Six Ways to Sunday

by Karly Lane

  ‘I landed in London and I guess I expected to meet with an agency and get a contract straight away,’ she said with a sarcastic snort. ‘That was my first slap in the face by reality. Within a week I’d used up most of my savings. I’d been rejected by every modelling agency I went to and pretty much lost all confidence after being told I was either too fat or not blonde enough, I didn’t have the look they were after. It was a rude awakening, let me tell you,’ she said dryly. ‘For two years I worked in just about every kind of mundane job you could think of: I was a kitchenhand, cloakroom attendant, motel housekeeper. There was no way I was running home with my tail between my legs. I pretty much had to find any job that was going, which is how I eventually fell into bar work and met Sally.’ She smiled fondly as she remembered the vivacious red-headed Scot.

  ‘Sally had a connection to a guy who designed high-end jewellery. He was looking for models to do a photo shoot and Sally and I ended up getting a regular gig with him. Occasionally we’d model the jewellery at the races and fashion shows, and one night we were invited to model at the opening of an exclusive nightclub.’

  The evening had been a jaw-dropping experience. Everywhere she’d looked in the nightclub were women in expensive glittering dresses, paparazzi crawling over one another to snap photos of the rich and famous. It was the kind of affair she’d only ever dreamed of as she was growing up and imagining a different, exciting life some place far away.

  ‘We were so out of our league,’ she said with a wry smile, ‘but we didn’t care. We were young and wild and up for any adventure that came our way.’

  And when it arrived, it came with a jolt when Rilee, quite literally, ran into him. Alexis Savakis was the only son of a multimillionaire Greek businessman. He was devastatingly handsome and bored with life. It was a dangerous combination. Rilee apologised profusely as she tried to wipe her spilled champagne from the pants of the amused, dark-haired man dressed in what Rilee could tell was a suit worth more than she could dream of earning in an entire year of bar work. He somehow found her lack of sophistication refreshing, and she was mesmerised by his sexy Mediterranean good looks; she had no hope of resisting that lethal smile and sleepy-eyed sexuality.

  ‘I knew I was completely out of my depth with Alexis, but he swept me off my feet. His friends couldn’t understand what he saw in this wide-eyed Australian girl he insisted on bringing everywhere he went. I guess I knew deep down that it couldn’t work—I mean, we had nothing in common,’ she said throwing her hands outwards. Except sex, she added silently. That had been amazing, and probably the only thing that had kept him interested in her for as long as he had. But while their relationship lasted, he showered her with expensive gifts and clothes, seeming to take great pleasure in transforming her into the image of a woman who belonged in his world. ‘But I went along with it,’ she told Dan. ‘I let him buy me.’

  She felt a wave of disgust wash over her as she remembered. At first she hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself; she’d wrapped it up in a pretty romantic package and pretended that it was love, but deep down she knew it wasn’t. ‘He took me to places I would never in a million years be able to afford.’ They partied on islands, stayed in resorts that overlooked the ocean, dined in the most expensive restaurants in exotic places, flew in his private jet and sailed on his father’s enormous luxury yacht in Monaco. It was a whirlwind twelve months. Rilee gave a harsh snort. ‘And then when he got sick of me, he handed me a fistful of cash to take myself anywhere I wanted to go.’

  As long as it was away from him.

  The heartless way he could turn from lover to indifferent stranger had shocked her. She’d allowed herself to believe the fantasy he’d created. She’d ignored the little voice that whispered warnings to her and let him seduce her with his fake love and shallow promises.

  ‘I couldn’t face anyone I knew back in London—they all knew what had happened and I felt like an idiot.’ She’d felt worse than an idiot, she’d felt dirty and used. ‘So I decided it was time to take my wounded pride and broken heart home,’ she said, trying to lessen the bitterness of her tone with a smile.

  For a long time Dan didn’t speak, and the sickening sense of shame washed back over her.

  Then she felt his hands on her arms as he turned her to face him. ‘That guy had no idea what he was throwing away, and it serves himself right for losing the best thing that would have ever happened to him.’

  His words were said with such gentle sincerity that for a moment Rilee could only stare at him and blink back the unexpected sting of tears. When she’d recovered her composure she swallowed hard and forced a smile to her lips. ‘I’m sure he kicks himself daily while he’s riding his jetski around St Tropez.’

  ‘I’m serious,’ Dan said, ducking his head to make her look at him. He wasn’t smiling, his expression intent. ‘I reckon it was you who had a lucky escape.’

  This time when Rilee smiled it was genuine. He was right. Had she not come home to lick her wounds and re-evaluate her life, she may never had reconnected with her parents and realised how deeply naturopathy ran in her veins.

  As they neared a hotel further along the street, music pumped through the open doors and windows and people spilled out onto the footpath. Dan stepped closer and took her hand. As they moved away from the hotel, he didn’t let go and she relaxed a little, enjoying being close to him. She felt comfortable around this man. He made her feel safe. She’d never experienced that before.

  ‘This is me,’ she said, coming to a stop in front of her apartment building.

  She saw him look suspiciously over the Chinese restaurant and laundromat next door, and smiled as she stepped forward and inserted her key into the glossy green door situated between the two storefront windows. ‘Did you want to come up?’ she asked as nerves rushed in to push away the contentment she’d been feeling earlier.

  ‘You’re not sick of me yet?’ he asked, throwing it back into her court.

  ‘No, not yet.’ She sounded more surprised than she’d intended.

  ‘Great. Lead the way.’

  Rilee turned and started the long climb up the narrow timber staircase. Her mind raced ahead, frantically wishing she hadn’t left in such a hurry and had made sure everything was tidy. At the top, she unlocked another door and stepped inside, switching on the lights as she moved into the living area, which included a tiny kitchenette and dining table. She gathered the papers and files off the small square table she used as a desk more than a place to eat and put them inside the linen cupboard, shutting the door quickly so nothing fell out.

  ‘Take a seat.’ She waved her hand towards the lounge or the dining table and left him to decide where they should sit. ‘Coffee?’ she asked.

  ‘Thanks,’ he answered, still looking around the apartment with curiosity.

  Rilee busied herself switching on the coffee maker and getting down two mugs from the open shelf above.

  ‘How long have you lived here for?’ he asked.

  ‘Bit over four years,’ she told him, looking over her shoulder. ‘I don’t need much room.’

  ‘Apparently,’ he agreed sending a bemused grin her way.

  ‘Do you want a guided tour?’

  ‘I don’t know…I might get lost,’ he told her dryly.

  ‘You don’t even have to move. That door on the left is the bedroom, and the door on the right is the bathroom. This is the kitchen and that’s the living room.’

  ‘It’s nice,’ he said finally, and she would have believed him if he hadn’t had that slightly concerned expression on his face.

  ‘It’s pretty small even for the most hardened inner-city dweller,’ she conceded, ‘but it suits me. I’m rarely here, so I don’t mind too much.’

  He glanced around the room and his gaze fall on the large textbook on the coffee table. ‘Principles and Practices of Naturopathic Botanical Medicine: Botanical Medicine Monographs,’ he read out, before looking up at her. ‘A bit of light reading?’

  Rilee
chuckled and shook her head. ‘It’s a lot more interesting than it sounds.’

  ‘So your real job is a naturopath, but you moonlight as a barmaid?’

  ‘Working at the pub helped pay my rent while I got my degree,’ she shrugged.

  ‘How long have you been doing naturopathy for?’

  ‘I’ve been qualified now for almost a year. I work in a large practice alongside other allied health professionals.’

  ‘And you obviously enjoy it?’

  ‘I do. It’s fascinating. I’m hoping to go out in my own practice soon.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Yep. I wanted to get some experience under my belt and work with my mentor for a while before I branched out on my own, but I’ve been using the time to plan, and working shifts in the bar to save for the business.’

  ‘Impressive,’ he said, thumbing through the big book idly before putting it back down on the table.

  She made the coffee and carried the two cups over to the sofa. Her two-seater lounge had always seemed plenty big enough, but clearly that wasn’t the case when a broad-shouldered, long-legged man in denim was seated on it. As she settled back into the soft cushions she felt the solid warmth of Dan’s thigh against her own and had to concentrate hard not to spill her coffee as she took a sip.

  He leaned back, draping one arm along the top of the lounge, his mug cradled in a large hand resting on his knee. Rilee found it hard to relax seated so close to this man who sent her nerve endings into a meltdown with the slightest movement of his body.

  ‘Maybe I should put some music on,’ she said, ready to jump up, but he touched her shoulder with his hand and said, ‘The quiet’s nice.’

  ‘Oh. Okay.’ The quiet was actually a little unnerving. Without the distraction of conversation or noise she was acutely aware of every movement he made. She could feel the flex of his thigh muscles as he leaned forward and placed his cup on the coffee table. She felt the brush of his fingers in her hair and the weight of his stare upon her, silently asking her to look at him. Rilee lifted her gaze to meet his. It was pointless to resist the pull of attraction between them, she’d felt it from the very first moment she’d set eyes on him last week and it had been building all evening. Slowly she leaned into him and felt his warm lips touch hers. He deepened the kiss and a shot of desire ran the length of her body at the touch of his tongue against her own.

  When they broke apart they were both breathing heavily and Rilee felt flushed.

  ‘I’ve been thinking about that since last Friday night,’ Dan said softly, his fingers gently brushing a lock of hair from the side of her face.

  ‘You have?’ she murmured, still feeling a little dazed.

  ‘Yep. I wanted to do it the moment I saw you.’

  ‘So I guess we have Jacko to thank for bringing me to your attention.’

  ‘I was watching you a long time before Jacko made his stupid move.’

  ‘You were?’

  ‘Not in a weird, stalker-like way,’ he added quickly.

  She had to grin at that; somehow she didn’t think Dan was capable of being anything other than to the point. If he saw something he wanted, clearly he went after it.

  ‘I was in the process of working out how to come and say hello when Jacko started mauling you,’ he growled. ‘It went a little different to how I had it planned.’ His gaze caressed her face and settled on her mouth and Rilee felt her pulse increase. ‘Are you busy for the rest of the weekend?’

  Rilee blinked to clear away the haze of sexual tension. ‘Busy? Umm, no. Not really. Why?’

  ‘Because I want to spend it with you.’

  ‘You do?’ She really needed to start sounding like the intelligent woman she was, but instead she stared at him in a stupor.

  ‘If you didn’t already have any other plans.’

  ‘I’m not doing anything special.’

  ‘Good,’ he smiled, and stood up, leaving her to blink in surprise. ‘I better go.’

  She knew it was late but she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that he was leaving. ‘Thank you for dinner. I had a nice time.’

  ‘I wasn’t sure you’d agree to see me again.’

  The fact she had was still a bit of a surprise even to her. ‘I’m glad you had to come back to the city,’ She paused, tilting her head a little. ‘What did you have to come back here for? Will you have enough time to do what you need to do?’

  Rilee watched, her curiosity growing as he shifted uneasily and avoided her gaze. ‘Ah, actually, I may have slightly misled you about that.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I didn’t actually have business meetings. I came back to ask you out to dinner.’

  ‘You came all the way here just to ask me out to dinner?’ The sheepish grin on his face made her stare in disbelief.

  ‘Like I said, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all week.’

  ‘What if you couldn’t find me?’

  His eyes crinkled a little in the corner as he gave her a ghost of a smile. ‘I would have looked harder until I did. I don’t give up that easy.’ He leaned down and kissed her and the jumble of confused emotions swirling inside her disappeared.

  The kiss deepened and Rilee no longer knew where she ended and he began.

  She felt the wall behind her back and the solid warmth of Dan in front, his chest pressed against her own, hands caressing, one in her hair the other moving along her torso. Her hips arched towards his, and she groaned when he slipped one thigh in between her own. The tantalising pressure sent her desire into overdrive. He caught her surprised intake of breath, his mouth hungrily demanding, as his hand slid beneath the hem of her top and found bare skin.

  His hand moved across her ribcage, his fingers brushing the underside of her breasts, making her arch further, needing something more but frustrated by the barrier of clothing still between them.

  Dan pulled his mouth away and dropped his forehead against hers, his breathing sounding as harsh as her own.

  ‘I’ll bring breakfast in the morning,’ he said, slowly easing away from her.

  Breakfast! She couldn’t think of breakfast while her body was demanding more of what he’d just given her a taste of.

  ‘I didn’t come back here for a one-night stand,’ he told her softly, his gaze probing her glassy eyes earnestly. ‘I want you to know that.’

  Right about now a one-night stand sounds pretty damn good. The wayward thought did little to help find her composure. ‘What did you come back for?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t know. But it wasn’t just to do this. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, Rilee. I’ve never had a woman drive me to the point of distraction before.’ He tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘I had to come back and find out if I was losing my mind or not.’

  ‘And if you find out you’re not?’

  ‘Then we’ll figure out where to go from there.’

  What was she doing? How on earth would a relationship with a man who lived out in the middle of woop-woop work? Her life was here. She was starting her own practice, for goodness sake.

  ‘I’ll see you in the morning,’ he said, lowering his head once more to kiss her before dragging his mouth away with a soft groan and opening the door.

  Rilee watched him descend the stairs until he’d vanished out into the street then sagged against the closed door. What. The. Hell?

  Rilee was awake and ready well before she heard the knock on her door the next morning—she’d hardly managed to sleep after Dan’s departure. The man had stirred up more than her libido. He’d triggered a whole array of conflicting emotions and raised far too many questions she had no answers for.

  ‘I wasn’t sure what you wanted for breakfast, so I got a bit of everything,’ he said as she gaped at the multitude of plastic shopping bags he carried.

  ‘Did you leave any food on the shelves?’

  He flashed her a grin and Rilee silently rolled her eyes at the pathetic belly flip it
caused. She’d given herself a stern lecture—this time there were to be no funny feelings, no weak knees and definitely no butterflies in the stomach. So much for that.

  They cooked breakfast together and drank coffee, and despite Rilee’s best intentions she found herself weakening. Every lopsided grin, every accidental brush against his body, every lingering gaze found her falling further under his spell. It was lust. Pure and simple. He was ruggedly good-looking and the complete opposite of any man she’d ever been attracted to before. It was just a novelty. She really tried to believe it. She even set out to prove it. After spending the day together, playing tourist and showing him the sights, Rilee asked him back to her flat with the sole intention of seducing him. Her plan was simple. Once the mystery was gone, once they’d realised this was just a spontaneous crazy moment of weakness, they’d both go back to their respective lives, with fond memories of a great weekend.

  That had been the plan. What she hadn’t factored in, though, was the fact that being with Dan was unlike any other experience she’d ever had before. He took his time undressing her slowly and looking at her as though she was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. While Rilee wasn’t embarrassed by her body, she’d never thought of it as particularly sexy, but as she watched the look in Dan’s eyes she felt a confidence unfurl inside her, blossoming under his gentle, almost reverent caress. The experience left her more confused than ever. Instead of feeling as though he was out of her system, she wanted him even more. How was that possible? This was not how it was supposed to go. The second and third time also left no dent in her desire. In fact, they spent most of Sunday in bed—and nothing. No sudden loss of appeal, no drastic need for space or time alone. In fact, her feelings for the man intensified.

  Late on the Sunday afternoon, with only the sounds of the traffic outside, Dan held her close and ran his hand up and down her arm lightly. ‘I’ll have to get ready to leave soon.’

  Her heart sank at the words before she forced herself to swallow the disappointment. ‘I can’t believe the weekend’s almost gone.’

  ‘If I didn’t have anything on tomorrow I could have stayed a bit longer.’