Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters) - By Caitlyn Robertson Page 0,71

even at the weekend, more comfortable in shirts and ties than T-shirts, and she didn’t think he’d ever worn a pair of flip-flops in his life. His hair was always impeccable, his face clean-shaven, his nails neatly manicured, and he worked out at the gym so his body was beautifully sculpted. He was an investment banker so he knew a thing or two about figures, and he liked art and classical music. He was filthy rich and happy to share it, and he seemed into her. He was perfect.

So why didn’t she feel the spark whenever he was around?

She sipped her champagne listlessly. He’d come to the wedding because he knew it was important to her, but she knew he hadn’t enjoyed himself. He’d been impressed with the food and the location where Honey and Dex took their vows, but otherwise he’d thought it a small, rustic affair. Only a hundred guests? There’d be a thousand at their wedding, he’d assured Daisy.

Not that he’d asked her to marry him. But she thought he probably would. They’d been dating for a while now, most of that time spent in Auckland. He’d made no effort to get to know her friends and family, nor would he. They held no interest for him, and he thought their conversation dull and parochial, their lives meaningless because they weren’t constantly trying to better themselves.

He hadn’t exactly voiced the opinion, but she thought he might despise her father, who’d spent all the money from the sale of their property in England on an old, rambling house on the outskirts of Kerikeri with no intention of doing it up or making money from it. And the café—although probably the most successful small eating place in Kerikeri and flourishing so much he’d had to hire extra staff—was hardly a top class restaurant. She’d seen the way Reuben turned up his nose when they first walked in, unimpressed by the yellow-and-white-check tablecloths, the wooden furniture, the lack of chrome and mirrors, and the haphazard menu, which basically consisted of whatever the girls and Cam felt like making on the day. He’d acknowledged the coffee was pretty good though.

He’d sat through the wedding meal and the speeches, sighing and occasionally checking his BlackBerry, laughed at the band—who were friends of Koru’s playing well known rock songs rather than an upmarket jazz band—groaned at the DJ’s choice of music, and generally irritated her until she’d snapped and told him if he wasn’t enjoying himself, perhaps he should just go to bed and amuse himself in their room.

So he had. He’d just walked off and left her, choosing cable TV and the mini bar over her company, and she’d sat and fumed for the past hour, unable to believe she had nobody to dance with, envious of Honey’s obvious happiness and near to tears because it felt like everything was going wrong and she didn’t know how to put it right.

She closed her eyes. She should go up to bed and join him, but she didn’t want to. He’d either turn over and give her the cold shoulder, or he’d act like nothing had happened and make love to her, and she’d have to comply or risk upsetting him further. And that was the last thing she wanted, because he had the ability to sulk for weeks like a spoiled four year old if he didn’t get his own way.

A pressure on her arm made her open her eyes and look up. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she saw it was Chase standing next to her. He didn’t look at her, watching instead the couples turning slowly to the music, but every cell in her body reacted to him, the hairs rising on the back of her neck, a shiver running up her spine, her nipples tightening beneath the silky plum-coloured dress.

She’d been conscious of him watching her all evening. Part of her had wondered if he’d come over when Reuben disappeared, but he’d kept his distance, and she’d been annoyed that she’d been annoyed by it. Not that she could blame him. She’d made it perfectly clear—on numerous occasions—that they were over and she’d never go out with him again in a million years. Usually, he ignored that directive and pestered her repeatedly, but for once that evening he’d steered clear, and she had to admit she’d missed the attention. He wasn’t the perfect boyfriend—far from it, and he’d driven her nuts while they were together. But he would