‘No it isn’t, it’s sensible.’ Guy started to smile. ‘It got you here, didn’t it?’
She bit her lip. ‘I still don’t understand.’
‘You could try saying thank you,’ he suggested, his eyes glittering with amusement. ‘It’s how people generally express their appreciation when they’ve been given two dozen ruinously expensive pink roses.’
Janey gave up. ‘In that case, thank you. They’re beautiful. How-very-kind-you-really-shouldn’t- have. And they weren’t that expensive,’ she added with a faint answering smile. ‘I thought they were very reasonable.’
It was now or never, Guy decided. He took a deep breath.
‘Another way of expressing your appreciation when you’ve been given two dozen very reasonably priced pink roses,’ he said slowly, ‘is with a kiss.’
Janey stared at him. Was this some kind of hideous practical joke? Was Maxine hiding behind the Welsh dresser, camcorder at the ready? Was Jeremy Beadle lurking inside the fridge?
Finally, she said, ‘You want me to kiss the roses?’
But the expression on Guy’s face was quite serious. No longer smiling, there was almost an air of apprehension about him. Janey, suddenly light-headed, felt her heart begin to race. Her stomach did a loop and disappeared.
‘It’s up to you,’ said Guy, ‘but I’d prefer it if you kissed me.’
As if in a dream, inwardly amazed that her legs were still capable of carrying her, she stepped forward and with infinite caution brushed her lips against his tanned cheek.
‘OK?’ she said stupidly, when it was done.
But Guy, half smiling down at her, shook his head. ‘Terrible,’ he murmured. ‘Very poor attempt. I’m sure you can do better than that.’
He put his arms around her. Janey, no longer in any condition to protest, closed her eyes as his mouth found hers. Caution abandoned, this time the receiver, she gave herself up to him. This time the kiss seemed to go on for ever.
‘Big improvement,’ said Guy at last, speaking the words into her hair and not releasing his hold on her.
Janey, glad to be held - she needed all the support she could get - took a deep, steadying breath.
He smiled. ‘All right?’
‘I’m not sure.’ Raising her brown eyes to his face, she said shakily, ‘Is this a joke? Because if it is, I think I shall have to kill you.’
‘You could always set Maxine on to me. That would be a fate far worse than death.’ Guy, overjoyed by the success of his plan, broke into a broad grin. ‘Except it isn’t a joke, so you don’t need to. My God, Janey, do you have any idea what you’ve put me through, these past months?’
Bewildered, still unable to take in the fact that this was happening to her, she said, ‘I’m sorry.’
‘So you bloody well should be.’ He kissed her again, breathing in the faint scent of her perfume. ‘You don’t give away any clues; I didn’t know whether you found me even remotely attractive; you wrecked my sex life …’
‘What are you talking about?’ Janey demanded, trembling all over and clutching the front of his shirt. Able to feel the warmth of his skin through the cotton, she suppressed an incredible urge to start undoing buttons.
‘You were involved with that terrible husband of yours so I couldn’t have you,’ Guy complained. ‘And I didn’t want anyone else. It’s been sheer torture.’ He rolled his eyes in mock reproach. ‘You aren’t exactly forgettable just now either; everywhere I go, I’m haunted by that damn charity poster. I was seriously beginning to regret using that photograph, I can tell you.
How was I to know they were going to plaster your face across just about every hoarding in the country?’ With an extravagant sigh, he concluded, ‘All in all, you’re one difficult lady to fall in love with, Janey Sinclair, and I think you should apologize for all the trouble you’ve caused.’
‘Do you really mean it?’ She shivered. He had just said he was in love with her.
Somewhere out there in the real world, Paula was expecting her back to close the shop, and here she was, standing in the middle of Guy Cassidy’s kitchen listening to this.
‘Of course I bloody well mean it,’ Guy declared indignantly.
‘It’s just that I still keep expecting Jeremy Beadle to leap out of the fridge,’ Janey murmured, glancing over her shoulder to make sure. ‘What time did you say Maxine was bringing Josh and Ella back?’
‘Not for ages.’ He grinned. ‘This was a carefully planned campaign, sweetheart. You don’t seriously think I’d risk being interrupted by that rabble, do you?’
Janey, her fingers still unsteady, touched his mouth. ‘Just as well I didn’t ask Paula to deliver the flowers.’
Guy kissed her again. ‘I seem to be making all the running here.’ His tone was gently admonishing. ‘You haven’t even told me yet how you feel about all this. Is it OK with you or do you have strong feelings about getting seriously involved with a bad-tempered photographer, two noisy juvenile delinquents and an out-of-control nanny?’
Janey’s thoughts flew back to the night of the fair, when Alexander Norcross had warned her of the dangers of one-parent families.
‘I don’t know,’ she said lightly. ‘Are you only doing this because it’s easier than finding a replacement for Maxine?’
Guy laughed. ‘Brilliant idea. I haven’t threatened to sack her for weeks. Do you really think she’d go, if we asked nicely?’
Janey breathed a guilty sigh of relief. So Maxine hadn’t told him yet. She hadn’t seriously suspected he would do such a thing but it was nice to know for sure.
