‘I knocked my elbow on the table. You can kiss it better on Friday.’ He sat on the sofa’s edge, ramrod straight, stomach taut.
‘Try pawpaw ointment, it works quicker.’
‘Not as much fun. Clair phoned?’ He held his breath.
‘The two of you are very persuasive. She reminded me I offered to have a look at her computer some time, so I could hardly refuse. And she promised it’ll be a weekend to remember.’
His commitment as well. He rose to his feet, adrenaline surging, his free hand fisting and pumping the air. Couldn’t, didn’t want to stop the grin from forming but managed to keep his voice steady.
‘It will be. Are you tired?’
‘A little. I’m in the motel room ready for bed.’
A vivid image from his bedroom filled his head, he barely managed to stifle the zealous groan.
‘Too sleepy to talk? You’re a long way away, and I don’t want to say goodnight.’
‘What about?’
‘You and your family. Why you took the job in Sydney.’
He waited as she pondered his question, a habit he’d learnt to expect, professionally and personally.
‘What I went through might have been because I was so different, too shy and inhibited to join in boisterous games. My parents and brothers were all extroverts, loved any kind of physical sport and had no problems interacting with strangers.’
A decidedly male growl resonated in Lauren’s ear.
‘They didn’t allow for you being quiet and gentle, didn’t make time to understand who you were?’
She sensed Matt’s anger, found his defending their lack of sensitivity towards her exhilarating.
‘I’m beginning to see how I contributed to the problems. I wasn’t interested so I didn’t make any effort. I never complained or told them how I felt except to refuse to attend any more sporting events once I turned thirteen. To them I seemed happy to bury myself in books and homework. At least I always got good grades at school.’
Another growl so she quickly added, ‘If I hadn’t I might not be working with computers. Might not be here.’
‘Eighty odd kilometres away. Much too far.’
She snuggled into the pillow, striving to keep grounded. He made her feel warm and light-headed even along a phone line. With each word, her pulse had quickened, electric tingles danced over her skin, and the overwhelming desire to touch him, feel his strength surrounding her was almost frightening. He could make her feel strong, empowered. He could also hurt her more than anyone else in the world.
* * *
Lauren returned the hire car early Friday afternoon, and was given a sealed package Matt had left for her containing a key to his unit. Finding a round dining setting in the appropriate place and three large bright blue cushions on the settee left her speechless.
She texted him to say she’d arrived, found a tea towel in a kitchen drawer, and set it on the new table. It was the perfect place for the orchid arrangement he’d sent her. They were as fresh as when she’d received them, having suffered no ill effects from their journey to the Barossa.
A cup of tea, an open packet of chocolate biscuits, and she was ready to sort out her belongings in the lounge room. The items she chose for the Hills visit were packed into the new suitcase she’d purchased, everything else was wrapped and stored in her original one ready for the trip home.
Home. Her own apartment. Her sanctuary. It was never going to feel quite the same. The memories she’d be taking with her would change the way she viewed her life, her work. Her future. She chomped into another biscuit and vowed, no matter what, there’d be no regrets. Her friends would be there for her though she’d never be able to tell them the full truth. Matt would be her special good secret, hers alone.
She heard his car pull into the garage, his footsteps in the passage, his delighted raspy tone. ‘You’re here.’ She saw his captivating smile, was swept into his embrace, and held as if she was fragile and precious. She slid her arms around his waist, revelling in his strength and the satisfying sense of security.
His lips feather-brushed her forehead. She cuddled up, wanting this serenity to last, and he seemed in no hurry to end it either. Quiet harmony. An idyllic memory to cherish.
‘You kept the orchids?’
She arched her neck to meet questioning eyebrows and curved lips. ‘Of course. They’re beautiful, Matt.’
His eyes shone as he gathered her in. ‘So are you, Lauren. Beautiful and intoxicating.’
His kiss was light, gentle, spreading a warm glow from head to toes. Her lips instinctively moved with his. Her heart soared, and she wanted to freeze-frame this precious moment for ever.
With evident reluctance he eased away.
‘If I don’t let you go now, we’ll arrive in the dark. I know which I’d prefer...’
‘But the Fords are expecting us for dinner. I’m packed and ready.’
‘Give me ten minutes to shower and change.’ He dipped his head for a brief hard kiss and walked out of the room.
* * *
When they left Lauren kept silent at first allowing Matt to concentrate on the driving through peak traffic. She stared out of the window, trying to identify the suburbs and buildings, surprised by the number of new houses and renovations on main roads.
Once they hit the freeway to the hills, he turned on the radio, keeping it muted in the background.
‘Any listening preference, Lauren?’
‘Whatever you usually have on is fine.’
‘Which would mainly be news and sport. Not for you. How are you on county and western?’
He had to be teasing. One look at his profile said he wasn’t.
‘As long as it’s ballads and not yippee-ki-yay stuff.’
‘Whatever pleases you.’ He glanced over and her mouth dried up at the fire in his eyes. She quivered inside at the thought of the two nights and two days ahead.
‘I’ve been meaning to ask you for days, kept forgetting because you have a habit of distracting my mind and scrambling my brain. What’s the name of your perfume?’
She couldn’t answer, her own brain turning to mush at his compliment. He was claiming to be as affected as she was when they were together. Did he have the same heat rushes, the tingles? The heart flips?
She’d been wearing the same brand for years, had one of the fragrances in her suitcase. So why couldn’t she remember either name?
‘It’s from a small rural company who produce different aromas from Australian native flowers. I keep three and wear whichever suits my mood at the time.’
‘It’s been the same one every day since you arrived. Are the others as enticing?’
‘I’ve no idea. Why do you always wear the same sea-spray cologne?’
‘The truth?’
‘Yes.’ Please don’t let it be because it was a gift from a girlfriend.
‘I forgot to pack mine for when I changed after a game and borrowed Alan’s. Apart from when I’ve been given others, it’s the one I use.’
‘You wore it that night.’
‘For the first time.’ He flicked her an incredulous look. ‘You remembered how I smelt?’
‘You did get pretty close, Matt.’
‘Yeah, and then I lost you.’
They drove in silence for a while, both lost in thoughts of their meeting on the balcony, Matt’s focus on the road and Lauren’s out of the window.
Because of the long hot summer, the vegetation wasn’t as green as she’d hoped. Sneak views of houses between the trees, horses and sheep grazing, and colourful native plants drew her avid attention. Seeing a herd of alpacas in a small fenced area of a paddock thrilled her.
After exiting the freeway, they followed the signs through the small typical hills town and onto a wi
nding, tree-lined road. High overhanging branches covered with autumn leaves of brilliant orange and brown shaded them from the setting sun. The verges were covered with more, tempting walkers to romp through them.
‘This is so peaceful. So Australiana. When we lived in the suburbs I used to dream of moving to a hills town. Any one of them.’ She shrugged. ‘Didn’t happen of course.’
Matt pulled over, switched off the engine and unbuckled his seat belt. He stretched his arm and unclipped hers, unfazed by the sudden apprehension in her eyes. Twisting to face her and taking her hands in his, he yearned for the glowing satisfaction he’d seen after they’d made love.
‘You had a few unfulfilled childhood wishes, didn’t you?’
She shrugged. ‘Doesn’t everyone?’
‘No.’ He ignored his ambition to work as a partner with his father. ‘Most of mine came true. I played Aussie Rules for the school, graduated from uni and travelled overseas. Considering my lack of vocal ability, becoming an international singing sensation was never going to happen.’
His heart swelled at the sight of her hesitant smile. Give him time and he’d make her radiant and happy.
‘I dreamt of being a dancer for a year or so.’ She gave a self-conscious laugh. ‘Of course, in my imagination I had no fear of appearing on stage in front of hundreds of people. The one time I was selected to read a poem I’d written at parents’ night, I took one look at all those faces, froze and bolted.’
‘So you wrote?’
‘I have a stack of notebooks full of poems and short stories, only ever shown to my best friend. Childish and not very good but fun. I haven’t written anything for years except reports or emails.’
Her fingers gripped his. His pulse accelerated. The temperature in the car rose rapidly.
‘I’ve been reflecting on my life lately and I’m beginning to realise my family and I just didn’t gel. Maybe they weren’t as much insensitive as bemused by the alien in their midst. And there were no other relatives around who might have made a difference.’
‘Will you discuss it with them when you see them?’
‘No.’ Short and sharp. ‘There’s no way it wouldn’t sound accusing and the past can’t be changed.’
He silently agreed with fervour.
‘I’m an adult with a good career and great friends. It’ll achieve nothing, and only cause pain.’
A car drove past, the driver beeping in customary rural friendship. Matt checked the time, then cradled her face in his hands.
‘Most assuredly an adult, Lauren Taylor. Beautiful and desirable.’
He intended the kiss to be gentle, reassuring, but almost lost control when she returned it with enthusiasm. Her hands slid up his chest to tease his neck, heating his blood to near boiling. Her body pressed to his fuelled the urge to have her alone somewhere quiet and private.
He broke away, expelling the air from his lungs, gasping in more as he feasted on her blushed cheeks and brilliant eyes. His hand shook as he redid his seat belt and started the engine.
As he struggled to find his voice again he mulled over her confessions of the last few days. He needed to know everything if he was to help her completely overcome her insecurities before she left.
Before she left. The very idea depressed him. Having her near lifted his spirits.
‘In five hundred metres turn right.’
The GPS interrupted his thinking and he slowed down.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LAUREN’S LIPS TINGLED from his kiss, and her heartbeat loped along in an erratic rhythm. She wanted to be alone with Matt, wasn’t ready for a whole weekend with comparative strangers who’d probably invited her for his sake. Her first sight of the property increased her reservations.
Well-maintained tall hedges formed the property’s boundaries with ornate stone columns and high elaborate gates protecting the entrance. She could see neatly trimmed red-and green-leafed plants skirtinged the winding gravel driveway, and a variety of trees and shrubs hid the house from view.
Matt pressed a button on a matching bollard, answered a disembodied voice and the gates swung open. They passed through, and for Lauren it was like entering another world, where money was no object and the traditions of generations would be strictly upheld. She had no logical reason for the feeling yet it was strong and overwhelming, negating all the assurances Matt and Clair had given her.
She gripped her hands in her lap, drops of sweat slid down her back and her stomach churned. Having lunch in public, with eating and waiter service taking up time, hadn’t been as bad as she’d expected. The dinner function had been so noisy, so crowded and bustling, interaction had been kept to a minimum.
She’d been coerced into a weekend with Matt and the Fords, dining with them three times a day, sitting with them in the evening. She’d be alone with Clair while the men discussed business. What did she have in common with a rich, influential woman whose life revolved around her husband, family and society friends?
She... Oh, they’d stopped as the car rounded a curve. Wide expanses of lawn had been laid as a fire break on the sides she could see. Ahead stood the house, a beautiful sprawling example of a colonial family homestead with a shady wide veranda on all four sides. It was painted in muted shades of green and brown, including the shutters, to blend with the surroundings. A peaceful harmonious haven. A millionaire’s paradise.
She was vaguely aware of the lack of engine noise, then Matt’s hand covering hers, raising the hairs on her skin, triggering warmth deep inside. Somehow it intensified the trembling she tried to hide.
She looked into sympathetic blue eyes and wished she’d been more honest and refused the invitation. So much hung on the impression he made this weekend, and she’d be a liability he’d regret.
‘I’m sorry, Matt. I made a mistake. This is a mistake. The dinner was one thing—this is way bigger. You and Duncan talk business, sport, topical news. You were brought up in the same social environment, probably went to the same private school. I’ll never fit in with your elite circles.’
A guttural rumble came from his throat and he placed two fingers on her lips. She swatted them away.
‘Clair is a caring, generous person with all the social skills. I’m a computer geek with hardly any. We’ll run out of conversation in minutes.’
His features hardened, sending an icy chill shooting across her skin as if she’d entered a supermarket freezer. She pressed into the seat, wishing she could disappear into it.
‘Those statements are beneath the person I believe you are, Lauren. They met you and thought you were a charming, intelligent, and gracious young woman. Duncan’s exact words when he asked me to thank you for your kindness to Ken. And, believe me, Clair would never have invited you just to make equal numbers.’
He stroked her hair, clasped her nape and gently drew her upright. His gaze intensified as he studied her face. What was he searching for? And why? His smile obliterated her logic and created chaotic fantasies.
‘They’d like you to have a relaxing weekend in one of the most beautiful places in South Australia, the same as I do. I’m sure Clair knows we’re attracted to each other but there’s no way she’ll say or do anything to make you feel uncomfortable.’
Shame made her blush and she bit her lip. She gave him a remorseful smile, and flattened out her hands with linked fingers in supplication.
‘I guess deep inside I know that’s true. Sometimes the insecure child overrides the logical technician. Being with you plays havoc with my rationality.’
Too late she heard what she’d admitted, knew from his smug grin he’d understood, and wouldn’t hesitate to use it to coerce and cajole her.
‘You’ve just paid me one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever had. If I wasn’t parked in view from the house, and constrained by my seat belt, I’d put
it to the test.’
He covered her lips, teasing and coaxing yet with an underlying restraint. She returned the kiss, safe in the knowledge it could go no further. For now. She wound her arm around his neck to hold him closer then let it slide slowly away when he lifted his head. Embraced the surge of power at the emotion in his voice when he whispered in her ear.
‘And don’t think for a second I won’t remember every word and every touch next time we’re alone.’
Bringing her breathing under control as they drove up to the house, she silently echoed his words. Except she’d remember them as long as she lived.
* * *
Clair was waiting on the front steps and came out to meet them, leaning into Lauren’s window.
‘Glad you made it. We’ve opened one of the garage doors for you round the back. I’ll meet you there.’ She didn’t comment on the five-minute time gap from gate to front door.
They parked and Matt was unloading the boot when she joined them, giving Lauren a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. So different from the casual greetings from her family. Did her reticence cause the awkwardness between them?
‘Do you need a hand with the luggage?’
‘She’s brought less than any woman I’ve ever travelled with,’ Matt chipped in as he received the same greeting. ‘And that includes the carton of wine from the Barossa.’
‘Oh, how thoughtful. Let me take your suitcase.’
She led the way to the steps, wheeling Matt’s case, accompanied by Lauren with hers and an overnight bag. Matt locked the car and followed carrying the wine, his satchel and parka.
‘I’ve put you in the guest wing, three bedrooms all with an ensuite, a sitting room and small kitchen. Completely self-contained if needed.’
As they stepped onto the veranda two black and white dogs raised themselves from their snug positions in the corner and came over to sniff and be introduced. The larger one, a mixture of collie and a few unknowns, nuzzled at Lauren’s hands and she dropped her bags and stroked him. The other sat by Clair and studied the two newcomers.
‘Cyber’s an addict for attention. He’ll stalk you the whole time you’re here if we let him. Cyan is pure collie, and quieter. Both are very protective and great guard dogs. Go settle, you two.’
A Bride for the Brooding Boss Page 13