Close Your Eyes (38 page)

‘So where are you off
to
, you love birds?
You don’t look too happy,
Megs
.
’
Jenna eyed her curiously
,
and
a
deep line appeared between her furrowed eyebrows. She was obviously thinking furiously, trying to make sense of
Meg
’s
less-than-thrilled
expression.
Guiltily, Meg knew she should have looked a bit more enthusiastic
, if only to put to rest her friend’s suspicions.

‘
Ry
wanted us to go to the Barn.’

Jenna’s eyes lit up
as
her initial worries
were
totally sidetracked. The Barn, a sixteenth
-
century building converted into a posh restaurant and dance club
,
was
a restaurant where reservations were almost impossible to obtain
.
Everyone wanted to visit it.
The prices were through the roof
and the
décor was
over the top.
The b
ulky,
black-and-white
building
’s
interior had been totally gutted and renovated
. R
ave
reviews from guests and critics put it
at
to the very center of the map of local attractions.

‘That’s so awesome!’ Jenna gushed
. Her
dimpled smile widen
ed
into a
mischievous
grin. ‘
So
I guess he is trying to make up for the lost time, right? Do you think this is The Night?’

Jenna
looked so excited that
Meg
didn’t have the heart to disappoint her. Somehow
,
she doubted that Ry
an
would take her to such busy and visible spot to propose to her in front of all those curious bystanders. It wasn’t his style
. The
line between public and
private lif
e
was
drawn not with a pencil
,
but a permanent marker.

‘Well, I hope we’ll have fun,’ she finished diplomatically, turning her attention to the last arrangement. One quick glance at her watch told her it was almost time to go home if she
were
to
have enough time to
get ready for the evening and look her best.

I’ll knock
his socks off,
she thought rebelliously
as she impatiently
added the last few feathery ferns.
She w
anted to see his blue eyes darken with admiration and
attraction
as he saw her tonight
. She hoped it would
wip
e
away
any memories of white uniforms, dark glossy hair
,
and eyes as green as
fresh spring
leaves after a rain.

Two hours later, as she eyed herself critically in her closet’s
full-length
mirror
,
she had to admit that she
had
pretty
much succeeded.
The woman looking back at her from the mirror was both sexy and sophisticated. The knee
-
length magenta dress with capped sleeves and
a
round
neckline agreed beautifully with her pale skin
. T
he delicate golden chain
seemed to suspend
a
solitary pink pearl against the s
kin of her throat. It was a gift
from Ry
an
, of course
, one
of the first pieces he
had ever
given
her
. T
he
memory of his fingers fastening the tiny clip at the back of her neck
was still
very much alive.
The necklace
wasn’t very expensive or extravagant by any means.
It was just
a simple chain with a s
mallish, oval pearl, irregular i
n shape and far from the perfect beauty of the other
pricier
pieces. But it was exactly this quality that made it special
. I
ts delicate beauty and iridescent color
made it
more appealing than all the diamonds of the world. It was unique
,
and it was hers
.
The
fact that Ry
an
had given it to her made
all the difference.
Her pink pumps
and
a gossamer
-
fine shawl in hues of baby pink, magenta
,
and
fuchsia
add
ed
the final touch
es
.

She
played
with the idea
of putting
up her hair
since
a sophisticated chignon
was
definitely not out of place in the club they were going to.
Y
et she decided against it, remembering how much Ry
an
loved her hair loose and free. He used to bury his face in the soft, chocolate brown waves
. The thought of his
smile against her skin
made
her shiver with pleasure. She missed
that
part
,
too
. H
is few weeks of convalescence at his family house
were
putting a
desolate
damper on their private life.

Even though he had a
permanent residence at his grandfather’s r
a
mbling house all year round
, he also had a
small bachelor pad in the city, away from his family’s prying eyes. He
jokingly
called it his business flat
because it was
meant to house him or any other family member
who was
in town on business.
Enjoying the total privacy of their own four walls, Megan and Ry
an
frequently stayed there overnight
after
evenings
in London.
It wasn’t
really
a secret
,
b
ut
that was exactly how
her relationship with Ry
an
had felt
in the last few years
.
Their relationship
was
a frustrating code of silence
between them
,
neither noticed nor
ignored by most of his family. While Ry
an
definitely did nothing to hide her or their love from
his family’s
eyes, he didn’t really do anything to advertise it either.

True, he
had included her in
the latest event to an exten
t
that made
their
relationship
very clear.
She hoped it would lead to other, even more significant changes.
Maybe tonight was the time to
breach
this topic
.

The doorbell rang, and she
was thankful
that her parents
were out
on
one of
their
incredibly boring card game evening
s.

The
heavy door swung open
,
and suddenly they were
face-to-face
. ‘Hi.’
Meg
’s breath
caught
in her throat as she looked at Ry
an
leaning casually against the
door frame
.

‘Hi yourself,’ he
said
. His
handsome face
was
more relaxed than she had seen it in a long time. Tall and elegant,
he
looked breathtakingly good
in a
pale
-
blue shirt and light
-
grey pants. The casually rolled
-
up sleeves offered her a glimpse of his strong, tanned forearms,
which reached
out to pull her closer.

‘I’m so glad to finally have you all to myself
,
’
he whispered, leaning
in to
rub his nose against hers.
She inhaled h
is breath, warm and sweetly scented,
and she was
eager to recapture the magic they usually had.

‘
Me
too, Ry.’ Lifting herself on
to
her
toes
,
she brushed
her
lips against
his.
Then s
he
kissed him again
,
and he responded
. His
mouth open
ed
and
drew
her into one of those dizzying, mind
-
blowing kisses she remembered.