Distraction

Chapter Fifteen

'A girl could get used to this,' she said, kissing his shoulder.

'So could a guy.' Robbie handed her a glass, but despite the setting, the beautiful day, the spine-melting sex, the frown he'd had earlier made a return.

'What's wrong?'

Sighing, he took a newspaper from the rucksack. 'Trouble. Not front page news, but page five. You and Xander.'

'But I've never touched Xander.' Her words were little more than a whisper as she took the paper.

The headline said Running Around and underneath were three photos of her and Xander in various stages of hugging. The third snap showed Xander kissing her head.

Trophy hunting new-comer, Libby Wilde, bags another Gosthwaite celebrity... After a torrid affair with PC Andy Chapman... reports of them naked on Black Fell... Local girl, Grace Newton, confirmed Wilde and Golding run together most mornings. 'I'm not saying they're up to anything, but they do seem very close, and he's not the first man she's lured from his girlfriend. But I'm sure her and Xander just like running together.'

'What the hell is that rag doing?' Libby pulled on her vest, shame scouring her. Poor Xander, poor Daisy. 'We're not famous, or even Z-list celebrities.'

'But it sells papers.'

'Why me?'

'You're new.'

How could she leave the safety of Low Wood Farm? People would stare, whispering behind her back. This was why Robbie had suggested a picnic in the woods.

'You know it's not true?' she asked quietly.

'Of course. When was it?'

'Yesterday. That's all it was, a hug and he kissed my head.' She buttoned up her shorts, and sat staring at the river, hugging her knees. 'Oh god, I'm the village whore.'

'Lib...'

'No, I am.'.

'It's just a silly local news story.'

'But it's true.' She lit a cigarette with shaking hands. 'All I wanted was a new start. Find a decent job, make a few friends, maybe meet someone. Now, I'm a home wrecking tramp.'

'No-'

'The worst of it is that it's true, just the wrong brother.' She sipped her wine, determined not to cry. 'What if we get caught?'

'No one can see us here.'

'What if they see us somewhere else, if we get lazy? They'll put us in the paper too.'

'Does it matter?'

Libby stared at him. Did it matter? Of course if mattered. It would destroy his marriage. 'How did you meet her?'

Robbie propped himself up on one elbow. 'What?'

'I'm an ego boost. Let's not forget what you really want.'

'Libby, this isn't the time. We've just-'

'How did you meet her?'

For a moment, Robbie stared her. 'We... we were doing a photo shoot at Oscar's, the wine bar in Haverton? My parents own it and I used to manage it. She was the model we'd been sent.'

'Did she look beautiful?'

He nodded. 'I couldn't take my eyes off her. All legs in a little black dress. This is weird, Lib.'

'I won't rip your marriage apart. What happened?'

He lay on his back and lit one of her cigarettes. 'While I was still working out how to get her in bed, she came over. She thought I was the model she'd be working with and just stood there, twittering about the last shoot she did and how she hated waiting around because it made her nervous. All I did was stare at her. She has the greenest eyes, like Tilly's, and I loved listening to her talk.'