When he kissed me, I felt something in me crumble. Some part that I had fought to hold tight to, calm and stiff against all worry and loneliness. I had my grandmother, sure, but that was all I had. I treasured her but it was no substitute for some kind of romantic attachment in my life. I didn’t need a knight in shining armour, but a person to share things with wouldn’t hurt. It was a fact I rarely let myself examine. A craving I rarely let myself surrender to.

      I kissed him back and the hunger in that kiss scared me. It was terrifying, in that moment, how my hands roamed over him and my heart beat just for him. How the sound I made was a very simple broadcast of desire. Normally I’d have been mortified, horrified, embarrassed.

      I wasn’t. I was happy right there, right then, in his arms as the weather raged on.

       Chapter Eight

      ‘Come on,’ I said. I took his hand and led him up the ramps. As he followed I could feel him studying me.

      ‘Clover. I don’t want you to think that you have –’

      I turned quickly. ‘You’re not going to imply that I think if I don’t kiss you – indulge you – whatever you want to call it … That if I don’t do that my job would be in trouble … are you?’

      He looked at his feet, a small smile curling his lips. ‘I just want you to understand that I kissed you because I wanted to. But I don’t expect … you don’t have to …’ He shook his head. ‘Damn. I’m usually pretty suave with those crazy things called words.’

      I could stand there and feel awkward or I could move. I grabbed his hand again, letting my giddiness sweep me along, and said, ‘I kissed you back because I wanted to. Now let me show you this. There are perks to nosing around a giant empty shopping structure. Not that I’m nosy.’ I coughed. But then I giggled. ‘It was all in the name of keeping your property safe.’

      ‘Of course,’ he said. I glanced at him and found him smiling at me.

      I really liked his smile.

      ‘Oh, hush. So once in a while I like to run around here like the little girl I once was.’ As soon as I said it, I stopped short.

      Dorian stopped abruptly too. ‘What’s wrong?’

      ‘That doesn’t make you …’ I sighed. Why did I talk out loud? Why had I told him all that just now?

      ‘What?’

      ‘Does that make you trust me less? With this job?’

      He looked confused and then amused. ‘Good God, no. I am the nosiest person on earth. And Clover, I’d expect you to know your job. Inside and out. All the nooks and crannies.’ He touched my hand.

      ‘OK. Because I take this job seriously. I take it all seriously. It means the world to me.’

      That didn’t sound sad and lonely or anything.

      ‘I know that. And I trust you. More than just about anyone in my employ.’ He glanced up at the small green projection-room door on the very top ramp. It was marked СКАЧАТЬ