A Summer to Remember (20 page)

She gulped. Wasn’t it usually the sexy young woman who walked semi-naked out of the sea? Not this time. She really couldn’t help it, but her eyes were positively cemented to him as he raked a hand through his hair and squeezed the excess water from it. Nina tried to smile casually, as if good-looking men walked half-naked towards her every day, but it was rather difficult. He was beautiful. So strong. So tanned. So young.

So young
! And he was getting closer.

Alex flung his arms out, desperate to get the warmth of the sun onto his chilled body. He couldn’t help laughing as he saw the sodden figure of Nina.

‘I feel horrible,’ she moaned, averting her eyes and pretending to concentrate on shaking her T-shirt out. Alex landed heavily beside her, feeling the wet legs of his trousers. ‘Look at me!’ he laughed.

‘I’m trying not to.’

‘Pardon?’

‘Nothing.’ Nina stapled her lips together with her teeth.

‘Blimey. I can’t be doing with this.’ He stood up and hastily unfastened the zip, pushing his trousers down his legs with one swift movement and revealing a pair of navy boxer shorts. ‘That’s better,’ he said, as he lay the trousers flat on the sand to dry out. Nina looked at his bare legs glistening in the sun and watched as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

She rubbed her frozen limbs then lay back on the sand, not caring if it stuck in her hair.

‘What do you suppose Dominic would say?’ she asked suddenly.

‘To what?’

‘To us here, like this?’

‘He’d probably tell you that I was the devil and that you couldn’t trust me as far as you could throw me.’

‘I don’t think I could throw you very far,’ Nina pointed out.

‘Exactly,’ Alex smiled at her. She was beginning to feel swamped by all of his smiles, not knowing what to do with them. But she didn’t have to do anything. She just watched as he moved closer to her.

His first kiss came as no real surprise. It was warm and soft, almost as if he was testing her out. And she liked it. She felt herself sink gently into the sand as if it were a feather quilt, and she closed her eyes to experience the sensation of his mouth against hers. There wasn’t anything predatory about it. It wasn’t one of those tongue-chasing, teeth-clashing kisses. It was as soft as snowflakes but oh so warm.

It felt like an age since she’d last been kissed, since she’d last felt desire and been desired – at the same time. Her body had been on ice, but it was thawing wondrously fast now.

When they finally stopped, they looked into each other’s eyes.

‘We shouldn’t have done that,’ Nina whispered.

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m a man-free zone at the moment.’

‘What
?’ Alex said incredulously.

‘Besides,’ Nina continued, ‘it just isn’t right – me being here with you.’

‘You mean you’re meant to be working,’ Alex tutted and sat upright, squinting out to sea. Nina sat up, too. ‘You should be looking after Dominic, is that it?’

Nina sighed. ‘Just what is it with you two?’

‘Well,’ Alex began, turning back to look at her, ‘if you really want to know – it’s you.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes –
you
! Dominic’s always had a crush on you and I think it’s got a lot worse since you came back.’

‘Oh rubbish! What do you mean
always
? I’ve been away for over a decade!’

‘Ah – but you never forget your first love.’

Nina sighed loudly. ‘I don’t want to hear this! I’m not his first love at all – Faye is.
Faye
is the one he should be with – not me. I’m just a—’

‘What?’

‘I’m just a silly crush that he’s going to get over,’ Nina said. ‘Now, I don’t want to hear any more about it, okay?’

‘Well, you did ask,’ Alex pointed out.

‘It’s just ridiculous. I mean, if I met the person I had a crush on when I was eleven, I’d probably die from embarrassment.’

‘Well, our Dominic’s an old romantic.’

Nina dug her heels into the sand as if she were trying to disown them. What was it with brothers? Why did Alex have to go and tell her that? And why, if he knew Dominic still had a crush on her, was he kissing her? Had Alex had a crush on her, too, all those years ago? Had he a crush on her now – or was he just trying to get one over on Dominic?

‘Alex,’ she said, ‘romance is the last thing on my mind at the moment.’

‘Okay,’ he said.

Nina looked at him. She was puzzled. She’d half-expected him to put up a fight, but he was so casual that it concerned her more. It wasn’t very flattering not to be fought for, especially by someone who had taken his trousers off in front of her.

‘Yes,’ she said firmly, trying not to look at his expanse of bare leg, ‘I’m at the mill to work.’

‘I know,’ he said, following Nina’s example and digging his heels into a cool trench in the sand.

‘Good,’ Nina said.

‘Do you want half a Bounty?’

‘What?’

‘I’ve got a Bounty in my pocket,’ he said.

‘Erm, all right then. Thanks.’ She took her half and ate it in bemused silence.

‘Alex,’ she said after a while.

‘Yes?’

‘Aren’t your trousers dry yet?’

They let another hour pass by before they got up to walk back to the car. Nina looked up into the clouds; wispy and distant. It was strange but the kiss seemed to have been forgotten, which was a relief to Nina. Alex, she thought, was such a happy-go-lucky chap, wasn’t he?

‘The sky’s so huge here, isn’t it?’ she said. Alex nodded. He hadn’t said much since her declaration of independence, and she couldn’t really be bothered to make conversation. If he didn’t want to talk then that was fine.

‘I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Nina,’ he suddenly said.

Nina bit her lip. Oh, dear. So the kiss hadn’t been forgotten. She took a deep breath. She had to play this down or she’d end up in serious trouble.

‘Yeah, right!’ she said, as her thoughts ping-ponged around her brain in search of a direction in which to change the conversation.

‘No – really! I’m not just saying that. I really like you, Nina. I love the way you’ve just slotted into life at the mill like you belong there, and I love your energy and enthusiasm for everything – the way you handle Dad and Ziggy. You’re not afraid of anything, are you? And the way you ate that cottage pie at the pub the other night.’

‘What?’ Nina had somehow lost his train of thought.

‘It’s such a relief to go out with a girl who doesn’t pick at her food or order a salad with no dressing and nothing remotely tasty in it.’

Nina felt her colouring rising like an Oriental sun on the blank sky of her face.

‘You’ve got summer in your face,’ Alex said suddenly. Nina thought it best to ignore his comment.

Alex merely smiled, and suddenly his body was very close to hers, blocking out the sun and the breeze and the large expanse of beach. Nina could feel the warmth of his breath as his mouth inched nearer hers. He was going to kiss her again and what was she trying to do to stop it? Nothing!

‘Er – Alex,’ she whispered. ‘I think we should be going.’

‘Do you?’ She nodded and they almost banged noses. ‘You don’t want to stay?’ She shook her head. ‘Okay,’ he said, and she watched as he marched in the direction of the car park without saying another word.

He didn’t speak at all on the way back home, either. Nina wasn’t sure what was more uncomfortable; the glassy feeling of sand in between her toes or the deathly silence between her and Alex. She wanted to break it – to say something humorous to lighten the atmosphere – but couldn’t think of anything to talk about.

After leaving the narrow lanes of the north Norfolk coast, the Alfa Romeo sped along the main road back to Norwich like a little bolt of white lightning, the breeze sending Nina’s hair out behind her like a comet’s tail, but she sat absolutely motionless, as if scared to draw attention to herself if she moved an inch.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about the kiss. It had been so unexpected but, as kisses went, she couldn’t deny that it had been wonderful. She’d forgotten the last time she’d been kissed like that. The last few months with Matt had been rather barren in the love department and Nina had forgotten what it felt like to be the focus of somebody’s desire. But this was all very awkward. She hadn’t come to the mill – or the beach – to be kissed. She’d come to work, she’d come to recover and find out what she wanted in life and a kiss was just going to get in the way of all that. She didn’t feel ready for it, especially with somebody like Alex.

She remembered Dominic’s warning about his brother and wondered how he was getting on with his afternoon appointments. She felt a pang of guilt at having left him to fend for himself whilst she’d been out getting kissed in the sand. But she couldn’t exactly help him with the actual painting, could she? And Alex was right; he should be able to handle a few old dears by himself.

Nina bit her lip as she thought of Dominic and what Alex had told her. Could she trust Alex to tell her the truth? Did Dominic really have a crush on her? She’d have to put the idea out of her mind if she was to get on with her work successfully, and she’d much rather avoid Dominic if she could, but that wasn’t going to be easy with all the portraits lined up for the length of the summer.

She could avoid him for the rest of today though, she thought, as Alex swung the car into the lane that led to The Old Mill House and, with any luck, he’d still be busy painting. She’d sneak in through the hall and creep up the stairs to her room. With any luck, by the time Monday came around, he’d have forgotten that she’d left him to go to the beach with his brother.

As Alex parked the car in the driveway, Nina saw a solitary figure sitting on the front doorstep. There was no chance of her just sneaking into the house now.

It was Faye.

Chapter Eighteen

‘Hey, Faye!’ Alex chorused as he got out of the car.

‘Hello, Alex.’

‘What are you up to?’ he asked, marching over to her and ruffling her hair.

‘Nothing,’ Faye said, her voice limp and lifeless.

‘Let me rephrase that – what’s up?’

‘Nothing,’ she said again. ‘I’ve been waiting for Nina.’

‘Have you?’ Nina said and, although she was tired, windswept, covered in sand and very hungry, she suddenly felt rather maternal towards Faye. She looked as pale and fragile as a cobweb, and her pose on the doorstep put Nina in mind of a latchkey kid.

‘Are you locked out?’ she asked her.

Faye nodded. ‘I’ve been doing a few extra chores in the garden that had to be done this weekend and Olivia said she’d left my wages in the house, but nobody’s answering the door.’

‘Mum and Dad are in town today,’ Alex explained. ‘And Dominic’s working.’

‘But he is in the house,’ Nina pointed out.

‘Well, he’s not answering the door,’ Faye said.

‘Are you hungry?’ Nina asked. Faye nodded. ‘Come on then. I’ll fix us some tea and we can eat it out in the garden.’ She fished in her bag for her key and let them in. Alex disappeared up the stairs and Nina and Faye wandered through to the kitchen.

‘Where’ve you two been?’ Faye asked, her voice regaining a little of its usual vivacity.

‘Out to the coast,’ Nina said, filling the kettle.

‘Oh.’ Faye picked up an apple and rolled it in the palm of her hand as she eyed Nina. ‘So, are you and Alex seeing each other?’

Nina turned around. ‘Why do you ask that?’

‘Well, why else would you go to the beach with him?’ Faye asked.

‘Why must everyone think something’s going on?’ Nina said with an exasperated sigh as she opened the fridge.

‘Because you went out with Alex,’ Faye said.

‘Get hold of that,’ Nina said, chucking a bag of mixed salad at Faye. ‘I’m going to have a shower. When I come back, I expect tea to be ready.’

‘Yes, ma’am!’ Faye saluted, making Nina grin in spite of herself.

‘You really
should
watch yourself with Alex,’ Faye said later in the garden as she crunched on a stick of celery that had been liberally speared in mayonnaise.

‘You don’t need to tell me,’ Nina said, ‘because there’s absolutely nothing going on.’ She looked at Faye, hoping that she couldn’t see the image of her and Alex kissing on the beach that was floating before her eyes. She blinked the image away, cursing herself for her foolishness. What had she been thinking? But that was the trouble – she hadn’t been thinking; she’d been swept up in the moment – the sun-drenched, windswept moment.

‘He’s an odd one is Alex,’ Faye said, interrupting her thoughts.

‘Odd?’ Nina asked. ‘How?’

‘Well,’ Faye crossed a leg underneath her on the deck chair, ‘he’s always told me how he’s desperate to find the right girl but that he seems fated to wander the earth in search of her.’

Nina started to giggle. ‘That’s a very lame excuse for putting it around!’

Faye smiled. ‘Yeah – I know. But I kind of feel sorry for him. He is lovely. He deserves to find that special someone.’

They were silent for a moment, listening to the rich notes of a blackbird from inside the laurel hedge.

‘Where’s he living?’ Nina asked.

‘Oh, he’s got a little flat in Kew not far from where he works. It’s really nice, actually – it overlooks the river.’

‘You been there?’

‘Yes,’ Faye said. ‘Just the once.’

Nina looked at her quizzically.

‘It’s not what you think,’ Faye said. ‘I’d just left college and Dominic wasn’t taking my calls. I think Alex took pity on me and invited me over. We just had a chat. He told me to forget Dommie and move on.’

‘And he didn’t make a play for you himself?’ Nina asked.

Faye looked shocked for a moment, but then she sighed. ‘Of course he did. He’s Alex!’

Nina grinned.

‘But I told him I wasn’t interested and he was very sweet – he said he had to try and that Dommie wasn’t worthy of me and all that.’

Nina nodded, trying to imagine the scene in Alex’s flat.

‘I wonder what Dominic’s been doing all day,’ Faye said, as casually as possible.

Nina looked at her and knew in her heart that this girl was still in love with him – no matter how hard she tried to protest, and no matter what Alex had told her that day about moving on.