Chapter Fifteen
L eonard ushered Jill to his car, opening the door and settling her into the passenger seat. She removed his jacket and passed it to him with a smile as he closed the door. Getting into the driver’s seat, Leonard hung his jacket from the little peg above the back-passenger seat behind him. He then let out a sigh of relief as he spotted his blood flask in the gap between the door and his seat. Very quickly; as Jill was busily fussing with her seat belt and finding a station on the radio, he took a quick sip. He slid it back down beside him, stomach settling as soon as the blood hit his system.
A soft rock tune filtered into the car as the hum of the engine began.
“You enjoy rock music?” he enquired as he pulled out of the car park.
“I do, I’ve seen this band play live.”
“Any good?” he asked hitting the indicator and turning onto the main road.
“Vocally, they are just as good live.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a live performance,” he informed her.
“It’s a few years since I’ve been. Then again, it’s also been a year or two since I’ve been to the cinema. I was meant to have gone up to Amanda and Polly’s last weekend in Scotland. We were all going to see a new rom-com that had just been released, but I had a tummy bug so couldn’t go.” Jill told him, eyes closed as she leaned her head back against the headrest.
Leonard filed the information away for when he reached home. He’d search the listings to see which rom-com was showing in the cinema’s and take her.
Jill was sleepy, she’d had a wonderful evening, the ballet had been an eye opener for her. The bit in the lobby afterwards, not so much. Then the restaurant, well, the meal had been a revelation. It was amazing how some could make a few food ingredients taste so out of this world. As for herself, she had a very small repertoire of meals that she could cook well, and none of them anywhere near as well as what she’d eaten tonight. Yawning, she covered her mouth, stretching and blinking. The purring of the engine, and the comfort of the seat, added to her full stomach, the warmth of the car interior and that of the plush seating, lulled her. Her eyes slowly slid shut.
“Hey sleepyhead, we’ve reached your home,” Leonard told Jill, pulling up outside her little townhouse. He turned off the engine and alighted his side, going around and opening her door for her. He then helped her out and closed the door again, before ushering her up the small path to her front door.
“I’m so sorry, how rude of me to fall to sleep on you.”
“It’s fine, have you got your keys?” he asked, and she rooted in her bag for them. Taking them from her, Leonard opened her door for her and then handed her them back.
“Would you like a coffee?” Jill asked, moving from foot to foot, but not meeting his gaze.
“I’ll take a rain check on that,” Leonard told her, not trusting himself around her in the privacy of her home. Putting a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her face up so he could see her. “You’re tired,” he murmured, his finger tracing the slight bruising beneath her eyes and tutting. “Now, here’s my phone, key in your number and I’ll phone you tomorrow to arrange something.”
“Oh right, that would be lovely,” Jill replied, relieved that he wasn’t upset over her none too enthusiast offer of a drink. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, she did. It was just that she had work in the morning and she was dreadfully tired. So, quickly she entered her mobile number and handed it back to him. He entered her name into his phone book, then hit dial and Jill’s phone vibrated in her purse.
“You now have my number also,” he informed her with a slight bow. “Sleep well, Jill,” Leonard told her, chastely brushing his lips across her own, before stepping back. He was tempted to do more as he felt the soft cushion of her mouth beneath his own, but he pulled back. She was a temptation, but he also had to fulfil the bargain that Luc had set for him.
Blinking, as he stepped back, Jill smiled up at him. Then pushed open her door and stepped inside, closing and locking it behind her. She stood there, her back against the door, listening to his footsteps retreating down her path. She heard his car start up again, the purr of the engine fading as he drove away. Sighing, she kicked off her shoes, and put them in the small shoe rack below the table as she dropped her bag on the table top.
“Hey Moby, I’m home. Have you missed mummy?” She asked, as she moved into the kitchen and opened the fridge, pulling out the milk to warm some in the microwave.