The Waffle House on the Pier - Tilly Tennant Page 0,65

Luke too. Had he heard Sadie’s name being angrily tossed out too? Even if he had, but had been too gallant to say anything, she certainly didn’t want him to overhear any more. She didn’t know what Dec and Melissa were arguing about but the last thing she wanted to do was give the impression that there was some weird love triangle going on – which there absolutely wasn’t.

But why would Declan and Melissa be arguing about her? Sadie could only think of one reason – that Dec had decided to ask Melissa about helping out at the waffle house after all and she’d taken serious offence at the suggestion. If that was the case, Sadie could hardly blame her. Sometimes, for all his tenderness and charm, Declan could be dim-witted when it came to reading a volatile situation. Sometimes he’d just charge on in with his logic, judging everyone by the standards of his own openness and generosity, and it wasn’t always that simple. He’d have given his time up for Sadie and the waffle house in an instant, but Sadie could see that it wouldn’t be that straightforward for Melissa.

With the line of the sea just feet away, Sadie stopped beneath the pier, sure now that they were out of sight.

‘What now?’ Luke asked. His face was deep in shadow but, from the tone of his voice, Sadie thought he might actually be finding this turn of events funny. She wished she could find it amusing too, but right now she was only finding it mortifying.

‘Um… I guess we just wait for them to go past?’

‘You realise this is a bit weird, don’t you?’

‘Yes?’ she said uncertainly. ‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t be. I like weird.’

‘Good… I think?’

There was no time to say anything else. The shadow of his face moved in and his lips pressed to hers, and the force of her reaction was such that it felt as if the midsummer fireworks had already begun. She kissed him back, hands creeping into his hair to pull him closer still. It might have been the drink, or the surreal nature of the situation, but God it was good. It might just have been the best kiss she’d ever had. Awkward meetings out on the promenade were forgotten in a fiery, sexy instant.

Eventually he broke off and she took a moment to catch her breath.

‘Wow… I mean, just wow… I wasn’t expecting that.’

His hand went to trace the line of her cheek. ‘I wasn’t expecting to do it. But the darkness under here by the sea and the excitement of having to hide and… I don’t know, it just did something to me. You do something to me. I’ve never felt like this before, it’s just… you’re just incredible. Different and frankly nutty but incredible.’

‘Nutty is about right,’ Sadie said with a giggle that turned into a hiccup. But she was warmed by the rest of it, even if she was too humble and slightly embarrassed to say so.

‘Do you think your friends on the promenade have gone?’ he asked. ‘It sounds quiet out there now and I think you might need to go home.’

‘Why do I need to go home?’

‘That’s where we were heading, isn’t it?’

‘I changed my mind; I don’t want to go home now. Not mine anyway.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘I want to go to your place.’

He paused, and when he spoke again there was the sound of a grin in it. ‘You’re drunk.’

‘Says you.’

‘I’m sober as a judge.’

‘Me too. A little bit anyway. Sober enough to want to go and see your house. I want to see your nice painted front.’

‘It’s dark – you won’t see much of it tonight.’

‘Alright, you can show me in the morning then.’

‘Then you’d have to come back tomorrow.’

‘You know what I mean.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t,’ he said, his tone teasing her because they both knew exactly what she meant.

‘I want to look inside then.’

‘There’s not much to see.’

‘There must be something. Where do you sleep?’

He let out a sigh. ‘If I show you where I sleep I’m afraid we might do something that we’d both end up regretting.’

‘We won’t. I have self-control.’

‘I’m not sure I do.’

‘I wouldn’t regret it,’ she said softly, moving to kiss him again. This time as they broke off his voice was husky and full of longing.

‘Oh, God, Sadie… I can’t tell you how much I want us to go back to my place right now.’

‘Then let’s go.’

‘It wouldn’t be right. You’re tipsy and this is our first date