Genie rose off the stool and accompanied him to the front door. Stepping outside, she pulled the door closed behind her.
“No cane?” he remarked.
“Funny that,” she said. “It’s like I forget to use it when you’re around.”
It was a nice thing to say, and he smiled and slid his arms around her, then touched his lips to hers for a long, sultry kiss.
When he eventually lifted his head, her eyes were closed and she had a dreamy look on her face.
On impulse, he said, “Stay with me tonight.”
Her eyelids fluttered open. “What?”
He kissed her again. “Stay with me. At my house.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out. He hesitated, wondering if he’d put his foot in it.
“Why?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Thought it might be fun.”
“What if Finn calls around, or Sinead?”
“I’ll stick you in a cupboard.”
She smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes, and he kissed her forehead. “They won’t. Nobody has to know.”
Her eyes turned cool, like the depths of the Pacific when he swam with the dolphins, and he thought she was going to refuse, but instead she said, “Okay.”
He nodded, relieved. “I’ll organize the bucket list thing for next weekend.”
“Sure.”
He touched his lips to hers. “Have I upset you?”
She gave him a genuine smile then. “No, of course not. Go on, have a nice day.”
“Okay. I’ll pick you up after my last trip, around three, okay?”
“Sure. See you then.”
He gave her a final long, lingering kiss, and then walked away. As he got into his car and drove off, he glanced over his shoulder to see if she was watching him, but she’d already gone inside. Unease filtered through him. He’d upset her somehow, but he couldn’t think why. Clearly his male intuition wasn’t a patch on his female counterparts’.
Women. He seemed to spend most of his life trying to work out what they were thinking.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“So…how are you?” Josie asked. “Are you sleeping well?”
Genie sipped her coffee, trying to hide a smile and failing.
Josie raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You can’t stop being a doctor even when you’re having coffee with a friend, can you?”
Josie grinned and leaned back in her chair. “It’s difficult to switch it off, and besides, I’m interested. I was hoping to do some undercover work.”
Genie winked at her. “Me too.”
She’d put off calling her sister-in-law, hoping Josie would forget about their discussion. Josie had eventually called her, though, asking when she’d be able to come in. Genie had eventually admitted she’d rather not lie on the couch, and Josie had offered to catch up over coffee instead. Genie had agreed, although she’d suspected that Josie was still going to attempt to grill her, albeit in an informal setting, and she was right.
Two could play at that game, though.
“I’ll tell you what, let’s play a game,” Genie said. “I’ll answer one of your questions, and then you have to answer one of mine.”
Josie rolled her eyes. But she said, “All right. You answer mine first.”
Genie hesitated, looking away. It was Tuesday afternoon, and they were sitting outside Kelly’s bar which was situated on the banks of the Kerikeri inlet. Josie had suggested a venue out of Paihia for a change, and Genie had happily agreed. She liked Kerikeri. Jonah lived and worked there, and although she loved Paihia and the rest of the Bay of Islands, it was nice to go somewhere different.
“No,” she said eventually. “I’m not sleeping well.”
“Bad dreams?”
“Yeah.”
“About the accident?”
“Mostly, yeah.”
“Tell me about one of them.”
Genie smiled. “First, you have to answer a question.”
“Jeez. Okay.”
Genie thought about what to ask. She knew her brother was still smitten with his ex. Technically, they were still married, but they would have been separated for two years in December, and that meant Josie would be able to file for a divorce.
Genie was determined that wasn’t going to happen.
She decided to start lightly, though. “How many names did you put on your speed dating list?”
Josie’s lips curved up. “Three.”
“Which ones?”
“I can’t remember their names actually. I doubt I’ll actually date any of them.”
So what was the point? To make Beck jealous? Genie knew Josie would deny it, but that was almost certainly the reason.
“So tell me about your dream,” Josie prompted.
Genie sighed. Picking up a spoon, she stirred it absently through the foam on her coffee. “It’s always the same, actually. I’m in the truck, going along the road. It’s dry and dusty, and there are clouds of dust rising around me, obscuring my vision. Because of that, we don’t see disturbed ground or the bomb. The explosion comes out of nowhere. The truck is thrown up in the air, and then it rolls, over and over. I’m still in my seat because I’m wearing my seat belt, but it’s like being on a rollercoaster—I’m thrown around from side to side, then I’m hanging from the belt upside down, and then I’m slammed back into the seat.”
She swallowed hard, trying to stifle the panic that always rose inside her at the memory. “I can see land and sky and land again. I can’t breathe because my mouth is full of grit and my nostrils are full of smoke. Sometimes I dream there’s fire, but I don’t actually remember there being any, not until later, when the truck exploded. Eventually, the spinning stops. I can remember that moment where it balanced on two wheels—it hung there forever, and I thought it was never going to land. It did of course, crashing down onto its side.”
“Were you still in your seat?”
“Yes, hanging from the belt.”
“Where was Ciara?” Josie’s eyes were gentle.
“Beneath me.” She looked into the distance, but she wasn’t seeing the ducks on the river, or the tourists walking around the old Stone Store. Instead, she saw her best friend slumped there, eyes closed, her face white. So white. “In my dream, I always see playing cards. The Ace of Hearts usually, fluttering around me. I don’t know why—I don’t remember seeing any cards in the truck.”
“Why do you think you see those?”
“I don’t know. I guess the blood on her pale skin looked like the heart on the card.”
Genie jerked as Josie laid a hand on her arm. She looked down—she’d been counting out the beads on her bracelet, two by two, four by four, over and over again. It calmed her, focused her mind on something other than the notion that Ciara was dead, and was never coming back.
She lowered her hand. “Sorry.”
Josie smiled. “Don’t apologize. I’m guessing an Army doctor has discussed PTSD with you?”
Genie lifted her mug and sipped at the coffee. The hot milky liquid brought her back to earth, grounding her, and she took a deep breath and blew it out across the foam slowly. “Yes. I’m not stupid—I know the OCD is starting up again.”
“It went completely for a while?”
“Pretty much.”
Josie nodded. “You know whatever you’re feeling is normal, right? Survivor’s guilt, for example.”
“Yeah. I have that.”
“It’s common to have problems falling or staying asleep. To have nightmares. To be irritable, or angry. It’s all perfectly normal.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Do you feel angry?”
“Angry? Not really. Guilty, yes.”
A frown flickered on Josie’s brow. “Genie, you have cried, right? You have grieved?”
“That’s another question. My turn first.”
This time Josie didn’t smile, but Genie wasn’t ready for that conversation yet. “Do you still love Beck?�
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Josie’s eyes widened comically like a cartoon character’s. “Wow. You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
“You have to answer. It’s the law. And you have to tell me the truth, because I’ll know if you’re lying.”
“The truth?” Josie caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked away. “I don’t know.”
She looked so sad that tears pricked Genie’s eyes. How odd, she thought. She could cry for another person. Just not for herself. “I think you do,” she whispered.
“Maybe.”
“So don’t you think you should try to make it work again? I know Beck wants to?”
“It’s not going to happen, love.”
“It might if you let him try.”
A spark of panic appeared in Josie’s brown eyes. “I can’t. I’ve tried but I can’t.”
“It’s okay,” Genie soothed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Josie rubbed her nose. “It’s all right. It’s just that it’s difficult talking to you about this—you are his sister after all.”
“I’m your friend, too. And I know he’s not the easiest person on the planet to live with. He has issues—don’t we all? But he does love you.” Genie’s heart went out to them. She wished they’d talk to her about what had gone wrong, but they’d obviously both decided at the time that they were going to keep it between themselves. It made it extra hard for their friends and family, who loved them dearly and wanted to help. But the two of them had slid away from each other like icebergs in a cold ocean, and nobody had been able to bring them back together.
She decided to give it one last stab. “Wouldn’t it be worth trying, for Teddy’s sake? He must miss his dad being around.”
Immediately the words left her mouth, she realized it was a mistake. Josie’s expression hardened and her eyes cooled. “Don’t even go there, Genie. Don’t you think my mum’s tried that angle? This is nothing to do with Edward. I hate that he misses Beck, but it would be the worst thing to get back together just because of him. It’s worse for a child to see their parents unhappy than just to see less of them.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“It’s okay.” Josie cleared her throat and took a big swallow of her coffee, and some of the tension went out of her body. “Anyway, we were talking about you. Have you really not cried since Ciara died?”
“No. I’ve tried. But whenever I think of her, I just get a hot feeling behind my eyelids.”
“Why do you think that is?”
Genie shrugged.
Josie watched a fantail bird fluttering in the nearby pear tree. “Tell me about Niall.”
“What about Niall?”
Josie grinned. “This isn’t doctor speak. This is nosey-friend speak. How long has it been going on?”
Genie contemplated denying it, but couldn’t summon the energy. “Oh, not long. About eighteen years, give or take.”
“Ha! Thought so.”
Genie blew out a breath. “It only started a few weeks ago, when I came home. And we didn’t plan it. We’re doing some of Ciara’s bucket list together, and it just…happened.”
“He and Tamsin definitely over?”
“So he says. I think Tamsin hoped otherwise.”
“Yeah, I saw them at the speed dating. She looked pretty angry.”
“He didn’t put her name down, although she listed his. I think she was embarrassed more than anything. There’s nothing worse than opening yourself up to someone and then they stab you in the vitals.”
“Is that what you’re worried will happen with Niall?”
“Of course. Didn’t stop me, though.” Genie chuckled.
Josie finished off her coffee. “So where’s it going?”
“God, I don’t know. Don’t ask me questions like that.”
“Fair enough. But you like him, though?”
Genie trailed a finger through a drop of moisture on the table. “Yes, I like him.”
“Beck said you’re staying at Niall’s place now?”
“Yeah.” He’d talked her into staying the night, and she had, with full intention of returning to Beck’s house. But the morning had come, and she’d stayed the next day, and each evening Niall had taken her to bed and made love to her. Every time, she’d fallen asleep afterward, and when she’d eventually awoken, she couldn’t be bothered to move. He always looked smug the next morning, so she suspected that had been his plan all along.
Deep down, she knew it wasn’t a good idea to stay. I’m digging my own grave, she thought, and then winced at the analogy. Her eyes grew hot, but no tears appeared.
Josie frowned, obviously seeing her distress. “Genie, tell me why you haven’t cried. This is doctor me, by the way.”
She’d been so determined she would never tell anyone what happened that day, but all of a sudden, Genie was tired of keeping secrets. “I’ll tell you,” she whispered, “but you’re a doctor, right? You’re not allowed to tell anyone else, even though this is informal and we’re just having coffee?”
“That’s right.”
“Don’t tell Beck.”
“I won’t.”
“And for God’s sake, don’t tell Niall.”
“Genie, I promise.”
So Genie told her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was the following Saturday, and they’d taken the boat over to Russell again, although this time Niall took the road toward the town center. It wove through mangroves and then higher through deep bush, rosellas occasionally swooping by the car, brightening up the greenery with their rainbow colors.
Genie was very quiet. She’d been quieter than normal all week, except when he took her to bed, when she was her usual vocal self. He wasn’t sure what was troubling her, whether it was thinking about Ciara, returning to the Army, the accident, or what was happening between the two of them. He had asked once or twice, but she’d moved the conversation on, so she obviously didn’t want to talk about it, and he didn’t want to press her. He felt as if what they had at that moment was fragile, like a snowglobe, full of beauty, but he was wary of handling it with anything other than kid gloves in case it broke in his hands.
He’d booked a night away with the bucket list in mind, hoping it might cheer Genie up, and she’d seemed excited to be going, although once again she’d fallen quiet. He glanced across at her, wondering if she’d changed her mind.
“You okay?” he asked, unable to stop himself. He wanted her to be happy. She had such a lovely smile, and he wanted to make her eyes light up.
She tore her gaze away from the window. “Sure.”
“Only you seem…distracted. If you’ve changed your mind about going away, you only have to say.” You might break my heart though, he thought. But he didn’t say it.
Her lips curved a little. “No, I haven’t changed my mind.”
He blew out a breath. “Thank God.”
“Aw.” Her eyes lit with mischievousness. “Afraid you wouldn’t get your leg over again?”
“Absolutely. I’ve thought about nothing else all morning.” It wasn’t a lie, either. Part of him had thought that once he’d slept with her, it would take away the mystery, and the strange attraction that had sparked between them for so long would gradually fade away. It hadn’t. The spark had grown into a roaring fire, and every time they slept together was like throwing lighter fuel on it. He couldn’t get enough of her.
She observed him for a moment. He glanced across warily, recognizing the playful glint in her eye.
“Pull over,” she said.
“What? Why?”
“I want to tell you something.”
He frowned. “Can’t it wait until we get there? We’ll only be about ten minutes.”
“No. Pull over—there, look.” She gestured to a lay-by.
He indicated, slowed, and stopped the car. Genie gestured for him to turn off the engine, so he did. There was nobody else on the road, and when the e
ngine died and he lowered the window, the car filled with the smells and sounds of summer.
“What’s up?” he asked more gently. She’d turned in the seat, and he could sense a restless, edgy air to her.
She wore cropped jeans and a tight black vest with shoestring straps, and she didn’t appear to be wearing a bra. Her nipples showed through the cotton, tight like buttons. It wasn’t cold in the car. He swallowed and fought against a sudden surge of desire.
She moved forward, shifting in her seat so she could lean against him, and she tilted her head to rest her lips against his jaw. Placing soft kisses up to his ear, she whispered, “I want you.”
His heart thudded, sounding loud in his ears. “I want you too.”
“Now.”
He gave a short laugh. “I think we’re a little too old and inflexible for making out in a car in a public place. I’ll dislocate something.”
Her warm breath on his ear sent a shiver down his spine. “You don’t have to move.” She touched her tongue to the lobe, and at the same time, the hand that rested on his chest moved down to the button of his jeans.
His eyes widened. “Ah…” She slid down the zipper, and he put his hand over hers. “Not here.”
“Yes, here.” She squeezed her fingers, tightening them around his erection, and he stifled a groan. She chuckled and nibbled his earlobe. “Your lips say no but your body says yes.”
“It’s like a stray dog—it doesn’t do what it’s told.”
“I bet it comes when it’s called though.” In an expert move, she pulled the elastic waist of his boxers out and slipped her hand inside.
“For God’s sake…” He fought with her, but she was surprisingly strong. He was too worried about knocking her knee or receiving an elbow in the balls to manhandle her too much. He managed to catch one of her hands, but she just used the other to free his erection, and before he could stop her, she gave him several long strokes.
All his senses skidded to a halt, and he stopped fighting her. His breath hitched, his lips parting. She wore a look of lazy admiration as she watched her hand repeatedly reveal the head of his erection, then close the skin over it again.
A Secret Between Friends: A New Zealand Sexy Beach Romance (Treats to Tempt You Book 6) Page 20