‘Yes, definitely.’ He breathed out, a rushing sigh of relief. ‘It shouldn’t have happened. It was a huge mistake.’
She jerked, as if slapped, but her face stayed placid as she said stiffly, ‘I feel the same.’
Damn it! He hadn’t meant that to come out the way it had. ‘I didn’t mean—’
‘It’s okay. I understand. It was a mistake. So let’s forget it and move on, okay? Friends?’
She held out her hand, the set of her shoulders stiff, determined, her gaze daring—although, he wasn’t certain if she was daring him or daring herself. He closed the distance between them and took her hand in his. Her fingers contracted, their gazes met.
‘Friends,’ he said, even though what was happening at that merest of touches was anything but friendly. He knew he should break contact, step away, leave her be, but he couldn’t. The feel of her hand in his, the way her fingers contracted slightly, her thumb moving over his skin, the way her gaze clashed with his, held, her scent as it reached out to him, cinnamon and spicy, it sent a shot of fire through him and straight down into his groin. He wanted to pull her forward again, into his arms, press his lips against the plumpness of hers and have her open to him, sinking into her like she was air, the blood that fired through his veins and pumped through his heart. His cock thickened in his shorts.
He dropped her hand like he’d been burned.
Christ! He was no randy teenager with a crush. Why was he reacting like one?
She stared at him, her chest rising and falling in unsteady breaths.
‘I think you should go.’
‘Yes.’ He didn’t move.
She took a step forward. That one step, it was the gravitational force of the sun and just as hot. He couldn’t resist its pull. Neither could she, it seemed. She took another step just as he did and then they were in each other’s arms, his hands in her hair, hers in his, lips meeting in a kiss that was wilder, hotter, more dangerous than the kisses they’d shared before.
It was a kiss to lose himself in. A kiss that sent his control into a whirling blaze of heat and ash.
He moaned her name.
Her fingers tightened in his hair as she pressed herself more firmly against him. He slid one arm down her back, his bandage catching on the material of her shirt as he clenched it, pulling it up so he could feel skin, smooth, silky, warm skin, under his fingers.
‘Your hand,’ she gasped.
‘It doesn’t hurt.’ In fact, he felt no pain. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. His cock was aching, pressing painfully against the front of his shorts, threatening to burst them wide open.
She gasped into his mouth as she rubbed against him. ‘Flynn.’
‘Prita.’
‘Mum!’
‘Dad!’
She jumped out of his arms so fast, that he stumbled back. His legs hit the edge of the bed and he sat with a thump. Shit. When had they got so close to the bed? Had they been edging towards it? He’d been so lost in the heat of the kiss, in the madness of desire, if they’d reached the bed, they wouldn’t have stopped. They would have made love. And then he would have broken his vow. The kiss was bad enough, but if they’d made love that would have completely and utterly blasted his vow to smithereens. He would have dishonoured his dead wife and what they’d meant to each other. What they’d wanted for their lives together. What he was supposed to be now for Aaron.
He couldn’t do this. He shouldn’t do this.
‘Mum!’ Carter’s voice again, coming closer.
She sighed, and visibly composing herself in a way that had him marvelling at how she did that, she walked over to the door and, keeping the door to the bedroom partly closed, stuck her head out to talk to the two boys thumping up the hall. ‘Carter, stop stomping.’
‘Why are you up here?’
‘I’m just changing my top. I spilled something on it.’
‘Okay.’
‘Have you seen my dad?’
Aaron. Flynn flinched. If his son saw him in here … He ran his hands through his hair. Christ, what was he thinking? He wanted to catch Prita’s attention, make her know she couldn’t let Aaron know he was in here with her. His boy would never understand. But she wasn’t looking at him. He listened, holding his breath as she answered Aaron.
‘Yes, I did see him a little earlier.’
‘Where is he now? I can’t find him anywhere.’
He held his breath, shaking his head—no, no, no. It was all about to fall apart.
But Prita didn’t even flinch from answering that question—he was super impressed with her ability to tell a lie. ‘He cut his hand on a broken glass, so I took him into the surgery and bandaged it for him.’
Flynn nearly collapsed off the bed he was so relieved. She’d even taken care of any questions that might arise from his bandaged hand.
‘Is he okay? Is he still there? Maybe I should go check.’
‘Aaron, he’s fine. A little embarrassed really. Perhaps you should just give him a moment. He’ll come out when he’s ready.’
There was a pause and then Aaron said, ‘Yeah, Dad doesn’t like it when he gets hurt or sick. He hates needing people to help him. He always gets super grumpy.’
Flynn sat upright. He didn’t think he did that.
‘Yes, well, I told him to sit quietly for a bit, so you just need to let him do that, okay?’
‘Okay.’ A hesitation. ‘But did he ask you about the cricket game?’
Flynn swore quietly as she hesitated.
But Prita, being a consummate liar, it seemed, answered swiftly. ‘Yes, he did mention it.’
‘Can we start up a game soon?’
‘Sure. There’s plenty of room in the side paddock. But one thing—I don’t have any cricket stuff.’
‘That’s okay. We brought everything from CoalCliff.’
‘Good thinking. How about you go set up and I’ll go fetch your dad and we’ll come out as soon as he’s ready, okay?’
‘Okay.’
There was the sound of whoops and the thumping of elephantine pre-teen feet fading down the steps and out the house.
Prita shifted, shaking her head and chuckling a little, but as she turned to face him, the laughter died.
He stared at her.
She stared right back.
‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘Nobody needs to know what happened here. Certainly not our children.’
‘No.’
‘So …’
‘So …’
They stared at each other for long moments, her over by the door, hanging onto the handle as if she was afraid to let go, him sitting on the bed, holding onto the cover as if afraid to let go.
‘I think you need to go,’ she said finally.
‘Yes.’ He stood, took a few steps towards the door, but she was standing there, so he stopped. ‘You need to move.’
‘Yes.’
She shifted but didn’t move fully away from the door, pulling it open with her movement, while holding onto the door handle as if she was afraid she would collapse on the floor. Or reach for him.
He shoved his hands into his pockets before he could reach for her again. He really wished she’d move to the other side of the room, but that didn’t seem like it was going to happen. Her scent enveloped him, the sun coming in through the far window creating a golden glow across her skin, the rich addictive taste of her still on his tongue and lips. He stopped, jaw clenched against the insane desire he didn’t seem to be able to get control of. ‘Can you please move away from the door?’
‘Why?’
‘Because I need you to. I can’t be around you,’ he blurted out. ‘You’re too dangerous.’
Her eyes widened, her fingers tightening on the door handle. ‘You’re blaming me?’
Shit. He ran his hand over his hair. ‘That’s not what I meant.’
‘Really? Because that’s what it sounded like. It sounded like you were blaming me.’
‘I’m not. It’s just
… I’m attracted to you and I don’t know why. I don’t want it.’ He knew as soon as he said it, it had been the exact wrong thing to say. Hurt flashed over her face and she let go of the door to fold her arms across her chest, as if protecting herself. He swore. ‘Shit, Prita, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’
‘No. Stay right where you are. We wouldn’t want my dangerous man attraction thing to make you lose control. Heaven forbid I force you to give in to it again.’
‘That’s not what I … I didn’t mean …’ Her jaw squared and warning bells went off in his mind, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from digging the hole even deeper. ‘I still love my wife.’
She jerked this time, as if he’d slapped her. Her lips quivered but she pressed them together, chest rising and falling, but this time not in passion. ‘I never asked you to stop loving her.’
‘I know. I’m just trying to explain—’
‘That this is my fault. I know.’ A muscle in her jaw clenched as her angry gaze met his. ‘Believe me. I’m used to the things that go wrong being my fault. Teaches me right for being so rash and going with the moment.’
He swore inside at how bitter she suddenly sounded, opened his mouth to try to make it better, but all he could manage was, ‘Tell me how to fix this.’
‘You can’t. There’s nothing to fix. You didn’t want this and neither did I. So, we’re in agreement. Now I’d prefer you go.’
Her gaze came back to his with the force of a body slam. ‘Prita.’
Her hand came up. ‘No. You don’t get to say my name like that. Not again. Not ever again.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Go. Just go.’ She edged away from the door, away from him, turning to face the other way.
He shoved his hands back into his pockets. ‘Are you coming out for the cricket match?’ Hell, did he have to sound like a lost little boy?
She looked over her shoulder, eyes so cold it hurt. ‘I’ll be out in a moment.’ She paused then said, ‘I don’t want this to affect our children.’
‘No.’
‘Good.’ She turned away again, making it clear she expected him to go.
He sighed and walked out of the room, stopping to look back at her. Her back was ramrod straight, hands clenched at her sides. She hadn’t forgiven him. Would she? It was probably better if she didn’t. That would make things so much easier. Even so, he couldn’t stop himself from whispering, ‘I’m sorry,’ again, before turning and walking away from her, down the hall, down the steps and outside to where his son and friends were waiting for him to play a cricket match he felt like playing as much as he wanted to be kicked in the head by Goldenrod, his prized stallion. Even so, he smiled as Aaron caught sight of him.
‘Hey, Dad. Is this the right length for the pitch?’
Keeping the smile firmly plastered in place, he jogged over to play the role of best dad in the universe.
***
The moment the sounds of his footsteps died away, Prita let go of her composure and crumpled into the armchair by the window, her face in her hands, fingers pressed against eyes that were suddenly overflowing with tears. ‘Oh god. Oh god. What have I done?’
Chapter 5
‘All done!’ Prita closed the ‘patient files’ document on her computer, glanced at the clock and smiled. Time to go and pick up her son.
Her son. It still had such a lovely ring to it. Always would. He was such a precious surprise to her, even with all his baggage, something she never thought to have in her life. It was strange how some things, even though they looked like desperate choices, her rashest choices, the ones she was least prepared for, turned out to be the ones that made her feel like she’d achieved something.
‘Wow, Doc Prita. Keep saying things like that and they’re going to start having you write the little notes in fortune cookies,’ Cherry said as she stuck her head in the door.
‘What?’ Had she just spoken that thought out loud again? She really needed to stop doing that. Self-respecting GPs running their own country practice didn’t do things like speak their thoughts out loud without meaning to.
Cherry simply laughed then spun around in a circle, her cherry red hair swinging about her shoulders in Jessica-Rabbit-style waves, contrasting with the leaf green sleeveless bodice and poodle skirt she wore. ‘What do you think?’
‘Gorgeous. But weren’t you supposed to be gone by now for your—’ she waggled her brows, ‘—big date with Frank?’
Cherry winked at her. ‘Only after I make sure you’re headed out the door. Don’t you and Carter have a special night planned too?’
‘We sure do.’ It was her birthday and Carter and she had been planning this little celebration for weeks.
‘I know. He’s told me all about it. You’re having fish and chips from Ned and Sally’s, ice-cream cake and jelly and chocolate.’
‘Yup, and maybe popcorn as well if our stomachs aren’t bursting.’ Her Aunt Ameera would be horrified at the choice of celebratory dinner. Celebrations were supposed to include traditional Indian dishes like korma and vindaloo, lamb saag and naan and burning your mouth out then soothing it with mango lassi. She hadn’t eaten Indian in years and wasn’t about to start now. Not that you could get it up here and she certainly wasn’t going to cook it. And why was she thinking of her aunt now? Something else she didn’t do.
‘And you’re watching the Star Wars movie, maybe a few of them if Carter gets his way.’
Prita laughed at the expression on Cherry’s face—she didn’t understand hers and Carter’s obsession with Sci Fi. ‘We might get through the last two. Can you thank Frank again for picking up the latest one when he was in Moe yesterday? It’s going to make Carter’s day.’
Cherry waved her hand. ‘Easy enough to drop in at the Kmart.’ She hitched her bag over her shoulder. ‘So, you’re all set then.’
‘Yep. I’ll just shut down in here and be on my way. You get out of here and be sure to have a wonderful night.’ They’d been rushed off their feet since opening the doors of the new clinic a month ago. She’d managed to get a part-time receptionist, but she was going to have to do something about getting a second nurse, another receptionist and looking into a locum service to give her some time off. ‘You deserve the break.’
‘So do you.’ The phone started ringing out in the office and Cherry put her hand out, stopping her from picking up the phone. ‘The answering service will get it.’
‘It might be the heavy breather.’ It was the time of day when those calls tended to come through.
‘No. He’s already called.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. I’m pretty sure it’s Bob.’
‘How can you tell?’ The voice didn’t quite sound right.
‘There’s just something about the breathing that smacks of pretentious weasel.’
Prita burst out laughing then on a snort, covered her mouth. ‘Sorry, I really shouldn’t be laughing.’ She hadn’t called the police after that first call—after what happened on the day of the party, she’d kind of forgotten. But after the second one came in the next day, she’d called immediately. However, there wasn’t much for them to go on as he mostly just did heavy breathing with the occasional ‘bitch’ or ‘slut’ or ‘I won’t let you take it.’ The police had gone and spoken to Bob and Doc Simpson—as they seemed the likeliest suspects for trying to unnerve her—but of course, they denied knowing anything about the calls and ramped up their campaign against her with snide comments and seeding her last women’s health talk with men she knew they’d hired—but couldn’t prove—to heckle her during her presentation. The police had spoken to Bob and Doc Simpson again, but she didn’t expect the harassment to stop until she proved they weren’t getting to her.
She wasn’t going to let them get to her. This was her home now and she was staying. They and their misogyny could go jump.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Cherry said, touching her arm. ‘I’m not bothered by the calls.’ Cherry’s lips twitched. �
�I actually joined him today.’
‘You what?’
‘I was like all, “ooh and ahh and give me some more of that breathing, bad boy. Ooh, that’s just how I like it. Would you like some?” And then I was all with the sexy breathing right back at him. Bastard cut me off though right when I was getting to the good bit.’
She knew she should tell Cherry not to antagonise the caller, but that would be like telling a tech geek not to speak tech geek. Cherry had decided it was funny and there was no talking her out of that. Lips twitching in an effort not to laugh at her outrageous behaviour, she said, ‘Ah, so that’s what that noise was. I thought you were lifting some of the heavy O2 tanks in the storeroom.’
‘Nope. I was doing my best When Harry Met Sally impersonation. I should be getting my Oscar any day now.’
Prita couldn’t help it. She snort-laughed again, shaking her head at her irrepressible nurse. ‘You are so bad.’
Cherry waggled her eyebrows. ‘That’s just the way Frank likes me.’
Prita chuckled and then realised the phone was still ringing. ‘Didn’t you say you flicked it to the answering service?’
‘Shit, I mean, shivers. I must have forgotten to flick the switch. I’ll just go get it. It could be about an appointment tomorrow.’
‘It’s fine, I’ll get it, you’ve got someplace to be.’
Cherry’s brows rose and she shook her head, turning to the door, poodle skirt swinging around her legs. ‘No way, Jose. You are not touching my appointment system again. How you messed it up last time, I’ve got no idea.’
‘Just talented with technology,’ Prita yelled out as the older woman disappeared up the hallway.
Smiling, Prita returned to her desk and had just closed down the computer when the intercom squawked. She pressed the intercom button. ‘Ready to go, Cherry?’
‘Doctor Prita. That was a call come in from CoalCliff.’
CoalCliff. Bugger. She’d managed to avoid Flynn for the last month ever since Kissmaggedon, even though she’d been called out multiple times, not to mention the picnic ride that Carter had forced her to go on. Thankfully, Flynn seemed to be avoiding her too, having been absent each time she’d gone to deal with the usual array of injuries that came up at a horse stud-slash-bush-riding-slash-rock climbing-slash-adventure camp farm. He hadn’t even come down to watch her go through her paces on Sherlock in the gymkhana circuit they’d set up for her a year ago. He or Reid had taken to giving her lessons, but in the last month only Reid had ever come down with her.
Blazing Fear Page 5