She nodded. ‘Sure. Everyone else is out the back.’
The deep muted murmurings, music and laughter drifted inside from behind the closed back doors. He rushed to the spare room and placed his gear inside like he had done countless times before, only this time he felt … awkward.
On his way out, when striding down the hall, Neve was heading up. They danced from side to side, trying to rush out of each other’s way.
She giggled. ‘Sorry. I’ll stand still.’ And she stood there with a grin on her face and flushed cheeks.
‘Thanks.’ He smiled and stepped around her, hating himself for making it like this between them. At least before he developed emotions, they were buddies. Nothing awkward or forced, just casual ‘Hi, how you doin’?’ ‘Yeah, I’m good, thanks’ interactions.
He scrubbed a hand down his face as he strode away, out to the back patio. About ten of his teammates were already there, some with partners, some on their own, sitting around the various chairs that circled the perimeter of the closed-in patio.
Overhead heat lamps worked hard to warm the space, as the outside temperatures were still in single digits.
His teammates all boisterously greeted him and Jager jumped up and got him a drink from the fridge and a stubby cooler. ‘Glad you made it, mate.’
‘Of course.’
‘Go the mighty Wattle Valley Lions,’ Jager bellowed, holding his drink up once Anders settled into a seat beside him.
The rest of the crew raised their drinks and cheered.
‘Did Michael tell you about the grasshopper incident last night?’ asked Marissa, Michael’s wife, with a cheeky smirk on her face.
Michael had been good mates with Anders and Jager at school—a keen footballer like both of them. Their team’s fullback. He started dating Marissa in year twelve and they had their first child only a few months after graduation.
Michael lowered his head into his hands. ‘Do we have to go there?’
Marissa nodded emphatically. ‘We absolutely have to go there. Your team needs to know what a big sook you are.’
Michael groaned. ‘I’d like to say that what my lovely and supportive wife is about to tell you is all lies, but unfortunately, I can’t.’
‘So to remind you all, our eldest, Jemima, is nine,’ Marissa said.
The crowd nodded, expectant smiles on their faces.
‘I was at swimming classes with Samuel, and I got home to magazines, toys, you name it, all over Jemima’s floor in her bedroom. I asked her why the hell her room was so messy and told her to clean it up. Honestly, it looked like someone had ransacked it. I thought for a moment we had been broken into. And then I remembered that we live in Wattle Valley, so there had to be another reason.’
‘It wasn’t that bad,’ Michael said, his face flushing with colour.
‘Jemima tells me that they had just experienced the Great Grasshopper Incident. And I was like, “what does that even mean?” After some more probing, it turns out that a massive grasshopper flew through the front door and made its way into Jemima’s bedroom. And you can probably guess what the only insect Michael hates is?’
‘Grasshoppers,’ they chorused.
Anders chuckled, seeing where this was heading.
‘So Jemima comes screaming out of her bedroom telling Michael that a grasshopper is in her room. And he tells her to shut the door because the room now belongs to the grasshopper.’
Anders chuckled.
‘He said to Jemima that she was going to have to sleep forever more on the couch now.’
Michael smiled sheepishly. ‘Common sense, really.’
‘Jemima knows that if this grasshopper isn’t out of her room, she is going to have to be roommates with it. So she manages to convince Michael to help a little bit. Which means, Michael stands guard at the door, in case he has to close it quickly to trap the grasshopper inside, Jemima too if it came to that, while she crept to the window and opened it. They then threw anything they could find towards the grasshopper to try and stir it up enough that it might fly out the window. Of course, the grasshopper didn’t budge.’
Marissa took a sip of her drink as though to refuel and shifted forward on her seat. Anders found himself doing the same. He noticed Neve coming out to the patio and taking a seat as far away as physically possible from him in this small space. All his self-control was used to not look at her.
‘Poor Jemima pleads with Michael to get rid of it, but she knows there’s no moving him. This is the truest of grasshopper phobias.’
‘How old is Jemima again?’ Jager asked Michael with a teasing smirk.
‘Nine,’ Michael said, then frowned.
‘So, Michael suggests that Jemima get the broom and try and coax the grasshopper onto it, so she can shake it out the window. And Jemima knows she has no choice but to try. Michael grabs a chair, sets it up outside the bedroom door, and takes a seat for moral support. He plays Eye of the Tiger on his phone really loud as motivation. And poor Jemima, our courageous nine-year-old, uses the broom and finally coaxes the grasshopper outside.’
The room erupted into laughter.
‘You can go toe-to-toe with the biggest of men on the footy field and yet you crumble before a tiny grasshopper,’ Anders said.
‘Mate, you should have seen the size of this thing.’
Jager laughed. ‘Truly a monster, I’m sure.’
‘Isn’t this supposed to be a barbeque?’ Michael asked, his face red. ‘How about we end this subject and get some snags and hamburgers cooking.’ He bent down and kissed Marissa’s cheek. ‘Thank you, honey. I really appreciated those kind words.’
Marissa dissolved into laughter.
The night got underway, Jager taking charge of the cooking and soon the barbequing meats permeated the air with a delicious smoky scent. Anders shared the standing room beside Jager at the barbeque, talking about the game, and about their day-to-day life in Wattle Valley.
Country tunes hummed from the surround speakers and drinks flowed. Chatting and laughter filled the room.
Most of the team got on together, on and off the field; that was their biggest asset. That’s why this season they were working so well together and winning. How bloody stupid of him to risk driving a wedge between himself and Jager. Not only would their friendship suffer but the entire footy team.
Anders grabbed another drink from the bar fridge and took a seat. He risked a glance at Neve and it was as though everything he had convinced himself of merely a second ago was worth risking.
What the bloody hell was wrong with him?
She had made it well and truly clear at the wedding that their paths were very different—he wanted to settle down, she had no intention of doing so—so why was he incapable of accepting that and moving on?
It had to be a simple case of wanting what he couldn’t have.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Jager asked, taking a seat beside him.
‘Nothing,’ he said as brightly as he could manage. ‘Bloody starving.’
‘Just going to give the snags another couple of minutes.’
‘Nothing worse than a raw snag.’
‘So how’s your mum and Tony going? I feel like I haven’t seen them for ages.’
‘They’re doing okay. They were just asking the same of you recently. Maybe you could come round and help me out at the dairy one weekend.’
‘That means a big breakfast afterwards, right?’
Anders nodded.
‘I’m in!’ He sprung to his feet then. ‘I better get back to this food.’
The platters of food were spread out over the table and everyone helped themselves to meat, salads and bread rolls.
After dinner, they kicked back for the rest of the evening. With the number of drinks Anders had, he almost managed to dull his always-present desire for Neve and convince himself that it didn’t exist in the first place.
A little after midnight, everyone trickled away. He was glad now that all he had to do was walk
up the hall and he would be able to crash. Wearing the full force of fatigue from football today, plus the alcohol this evening, the sooner he found his pillow the better.
He helped Neve and Jager clean up the necessities—though, there wasn’t too much to do. Every time he had the urge during the evening to sit and talk with Neve, he would, instead, clear the table of cans and bottles and get some fresh air by carrying them out to the recycling bin.
With a quick goodnight, he headed up to his room. He brushed his teeth, changed into a pair of comfy shorts and fell into bed.
One after another he heard Neve and Jager’s doors close too. His eyes were drooping, but his mind and body were alert as he stared up at the ceiling through the dark shadows.
A hundred times he had slept in this room since Neve came to live with Jager and not once did he feel her presence all over him like he did now. Knowing she was but a few metres away left him taut and aching. He was certain he had never wanted anything or anyone quite so much in his life.
His mind kept flashing with images of her face from the wedding, the way her lips had gently parted and her eyes had held his with such anticipation and promise. Kissing her had seemed the only thing in the world that was right.
But he hadn’t kissed her. He really really wanted to now, though. His lips tingled with the need. His body was blazing and alive.
He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. He was never going to get to sleep while thinking about Neve. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, not knowing what to do with himself.
In the end, he headed to the kitchen for a drink. It was better than sitting here thinking and wanting.
He noticed the light was on as he drew closer, but he barely gave it a thought. When he rounded the corner to the kitchen, still dressed in just his night shorts, and found Neve standing at the sink in her pyjamas, drinking a glass of water, he jolted.
She flinched and nearly spilt her water when she noticed him. ‘Jesus, you scared the hell out of me.’
The corners of his lips curled upwards. ‘I’m sorry. You scared me too. I wasn’t expecting anyone out here.’
She arched her brow a little testily and finished the remaining water before placing the glass in the sink. ‘Well, at least it’s got you talking.’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
She pressed a hand to her hip and turned to face him. ‘Gee, I don’t know, the fact that you’ve steered clear of Jager and me since the wedding, and then you barely grunted more than three words to me all night tonight.’
He lowered his head and sighed, guilt swelling. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘So you admit that you have been ignoring me?’
He didn’t answer for a long while. ‘Maybe a little.’
‘Maybe completely.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t understand. Did I do or say something to upset you?’
‘Not at all. It wasn’t anything you did.’
She took a step closer. ‘Did Jager say something?’
‘Let’s not do this now.’
‘Do what? Geez, Anders, I’m just trying to understand why you’ve been so cold.’
‘It’s nothing. Everything is fine. I won’t be a prick anymore.’
‘I’m lost. Maybe if I knew why you were to start with. Didn’t we have a good day together at the wedding—?’
‘Of course—’
‘And then you left early. And I haven’t spoken to you since. Was it because of what happened with that photographer—?’
‘Definitely not.’
‘Because I know it’s hard for people—’
He groaned, scrubbed a hand through his hair. ‘Jager told me to stay away. Okay?’
Her mouth snapped shut. She remained quiet, looking up at him with hurt in her eyes. ‘He told you to stay away from me?’
He exhaled noisily, hating that he was throwing Jager under the bus, which was at odds with his desire to be truthful with Neve. ‘Yes.’
‘And you agreed. Obviously.’
He closed his eyes as he winced. ‘Yes.’
A flash of hurt crossed her features. ‘You’ve been close to this family for so long, I can understand why you don’t want to ruin that. I don’t want it to be uncomfortable between us.’
His chest squeezed. Why did this have to be complicated? Any other person and he’d be right in there. ‘Hey, it’s all okay.’ He was the one to take a step closer this time, couldn’t help it.
He reached for her but hesitated mere centimetres from touching her face. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to back away. His fingers stroked her silky soft cheek and it was electric. As his hands slipped further to her nape, where his fingers entwined in her hair, each movement ignited a trail of heat through his body.
She smelled incredible—like perfumed creams and lotions. Their eyes met and he knew his expression was giving all his feelings away because they were reflected in her blue eyes, in the part of her lips, and the way her gaze every now and then dipped to his mouth.
He couldn’t resist this woman. Just one kiss. That’s all. One kiss. It wouldn’t hurt anyone. Her chest was rising and falling more sharply as she peered up at him. She licked her bottom lip, and to see that slammed into his growing tangle of desire, burning each thread to hot, smoky cinders.
He closed the gap between them, pushed his free hand around her waist and drew her closer to him. Against his bare chest, the heat of her body made him fever high. His blood flowed faster through his veins. His heart was beating hard against his ribs.
Holding her snug to him, he tugged her gorgeous face gently to his nearing lips. She grasped his shoulders and trailed hands down his arms and back up again. She set him ablaze. Made him ache with the want of her lips.
He closed the final distance and, at last, his lips pressed to hers. He wanted to groan from the darts of pleasure shooting through him. Her lips were soft and warm and much more than he ever imagined. He opened his mouth and offered his tongue to take this kiss to higher heights. She met his demand, tasting him.
Tight pulses in the deep pit of his stomach worked his blood lower.
Her hands stroked upwards to his shoulders, to his neck, then held his face. He gripped the hair at her nape gently and with his arm around her waist, tugged her more tightly against him. Her soft curves did wicked things to his body.
A heavy thud from behind a closed door.
They both tore their mouths and bodies away and stared, wide-eyed and breathless at each other.
‘Jager?’ she whispered.
He nodded, waiting, listening for more noise that would indicate he was coming out of his room.
Another thud.
‘I better go,’ she said.
His heart wrenched, but it was the right move. It was one thing to be standing here and having a conversation with Neve and quite another to be kissing her silly right under Jager’s nose.
Neve tiptoed away. He clasped his hands behind his head, elbows out wide, and blew out a long breath. What they did right now was going to change everything. He knew it.
Jager didn’t make an appearance, so Anders grabbed a quick drink of water then rushed back to his own room.
Laying on his bed, he closed his eyes. No doubt he had well and truly crossed the line tonight. The only problem was with the way their kiss ended so abruptly, he didn’t know where he now stood.
But, no matter what, he would never regret kissing Neve.
Chapter 11
Neve rose from bed much later than she normally would. All because her brain and body wouldn’t shut down after that incredible kiss with Anders.
She changed into her winter exercise gear, and despite the mid-morning chill, she was desperate to run some of this tension out of her body.
Tiptoeing, she crept down the hall. Jager and Anders’ bedroom doors were closed. Good. She wasn’t ready to confront Anders yet. She needed time to process it all.
Without making too much noise, she pushed
her earphones into her ears, pressed play on her jogging playlist and headed outside into the cold yet sunny morning.
She pounded up the street, taking her usual route that ran a lap right around the perimeter of the neighbourhood. This wasn’t suburbia with all the houses squeezed in tight. Each house was set on enormous yards, none smaller than an acre. Trees and paddocks littered the landscape. Sheep, goats, horses, ducks, and chickens were a regularity.
In the distance, magpies carolled, and, every now and then, a long deep lowing from the cattle raised on a nearby farm sounded.
Last night, kissing Anders seemed like the only thing that mattered. Now, with the way her stomach was tensing, it was possible she made a big mistake. But what hot-blooded woman could resist a man with a body like that, dressed only in a pair of—let’s be frank—incredibly revealing shorts.
Available men were few and far between in a small town like Wattle Valley. So to have Anders standing before her with that incredible body, housing such a sweet, kind and caring man inside, was almost impossible to find.
Neve had never been kissed like that. Her face flushed with the memory and her body swelled with the desire to experience his delicious lips again. But that one-hundred-and ninety-five-centimetre tall obstacle—her brother—kept suppressing her willingness to take things further with Anders.
‘Bloody, Jager,’ she mumbled between deep breaths. Emily was right to say that Neve was well and truly an adult and in charge of her own life. She acknowledged that. If Anders were any other man in Wattle Valley, she’d not hesitate, no matter how much Jager disapproved. She would manage Jager’s overprotectiveness. But when it came to Anders, Jager was here first. He held the biggest stake.
Neve cared deeply for her brother and after all the loss they had both suffered these last few years, she simply could not risk causing a rift with Jager because, at the end of the day, he was all she had left.
She rounded onto Wattle Lane and did a quick scan for any unsupervised dogs. With the vicinity safe, she jogged down the street. When passing Anders’ house, she forced herself not to look at it.
With her resolve growing stronger with each metre gained, by the time she arrived home, she had convinced herself that what happened with Anders last night would not happen again. Ever.
Meet Me in the Middle (Wattle Valley, #2) Page 8