‘You’re such a dick,’ said Kayley with a laugh, putting down her Bacardi Breezer on one of the collapsible tables. ‘Insisting on a VIP marquee, for God’s sake. I thought you were supposed to be a man of the people.’
‘I am,’ said Deano with mock affront. ‘I’m a Bledburn lad through and through. I just thought I might need a bit of privacy.’
His voice dropped to an intimate level on the final word, and Kayley gave him a hard look that didn’t quite disguise her burgeoning blush.
‘Oh yeah?’ she said softly. ‘What for?’
‘What do you think?’ he replied in the same caressing tone. ‘To get you alone.’
Kayley’s eyes met his. Yes, the look he gave her was cocky at first glance. It seemed to say ‘I know you want me’. But when she looked deeper, she saw something else behind it. Something that said, ‘I hope you want me’.
‘Why … would you want to do that?’ she said, her tone still light and teasing, but her mouth suddenly dry. What if he doesn’t give me the answer I want? What if he doesn’t mean it? What if he thinks I’m just some slut who’s up for it with anyone? After seeing those photos …
The thought ruined the moment for her.
‘Get me alone?’ she said, hearing how harsh her voice sounded, and cringing. ‘I suppose those photos of Harville’s gave you ideas about me.’
His face fell. He looked utterly crestfallen.
‘God, Kayley, no. No, it’s nothing to do with … don’t be like that. Look at me. Come here.’
He held out his hands. She hesitated for a moment, then moved towards him. You can’t help yourself, she scolded herself, but it was true. She couldn’t.
He made a swift move, enclosing her hands in his. She was powerless to resist.
‘We’ve both got pasts,’ he said softly. ‘Mine doesn’t exactly cover me in glory either, believe me. But because I am who I am, I’ve been allowed to get away with it. But nobody forced me or tricked me into any of the bad things I did. I blame me for everything I’ve done, but I blame Harville for what you did. If I judged you for those photographs, I’d be the worst kind of hypocrite.’
Kayley took a breath then smiled crookedly.
‘So, what you’re saying is, I’m a bad penny but you’re a worse one? That’s romantic.’
He shook his head, half-grinning, and looked d
own before facing her directly again.
‘No, Kayley. What I’m saying is, I don’t think I deserve you. But if you want me …’
She hesitated, trying to take in what he was saying.
‘Do you mean … a shag? No strings? Or …’
‘Kayley, Kayley, do you really think that’s what I mean?’
‘I don’t know. I mean … you’re Deano Diamond.’
‘Yeah, and sometimes I wish I wasn’t. Sometimes, like when I’m with you, I just want to be any old guy. No, not just any old guy. Your guy.’
‘You’re serious?’
‘I’m serious about you. It’s so long since I really felt something and you’ve woken me up to myself. I’ve been fawned over and told I’m amazing for nearly twenty years. You’re the first person – OK, apart from Jenna – who’s been straight with me since I was a kid. I don’t care about snorting coke off models’ tits any more. I want you, that’s all. Just you.’
Kayley laughed, a sudden, shocked kind of laugh.
‘I … don’t know what to say.’
‘Say yes. And tell me you want this. Because I’ll understand if you don’t. I mean, I’ll be gutted, but I’ll understand. You’ve seen what this life is like – the madness and the spotlight on you twenty-four seven – with Jenna. If you want to walk away and live a normal life … yeah.’ He swallowed. ‘Shit.’
Kayley laughed again, but there were tears in her eyes this time.