‘Did you just call me fat?’ she asked, shocked that he wasn’t more polite. And she certainly was not.
Zack laughed and squeezed her hip. ‘No, you’ve got curves and that’s not a bad thing at all. Sexy, but not bad.’
Instead of fawning over the fact he found her sexy, sputtering incompetently because he’d touched her, she checked the grill to see the cheese starting to bubble. Her poor, empty stomach groaned at the delicious smell.
‘I was referring to your choice in snack. You’ve got good taste. But let me show you how to make it even better.’ He opened the cupboard door, pulled out some Worcester sauce and handed it to her.
‘I didn’t think you’d have this here!’ Ciara pulled the tray out, splatted a few drops on top and then shoved it back in. ‘Amazing.’
‘Enjoy it, and tonight,’ Zack said, then turned to leave.
‘Don’t you want a slice? It’s your food, after all.’ Her stomach growled out a protest at the threat of having to share, but she didn’t want him to go.
He grinned. Her heart started to race.
‘Sounds like you need it more. Oh, I almost forgot.’ Zack pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
Ciara opened it and her lips parted on a gasp. ‘Is this your number?’
‘I know how Elle can be. If things get too wild or out of hand tonight phone me and I’ll pick you all up.’
Oh, so it wasn’t just for her. He was worried about his cousin.
‘And Ciara?’
‘Yes,’ she answered, trying not to hope.
‘Your grilled cheese is burning.’
With more make-up, hairspray and designer clothes/accessories than she’d ever had, she made her way down stairs five minutes before the taxi was due. Elle wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but Gem was in the kitchen making short work of a glass of pinot grigio.
‘You’re going to be smashed before we get there,’ Ciara pointed out.
‘It’s for Dutch courage. C, you won’t mind if I can’t come on the rest of the trip, will you?’ Gem asked.
‘What’s happened?’ she asked, thinking about hugging her friend but not wanting to mess up the pretty, fire red ringlets or the dress that cost an arm and a leg.
‘Oh, nothing yet.’ Gem grinned. ‘But if Aiden asks me to stay I’ll have no choice.’
She refrained from rolling her eyes, but said with mock outrage, ‘What happened to chicks before dicks?’
‘Some dicks can’t be resisted.’
This time she did roll her eyes.
‘Not a conversation I want to hear.’ Zack. His deep voice made her shiver, and feel a bit more aware of her underwearless state.
‘Depends what kind of dick you want to be,’ Gem replied, smooth as silk.
Why couldn’t she be like that?
He laughed at Gem and reached over to ruffle her hair. It was the wrong thing to try on a girl who’d just spend three hours perfecting those ringlets. He was met with a scowl that put the shits in her, never mind poor Zack.
‘So you’re that kind of dick,’ Gem said, 100% serious.
Ciara wondered if she’d have to referee an argument, but Zack just laughed. ‘Gemma, you should take a leaf out of your pal Ireland’s book and chill out a bit. Looks aren’t everything.’
‘So earlier you called me fat and now you’re calling me ugly?’ Ciara demanded, stung by his comment.
‘Girls,’ he mumbled shaking his head. Then he came closer, put his hands on her shoulders and turned her all the way around, too slowly. ‘I like what it hides, better than what it shows.’
He winked at her, then turned back to Gem. ‘You better drag Elle away from the mirror or you’ll be here all night.’
With that he was gone. His clean cut, slightly expensive scent still lingered, making her feel a bit dizzy.
‘Should I go up for her?’ she asked, when Gem just stared.
‘Oh. My. God. Elle’s hot cousin is totally into you.’ Gem’s voice was just a whisper, but her cheeks flamed when she thought of him hearing.
‘Get real, Gem. He’s way out of my league.’ And then some. But there had been a little flirting, hadn’t there? He did say her curves were sexy, her accent was adorable then sort of complimented her tonight. She got a glass out the cupboard and poured a mouthful of wine to distract herself.
‘You didn’t see the way he checked out your arse. I swear. He’s probably away to relieve himself with that image ingrained into his retinas.’
Ciara wrinkled her nose, but really. The thought of Zack on his bed, all naked and pleasuring himself to visions of her arse wasn’t off putting at all.
‘Don’t give me that, you’d totally nail him.’ Gem just wasn’t going to quit.
‘I wouldn’t, actually. If he was a random guy we met in a bar, I’d probably go back to his place but Zack is Elle’s cousin.’
Gem poured another drink. ‘Cousin, not brother and anyway it shouldn’t matter. We’re here for another day. Why not spend the night with him? You might learn something.’
‘I know plenty,’ she protested, smiling. ‘But it feels… weird.’
‘What does?’ Elle asked.
They both turned and, though Ciara was used to being outshone by Elle’s elegant, snow princess beauty, this time she was stunned. The dress Elle picked hugged her all the way to mid-thigh, where it broke off into strappy things that had studs on the ends. She looked like she should be walking down the red carpet with the other stars of the show, not arriving five minutes early to be escorted in the side entrance.
‘Zack’s got the hots for Ciara, and she wants him too.’
She was going to kill Gem.
‘Eww,’ Elle said. ‘Zack’s disgusting.’
Since Elle then rushed them to the door, Ciara didn’t think there would be any repercussions for lusting after her cousin. And during the limo ride they sipped champagne, listened to Rita Ora, reassured Elle that leaving her phone at home because it was out of charge was not the same as being without her liver, and debated over which of the actors would show up stag (of course Gem knew Aiden would). There was no mention of Zack, no change in the way Elle spoke to her and Ciara decided to forget Gem’s slip up, friend’s cousins she shouldn’t be thinking about and enjoy the fuzzy effects of the bubbly.
‘How fun would it be to show up late and walk down the red carpet? I bet E! would dig our dresses.’ Elle sighed.
‘I think we should stick to the plan. I don’t want to spend the night in jail,’ Ciara said, more because the thought of being on the red carpet with all the attention and flashing lights filled her with icy dread.
Gem and Elle grinned at each other, no doubt finding it funny because she was the only one out of the three of them that couldn’t afford the bail fee. ‘I mean it. I don’t want to repeat Easter Break.’
They burst into giggles, no doubt remembering the donkeys they ‘borrowed’ in Brighton to get back to the hotel instead of walking the extra half mile to the taxi rank in high heels.
‘Easter break was tame compared to what I have planned this summer. Relax, Ciara. We’ve just finished university after studying for the best part of our lives. We’re due some fun before we start real life,’ Elle said, reassuringly.