Page 83 of The French Escape

Nate seemed surprised by her bluntness, then his face suddenly broke into a smile.

“What?” Flick asked. “What’s so funny?”

“You. You’re so straightforward when you want to be. Even now.”

“You mean you expected me to be different?”

“Maybe.”

While Flick appreciated why he might think that, his assumption annoyed her. She wasn’t there to see the son of an Oscar winner and she certainly wasn’t there for an autograph. If he expected special treatment he was in for a shock. Had he not learnt anything about her in the last few weeks. “Look, mate, you might have a famous mother, and just because you’ve pulled a few stunts in your time…”

“You know about all that stuff?”

“Of course I do. I might not be up to date on the latest celebrities, but that doesn’t mean I’m not nosey.” Seeing his embarrassment, it was Flick’s turn to feel amused. “You were quite the lad back in the day.”

Nate flashed her a look. “It’s all exaggerated.”

Enjoying the tease too much, Flick didn’t answer.

“I’m telling you, it is.” He seemed desperate for her to believe that.

Finally Flick relented. “Of course it is. Although you must know I don’t care either way. That was the old Nate. It’smyNate that I’m interested in.”

He looked at her directly again. “Your Nate?”

Flick put a hand up to her neck, suddenly self-conscious. “Yes.” There, she’d said it. Not quite in the way that she’d planned, but still.

“I like the sound of that.”

Flick’s heart felt giddy. So, he did feel the same.

“But when you say interested?” he asked, coming over all coy. “How interested would that be?”

Flick smiled. This was more like it. She took a step closer, happy to play along. “Very, if you must know.”

“And how much is very?”

Flick closed the gap altogether and placing both hands on Nate’s hips, she used them to steady herself as she stretched up to his level. Keeping her eyes on his, she paused before giving him a gentle, yet short-lived, kiss. “That much,” she said, lowering herself back down.

“You call that a kiss?”

Flick giggled as he pushed her hair behind her ears, at the same time stretching and puckering his lips.

“Now this is a kiss.” Suddenly serious, Nate’s gaze intensified. Continuing to stroke her hair with one hand, he used the other to tilt her chin and tenderly draw her lips towards his.

Butterflies seemed to play havoc in Flick’s tummy as their mouths drew closer and closer, his lips, feeling soft and inviting as he planted one gentle kiss after another, each one lasting that little bit longer. She felt his tongue searching for hers as their embrace became more passionate, her body stirring as Nate took control and slowed things right down again.

Without warning, he pulled away, suddenly serious.

“What?” Flick asked.

“Before we take things any further, you do know this isn’t a game to me, don’t you? I’m not looking for anything casual.”

Waiting for an answer, he looked so vulnerable and Flick knew that couldn’t have been easy for him to say. “I should hope not,” she replied, deciding it was time for her to be honest too. “Because I think I’m falling in love with you.”

“Only think? Because I know I’ve fallen in love with you.” He drew her close again and kissed her forehead, before looking into her eyes for a moment. He smiled. “Fancy that cup of tea now?”

Flick nodded and coming over all warm and fuzzy, she watched him return to the kitchen. She hugged herself, grinning widely as she looked to the heavens. “Thanks, Dad.”

THE END