Charlie was on his feet and Rafe had him in a man hug. It wasn’t so out of the ordinary for Charlie—he did that kind of thing all the time—but Rafe... All the same, there was no trace of stiffness or reluctance on his part.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see it.’ The admission startled her even more. The old Rafe would have just sucked up his regret and walked away, never mentioning it.
Mimi put the plates down on the table. She was going to have to find a way of not watching Rafe’s every move, hoping to find evidence that he’d changed. She was going to have to find a way of not caring, and do it quickly before he left again.
* * *
As expected, they didn’t have to wait long before they had a call from the control centre. With eight hours sleep and a good meal inside her, Mimi felt a great deal better about that. Being able to see where they were going was no bad thing either. As they moved closer to the flood area, large puddles had become lakes and the fields were now deep in water.
The car slowed and came to a halt. In front of them, a dip in the road was knee-deep in water for the next couple of hundred yards.
‘Can we manage that?’
Rafe was surveying the path ahead of them. ‘I’d rather not try if there’s an alternative.’
Mimi nodded. The surface of the water was almost serene but that could be deceptive. The road underneath could be strewn with sharp rocks and potholes, any one of which had the potential to put them off the road.
‘Tha
t looks a better bet.’
Rafe turned the car abruptly on to a track that wound upwards and Mimi saw a handwritten notice pinned to a tree: Diversion and Manor Hotel.
‘Yep.’ She clasped her hands tightly in her lap. The Manor Hotel’s main driveway was three miles further along this road. If they could get up to the hotel from here and then drop back down again they’d avoid the flooded section of road.
She wondered if Rafe remembered. Because, as the old stately house loomed on the horizon, she was having difficulty forgetting.
Date night. Although it had been more than five years ago now, it was suddenly fresh and clear in Mimi’s memory, a treasure that had remained untouched and unchanged. Preserved in every detail, right down to the note she’d found on the kitchen table when she’d come home from work.
Going out tonight. Dress up.
By the time Rafe had arrived home she’d been almost ready. He’d showered and changed into a suit, and complimented her on her dress. Then he’d kissed her, refused to tell her where they were going, and led her to the car.
They’d driven here. It had been a summer’s night and they’d dined on the patio, with flickering torches lending a sense of drama to a good meal. As dusk had begun to fall he’d dropped a room key into her hand...
‘A four-poster!’ The solid, dark wood structure had been big enough to close the curtains, shut the world out for a night and have Rafe entirely to herself. ‘I’ve never slept in a four-poster before.’
‘You want to sleep?’ Rafe’s wicked, seductive smile had made it very clear that sleep wasn’t on his agenda.
‘Got a better idea?’ she’d teased him.
‘Much better...’ He’d taken off his jacket and loosened his tie. Picking up a wooden chair from the corner of the room, he’d placed it carefully and sat down. Mimi had known just what he wanted. If she stood in front of him he would be able to see her back, reflected in the big mirror over the dressing table, which would give him a three-sixty-degree view when she unzipped her dress.
Undressing slowly, she’d revelled in his gaze, his murmurs of approval pricking at her senses like fingers running over her skin. Finally she’d shaken her hair free across her shoulders and advanced towards him, perching on his knee.
‘What next? Since you seem to have a plan.’ Whatever it was, she had really wanted to hear it.
‘Call it a fantasy.’ He’d nuzzled against her neck, running his hands across her body. ‘You up for that?’
‘Fantasy night...? Yes, I’m up for it.’
He’d had to help her unbutton his shirt because her hands had been shaking with anticipation. When he was naked, his clothes flung in an untidy heap on the floor, he’d broken away from her kisses, moved the chair a few inches and sat down again, his legs stretched out in front of him.
‘Come here, honey...’
He’d settled her on to his lap, astride his legs. She had been completely exposed to him, her back reflected in the mirror.
‘You like what you see?’