And he’d been the first one into the estate agents, even before the shop had been advertised. His name was even typed onto the lease. He just needed to meet the landlord when the guy eventually returned from his adventures in the rainforest to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Kole stared at the large windows of the shop and wondered exactly why he’d agreed to the ridiculous bet with Tasha. He should have said no—that the deal was done, he’d beaten her to the finish line, and entering into any sort of bet where he stood a chance of losing was a ridiculous idea.
Not that he thought he’d lose. Tasha was pretty, funny, and had a lot more going for her in the brain department than many of the girls he’d dated, but he’d never fall for her, not in a million years. He wouldn’t let himself. He wasn’t ready for a long term relationship. In fact, he might never be ready. The idea of settling down, of having responsibilities and commitments, didn’t appeal to him. Life was too short to spend your life worrying about keeping a wife happy, looking after kids, and panicking about making ends meet. If Harry’s death had taught him anything, it had taught him that at any moment his life could come screeching to a halt, and he didn’t want to be lying on his deathbed thinking his days had been filled with mundane priorities that had held him back from doing whatever he really wanted to do. He liked being free and single, spending his money or saving it as he wished, going on exotic holidays, watching whatever he wanted on the TV, and not having to please anyone but himself.
So no, he wasn’t worried about losing the bet. He’d had plenty of girlfriends, and at twenty-eight, hadn’t really fallen for any of them hard. He knew he always held a part of himself back in a relationship, and in fact several girls had complained about his refusal to let them in, following which he’d promptly dumped them. But he knew he could control his feelings, and so therefore even though he loved Tasha as a friend, he had no worries it would develop into anything more.
But after saying that… He turned to look at the harbor, and his mind strayed back to the previous night. It had been…unexpected. He’d made the bet because part of him had been annoyed at Tasha’s outrageous assumption that he would fall for her before she fell for him. He hadn’t actually thought either of them would do any falling. He fully expected, after the eight days were up, they’d both admit it had been a lot of fun but would go their separate ways while remaining good friends who’d had a great time with each other. She drove him nuts most of the time, but he’d always thought she was pretty beneath her dark-rimmed glasses and austere appearance, and he’d liked the idea of fooling around with her for a while.
But going out the night before had not been what he’d expected. Alone with her in the car, he’d been conscious of her presence, of the smell of her light, flowery perfume, the creaminess of her smooth skin against the stone-colored T-shirt, the swell of her breasts where the neckline dipped lower than usual, and the way her brown eyes had been cautious, obscuring her thoughts like fog on a winter’s evening.
Her blush had completely taken him by surprise, and although he wasn’t sure what had caused it, he knew it was something to do with him, and probably sexual in nature. That had stunned him, because he’d honestly expected her to be immune to him as a man. When he’d kissed her, he’d expected her to burst out laughing, to mock him incessantly for his moves, to taunt him and say Is that it? and other insulting comments.
But she hadn’t. She’d gone quiet, something Tasha never did, had shivered in his arms when he’d kissed the beautiful smooth skin beneath her ear, and had finally returned his kiss with a rising desire that had blown him away.
From the kind of comments she’d said occasionally about sex, he expected her to be fairly confident in bed. He’d initially assumed that if they actually made it to the bedroom, it might be a bit mechanical and awkward, with them both too self-conscious to let go and enjoy themselves.
Now, though, he wasn’t so sure. He was beginning to suspect they might light a few fireworks if they climbed beneath the sheets.
And that was one reason why he was standing there, trying to pluck up the courage to walk to the place a few doors down from the shop they were competing for—the restaurant called Aqua Blue that belonged to her brother, Fox. He’d known Fox since school, liked and respected the guy, and because of his own strict instructions to his mates about Maisey being a no-fly zone, he had to admit to feeling a little guilty about the kind of things he kept fantasizing about doing to the guy’s sister.
Sighing, he walked up to the restaurant and knocked on the door.
Aqua Blue didn’t open until midday, but Fox would already be in the kitchens, getting ready. Fox lived for his restaurant and was obsessed with food and its preparation. Even Kole, who usually ate microwave meals or noodles for dinner, knew the guy was destined for greatness with his skill, ambition, and drive.
A guy walked toward him through the restaurant—one of the maître d’s that Fox employed to run the staff while he himself cooked the food. He opened the door and stepped back. “Hey, Kole. Coming in?”
“Fox’s in, I’m guessing?”
“Yeah, out the back.”
Kole nodded and slipped past him, and made his way through to the kitchens.
Fox stood at one of the pristine tables, cracking open the shells of several large crabs and placing the meat in a huge bowl. Tall and with short dark hair, he had the same, slightly exotic Eastern European look about him that Tasha had, and the same unusual mahogany eyes.
He looked up as Kole walked in. “Hey, man.”
“Hey. How are you doing?”
Fox nodded. “Good. Just making crab cakes.”
“They don’t look like any crab cakes I’ve ever had,” Kole said wryly, thinking of the ninety-percent breadcrumb ones that came in a packet.
Fox just grinned. “What’s up?”
Kole shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Just passing.”
“Okay.” Fox scooped up the last pile of crabmeat and placed it in the bowl, then began chopping some flat leaf parsley with a knife that looked as if it could have had a starring role in Psycho. “Good to see you anyway.”
Kole fidgeted. Fox was in a world of his own, and would probably forget he was even there. He had to spit it out. “It’s about Tasha,” he said.
Fox scooped the chopped parsley into the bowl, then reached for a cut lemon and squeezed the juice over the crab meat. “Oh? What’s she done now?”
“Nothing, nothing. Not yet. It’s good, I mean, I thought, you know, we’re mates and all, it would be polite to ask you first…”
Fox glanced at him. “If you could talk in English rather than iambic pentameter, it might help with understanding what you want, exactly.”
Kole looked at his feet. “Do you have any objections if I date Tasha?”
Fox washed his hands and wiped them on a towel as he came over, frowning. “Sorry, what does that have to do with me?”
Kole gave him an exasperated look. “You’re her brother.”
“So?”
“Fox, seriously? You don’t care who she dates?”
Fox returned the exasperated look. “I care, but Tasha would tell me it’s none of my business, and she’d be right.”
“Even so…”
Fox put his hands on his hips. “Are you going to be nice to her?”
“Of course.”
“Treat her well?”
Kole scratched the back of his neck, wondering if the circumstances of their bet counted as treating her well. “Yes.”
“Then what do I care?” Fox turned away and began choosing from the bottles on the shelves. “I’m hardly shocked.”
“Yes, but I…” The words sunk in. “Wait, what do you mean? I thought you’d be surprised.”
“Why?” Fox turned back carrying a bottle of Worcestershire sauce and some Dijon mustard. “It was only a matter of time. She’s always been crazy about you.”
Kole stared at him. “She said that?”
&n
bsp; “Well, no, not in so many words.”
Kole’s alarm died down. “So you came to this conclusion using all your recent relationship experience? When was the last time you dated anyone? 2002?”
Fox gave him a wry look as he plonked the bottles on the table, then went to the fridge and brought back a box of eggs. “I go out. Sometimes.”
“Dude, you work six days a week until at least ten p.m.”
“And that gives me a whole day to enjoy myself. Anyway, this isn’t about me. I know Tasha likes you. Come on, the two of you flirt every time you get together.”
Kole laughed at that. “We do not. We’re the least flirty people I know. We’re always arguing.”
Fox cracked two eggs simultaneously into a bowl. “Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.”
Now Kole was getting irritated. “For fuck’s sake.”
Fox looked at him, dumped the eggshells, and leaned on the table. “If you’re dating a girl, I would have thought knowing she’s always liked you would come as good news. So tell me why, exactly, you’re annoyed by that?”
Kole had painted himself into a corner. He shouldn’t have come. What was he looking for, permission to screw Tasha stupid for eight days then dump her? There was no way he could tell Fox about the bet, even if Tasha herself had come up with the idea. He decided to back off, and held up a hand. “I’m not annoyed. Only that I suppose I wish I’d realized she liked me sooner, and we wouldn’t have wasted time.”
Fox shrugged and cracked another two eggs. “Sometimes it takes a while for these things to mature. She’s only twenty-four, and you’re hardly claiming your pension.” He glanced up as he reached for the olive oil. “And to be honest, although I’ve always known you’re attracted to each other, I wouldn’t have picked you for her.”
The comment stung like a wasp. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, like you’re surprised by that,” Fox said wryly. “You’re hardly long-term relationship material.”
“Even so…”
Fox sighed and stared at the bottle for a moment. “Tasha acts tough. Pretends she doesn’t care about her looks. Likes to think she doesn’t have emotions. But she’s not tough, she does care, and even though she tries to lock everything away in a steel box, she’s easily hurt.” He picked up a wooden spoon and pointed it at Kole. “I try not to get involved in her love life, but I’ll make an exception, as you’ve been kind enough to involve me. So. Break her heart, I’ll break your fucking legs.”
“Right,” Kole said, feeling slightly faint. “Fair enough.” He cleared his throat. “I guess I ought to go.”
“Yeah. See you later.”
Kole walked out, nodding to the maître d’ as he passed. Outside, he walked slowly along the waterfront, trying to dispel the shiver of unease Fox’s words had cast over him.
He clenched his hands in his pockets. Everything was going to be all right. Tasha’s brother was completely off target. She hadn’t always liked him, she was tough as dried leather, and this whole bet thing was a lark between two grown adults who found each other sexy and were using it as an excuse to fool around. Neither of them was going to fall for the other—that wasn’t even in question. She’d always made it perfectly clear he frustrated the hell out of her, so there was zero chance he’d break her heart. Less than zero.
He stopped and looked back at the shop, and a surge of resentment made him grit his teeth. He wasn’t going to let Fox frighten him into giving up the place. For a start, he wouldn’t put it past Tasha to have put her brother up to it. He wanted that studio. This bet was fun and he was looking forward to getting down and dirty with Tasha, but that was as far as it went. The shop would be his, no matter what the consequences.
Chapter Nine
Tasha stood in front of her wardrobe and stared sullenly at her clothes.
It was five p.m., and she’d been standing there for nearly fifteen minutes, at war with herself over what outfit she should choose for her date with Kole that evening.
Half of her itched to wear something that would make his eyes light up. That would make him look at her not as Tasha the friend, but as Tasha the woman, something that would get his blood racing and ensure the evening ended the way she was hoping it would.
The other half of her wanted to slap herself across the face. Since when had she turned into her mother—something she had always promised herself would never, ever, happen? After the age of eight, when her parents had divorced, Tasha had watched her mother on many occasions spend hours preparing her body, choosing her outfits, and doing her hair and makeup as she got ready for dates with various rich men. She’d been flower girl at three of Laura Wilde’s weddings. And she’d hated it, despising her mother for placing more importance on her looks than on her intelligence.
Tasha did not choose her clothes with men in mind. She may not be Einstein, but she still put her mental capacity and her personality far above her physical appearance in terms of importance. She would never be interested in a guy who was only attracted to her because of the way she looked.
Still. In spite of all that, she was only human. Kole wasn’t going out with her because of the way she looked. The previous night he’d clearly been turned on by the kiss and the way things had unfolded, rather than because she wore a skirt that barely covered her panties and a see-through top. So if she now wore something a little more…daring, did that make her shallow?
At that point, Tasha’s mobile rung in her pocket. She fished it out of her jeans and flipped it open, then groaned at the sight of her mother’s name. Sometimes she thought Laura had a sensor that beeped whenever her daughter was trying on clothes.
Fighting the urge to press cancel, she answered the call. “Hello?”
“Tasha, dahling.” Her mother practically breathed the words. “How are you?”
“Good.” Tasha pulled an old green dress out of the wardrobe, stared at it, then put it back. “What do you want?”
“Well that’s a nice way to talk to your mother.”
Tasha took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry. I’m in the middle of something, and I was a bit distracted. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. What are you in the middle of?”
Tasha thought about lying, but somehow Laura always seemed to know when her daughter was evading an issue. “Choosing what to wear.”
“Ooh, what for?”
Tasha sighed. “I have a date tonight.”
“Good Lord.”
Tasha ground her teeth. “No need to sound so surprised.”
“Dahling, I’m thrilled. It’s been ages since you went out with a man. It can go rusty, you know.”
Tasha closed her eyes. Just kill me now.
“So,” Laura continued brightly, “who’s the lucky man?”
“Well, it’s just a friend actually. Nothing serious.”
“Kole?” suggested her mother.
Tasha opened her eyes and stared at her reflection in the mirror on the wardrobe. “What? Who told you?”
“Nobody. It was a dot on the cards, sweetie. Just a matter of time.”
“Before he worked his way through the female population of the Northland and got around to me, you mean?”
Laura laughed. “No, silly. He’s always had his eye on you, that much is obvious.”
A shiver passed through Tasha from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. “That’s rubbish.”
“Anyone with eyes can see the way he looks at you.”
Tasha’s mind whirled, but she refused to believe it. “Mum, seriously, you always see romance where there isn’t any.” Laura continually fell in and out of love, so clearly she had no idea what men were really thinking.
“So you’re dating, but you don’t think he likes you? Where’s the logic in that?”
Tasha didn’t want to explain the details of the bet with her. “Let’s just say it’s not serious.”
“So it’s just for sex then?”
“Mum!”
“Nothing wr
ong with that,” Laura said breezily.
“I know.” Tasha’s open attitude to sex was the one thing she’d been grateful to inherit from her mother. “Look, Mum, I really need to go. Did you want something?”
“I was going to ask if you wanted to come to dinner tonight with me and George, but obviously you’re going to be busy.” George was husband number four. To be fair to Laura, they had been married over five years now. A rich accountant, he was tall, good looking, a little rotund, and slightly more tanned than Tasha liked a man to be, but he treated Laura well, and she seemed happy enough.
“Do me a favor?” Laura asked. “Don’t wear black.”
“I like black.”
“I know. And it’s elegant and classy on most people. But you need color, Tasha dear. Wear something bright.”
“I don’t do bright.”
“For God’s sake, at least shave your legs, won’t you?”
“Yes, Mother. I promise to prepare myself appropriately before I expose myself to a man’s touch.”
“Good. Let me know how it goes.”
Tasha said goodbye and clipped the phone shut. She looked down at her legs. Part of her considered rebelling against her mother’s advice, but as much as she disliked changing herself for a guy, she didn’t want Kole running his hand up her leg and getting his fingers tangled in the hairs.
Running his hand up my leg… Tasha swallowed down a nervous lump in her throat and closed the wardrobe doors. She wasn’t going to think about what might happen later, or she’d get herself all worked up. And she wasn’t going to think about her mother’s words either. Anyone with eyes can see the way he looks at you. Laura was completely off track. Kole looked at all women like a dog looks at cooked turkey. She was nothing different.
She was going to take a shower and deal with the hair situation, and then she’d have another think about which outfit to wear.
Treat with Caution (Treats to Tempt You Book 1) Page 6