It Was Only a Kiss

by Joss Wood

  She splashed a little milk into her tea and wrapped her hands around her cup, blew across the surface of the hot liquid. Hearing Luke’s car pull into his spot outside the kitchen door, she put down her tea and walked to the door. Luke’s smile widened as he saw her standing in the doorway and Jess felt her breath hitch.

  It was frightening to realise how good it felt to be back.

  Luke jumped down from his seat and, leaving the door open, took two strides to reach her. He cupped the back of her head in his large palm. His mouth covered hers in a long, slow, deep kiss that melted her organs from the inside out. Jess responded without thought, draping her arms around his neck and pressing up close to his body.

  Hot, randy, slow, sexy, tender... How many ways could this man kiss? Jess held the back of his neck and thought that she could read his mood in his kisses almost as well as she could in his eyes. In this one she tasted fatigue...and a layer of stress. Happiness that she was back, relief that she was in his arms and, as always, the pulsing heat of desire. Kissing him in return, she rubbed her hand up and down his back, instinctively trying to ease the stress from his muscles, arching her own back to tell him silently that she wanted him as much as he seemed to want her, trying to tell him that she was thrilled to be back at St Sylve, with him, in the strong circle of his arms.

  God, this was getting far too deep, too quickly. She should pull away, take a breath...

  Luke read her mind and yanked his mouth off hers.

  Jess licked her lips and tasted him there. ‘What?’

  Luke stepped away and put an inch of air between his thumb and index finger. ‘I’m this close to yanking you into the back seat of my car and whipping your clothes off.’

  Jess thought that she could go for that. It was crazy, it was wild, it was... Luke slammed the car door closed and she came back to her senses. Impossible.

  She hauled in a breath and found her voice. ‘Hi.’

  ‘Hi, back. Good to see you.’ Luke ran his thumb across her lips before placing his hand on her lower back and ushering her into the kitchen.

  Jess wrinkled her nose when she heard her mobile ringing in her pocket. It was Lee, the five-hundredth cousin once removed, the man her mother had set her up with. They exchanged pleasantries and Jess was deeply conscious of the sardonic look in Luke’s eyes. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrow lifted.

  This was stupid, Jess decided. He knew and she knew that she wasn’t interested in anyone else but him, so she quickly ended the conversation with Lee, declining his invitation to dinner as politely as she could. Trying to use him as a distraction was so high school and, frankly, beneath her.

  She raised her brows at Luke. ‘Satisfied?’ she asked.

  ‘Marginally. Take me to bed and I will be.’

  Heat arced between them. She could so easily sleep with him and damn the consequences...

  Owen rapped on the frame of the kitchen door and ambled inside. ‘Hey, Jess, good to have you back.’

  Jess returned his greeting and was amused when his eyes didn’t connect with hers. He was too busy looking for Ally.

  ‘Ally around?’

  Jess grinned. ‘Up the stairs and to your left.’

  Owen didn’t need to be told twice. His long legs took him across the kitchen in a couple of strides and then he was running up the stairs. They heard a feminine squeal, a large thump, the slam of a bedroom door...

  Jess shook her head. ‘You do realise that she’s going to gobble him up and spit him out?’

  ‘He won’t have a problem with that.’ Luke sent her a direct look. ‘You ready to gobble me up and spit me out yet?’

  He said it with such a mixture of humour and hope that Jess had to smile. ‘Nope. Sorry.’

  ‘Ah, well.’

  Jess leaned back against the counter and cocked her head. ‘So, how was filming today?’

  ‘Long and tiring. I walked up and cycled down the mountain most of the morning,’ Luke replied. Gloria, one of his dogs, whined at the door, and Luke looked from her to Jess. ‘The dogs want their walk. Want to join us?’

  Jess lifted one shoulder before nodding. ‘Yes, let’s do that.’

  Luke lifted the heavy jacket of his she’d taken to wearing at St Sylve off the hook at the door and helped her into it. Opening the door for her, he waited for her to walk out before closing it behind them and whistling for the dogs. Two huge canine bodies shot down the driveway like bullets, tails thumping.

  Luke jammed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, idly noticing that they had a day, maybe two more, of pruning.

  Jess picked up his train of thought. ‘Pruning’s nearly over?’

  ‘Yep. Time for the vines to rest and rejuvenate.’

  Jess looked around her, smiled and pulled in a big breath. ‘The air tastes different here.’

  Luke squinted at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  Jess scratched her jaw. ‘Back home you can taste the soot, the pollution in the air. Here I can taste fruit: the peaches and the plums, the grapes.’ She turned around and walked backwards, looking at the houses in the setting sun. ‘It’s so beautiful, Luke. You are so lucky to own this place, to be this place.’ When he didn’t answer, Jess placed a hand on his arm and made him stop. ‘You don’t believe that, do you?’

  Luke looked at St Sylve and then he looked away. ‘No, not really.’

  ‘Why not?’

  He felt his shoulders lift towards his ears and made a conscious effort to drop them. ‘I guess it’s because I was never made to feel welcome here.’

  Luke heard Jess’s swift intake of breath and carried on walking, looking for the dogs, who’d disappeared down a bank. Jess’s shoulder bumped his as she fell into step with him.

  ‘I really hate it when you toss out statements like that and leave me hanging.’

  Her grumpy tone made him smile.

  ‘I’m a girl, and answers like that make me want to ask more questions.’

  Of course they did. Luke sighed when he saw the determined glint in her eye and knew that he’d opened the door to a barrage of questions.

  He’d expected a question about his father, so he was surprised by what she did ask.

  ‘Do you love St Sylve?’

  He remembered his thoughts the other day, standing in her bedroom. ‘Love it, hate it, resent it... I suppose you want me to explain that too?’ Luke took her hand, threaded his fingers through hers and tugged her along. ‘Let’s keep walking.’

  Jess remained quiet, and when he’d thought about what he wanted to say he spoke. ‘My father always told me that I wasn’t worthy of St Sylve for a whole lot of reasons. I didn’t want to be a winemaker. I couldn’t wait to leave the farm—him—this valley. I didn’t like my father very much and he liked me even less. But I was his only son so I inherited.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And instead of inheriting an estate with normal death duties attached to it I inherited an operation that was so deeply, catastrophically in debt that I nearly lost my shirt, my skin and a couple of essential organs trying to save it.’ He glanced down at her. ‘Your warning eight years ago was slightly...ill-timed.’

  ‘Now you’re just being kind. I was a brat.’

  ‘You were a brat.’ Luke pulled her hair and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to give her a brief hug.

  ‘So, when you say “in debt”...?’

  ‘About-to-be-foreclosed in debt.’ Luke’s lips twisted. ‘My father managed to rack up a debt that was three times bigger than what the estate was worth.’

  Jess looked astonished. ‘But...why? How...? The bank...? Why did they lend him so much money?’

  Luke shrugged. ‘The power of the family name—and do not underestimate the power of Jed’s charm.’

  ‘So what happened when he died?’

  Luke removed his arm, stepped away from her and rammed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. ‘It took every cent I’d ever made—every bit of credit I had access to—to keep the bank from tak
ing it.’ His eyes hardened. ‘I don’t have my father’s charm. Since then, most of the money I’ve made on other deals has been poured into servicing the debt.’

  ‘So there hasn’t been the money to launch new marketing campaigns until now?’

  ‘New marketing campaigns? I didn’t have the money to employ a vintner. I had to learn to make wine—to do everything, really. We have a bit more breathing space now...so you don’t need to worry about getting paid.’

  Jess hunkered down into her coat and looked at him from beneath her long lashes. ‘Can I ask you another question?’ She didn’t expect an answer because she carried on speaking before waiting for his reply. ‘Why didn’t you let it go?’

  Luke looked at her, confused. ‘Let what go?’

  ‘St Sylve. When you inherited it, why didn’t you just sell it and walk away? Why did you save it?’

  He’d considered it. On more than one occasion he’d decided to do that...to say he wanted no part of St Sylve. But despite thinking that, feeling that, he’d never managed to take that final step to walk away from his responsibility, his heritage, his name. He couldn’t allow the hard work of all his grandfathers and their grandfathers to be wasted, couldn’t pass the land they’d loved into someone else’s hands.

  Jess remained quiet for a while after he’d explained that to her. Eventually she tucked her hand under his arm and rested her cheek against it. ‘So, basically, you’re telling me that a part of you loves it?’

  ‘Sometimes,’ Luke acknowledged with a faint smile.

  ‘Well, I do. Love it,’ Jess said fervently.

  Luke whistled for the dogs. ‘It’s getting late. We should head back.’

  Jess turned around with him. ‘Ally is talking about getting some dinner, going to a pub later. Do you want to come with us?’

  Luke thought a moment. ‘Is Owen included in the invitation?’

  ‘They’ll have to come up for air and food some time.’ Jess smiled. ‘So I presume so. If you don’t come I’ll just stay here, catch up on my own work. I don’t feel like being a third wheel.’

  Luke rubbed his jaw. ‘Maybe we both need a break. We’ll take my car. What if we leave at about half-seven?’

  ‘That sounds good.’

  ‘So, tell me about your trip...’ Luke said as they headed back home.

  SEVEN

  ‘Ghosts do exist!’ Jess insisted, her glass of red wine wobbling dangerously.

  Luke took the glass from her hand and put it back onto the small round table they were all sitting around in Rosie’s Pub and Grill. It was his—and his friends’—favourite pub to hang out in: a relaxed atmosphere, pool tables and, on the weekends, a surprisingly good band that played all their favourites.

  ‘You know, for a shockingly smart woman, your ability to believe in nonsense amazes me,’ Ally said, picking up a chip from the basket between them.

  Luke agreed with her, but was old enough and wise enough not to say so with quite so much emphasis.

  ‘Just because you can’t see it or measure it doesn’t mean it’s nonsense,’ Jess replied.

  ‘It just means that you have a vivid imagination and no respect for science,’ Ally retorted, draping her arm around Owen’s neck.

  His friend had that goofy look on his face that suggested that he’d been expertly and thoroughly used...and he certainly wasn’t complaining.

  God willing, he’d have that same look on his face before long.

  When the conversation drifted to the campaign, Luke thought that he’d moved from actively loathing the process of making the advertisements to tolerating the process. He enjoyed the physical stuff—riding the Ducati, surfing, even the mountain biking today had been fun. What wasn’t fun about hurtling down a forest trail at speed?

  It was the attention he loathed. The cameras and the people constantly watching him sent him straight back to his childhood. He couldn’t shake the feeling that instead of having just his father waiting for him to mess up, now he had a posse of strangers waiting for him to fail. Jess helped him get through; she had a way of calming his churning thoughts with a quick smile. Hell, just her presence and constant chatter relaxed him...although he’d never admit that to her.

  Luke sipped his beer and looked at Jess. He liked her, and it had been a long time since he’d just liked a woman. Along with the liking he also respected her; it took hard work and guts to build what she had, and he admired her dedication and work ethic. Jess, he realised, was not after a free ride from any man.

  Luke looked across the room towards the pool tables. ‘A table is finally empty. Who wants a game?’

  Owen and Ally nodded and Jess shrugged. Luke pulled her to her feet. ‘You and me against Owen and Ally. That’ll make it a little more interesting.’

  Jess frowned. ‘Why?’

  ‘Two strong and two weak players,’ Luke explained.

  Jess stopped in her tracks and looked at Ally, who grinned. ‘And we’re the weak players?’

  Luke exchanged a look with Owen. They played most Friday nights and were pretty good at pool. Actually, they were excellent. ‘Uh...yes.’

  Jess sent him a look that made his hair curl. ‘Well, let’s make this really interesting. Ally and me against you and Owen.’

  Luke shrugged and smiled at Owen across Jess’s head. How could they lose? ‘Sure. What are the stakes?’

  ‘Dinner at the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the country—the one down the road. Losers pay.’

  Again, how could he lose?

  * * *

  When Jess sank the winning shot, she rested her hands on top of her cue and shook her head at him. Her brown eyes sparkled in the low light of the bar.

  ‘Make the reservation, Savage, and bring your credit card with the biggest limit.’

  Luke shook his head at the empty table. ‘How?’

  ‘I keep telling you that I have four elder brothers. When are you going to learn?’

  * * *

  Luke placed his elbow on the table and looked at Jess, who was making patterns in the condensation of her glass. She looked tired, Luke thought, and glanced at his watch. It was close to midnight and the band had switched from dance music to blues. It was freezing out, but a fire roared at one end of the room and the mood in the bar was mellow.

  Owen and Ally had made their way back to St Sylve, and he supposed he needed to get Jess home, but he was reluctant to end the evening.

  ‘Crazy week ahead,’ Jess said quietly.

  ‘Like the last couple have been a walk in the park?’ Luke responded with a wry smile.

  ‘We’re filming the family scene at St Sylve on Tuesday, and my own family is coming in on Thursday night.’

  He hadn’t forgotten. Luke licked his bottom lip and asked the question that he’d been longing to ask since he’d heard about her family. It was one he’d frequently asked of his friends growing up, trying to capture what it felt like to be part of a group, a clan...a family.

  ‘Tell me about your family.’

  ‘What do you want to know?’

  Luke shrugged. ‘I don’t know...did you go on family holidays? Did your brothers tease you? What do you remember most about your teens?’

  He sounded almost wistful, Jess thought as she put her elbows on the table and cupped her face in her hands. ‘Um...I felt like I was playing catch-up most of my life with my brothers. They were always bigger, stronger and faster, and they gave me no handicap because I was a girl. It was keep up or go home. They teased me incessantly and I made a point of annoying them in retaliation. Family holidays...?’

  Jess thought for a moment. ‘We spent most holidays at my grandfather’s cottage at the beach. It was tiny, and we were packed into the house like sardines in a can. We had the best fun: hot days, warm seas, ice cream, blistered noses, beach cricket, bonfires on the sand. My brother John would play the guitar and we’d sing along—rather badly. Those holidays stopped when I was about sixteen.’

  ‘Why?’

  Pain f
lickered in Jess’s eyes. ‘My grandfather walked out on my grandmother and he and his mistress hightailed it to that cottage.’

  ‘And that rocked your world?’ Luke commented. Why would the disintegration of her grandparents’ marriage affect her so much? He wanted to know. Just for tonight he wanted to know everything about her. ‘Why?’

  ‘My gran thought they had an awesome marriage. She considered him her soul mate, her best friend. Hearing that he’d been having an affair for ten years side-winded her. She moved in with us for a while, and I watched a vibrant, intelligent woman shrink in on herself. It was as if someone had removed her spine.’

  Ouch, Luke thought.

  ‘And my mom took the strain because my grandfather still wanted a relationship with her, but he’d hurt her mother so badly... It was a nasty time, and because this was my family, highly volatile and voluble, nothing was kept from me. My brothers went to boarding school but I stayed at home, so I heard it all: the rants, the tears, the curses.’

  Luke considered her words for a moment. ‘So when you caught your boyfriend in bed with someone else it was a double whammy? A visit to the past wrapped up in the present?’

  Jess half smiled. ‘Along with dinged pride.’ She dropped her hand so that it lay beside his and curled her pinky in his. ‘Did your wife cheat on you?’

  Luke waited for the fist in his sternum and frowned when he didn’t feel the normal punch the subject generally instigated. ‘I never caught her at it.’

  ‘Why did you divorce her?’ Jess asked, the side of his hand warm against hers.

  Luke stared at a point past Jess’s shoulder and wondered whether or not to answer her question. Because she had a crazy shopping habit? Sure. Because she was bat-crap insane? That was a really good reason. Because...because...

  ‘Because I looked at her one day and realised that I really didn’t want her to be the mother of my children.’

  ‘Ah.’

  ‘Not that she had any intention of being a mother. She told me that she’d pop a kid out for me but had no intention of raising it. Since I knew exactly what it was like, being raised by a parade of nannies and au-pairs, I knew that I wanted my kids to have a mother.’