DumbAtHeart.epub

by Amarinda Jones

  upwardly thrust penis. Nice. She looked up into his eyes. “Er, um.” What did one say in this situation? Great kiss. Can I have more? Can you shut your whiny girlfriend

  up?

  “Are the chooks okay?” Evan asked, his hand still on her waist.

  She’s forgotten all about Bert and Mitzi when she had stomped off to put a

  protective layer of clothes on. “Ah—yeah.” She looked him up and down, unsure

  what to say. Indicating the kiss was amazing would lead to others. She wasn’t there to

  kiss people. She wanted an uncomplicated, naked-man-free life. “Evan—”

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  Sweetheart? Oh boy. You go around kissing and sweethearting women and stuff

  got complicated. Cass looked at the angry, loud Adele. “Shut up.” She was amused

  when the dark haired woman’s mouth snapped shut. I see. I’m being used. “Evan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do that again and I’ll punch you in the stomach.” Yes, she enjoyed the kiss but

  she didn’t want to be taken advantage of. If he wanted to piss Adele off that was fine

  but Cass wasn’t going to help him. She licked her lips and looked him in the eye.

  “Are we clear?”

  “I understand exactly where you’re coming from,” Evan returned with a grin.

  “And for god sake, get dressed.” It was hard being angry at a naked man.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He reached over and tugged a lock of her hair. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Not,” muttered Cass as she headed up the hall in search of the office.

  “Good morning!” Flo greeted her as Cass walked into the reception area.

  “You look like you’ve been hit with a sledgehammer,” remarked Jo.

  “No, just a naked man kissing people in the hallway.” She looked from one

  woman to the other. “I told him I would punch him in the guts if he did it again.” Cass

  was more annoyed with herself than him. I should have pushed him away. I should

  have yelled at him. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. It was a moot point now. Evan had

  kissed her and it messed with her brain cells and she didn’t like it.

  “Ah, Evan.”

  “He is inclined to wander naked in the morning.”

  Oh, boy. That I didn’t need to hear. That was really going to screw with her

  equilibrium. “And Adele was with him.”

  “Ah, that makes sense.” Flo nodded and looked at Jo.

  “Yeah, he would have kissed you to get Adele off the track.”

  That really annoyed Cass. “He kissed me to spite her?” Well, damn. Hearing that

  confirmed was the pits. “So he used me?”

  “Well, I’m not sure. We do know Adele has always had a thing for Evan. We

  figured when he didn’t want her, that’s why she latched onto Murdo.”

  “Bastard.” Cass had to admit it smacked at her pride.

  Flo shrugged. “Men are strange. They don’t think like us. As for Adele, she could

  be a problem. She’s a vengeful one. It’s all that Sicilian blood in her. Her family came

  over to harvest sugar cane in the 1950’s around the Mossman area. They made a

  fortune, bought a property out here and now they raise livestock and do very nicely

  for themselves.”

  “She wants Evan?” Cass thought back to what the women said about Adele

  wanting to marry money. “Is he rich?”

  “Word is he’s done okay for himself.”

  Money didn’t mean a great deal to Cass, mainly because she had a limited supply

  of it and it was all earmarked for bills. “Well, he’s still a bastard for kissing me like

  that.” She wanted to be kissed because for the man to do anything else would be

  impossible.

  “Yeah, kisses screw up everything.”

  Chapter Four

  Cass held on to two corners of a double bed sheet and flung it out so the material

  spread out onto the bed. That’s what she was doing. Making hotel beds. Normally it

  was something Adele was supposed to do but the lady in question had gone home in a

  snit. After meeting Adele, Cass found it hard to believe she would do any manual

  labor at all. She didn’t look the type who would be domestic in any way, shape or

  form.

  Due to Adele’s sudden imposition, they were down one staff member. It was an

  interesting start to her first day. Regardless, Cass wasn’t about to let her employers

  down. What was making a half a dozen beds in the scheme of thing? While she rarely

  made her own bed, Cass had worked in hotels before. She knew the drill. One lot of

  guests out, another in. Make it look seamless. They had twenty rooms. Twenty beds.

  Easy.

  Her thoughts strayed to Evan, which she’d told herself, she wasn’t going to do.

  But she did. That kiss was still on her mind. “Damn man,” she muttered as she bent to

  tuck in the corners.

  “Who?”

  “Fuck.” It was the damn man in question. There were two options. Ignore him or

  pretend in didn’t affect her in any way.

  “Cass?”

  “What?” She continued working on the bed.

  “About this morning—”

  “What about it?” That came out quicker than she wanted it to. She looked at him

  as she grabbed a pillow. Tall, dark, sexy. Oh shut up. Go stuff a pillow. Cass plucked

  a pillow case out of her linen pile.

  “The kiss.” He leaned again the wall, his eyes never leaving her.

  She worked the pillow case down over the stuffing. “Oh, that.”

  “Oh, that?” Evan smiled at her response. So she was going to play it cool. That’s

  okay. Cool I can deal with. Her studied disinterested tone didn’t put him off. He

  knew that kiss meant something to her. Evan felt it in her response. There was surprise, wonder and submission. He was ready to risk the threatened punch in the

  stomach for kisses and much more.

  “I know you did it to piss off your girlfriend.” Cass tossed the pillow. It landed

  on the floor and not the bed.

  Oh, yeah, she’s anything but cool. That was good. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

  Adele wasn’t his type. Sure, she was attractive in a forced way but the temper and the

  petulance? Murdo could have her. “She and I have never and will never have sex.”

  Cass picked up another pillow and held it to her breasts. “So you say. But just

  remember once you start romancing or having sex with women they expect stuff.”

  Did they now? Do tell. What did Cass Kelly want? “Like what?”

  “I dunno—commitment stuff.”

  “Would you?” Evan had heard from Flo and Jo about her ex-boyfriend. The man

  was an idiot to let this one go.

  “I’m not most women.”

  He wondered when she would stop hugging the pillow. Evan knew it was a

  defensive move. He had a feeling she’d been hurt by another. He wasn’t that man.

  “No, you’re not. I believe you would give everything in a relationship without expecting anything in return.” Evan watched her shrug. “I think you’re also pretty

  wounded and that’s hard to get over.” That was greeted by another shrug. “And the

  kiss? It was more than just pissing off Adele.”

  “Was it?”

  Yeah, she was cool but her eyes held a glimmer of hope. He would give Cass that

  and more. She just had to let him in. “You know it was. You felt it.”

  “You were naked. I felt stuff. It was a natural bodily reaction.”

  Uh-huh. “So, if that’s true, if we both get nak
ed now and our bodies touched you

  would feel nothing?”

  “Yep.”

  She blushed. Evan smiled. “Liar.”

  Cass dropped the pillow. “What do you want from me?”

  “I want you to relax and accept that there’s this attraction between us.”

  She snorted. “I don’t even know you.”

  “So, get to know me.”

  “This is just bollocks to get you laid.”

  Evan laughed out loud at that. “I kissed you. I felt something. You felt something.” Her face went redder. Evan took a step towards her.

  “What do you want?” Cass’s tone was bordering on panic.

  “You.” It was simple. He desired her. It couldn’t be any plainer than that. They

  got off to a bad start. He planned to fix that.

  She studied him for a long moment, a militant look in her eyes. “Fine. Let’s do it

  then.” She tugged at the snap on her shorts.

  “It?” His eyes followed her hands as she undid the zipper.

  “Sex. Clearly, you’re desperate. Clearly, we need to get this over and done with

  so you move on and stop pestering me.”

  “So, you see sex as some meaningless, random act.” Hardened, uncaring women

  did not blush as Cass did.

  “Yes.” Her shorts hit the ground and she kicked then aside.

  Evan gulped and focused on smooth, plump thighs. “Cass?” He watched as her

  hands skimmed down to her waist and she lifted her shirt over her head. “Bloody

  hell.” A lacy white bra caught his attention. Through the filmy gauze he caught sight

  of pink nipples.

  “What are you waiting for?” Cass was standing in her underwear before him.

  “You’re serious.” He hadn’t thought this moment would go like this. Evan

  wanted to talk to her and see what her feelings were. But an almost naked woman

  urging him on? Priceless.

  “I’m deadly fucking serious.” Cass wasn’t a fan of being naked but she wanted to

  prove to him and herself that he meant nothing to her. She didn’t like being used for

  kisses. She reached around and tugged at the hooks of her bra.

  “Ah, so we’re proving a point about how sex is just about bodies and nothing

  else.”

  Her bra dropped to the floor. “Yeah, now strip.” He gulped. “What? Never seen

  boobs before?” Tough talk. Shaky body. What the hell am I doing? It felt good yet in

  an out of control, crazy way. Just go with it.

  “Can I say that you’re beautiful?” Evan yanked his shirt off over his head.

  “Don’t be so corny.” She watched as his jeans hit the ground. The bulge in his y–

  fronts was interesting but she wasn’t going there. She was going to stop him before it

  got to that point. This was showing how any two people could be attracted to each

  other when naked and that sex was just bodies without emotion. It had nothing to do

  with romance, fate or kismet. That was bullshit. Cass pulled her panties down.

  “Wow.” His hit the ground.

  She had already seen him naked so there were no surprises there. She lifted her

  arms out to him. “Come on.” She had never invited a man to take her. It was weird

  and strangely exciting.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “To prove sex is meaningless?”

  “Yep, I can walk away quite easily afterwards.”

  Evan smiled. “Okay then.” He walked into her open arms.

  When his skin touched hers she momentarily closed her eyes and breathed in the

  scent of the man as his flesh branded hers. Heat surged through her body and she felt

  dizzy. Bloody hell. Get a grip, girl. She gulped down a lungful of air and opened her

  eyes. His gaze was locked on her. “See? I feel nothing.”

  “Really?” His hands smoothed down her back in slow caressing circles.

  It was hard not to close her eyes and give into the luxury of his hands. “Yeah.”

  Oh god…

  Evan dropped his mouth down to nuzzle her neck as his hands made their descent

  downward to cup her ass. “Still nothing?”

  “N—n-nope.” Uh-oh.

  One of his hands moved up to her breast, his fingers toying with her nipple.

  “You’re lying, Cassie.”

  Cassie. Double oh god. “I am not.” Yet she knew she was pressing herself against

  him.

  “Are too.” His fingers dropped down to bury themselves inside the cleft between

  her legs.

  Oh fuck. That’s bad. Real bad. “Don’t…”

  “Why not,” he breathed against her lips.

  Cass closed her eyes for a moment. “Because…”

  “You’re wet.”

  Her eyes opened on his. Cass licked her lips. This was backfiring at a rapid pace.

  “Okay, that’ll do. Point proved.”

  Evan laughed at this. “What point? That you’re horny and fighting it? That

  you’re attracted to me but you don’t want to admit it? I want you, Cassie. I’m not

  ashamed to say it.”

  She could feel how much he wanted her. His dick was prodding against her

  stomach. “Evan—”

  “When was the last time you had sex?”

  “None of your business.” She barely knew this naked man in her arms. Oh…

  right. He’s naked. This was probably a bad idea.

  “I’m making it my business.”

  “Last week.”

  “Liar.” Evan kissed her nose.

  Okay, that was sweet. “Last month.”

  “More lies.” He kissed her cheek.”

  Oh… “Okay, a while.” Evan kissed her other cheek. She closed her eyes and

  inhaled the scent of the man.

  “Cassie—”

  “Fine. My supposed boyfriend went off and got himself engaged to another

  woman.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “How?” Her eyes opened.

  “Flo and Jo told me you’re ‘Mary Poppins’ from the Cairns Post advert.”

  Great. Who else knew? “Yeah, well, I was a bit drunk when I wrote it.”

  “I loved that advert. It showed passion.” He reached up tweaked her nose. “Are

  you drunk now?”

  Dizzy. Not drunk. “No.”

  Evan’s hands settled on her waist. He started backing her towards the bed. “So

  come have sex with me and get him out of your system. If I understand you correctly,

  sex doesn’t mean much to you as it’s just a bodily reaction so us getting all bodily

  together should be okay. Right, Cassie?”

  “Right—I mean—no.” The backs of her legs hit the bed. “Besides, he’s already

  well and truly out.” Thinking about Evan being in would cause other problems.

  Evan pushed her gently onto the bed and followed her down. “Is he? Is that why

  you ran away to Mundabucka?”

  “I didn’t run.” Lordy, he feels good. “You’re heavy.”

  He lifted her hands above her head and lifted off slightly. “Ask me to get off,

  Cassie.”

  “Get off.” It sounded pathetic and half-hearted.

  “Sex is healing.” He leant down, his lips hovering an inch from her mouth.

  “Oh, yeah?” She was breathing hard, like she had run a race yet she will still and

  waiting. Oh boy, I’m in trouble.

  “Cleansing.” Evan flicked his tongue up and tasted the corner of her mouth.

  “You’re just horny.” And I like it a lot. That surprised her. While Cass acknowledged he was a sexy man, never had she thought this would happen. She

  wanted to
clear her head and be alone to think and stuff. His particular brand of stuff

  was not what she planned on.

  “Aren’t you?” His tongue licked at her lips.

  “I want—”

  “So have—”

  “I barely know you—” and stuff and oh God, I’m melting.

  Evan hovered above her. “What’s to know, Cassie? We have needs to be met and

  we’re adults. You’ve seen me naked. You’re gloriously naked now. It’s a no brainer

  what should happen next.” He nudged her thighs apart.

  Cass had to admit it didn’t take a lot of effort on his part. “Well…”

  “Sex cures what ails you.”

  Her hands went to his shoulders. “You’re very good at this.”

  “Seduction?”

  “No, corny lines.”

  Evan rolled over so she was on top of him. “Your choice.” He dropped his hands

  down on the bed. “If you want me, be honest and say so. I’ll not take an unwilling

  woman.”

  That was sweet and honorable. Cass licked her lips. “Do you want me?”

  “Possibly,” he murmured, his gaze on hers.

  “Possibly?” She bounced her body down on his. He smiled. She trembled. Bad,

  bad move, in a good way. “What sort of an answer is that?” Cass lifted up slightly

  from him, her hands on his chest. The heart beating under her hands was strong and

  true.

  Evan smiled then closed his eyes. “I’m playing hard to get.”

  She reached down with one hand and encircled his dick. She could feel the

  sudden acceleration of his heart beat. “Well, if you’re not interested.” She gave his

  shaft one gentle squeeze and started to get off him.

  His hands grabbed at her ass, holding her still. “Cassie?”

  “Yes?” That one word came out in a breathless rush. She knew what was about

  happen.

  “I would die a happy man if I could be inside you just once.” His fingers slid

  down into the cleft of her ass and towards her vagina.

  Cassie lifted her fingers and gently slid back one of Evan’s eyelids. “Do these

  lines of yours actually work on women?” She jumped when one long finger touched

  her clit.

  His eyes opened. “You’re wet. That’s proof that the line works.”

  Yes, she was. It surprised her. Sex had been average with Wade. It was not how

  she had imagined it to be. Before Wade, she’d had okay sex. Being in love, as she