An Oxford Revenge by Maxine Barry & Faith Martin

Author:Maxine Barry & Faith Martin [Barry, Maxine & Martin, Faith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781789313574
Publisher: JOFFE BOOKS crime, mysteries and romantic suspense
Published: 2020-05-25T22:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Jared rubbed a hand wearily across his forehead as the red curtains got stuck halfway across the stage. Beside him, Alicia grinned. ‘It’ll be all right on the night,’ she muttered, sotto voce. ‘At least we’ve ironed out the problems in the play; spotlights that don’t work and all the rest of it are just technical hitches, aren’t they?’

Jared leaned one arm along the back of her chair. ‘So that’s the way it is?’ he drawled. ‘My play’s all right, so all the nitty-gritty little problems are your headache!’ Alicia laughed, but was acutely aware of his every movement. The way his T-shirt clung to his muscles and fluttered at the neck with every breath he took. The scent of his aftershave. The touch of his breath on her cheek. Since that kiss in the punt, she seemed to feel uneasy whenever Jared was around.

‘Right, you lot can go,’ Jared called. ‘We’ll go for a full dress rehearsal tomorrow. Props! Did you hear that?’ From the colourful language that filtered back to him, he assumed props had heard all right. Alicia grinned as the room emptied. Sin-Jun was throwing a small party in the SCR in honour of her brother, and they were all invited.

‘Aren’t you all a-flutter at being invited into the mysterious depths of the Senior Common Room?’ he teased, lifting one finger to trace the curve at the nape of her neck.

At his touch, a wonderful but very physical tingle shot down her spine and she dragged in a quick gasp of air.

Jared, who was watching his finger curl a long lock of raven hair around it, smiled whimsically. He might be wrapping her around his little finger in this aspect, but as things went . . .

He was the one completely in her thrall. Her shyness, and the way she battled to overcome it, charmed him. Her growing confidence, in both her play and her ability to write, made him want to burst into song. Ever since that day in the punt, he’d been longing to kiss her again, but he wanted it to be special. A woman like Alicia should be wooed. With flowers, and walks in the park, and romantic candlelit dinners and . . .

‘So, I expect you’re nervous about next term, hm?’ Alicia, who’d been wracking her brains for something intelligent to say, was somewhat entranced by the hand still on her neck.

‘What?’ Jared croaked. ‘Oh, you mean finals. Yes, I suppose so. But I hope to get a first. Arrogant so-and-so, aren’t I?’

Alicia laughed. She loved him when he was laughing at himself. Loved him when he was smiling. Just . . . loved him.

Now, having him all to herself in the quietness of the dark theatre, she wanted to take the opportunity to learn every last thing about him. From his favourite colour, down to the way he liked to clean his teeth.

‘What’ll you do when you leave here?’ she asked, a pang of pain lancing through her as she realised how very close that day was.

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