by Kwan, Coleen
The tightening of his hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. He hauled her toward him and she reached up on tiptoes, her mouth meeting his halfway. Their lips crushed together, and the resulting jolt electrified them both. She felt his body shaking against hers as he devoured her mouth.
Clinging onto him, she kissed him back, her hunger leaping to meet his, her tongue sliding boldly into his mouth. She didn’t recognize herself. This wanton wildness sprung from a hidden well in her that only Jack could tap.
She felt his hands rove over her back before they settled on her bottom. The lining of her skirt rustled as he kneaded and squeezed her curves against him, all the while still kissing her mouth and neck. She caressed his wide shoulders, relishing his masculinity, excited by his urgency. He tugged at the zipper of her skirt, and then the piece of clothing crumpled to the ground and he pushed his hands under her shirt. Her breasts were already throbbing, and when both his palms closed over them, a moan of satisfaction escaped her lips.
A vague memory of keeping her distance from Jack whispered through her brain only to be drowned out by the thrill of his thumbs grazing against her nipples. At the back of her mind she knew she was making a serious mistake, but their combusting passion was too much, and she knew she couldn’t resist.
A shrill beeping cut through the lust fogging her brain. Jack nipped her earlobe, his fingers busy with the catch of her bra. The bleeping grew louder and harsher, an intruder in the room.
“Forget it,” Jack muttered against her temple, holding her tight to his hot chest.
“It sounds like my phone.”
“No, it’s mine.” He sighed and lifted his head to glance at the mobile phone vibrating on the nearby coffee table. “Damn!”
A storm of frustration pulsated behind his exclamation. Pulling free, she realized the curtains were wide open, and she was clad in just her shirt, her panties, and her stockings.
“Grace…” Tempestuous gray eyes flashed in his dark face. The phone continued to shriek.
“You’d better get that.”
She scooped up her fallen skirt and shoes and hurried from the room. His voice sounded brusque as he answered the phone, but she didn’t pause to listen as she made for her bedroom. There, she took off the rest of her office clothes and yanked on her sloppiest tracksuit pants and hoodie. Perhaps her ugliest, most passion-killing clothes would douse the fire Jack had lit in her. But she couldn’t forget his sizzling kisses or the feel of his hands possessing her breasts, and when the knock on her door sounded, her body was still recalling the delight of being plastered against his.
Opening the door, she met Jack’s impatient eyes.
“Why did you run out on me like that?” he asked.
The growl beneath his words sent a delicious shiver down her spine. “I didn’t run out. Who was that calling you?”
“My grandfather.”
“Anything important?”
“Nothing as important as what’s going on between us.” He flicked his gaze over her baggy clothing. “Is that what you mean by slipping into something more comfortable?” He shouldered his way into her room and clasped her shoulders. “Never mind. I’ll get rid of it for you.”
The molten fervor in his eyes almost undid her. Just in time, she plucked up the last remnants of her self-control and slipped from his grasp. “I got carried away out there. I didn’t mean to lead you on.”
He sucked in a deep breath. His biceps bunched up beneath his shirt as he clenched his fists. “I told you what would happen if you made a move on me. You did, and now I’m going to make good on my promise.”
He shifted toward her. She dodged back. The end of her bed jarred against the back of her legs.
“G-Good grief, are you g-going all c-caveman on me now?” The words came stuttering out as panic and excitement trilled through her. How on earth could she keep on resisting him when her every cell wanted to give in?
His expression darkened with purpose. She had only a split second to realize what he intended before he spun her into his arms and angled his mouth over hers. All her breath swooshed out of her lungs and with it the last remnants of her resistance. Curling her fingers through his hair, she pressed him closer to her and parted her lips eagerly for his probing tongue. He wasted no time, jerking down her offending tracksuit pants, unzipping her hoodie and tugging it over her shoulders. He held her at arm’s length, gazing at her violet satin bra and matching panties.
“Didn’t realize you wore such sexy stuff underneath.” He traced his fingers over the delicate trimmings. “You’re a continual surprise, Grace.”
Anticipation foamed in Grace. Her underwear was damp, and her nipples were swollen with need. He seemed to know what was going through her mind as he continued to tease her, flicking the back of his fingers across the cups of her bra. Finally he undid the catch of her bra before running his hands down her flanks, hooking his fingers into her panties and drawing them down her legs. As the tips of his hair brushed against her bare nipples, the wildfire in her finally overwhelmed her legs, and she collapsed onto her bed.
He spread her thighs wide apart, then leaned over her, placing a hand on either side of her head. A long, quivering sigh rustled past her lips. Surrendering, she gazed up at him with rapt attention, moistness welling up in her center, breasts peaking. She was so ready for him. He only had to touch her and she would come. He took his time examining every bare inch of her. As his face drew near hers, she closed her eyelids, reluctant to show her capitulation so obviously.
Softly he blew onto her lips. Her mouth and tongue tingled. She never imagined something so innocent could be so erotic.
“You like that?” he murmured.
She nodded, pulses hammering.
“Say it, then, Grace.”
“Yes…I like that.” The naked hunger in her voice made her gulp. She kept her eyes shut, hardly daring to breathe as she wondered what he would do next, where he would caress her.
The tip of his hot tongue whisked across one sensitized nipple. She gasped, arching her back, desperate.
“Do you want more?” His velvet-gravel voice wrapped itself around her spine.
Damn, he was making her pay for running away from him. And she would pay if only he would touch her, take her. Quickly. Hard. Now. “Yes, I want more.”
“How much more?”
The last vestiges of her pride evaporated. “Everything.”
She heard him inhale.
“Okay, then.” The mattress bounced as his weight suddenly lifted off the bed. “You know where to find me.”
The air around her felt horribly cold. She blinked open her eyes to see Jack backing away, a triumphant curl to his lips.
“What?” she stammered, thoroughly confused.
“You heard me. If you want me, I’ll be in the bedroom across the hall.” He opened the door.
Dazed, she propped herself up on one elbow. “But…but why are you doing this?”
“Hell, I wouldn’t want to be accused of being a caveman, now would I?” His mouth twisted into a taunting little smile as his eyes raked her naked, spread-eagled body. “Even if you are laid out for me like an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet.”
He gave her a sardonic salute before shutting the door behind him, leaving her flushed and aching for his touch. Jack had well and truly made her eat her own words. She’d behaved like a tease, leading him on and then accusing him of being a caveman when in reality it was her own confusion that was holding her back.
Why couldn’t she just give in to her cravings and make love with Jack? Why did she have to be so boringly prudent? It was because she knew that the more time she spent in Jack’s bed, the harder it would be to get over him when he left. Because he would leave. There was nothing to hold him here in Sydney and everything to drive him away.
Especially if he suspected she was developing feelings for him. Powerful, unmistakable feelings. No, as much as she’d love to give in to her wantonness, in the end her comm
on sense was too strong. She couldn’t succumb to her passion for Jack. It was a matter of self-preservation.
…
Jack pummeled his pillow and tossed about beneath the sheets, horny as hell and ready to erupt with frustration. It was all his own fault. If he hadn’t been such an idiot, he would now be in Grace’s bed, making hot, steamy love to her. If only he hadn’t been so arrogant. He’d wanted to prove a point, and now it had backfired on him, because contrary to all his expectations, Grace had not come to his room, panting for his body.
Oh, she’d wanted him, all right. She hadn’t been able to hide her arousal, and she’d been his for the taking, but he’d backed off, given her a chance to have second thoughts, and now here he was with a stubborn erection, tormented by vivid memories of her lush, gorgeous curves spread out before him.
He punched the pillow again. Damn, he couldn’t remember being this sexually frustrated since he was a teenager. There was something about Grace that snuck under his defenses and caught him unawares, and every day she seemed to occupy more and more of his thoughts.
Sanity edged back into his brain, cooling some of the sexual hankering. As luscious and inviting as Grace was, he really shouldn’t continue lusting after her. That day they’d spent at Atea Falls had been an interlude from reality, but having an affair with her here in Sydney was asking for trouble. She wasn’t the type of woman for a no-strings, unemotional fling. She had always been honest about how she craved security and stability.
That was why she collected all those animals and bottles and fossils. She needed permanence and a bricks-and-mortar kind of guy, someone who would stay in one place. Not a light-footed rover like him who had no intention of putting down roots. If he slept with Grace, she would get hurt, and he didn’t want to hurt her. He liked her and admired her, and she deserved to have someone worthy of her.
He rolled over yet again. The illuminated clock on his bedside table told him it was almost midnight, yet sleep remained elusive. He had a full day ahead of him tomorrow. With his typical high-handedness, Lachlan had organized a midmorning meeting with him and the Malaysian team, but before that he’d need several hours to familiarize himself with the project.
The call earlier that night that had interrupted his steamy interlude with Grace had been Lachlan informing him that a spare office had been made available for him, plus anything else he might require. Jack could see a mile off where his grandfather was heading, but despite that, he wanted to lend his expertise in construction in foreign countries to the Macintyre employees.
With a sigh he leaned back against his maligned pillows. Inexorably, his thoughts drifted back to Grace lying naked before him, her soft amber eyes wide, her lips plump and parted, her breasts full and sweet, her nipples pert and inviting, the snatch of hair between her thighs glossy and dark. Blood pounded painfully in his groin. He groaned, and as his hand fastened around the base of his hard shaft, he finally succumbed to the fantasy dancing through his head.
…
At seven the next evening, Jack stepped into the elevator and punched the number for his grandfather’s penthouse apartment. As the lift swiftly ascended, he kneaded his temples, wishing he could skip tonight’s dinner, and knowing he couldn’t.
He’d had a long day. The meeting with the Malaysian team had stretched for several hours. They’d all grabbed a quick lunch together and carried on afterward. Then he’d met with his lawyer to discuss his nonprofit venture and the timeline for setting it up. From there he’d gone straight onto his grandfather’s.
He hadn’t seen Grace all day. She’d left her apartment early, and when he’d casually inquired at the office, he’d learned that she was again at a university campus interviewing students. He didn’t want to admit it, but he missed her, and he would far rather have been spending the evening with her than having dinner with the Macintyre family.
He arrived at his grandfather’s apartment to find everyone else already there. In the living room, his two aunts rose to greet him, looking almost identical in smart designer suits, high heels, and chunky jewelry. They fawned over him, both vying for his attention, plying him with drinks and questions about what he’d been doing with himself, although neither seemed too interested in his answers. He wasn’t taken in by their attentive behavior. He knew he was just another item to be argued over.
Lachlan and Cameron emerged from the study to rescue him. Drink in hand, Jack tried to make himself comfortable in the cavernous surroundings of the living room. With its antique furnishings and panoramic views, it was more a room to impress than to relax in.
“How did it go with the Malaysian team?” Lachlan asked him.
“Well enough,” Jack replied. “I think I’ll be of some use to them.” He didn’t want to admit it in front of his grandfather, but he’d enjoyed briefing the team more than he’d expected. Until then, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed some aspects of his former job at Macintyre’s. The employees were talented, and the construction project was complex and challenging.
Lachlan nodded in approval. “It’s a world-class project. You’d get a lot of kudos if you took it on full-time.”
Jack tensed up. Give Lachlan an inch, and he’d take a mile. He should have remembered that, but he wasn’t going to react to Lachlan’s none-too-subtle pushing.
He gave his grandfather a bland smile. “Thanks, but I’ll leave the kudos to someone else.”
Lachlan hunched his shoulders and pursed his lips but seemed to take the hint. He turned away and began talking to Kirsten and Louisa. Cameron drew Jack aside.
“As you can see, the old man hasn’t changed much,” Cameron said with a wry smile.
Jack studied his younger cousin with fresh eyes. “And how’re you coping working under him? I never thought you’d be interested in Macintyre’s.”
“Me neither, but circumstances change.” Cameron shrugged and strolled toward the glass doors looking out onto a sweeping balcony.
Sensing his cousin wanted to confide in him, Jack followed. “Oh yeah? What kind of circumstances?”
Cameron lowered his voice. “Complicated ones. Back in Perth, I had a brief affair with someone. It wasn’t a relationship, just a couple of dates, but she became pregnant, and I’m a dad now. Twins, actually.” He dug into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a mobile phone. “Sophie and Pia. Look, aren’t they beautiful?”
Bemused, Jack flicked through photos of two blue-eyed, dimpled babies just a few months old. “Son of a gun. I never knew. Congratulations, mate.”
“Thanks.” Cameron beamed, fatherly pride written all over his face. His expression grew wistful as he repocketed the phone. “I only see them every two weeks. Their mother and I…well, there was no question of us being together. I offered to marry her, but she declined. Said she wouldn’t be forced into a marriage of convenience. We agreed it would be in the twins’ best interests if we tried to be civilized about the whole thing. I came to work at Macintyre’s so I could provide for them all.”
“And you fly back to Perth every two weeks to see them?”
Cameron nodded. “I have enough frequent flyer points to go to the moon and back, but it’s worth it.”
“What about your rock band?” Jack asked. “You don’t regret giving that up?”
“I’ll always have my music, but my girls come first. And surprisingly, I’m enjoying my job. I used to be the manager of my band, and believe me, handling a bunch of stroppy, drunk, egotistical musicians is just as difficult as managing engineers and accountants.”
“I’m surprised I didn’t hear about your children earlier.”
Cameron cast a sidelong glance at his mother. “Mum doesn’t approve, of course. She thinks it’s a scandal.” He shrugged, making it clear he didn’t agree with Louisa. “But she’s over the moon that I’ve joined Macintyre’s. She thinks I’m a shoo-in to be the next CEO after Granddad retires.”
“She may be right.” Jack glanced at his grandfather. Lachlan’s eyes
were as alert as ever, but his shoulders seemed more stooped, his hands more gnarled. Age was finally catching up with him. “It’s no secret he wants to relinquish the day-to-day running of the company, and he’s determined that someone in the family should always be at the helm. So that means you, coz.”
“I’ve only been in the business just over a year. I’m not ready.” Cameron studied the contents of his wineglass. “And besides, I’m hoping to transfer back to Perth so I can be closer to my kids.” He looked up at Jack, his face determined. “I don’t want to be CEO. Never did. That’s why I’m so glad to see you back in the fold, so to speak.”
A sinking feeling drained Jack. Not Cameron as well. Why did everyone seem hell-bent on shackling him here in Sydney? He set down his own glass.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no plans whatsoever of returning to Macintyre’s.”
“You don’t?” Cameron’s shoulders sagged a fraction. “But the welcome lunch and the Malaysian project…”
“Just Lachlan up to his usual bulldozing tactics.” Jack’s lips tightened. The disappointment in his cousin’s face nicked his conscience. He could well imagine the kind of pressure Cameron was under, from his grandfather as well as his mother. Louisa would love it if her son stayed in Sydney. Not only would she have the reflected glory of him being Macintyre’s’ heir apparent, she would also keep him away from the children she viewed as scandalous. Poor Cameron. But he couldn’t afford to let sympathy for his cousin’s plight cloud his judgment.
“I’m only in Sydney for a few days.” He raised his voice to emphasize the point to everyone in the room.
“Oh, but you have to stay for the inauguration,” Aunt Kirsten called out, tripping across the room in her stiletto heels.
“What inauguration?”
“Of the Macintyre Foundation, silly.” Kirsten pressed her red-tipped fingernails into Jack’s arm. “The inauguration ball is next week. You simply have to be here.”