Christmas Holiday Husband

by Kris Pearson

  She sent him a scathing glance. “Nobody gave me my house, Tony. I had to earn every penny of the deposit, and I’ll be paying off the mortgage until I’m middle-aged. It’s different. It’s all mine. And I’m proud of it, however inadequate it might seem to you beside this mansion.”

  He breathed out, desperate to control his temper. “It’s not a mansion,” he objected. “It’s just home.”

  “To you, maybe. Not to me.” She shook her head. “Don’t push it. Now is not the right time.”

  He tried to relax the tension from his jaw. Why was she being so infuriating? “Will it ever be the right time?”

  “I don’t know. Certainly not yet.”

  “I won’t give up.”

  She glared at him. “You got your way last time, but this time you won’t.”

  “Got my way, Ellie? Is that really how you see it? I felt our mutual attraction the moment I laid eyes on you. It wasn’t one sided. You ‘got your way’ too. You wanted me—you can’t deny it.”

  An embarrassed blush spread up her neck. “Yes, I wanted you. I never stopped wanting you. I never said I’d stopped wanting you, Tony. Maybe I never will stop wanting you. But I cannot marry you now and live with you here...that’s all.”

  “And that’s all I want.”

  She shook her head again, more fiercely this time. “You can have me until the end of January.”

  “And if you’re pregnant?” The words were out before he realised he’d said them.

  xxx

  “Let’s both just pray I’m not.” The possibility had been gnawing at her like acid. For what could she desire more than his child? And right now, what did she need less? Their unprotected coupling after arriving home from Honeymeade Lodge had happened so fast with so little thought on either side, and the timing had been far from safe.

  “If you’re pregnant you’ll have to reconsider.”

  “If I’m pregnant it’ll be my business entirely.”

  “And the rest! Dream on, lady...”

  He looked almost ready to strangle her. Face tight with fury he pushed himself to his feet and strode the few steps to the big outdoor dining table. Ellie watched in helpless fascination as he peeled off his shirt, toed off his shoes and dropped his jeans. He tore his socks and jeans off together, tossed the whole bundle onto the table, and stalked away toward the swimming pool.

  She sat frozen as he unclipped the high safety lock on the pool gate and slammed it behind him. She heard a resounding crack as his body hit the water, and then the churning splash as he completed length after frustrated length of the pool.

  Just watching him strip and walk away from her was a sensual feast. The sun threw the planes and curves of his back and legs into sharp relief. His arrogant swagger only accentuated the hard strength of his body. She was reminded unerringly of Sydney—when he’d wrenched off his boots and socks and dived into the hotel pool to cool off. And to invite her out that first evening.

  But this time he was moving away from her, and his invitation had not brought the result he’d hoped for. She knew she’d be sleeping alone in the Blue Room that evening. Tony was far too proud to come begging for her company. And she was too burned by this encounter to go searching for his.

  The gloss had gone out of the day. Ellie sat a few minutes longer, but there was no sign of him returning. She retreated to her room, retrieved Cal’s photo from her underwear drawer and put him back where she could see him. She pulled a thriller from the bookcase, made a pile of pillows against the bed-head, and settled down. But as hard as she tried to lose herself somewhere foreign and exciting and dangerous until dinner, it seemed there was nowhere as exciting and dangerous as Wharemoana right now.

  xxx

  Ginny watched as the twins tucked into their lasagne. The atmosphere between the other two adults was positively polar. Perhaps she should keep well clear until they’d sorted out whatever was wrong? She gave it one last try. “It’s wonderful how popular you can make a bit of leftover minced lamb, isn’t it?” she said to Ellie.

  “Yum!” Caro exclaimed, red-ribboned ponytail bouncing and bobbing.

  Ellie nodded, but said nothing.

  So much for that, Ginny thought. Ellie had only picked at her dinner. And her son-in-law, who normally devoured everything in sight to fuel his impressive body, hadn’t done much better.

  She’d charted the attraction flaring between them. Seen Robbie trail Ellie up the stairs on the first evening, only to return elated and jittery. At the barbecue she’d noted his kiss on Ellie’s shoulder, and his hands caressing her hips before disaster struck and they’d had to ferry poor Steven to hospital. She assumed they’d not used the second bedroom at Honeymeade Lodge because they’d both appeared at breakfast next day looking hot and bothered and exhilarated. Then he’d departed for the Melbourne conference.

  His slightly outrageous offering of underwear was nicely disguised by her own gift of the nightgown and the twins’ pretty T-shirts. The girls wouldn’t see anything unusual there. He often bought presents back from his business trips.

  And Saturday’s party had seen the whole district in high spirits, so who would notice that Robbie and Ellie seemed to be having a very good time indeed? Probably only herself.

  What had gone wrong? Ellie had made a fast trip home to see her son, but appeared happy to be back at Wharemoana again. Lunch had been cheerful. The girls were co-operative, Robbie was relaxed, and Ellie had asked for the quiche recipe.

  Something had happened in the late afternoon. Ginny stirred a teaspoon around and around in her cup, considering possibilities. She’d feared Robbie would be hurt by his speedy pursuit of the first available woman on the scene. It seemed she might be right.

  “Don’t do that, Ants darling,” she said. “Your tooth will come out when it wants to—you can’t work it loose.”

  “It’s too early yet, I think,” Ellie added. “Around six maybe. That’s when Callum’s started coming loose.”

  “How old is he now?” Caro asked.

  “Er—nine,” she muttered, bowing her head.

  “And how much did the Tooth Fairy pay for his?” Ants asked.

  “Twenty cents each.”

  “Only twenty cents?” Her feathery eyebrows rose. Plainly she’d expected the rate would be higher at Wharemoana.

  “It’s a lovely warm evening,” Ginny said. “We should go out and enjoy the pool.”

  “I’ve had a swim,” Tony snapped.

  “I don’t have a swimsuit,” Ellie said at the same instant.

  “There are spares for guests in the changing room,” Ginny said, unperturbed. “You should have mentioned it before this. Take Ellie and show her, please Robbie.”

  xxx

  Tony rose with an exaggerated sigh and Ellie followed him through the house.

  “In here,” he said, pushing a door open. “Swimsuits and towels in the cupboard. Out that door to the pool. It’s—”

  She laid her hand softly and precisely over his mouth, and he fell silent.

  “Don’t freeze me out, Tony,” she implored.

  He took a couple of steps backward and turned the key in the lock. Her internal muscles jerked awake with buzzing heat. He intended making peace after all?

  “Arms up then,” he said. He pushed her shirt up and peeled it off. She stood before him with the start of a smile. Then he popped the button on her waistband, unzipped her skirt, and let it fall to her feet. He bent to pick it up and she stepped aside. He placed it with her shirt on a nearby chair.

  It must be a game, she thought with relief. He’d kept his face impassive, but his hands were getting very personal indeed. He crossed behind her, undid her bra and added it to the collection on the chair. Then hooked his thumbs into the top of her panties and drew them down her legs. She thrilled at his warm breath on the backs of her thighs as he bent to collect them.

  She was now nude apart from her sandals, and very relieved he’d locked the door.

  Before she could re
ach across to start on his shirt, he turned aside to the cupboard and rummaged among the swimsuit selection. He held up a red one-piece with a low cut back, considered it, and nodded. He crouched at her feet.

  “Lift one,” he demanded.

  With less certainty now, Ellie obeyed.

  “And the other.”

  He pulled the shiny garment over her legs, tugged it up between her thighs, and smoothed it over her hips. Then he held the straps out for her to slip her arms through. He let them go with a vicious little snap onto her shoulders.

  “Have a nice swim,” he said, turning aside, unlocking the door and disappearing.

  Oh you utter bastard! her brain screamed. How could you do that to me less than two hours after proposing marriage? She sagged against the door, trembling, mortified. So much for presuming he was back to playing lovers’ games...

  But she had her pride. She was damned if she’d let him see how much he’d upset her. Catching up one of the big fluffy towels, she walked outside, slipped off her sandals, tossed the towel on a bench, and dived into the sunlit water.

  Like Tony, she took out her anger by thrashing her way up and down the length of the pool several times. Finally, panting, she turned on her back and floated—just in time to catch sight of him in his study window as he flicked the desk light on. He stood, head down, apparently reading something, and then looked out over the pool. Their eyes locked.

  Ellie held his gaze, teeth clamped together to keep her face expressionless. She stared him down. Damn his wealth and his certainty and his huge confidence that he could make her live her life as he preferred!

  The moment was broken as Ginny unlatched the gate and the twins gambolled through.

  It’s no good any more, Ellie thought. How will I face him again? If he can strip me naked and then ignore me, what hope do we have of getting back together? She cast a furtive look up at his study as Caro bobbed around her in the water.

  “Ellie, I can do proper dives,” Ants called from the side of the pool, running forward and landing with a tremendous splash.

  “You need a bit more practice yet,” Ellie said, pasting on a grin and hauling the spluttering child upright. “Try again?”

  Pleased with the attention, both twins wriggled out of the pool and hurled themselves at her.

  “One at a time, girls!” Ginny exclaimed.

  “Then I can see how good you really are,” Ellie added, ducking away from their energetic little bodies. “Can you do handstands?” she asked, thinking this might slow them down. She upended herself in the water, and raised her legs in the air until she overbalanced and emerged panting and laughing.

  “Me next, me next!” Caro squealed.

  xxx

  Tony watched from his study, keeping well back so he couldn’t be seen. She was so good with them. Why wouldn’t she choose to live here with him instead of in some poky new house in town?

  And, more to the point, why the hell had he treated her like that when she’d offered an olive branch and asked him not to freeze her out?

  Her face had softened with expectation. She’d hoped he’d meet her halfway. And had he? No, he’d still been so furious that he’d ripped off her clothes and then ignored her. Worse than ignored her...mocked her, degraded her, made no move toward reconciliation at all.

  He’d wanted her. And she’d turned him down. Pleasantly enough to start with but she’d been determined. It stung. Very few people turned Tony Robinson down and made it clear he wouldn’t be getting what he desired.

  He knew he’d made a total hash of things by bringing their lovemaking into his proposal. Treating it like some sort of athletic challenge instead of the mind-blowing magic gift they created for each other.

  How could he find a way to reverse her decision? Cursing under his breath he resumed his seat and glared at the spreadsheet on the screen. He’d keep out of her way for the rest of the evening and hope to rescue the situation in the morning.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Tony ate breakfast early and was out of the homestead before Ellie and the girls appeared. He’d slept wretchedly. No serious solution had yet presented itself to him. He came back for coffee mid-morning, intending to collect a forestry magazine he’d left in his study. Ellie had the twins were in the schoolroom—her voice was just audible from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Going up?” Ginny asked. “There are some clean shirts for you here. Can you take them for me?” She handed him several on hangers, and a bundle of underwear.

  He stowed the freshly ironed shirts in his wardrobe and tossed the underwear onto the bed. A pair of white bikini panties tumbled free. Too big for the twins. Too small for Ginny.

  Well, Ellie was safely out of the way in the classroom—he’d leave them in her bedroom as he passed by. He smoothed them out and folded them neatly, rubbing a finger over the soft cotton-knit fabric and the tiny pink bow on the front. He easily pictured the curve of her hips and his fingers peeling the little panties down over her thighs. One day soon, with any luck.

  He opened the door, intending to lay them on her bed and leave. But her scent was in the air. The body lotion that smelled of freesias...the faint fragrance of the shampoo she used on her long lustrous hair.

  He stood for a few seconds, inhaling her perfume, glancing around the beautiful old room, and remembering the afternoon of the cherry underwear.

  Suddenly his world of privilege and certainty was flipped on its head.

  Beside her bed stood a photo of a boy. Dark haired. Olive skinned. Slanting a carefree smile at the camera. So like himself as a child there could be no mistake. His heart thudded in his throat, and breathing was suddenly almost impossible.

  Striding across the room, he grabbed the photo frame, collapsed onto the bed, and tilted the image to the light. Heat raced through his veins as he inspected it with hungry eyes. Her son. And plainly his as well. The resemblance was absolute. Jesus! And she’d kept the boy a secret—even after meeting up with him again.

  He stared at the cheeky face, memories flooding back. Their first night together in Australia. No condoms. Ellie had said she was on the pill. How could she have taken a risk like that? How could he?

  He dragged in a desperate breath and clenched his jaw. Pride and hurt and absolute fury warred for supremacy. He pushed away from the bed and loped to his study, magazine forgotten now. With shaking hands he placed the photo face down on the scanner bed to make his own copy. He closed the lid and waited until his son’s face rolled out of the printer.

  Not too good. He screwed it into a tight ball and binned it, adjusted the intensity control, and tried again, keeping a sharp ear out for Ellie.

  This time it was better. Much better. He gazed at it with gnawing hunger, slid it into his desk drawer, and hurried back to Ellie’s room to return the original. He smoothed out the bedcover, grabbed the panties off her bed, stuffed them into his pocket, and descended the stairs. He opened the lid of the laundry basket and dropped them in. All evidence of his visit to her room was now gone.

  If Ellie had decided to keep secrets from him, he could keep them from her in return—until the time was right. It was now imperative he found a way to make her change her mind. He wanted the woman, even after her lies. And he wanted her son even more. His son. How dare she deprive him of his son?

  He raced back up to his study, pushed the door closed behind him, and withdrew the copy with hands that were far from steady. All these years had passed and he’d not known. Not known he had another child. How could he forgive something like that?

  He sat brooding for maybe ten minutes, wondering what the boy was like. Healthy? Apparently. Happy? He looked a cheerful enough in the photo. Good at sports? Good at school? Was there a father-figure in his life?

  A niggle in the back of his brain slowly became a certainty. A boy had been mentioned at the dinner table last night when the twins were hoping the Tooth Fairy would visit. Tony hadn’t paid much attention to the conversation, but he remembered now tha
t Ellie had initially been forthcoming, and then clammed up. Had she called him Colin? Something similar anyway. Something Scottish...

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to dredge up the name.

  Callum—that was it. And she’d said he was nine. Like hell he was nine! He was ten. Why hadn’t she disclosed his existence when she arrived at Wharemoana?

  Suddenly her extreme reaction at breakfast the first day made sense. Sense of a kind, anyway. She’d been in shock, discovering the father of her child again after so many years...knowing her guilty secret might finally be blasted out into the open. But why had she kept it so quiet? Why did she not want her son to know he had a father, and Tony to know he had a son?

  He would have supported the boy; it sounded as though they’d been living on the smell of an oily rag. Had she deprived him of the things he needed and wanted? Tony’s blood boiled at that thought.

  He smoothed a finger over the laughing face and began to plan how they’d meet.

  xxx

  “Come here and I’ll fix your hair up,” Ginny called to Caro. Two miniature ballerinas flitted around the terrace like a couple of pale pinks moths. Caro’s hair kept escaping from its tight coil. Miss Beveridge, the ballet teacher, would never approve.

  “If you don’t mind taking them, Ginny, that’s great,” Ellie said. “I’ve been promising myself an after-school walk on the beach for days now.”

  “The ballet lessons bring back fond memories of Julia’s childhood,” Ginny said. “You be careful on the beach though. Don’t go paddling if there’s any sign of those bluebottle jellyfish.”

  “They sting,” Ants said, wrinkling her nose.

  xxx

  Ellie waved them off and changed into shorts and trainers for her beach walk. After less than fifty yards she heard the noisy note of a farm bike behind her. She moved to the side of the driveway so it could pass, but it slowed and chugged more quietly alongside her. She turned. It was Tony.

  “Going far? Like a lift?”

  At least he was being civil again. She shook her head and sent him a tentative smile. Maybe they could still make the situation work until her contract ended? “It’s a great day. I promised myself a walk by the sea.”