‘You have an aversion to sea creatures?’
‘No.’
‘You visited last week, and can’t bear to do it again so soon?’
Dammit, he was teasing her. Well, two could play at that game. ‘Fish?’ she queried sweetly. ‘You want to go see fish?’
His warm smile tore the breath from her throat. ‘With my favourite tour guide for company.’
Rebekah gave a small mock-bow. ‘Australian residents have a duty to please their overseas visitors.’ She indicated a flight of steps. ‘Shall we proceed?’
The staff member manning the aquarium ticket box shook her head doubtfully and reminded there was less than an hour before closing time.
‘We’ll walk very quickly,’ Rebekah assured as Jace picked up the tickets.
Some exhibits were exotic specimens, others fearsome, especially in the large aquarium housing various predators. The enclosed areas held a damp salty smell, and Rebekah breathed in fresh air as they emerged out into the sunshine and began walking to where she’d parked the car.
‘How dedicated are you to playing tour guide?’ Jace queried as he slid into the passenger seat.
She turned towards him. ‘You don’t want to go back to the hotel?’
‘I’d like to explore the Rocks,’ Jace declared, and saw her eyes widen.
The area was in an old part of the city bordering on the harbour and held a variety of shops, stalls and numerous cafés and restaurants.
‘You’re kidding me, right?’
‘We could grab something to eat there.’
This was going a bit too far. ‘We’ve spent all day together,’ she managed evenly.
‘So, what’s a few more hours?’
Common sense urged her to refuse. ‘I have things to do at home.’ It was a token protest.
‘Want for me to help out?’
There was a part of her that was tempted to call his bluff just to see him undertake domestic chores.
‘Somehow I can’t summon an image of you handling a vacuum cleaner or wielding an iron.’
‘I managed both during my years at university.’
Caution rose to the fore at the thought of him visiting at her apartment. Mutual ground, public ground was infinitely safer.
Rebekah ignited the engine. ‘OK, the Rocks it is.’ Two hours, she qualified.
They stayed twice as long, wandering at ease, pausing here and there, then Jace chose a restaurant where the food was superb, and they lingered over coffee, enjoying the ambience, the background music.
A sense of latent intimacy seemed to manifest itself, something she put down to the glass of wine she consumed during the course of the meal. She was acutely conscious of the man seated opposite, aware to a finite degree of the inherent vitality beneath his sophisticated façade. Primitive sexuality meshed with elemental sensuality…a dangerous combination, and more than most women could handle.
Yet it awakened something deep within her, an entity she was almost afraid to explore for fear of being burnt.
Safe meant not seeing him again. And, dear heaven, she had every reason to covet safety.
‘Shall we leave?’
Jace’s voice intruded, and she pushed her empty cup to one side. ‘Yes. I have an early start tomorrow.’
He took care of the bill, and they exited the restaurant, choosing to walk the esplanade path to where she’d parked the MG.
Rebekah felt the touch of his hand at her waist, and she experienced a feeling of surprise, almost shock when it slid to capture her own.
For a moment she froze, her first instinct being to pull free, except she hesitated too long and his fingers shifted to thread themselves through hers in a loose linking that was warm, intimate.
It made her want to shift closer, feel the strength, the heat, of his body. More than anything, she longed for his arms close around her, to sink in against him, have his mouth capture her own and wreak sensual devastation.
Yet she hesitated, aware any move on her part would invite more than she was prepared to give.
At that moment his thumb slid against the sensitive veins at her wrist, then began an evocative caress as her pulse jumped and skidded to a heavy beat.
Could he tell? How could he not? she groaned inaudibly. She couldn’t disguise the response of her body, and almost as if he knew he lifted her hand to his lips, lightly brushed them to her fingers, then let their joined hands fall.
Oh, my. She felt as if rockets were being launched inside her head, with the aftershocks reverberating through her entire body.
It was a fine kind of madness, fed by desire and fuelled by too vivid an imagination.
Rebekah was grateful when they reached the car, for it enabled her to break contact and slide in behind the wheel.
She wasn’t capable of uttering so much as a word, and she didn’t even try. Instead she focused on negotiating the traffic, and there was a sense of relief as she drew into the hotel entrance.
Short-lived, she discovered as Jace slid the gear-shift into neutral, then he leaned towards her and captured her head, angling it as he fastened his mouth over hers in a kiss that tore her vulnerable emotions to shreds.
Seconds or minutes? She had no idea how long it lasted, only that she felt cast adrift like a rudderless boat in the open sea.
Did she kiss him back? Perhaps she had. All she knew was that when he released her she felt totally lost.
She couldn’t speak, and her eyes felt impossibly large as she simply looked at him, and she gave a start of surprise as he touched a finger to her lips.
His smile held incredible warmth, and she felt herself begin to melt…which was crazy.
‘I’ll phone you tomorrow.’ He reached for the door-clasp and slid out from the car.
For a heart-stopping second she couldn’t move, then she became conscious of the concierge standing at the entrance, valet parking staff, and she shifted gears then put the MG in motion.
Rebekah entered her apartment a short while later and crossed to the kitchen for a cool drink. It was then she saw the message light blinking on her answering machine.
Ana? Unlikely, given her sister preferred direct contact to her cellphone.
She crossed to the machine and depressed the ‘re-play’ button, waiting as the tape automatically rewound.
‘How was your day with lover-boy?’ Brad’s voice was low and ugly. ‘Don’t bother changing your silent number again.’ There was a click as he ended the call.
Rebekah stood still for what seemed an age, then she located the number she’d been advised to call, day or night, and filed a report.
It did little to ease her mind. Nothing to stem the sense of frustrated anger that rose to the fore as she re-set the answering machine.
She took a shower, then slid into bed to lie staring at the darkened ceiling for what seemed hours before she succumbed to sleep, where nightmarish dreams invaded her subconscious, and when she woke to the sound of the alarm it was as if she hadn’t slept at all.
CHAPTER SIX
‘BITCH. You’ll pay for this.’
Rebekah clutched the receiver as the male voice vented in a sibilant tone that held more threat than if Brad had screamed the words in her ear.
The shop held two customers, Suzie was dealing with one, and the other was examining a glorious stand of gladioli.
Rationalising with him was a waste of time, but she tried. ‘You’re in violation—’ a click indicated he’d ended the call ‘—of the restraining order,’ she finished to an empty line.
The electronic door buzzer sounded, and she replaced the receiver, summoned a smile and turned to see Jace standing inside the door.
Her senses stirred at the sight of him. The dark three-piece suit, deep blue shirt and silk tie indicated he’d come straight from a business meeting, and he removed the lightly tinted sunglasses, silently indicated she serve the waiting customer, then browsed the various bouquets on display.
It took a while for the customer to make a choice, and Re
bekah completed the purchase, then crossed to Jace’s side.
She looked pale, and her eyes bore the lacklustre appearance of someone battling tiredness and, unless he was mistaken, a headache. He doubted she’d slept any better than he had.
He lifted a hand and tucked back a stray lock of hair that had escaped the knot atop her head. And watched her eyes dilate at his touch.
‘Feel up to sharing one of Angelo’s pizzas?’
All she wanted to do was go home, soak in a hot tub, then grab a salad, veg out in front of the television for an hour, and make up on lost sleep.
‘I’d planned on an early night.’
‘You’ve got it. I’ve at least an hour’s work on the laptop, and I’m due to take the early-morning flight to Cairns.’ He didn’t add that he’d originally intended flying out tonight, but had shifted the booking to tomorrow. ‘I’ll be here when you close.’
His smile made her toes curl. She should refuse, but she didn’t. ‘OK.’
‘Wow,’ Suzie said with genuine awe when Jace had left the shop. ‘Who is that man?’
Rebekah explained the connection, and Suzie rolled her eyes.
‘Is your sister’s husband equally attractive?’
‘Equally,’ she assured solemnly.
‘I don’t suppose there are any more male cousins here or abroad?’
‘A few.’
Suzie gave an impish grin. ‘I know I’m going to enjoy working here.’
Jace reappeared just as Rebekah was about to lock up, and gone was the formal business suit. In its place were jeans and a casual chambray shirt left unbuttoned at the neck. He’d rolled the cuffs back and discarded shoes for joggers.
‘All done?’
Luck saw them park close to Angelo’s pizzeria, and they ordered, choosing take-out rather than electing to eat in, and strolled along the main street while they waited on the pizza.
‘Tough day?’
Jace caught hold of her hand, and she didn’t object. ‘Not really. Ana insisted on putting in a few hours, against Luc’s and my wishes. Fortunately Suzie is good at taking up the slack.’ She spared him a direct glance. ‘Yours?’
‘Bearable.’ He didn’t add he’d spent most of it wanting the day done so he could spend time with her.
A tout called out to them from an open doorway, only to halt his outrageous spiel as Jace directed him a chilling look.
Angelo had the pizza boxed and ready to go when they returned to the shop.
‘Where do you suggest we eat this?’ Rebekah asked as she eased the van into the flow of traffic.
‘Your apartment?’
It was her own private domain, and only family visited her there. When it came to joining friends, she chose a restaurant, café, cinema or shopping complex as a meeting place.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘My hotel?’
A park bench? Drive out to one of the beaches? By then the pizza would be cold.
‘We’ll go to my place.’ She shot him a direct look. ‘Just be warned I intend chucking you out at nine.’
‘So noted.’ His drawl held an element of husky humour.
Minutes later she used her key to unlock the sliding steel grille guarding entrance to the underground car park, eased in beside the MG, then they rode the lift to the seventh floor.
As soon as she opened the apartment door Millie was there, rubbing her head against Rebekah’s leg, only to back up and regard Jace with feline curiosity.
‘The kitchen’s through the lounge to the right.’ She led the way. ‘I’ll show you where the plates are kept, and you can apportion the pizza while I feed Millie.’
The message light on the answering machine was blinking, and her stomach tightened.
‘You want to get that?’ Jace asked, indicating the machine, and she shook her head.
‘It won’t be anything that can’t wait.’ If it was Brad, she’d prefer to run it when she was alone.
They ate pizza seated at the dining-room table, and she unearthed a bottle of red Lambrusco, extracted two wine glasses, filled both, and handed him one.
There was an easy familiarity in the gesture, although nothing discounted the electric tension fizzing along her nerve threads.
‘How long will you be away?’ It was the only thing she could think to offer, and he finished the mouthful he was eating before responding, ‘Four days. I fly direct to Cairns tomorrow, visit Port Douglas Tuesday morning, take the late-afternoon flight Wednesday to Brisbane, visit the Gold Coast Friday morning, and return to Sydney late afternoon.’
‘Real estate?’
‘Shopping complexes, warehouses,’ Jace added as he reached for another slice of pizza.
‘You assess, buy at a low price, move in a team to upgrade, promote, then sell when they’re showing a handsome profit.’ It was just a guess, but she imagined it to be a fairly accurate one.
Rebekah demolished two slices, then slowly sipped her wine.
‘Something like that,’ he declared indolently. He didn’t add that he headed a family consortium with global business interests, and he kept a personal check on all of them. The Sydney arm had initiated some major staff changes at its top level, and he’d chosen to cast a personal eye over the new MD’s purchase proposals. And check out if his attraction for Ana’s sister was as tantalising now as it had been a year ago.
The answer was easy. The solution, however, was anything but.
The women in his life had been eager, willing, and practised in the art of seduction. Relationships clear-cut, boundaries established and recognised, and while affection formed a base, love, the everlasting kind, had never rated a mention.
Until the event of Luc and Ana’s marriage he’d been content with the status quo. There were any number of women he’d be satisfied to have as his wife. But none he’d covet as the mother of his children. Which had to tell him something.
For the past year he’d immersed himself in work, dated few women more than a token once or twice, indulged in selective sex, and become very aware that while it might satisfy his libido, any emotional pleasure was sadly lacking.
‘Would you like some coffee?’
‘Thanks. Black, one sugar.’
Rebekah stood to her feet, gathered up the plates and cutlery and carried them through to the kitchen.
The headache she’d fought against most of the afternoon intensified, and she opened a cupboard, retrieved painkillers, popped two from the pack and swallowed them down with water.
‘Headache?’
She hadn’t heard him leave the dining room, and her hand shook a little. ‘It’s nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix.’
His mouth curved into a faint smile. ‘Is that a hint I’ve outstayed my welcome?’
‘No,’ she managed quietly. ‘No, of course not.’
The smile reached his eyes. ‘Good.’ He moved round the servery, took the glass from her hand and put it down, then he captured her face in his hands and began gently massaging her temples.
She opened her mouth to protest, only to have him press his thumb against her lips.
‘Shh. Just relax.’
It felt like heaven as his fingers moved to massage her scalp, and she instinctively lowered her lashes so her gaze fastened on the hollow at the base of his throat where a pulse beat so strongly there.
His touch held a mesmeric quality, almost as if a part of him was invading her senses, and she swayed slightly, caught in the sensual magic he was able to evoke.
A slight sound brought her lashes sweeping wide, and she almost died at the magnetising warmth evident in his slumberous gaze.
Her lips parted involuntarily, and she glimpsed the warmth turn to heat, then his mouth slanted over hers, gently at first as his tongue took an exploratory sweep before tangling with her own in an evocative dance that demanded more, much more.
One hand fisted her hair while the other slid down past her waist to hold her fast against him, and she lifted her ar
ms and linked her hands together at his nape as she leaned into him, exulting in the feel, the taste, the sensual heat of him.
It was like nothing else she’d experienced before as he wrapped her close, so close, his hands shaping her waist, her hips, buttocks.
His mouth left hers and nuzzled the sensitive curve at the edge of her neck, then trailed a path to nibble her earlobe before seeking her mouth as he took her deep in a sensual imitation of the sex act itself.
Almost as if he sensed he was going too far too fast he eased up a little, locking her hips close to his own so she couldn’t help but be aware of his arousal.
Its potent force took her breath away, and she wondered what it would feel like to have him inside her, moving in an ever-increasing rhythm until he reached his peak.
There was a part of her that wanted to be swept away by the tide of passion. To have no thought, no scruples, no reservations. Just follow wherever he chose to lead.
Would the reality exceed the limits of her experience, and prove to be as mesmeric as she imagined it could be?
Somehow the answer had to be yes. This man possessed the touch, the sexual expertise to indulge a woman in a feast of the senses. From acutely sensitive to the raw and primitive.
A shiver feathered its way over the surface of her skin, raising all her fine body hairs in anticipation as treacherous desire pulsed from deep within.
She wanted the tactile touch of skin on skin, and the need for it drove her to seek the opening of his shirt. There was a primal urge to fist the material and tug it free from his jeans then drag it off so she could rain his torso with the heated pressure of her mouth. To gently nip the hard muscle tissue close to a male nipple, then caress each one with her tongue, teasing mercilessly until he groaned at her touch.
More than anything, she wanted him to bestow her the same favour, to drive her sensually wild until there could be only one end.
Her audio-visual senses were so caught up in the mindless fantasy she was only dimly aware of a ringing in her ears, and she gave a despairing groan as Jace gently broke contact.
‘Should you get that?’
The phone. Dear heaven, it was the phone.
The Helen Bianchin Collection Page 157