Once he was there, she could insist that he stay put while she cooked. Or...pulled something from the freezer to heat. The smell of part-baked bread, browning in the oven, made thick, chunky soup seem like more of a meal. When he stood again, to follow her back to the kitchen with his empty bowl, he walked without a limp, leaving his stick behind by the sofa.
‘So what are you up to this afternoon? Working up some ideas?’
Maybe. If Drew left, she’d have nothing but her ideas to keep her company. She wondered if he knew how much he was a part of these latest ones. The way he listened and understood. The way he injected a note of practicality, without rejecting the blue-sky thinking.
‘I’m just going to let them simmer for a while. Maybe I’ll take a break.’ Caro wondered if Drew could be persuaded to take a break with her.
‘I’ll leave you to it, then. I’d better make a move, the tide will be turning soon.’
Crunch time. Time to make sense of the last two days, when she’d felt closer to Drew than anyone else in her life. Time to wonder whether it was possible to create a compartment, away from her work and everything else, where there would be a bit of space for each other.
She watched as he fetched his shoes and sat down to lace them up. Then he picked up his stick... Maybe she should just let him go, but it seemed that he was taking all the air in the room with him. She was already feeling light-headed, and unable to think properly.
‘Wait!’ He’d pulled on his coat, and there was no time left to think. Just to act.
‘What is it?’
Those blue eyes. The dark, slightly wayward curls that gave him an outdoors look even when he was indoors. The thought that someone like Drew couldn’t really want her, and then the memory of his kiss, which led her to the inescapable conclusion that he did.
‘I’m not very good at this.’ She walked towards him.
‘Don’t sell yourself short. You’re good at a lot of things.’
Yeah. Seduction wasn’t one of them. Caro was a lot more comfortable when she said exactly what she meant, and meaningful glances weren’t really her forte. Although strangely she always seemed to know exactly what Drew’s meaningful glances meant.
‘I want you to stay.’
His face softened. ‘Because...?’
Drew wouldn’t let her down. Not with this anyway. If he left, then he left, but he’d find a reason for doing so that wouldn’t disappoint her. Something that probably wouldn’t even hurt all that much.
‘So that we can keep each other company tonight.’ Caro congratulated herself on finding the words that made her meaning clear, without having to tell him exactly what she’d been imagining them doing together.
His eyes darkened suddenly. Pools of velvety black, with iridescent blue borders. So, so beautiful.
‘It would be my privilege to keep you company tonight, Caro.’
Nice. That made her feel so good, and she wished she’d thought of saying something like that.
‘But...’ He twisted his mouth in an expression of regret.
Okay. There was a but. Maybe it was time to tell him that everything was okay and let him leave. His gaze fell to the stick in his hand, and his knuckles whitened against the curved top.
‘My leg isn’t... They say that with time it’ll look a little better.’
He thought that was a problem? Caro had never really considered that Drew couldn’t know how beautiful he was. With or without scars. She tapped the base of the walking stick with her foot, and it moved without any resistance. He wasn’t actually leaning on it, and when she kicked it, it clattered to the floor.
‘You’re the kind of girl who would kick a guy’s stick out from under him?’ Drew’s smile reflected her own hunger.
‘Yes. You don’t need it, Drew. And I couldn’t care less what your leg looks like.’
Suddenly he reached for her, curling his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. When he kissed her, it was mind-blowing. Knee-shaking.
‘Do you trust me?’
So he wanted trust. Any man would. Caro took a moment to think about her answer.
‘I don’t not trust you.’