His Irresistible Darling - Sarah Randall Page 0,64
have run from the room if he’d managed to get his words out before her. Christ didn’t that just make him sound weak?!
So, why was she hiding from him now? Regretting what they’d done last night? He’d been so close to putting his heart on the line for the very first time to reassure her that despite the numerous hurdles they’d face in having a relationship, he wanted to do it and he just prayed she was on board with that plan. A plan that had evaporated like smoke the moment she’d uttered one little word and all but run into the bathroom, her face ashen. He paced his room and raked a hand through his hair while he tried to come up with a Plan B.
It terrified him that she might think that he wasn’t even boyfriend material, that she hadn’t even entertained the idea. How many times had she made reference to his older age and general stuffiness? An easy-going, relaxed, carefree persona; that’s what he assumed she’d want from a prospective partner—from him if he dared to allow that thought.
He decided that he needed to back off with the whole “Let’s spend our lives together” plan. He was a man used to getting what he wanted and had little patience—but, for Pippa, he could do it. He was sure that there was some English proverb he’d heard whilst he’d been at university, something about a monkey…or was it about a hare and a tortoise? He could never remember the strange English idioms and folk tales so uncharacteristic of his native language and culture.
He’d stick with the original plan for her to get to know him, perhaps even begin to like him a little. Ha, well he did love a challenge, he thought drolly. This would be the greatest challenge of his life…
He dressed rapidly and sat waiting at the end of his bed; finally the bathroom door opened.
“So I was thinking—”
Pip shrieked and went to grab the towel from her bed to cover herself. “Jumal, a little privacy.”
He tilted his head. “Really?” he asked surprised. “After last night?”
She gave him a wide-eyed look that she hoped loosely translated as “duh”. He seemed to get the message and reluctantly turned his back to her to face the door.
She grabbed her jeans and top and quickly dressed, hopping around the side of her bed, trying to get jeans over her still-damp legs. Finally dressed, she grabbed a comb from the dressing table and started work on calming her wayward tresses while looking in the mirror. “Okay, I’m decent. So what were you saying?”
He turned and smiled boyishly at her and she almost melted. She had the feeling that very few people had ever seen this particular smile.
She really did try and listen to what he was saying but all she could think about as she stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror was PHWOAR!!! Jumal was rockin’ it in a pair of distressed, vintage jeans, which were ripped and sat low on his hips. His deliciously tanned feet were bare on her carpet. A long-sleeved black T-shirt couldn’t hide the outline of his powerful chest and biceps. She swallowed, trying to concentrate on his words, but all she could think about was her regret at never having got her hands, lips or tongue on what was beneath that T-shirt.
“I er…” He let out a short, humourless laugh. “Wow this is harder than I thought,” he admitted, dropping his head and raking a hand through his hair. She chuckled lightly at the dishevelment. He was usually so well put together, but this morning his hair was sticking up all over the place and it looked like he’d run his hand through it a lot!
“So, how do you feel about us spending some time together?”
What the hell did that mean? At her puzzled reflection, he quickly added, “I mean, time together,” he emphasised, “so we can get to know each other a little better.”
“You mean, just until I go home?” she queried, turning to face him and knowing that she was putting him on the spot. She had to make sure she understood the terms of his proposal so she could at least try to protect herself.
A look she couldn’t quite make out washed over his face before he quickly recovered and shrugged his shoulders. “Er, sure. If that’s er, yeah okay,” he agreed, running his good hand over his still-damp hair.