do something like that a second time,” I stated, telling him I forgave him but not in so many words.
“Say you’ll come with me. All I need you to do is find your birth certificate, get a passport-sized photo, and my assistant Donna will help with the rest. Trust me, Daisy, you won’t be disappointed. Can we start again? You trusted me once, let me prove you can trust me again.”
I hesitated and drew in a breath. When I exhaled, I nodded. “If I’m not satisfied with a manager, I’m not going. I’m not leaving this place until I know it’s in safe hands … and those aren’t Terry’s. I could come back and find I’ve been cleared out because he’s forgotten to lock the doors.”
“Get over here, Daisy …,” he said, tugging me gently toward him.
Deep down, despite all the heartache I’d been through, I sensed he’d meant every word he’d said to me during our heart-to-heart. For a long minute, we sat facing each other. Staring intently, his eyes took me in, a serious look on his face, and then he smiled. A look of adoration transformed his gaze and my heart leapt as a thrill of desire ran through my body.
“May I finally kiss you now?” he asked, but without waiting for my answer, he brushed my lips with his, sank his fingers into my hair at the back of my head and pulled me closer to him. Reuniting in that kiss felt electrifying as it held all the passion I’d felt from before, but I was even hungrier than the last time we’d kissed.
After calling Maria to cover my evening shift in the pub, Jamie and I ordered takeout food and snuggled down on the couch to catch up. After our initial hurdle that day, it soon felt like we’d never been apart. Around 9:00 p.m. Jamie yawned and apologized. I glanced at the clock and realized he must have been up for well over twenty-four hours.
“I’m sorry, I forgot you’d been up all night,” I said.
“No, forgive me, I slept a little on the plane, but I’ve had four hours’ sleep in the last thirty-six. I was restless and a bit nervous to face you, and that kind of disturbed my sleep.” Knowing this helped me to know he hadn’t taken my answer for granted.
“Let’s get you to bed,” I told him, standing and grabbing the dinner plates from the table. Jamie stood and picked up the cartons and shoved them into the brown paper carrier bag to recycle.
“Best offer I’ve had all day,” he remarked with a smirk.
“Only offer you’ve had,” I reminded him, with a laugh.
“Ah, so it’s an offer. I was just checking that out with my previous comment.” He winked, placing the wine glasses on the coffee table and sliding his arms around my waist. His flirty comment made my heart skip a beat and I suddenly felt shy and awkward again.
“You have no idea how good this feels,” he told me, tightening his hold on me and placing his other hand on my hip. Curling his fingers into my sides, he pulled me flush against him. Releasing one arm, he slid it up my spine and cupped my head to his chest. “God, holding you like this makes this insanely short visit totally worth every mile.”
“I know,” I replied, and he chuckled.
“Nothing like valuing yourself there, Daisy, huh?”
“Absolutely. I know I’m worth it, and now I know you know it, as well.”
Jamie screwed up his face like he was trying to concentrate. “I think I know what you said, but my brain is fried.”
“Okay, get yourself in the shower and into bed. What time do you have to leave in the morning?” I asked, my heart sank with my question. I wasn’t prepared for him to leave when I’d only just gotten him back.
Wandering over to his weekend bag, he lifted it and slung it over his shoulder, before stopping to look at me again. “Will you lay with me?”
“How can I refuse an offer like that? But get this straight. If you had been hanging around, I’d have made you suffer for another two days.”
“Duly noted. I’ve learned my lesson,” he replied, chuckling.
“We’ll see,” I warned.
“Alright, we’re wasting time, let’s get to bed.”
I’d already showered and gotten into bed with pyjamas on, not wanting to appear forward. Plus, I knew he was dead on his feet anyway.
“Oh, God,” I whispered to myself when I heard him come close to