Just a Fan (11 page)

'But it sure was worth it,' he murmured with a decadent smile, and then closed the distance.

This time I was ready for him, responding fervently, finally allowing myself to stop thinking and just give up. His curls were thick and soft under my fingers, his arms comforting as they held me close. Whew...there was some serious steely muscle there...

I almost felt like weeping from all the emotion - how long had it been since a guy had shown this sort of interest in me? Three years? Four?

Ever?

As far as I was concerned, the world could get stuffed. I wouldn't worry any more - and just as Connor was risking the rage and disapproval of his agent and manager, I would risk the rage and disapproval of Kate and Julie.

It was time I was paid back for all those years of dullness!

Chapter 7

Consequence

'I absolutely
adore
red cheddar,' he told me vehemently with a broad smile, tucking in. 'Mmm! That's so good...'

'Tha's soo guid,' I repeated, imitating him teasingly.

'You making fun of my accent there?' he asked in mock offence, eyebrows raised in his "bring it on!" expression.

'Of course I'm not,' I reassured him patiently. 'I'm just agreeing with you that red cheddar is the best cheese on this planet. And I can only express my love for it in those raw, gravelly words of yours.'

Connor laughed.

'I'll drink to that,' he said, toasting me with his cappuccino jokingly.

Four days ago, he should have been flying off to America. Yet here he was with me, having lunch at the Red Terrace. I never would have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that one day I would somehow stop a famous man like Connor MacGowan from going off to start a new film, even without being aware of it. He had apparently told his agent that he was "detained due to personal reasons". Half of me thought he was mad...but the other half of me thought that this was rather touching. More than anyone had ever done for
me
, that was for sure!

Connor sat back in his chair. 'Red cheddar and olive bread,' he sighed musingly. 'No food in the world like it. Better than the crap I usually have at lunch, anyway.'

'Definitely the best,' I replied whole-heartedly, taking another small roll.

'I never would've thought the two went together so well,' he said, taking a big bite with a gleam of white teeth. I smiled at him fondly, sipping my own coffee. Although the last time we had come here had ended in disaster for me, this time around our meeting -
date
, rather - was going rather well. Even if Jess or another friend of his showed up, nothing would be able to spoil this; I now knew everything that was on Connor's mind, and he knew all that was on mine. By the looks of things, we were even closer than ever...

* * *

'Any pets?' I asked later, as we left the warmth of the café, quizzing each other light-heartedly.

'Does my mother's cat Biscuit count?' Connor queried with a bashful grin. 'She was a cheeky thing, always trying to climb onto the dinner table - Biscuit, that is, not my mother.' We both laughed. 'I love 'em both to bits.'

So the rugged-looking, gruff Scotsman who played a sniper-wielding assassin in
Heyday
had a tender side to him? I found this discovery quite endearing.

'You're a cat person too?' I said with a smile. 'I never had a cat myself - I used to just spoil the neighbours' cats back at my mother's house.' Abruptly, I realised we had headed off in the opposite direction of Connor's car.

'Where're we off to?' I asked him.

'Fancy taking a look at the little park?' Connor proposed. 'I noticed you looking out of the window at the trees in the café, so...'

Hmm...perceptive, too.

I dithered. 'I think I left my coat in the car...' I admitted.

'We'll only be a short while,' he cajoled me. 'Just for a look around; I've never been there before.'

I shrugged. 'OK, then.'

The park right next to the Red Terrace was a charming little spot, cut off from the sight of the road by hedges and trees. Elaborate flowerbeds in strict order were outlined by lengths of filigree metal curled into lovely shapes. There were a few benches here and there, and a nice new gravel path to walk along. Very few people were about, due to the sky being clouded over again, and blackbirds bobbed about on the grass, looking for worms.

Connor and I got as far as the corner of the park, where the trees met the bushes on the lush green grass, when I began to shiver.

'Here, Lilly...' Connor said, and slipped his lovely leather jacket from his broad shoulders.

'But
you'll
be cold now,' I protested half-heartedly through chattering teeth, my arms crossed tightly.

He scoffed. 'You're forgetting where I'm from, lass,' he told me with a wink. 'I may have been toasted for a while in balmy California, but being brought up in the North has made me immune to this type of weather...'

I laughed, gratefully letting him put the jacket around me. It was far too big for me, but it was so wonderfully warm that I didn't care if I looked odd. Connor smiled at me, straightening the collar as I drew it closer around myself, relishing the warmth and the particular, heavenly scent of his that still clung to the material. There was something very affectionate about his gesture, which was why it turned seamlessly into a kiss as he bent down. He only meant it to be a short kiss, but when I felt his lips begin to leave mine I pulled him down again, unable to resist the lure of that soft, marvellous mouth. He let me kiss him for a while more, then reluctantly broke away, putting a thumb gently against my bottom lip to still my advances. At first the self-doubting side of me feared he was rejecting me, but then I saw the look in his eyes. It was a look just as enraptured as mine, but with a cautious, wary edge.

'We'd better not let ourselves get carried away
here
, pet,' he murmured apologetically in a soft voice. 'It's something I've learnt the hard way.'

I looked around, startled, but the other people in the park weren't looking at us. However, better safe than sorry...how could I have been brainless enough to forget just
who
I was kissing in public? Of course throwing myself into Connor MacGowan's embrace in broad daylight before the general public would be just
asking
for trouble. I blushed.

'Sorry,' I apologised sheepishly, but Connor just gave me an adorable half-smile, stroking my hair.

'It doesn't matter,' he replied. 'Come on - let's go home.'

And with that, he took me by the hand and led me away, to where we wouldn't have to worry about onlookers.

* * *

'I
love
your house,' I sighed for the third time, standing happily in the living room. Connor came behind me and rested his chin against the top of my head.

'It makes a nice, quiet change,' he agreed vaguely. 'And the bedroom's also just as lovely...'

I froze out of pure shock, unable to believe what he was hinting. However, I heard his teasing chuckle right afterwards and grudgingly remembered that he
was
a bit of a flirt.

'Ha ha,' I replied sarcastically, leaning my head back against his chest.

'Let's go sit down,' offerred Connor brightly, taking my hand and tugging me over to the sofa. He threw himself down casually, then, before I could make a move to take my own seat, he pulled me right down onto his lap.

'Whoa!'

I was surprised that he didn't seem the least bit crushed when I landed on him so abruptly. Maybe he had very strong thighs...I blushed from my awkward perch.

Connor gave me one of his mischievous half-smiles and touched my cheek.

'You look so lovely when you blush like that,' he told me fondly. 'I should startle you more often.'

I narrowed my eyes at him.

'No, you shouldn't,' I dissuaded sternly, then thought about his compliment as I began to gradually relax, growing steadily convinced that he didn't find me too heavy. 'It's funny you should say that - a friend of mine always told me I looked like a tomato when I blushed,' I remarked, surprised.

Connor raised those expressive eyebrows at me. 'Well, you have some pretty mean friends, then!' he replied, and then his tone became lower, softer. 'Or maybe they just can't see it from a guy's perspective...'

He tilted his chin up and kissed me, still with a broad smile on his face. I felt myself melt against him, my position feeling actually quite comfortable now. I revelled in the warmth of his mouth and the embrace of his arms, gently stroking the roughness of his unshaven jawline. My heart felt ready to leap from my chest, especially when he pulled me closer still and -

The ringing of a telephone in the next room suddenly sounded.

Connor groaned grumpily against my lips, a deep, petulant furrow appearing on his brow. I was about to pull myself free, but he murmured indistinctly: 'Leave it...'

'Leave it?' I repeated uncertainly, but let him resume the kissing anyway. However, after about three more rings I sighed and broke away. 'Conn, that ringing's going to drive me
mad
,' I told him frankly.

Connor rolled his eyes.

'Alreet, lass, ah'm off then...' he grumbled tetchily, pushing me gently but unceremoniously off his lap. 'Stay there.' I smiled affectionately as my beloved Scotsman strode away, hands mutinously shoved in his pockets.

When he was out of sight, I hurriedly straightened my hair and clothing, squinting at my reflection in Connor's TV. From the next room I heard: 'Yes?'

There was a pause, and then Connor said again, in a marginally more reasonable tone: 'I know, and I said before - personal reasons. No, I'm afraid not...Well, it's still uncertain, but it will definitely not be more than, say, a fortnight...'

Another pause.

'That so?' Connor now sounded slightly worried. '...Well...' - he sighed - 'I'm afraid I really cannae make it. I know it's short notice, but...Aye, I suppose...But there's bound to be another one...Alright, thanks. Bye.'

I looked up at Connor when he came back in. He gave me a brief smile as he came towards me.

'Who was it?' I asked him lightly. He sighed offhandedly, flopping back down beside me on the sofa.

'Just my agent again,' he replied. 'Doesn't really matter.' He turned his head to one side, a gleam in his eye. 'Now, where were we?'

* * *

Barely five minutes later, the phone rang again.

'Oh dear...' I murmured against the corner of his mouth. Connor heaved a great sigh and got up once again, running from the room this time, obviously anxious to get the call over with.

'Yes.'

I pressed my palms against my cheeks in a half-hearted endeavour to make them lose colour.

'Hello...Er, yeah, Jim called just now, in fact,' I heard Connor saying. 'Yeah...I mean, I
know,
but - aye. Look, I've just got...stuff to deal with here, I really don't think I can...OK. OK, right. Yeah, I will. Bye.'

He put the phone down, then came back as quickly as he could, sitting down beside me and attacking my senses once again.

'Who...?' I managed to communicate as best as I could around his mouth.

'Pers'nal manager,' he murmured vaguely, obviously not wanting to talk about it. I was getting worried; was Connor getting into trouble for this? Concerned, my lips lost a bit of enthusiasm.