“It was a last minute thing,” he muttered. “They gave Ches the day off, as well. Probably because so many people will be at the fun day.”
The possibilities presented by being able to spend a whole day alone with Sebastian now drifted through my mind, as substantial and certain as mist.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest again.
“There’ll be other days,” I said, my voice sad.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just that every day… every moment with you…”
“…is precious,” I finished the sentence for him.
“Very.”
I kissed him softly. “I’ll go make dinner.”
“I’ll light the candles.”
I was surprised when he pulled a lighter out of his pocket; I’d never seen Sebastian smoke and I’d certainly never smelt tobacco on him. Odd.
I switched off the overhead electric lights so the only illumination in the kitchen was from the candles. The flickering lights threw weird images onto the walls, like some freakish shadow play. A shiver ran through me: someone must have walked over my grave. I shook off the superstitious notion and concentrated instead on the way the candlelight played across Sebastian’s face, highlighting his cheekbones and making his eyes glitter. He smiled up at me and in the dim light, his irises looked coal black. I could lose my train of thought just by looking at him.
I served up the grilled lamb chops and Sebastian ate heartily; I merely picked at my food. I felt resentful of tomorrow’s wasted opportunity and, stupidly, I was letting it spoil this evening, too. I made an effort to pull myself together.
“How was work today?”
“Busy. There was some big golf tournament: a lot of out-of-towners.”
“Any pool-side incidents?”
He laughed as he remembered something.
“Yeah! One of the guests dropped her cellphone in the deep end. I dove down to get it for her.”
“Was she grateful?”
“I think she was more pissed, but she gave me ten bucks… and her cellphone number.”
“You’re kidding me!” How dare she? Was she pretty? How old was she?
Those were the questions that I couldn’t ask.
“I mean, how dumb can you get?” continued Sebastian. “She just dumped her damn phone in the pool and that’s the number she gives me!”
“Sebastian,” I said, pointing out the blindingly obvious, at least to me, “the number will still work: she’ll just have to buy a new handset.”
He looked at me.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
He shook his head. “Well, it doesn’t make any difference: I threw her number away.”
“You did?”
“Of course I did!”
He looked annoyed. “I wouldn’t cheat on you, Caro!”
I couldn’t bear to point out the irony in that statement. Instead, I changed the subject.
“Do you want some dessert?”
His expression changed in an instant: from righteous indignation to the most scorching look of lust.
“Chocolate?” His voice was low and seductive.
“I… I made a polenta cake… but I bought chocolate, too.”
He didn’t take his eyes off me and his voice didn’t waver.
“Just the chocolate.”
He stood up, his chair scraping across the kitchen floor, and he held out his hand to me. I took it wordlessly and Sebastian pulled me into his arms, then kissed me until I stopped breathing.
“I want to make love to you,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. Fuck! I couldn’t think of anything else.” He blinked and his eyes danced with amusement. “People could have been drowning in that pool and I don’t think I’d have noticed.”
“Let’s go to bed.”
“Oh, yeah, baby!”
Suddenly he scooped me up off the floor and flung me over his shoulder; the surprise made me cry out. He practically ran up the stairs and threw me on the bed. I couldn’t help laughing at his eagerness, at the sheer joy I saw on his face.
“Damn! We forgot the chocolate.”