Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot Page 0,119

take Einstein to work out the solution here.

I make it sound a thousand times more casual than it feels. ‘You didn’t keep me awake with your snoring at the Waterfront.’ Being forced to share a room with the hottie – it’s the stuff of teenage fantasies. Sure, I’ve played this exact scenario over in my head a few hundred times, but only because I’m temporarily obsessed and a sad person. But I’ll get over it. And lastly, I haven’t engineered this on purpose. I definitely have not been ringing round all the hotels to bribe them to make this gift happen. Honestly. Because it’s as terrifying as it is thrilling. And my throat’s so dry my I’m croaking. ‘We could … share again?’

This is how easy we are with each other now. How good I’ve got at concealing my galloping heartbeat, how skilled at blanking those dragonflies. There’s not even a hint of innuendo.

His eyes go soft. ‘Maybe I didn’t snore because last time I stayed awake to check you were okay.’ And that’s what a sweetie he is, looking out for everyone without ever making a fuss about it. And in the end, it’s not how edible he looks in his plain white T. What counts much more in real life is someone looking out for you at every turn without even questioning, like Nic does. Then he blinks and re-boots. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind, that would be great. I’ll have the sofa, obviously.’

I can’t let him get away with that. ‘I take equality for women over chivalry every time. I’ll toss you for it.’

‘Tails I lose, you get the bed.’ And not a coin in sight. There are those slices in his cheeks he gets when he really smiles. ‘You do realise this could ruin my reputation as a sad loner.’

Lucky I made it super-clear to Pixie that the Polaroid of us on the loveseat meant nothing. Less than nothing.

I have a go at wiggling my eyebrows to show how much of a joke this all is. ‘Best make sure we sneak you out well before breakfast, then.’ I can’t help pulling a face as the full implications sink in. How much I’m going to have to restrain myself. How hard it’s going to be to have him so close yet so unavailable. How very much of a last parade this is going to be in every sense. But it’s another one of those times when the best way of hiding things is to bring them out in the open and shake them around. ‘Last time I was unconscious; this time – hopefully – I won’t be. Just don’t go looking too drop-dead gorgeous in that tux of yours, okay?’

His laugh is low and husky. ‘Back at you. In any case, Merwyn will be there to make sure we behave.’ He looks at his watch. ‘Great. In that case I’ll be back for you and Merwyn just before nine.’

And a moment later he’s gone.

I ease Merwyn off my chest and onto the duvet. ‘Come on, Merwyn, we’d better have some croissants to build our strength up.’ However testing today was going to be, it just got a whole lot harder.

And as I listen to the sound of his footsteps fading as he winds down the four flights of stairs, I can’t help thinking how quiet life will be when I no longer have any reason to go looking for Nic.

Chapter 33

Later on Thursday.

Outside Cockle Shell Castle.

Cornflowers and embroidered hankies.

As I wander out of the huge front door of the castle, the bright July sun straight overhead is shining out of a cobalt blue sky. I can’t believe it’s already time for Pixie to arrive and we’ve got this far without any more major hitches.

When we got here earlier, Nic and I took two seconds flat to drop our overnight bags in our room up a narrow flight of stairs behind the spacious castle kitchen. There was just enough time to take in wonderful views across the white sands to the light aquamarine expanse of the bay, catch a glimpse of the double shower in the en suite, and have a two-second pretend fight over the dreamy and inviting king size bed with its downy duvet and light-grey Egyptian cotton covers. Then we shot back downstairs to get on with our pressing jobs.

First on the list was finding Holly and her cameras, then shooting down to the beach to pull the groomsmen ashore as they chugged towards