The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin Page 0,57

turned the phone over on her knee and put her hand over it, both helpless and irritated. There was nothing she could do from here.

‘You could switch it off,’ he suggested in another one of those low, intimate whispers, laying an unexpected hand over hers guarding the phone.

‘I could,’ she replied, conscious of the warm touch of his fingers lightly settled on hers. He regarded her with a steady gaze and she felt her rib cage lift and tighten as she held her breath. God, he was still as gorgeous as ever. Those eyes. So blue. She sucked in the breath, giving herself a stern talking to. Stop imagining things again, Fiona. With a calm smile she said, ‘But all those messages would still be there when I switched it on. It’s better to keep responding. If I ignore her she’ll work herself up into an even bigger state. It’s easier to keep pace with them.’

‘How about trying to distract her?’ Gabe’s mouth quirked with sympathy. ‘That’s always a good technique.’ He tapped his index finger on her hand on the phone. ‘Send her pictures of the view.’

Relieved to slide her hand out from under his before she did something silly and misinterpret his touch, she picked up her camera and took a couple of shots from the window. ‘Good idea.’

She forgot to whisper and the man in the row next to them turned their way and gave them a fierce, disapproving stare.

‘I don’t suppose you can block your own mother,’ Gabe leaned in and whispered in her ear. Even at this low tone his words resonated with mischief and his warm breath brushed a little too close to her skin.

‘Don’t tempt me,’ she whispered back, horribly aware of how close their faces were. She could see the little dark flecks around the iris of those almost navy-blue eyes as they danced with wicked amusement as if daring her to go right ahead.

‘Tell her that the train goes so fast it doesn’t get a signal so you’ll be offline for the next couple of hours.’ The fine lines around his eyes crinkled in naughty challenge.

She stared up at him with reluctant admiration and as they stared at each other, again something tightened in her stomach. ‘That’s a terribly good idea,’ she whispered in an over jolly way, trying to compensate for the rush of something inappropriate currently coursing through her body. Don’t make that mistake again, Fiona. Quickly she looked away and busied herself sending another message to her mother. She noticed Gabe stuffing his earphones back in and closing his eyes. See? It didn’t mean anything to him.

Thankfully that last message gave her a reprieve for the rest of the journey. Following Gabe’s example, she plugged her own earphones in and began to listen to Miles Jupp and the team, every now and then breaking into silent laughter before her eyelids drooped. It had been an early start and she gave in, switching off her phone and nestling into the seat.

Just as she’d settled into a light doze she jerked awake at the familiar, irritating, silent buzz but realised it was Gabe’s phone. He stared down at the screen and hesitated as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to pick it up. She saw the name Yumi flashing on the screen, along with a tiny avatar of a close up of her gorgeous face. Gabe turned the phone over and tapped his fingers on his jean-clad thigh. A few seconds later the phone rang again. His mouth tightened.

When the phone rang for the third time, Fiona lifted her face to his.

‘Aren’t you going to answer that?’ she whispered, aware that the carriage was still silent and her words were pretty redundant. ‘Or switch your phone off?’

She regretted her words when she met his steady, unapproachable stare and her stomach flipped again, this time with a touch of nerves. He seemed so cold and unapproachable. Where was the earlier teasing warmth?

She dropped her gaze to his fingers tap-tap-tapping with a slow drumbeat on his leg. It felt as if she were sitting next to a tiger who might lash out at any moment. Each time he examined the screen there was a little frown of frustration etching a deep furrow in his forehead. The phone rang again and this time he snatched it up and rose from his seat, walking in quick jerky strides down the carriage. Fiona had noticed quite a few people walking up and down and realised