by Amy Andrews
Tilly nodded. ‘It’s yours.’
Jess gave her friend a quick hug. ‘Thanks. You’re a life-saver.’
The party had been in full swing for two hours when Adam finally showed. Jess was aware of him the second he entered, even though the lights had been dimmed right down and music blared out from the sound system.
She was determined to stick to her strategy, though. Look damn good and completely ignore him.
Tilly’s bra helped the first part of her plan immensely. It managed what nature and genetics had not—cleavage—and several appreciative looks from men had boosted her self-confidence significantly.
Even Cort, Marcus and James, three of the most seriously in love, monogamous men, she knew, had stared at her like she’d got full body ink done instead of thrown on a dress and a push-up bra.
‘Wow.’ Marcus had whistled. ‘Little Jess is all grown up.’
It had earned him a swift elbow to the ribs from Tilly who, after this afternoon, was particularly aware of Jess’s sensitivity about how old she looked.
Jess had laughed. She really didn’t mind it coming from Marcus. Or anyone else, for that matter.
Just not Adam.
She knew she’d been cursed with youthful looks. She was constantly carded at night clubs and bottle shops and patients sometimes looked at her like she was still a uni student ‘practising’ on them.
It was inconvenient at times, for sure. But she’d never seen it as a real issue until she’d fallen for a man twelve years older than her.
Her confidence in the new improved party-girl Jess lasted until she came back from the downstairs bathroom where she’d snagged her third beer for the night. The bathtub had been filled with ice and was being used as a makeshift esky.
The first person she saw was Adam. He hadn’t bothered to change out of his suit from earlier. Just pulled off his tie and undone the top button. He was smiling down at three women who were all gazing up at him adoringly.
She recognised them from Eastern Beaches and was dismayed to see how confidently they flirted. How they swayed their bodies, laughed, touched his arm, pushed their hair behind their ears, played with their necklaces, tipped their heads to the side as they chatted.
And to add insult to injury not one of them looked like their cleavages needed enhancement.
Suddenly she felt young and gangly again.
‘Hey, Jess.’
Jess smiled at Nicholas, one of the orderlies from Theatre, as he approached. She took a deep swig of her beer. This was her party and she would not feel sorry for herself or mope around over a man who had no idea she existed.
It was her birthday and she planned to have a damn good time. When Nicholas kissed her on the cheek and wished her happy birthday, she plastered a smile on her face and leaned in close to hear what else he had to say.
Adam worked the room for the next couple of hours, watching Jess surreptitiously as men flocked to kiss the birthday girl. Not that anyone would describe Jess as a girl tonight. Hell, the country girl he’d left in the kitchen a few hours ago surrounded by pots and pans and smelling like chocolate and treacle had morphed into some gorgeous, sophisticated city chick.
With cleavage.
Her heavily kohled eyes drew attention to the startling blue of her irises and her lips shimmered with something glittery. It reminded him of jelly crystals and he wondered if she tasted as good. Her blonde hair, freed from its regulation ponytail, hung loosely around her face and shoulders, kicking up at the ends. Dangly chandelier earrings brushed the side of her neck.
And then there was that cleavage, constantly drawing his gaze south.
She looked a good two or three inches taller and he recognised Ellie’s red retro shoes with the ridiculously high cork platforms she’d worn out the other night. They made Jess’s slender legs seem even longer and the dress, its fringed hem swinging enticingly around her upper thighs, even shorter.
Yep—there was nothing girly about her.
As the clock struck eleven Jess wondered how much longer she had to endure the pretence. Everyone, it seemed, was having a good time. Except her.
Oh, sure, anyone looking in from out on the street would say it was a pretty rocking party. People were dancing and laughing and chatting and enjoying themselves. Hell, she’d even cracked a laugh or two.
But deep down it just wasn’t enough.
She spied Cort and Ruby plastered together on the makeshift dance floor and Marcus laughing at Tilly as she strummed her guitar in a dark corner. She looked a little further afield and noticed Ellie sneaking up the stairs with James in tow.
Her three best friends were blissfully happy and she was miserable. On her birthday. Not that she wasn’t happy for them, she was. She just wanted a little of what they had for herself.
Was that too much to ask?
She’d hoped that Adam might at least actually acknowledge her but he hadn’t said a word to her all night. And it wasn’t like he wasn’t in the mood. Oh, no, he’d been very chatty to plenty of women!
As one more busty female approached Adam, she guessed maybe it was too much to ask.
Snagging another bottle of beer from the bathroom, she escaped to the kitchen. She unscrewed the top and drained half of it in one long swallow. She may look like a sip of champagne would knock her flat but she’d grown up with farm boys—she’d been drinking beer since before it was legal.
A pleasant buzz already bubbled in her veins and she was hoping she could kick it up to don’t-care-what-Adam-does-with-whom level. She leant her hips against the table and looked over at the sink and the surrounding benches overflowing with the detritus of a well-attended party. Her cake sat in the centre of the draining board and she wandered over, picking up a fork and shovelling some of it into her mouth.
Which was how Adam found her moments later. She was bent slightly at the waist, her elbows on the bench, her bottom sticking out slightly and swaying to the music. The fringed hem of her dress swung in time and brushed the backs of her upper thighs.
If it had been any other woman, he might have moved in close, stroked a finger down her spine. Whispered something flirty in her ear.
But it wasn’t any other woman. It was Jess.
She rocked her left foot from side to side, testing the flexibility of both her ankle and the cork heel.
‘Careful,’ he said from the archway. ‘You might break your ankle in those things.’
Jess almost choked on her beer as she spun around to face him, licking cake crumbs from her mouth. ‘Adam.’
Adam couldn’t decide which was more tantalising, the dress fringe still in motion swaying against her thighs or a pink tongue swiping at errant crumbs. ‘You seem deep in thought,’ he murmured.
Jess took another swallow of her beer and Adam watched as her head tipped back, exposing the length of her throat. Her earrings brushed the side of her neck and the way that cute pink mouth pressed against the opening of the bottle should have been illegal.
‘I’m contemplating cleaning up,’ she said.
Her words dragged his brain back to the conversation as he held up some empty beer bottles. ‘Great minds.’
He moved towards her and plonked them down amongst the mess. ‘Let’s leave it,’ he said. ‘We’ll all attack it tomorrow and it’ll be cleaned in a jiffy.’
Jess gave a half-laugh. ‘You know we’re going to regret that in morning, right?’
Adam grinned back and turned so he too was lounging against the bench, facing the door. ‘Probably.’
Jess rolled the beer bottle between her palms. ‘You seemed to be enjoying yourself,’ she said, watching the gold flecks in the label catch the light just like the ones in his eyes. ‘I thought that ward clerk from female surgical was going to swoon.’
Adam chuckled. ‘You ought to talk. I think every man at this party kissed you at least twice.’
Not every man. Jess shrugged. ‘It’s my birthday. It’s customary.’
‘Once is customary
. Twice is just plain old greedy.’ As far as he was concerned, she’d been way too indulgent in the kissing department.
‘And you’ve not even scored one.’
The foolish words were out before she could stop them. Yep. The beer buzz had most definitely kicked in.
‘Exactly.’ He chuckled. ‘Terribly remiss of me.’ he said. ‘I’m usually first in line to kiss a birthday girl.’
Jess’s heart thumped loudly in her head as Adam leaned in. But his girl comment needled and she was gripped with the urgent desire to show him she was all woman.
She turned her face just as his lips were about to connect with her cheek. ‘Woman,’ she whispered as she pressed her mouth against his.
For a moment Adam was too stunned to react. But then her lips parted and moved against his and a rush of high octane lust slammed into his gut. He pulled back, shocked by the intensity.
Jess sucked in a breath as his wild-looking eyes searched hers. ‘I’m a woman, Adam,’ she murmured, dropping her gaze to his mouth. ‘Not a girl.’
Thanks to Ellie’s shoes, the distance between their mouths was less of a handicap and this time she didn’t wait for him to make the first move. She kissed his unprotesting lips once, twice, three times. Brief butterfly presses. The fourth time she opened her mouth more and murmured, ‘Adam.’
Adam heard the half sigh, half plea and was powerless to resist. He opened his mouth on a groan and swallowed her answering whimper.
He sucked in a breath as his senses infused with the essence of her, shoving his hand into her hair, tilting her head back, demanding more of her mouth. She tasted like beer and chocolate cake and he wanted more.
He wanted all she could give.
A shrill bubble of laughter burst in through the archway and they sprang apart. But not before Ruby and Tilly had witnessed at least some of the kiss. Breathing hard, Adam couldn’t even look at Jess. What on earth had just happened?
Recovering first, Ruby looked at Adam. ‘All right…what the hell’s going on here?’ she demanded.
Adam shook his head. ‘Nothing. Just a birthday kiss.’
Jess tried not to let his denial hurt as she struggled to regain her breath. After all, it had probably meant nothing.
To him.
Ruby eyed them both then looked at Tilly. ‘I’ll take him. You take her.’ She looked at her brother with disgust. ‘We need to talk.’
Adam, his body in revolt, was too dazed to tell his little sister to mind her own business. And frankly he was pleased for the easy getaway. He followed Ruby out of the room without argument, without looking back.
Jess and Tilly watched them go. ‘You want to tell me what just happened?’ Tilly asked after a beat or two.
Jess shook her head. Partly to deny any wrongdoing. Partly to clear the fireworks that were popping and fizzing behind her eyes. ‘Nothing,’ she denied, turning to the bench and absently clearing the debris. ‘It was like Adam said. Just a birthday kiss. That’s all.’
Tilly snorted. ‘It bloody was not.’
Jess stopped what she was doing. Tilly was a dear friend but with a swag of younger siblings she missed terribly she did tend to mother them all. Her in particular.
‘He keeps referring to me like I’m a child. A…bloody teenager…or something. I just wanted to prove I was a woman.’ She turned to her friend. ‘I’m a woman, for crying out loud. I have…needs.’
Tilly nodded. So that’s what the dress was about. ‘I know, I know. Of course you are. Of course you do. But, Jess, you’re playing with fire there. Adam likes to flirt. And he’s…well, he’s, you know…experienced. Really experienced. And you know I adore him…’
Tilly broke off, choosing her words carefully. She didn’t want to ruin the birthday of one of her best friends. ‘I know you’ve had a crush on him for ever but, sweetie, you’re just not his type. I’d hate to see you get your hopes up.’
Jess knew every word Tilly said was the absolute truth. And she knew her friend was just worried about her. She was lucky to have such good friends.
‘I know, Tilly,’ she said, squeezing her friend’s hand. ‘It’s okay, I do know that. It was just a little birthday kiss that got out of hand. I’m not stupid enough to think it’ll mean anything more to him than that.’
Tilly put an arm around her shoulder. ‘He doesn’t mean to be that way, Jess. He’s just been hurt in the past.’
‘I know,’ Jess murmured.
And she did know. She knew all about Adam’s long-ago fiancé who’d broken his heart. But right now all she wanted was to escape to her bedroom and relive that kiss over and over and she knew Tilly wasn’t going to let her go until she was satisfied she was okay.
‘I promise I won’t get my hopes up,’ she said, squeezing Tilly’s hand.
‘Are you sure?’ Tilly asked.
Jess nodded. ‘Cross my heart.’
‘Are you freaking insane?’ Ruby hissed as she slammed her brother’s bedroom door.
‘Don’t be melodramatic,’ Adam said. He could still taste Jess on his lips and his pulse rate was marching to a strange tattoo.
‘I mean it, Adam, don’t play with her. She’s not like your other women. She’s not your type.’
Adam looked up. ‘I have a type?’
Ruby glared at him. ‘Yes, fast and loose.’
‘Your opinion of me is flattering,’ he said, his voice heavy with derision.
‘You know what I mean, Adam. She’s not some thirty-something go-getter who knows the score and is happy for a couple of quick nights in your bed.’
‘Maybe I don’t want that any more?’ Ruby, who had taken up pacing, stopped abruptly and stared at him like he’d grown a second head. He couldn’t blame her—where the hell that thought had come from he had no idea.
Except being home this time felt different.
It didn’t feel like prison any more. He didn’t feel the urge to run.
Ruby snorted. ‘Since when?’
Adam shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I’m just…’ he pressed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets ‘…tired these days.’
‘Well, lie down and have a nice long sleep,’ Ruby snapped, resuming her pacing. ‘Just leave Jess the hell alone. For crying out loud, she wants to move back to outer whoop-whoop, get married and have babies. She comes from generations of men and women who mate for life. She thinks that love cures everything and that there’s one special person for everyone.’
‘Ruby,’ Adam said firmly. ‘It was just some harmless flirting. Jess is a grown woman. I think she knows that.’
Ruby stopped in front of her brother. ‘She has a crush on you, you idiot!’
Adam looked up alarmed. She did? ‘She does?’
Ruby shook her head, annoyed that she’d let Jess’s secret slip. But, honestly, her clever brother could be exceedingly dim-witted sometimes.
‘Yes,’ she sighed. ‘She does. A big one. Do you remember what happened with Francine? How crazy that got?’
‘Jess is hardly like to turn into some nutty stalker, Ruby. I think we both know that.’
That had been a harrowing time in his life. Francine, a hairdresser, had been twenty-two. He’d been an intern. After three dates she’d been totally obsessed and had not taken well to being blown off.
He’d gone on his first humanitarian mission overseas just to get away from her. The only silver lining from the whole nasty incident. ‘She’s my friend, Adam. And one of the nicest people that I know. And as much as I love you, I’m not going to sit by and watch you destroy all that lovely Pollyanna sunshine when you break her heart.’
‘Ruby.’ Adam shot his sister an exasperated look. ‘I have no intention of getting involved with Jess. I’m twelve years older than her, for crying out loud.’
And if he said it enough, it might just help him remember it next time Jess looked at his mouth like she wanted to own it.
Jess, who had a crush on him. A big one. ‘It was just a birthday kiss.’
‘
To you,’ she yelled, thankful for the music still blaring outside.
‘I think you’re overreacting.’
Even though the news of Jess’s crush did complicate things.
Damn.
‘Well, I hope you’re right, big brother. I really do. I hope, for Jess’s sake, this isn’t something you regret come morning.’
Adam shot his sister a grim look. Unlike the dishes, he doubted he was going to have to wait till the morning.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE next morning Jess sat on the second bottom stair of the main public steps that led down to Coogee beach, absently staring out to sea. She wiggled her bare feet in the sand, the dry, cool grains sifting easily through her toes.
She adored this time of morning and she filled her lungs, trying to inhale the loveliness of it all.
The salt air, the sun winking over the horizon, gilding marshmallow clouds, the occasional cry of a seagull circling lazily overhead, the swish and suck of the waves as they lapped against the beach to a rhythm as old as time.
It was about as different from the outback as it was possible to be. She missed home dreadfully and, as far as she was concerned, there was nothing like a country sunrise, but the scene before her was pretty good too.
She dropped her chin onto her bent knees, feeling a pang. She’d miss this when she finally moved back to Edwinburra. Which had been a revelation. She hadn’t expected to miss anything about the city.
She’d been prepared to endure her time away from home only. Suffer quietly through it with her eye firmly on the ball.
But to her complete surprise she loved it here and she would miss it when she finally went back home. And it wouldn’t just be the panorama before her she’d miss. There were a lot of other things.
Her friends.
Eastern Beaches Hospital, which somehow felt like home.
The house on Hill St.
The Stat Bar.
And Adam.
She’d lain awake most of the night, reliving their kiss, and unfortunately it had lost none of its impact in the cold light of day. It was still setting her heart aflutter.
Finally. After dreaming about it for the last few years it had actually happened.