by Miranda Lee
‘I bet you’d marry Jake in a shot if he asked you to.’
‘He isn’t going to, Megan. He has, however, asked me to spend Christmas Day with him and his extended family on a harbour cruise.’
‘Wow. He must be pretty serious about you then, if he wants you to meet his mum and dad.’
‘He’s only got a mum. His dad’s dead. But he also has two brothers and three sisters, four of whom are married with children.’
‘Good grief, I hope it’s a big boat.’
‘Very big, he said. Which is why you and Timmy are invited as well.’
‘What? You’re kidding! This is just so out there. I’m going on a harbour cruise with Jake Sanderson and his family? Golly, I’ll have to go on a diet straight away. And buy something new to wear.’
‘Speaking of new clothes, I’m going clothes shopping with Jake’s sister some time this week. Jake insisted on buying me a whole new wardrobe.’
‘Seriously? A whole new wardrobe?’
‘Yes. And before you make any smart cracks about me being a kept woman, how about I get her to pick out something for you at the same time? I know your size and she’ll choose something really stylish, since she’s a stylist.’
Megan laughed. ‘You’re worried I’m going to turn up in something cheap and trashy, aren’t you?’
‘Not at all!’ Abby exclaimed.
‘You’re such a bad liar. But not bad at keeping secrets, it turns out. There I was, trying to ring you all weekend and getting really mad, thinking that you’d accidentally turned off your phone. And now I find out that you did it on purpose so that you and your boss could bonk away like a pair of bloody rabbits.’
‘You have such a delicate turn of phrase.’
‘Gee, Abby. Ever since you started reading all those fancy books you seem different.’
‘Different? How?’
‘Oh, you know. Like you had some toffee-nosed education. Don’t forget your roots, girl. You’re a Westie and there’s nothing you can do to change that.’
‘I’m not trying to change that. I know exactly where I came from. But there’s nothing wrong with trying to better myself. Even if my affair with Jake hadn’t happened, I would have been going to night school next year, as well as saving up to travel all by myself.’
‘But Jake has happened, so now you’ll drop all those plans. Just don’t forget that when he drops you you’re going to lose your job as well. Have you thought of that?’
‘It’s crossed my mind. But like I said, I’m not going to worry about the future too much, Megan. I’m going to live for the moment.’
‘That’s because you’re madly in love at the moment.’
‘You can’t talk me out of this, Megan. Now, I’m getting off this phone and going to bed. I’ve had a very tiring weekend.’
‘Yeah, so I heard. I still can’t believe it. Did you two do anything else this weekend except have wild sex?’
‘I never said it was wild.’
‘Yeah, right. Pull the other leg. I’ll bet lover boy did more to you in one weekend than Wayne did in five frigging years.’
‘You could be right there.’
‘Ooh, do tell!’
‘Absolutely not. I’m off to bed. Goodnight, Megan.’
Abby shook her head as she terminated the call then turned off her phone. She didn’t have a landline so her sister and her curiosity would have to wait. Megan might want her to give a blow-by-blow account of her various sexual escapades but Abby was not that kind of girl. She was a very private person. And so was Jake, in his own way. She could see he didn’t overly like his celebrity status any more than she did.
Abby got herself ready for bed, since she actually was very tired. Which was just as well. She didn’t want to lie in bed and start overthinking everything. There was a time for deep and meaningful thinking, and it wasn’t now. Now was the time for sleep.
Abby was settling herself down into sleep mode when all of a sudden she remembered that Jake had asked her to call him and tell her how things went with Megan. Sitting up in bed abruptly, she reached for her phone, instantly energised by the thought of talking to Jake. He answered on the second ring.
‘I was beginning to think you weren’t going to call me,’ he said.
‘I’m sorry, Jake. I forgot.’
‘That’s not very flattering, I must say. A couple of hours out of my sight and you forget me.’
Abby knew he wasn’t really angry. She could hear the teasing note in his voice. ‘You’re not going to be one of those boyfriends, are you?’ she teased back.
‘And what kind is that?’
‘The obsessive kind.’
‘That depends on whether you’re going to be one of those girlfriends.’
‘And what kind is that?’
‘The ones who drive men insane because they don’t ring when they say they’re going to.’
‘I said I was sorry.’
‘You also said you forgot.’
‘I dare say you’re not used to being forgotten.’
‘Not often. But all this is beside the point. Did you tell your sister about us?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’
‘She wasn’t shocked that we’re sleeping together, but she’s worried that I’m going to lose my job when we eventually break up.’
‘Who says we’ll eventually break up?’
‘It seems likely, given your history with women.’
‘I’m not as fickle as the tabloids make out.’
‘I know that. But, in any case, I’m not worried. I can always get another job, provided you give me a good reference.’
‘I’m not sure I like that sister of yours. She sounds like trouble.’
‘She’s only looking after my best interests.’
‘And I’m not?’
‘Don’t go getting all huffy, Jake. Why do you think I didn’t want to ring her? But you insisted. Sometimes she rattles me with her cynicism but this time I didn’t take notice of anything she said, which rather pleased me. I want to be with you, Jake, and nothing that Megan or anyone else says is going to change my mind.’
‘You’ve no idea how glad I am to hear that. Because I want to be with you too. And not for just a few weeks, or a few months. I have a feeling this relationship might go the whole nine yards.’
Abby sucked in sharply. ‘And what does that mean?’
‘Now, don’t you go getting all huffy. I’m not talking marriage. But I am talking about living together, as of tomorrow.’
‘Tomorrow?’
‘Too soon for you?’
Abby tried not to lose her head. She might be madly in love with Jake but she wasn’t about to let him run every aspect of her life.
‘A little,’ she said. ‘How about we wait till after Christmas?’
‘But that’s over five weeks away!’
‘That’s hardly a lifetime.’
‘So you’re knocking me back.’
‘I’d like us to just date for a while before taking such a big step.’
‘But you’ve already agreed to go away with me next year,’ Jake argued.
‘Yes, but that’s just a holiday, not real life.’
‘Not real life,’ he echoed, clearly taken aback.
‘Jake, could we not get into this right now? I’m tired and I want to go to sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow.’
Jake could not believe that Abby was giving him the brush-off. He hadn’t been on the receiving end of that before. He almost blurted out that he loved her but he held his tongue just in time.
‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘Till tomorrow then. Goodnight.’
‘Goodnight, Jake. And thank you again, for such a wonderful weekend.’
Jake kept the dead phone clamped to his ear for ages whi
lst he tried to work out exactly what he was feeling. Frustration, mainly. Not sexual frustration—frustration that for the first time in his life he wanted more from a relationship than the woman did. Not only did he want Abby to move in with him, he wanted her to love him the way he loved her. But she didn’t want to fall in love. She wanted fun and games, with a fancy holiday overseas thrown in for good measure.
‘Not real life,’ he growled when he finally threw his phone down. He’d show her real life. He’d take her to places in Asia and Africa where real life meant crippling poverty and appalling cruelty, with no hope for the future.
But no sooner had these vengeful thoughts entered his head than Jake realised he would never do anything so contemptible. Abby deserved better than to be on the receiving end of that kind of behaviour. She deserved the very best this world had to offer. He would take her to large vibrant cities like London and Paris, Tokyo and New York. And then there were the magnificent rivers. He’d take her cruising down the Seine, and the Rhine, and the Danube. Maybe even the Nile, if Egypt got its act together.
Jake’s good humour returned as he thought about their trip next year. It would be incredible. The trip of a lifetime, for both of them. And who knew, by the time they returned Abby might care about him enough to move in with him permanently. She might even love him.
He wasn’t that unlovable, was he?
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ABBY HAD ALWAYS liked Jake’s house, sometimes fantasising in her head as she’d cleaned it that if she ever had a spare couple of million dollars she would buy herself such a house. She loved the white walls and the polished wooden floors, the high ceilings and the unfussy furniture. She especially loved the sparkling white kitchen and bathrooms.
But as she cleaned Jake’s house that Monday morning it wasn’t buying such a house she began fantasising about, but living here. Which of course was no longer a wild fantasy but a fact, if she changed her mind and moved in, the way Jake wanted her to.
She was tempted. She wouldn’t have been human if she wasn’t tempted. But as much as Abby had resolved to live in the moment, common sense demanded she not ignore what would happen if she gave in to Jake’s suggestion. Before she knew it she would stop being a Housewife For Hire, but a housewife for real. She’d start thinking of this house as her home and Jake her de facto husband. She’d start cooking for him and caring for him and, yes, loving him with all her heart and soul. Inevitably, the day would come when she’d blurt out how much she loved him.
And that would be the beginning of the end.
Far better, she decided as she worked her way steadily through the upstairs rooms, that she stay strong and not do what Jake wanted. Except in the bedroom, that was. She was not foolish enough to think she wouldn’t do whatever he wanted there. Already, she missed his lovemaking, waking this morning with a wave of desire so powerful that it had taken all of her willpower not to ring him on the spot and beg him to come home early from work.
Fortunately, she’d got a grip in time and plunged herself into the shower instead. But her heart had leapt when her phone rang as she exited the bathroom.
It was Jake.
‘Hi,’ he’d said in that lovely voice of his. ‘Sleep well?’
‘Like the dead. And you?’
‘So-so. I would have slept better if you’d been with me. Which brings me to the point of this early morning call. I understand that you don’t want to live with me twenty-four-seven, but most girlfriends sleep over occasionally.’
Abby resisted telling him that she had noticed that.
‘I probably will,’ she’d said carefully. ‘But only after we’ve been out on a date.’
‘I see. In that case I’ll just have to ask you out every night.’
‘I wouldn’t want to go out every night, Jake. I do have other things I have to do, and a sister I like to visit.’
‘Fair enough. What about tonight?’
She’d wanted to say yes. Desperately so. Abby knew, however, that she had to maintain some control over this relationship or she’d be lost for ever.
‘I don’t think so, Jake. I noticed this morning that my place needs some attention. If I don’t water the garden soon, all my plants will die. We haven’t had rain for ages.’
‘The weather forecast predicts a storm this afternoon,’ he’d pointed out, his voice on the stormy side itself.
‘I never listen to weather forecasts.’
‘Don’t you watch morning television?’
‘I don’t watch much television these days.’ She used to watch it non-stop when she was a stay-at-home wife with no children and nothing much to do. She still watched the occasional movie but on the whole Abby now preferred to read.
‘Have you ever watched my show?’
‘Once or twice.’
‘And?’
‘You’re very good at what you do.’
‘Sophie thinks it’s lightweight. And it is. Which is also why it’s so popular, and why I’m going to get oodles of money for it.’
‘You’re definitely going to sell?’
‘I’ve already put the sale in motion. It will take a couple of weeks to finalise things, though. Meanwhile, I have to do the show and keep the ratings up.’
‘Right. Maybe I’ll watch it today. Tell you what I think of your performance.’
Jake laughed. ‘While I’ve got you on the phone, Sophie is going to ring you today. I told her all about me wanting her to help you with your new wardrobe and she wants to line up a date.’
Abby sighed. ‘Do I really have to buy a whole new wardrobe?’
‘Why can’t you be like other women, Abby? Most of them would be over the moon at getting a whole new wardrobe, especially one chosen by one of Sydney’s top stylists.’
‘I guess I would like it better if I could pay for it myself. I have the money. Twenty-five thousand dollars, remember?’
‘That’s not for clothes. That’s for travel. Not that I expect you to pay for anything when you’re with me. Think of that money as your emergency fund. For later in your life. Or for when you tire of me and want to go your own way.’
Abby knew she would never get tired of Jake. She loved the man. But she could hardly say so. ‘If you insist.’
‘I insist. I’ll be home early so don’t rush off till I get there. I have a surprise for you.’
‘What kind of surprise?’
‘If I told you that then it wouldn’t be a surprise.’
‘You’re a terrible tease, Jake Sanderson.’
‘Takes one to know one. See you around about three.’
It wasn’t even close to three, Abby thought as she started cleaning Jake’s kitchen later that morning. It was only eleven-thirty. But already her body was humming with anticipation. Not just because of his promised surprise but because she wanted to see him, wanted to kiss him, wanted to make love to him, and vice versa.
In the end, she turned on the television at noon and watched his show, just so that she could feast her eyes on his handsome face and those sexy blue eyes. After it was over, she could hardly remember the content, her mind filling with images of what they’d done together over the weekend and what they might do in the future. No, not the future. Today. This afternoon. As soon as he got home. She could not wait till they went on some stupid date; her need was too strong for that.
Abby was feverishly cleaning the kitchen counter tops when her phone rang again. But it wasn’t Jake. It was his sister, Sophie, who was in a rush and quickly told Abby when and where to meet her the following day before apologising and then dashing off before Abby could object to anything.
Like sister like brother, she thought.
By five to three that afternoon, Abby was in quite a state, her body at war with her mind. To throw herself at Jake as soon as he walked in the door would undo all the groundwork she’d laid down
to keep some control over her life. But oh, how she wanted him.
The sound of his key in the front door brought a cry to her lips followed by an abrupt stiffening of her spine. Be strong, Abby! And, above all, be cool.
He strode into the kitchen, still dressed in the superb suit he’d worn on his show.
‘Hi there,’ she said, her smile feeling a tad forced. ‘Want me to put on some coffee for you?’
‘Not particularly,’ he replied as he swept across the kitchen and pulled her into his arms.
‘Coffee is the last thing on my mind at the moment,’ he ground out as his head descended.
‘Could I tempt you into sleeping over tonight?’ Jake asked when his mouth finally lifted from hers, his hands remaining clamped over her shoulders. ‘After I take you out to dinner, of course.’
Abby took a couple of seconds to get her head together, which wasn’t easy considering it was totally scrambled.
‘I can’t stay the whole night,’ she said with dismay in her voice. ‘Your sister rang and she’s arranged to take me shopping all day tomorrow. Which means I have to go home some time tonight and do all sorts of girl things so that I look my best.’
‘Fair enough,’ Jake said, then kissed her some more.
‘What about my surprise?’ she asked when he finally gave her a breather.
Jake smiled. ‘I almost forgot about that. Look, it’s nothing sparkly or expensive. I suspect you don’t want to be that kind of girlfriend. It’s just a fun present.’ And out of his suit pocket he brought a packet of condoms, each one with a different fruit flavour. ‘I thought, since we have to use condoms, then we should at least make things interesting.’
Abby had to smile. ‘Where on earth did you buy them? Over the internet?’
‘Nope. I did a segment on condoms one day on my show and these were given to me as samples. I’ve had them in a drawer in my dressing room for months.’
Abby liked that he hadn’t used them on any of his other girlfriends. ‘Such interesting flavours,’ she said as she read the list on the packet. ‘I like the sound of pineapple and coconut. And, of course, passion fruit. Blood orange sounds dangerous.’