‘Shit,’ Luke muttered. ‘Quick, in here.’
He grabbed her hand, flicked a little switch on the bookcase and as it swung open he bundled her inside, closing the bookcase behind them.
‘What are you—’ Flick started before Luke clamped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise.
The next moment she heard footsteps walk into the room. High-heeled footsteps by the sound of them as they strode across the wooden floor. ‘Luke, are you in here?’
Flick looked up at Luke as he shook his head frantically, silently urging her to be quiet. She peered out through the tiny crack and could see a very pretty blonde woman walking round the room. Flick held her breath as the woman strode past the bookcase and started going upstairs to the mezzanine calling Luke’s name again.
Luke released her mouth but put a finger over hislips to tell her to keep quiet. They were standing very close. Luke was right, there was very little room in this little cubbyhole. In fact she could feel the warmth of his skin against hers, feel his breath on her face. She could see the tiny flecks of gold in his toffee-brown eyes and the dark stubble shading his chin. She was so acutely aware of his scent, which smelled like the tang of the sea on a summer’s day, coupled with something sweet like apples. He smelled delicious. She really liked him. He was sweet, kind, funny, easy to talk to. She knew she could very easily fall for him. If only fate wasn’t taking him away from her. She looked up at him and he was staring at her too. The world outside the cupboard seemed to fade away. Something sparked between them, a connection, a need, she wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt sure he was going to kiss her and she was surprised by how much she wanted that.
She was vaguely aware of the woman coming back down the stairs and leaving the room but they were still staring at each other, his breath heavy, her heart racing. She felt him lean in towards her, or was she leaning in towards him? Either way their bodies were now touching.
Then he cleared his throat. ‘I think she’s gone, we can probably go back outside now.’
‘Right, yes, of course.’
He swung the bookcase open and stepped out into the main room again. Flick brushed a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling awkward with him. Had she completely imagined the way he had been looking ather? She cast around the cubbyhole so she wouldn’t have to look at him. ‘You know, the secret room is much bigger than this.’
‘What?’
‘This little cubbyhole is just the entrance to it.’ She felt around the back panel which was engraved with leaves. But she knew one of them was a button, she just couldn’t remember which one it was. Finally she found it, pressed the leaf down like a little catch and the back panel swung open to reveal a small dusty room that still held the cushions she had laid on when she was a little child and was reading her favourite books. There was a small window that let in a shaft of sunlight and there was fairy lights wrapped around the shelves at the back, although currently unlit.
‘Oh my god, how did I not know this was here?’ Luke stepped into the room.
‘It was well hidden.’
‘Did your grandad make this for you?’
‘I don’t know, he just showed it to me one day when I came to stay. He said he’d found a secret room and you can imagine how excited I was about that. I never knew whether he’d found it like he said, or whether he built it for me. Knowing him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did build it. He had a lot of time for me, he was always playing with me or telling me one of his amazing stories.’ She smiled sadly as she touched the fairy lights. ‘It’s been fifteen years since he died and I still miss him.’
‘Sadly I never met Tom but I know he was a great man and his legacy of this place continues.’
‘That’s why I came down here to fight for it. This was his dream and maybe it was a silly dream, when a place like this has so many overheads, but I believe in it and I want to help it continue for many, many years to come.’
‘I do too.’
She smiled at that and then turned to face him. ‘So are you going to tell me why you threw me in a cupboard to hide from that woman?’
Luke let out a groan. ‘Natalia. She wants to date me and won’t take no for an answer. She comes up here all the time bringing cakes or asking me out or just blatantly sliding a condom into my hand and telling me she could show me a good time.’
Flick felt her eyebrows shoot up. ‘That’s bold.’
She couldn’t help feeling a little bit impressed by that. Not the harassment, just the courage to go up to someone and do that. She couldn’t even bring herself to kiss a man in a cupboard who was looking at her like he wanted to eat her in case she was rejected. And in this case, she had been right not to since he had awkwardly put an end to that little tête-â-tête and immediately distanced himself from her. But Natalia, with her swishing blonde hair, long legs and short skirt, had no such reservations. She was clearly used to getting any man she wanted and she’d set her sights on Luke which was an odd match.
Natalia looked the sort of woman who would want to be wined and dined in the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in the world. She’d be most at home in atop-of-the-range Porsche convertible with diamonds round her neck. Maybe Flick shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but the woman had been carrying a Gucci handbag and was wearing the famous, red-soled shoes of Louboutin. A man like Luke couldn’t fulfil those dreams for Natalia. He was wearing a t-shirt that had a hole in the shoulder, jeans that were probably ten years old or more and a tatty pair of trainers that probably didn’t have any brand.
That wasn’t to say he wasn’t an attractive man – he was, with lovely warm eyes and a gorgeous smile. He had the kind of body that was perfect for a hug, solid, comforting. Nice strong arms too. He could take Flick out for fish and chips on the beach and she would be very happy with that. Except he’d backed away from that kiss so maybe she wasn’t his type either.
‘I don’t mind bold, but she’s not really interested in me, none of them are.’
‘You have… multiple women chasing you and giving you condoms?’
‘Not giving me condoms but yes I have a mini fan club,’ Luke said, dryly. ‘To be fair, the others just sidle up to me in the town if they see me, they don’t make the effort that Natalia is putting in.’
‘But if they’re not interested in you, what are they interested in?’
‘It doesn’t matter. Shall we go to the café? I expect Polly will be there soon.’
