The Party Dare (Mills & Boon Modern Tempted)

by Anne Oliver

  Not so easy. Because he couldn’t stop himself wondering what the woman he’d left behind less than thirty minutes ago was doing now. Indulging in a soak in her steamy spa or a vintage champagne from her brother’s rare and expensive French collection? Given her mood when he’d departed, it was more likely champagne in that steamy spa.

  She’d be hard at work, soaking her sulk away in a mountain of froth, because every man knew when a woman said ‘fine’ in a tone that could slice through an iceberg at fifty paces, she meant anything but.

  Precisely the reason he liked his single, uncomplicated life. Never get involved with a woman’s sulks. He knew Breanna had expected the afternoon to continue into the evening. He’d been sorry to have to disappoint because he’d have enjoyed the promised sex in the spa as well as the next guy, but work took priority. There’d be other opportunities.

  She’d not been able to get enough of him.

  He smiled, remembering. But his smile faded. Was pleasure all it had been? Nowhere near an adequate description, but the alternative was too unsettling to contemplate.

  She’d expected more from him. He’d been too afraid of his own reaction to stay. And why would he stay? He was late already.

  Switching the radio station from jazz to pop, he shook the edgy feeling away and tapped along with the beat, overtaking a semi-trailer as he travelled through rolling farmland beneath a bruised evening sky and rehearsed the agenda for tonight’s meeting aloud to keep his concentration focused where it should be.

  But it wasn’t long before his thoughts returned to Breanna and a pressing desire to hear her voice. ‘Call Breanna Black on her mobile number,’ he told his smartphone. Then changed his mind when he heard the ring tone. ‘Cancel that call.’ Because what would he tell her? That the sex had been incredible? That she was the most responsive lover he’d ever had? She had a body that could keep a man awake and tossing into the wee hours?

  She’d be keeping him awake tonight.

  And there it was again, plain as the purple clouds on the horizon. He’d not been able to get enough of her.

  He swore once—loudly—then, still muttering, shook his head. She’d made it clear she couldn’t wait and he’d been so besotted with her uninhibited self-confidence, her sheer abandonment when she’d come apart in his arms, he’d not even considered his own reaction.

  Or deliberately chosen not to.

  He remembered that instant when he’d linked his fingers through hers as he pushed slowly inside her for the first time. A fleeting notion that he’d been waiting his whole life for that moment... He dragged a nervous hand over his head. All just another facet of her mysterious charm, he assured himself, but he had to work hard to shove it to the back of his mind. Tonight he had a job to do.

  * * *

  The following morning, Leo breakfasted on juice, sweetcorn fritters with smoked Tasmanian salmon and a giant kick-start espresso coffee in Heavenly View, one of Heaven’s three restaurants. The table overlooked the ocean where the morning star hung like a jewel and a thin line of approaching daylight spread along a pearl horizon.

  Experiencing the newest six-star eco-lodge first-hand had well and truly lived up to his expectations. The only structure approved within thirty-five kilometres, it perched on a hill forty metres above a pounding sea and pristine white beaches. The team had done a great job blending conservation and tourism while protecting the coastal wilderness. The building materials had been choppered in, the sumptuous dining experience used fresh local produce exclusively.

  He’d established new benchmarks for sustainable tourism including conversion of waste into clean irrigation water and an extensive recycling programme. He’d also kick-started the establishment of a fund supporting local environmental projects, the final details of which he’d laid out to the team last night.

  This morning he was basking in the afterglow of success and a hefty five-figure deposit was due in his bank balance. Further, in appreciation of his work, he’d received a complimentary weekend break for two starting Friday evening with a seven-course gastronomic delight to be served in the most expensive suite the lodge had to offer.

  He glanced at his phone, screen black against the snowy white tablecloth. His first thought on waking had been of Breanna and whether she’d slept as little as he. In the next moment, he’d wanted to share his good news and tell her his efforts over the past ten months had been rewarded and to ask if she was free this coming weekend.

  Which was totally unexpected because he’d never felt the desire to share any aspect of his business or its success with any woman. Never mixed business with pleasure.

  But the weekend of indulgence on offer was a different matter, he told himself as he flicked through the day’s news on his tablet. It had to be this coming weekend because he’d arranged to be in Singapore on business for the next, and three weeks was ridiculously too far away. However, phoning a woman at six a.m. smacked of desperation. One thing Leo had never been was desperate.

  A text, then, asking her if she was free, which she could read at her leisure. He shook his head. He’d call in and see her on his way home. She’d be at work...

  He drummed his fingers on the tablecloth and glared at his phone again. What was happening to him? Until yesterday afternoon he’d considered himself a reasonably sophisticated guy when it came to women and the whole dating scene. Well, the jury was out on that one now.

  Nor had he ever been gripped by indecision. Just do it. He reached for the phone at the same time it rang in his hand. Sunny’s photo beamed back at him.

  He beat back the tiny disappointment that it wasn’t Breanna. And instantly castigated himself. ‘Hey, Suns.’ Hearing her voice raised a momentary concern. Sunny rarely rang him—it was always the other way round. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘Everything’s great. Only four days to go to the big Opera House gig. I’m super excited now.’

  ‘I bet.’ He relaxed as the tension eased with Sunny’s bright enthusiasm. ‘So what are you up to so early this morning?’

  ‘Extra violin practice, but I should be asking you that question.’

  He straightened in his dining chair as the tension crept back. ‘What did I miss?’

  ‘First up, you departed Melbourne a day earlier than you planned, with only a text to say you’d left. Then I don’t hear from you for over forty-eight hours—you never let it go more than a day. What’s going on?’

  He picked up a butter knife, twirled it between his fingers and said, ‘You expressed a need for space, said I was stifling you. “Control freak” has been tossed out there a few times, amongst other things.’

  ‘Yeah, all well and good but since when have you listened to me, brother love? So who’s the woman?’

  ‘If you believe there’s a woman involved, why are you checking up on me at the crack of dawn? It’s still dark, for Pete’s sake.’

  ‘Shall I ring back later, then?’ she asked, sweetly.

  ‘No. I’m not with a woman. I’m in Heaven.’

  ‘In heaven without a woman? That’s not like you, Leo.’

  ‘Sunny dearest.’

  ‘Leo love. Who’s the woman?’ He opened his mouth but she spoke first. ‘Never mind denying it. So—’ her tone turned brisk ‘—how is Heaven?’

  ‘Still looking pretty black from where I’m sitting.’

  ‘Everything going okay over there?’

  ‘Better than okay. I left home a day early because I needed to go over some minor adjustments in the kitchen with my architect and I had some details to finalise before the meeting here, which, by the way, was a major success.’

  ‘Of course it was. Congratulations! Your architect’s a woman, right?’

  ‘And your point is?’

  ‘Never mind. Have you met any of my neighbours yet?’

  Breanna.

  His body responded with all too easily remembered heat. Her face looking more stunned than stunning the last time he saw her. In a shimmery dress that was all but t
ransparent from a certain angle; but of course she’d known that.

  And the way she’d looked—the way he always left a woman—dishevelled and satisfied.

  Except, this time... Something inside him twisted. He felt as if he’d left a tiny part of himself behind.

  Since Sunny had specifically asked, there was no point putting it off; he felt obliged to fill her in. ‘I’ve met West Wind’s owner.’ He cleared a husk from his throat. ‘As it’s turned out, I’ll be staying there for a bit when I’m down in Hobart while she house-sits for her brother and his wife. So I’m right next door to our place. Convenient all round.’

  ‘Yes. Very convenient.’

  ‘She’s absolutely not my kind of woman,’ he stated. Too fast, too curtly.

  ‘Did I ask?’

  At the humour in her voice, he swore beneath his breath while leaping to his own defence. ‘She’s extroverted and argumentative.’ And sexy and honest and too intriguing for his own peace of mind. ‘The kind of woman who’d drive any sane man crazy. You two should get on well.’

  ‘Really? Interesting. Are you a sane man, brother love?’

  ‘You tell me,’ he said, tapping the knife repeatedly on the tablecloth. He’d thought he was. Now he wasn’t so sure. Brie had done that to him. They’d spent a handful of hours together over the past couple of weeks and Breanna had changed who he was in some way. She’d worked her unique and magic brand of seduction. How had he let that happen?

  ‘You’re so sane it’s scary,’ Sunny said. ‘So, does she have a name?’

  ‘Breanna Black. Beauty therapist with her own business. Eve’s Naturally. Into natural stuff.’ Tisanes—whatever the hell they were. Foody face masks. ‘Talks to her plants.’ His mind wandered back to that first weekend. ‘They call her Party Babe Brie. Apparently. What does that tell you?’

  ‘That she’s fun?’

  ‘Exactly my point,’ he muttered. ‘I don’t have time to waste.’ Not that he didn’t enjoy fun—he did—but being with Breanna was like being on a wild ride at an amusement park and he’d never enjoyed that out-of-control, falling sensation at the top of a roller coaster...

  ‘You’ve been avoiding her, then.’

  ‘Yes. No. Not exactly. Listen, I have to get moving,’ he told her, tossing down the knife and pushing back his chair, needing to end this conversation now. ‘Some loose ends to tie up here before I leave.’

  ‘Okay. Friday night, don’t be late. I have too much to do to worry about reminding you.’

  ‘In which case, I’ll not intrude on your precious time for the rest of the week,’ he said, making his way out of the restaurant.

  She laughed. ‘I’ll be the girl in the sparkly black dress.’

  ‘Ciao, for now.’ He disconnected, almost walked into Heaven’s senior accountant at the door. ‘Gerald, good morning. I was hoping to see you before I leave,’ he said, relieved to switch to business. ‘I need another look at those figures.’

  Because he was always straight with Sunny—except when it came to her sexy new neighbour—he made sure to find a few more of those loose ends before leaving Heaven. They took longer than he’d anticipated and he made a couple of overseas calls to other clients so he had no time to phone that sexy neighbour until nine-thirty when he was halfway back to Hobart.

  He called up her number, heard it ring, tapped his fingers impatiently. ‘Come on, Breanna, pick up.’

  ‘Hello. You’ve reached Breanna Black. I’m unable to take your call...’ He let the sound of her low, sensual voice wash over him and tried to curb his impatience. He wanted to hear that voice up close and in person and moaning sexy things, not a detached greeting on some mechanical device. ‘Please leave your name and a message and I’ll return your call as soon as possible.’

  ‘Leo speaking. Don’t bother returning my call. I’ll be at your salon in about ninety minutes.’

  * * *

  Brie took a mid-morning break in the lunch room she shared with Sam and Lynda, a physiotherapist. She wished she were fully booked and too busy for distractions today but her next client had cancelled. So she intended catching up on client info in preparation for the upcoming move to the retreat. She blew on her blackberry tea as she scrolled through her messages one-handed and saw she’d missed a call from the biggest distraction of all.

  Her heart did a back-flip against her ribs, her palms instantly sweaty, and she almost dropped the phone. Her finger was poised to retrieve the voice message when she remembered. Leo—her new tenant—had said he’d contact her about banking details for the rent. As he’d all but bolted out of the door.

  She plunked her mobile on the table, glared at it and took a sip of too-hot tea while she waited impatiently for her heart to settle down. She didn’t want to hear his message. Why put herself through the humiliation and sheer awkwardness of hearing him ask about banking details?

  She’d text him the information instead—now—so he wouldn’t have to call back.

  What was wrong with her that he’d obviously decided sex between them wasn’t going to work? Yes, he’d been in a hurry for an appointment he’d postponed—for her. No. She crossed her arms, still glaring at the phone. For them. But mostly for himself.

  After she’d tempted him to play her game, it was true. But his lack of response after their close encounter had left her feeling inadequate and dissatisfied. A word, a touch, a kiss... Anything to let her know he’d felt something.

  She’d never had sex with a man who hadn’t wanted more. And knowing that, she’d always held the power; she’d set the rules. Her rules. No-strings sex for as long as it worked for both of them and exclusivity while they were doing it.

  Her rules didn’t seem to work with Leo, who obviously set his own. She’d known that and had gone ahead and played anyway. With a man she realised now she didn’t understand as well as she’d thought.

  It was time to stop thinking, time to get moving. Brie drained her cup then rinsed it in the little sink. A quick draught alerted her to a presence behind her. Turning, she saw Leo just inside the room.

  ‘The receptionist? Jodie?’ He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. ‘She said I could come on back.’

  Brie just bet she did. It was a wonder she hadn’t shown him the way personally.

  ‘She offered to show me the way but I didn’t want to waste time on polite conversation or wait while the both of you engage in useless office talk.’

  ‘Okay.’ She ripped off a piece of paper towel and wiped her mug with exaggerated care and was pleased to note the tightness in his jaw, the way he stood, fingers tense against his thighs. Fingers that had stroked her all the way to heaven mere hours before. ‘What do you want to waste time on?’

  ‘I wanted to see you alone. And I promise it won’t be a waste of time.’

  ‘No?’

  ‘No.’

  A tingle raced down her spine but, no matter how tempting his promise, she refused to play. Leo Hamilton needed to learn he couldn’t treat women—her in particular—with such a cavalier attitude. ‘So it’s your lucky day,’ she said with a smile, then tossed up her hands. ‘Oops, too late. Break time’s over.’

  His lips compressed in obvious irritation. Without taking his eyes off her, he shut the door. ‘Not yet. I juggled appointments to be here so—’

  ‘Yeah, so? This is my place of work.’

  ‘I know, I saw your office on the way through.’ The way he spoke, she knew he wasn’t impressed with the way she organised her desk—or not, as the case happened to be.

  ‘And this room’s a shared space,’ she went on. ‘I take my business reputation seriously and I have appointments too. You can’t just—’

  ‘Jodie told me your next client cancelled. You’re free. So am I.’

  ‘Am I supposed to be impressed that you’ve juggled your work to visit me here? Because it happens to suit you?’

  ‘It doesn’t suit, particularly, but I’m here anyway. To see you, as I’ve just explained.’

  �
��Have you heard the saying, never mix business with pleasure?’

  ‘Who said anything about business?’ In two strides he was in front of her.

  His fingers were firm and impatient on her shoulders and excitement zipped down her spine, but she shrugged out of his grip. ‘Who said anything about pleasure?’

  ‘Breanna.’ He spoke her name in a voice that was pure seduction with a glimmer of self-deprecating humour. ‘You’re annoyed with me.’

  Yeah. Big time. ‘How very perceptive of you.’ To siphon her mad into positive energy she ripped off another square of paper towel, turned her back on him and began rubbing at tea stains on the sink.

  ‘I had to leave, you knew that.’

  ‘Yes.’ She stopped, turned back and looked him straight in the eye. ‘But it’s the manner in which you left.’ And the state he’d left her in.

  He looked perplexed, brow furrowed. ‘This is just sex with us, right? That’s all you want? All either of us want,’ he finished with a certain grim finality.

  ‘Absolutely. Couldn’t agree more.’

  ‘So what’s the problem?’

  ‘A little post-coital conversation would have been...I think “polite” is the word I’m looking for. Maybe you’re not familiar with the etiquette a woman expects after sex. Still, you could have stayed a few moments and proved me wrong.’

  ‘Not when I have an important meeting I’m already running late for because I stayed longer than I should have with you. Longer than I meant to.’

  ‘Okay.’ Tossing the paper towel in the kitchen tidy, she swiped her tense fingers down the front of her navy skirt. ‘So are you saying if you hadn’t had that meeting scheduled, you’d have been happy to stick around? Be honest, please, because I got the distinct impression you couldn’t wait to get out of there and I’d rather know now than be made a fool of.’

  He nodded slowly, as if considering his words with care. ‘I didn’t sleep a wink in Heaven’s softer-than-air bed last night; what do you think? And if you’re under the impression I’d ever set out to deliberately make a fool of you, you couldn’t be more wrong.’