know her, to build on this weekend and see where it can go. But I don’t want to come on too strong and ruin it or rush her. She’s delicate, still hurting for her ex, and she likely isn’t ready to trust another man after he broke her heart so carelessly. I need to tread carefully.
We went into this weekend with boundaries and a clear agenda to get what we wanted. For me though, that agenda has changed. I want her. I want more.
Have I done enough this weekend to claw her attention from her ex? Who knows? Maybe this weekend is the start of something for her too.
God, I hope so.
I spend most of the flight sketching her, my spare hand wrapped around her thigh as she absentmindedly trails her fingers up and down my wrist and reads her book. It’s luxurious.
Once we land and disembark, we head through customs. I walk her to the taxi rank and feel my heart sinking with every step because I don’t want to say goodbye.
Stopping next to the kerb, I reach out and touch her hip, hooking my finger into her pocket and giving it a playful tug. “Thank you for coming with me this weekend. I had a really great time with you.” There’s so much truth in that sentence. I had a blast, something I never thought I would say about the wedding I had been dreading for the last year.
She smiles up at me and pushes some stray hair back into her messy bun before shouldering her massive handbag. “I did too.”
Okay, Theo, just man up and ask! “So”—I take a deep breath—“when am I seeing you again?” I mentally cross my fingers and look at her hopefully.
Her forehead creases with a frown. “Um, next Saturday, at my dad’s party,” she says sarcastically. “You’d better not be punking out of our agreement now that I’ve fulfilled my part! I have a signed contract; don’t make me sue you for everything you own.” She purses her lips and jokingly slaps my chest.
I catch her hand and hold it against my chest, pulling her closer to me. “Of course I’m not punking out. I just thought … maybe we could meet up before then. Hang out?” Or make out.
Understanding crosses her face. “Oh! I’m not sure I’ll have the time this week. It’s gonna be manic with work because I took Thursday and Friday off last week.” She smiles apologetically, her hand giving mine a gentle squeeze. “Plus, didn’t you say Cambridge was, like, an hour away on the train?” She scrunches her nose and shrugs. “There’s no point in you travelling all the way to London just to see me.”
There’s every point in the world, Luce.
“Okay. It was just a thought.” I force a smile, trying to cover my disappointment. No, it’s not disappointment. I’ll admit I’m the tiniest bit devastated by her knock-back. I thought maybe I’d done enough, but obviously, she’s not ready to move on yet.
A taxi pulls up next to us, the driver rolling down his window and expectantly looking at us. I nod at him and grip Lucie’s suitcase, stowing it in the boot for her.
Stubbing my toe against the pavement, I clear my throat. “So, you’ll let me know about the party? You said posh, so I’m thinking … suit and tie?”
If so, I’ll have to raid Jared’s wardrobe again while he’s away. Luckily, I have a key to their apartment.
Lucie nods and turns her nose up. “It will be a bit posh, yeah. Mostly my dad’s business contacts and stuff. I’ll book you a hotel somewhere near my flat, so we can share a taxi on the way back. You won’t want to get a train home that late, so you might as well stay in London for the night. I’ll text you the details once I’ve booked it.”
Ouch. I’m not even staying with her. “Sounds good.”
She smiles widely and wraps her arms around me, hugging me tightly, pressing her face into my neck. My heart thumps in my chest as I hug her back, tracing one hand up to cup the back of her head, my other arm clamped around her waist, holding her against me. Her smell makes the hair on the nape of my neck stand on end. It’s delicious. I drop a kiss onto her temple, letting my lips linger there, savouring every last millisecond.
“I’ll see you next Saturday then, Luce.”
“Thanks for an epic weekend. I had a great