Three Amazing Things About You(29)

‘Lena. I’ll let it ring. If it’s urgent, she’ll leave a message.’

The ringing stopped. Zander put the phone down on the coffee table as gingerly as if it were a small grenade.

Five seconds later, they both jumped as it began to ring again.

‘Better answer it,’ said Flo. Answering phones was a particular weakness of hers.

‘Hi, what is it?’ Zander listened to the garbled words on the other end of the line. Finally he said, ‘OK, calm down, I’m on my way. I’ll be there in ten minutes.’ There was another garbled bit, then, ‘I’m having dinner. With a friend.’ Pause. ‘Never mind who. I’m leaving now.’

He ended the call and looked at Flo. ‘She’s locked out. Forgot to take her key with her. Again.’

‘It’s freezing out there. You have to go.’

‘She’s always forgetting her key.’ Zander glanced at the remains of the food as he rose to his feet.

‘Just as well we’d pretty much finished here.’ There was hardly anything left in the cartons, and only an inch of wine in the bottle.’

He checked his watch. ‘Unless . . . well, it’s only eleven fifteen. I could go and let her in, then come back . . .?’

‘OK, you really want to be careful what you say to a thirty-two-year-old female desperate to have a baby.’ The moment the words were out of her mouth, Flo wished she could cram them back in. Oh God, what had possessed her?

Except the practically empty bottle on the table was giving her one of those who-are-you-kidding? looks.

‘Eurgh, sorry about that,’ said Flo. ‘It was meant to be funny, not scare the life out of you. Just one of those things that accidentally bursts out.’ As if her brain was so full to the brim with lustful thoughts about him that she’d simply been unable to contain herself.

‘No problem.’ Zander was pushing his fingers through his hair, looking taken aback and somewhat embarrassed too. ‘So . . . um, should I let my sister into the flat and come back for a coffee, or shall we just leave it?’

OK, officially awkward. The poor man was undoubtedly terrified of her now.

‘Probably better leave it. I mean, it’s gone eleven and I have to be up at six tomorrow . . .’ Which made her sound even more hopelessly geriatric than the residents of Nairn House.

‘Right, yes, that makes sense. That’s fine. I’ll be off then.’ Zander reached for his jacket and put it on.

Downstairs at the front door, he paused and gave Flo a polite kiss on the cheek, which made her face tingle and her heart quicken. And it was still beating at quite a rate, thanks to her earlier faux pas.

Plus, his eyes were so incredibly blue.

‘Thanks. It’s been a nice evening.’ Zander paused. ‘I’ve enjoyed myself.’

And now she was super-aware of his left hand resting lightly on her shoulder. Her cheeks heating up, Flo nodded and said, ‘It was good fun.’

She opened the door and let him out, shivering as a blast of icy air enveloped them both. ‘Bye then.’

Zander raised his hand in farewell. ‘Bye.’

Flo closed the door, made her way back upstairs and crossed the living room to the window. There he was, walking away up Caledonia Place with a purposeful stride. She touched the side of her face where he’d kissed it, reimagining the sensation of—

Whoops, and now he’d stopped, turned round and was looking up at her window. Torn between leaping back and ducking down, Flo did both, lost her balance and toppled backwards on to the carpet.

Like an ungainly upturned beetle.

From his position on the sofa, Jeremy looked on impassively, too underwhelmed to even bother swishing his tail. Flo grinned at how she must appear to him; at least no one human was here to witness her shame. Spotting a couple of stray grains of rice on the carpet, she rolled into a sitting position, picked them up and levered herself to her feet.

The doorbell shrilled and she froze. What? What? Heart thumping, she crossed the room, pressed the intercom and said, ‘Who is it?’

‘Me. I forgot something.’

What could he have forgotten? She buzzed open the front door and heard Zander’s footsteps on the stairs.

And then he was standing before her. She gazed up at him, feeling the cold air emanating from his body, simultaneously breathing in the scent of his skin.

He drew her to him and kissed her on the mouth. Oh, oh wow, this was amazing . . . the cool, firm pressure of his lips and the warmth of his tongue were having a mesmerising effect, his hand was cupping the back of her head and she could feel his own heart beating against her chest . . .

He pulled away at last, the side of his thumb gently stroking her cheek. ‘I didn’t have the nerve to do that before. It wasn’t until I turned round and saw you watching me from the window that I plucked up the courage to come back.’