Summer Kisses

He’d ended the relationship.

Evanna’s hand stilled on the baby’s back. ‘I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.’ She frowned. ‘Flora?’

Flora looked at Evanna and Charlie. And she thought of Logan and what they shared.

And then she thought of what she’d had with Conner.

Had he at any point actually said that he didn’t want her? No. Yet again she ran through the conversation in her head, trying to remember every last detail. What he’d said was that he wasn’t the right man for her. That she wouldn’t want to be seen with him in public.

And when he’d said that, she hadn’t argued with him because, as usual, she hadn’t known what to say. She’d let him walk away because she hadn’t thought of the right thing to say at the right time.

But suddenly she knew exactly what she wanted to say.

Maybe he didn’t want her any more, but she needed to find out. And she didn’t care about pride because some things were more important than pride.

Panic fluttered inside her. ‘Evanna, where is Conner, do you know?’

‘He went to the Stag’s Head for a drink with Logan.’

Flora glanced at the clock on the wall. Seven o’clock. The chances were that most of Glenmore would be in the Stag’s Head at this hour on a Friday night. She stood up. ‘I’m really sorry to abandon you, but I’m going for a drink. There’s something I need to say to Conner.’

The Stag’s Head was crowded with locals and heads turned as Flora opened the door and paused, her eyes scanning the room.

‘Hey, Flora.’ Ben smiled at her from behind the bar. ‘You look like a woman in need of a drink. What can I get you?’

‘In a minute, Ben, thanks.’ Finally she spotted Conner and just at that moment he lifted his eyes and saw her. Ice-blue melded with brown and for a moment she just stood still, her heart pounding and her cheeks flaming red, unable to look away or move.

‘Hi, Flora,’ a couple of the locals called out to her, and she gave a vague smile but didn’t respond.

If she didn’t do this right away, she’d lose her nerve.

She let the door close behind her and wove her way through the chattering throng towards his table.

His eyes narrowed, but his gaze didn’t shift from hers and from behind her came the sound of wolf whistles and good-natured laughter.

‘Hey, Conner, looks like our Flora’s got something to say to you.’

‘Have you been a naughty boy, Con?’

The cat calls and teasing continued and Flora stopped next to him, realising with a flash of desperation that her plan was never going to work. She did have something to say, but the pub was so noisy that no one was ever going to hear her. And she needed them to hear.

‘Flora?’ Conner’s voice was wary and for a momen

t she just looked at him, wondering how she was going to do this.

She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again, thinking rapidly.

Executing a rapid change of plan, she leaned forward, took his face in her hands and kissed him. He stiffened with shock and his mouth remained immobile under hers. Then he started to pull away from her, so she slid onto his lap, straddling him, her hands clasping his head, keeping his mouth against hers.

A stunned silence had descended on the pub and although she didn’t turn her head to look, Flora knew that everyone was staring at them. And that was hardly surprising because she was creating the biggest spectacle that Glenmore had seen for a long time. Which had been her intention.

Despite the tension in his body, she felt Conner’s mouth move under hers and then felt the skilled stroke of his tongue. It was as if he couldn’t help himself and, as always, the chemistry flashed between them. But his lapse was short-lived and this time when he pulled away he removed her hands at the same time, clasping her wrists firmly.

He stared at her, his blue eyes blazing. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

The noise around them had ceased. The low hum of chatter had died, the laughter was silenced and there was no clink of glasses.

‘I’m kissing you, Conner,’ Flora said clearly. ‘I’m kissing you, just as I’ve kissed you every day for the past month. Only this time I’m doing it in public, so there’s no confusion about the facts.’