‘I asked him to my school reunion in Scotland and we kind of drifted into a fling. We’ve been keeping it a secret.’
‘You know it won’t last. He won’t allow it to.’
‘I know and that’s what I’m working through.’
‘You’re in love with him.’
Aerin screwed up her face. ‘Is it that obvious?’
‘Have you told him?’
‘No. Do you think I should?’
Tom gave her a grim look. ‘I’m hardly the one to be dishing out relationship advice.’
‘But you know him so well.’
‘No one knows Drake well,’ Tom said. ‘He’s always been a bit of a closed-book type of guy.’
‘Good luck with Mum and Dad. I’d come with you for moral support, but I have a wedding in Kent this weekend.’
‘Thanks, but this is something I have to face on my own.’
Aerin closed the door to her brother a short time later and leaned back against it with a heavy sigh. It was like a bad dream to think of Tom and Saskia breaking up. She couldn’t get her head around her brother’s fall from grace. It was so unlike him and yet, who knew what anyone was capable of while under extreme stress?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DRAKEHADTOforce himself not to text or call Aerin all day the next day. As someone who enjoyed periods of solitude to reflect on things, he was the last person who should be criticising her for wanting a bit of space. But he wanted her, and it was killing him to be left hanging, not knowing if she wanted to continue their fling or not.
But when he got back from his evening walk with Mutley, he found Aerin sitting on the step outside his house.
‘Why haven’t you used the key I gave you?’ he asked.
She rose from the step and huddled further into her coat. ‘I didn’t feel comfortable letting myself in.’ She bent down to pet Mutley, who, unlike him, was a lot less inhibited about showing how excited he was to see her. The silly old dog yapped and wagged its tail and panted as if it were going to have a heart attack in delight.
‘Let’s get out of this infernal cold,’ Drake growled. ‘Tell me why I live in London again?’
Aerin gave a soft laugh. ‘It’s hard not to think about a tropical island in the sun right now, that’s for sure.’
Drake could think of no one he would enjoy being with on a tropical island more than her. Maybe that would solve the problem of keeping their fling a secret. They could take a holiday to some exotic faraway location where they could relax and soak up the sun.
He led the way inside his house, and Mutley immediately shook his wet fur, sending droplets of water all over the floor. ‘How’s Mr McPhee doing?’
‘He’s progressing well,’ Aerin said, shrugging off her coat. ‘He’s using a walker, which he hates but he realises he needs it for balance.’
‘It must be hard to get old and not be able to do the things you want to do.’
‘Yes...’
Drake took her coat and hung it on the stand near the door. ‘I’m sorry I ended our conversation so abruptly last night.’
‘That’s okay. I did kind of spring it on you about staying at my place instead of here. But just as well I did, as Tom dropped around unannounced.’
‘Oh? How was he?’
‘Why didn’t you tell me you saw him the other day?’
Drake shrugged off his own coat and hung it next to hers. ‘He saw me as a client, that’s why. I don’t break client confidentiality.’