Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell [142]
`It isn't psychic. It's what I've always wanted. Only men aren't meant to daydream about that kind of thing. Getting married and having kids isn't a very macho thing to want.' Johnnie pulled a face. `All we're supposed to dream about is going out, getting wrecked and ripping the knickers off as many different birds as possible.' He paused. `Preferably with our teeth.'
I'm not wearing any knickers, thought Bev, so you couldn't rip mine off me.
Then she smiled a bit unsteadily, because this was possibly one of the happiest moments of her entire life. `So what are you saying?'
He gave her a long look.
`You know perfectly well what I'm saying.'
Oh! Goodbye, dusty old shelf! Hello, lifetime of bliss! `It's still early days,' Bev felt obliged to remind him. Only one day, in fact. As if she cared a jot.
`I know that. I'm just letting you know how I feel about you.' Johnnie shrugged. `If by any chance you think you might feel the same, please, feel free to let me know. If, on the other hand, you still find me utterly loathsome, well, you can tell me that too.'
Slowly, Bev kissed him.
`I don't find you utterly loathsome.'
`Well, good,' said Johnnie. `Phew,' he mimed relief, `that's a start.'
Bev glanced about her at the opulent oak-panelled bedroom with its beamed ceiling, antique fireplace and velvet-canopied four-poster.
`Did you say you'd booked this room for the whole night?'
`Had to. They don't rent them out by the hour,' he explained. `It's not that kind of hotel.'
`Seems a shame not to get our money's worth then.' Bev kissed him again, snuggling closer and allowing her hand to slip between the lapels of his dressing-gown. Shivering with pleasure as the silky dark hairs tangled beneath her fingers, she murmured, `I'm really glad you've got a hairy chest.'
Johnnie replied gravely, `I'm glad you've got a smooth one.'
Chapter 56
Miranda knew something weird was going on when she pulled on her baggy khaki trousers, stood up and promptly fell over.
`You've got both legs in one trouser leg,' Chloe pointed out. `You aren't concentrating.'
No, she wasn't. Instead she'd been thinking about Danny, who was due to arrive any minute now, listening out for the doorbell and wondering if she had time to quickly wash the gel out of her hair after all and go for the natural look.
Well, as natural as midnight-blue hair with magenta streaks could ever look.
Dragging her left leg out of her right trouser leg, Miranda realised with a sinking heart that the thing she most didn't want happening was starting to happen all over again. It had been escalating over the last week, creeping inexorably up on her like a mischievous ghost, and there was no longer any getting away from it.
The Crush was back.
Concentrating this time, she put her left leg carefully into her left trouser leg, stood up and fastened the zip.
`Look at you, with a waist.' As Chloe gave her flatstomach an envious prod, the doorbell rang. `Ooh, that'll be Danny. Excited?'
Miranda looked at her hectically flushed reflection in the mirror. Dammit, yes she was, but not for the reason Chloe thought. What was more, she really wished she wasn't excited, because a raging crush on someone who doesn't have a crush on you isn't the coolest, most comfortable thing in the world to have.
The Return of the Crush, thought Miranda, biting her lip. Oh dear, and she'd been so sure it had gone for good when Miles had burst into her life. She'd been cured, oh yes, he'd been just what she'd needed to take her mind off Danny Delancey.
So it was irritating to say the least, having it make an unscheduled reappearance in her life now. Like an annoying old schoolfriend you'd rather hoped never to see again, popping up over the garden fence calling, 'Coo-ee, we've just bought the house next door!'
Funny how you can walk into room quite effortlessly all your life, then all of a sudden it becomes a complicated procedure, fraught with difficulties.
Florence and Tom were in the sitting room, chattering to Danny, who had made himself comfortable