his body to laugh down into his face. Love and delight radiated from her. Everything she felt about him was written on her face. She was in love with him.
He didn’t need her to tell him. It was there on the screen in front of him. Luke held his throat as he felt it tighten. He hadn’t wanted this—hadn’t asked for it. He didn’t know what to do with this knowledge, her love, where to put it, how to act.
‘So, what do you think?’
Luke eventually realised that Jess was talking to him and couldn’t find the words he wanted to say. He didn’t know what he wanted to say.
‘Luke, do you like it?’ Jess asked again, and he heard her insecure laugh. ‘I kind of need an answer or else we go back to square one.’
‘I think it’s wonderful,’ Kelly said with a quaver in her voice.
‘Superb, Jess,’ Owen agreed.
Luke licked his lips and looked from Jess to the TV screen and back again. ‘I’ll think about it. I’ve got to go.’
Luke hurried out of the room and pounded up the stairs to his room. Dragging off his damp jersey—he hadn’t had time to change between Jess’s arrival and getting Kelly sorted out with dry clothes—he shucked his wet boots and jeans and changed into a pair of track pants and a sweatshirt.
Warmer, he sat down on his bed and looked at his hands. He had to decide what he was going to do about Jess. The campaign was complete and she needed to get back to Sandton—to her business, her family, her life. Leaving him alone at St Sylve.
He didn’t think he could bear it. He didn’t want to be alone, but how could he ask her to stay? He wanted her at St Sylve, wanted to see her face first thing in the morning and last thing at night. But he had no right to ask her to give up her life, her business, her home, when he wasn’t prepared to take their relationship any further.
He was terrified of marriage. It felt as if a noose was tightening around his neck every time he even considered the concept. Jess couldn’t—shouldn’t—give up her life for anything less than a solid, watertight commitment.
Six weeks ago he’d had a peaceful life: a mutually satisfying sexual relationship with a nice woman, good friends for company, work to keep him busy. A normal, busy life without a complicated woman in his bed—in his head. He’d come to terms with his childhood, made peace with his failed marriage, put his relationship with his father into perspective.
Then Jess had skidded back into his life and spun it upside down.
Sex was no longer just about sex. He’d lost his family but he’d been slapped in the face with hers. He was about to have his longest dream aired on national TV. And she was in love with him. He hadn’t asked for this—any of it. Why did he have to deal with all this? It was...overwhelming, distracting, too damn much!
He felt as if he’d fallen into a vortex of information and was being sucked down...sucked dry.
‘Luke?’
Luke looked up and saw Jess in the doorway, her hand resting on the doorframe. God, what now? Could he not just have five damned minutes on his own?
‘Can I come in?’
It irritated him that she felt the need to ask. This had been as much her room as his over the past week. He nodded and she walked over to him, that yellow envelope still in her hand. She sat down next to him and he could see the shimmer of raindrops in her hair.
‘I’m sorry you didn’t like the advert.’
Honesty forced him to answer truthfully. ‘I loved the advert. It was just a...surprise.’
Jess shoved a shaky hand into her hair and tapped the envelope on her knee. ‘I brought you a present. I hope you like it.’
Luke took the envelope off her lap, lifted the flap and pulled out a wad of papers. Placing them on the bed next to him, he flipped through the documents and quickly realised that the papers related to his mother and his childhood. His past... Jess had been delving into it. A core-deep slow burn started in his stomach and an icy hand clutched his heart. She had no right to interfere.
That’s not true. He heard the small voice in the back of his head. You’re angry and miserable and maybe looking for a fight. Looking for an excuse to push her out