Take My Breath Away by Ali Ryecart
Chapter Twenty-Two
JAMES
It’s barely past midday by the time we reach Love’s Harbour on the South Devon coast and to my surprise, even though I don’t admit it to Perry, I’m instantly charmed by both the place and the cottage.
The whitewashed former fisherman’s cottage, at the end of a pretty and quiet lane, is simply and tastefully decorated. It’s bright and airy and there are lots of warm personal touches, including framed photographs of Elliot and Freddie looking happy and content and sickeningly in love.
I get everything in from the car leaving Perry to get the boiler going and more importantly the kettle on. Once everything’s inside I push the door closed on a bright but cold day.
“I can’t believe I’m back here.” Perry hands me a cup of tea. “But more than that, I can’t believe you’ve not been down before now. I’ll give you the tour in a moment, but in the meantime we can have some of these.”
Perry gives me an impish grin as he rips open a packet of chocolate biscuits.
“Did your mother never tell you that snacks would spoil your lunch?”
“Frequently, but I never listened to much she said.” He laughs before he chomps on a biscuit and raises his brow as I take one too.
The plan is to get ourselves sorted out before we hotfoot it to the local pub. This is a short holiday and holidays mean eating out. I’m not allowing Perry to cook a thing, even though I know he’ll try.
Outside the wind’s picked up and the squawk of gulls fill the air. When I told Perry I’m all for five-star luxury I wasn’t exaggerating, but I’m excited about being here. All my holidays for as long as I can remember have been somewhere hot and exotic except of course for skiing. I always go alone, but I’m never alone for long and certainly never alone in my bed. But this, this is so different, and I know it’s all because of the young man sitting next to me on the sofa.
It’s you who’s in the most danger…Elliot’s words, from the other day, slam into me as I gaze at Perry.
Of course I’m in danger. I’m in more danger than I’ve ever been, and I don’t want to do a thing about it—
“There are some really nice cafés down on the harbour and some great old pubs as well—”
“What?” I say, jolted out of my daydream. “Yes, you said.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do the ordering so you don’t have to make any kind of contact with the locals. I’ll keep you safe.” He smirks before he bites on another biscuit, his fourth or fifth.
A crumb clings to his lower lip and I look away quickly when it’s swept up on the tip of his pink tongue. I clear my throat, and take a swig of tea.
“Shit!” It’s scalding and my eyes water. “I’ve taken the skin off the roof of my mouth. I need emergency surgery, there’s only bare bone left,” I splutter. If I’m hoping for sympathy, I’m soon disappointed.
“A pint of the local beer will soon anaesthetise you. Rat’s Arse is a well known cure-all. Legend has it it’s what saved the locals during the Great Plague, so I’m sure it’ll sooth your internal burns.”
“You’re not in the least bit sympathetic, are you?” I poke my tongue at the tender flesh on the roof of my mouth; it’s stinging slightly, but that’s all.
No need for emergency surgery, then. Maybe a kiss would sooth it… Christ, how am I expected to get through the next couple or so days intact?
Perry cocks his head to the side and makes a show of thinking.
“No.”
“Then I may as well take solace in another biscuit.” I nab the rapidly dwindling packet out of his hand. “Why’s it called Rat’s Arse?” Although I can guess.
“Because it’s strong and just a couple of pints will make you as pissed as a rodent’s behind. The villagers probably couldn’t have given two hoots about death and disease once they’d got a bellyful of the stuff. It’s also revolting, and I fully intend to stick with wine.”
He grabs the packet back, riffles for another biscuit, and holds what’s left of them out of arm’s reach.
A minute or two later we’re collecting our luggage and making our way up the narrow flight of stairs.
“There are two bedrooms on this floor.” Perry looks at me over his shoulder just as we reach the landing. “There’s the original master bedroom and one that’s only slightly smaller directly opposite, but they’ve had the loft conversion done making it into a big bedroom with an en-suite. That’s now Elliot and Freddie’s room.”
We stop short of the new set of stairs heading up towards the loft and instead stand in the narrow hallway between the open doors of the two bedrooms. Two double bedrooms, one opposite the other. At home, our rooms are either side of the house, but here, in the much smaller cottage, the rooms are so close I’ll be able to hear Perry’s every breath, every sigh, every movement that comes from the bed taking up pride of place.
It’s going to be agony.
“Take your pick, I really don’t mind which one I have.” My voice is loud in the narrow hallway and somehow overly hearty. Jesus Christ. Am I nervous? When was the last time a man made me jangle with nerves?
“Oh I don’t mind, this one will do. This is where I’ve always slept when I’ve been down before.”
He twists around me and heads into the room that’s decorated in exactly the same pale shades as the room I’ll be taking, and which looks out over the small but pretty back garden and up towards the hills that rise above the village.
“Shall we get sorted out and then head off to lunch somewhere?” Perry’s face is bright pink, and he’s looking everywhere but at me. His nervousness settles mine.
“Are you sure, after all those biscuits you’ve just pigged out on?”
I smile and quirk my brow, wanting to put him at his ease.
“They were my starter, and anyway, you made us leave before breakfast.” He pouts but it doesn’t stop the smile twitching the corners of this lips.
The little moment of awkwardness is gone, but with the two of us in such close quarters, I can’t be certain it’ll be the last.
