New Beginnings

by Iris Blobel

  He turned his hands in hers and entwined their fingers. Raising his eyes from her mouth, he gazed into her brown eyes. Neither of them spoke. Her eyes were full of strength. Full of character and independence. Without thinking twice about it, he leaned closer and brushed a kiss across her lips. Gentle and soft. Her lips, tender and sweet, made his stomach churn. The rush through his body from a simple little kiss was of such intensity, it surprised him, but only for a second. When she didn’t move away, his lips touched hers again, just as softly, yet with an obvious intimacy.

  Moving his hand up her arm, he cupped her neck, deepening the kiss. A groan emerged from deep in his throat, and he dipped down to kiss her neck. When he noticed her breathing quicken, he moved next to her onto the couch, and without breaking the kiss, he pulled her onto his lap. His hands explored the soft lines of her back, her waist, and her hips. Her soft moan was barely audible when he moved his mouth over hers again, wishing the circumstances of how he’d met her were different. Wishing he could have more than only this kiss.

  Thank God, life helped him out.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting their moment.

  Reluctantly, they parted and it felt like something was taken away from him. Leaning his forehead against Sophie’s, Mark sighed, but when saw her beautiful smile, something tugged at his heart.

  “I’m going to finish this,” he promised his voice hoarse with desire.

  ****

  Unable to find the right words, she replied, “I’d better open the door. I’m sure it’s Mia.”

  Her heart was pounding, and it took her a while to steady her breathing, her head still dizzy from his kiss. She ran her finger down her cheek before she stood. Taking small steps gave her time to sort the thousand thoughts going through her mind. She thought of the kiss she’d just shared with Mark, a man she’d only known for such a short time, but whom she obviously trusted so much to have told him all about her and Mia. As soon as his lips had touched hers, electricity ran through her body and common sense out the window. With the chance of a new start, Sophie didn’t have the time to be with a man, but kissing Mark… kissing him had been like nothing she’d ever experienced before.

  A quick glance down her body, she was confident there were no telltale signs of what had just happened. One last deep inhale and she opened the door.

  And as much as Sophie was pleased to have her sister back home, secure and safe, she regretted that she and Mark had been interrupted.

  Watching him interact with her sister over the next few hours had made her relax about his visits.

  Suddenly, the worries she’d had about him seeing her as the new girl in town were pushed aside. Gone were her worries that Mark was one of the men who came and went. Actually, that worry was still there, but placed at the back of her head for her to enjoy his attention for a little while.

  With all the thoughts racing through her head, as well as the worries, she wondered how Mia would feel with a man in their lives, but let the thought go just as quickly. It was nonsense. She wasn’t ready to have a man in her life, whether Mia would like it or not. As she let out a long sigh, a pungent odour from the kitchen brought her back into the now. Evidently, she had thought too much and burnt dinner.

  “Damn it!”

  The piercing noise of the smoke alarm echoed through the hallway, and Mark and Mia rushed in. “What happened?” they asked in unison.

  Sophie fanned her hand in front of her face, chasing away wisps of dark smoke. “I burnt dinner.”

  Without hesitation, Mark stepped to the windows and opened them. As soon as he’d done that, he bolted into the hall to stop the smoke detectors.

  “What is that?” Mia screamed as she ran into Sophie’s arms with her hands over her ears.

  The smoke detectors stopped, and Sophie gently moved her sister’s hands away from her ears. “It’s a little machine that goes off when it detects smoke, because usually where there’s smoke there’s also a fire. So it’s a good thing.”

  Mia looked at her still a bit wary about it.

  “You’re all right?”

  Sophie looked up at Mark, who stood in the door, and nodded. “I think so. We never had a smoke detector before. I think the shrill noise was a bit much for Mia.”

  He stepped closer and kneeled next to the little girl. “They’re nasty but very important.”

  When she gave him a slow nod, he asked, “Want to come with me to get some pizza?”

  Within a split second, Mia beamed back at him as she nodded eagerly. Then she must’ve thought it through and looked at Sophie. “Can I, Soph? Please?”

  Sophie met Mark’s gaze and knew she’d lose any argument about cost. And the thought of having a pizza about did her in. “Of course, you can.”

  An hour later, they sat down at the table to enjoy the impromptu dinner. Chewing on the pizza, she listened intently to Mia as she recounted her time with Olivia. At the same time, she took in every little detail of Mark. Their legs touched under the table, and a jolt rushed through her body. The problem was, with the jolt came the reminder of their kiss. She remembered… and yearned for more. Desperate to connect with him. Feel him. Touch him again.

  But then out of nowhere came the realisation that it had only been one kiss, nothing more. One very hot and intense kiss, but as her brain kicked in again, she reminded herself that she’d opened her heart to him, but she knew nothing about him. Nothing. Not even whether he’d come back now that it seemed for certain that the house was theirs.

  “Need help with the paint job?” he asked her a little while later as they finished up in the kitchen.

  Surprised, she turned to him. “Are you sure?”

  He lifted his right shoulder in a shrug. “Of course I’m sure. Only an empty apartment waiting for me. And more work.” He grinned.

  “I’d appreciate that. I wouldn’t have a clue when it comes to those things.”

  He winked. “No worries. Which room would you like to start with?”

  “The bedrooms.”

  His dark eyebrows arched mischievously. “Got the priorities set right, I see.”

  Sophie opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Laughing, he picked up the painting tins and brushes before heading down the hall. “Master bedroom first?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Trying to catch up with him, she quickly followed him down the hall, but he had already entered. She bit her lip as she stood behind him and watched as he took in the complete mess and chaos in the room.

  He shook his head. “You are aware that you inherited the whole house. Meaning you can spread your belongings across several rooms.”

  Of course, she knew. But it was what she was used to. Having everything within reach. In all fairness though, it hadn’t always been that untidy. Working a few hours a week, studying a few hours as well, and looking after Mia had taken up too much time and left her with too little for housework. She sighed.

  “How about I start with the spare room?”

  “Good idea,” was all she was able to say.

  As he walked past her, he said, “Not the tidiest girls, are you?”

  She shrugged.

  But before he turned away, something caught his attention, and she followed his stare. Her photos. Mark slowly stepped over and picked up a few. As he flicked through them, his facial expression never changed. She knew they were good, but suddenly she felt open and vulnerable. Then his eyes met hers.

  “Who took these?”

  “I did,” she replied quietly.

  Studying the photos intently, he smiled at some of them.

  “Your mum?”

  She walked closer. “Yes, just after Mia was born.”

  She tried to assess his unreadable features.

  “They’re great,” he finally said. “This is what you should be doing instead of your Children’s Services.”

  One by one, she took the photos out of his hand and looked down at them befo
re turning back to face him. “No,” she mumbled. “I can’t.”

  He cocked a brow. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

  She shrugged, feeling uncomfortable about where this conversation was going. Occasionally she allowed herself the luxury of what-ifs. What if she had studied photography? What if she hadn’t promised her mother? What if her mother hadn’t died? But it didn’t get her anywhere but upset and sad.

  “I promised Mum.”

  He didn’t take his eyes off her as she placed the photos back onto the little side table. “No money to be made in taking photos,” she said with a shaky voice.

  “Says who?”

  “Mum.”

  Confusion spread across his face. “She’s dead, Sophie,” he said quietly.

  “I know!” She met his eyes dead on. Her voice was raised, but she wasn’t yelling. “I know she’s dead. That’s why I have to do this training to earn money. I’ve got responsibilities, Mark. I’ve got a younger sister to look after. A young girl who depends on me, because she has no one else in this world. Life’s not… not—”

  Throwing her hands in the air with exasperation, she continued. “We don’t have parents who pay so I can go and study law.”

  His jaw tensed, but he said nothing.

  A heavy silence hung between them for several moments.

  Looking at the floor, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry,” she whispered. “That wasn’t fair.”

  Slowly, and still without a word, he walked into the other room. Then without warning, he looked over his shoulder and said, “You’re right, it wasn’t fair.” His voice was gruff with frustration. “I worked hard for my degree. Late nights studying and later nights packing shelves in the local grocery shop. At the time, Mum and Dad struggled to pay off the mortgage and weren’t in a position to help. So there you go. Other people have to fight battles in their life as well.”

  Without giving her a chance to respond, though, he strode from the room, leaving her standing to her own thoughts. A cloud of guilt surrounded her as she considered the hurtful words she had thrown at him. She waited for the screeching of the front door, indicating his retreat, but it never came.

  Instead, she found him in the spare room, prepping it by moving things around.

  “Got old bed sheets?” he asked at some stage.

  She had more bed sheets than she’d ever use in her entire life. Rummaging through the linen cupboard, she retrieved some old and worn out sheets she was sure she could easily spare.

  It didn’t take long before Mark started on the first coat of pain. She watched him as he easily moved the paintbrush up and down the wall. He hadn’t said anything since her outburst, and her misery was so acute it was like a physical pain. It ached inside. Outside. Everywhere. What was it about him that made her just lose her temper? Lose her control. She hadn’t wanted to accuse him of anything. He was the one who’d helped. Had been around when she’d needed someone. Trying to swallow the lump that lingered in her throat, she picked up a paintbrush as well… but stopped briefly, her eyes glued to those long legs of his and fabulous muscles, so much so that her hand flew to her chest when Mia said something. Where had she suddenly come from?

  “What did you say, sweetie?”

  She felt Mia’s questionable stare. “I was asking whether you can tell me how to spell delicious?”

  Sophie placed the paintbrush on the plastic cover on the table and turned to her sister. Giving Mia her fullest attention for the next half hour, she never even heard Mark leave. A dull ache spread through her chest in a slow, treacherous wave. Tears stung behind her eyes, and she didn’t know what she was crying for — having hurt Mark or him leaving without saying goodbye.

  She placed a kiss on Mia’s forehead. “I think it’s time for bed.”

  “Can Mark read me a story?”

  Sophie’s heart broke when she replied, “He’s already left, sweetie. You must’ve not heard him when he said goodbye.”

  She hated herself for lying to her little sister, but hoped it was for the better. The girl nodded in disappointment, but fortunately seemed to have forgotten about it half an hour later when Sophie read her one of her favourite stories.

  Chapter Eight

  Mark stared from Linda’s high heels up her beautiful tanned legs and past the sexy black dress she was wearing. It was impossible for him not to return her disarming smile, yet deep inside he thought about Sophie. The taste of her lips. The touch of her skin. The scent of her hair. And her vulnerability that shone through in her outburst. Of course, he had been offended, but had got over it very quickly. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he’d given Linda a call as soon as he’d come home. Usually, her company made him feel better, but now that he was with her, doubts crept in. All Mark was able to do was picture Sophie in her worn-out track pants and the old T-shirt she had worn a couple of days earlier.

  He’d happily helped her get the paint job in their bedroom started. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed someone’s company so much. Even with everything that both girls had gone through in life, they were able to create their happy moments. Their laughter as they blew dishwashing bubbles at each other’s faces. Their giggles as they obviously were talking about him in whispers. And their voices when they shared a few melodies they had remembered their mother singing when they were younger.

  There was no doubt him liking her so much could get him into serious trouble. It was a professional business relationship. No matter how much he tried to convince himself, he’d finished the business part, he was still helping her finding out some details. Some could consider that business.

  “Mark!” Linda said with an obvious impatience in her voice.

  Interrupted in his thoughts, he raised his eyebrows inquiringly. “Yes?”

  “Now are you coming along tonight or not?” Her perfect dark eyebrows slanted into a frown. “The dinner party at Alison’s?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  It seemed that his spontaneous call last night to ask her was going to turn into a mistake.

  They both liked this café next to the harbour. It was quiet, but right in town. The old décor in dark timber, in contrast to the bright red walls, gave it a touch of old, yet alive. They had spent many afternoons there, indulging in the award-winning choices on the menu.

  Watching her leisurely placing her glass of wine back onto the table, a wave of guilt crept into his consciousness. He played with his glass of water on the table, rotating it slowly.

  Linda had attended the same high school as he, though one grade below him. Although never quite a stunner when it came to beauty, she’d had that certain something that attracted him to her. He remembered the days when he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her during recess or on sports days. They went their separate ways after school, and he couldn’t believe it when he’d run into her years later at a conference.

  “Excuse me?”

  He took a deep breath. “Look, Linda,” he said as he met her stare. “I’m tired of this. I’m tired of being the one you need for dinner parties, for social events, the occasional romping, but—” His gaze went into the distance as he rubbed the stubbles of his one-day-old beard. “It’s not enough for me.”

  Linda stared at him, her face blank with shock. “Say that again?” Disbelief coloured her voice.

  Mark spoke with as reasonable a tone as he could manage. “I’m saying indirectly that I’ve met someone I really like and want to have a go with.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “I had no idea… as in…” She sighed. “I had no idea you wanted to do the relationship thing.”

  Choking back a laugh, he replied, “You make it sound like a dirty word.”

  Moving closer, she placed her hand on his face, caressing his cheek. The familiar scent of perfume teased him, and before he knew it, her lips were touching his. With one quick move, he took her hand and moved his head back.

  “Don’
t, Linda. I’ve made up my mind.”

  Her smile was coy, yet her stare was icy. In a blur of movement, she pulled her hand back then lashed out, striking him hard across the face. Searing pain spread quickly, and he clutched his cheek, stunned. It took him a second to recover and comprehend what had happened. He reached for her wrist, but she had already moved away. With flaring nostrils, he cussed like a trooper, but stilled quickly at the stares from other patrons and watched her walk away.

  Absently, he rubbed at his cheek to sooth the faint sting. Still surprised at her reaction, guilt spread through him, and the idea he might have mishandled the situation entered his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself, and his pounding heart, and pushed away the hint of guilt. It hadn’t gone to plan, but then again, he hadn’t had a plan. Like the disordered relationship they’d had. What he was sure about, though, was that even though he’d enjoyed his time with Linda, it was time to move on. Whether it was going to be with Sophie was still up in the air, but after he’d spent an evening in a family-like atmosphere, the thought of his own family appealed to him more and more.

  If it was going to be with Sophie, it’d be a big bonus.

  ****

  Sophie froze as she observed the scene across the street. Her throat was tight and felt closed off, breathing was difficult, and it was like her eyes were playing tricks on her, but there he was — Mark with another woman.

  Kissing.

  Sophie quickly looked away not wanting to see any more of this display. There’d been a reason her gut feeling had told her to be careful. Blinking a couple of times to hold back any tears that wanted to escape, she reminded herself, that her gut feeling actually told her to trust him. It’d been her mind warning her of him. How could she have been so emotionally blind and easily led? She should have known. Men were men, whether in Sydney or Hobart. With her heart trampled all over, and her hopes been crushed, she vowed to never trust any man again. She couldn’t believe how he’d broken through her fragile emotions and played with them. Now a heaviness centred in her chest, leaving her empty and disheartened. Tears blinded her eyes as she turned and, with Mia holding her hand, strolled towards the Salamanca Markets.