Yeah. She’d gone bonkers for sure. One minute, she was lamenting how her relationship with Lance was going nowhere, then the next minute she was being swept away by intense feelings for Ash. It excited and frightened her in equal measure.
She’d toyed with the idea of straight up asking him out on a date. After all, wasn’t her New Year’s resolution to make the first move? But every time she’d played different scenarios in her head on how to approach him, an image of Ash walking away always inserted itself—just like he had at Amanda and Connor’s when he’d left early... to be with Sophie.
“That looks ready, doesn’t it?” Tracy said over her shoulder.
Brenna jumped, her face heating up. She was mindlessly stirring the pot, not paying attention to her cooking. “Yeah. I’ll serve it up now.” She switched off the stove and got a serving dish from a cupboard.
“It’s such a pity Bec and Sarah couldn’t join us tonight with their men,” Tracy said. “The one thing that marred my overseas trip was the fact that I missed Bec’s wedding. If only I hadn’t booked and paid for my trip before Bec announced the wedding date...”
“Bec understands, Mum,” Amanda said. “And I have plenty of photos on my iPad that you can have a look at tonight. Their official wedding shots won’t be available for a while.”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to seeing them,” Tracy replied. “Can we start looking through them during dinner? Those photos which made it to the magazines were beautiful. I know they were paparazzi shots, but I’m so proud to see you guys in one of them. Unfortunately Ash wasn’t in it.”
“I know,” Ash said with feigned disappointment. “I missed my five minutes of fame by not sticking close to the famous and powerful Carmichael brothers while the paparazzi were clicking away.”
“Let me get my iPad,” Tracy said. “My pictures from my trip are all in there too.”
The rest of them set the table while they waited for Tracy.
“You know, Ash, you’ll get another chance at fame when Sarah and Jeff get married,” Amanda said. “Those guys are following Bec and Zach’s lead of not worrying about whoever’s taking pictures during their wedding. They’d rather have their wedding photos make it to the front page of the gossip rags than have some outrageous story about them appear instead.”
“Did you read the one where they suggested that Gemma is Greg’s new flame?” Brenna asked.
“Really?” Ash said. “Which magazine? I haven’t seen that.”
Gemma chuckled. “It was only because Greg was my partner groomsman, so they got a shot of us walking together. You know how they speculate that every woman seen hanging on Greg’s arm is someone he’s supposedly sleeping with? At least I was all dolled up in a pretty bridesmaid’s dress when I had one of my pictures make it into a magazine.”
“Do you want paparazzi at our wedding too, babe?” Connor teased Amanda.
“As if they’d be interested in us,” Amanda said. “We’re not that famous, honey.”
“Don’t forget that Zach, Jeff and Greg will be my groomsmen, along with Ash and my brother. The cameras will be going off for sure.”
“Oh, there you go, Ash!” Brenna said. “You’ll be assured of some paparazzi love then.”
“Yeah,” Ash said dryly. “I’m sure all the write-up will be about this good-looking man standing next to the Carmichaels and the groom.”
“And they’d probably write that you’re sleeping with your partner bridesmaid,” Gemma quipped.
Brenna almost dropped the dish she was carrying to the dining table at Gemma’s comment. Brenna was going to be Ash’s partner bridesmaid at Amanda and Connor’s wedding. She glanced at her super-cheeky friend, who simply smiled at her innocently.
“We’re nobodies. No one would want to write fake stories about us,” Ash said.
“Well, I think if someone’s going to write something about you and me, Ash, I’d prefer the ‘we’re sleeping together’ version,” Brenna said breezily, her heart hammering at her audacity.
“You would?” Ash asked, looking shocked.
She smiled. “That would make for interesting reading, don’t you think?”
Ash frowned. “Not if it’s read by the people we’re really sleeping with.”
Her smile disappeared. “True,” she replied.
“Wouldn’t you care if Lance read it?” Ash asked.
“It would be none of my business how he reacts to something like that. We’ve broken up.”
“What? When?”
“Last week.”
Brenna turned her back to fiddle with the cutlery, her chest tightening. From Ash’s comment, it would appear he cared a lot about Sophie to worry about what she might think. Wow. That hurt.
*****
Brenna spent dinner trying to look unconcerned and happy. But jealousy had overshadowed her earlier excitement about working at Ash’s clinic.
She’d made certain plans for tonight concerning Ash. She’d been so looking forward to implementing them. But now she wasn’t sure if she should go through with them without knowing how things really were between him and Sophie.
She was bursting to know the truth, but she wasn’t sure how to ask him. Besides, Ash would most likely not say anything in front of Tracy. She knew Ash didn’t like his mother knowing about the women he dated because Tracy always got too hopeful. Ash didn’t want the pressure.
“Mum, why don’t you and the guys chat in the living room?” Amanda said to Tracy. “The three of us will clean up here. We’ll bring dessert and drinks out there when we’re done.”
When Brenna was alone with Amanda and Gemma, Amanda put a hand on her arm.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she said with a bright smile.
“You were too quiet over dinner,” Amanda said. “I’m worried about you.”
“Why?”
Amanda let out a huge sigh. “Because now that you’re open to a relationship with Ash, he seems to be...”
“Getting more interested in Sophie?” Brenna asked softly. “Yes, it seems that way, doesn’t it?”
Gemma glanced at her with an equally concerned look as she quietly wiped the bench top clean.
“Hey, you girls shouldn’t worry about me,” Brenna said, forcing levity in her tone. “I’ll be okay. It’s only a crush anyway. I’ll live.”
Hell, ‘crush’ was an understatement, but she didn’t want her best friends to worry. The way she’d been feeling lately, it couldn’t be a mere crush. She had no idea how it was possible that her feelings for Ash had suddenly exploded. And she didn’t know how to stem the flow.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Amanda asked, peering at her dubiously. “And do you still want to work at his clinic? You can still change your mind, you know.”
Brenna stacked the dishwasher, giving herself some time to think about Amanda’s questions. “Yes, I still want to work at his clinic,” she said after a long moment. “I don’t want him to stress out. He’s worked too hard to get the clinic in tip-top shape, and we all know he’d be worrying about receptionist problems constantly. Besides, I’ve already said I’d do it.”
“Oh, Bren,” Amanda murmured while Gemma exhaled loudly.
Brenna smiled at them. “Plus, I still plan to figure out how he feels about Sophie—and me. I won’t be able to let go of this until I know the truth. And if it turns out that he’s over me and it’s Sophie he now wants...” She bit her lip, preferring not to go there if that was what she would discover. But it was too late to shut everything off. She simply had to know.
*****
“Who’s this man, Bren?” Tracy asked, pointing at someone on Amanda’s iPad while they had some sticky date pudding in the living room.
Brenna leaned over to look. “Oh, that’s Lance, the guy who accompanied me to the wedding.”
Tracy raised her eyebrows. “Accompanied you?”
“Well, I was going out with him at the time. We’ve broken up now.”
“Oh
, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Auntie,” she said hastily. “The relationship wasn’t going anywhere anyway.”
“But you took him to the wedding?”
“Yeah,” Brenna said, making a face. “I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
“And you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” She did feel guilty about hurting Lance. She’d never seen him more emotional than when he was begging her to reconsider. When he’d asked if her decision involved a third party, she’d been honest and said yes. She didn’t want him to hope for a reconciliation.
“You gave me the impression you two were heading towards serious territory, Bren,” Ash said, making her heart jump. “I must say I’m very surprised that you guys have split up.”
She looked him straight in the eye. “You might not have dunked me in the water at Bondi, Ash. But you sure woke me up.”
“Woke you up to what?”
“That Lance is not the man for me.”
Ash’s stare made her heart do flip-flops. “Well, that’s good then,” he said.
Tracy patted Brenna’s lap, forcing her to look away from Ash. “Well, darling, I’m sure you’ll find Mr. Right eventually. It’s only a matter of time. But you have to keep your eyes open.”
Brenna chuckled. “Amanda said something similar to me not long ago.”
Amanda nodded. “Yeah, I remember saying it to you. Mum used to tell it to me a lot. Darling, don’t worry,” Amanda said, impersonating her mother. “Your Mr. Right is out there. But you must keep your eyes open. Really open.”
“Well, I was right, wasn’t I?” Tracy asked, sending Connor a fond smile.
“Yes, you were, Mum,” Amanda said, leaning closer to Connor, who put his arm around Amanda’s shoulders and kissed her hair.
“So Ash,” Tracy said, turning her attention to her son. “When are we going to meet Sophie?”
Brenna’s heart stopped. What? Ash had told Tracy about Sophie? Why?
“I’m not sure, Mum,” Ash murmured.
“You know, Ashton, just because you introduce a girl to me doesn’t mean I think you’re going to marry her,” Tracy said. “All I want is to meet the woman you’re dating, that’s all. I’ve never met any one of them before.”
Ash snorted. “Are you saying you’re not gonna be all over her and start imagining my wedding in your head?”
“I promise I won’t be over the top when I meet her. So would you invite her to our next dinner?”
Ash shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay, at least that’s progress,” Tracy said with an exaggerated sigh.
“Patience, Mum,” Ash said, rolling his eyes.
Brenna grew more despondent. This night wasn’t turning out the way she’d hoped it would... until she saw Ash’s eyes dart in her direction, then he hastily looked away when he saw her staring at him.
Hm. Was it her imagination or was there something in his glance? She couldn’t exactly describe what it was, and honestly, it could only be wishful thinking on her part. But she was happy to grasp at anything that indicated Ash was still affected by her, so she’d go with her guess that Ash was worried she’d heard the little conversation he had with his mother.
On the strength of that brief peep, she resolved to go ahead with her plans. Since she’d be helping out at his clinic, she’d have plenty of opportunities to put them in action, so there was no urgency tonight. It was perfect, actually, because she could flirt with Ash without his mother or her friends seeing it. And if his response was what she was hoping for, then she’d take the next step—seduction.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ash walked out of his fitness club, following his usual route to his clinic, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He read the text message and stopped in his tracks. Then he turned around and headed to Sydney’s Circular Quay train station. He got there just as Brenna was crossing the road.
“Bren!” he called, waving at her.
Brenna’s face split into a wide smile as she trotted towards him. She looked gorgeous in a light grey dress and black jacket—ready for her medical receptionist stint at the clinic.
“Hey, Ash!” she greeted, a little breathless as she reached up to kiss him on the cheek.
“What are you doing here so early? I thought we’d agreed you’d only work half-days from one o'clock.”
“I spoke with Dora on Friday and I asked if it would help if I arrived early. She said I don’t have to, but if I could spare the extra time it would be great since the morning temp could use the help. So here I am. I timed my arrival perfectly, didn’t I? I knew this was the time you usually finish at the gym, and I figured we could walk together to the clinic.”
He sighed, guilt tapping him for accepting Brenna’s offer to work during her leave. He knew she merely wanted to be helpful. That was her nature—to lend a hand whenever she could. Still, he felt this was stretching the friendship.
“Bren, why don’t you sit in a café, take your time having breakfast, maybe do a bit of shopping afterwards, then turn up at the clinic at midday?”
Brenna puffed, rolling her eyes. “Ash, you’ve already tried to talk me out of this a few times over the weekend and you’ve failed. Give up already. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to do this. Now come on. Let’s go to work,” she said impatiently, taking his hand and tugging him in the direction of the clinic.
He sucked in his breath at the zing that went through him as Brenna entwined her fingers with his. “I’ve never seen a temp get so excited about work that she’d turn up five hours early,” he said dryly, trying to sound unaffected.
“Excuse me,” she said with mock indignation. “I’m no ordinary temp. I’m Brenna Ward, Dr. Ashton Payne’s on-call person.”
“My on-call person?” he said, laughing. “What exactly does that mean?”
They stopped at a traffic light, and Brenna stood closer to him. “It means you can call me anytime you want me,” she breathed, her face inches from his.
He gulped, unable to break the eye contact. That sounded decidedly... flirtatious.
The moment was broken when he felt a jostle from behind him. The lights had turned green and pedestrians behind them were rushing to cross the road. They had to move too.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as they walked to their destination. She couldn’t have been flirting with him back there, could she? And this hand-holding meant nothing more than a friendly gesture?
He bet there was nothing to all this. It was so unlike Brenna to come on to him. She was just a sweet, touchy-feely buddy, and she probably wasn’t even aware of what her actions were doing to him.
Yup, that would be it. That made sense more than any other explanation.
But his heart and cock were choosing not to respond to his rationalisation. They were jumping around in excitement, while his brain did its best to calm them down.
Damn it. This wasn’t helping him at all in his commitment to obliterate his feelings for her. And why the hell was he grasping her hand tightly?
Silly Ash. But he didn’t have the will to let go.
They were almost at the building where his clinic was located when he pulled her to a stop in front of a café they were passing. “Have you had breakfast?” he asked.
“I had a muesli bar on the train.”
He shook his head at her. “Let’s go in here.” He led her inside the almost-full coffee shop.
“We’re having breakfast first?” she asked.
“I’m not. You are.”
“Have you had breakfast?” she asked in a demanding tone.
“Not yet. But I’ll be fine.”
“You should have something, Ash.”
“I will. Later. I have a consult starting in a few minutes.”
“Then why don’t I go with you—”
He pressed her lips together with his fingers. “If you don’t sit here and enjoy your breakfast for at least an hour, you’re fired.”
&n
bsp; She frowned at him, huffing and pulling his hand from her lips. “Ash Payne, you’re such a pain in the ass,” she said with a pout.
He grinned. That line was a Brenna special he hadn’t heard in a long time. She used to say it a lot when she was in her teens—when he’d intimidated boys who hung around her.
“I can and want to start work early,” she said, her eyes flashing in annoyance. “Why is it so hard for you to understand that I want to help you? Your clinic is super busy and you have temps who can’t handle it. You can’t afford to have your patients stuffed around or their records stuffed up.”
“Step inside the clinic earlier than one hour from now and you’ll find yourself fired, Brenna. I mean it.” He put on a serious look, but he was thoroughly enjoying her irritated expression. If there was anything Brenna didn’t have much patience with, it was disorganisation.
“I can’t see why—”
“Bren,” he interrupted, holding his hand up to halt her speech. “Nothing you say could take away my guilt over agreeing for you to take your annual leave to work at the clinic. That’s a huge sacrifice you’ve made. I’m very grateful for your help, but I don’t want you working full days. You might not mind it, but I do. I’m trying to compromise with you here.”
They stared at each other, a battle of wills ensuing.
“Fine,” she said grudgingly after a long moment.
“Good,” he said, stifling his grin. “Now what would you like to eat?”
Brenna checked the menu on the table and told him, then he went to the counter and ordered it for her.
When he came back, he found Brenna watching him in a way she’d never done before. His heart pounded, and the hope that he’d been trying to shackle pulled on its restraints—getting stronger and making it difficult for him to hold it back.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
“My pleasure,” he answered. “But I should be the one thanking you.”
Always (Time for Love Book 4) Page 4