‘Apart from the spider trick, of course.’ He nodded matter-of-factly. ‘I’ve done that.’
‘Really?’
‘When I was about sixteen. But if you think it would help, I could do it again.’
‘No thanks. How about you?’
‘What puts me off girls, you mean? God, loads of things.’ Sliding his arms around her, Kerr said,
‘Girls on diets, girls asking if their dress makes them look fat, girls reading out your horoscope even though they know you aren’t interested, girls who think spending a fortune on clothes and manicures makes up for not having a personality, girls who eat crisps with their mouths open, girls who pee in other people’s gardens then expect to be rescued when they can’t climb back over the wall – OK, not true,’ he said as Maddy shot him a warning look, ‘I love it when girls do that.’
‘Where can we go?’ said Maddy.
‘I told you, anywhere in the world. Actually, Siberia’s bloody freezing. How would you feel about Barbados?’
‘I mean here, while we’re secretly seeing each other and doing our best to hate each other. Every time we go out I’ll be terrified Marcella might see us, or friends of Marcella might see us and tell her.’
She gestured in desperation. ‘Or friends of friends, and God knows there must be thousands of
‘But it’ll be like being stuck in a prison cell,’ wailed Maddy. ‘It’ll be boring!’
‘I’ve been called a lot of things in my time. But never boring. Anyway, why does it have to be?
We can play card games. Watch documentaries on the TV. Make Airfix kits, do giant jigsaw puzzles ...’
He was teasing her. Maddy squirmed with pleasure as his hands settled around her waist, his thumbs idly stroking her back. She was getting the distinct impression that the jigsaw puzzles he had in mind comprised two pieces.
‘This isn’t going to work.’ She held her breath as his warm mouth brushed her collarbone.
‘OK, you’re right, let’s forget it.’ Abruptly spinning her round, Kerr marched her back to the hall, yanked open the front door and
‘Noooo!’ shrieked Maddy.
He closed the front door.
‘Think it might work after all?’
She exhaled slowly. Kerr, having successfully called her bluff, regarded her with amusement.
‘Maybe.’ Trembling again, Maddy leaned back against the wall.
‘Sorry. Not good enough.’
‘OK. We’ll do it.’ What choice did they have, after all? The alternative – not seeing him again –
was unthinkable.
‘Wise decision.’ Smiling, he kissed her again. Feeling as though her whole body was on fire, Maddy wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him back.
‘That definitely wasn’t me.’ Raising his hands, he protested his innocence. ‘I didn’t do that.’
Bugger, he was right. With impeccable timing, Maddy realised, her left shoulder strap had chosen this moment to snap.
‘Sorry, it’s an old bra.’ Wryly, she added, ‘The excitement must have been too much for it.’
‘You see? That’s one of the things I like about you. What colour is it?’
‘Um ... sort of coffee coloured.’ Mocha, actually, but Kerr was only a man. He wouldn’t understand.
‘And what colour are your knickers?’
Oh, the shame. But since modesty clearly wasn’t an option, Maddy said, ‘Black.’
Anyway, with a bit of luck he’d find this out for himself before too long.
‘Do you know how much I love it that you’re wearing a brown bra and black knickers?’ Kerr said happily.
There was a difference.
‘Whatever. I just ... all my life, whenever I’ve been out with girls and undressed them for the first time, they’ve always been wearing brand new super-lacy matching bra and knickers. It’s so contrived, it makes me feel as if I’ve been set up. The situation just doesn’t feel spontaneous any more.’
‘If you feel that strongly about it, you could always try not undressing them,’ Maddy pointed out.
‘It doesn’t put me off that much. Anyway, I’m just saying it makes a refreshing change, and I really like it that you aren’t the kind of girl who meets a new man and rushes out to buy a sexy new bra and knicker set.’
‘This isn’t going to work,’ said Maddy. ‘I’m supposed to be putting you off me.’
