“No, it’s fine; it’s not too far to my place, but if Jacob can sleep over that will be great.”
She couldn’t sleep in the same house as Jacob, not in her current state of mind. The evening, although pleasant and joyful, went by with her and Joe barely speaking a word. He had spent most of his time with Jacob on his lap. It felt like they were two strangers thrown into an elevator that got stuck and had no choice but to communicate civilly. So sure, there was no animosity between them, but that friendship they rekindled when Joe came to help her when she was ill wasn’t quite there anymore.
“I’ll walk you home,” Joe said and stood up at the same time Lucy stood.
“No-I mean no, that’s fine, it’s really not that far, you stay here and enjoy the rest of the evening.”
Chris looked at her, and his wife Amber tugged him on the sleeve, “Don’t you want to bring me the cups?”
Lucy rolled her eyes mentally, and watched as Chris and Amber headed to the kitchen.
“Lucy it’s just a walk home, and I’m not going to take no for an answer,” Joe said and reached for her jumper.
“Fine,” she mumbled and allowed him to help her into her coat.
They headed outside and for a while they walked in utter silence. It was Joe who spoke first.
“I see Jacob missed me,” he said with a smile tugging his lips.
“Oh, he talks about you every day. And heaven forbid he doesn’t have your glove in his backpack, then all hell breaks loose,” she said and laughed softly, tucking her hands deeper into her pockets.
“At least is its being put to good use.”
Another stretch of silence passed between them as they made their way down the dimly lit street towards her apartment. Her thoughts were scattered like the stars in the sky, and the closer they got to her place, the more aware she became of his presence. The slow flutter of a million butterflies being released into nature started to tip her stomach upside down. His closeness stirred up emotions she had tried so hard to bury for so long, and now all she could think of was the sudden urge to kiss him.
They reached her apartment and her feet felt like lead as she ascended the few stairs to the door; he wasn’t following her. He stood right there on the side walk with his hands tucked into his jacket.
“Thank you for walking me,” she said as she turned around.
“Sure, no problem at all, I’ll bring Jacob around in the morning.”
She turned to push the door open, and then spun around, “Would you like to come in for some coffee?” she asked spontaneously.
He dragged his hand through his hair and smiled, “Sure, why not.”
She had barely closed her door behind them when Joe reached for her and tugged her against him. Her eyes locked on his parted lips and his breath assaulted her senses, it was a mixture of wine and lemon meringue. Before she could utter a word he pressed his lips against hers, wanting, searching, exploring. His tongue grazed hers and was it not for his one arm wound around her waist; she would have collapsed into a pathetic hot mess. His kiss consumed her and as if that was not enough, his one free hand palmed her breast, the only one she had left after the mastectomy. She froze and immediately tried to break free, but he kept her prisoner in his embrace.
“Lucy…” he whispered in a hoarse voice, “Don’t push me away again.”
“I’m not… I can’t…” but her words were all muddled up, her body had hijacked her mind and she couldn’t string one single sentence together.
“I don’t care what you look like, you’re prefect,” he whispered as he ran his lips along the side of her face, slowly tilting her back until he sucked the skin just below her ear, “Just let me.”
“Joe…” she whispered but the way lips roamed over her heated skin rendered her speechless.
This time when he lifted her into his arms and wound her legs around his waist, she didn’t protest, she captured his lips and kissed him as if the end of the world was upon them. She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel him and at all costs she was going to let herself go and just let him.
He walked her through to her bedroom and with one knee on the end of the bed, he gently lowered her down, and as she met his gaze a smile spread across his lips. The look in his eyes was one of adoration, and it melted away all her resistance.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he helped her out of her jumper, and although she was terrified of being exposed completely she allowed him to undress her.
“If you say so,” she whispered softly as she reached for his shirt after he shrugged off his own coat.
Her fingers were trembling so much, she feared that she’d never be able to undress him but she managed, and as he stood before her she could hardly breathe. He was a lot more muscular than she remembered, toned like a true sportsman with abs that mapped his stomach like the interstate that led straight to the airport. He chuckled and she realized that she was staring at him and instantly she felt a blush spread across her cheeks.
He slowly moved over her and kissed the hollow of her throat, then dragged his lips across her chest sucking the one and only taut tip into his mouth. An audible moan escaped her and she dragged her foot up the back of his leg, desperate for more. He didn’t make her wait, and as he slowly scooted up until he was nestled between her legs, she let out a soft sigh.
“I want you Lucy, I don’t think I ever stopped wanting you,” he whispered as he looked into her eyes.
What would she say to that? There was a time she had filed him and all memories of him in file thirteen, but if she had to be honest with herself, she would never have settled for anyone other than Joe.
“Then have me,” she whispered as she reached up to run her fingertip across his bottom lip.
He groaned and sucked her finger into his mouth and at the same time he dipped his hips and entered her. She threw her head back and moaned as she felt him move. Every thrust seemingly calculated and slow as if he was deliberately trying to drive her insane. She had lost her grip on reality and felt as if she was floating, gravity defeated. They were one, in mind and body. Like synchronized dancers they moved as if they were gears in a clock, the one matching the other perfectly. His thrusts changed from gentle to demanding, she wound her legs around his as if to keep him there forever.
“I’m in love with you,” Joe whispered.
Lucy’s eyes flew open and as she met his gaze the entire room and all that surrounded them faded into the background and they both crumbled like a sand castle being washed away by a wave of passion.
Joe stirred awake and immediately felt the empty space next to him.
“Lucy?” he called quietly as he exited the room wearing only his jocks.
“I’m here,” she said.
She was sitting on his favorite butternut yellow sofa with a sheet wrapped round her shoulders.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he came to sit next to her.
“Did you mean what you said?” she asked as she picked at thumb nail.
She had insecurities, and he knew they were warranted, and it was all because of him and his stupid choices in life. He scooted closer to her and stilled her fidgeting fingers.
“Lucy, I know we have a past, but the time I spent getting to know Jacob, and you, I’ve come to realize just how superficial my life had been. I thought I had it all, fame, fortune the works,” he pulled her over to him until she was curled up on his lap, “but none of it matters in the end. I am in love with you, and our son. I want us to be a family.”
There, he said it, and it was the god’s honest truth. Lucy was silent for a brief moment, and when he tucked his finger under her chin to make her look up at him, tears shimmered in her eyes.
“I-I never stopped loving you,” she admitted and averted her eyes.
Joe was beside himself, and if he had his way he would take her to bed again and again and again, but instead he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly.
“I want to marry you, today.”
“But it’s C
hristmas,” she said and laughed softly.
“It will be a Christmas to remember.”
THE END
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Nanny’s Halloween Down Under
Prologue
“Hey, sis. What are you thinking?”
I turned around from watching surfers hang ten on the Surfer’s Paradise beach. Cara watched me closely. I could tell she was concerned; her forehead was furrowed. I had seen that look my entire life. Well, Cara was my big sister, and she had a habit of worrying about me.
“Just thinking about where it all went wrong,” I answered, leaning against the balcony railing. Then I smiled, trying to take the sadness out of my words. “Don’t mind me. I’ll get over it.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “You shouldn’t blame yourself.”
I knew she was right, deep down. But it was hard to think rationally at the moment. My fashion business, which I had been working so hard to establish back home in San Francisco, had gone belly up. My major investor had suddenly pulled out, due to sickness. I had no choice but to close it down, at least until I found another. Cara had suggested Bryce could invest, but I didn’t know him that well, yet. I just didn’t want to put it on him.
At least I was somewhere beautiful to lick my wounds. Queensland, Australia. I had been here a week, visiting Cara and her new husband, Bryce. And Charlie, Cara’s stepson. They lived in one of the most stunning places I had ever seen in my life. A waterfront mansion, where you could step out onto the beach. Cara had certainly won the jackpot. Bryce was great, and Charlie was the cutest thing ever.
Yes, all up it wasn’t a bad place to think things through.
“Bianca,” Cara said, looking at me gently. “It will be okay. Do you want to start getting ready? I said we’d meet Bryce at the restaurant at seven.”
I nodded. “Of course. I’ll have a shower and be ready in fifteen.”
We were chauffeured to the restaurant. I still couldn’t believe Cara’s new lifestyle. I saw Bryce on the restaurant steps, waiting for us. But who was with him? He was a tall man, with sandy colored hair and a rugged appearance. I turned to Cara.
“Is someone else dining with us?” I asked. Cara looked out the car window, frowning.
“It’s Zane,” she said. “Zane Connelly. One of Bryce’s friends. Funny, Bryce didn’t tell me that he would be dining with us. I didn’t even know he was in town. He lives on one of the largest cattle stations in the Northern Territory.”
I studied the man, surreptitiously. Very handsome, if you like the rugged outdoorsy type. But he looked preoccupied, like his mind was a million miles away.
“Cara! Bianca!”
Bryce came to open the car door for us. He leaned in, whispering to Cara. “Zane turned up unexpectedly, and he’s a bit down. I asked him to join us. You don’t mind, do you?”
Cara smiled, touching his face tenderly. “Of course not. He’s very welcome.”
Introductions were made, and then we all sat down at our table. I looked around, impressed. It was a fancy restaurant, there was no doubt of that. Waiters hovered around us like flies, anticipating every whim. Bryce ordered champagne, only the very best, of course. Well, he was a billionaire; it was an everyday occurrence for him. Whereas I had never even tasted this label before. I took a sip. The bubbles rose to my head like steam in a shower.
I looked at Zane, sitting across from us. He barely touched his champagne. Instead, he kept checking his phone, frowning.
“What’s the story, Zane?” Bryce sipped his drink, staring pointedly at the phone. Zane took the hint, and put it in his pocket.
“Sorry, buddy,” he said. “I’m a bit preoccupied. You know how I’ve been fighting for custody of the kids? Well, I suddenly got them. Jo has relinquished them, completely. She’s taking off with Billy Baker, the rock star. She’s been seeing him for a while, now. They’re jetting off to his chateau in France. Apparently, the kids don’t mean that much to her, after all.” A thread of bitterness ran through his words.
“But this is good, isn’t it?” Cara questioned. “You’ve been wanting the kids back.”
“Yes,” Zane sighed. “It is. But the timing is all wrong. Jo is just dumping them at the Station, with no nanny. The nanny apparently quit as soon as she heard that Jo was going overseas. And Mrs. Price, my housekeeper, is an old lady. They have no one to look after them.”
“Wow,” said Bryce. “That’s a pickle. Especially as you are going to Singapore, aren’t you?”
“I’m catching the flight tomorrow,” he answered. “It’s an important business deal, and I can’t get out of it. It’s been booked for a while.” He sighed, running a hand through his sandy hair. “All the nanny agencies I’ve called can’t help me at such short notice.”
“Bianca could do it,” Cara said, looking at me, her eyes widening. “Couldn’t you, Bianca? It would be like a working holiday. You could save money to open your business, again.”
“Cara…” I looked at my big sister like she had lost her mind. This was all too sudden. Nannying? Me?
But now Zane and Bryce turned to me, entreating me with their eyes.
“Bianca,” Zane said, looking at me beseechingly. “You would save my life. Honestly. And I would compensate you well, don’t worry.”
“Well…” I was put on the spot. Yes, I had been planning on staying in Australia for another month. Cara and I had been planning a trip to Melbourne to visit her best friend Amber. But that didn’t mean that I wanted to go to the middle of nowhere, to mind some brats. Where was the Northern Territory, exactly?
“Please,” Zane said. His eyes shone with fervor. “I could get you on a flight tomorrow, all expenses paid, of course. Business class.”
“Alright,” I sighed, downing my champagne. “As a favor, just until you get a real nanny.”
“Thank you,” Zane breathed. He suddenly smiled, in relief. He really was a handsome man, especially when he relaxed.
Our eyes met, holding a second longer than necessary. I felt a sudden jolt of attraction, right down to my toes.
“You won’t regret it,” Zane said.
Famous last words, of course.
Zane
“Almost there, Mr. Connelly.”
I looked up from my tablet at George, my personal assistant. He was staring out the plane window as we circled over Ayers Rock. I smiled wearily.
“It feels like I’ve been travelling forever,” I remarked, stretching. It had been a whirlwind week. I had just returned from Singapore, having completed talks with some potential partners. And now were heading home to Birrimba, my family’s cattle station in the Northern Territory.
The plane circled, slowly. I looked out the window. The famous Rock was receding. It was an amazing landscape, one that I never tired of watching.
Massive salt lakes spread over the land, with rivers veering off them like a mass of spider veins. The earth itself was reminiscent of opal: speckled and lined, colors merging and spreading. The vast deserts of my homeland, folding out as far as the eye could see.
Through my weariness, I felt excited. It was always like this, when I returned home. I was constantly travelling the country and the world, but the old adage was true, there was no place like home. And my home had been in my family for generations. It was one of the first cattle stations built in the Northern Territory, and it was the biggest.
I could see it approaching, now. It was spread out like a small town; various buildings and yards. In the center was the homestead, a huge weatherboard built in 1894. I smiled, again. George looked across at me, giving me a thumbs up. He knew how tired I was, and how grateful to be home.
Roland, my personal pilot, spoke over the intercom. “About to land at Birrimba, Mr. Connelly.”
The plane circled, again. Then I felt the descent. We were about to land.
George and I clicked on our seatbelts in preparation. It was a small plane, and the landing was often bumpy.
Yes, I was grateful to be home. But then the personal problems that I had managed to put on the backburner of my brain suddenly reared up at me. There was a lot going on. I wouldn’t be able to get home and relax. I had three children who had been uprooted once again, who were suddenly home – and without their mother.
Oh, and let’s not forget a new nanny. Hired only last week, spontaneously. I thought of the woman who was now in charge of my children. Bianca. An American on holiday.
She was the sister of Cara, who my good friend Bryce had recently married. It had happened so quickly it still made my head spin.
I had been on the Gold Coast for some last-minute business, when I had taken the call from Jo, my ex.
“Zane,” she had drawled. “Your wish has come true! I’m bringing the children to Birrimba tomorrow.”
“Hang on a minute.” I adjusted the phone to my ear. “What are you talking about? It’s not my scheduled week. I’m flying out to Singapore tomorrow.”
Jo had laughed. “Oh no, you’re misunderstanding me,” she had said. “It’s not just for the week. It’s permanent. You’ve got what you wanted. I am relinquishing custody, once and for all.”
“What?” I almost dropped the phone. I had been battling Jo for custody for over a year, now. She had been adamant that the children belonged with their mother. What had suddenly changed?
“I have to leave,” she continued. “Billy and I are heading to his chateau in France.” She paused. “Billy doesn’t think the kids should come. He wants to spend some quality time alone with me.”
I should have known. Jo had been seeing Billy Baker, the famous lead singer of the Vultures of Energy, for a while now. Not that she had told me much about it. I had read of their volatile relationship in the papers. They were always being snapped at wild parties, and premieres; they were the paparazzi’s new darlings. Ex-wife of billionaire Zane Connelly and the most famous rock star in Australia. They were a tabloid magazine’s wet dream.
Daddy's Christmas Date: A Single Dad Romance Page 16