Some affair, Liza thought miserably. Chance would be a fine thing.
The doorbell rang again. Heaving an irritated sigh, she went to see who it was. If it was flowers, she’d answer the door. If it was Dulcie she definitely wouldn’t.
It wasn’t Dulcie. It wasn’t flowers either. And the silhouette through the stained glass was man-shaped.
Pulling the door open, Liza came face to face with Kit Berenger.
‘Happy birthday.’
He was wearing a dark-green shirt with a fine crimson stripe and the most impeccably cut black suit.
‘Thanks.’ Liza wondered how he knew it was today. But who cared? He was here, he was here.
‘You could always invite me in,’ Kit suggested when she didn’t move.
‘I thought you were going to phone.’ Liza stayed where she was. ‘Don’t tell me, you spent the ten pounds and couldn’t remember my number.’
He grinned. ‘Oh ye of little faith. Actually, I learned it off by heart. And I nearly phoned, hundreds of times. Had to exert a fair amount of self-control, I can tell you.’
Liza took a deep breath. She was having to exert a bit of self-control herself, right at this moment.
‘Either way, phoning would have been the decent thing to do,’ she said evenly. ‘If you decide you don’t want to see someone again, you should still let them know.’
‘Come on,’ chided Kit, his tone humorous, ‘you didn’t think that for a second.’
Liza pulled him into the narrow hallway and slammed the door shut. They stood, inches away from each other, her dark-brown eyes fixed angrily on his yellow-gold ones.
‘I thought I didn’t think that for a second,’ she almost hissed at him, ‘until you didn’t ring. Oh for God’s sake,’ she blurted out furiously, ‘how could you do that to me?’
‘Look,’ said Kit, ‘I thought we both needed the time to think. I don’t know about you, but I don’t make a habit of feeling like this about someone. It’s pretty scary, if you want the truth.’ He hesitated, then half smiled. ‘Bloody scary, in fact.’
‘It’s only lust. You don’t have to be scared!’
‘Ah, but what if it isn’t only lust?’ Kit put his hands on her shoulders. ‘You said yourself, I was too young for you.’ Liza smiled up at him.
‘I meant I was too old for you. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. We’re hardly talking weddings here.
What’s wrong with a harmless fling?’
‘Is that all you’re interested in?’ demanded Kit. He began to sound annoyed.
Liza was just glad he was here. The relief was overwhelming. She decided to be frank with him.
‘Don’t take this personally, it’s just the way I am. And the age thing’s irrelevant; I’m the same with everyone. I get bored quickly, that’s all. So trust me, you don’t have to worry about getting involved, being scared,’ she told Kit, ‘because it won’t last long enough for that to happen.’
Inexplicably, Liza heard her voice break. She paused before finishing what she had to say. ‘My relationships never do.’
He touched her mouth with one finger, tracing the outline of her full lower lip.
‘How soon before you get bored?’
‘Three or four weeks.’ She tried to move her mouth away from his finger, found she couldn’t do it. ‘I’m a very shallow person.’
Kit frowned.
‘A month? Is that the longest you’ve ever been involved with someone?’
Liza nodded, ashamed.
‘Pretty much. I think I managed five weeks once.’ He shook his head.
‘That’s really sad.’
‘I’ve kind of got used to it,’ said Liza.
‘That’s even sadder.’
‘Don’t you dare start feeling sorry for me.’
‘I’m not.’ Kit grinned. ‘Wouldn’t dream of it. Anyway, you’ve met me now. Things could be about to change.’
That would be just my luck, thought Liza. After years of being left cold by endless hugely eligible men, how typical if I finally fell in love with a toyboy. How unsuitable could you get?
She didn’t seriously expect it to happen. It was hardly likely. All she wanted to do was enjoy the next few weeks for what they were and accept the inevitable ending with good grace.
But for Kit’s sake she pretended it was a possibility.
Smiling up at him, she said, ‘Who knows? Maybe they are.’
Kit’s eyes narrowed at once. ‘Don’t humour me.’ His voice sent shivers of longing down Liza’s spine. ‘I’m not.’
‘You are. You think I’m too young to understand what makes you tick.’
