The Holly Project

by KA Sterritt

  I just nodded, unable to form words.

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” He kissed me again. The sparks already raging through my body were set alight. I thought I might spontaneously combust.

  “Okay,” I croaked as he pulled back and smiled at me. I stumbled ungracefully backwards, bumping into the door of the cab. Cringing, I composed myself, then opened the door and tried to climb in with poise. Seriously…

  As the cab pulled away, I glanced out the window and gave Ryan a small wave. He held his hand up and smiled. I really liked him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I had lived my life with a dogged determination to succeed as an architect, following in my mother’s footsteps. I had also made a conscious decision to take the opposite road to her when it came to love. Her career led to beautiful buildings and timeless structures. Her death led to a crumbling mess of despair. I could control my career and I could minimise the collateral damage if I suffered the same fate as my mother, and those before her.

  My dad lived with a grief he would never overcome. The only thing that had ever made any real sense to me was to stay emotionally detached from men and to focus on my career instead. It had worked perfectly – until now. Until Ryan. This man, who on paper was a complete disaster for me, was making me feel things I’d never felt before. It was truly frightening because it threatened both paths. Yet I found the lack of control strangely exhilarating.

  I reached for my journal, suddenly compelled to write in it for the first time in almost a decade.

  The words flowed easily and I was struck by how cathartic it was. Emotionally drained, I must have fallen asleep mid-sentence. When I woke, I was shocked to see it was two in the morning. My journal was on the floor and my pen was making an inky mess on my bedspread. Great. I ignored the mess and went back to sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next two days at work passed quickly. I didn’t see a lot of Ryan, but whenever he was in the office, I was fiercely aware of his presence. He drove me to and from work both days. When he dropped me home on Thursday night, he said he’d pick me up at nine the next morning. Other than a kiss on the cheek, he hadn’t made another move to kiss me again. I knew he was giving me time to make a clear decision.

  Sam, the guy from the club, texted me a few times and asked if we could catch up again on Saturday night. I told him I was too busy. It wasn’t a lie – I was flat out trying to work out what the hell I was doing with Ryan Davenport.

  True to his word, Ryan was waiting for me at nine sharp the next morning. When I walked out of my apartment building, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of him leaning back against his sleek Aston Martin Vantage – my new favourite car. As he stalked towards me, the exhilaration I felt was confronting.

  “Hi,” he said in a soothing voice, despite looking like a predator about to go in for the kill. Suddenly, I felt like a zebra facing off with a lion. I needed to snap out of it. Be the lioness, not the freaking zebra, Holly… you are not his prey!

  “Hi,” I squeaked. Freaking zebra…

  Ryan was a seriously good driver. I enjoyed watching him as he expertly navigated the Sydney traffic. I imagined his brain assessing the combined horse power of the cars ahead to decide which lane to take - I found that sexy. Soon we were pulling up out the front of a luxury apartment building in Rose Bay.

  “This is my parents’ place. I just need to pop up and see Dad quickly before we go. Do you mind?”

  Are you kidding me? I’m not meeting your dad!

  “No, not at all,” I replied.

  The door to the apartment was open when we got there and a male voice called out to us from the kitchen. I felt incredibly awkward, but I decided to pretend I was someone else and just go with it.

  A man who was unmistakably Ryan’s dad appeared in the lounge room. He had the same intimidating stature as Ryan and their eyes were almost identical. The silver hair gave him a distinguished look. There was no doubt he was a handsome man, especially for his age, which I guessed was around sixty.

  “Hello, son.” He shook Ryan’s hand but was looking at me. “Who is this stunning beauty?”

  “Dad, this is Holly Ashton. She’s my architect for the Aqua Vue project. Holly, meet my dad, Daniel Davenport.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Holly.” He unashamedly looked me up and down, making me very uncomfortable.

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Mr Davenport,” I lied, and took a step back. I could have sworn I smelled alcohol on his breath.

  “Please, call me Daniel.”

  “Holly, do you mind waiting here a minute? I just need to talk to Dad about a few things in private, and then we’ll be off.” I could tell Ryan was uncomfortable with his dad’s flirtation. I was relieved he was taking him to another room.

  “Make yourself at home.” Daniel winked at me as he left the room. Ugh.

  I wandered around the expansive lounge area picking up various knick knacks. There were a lot of knick-knacks – to the point of clutter. Every surface had something on it, but there was no real theme or thought given to colour or proportion. Daniel certainly didn’t strike me as the knick-knack type, so I had to assume it was Mrs Davenport’s doing. To each their own, I thought to myself as I noticed a row of framed photos on the bookshelf.

  I loved looking at other people’s photos, especially people I don’t know; the shameless voyeur in me was always drawn to them. There were various photos of kids at the beach, happy snaps at the top of the Empire State Building, graduation ceremonies and so forth. Ryan obviously had a sister, as she featured in all the family photos. I was really starting to think I’d had him pegged when I played my ‘imagine-their-life’ game in the café. He really should have been more impressed with my mad skills.

  “Ready to go?” Ryan asked, jolting me from my reverie.

  “Yes.” I looked at Daniel sheepishly. “Sorry, I hope you don’t think I was snooping looking at your photos. I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Not at all. You’re welcome to come back anytime, with or without my son.” He winked at me.

  Ugh.

  Ryan cleared his throat and took my hand protectively.

  “Don’t forget to go to that meeting, okay? Call me if you need anything,” Ryan said to his father, patting him on the back.

  “Have fun, kids,” Daniel said, closing the door behind us.

  “Sorry about that, Holly,” Ryan said as we exited the building. “Let’s go. We’ll leave the car here and walk down to the marina.”

  “Are we going by boat?” I asked, realising it was a stupid question, given the marina in front of us.

  “Of sorts,” he replied cryptically. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights?”

  “No, but I’m pretty sure heights aren’t an issue at sea level.”

  I was rewarded with his sexy grin.

  “This way,” he said, guiding me further along the jetty, where hundreds of beautiful yachts and power boats were moored.

  I was about to quiz him further when I noticed the seaplane moored to the end of the dock. I suddenly understood what he meant.

  “Oh my God,” I exclaimed, giddy with excitement. “Is this how you treat all your employees?”

  “Not a chance.” His laugh was contagious.

  “Good morning, Mr Davenport, Ms Ashton.”

  “Good morning, Gary,” Ryan replied, shaking hands with the pilot, who then helped me aboard. We were both set up with headphones. Taking off on Rose Bay and soaring up over Sydney Harbour, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience.

  Ryan seemed to delight in my constant gasps as I pointed out a million different things. He knew from my presentation that I loved seeing things from new angles. I couldn’t help wondering if that was a factor in his choice of lunch destination. My heart warmed at the thought. The diagonally placed ceramic tiles covering the Opera House glistened in the sunlight and I revelled in the beauty of my city.

  Nowhere in the world compared to Sydney.
I was fiercely defensive of it, and of Australia in general. Passing over the heads, we flew towards the northern beaches, then headed up the Hawkesbury River. I had no idea where our destination was. At that moment, I simply didn’t care. I was having the time of my life, and I wanted to enjoy every second of it.

  Gary expertly landed the seaplane on the slightly choppy waters of the Hawkesbury, then slowly powered over to a private jetty where we disembarked. Despite only being a twenty minute flight from the city, the surroundings couldn’t have been more different to those we left. The humble-looking restaurant was nestled into a hilly backdrop. A row of palm trees lined the shore. With no roads or alternate access points, the only way here was clearly by boat or air. It was truly serene.

  Chapter Sixteen

  We were greeted by a beautiful girl who looked to be around my age. Shoulder-length blonde hair framed her fine features and pale green eyes. She looked like one of those athletic models from the surf wear ads.

  “Hey, Gem,” Ryan greeted her with a familiar hug. “This is my friend, Holly.”

  He turned to me. “Holly, this is Gemma. Her parents own the Hummingbird. She went to school with my sister, Aspen.”

  As we walked along the jetty, Ryan and Gemma chatted casually. They obviously knew each other well. Gemma ushered us towards the outdoor tables, where a waiter immediately welcomed us with cocktails.

  “Let me know if you need anything, Ryan,” Gemma said, smiling warmly. “Nice to meet you, Holly.” She disappeared.

  He handed me a cocktail, then held his up to make a toast.

  “To chance encounters.”

  “Chance encounters,” I repeated, looking him dead in the eye as we chinked glasses.

  He broke my gaze and stared out towards the water, taking a long sip of his drink. He appeared to be giving something a great deal of thought.

  “I’ve got to head back to London soon for an important investor meeting.”

  The prospect of him being out of the country stirred an emotion in me I wasn’t yet willing to confront.

  “Do you spend much time in London?” I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

  “Five years ago, I moved over there to open a London office. A few months turned into a few years. I now alternate between Sydney and London. It just depends on where the business needs me most. I love London, but Sydney is my home.”

  “That’s great. I mean… I love London too. I’ve only ever been once, on a holiday with my family. A lot of my friends spent a gap year there between school and university, but I was so focused on being an architect, I didn’t want to waste any time. In hindsight, I wish I’d travelled more.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being focused on what you want, Holly.” Ryan was now looking at me intently. “You just have to find a balance. You might find things you didn’t even know you wanted.”

  Glancing out at the tranquil view, I tried to reconcile my turbulent emotions.

  “Let’s go inside and get some lunch.” He took hold of my hand and squeezed it gently.

  As we walked past a giant chessboard, the irony wasn’t lost on me. Until I met Ryan, my life had been safe and predictable. I was completely in control of my emotions – mainly because I kept them safely locked away. Now I felt like a pawn, vulnerable to being taken out by a more powerful force.

  Lunch was an incredible seven courses of gastronomic delights, intensified by matching wines. We chatted effortlessly about architecture and construction.

  “Can I ask you something personal, Holly?” Ryan asked, looking me directly in the eye.

  “Um, well, that depends on what it is,” I answered coyly.

  “Right,” he said, smirking. “Well I’ll ask anyway. Is there a reason you’re not interested in serious relationships?”

  His loaded question wiped the smile off my smug face.

  “Why are you asking me that?”

  “Classic deflection technique. Try again.” He folded his arms across his broad chest and leant back in his seat, smiling.

  “I’ve already told you. My career is really important to me. I want to focus on doing the best job possible for you. The lines are already blurred… It’s just too risky.” That was honest. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

  “I’ve only known you a week, but I think there’s more to it. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot here. I’m just interested in your reasons.”

  “Do you want to tell me your reasons?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  “Not really.” He paused for a few seconds. “I’m more accustomed to women who want more than I’m willing to give. And yet, with you…”

  “With me… What?”

  “With you… Well, let’s just say I’ve never been so attracted to a woman before. I think about fucking you all the time.”

  My mind went blank. Well, that’s not entirely true. My mind went directly to graphic images of Ryan’s gloriously naked body pressed up against mine, doing unspeakable things to my willing body. No shock there.

  Before my brain got a chance to override my dirty thoughts, the waiter suggested we take our coffee at one of the outside tables. Perfect timing!

  The late afternoon sun was starting its descent over the eucalypt-covered hill behind the restaurant. It was getting colder and the light was fading fast. We sat down at one of the outdoor table settings as our coffees arrived.

  “Thank you so much for lunch.” I sipped my cappuccino gratefully, trying not to be awkward.

  “You’re very welcome, Ms Ashton.” He chuckled as he sipped on his own coffee.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I just told you I want to fuck you and you’re in professional mode.”

  “Jesus Christ, Ryan. I have no idea what I’m doing here. Can you cut me some slack?”

  He stood up and reached for my hand. “Come on. It’s time for a tour.”

  When I stood up, he pulled me close. Our faces were inches apart. My breath hitched and my face flushed. My traitorous body leaned in towards him. Overruling it, I took a step back and headed for the path leading to the private beach. As I walked away, I took some composing deep breaths.

  Ryan caught up to me and grabbed my hand. I let him hold it as we walked the rest of the way to the sand. Why does it feel so natural to be holding hands?

  As we turned the corner at the end of the path, five stunning riverfront apartments came into view. My architect’s brain immediately kicked in.

  “Wow.” The apartments were gorgeous, blending seamlessly into the tree-covered hill behind them.

  Ryan pulled a key from his pocket when we got to the last one. “This is ours for the night, if you feel comfortable staying. No pressure.”

  After unlocking the door, he stood back so I could enter, pressing his hand lightly on my lower back. I hated how much I loved the intimate gesture. Part of me just wanted to find the bedroom and ravage him immediately.

  The unit epitomised understated luxury with a homely charm. The scent of fresh flowers mingled with the salty air from the river was an intoxicating blend. It made me feel a little light-headed. The architect in me appreciated the clean lines and sympathetic use of materials, which seemed to welcome the outside surrounds. The latest in sustainable technology had been employed wherever possible. I had already noted the rainwater tanks and solar panels on the other units. The layout made the most of cross-ventilation and the year-round sun. It was exactly the type of design I had described in my presentation, and I was thrilled to see such a beautiful example of sustainability in this incredible location.

  “I love it, Ryan.” I couldn’t contain my grin. “Shall we check out the upstairs?” I willed my face not to turn crimson at my forwardness.

  “After you.” As I had suspected, upstairs we found the king-size bedroom with adjoining ensuite. The bedroom had glass sliding doors leading onto a balcony with uninterrupted views of the river.

  “This is almost exactly how I had envisaged the Aqua Vue ap
artments.” I felt elated.

  Ryan nodded, smiling. “I know.”

  The evening mist rolled in across the river, making for a spectacular, yet eerie sight. Standing on the balcony, leaning against the railing, I was completely mesmerised by the water. Ryan slipped away and returned with two glasses of red wine.

  “Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr Davenport?” I asked in what I hoped was my sexy voice.

  “Not at all, Ms Ashton.” He gently grazed the back of his hand across my slightly flushed cheeks. “You are so very beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered, forgetting about the water. The view I had right in front of me was so much better.

  I couldn’t stop staring at his perfectly shaped lips as they caressed the wine glass.

  Without a word, he took my glass and put it on the table, along with his own. Placing his hands on either side of my face, he looked me directly in the eyes, our lips inches apart. “I’ve wanted you every second of every day since we met.”

  I was a goner. Ryan Davenport was consuming my thoughts and I wanted to lose myself completely in his body and his mind. Suppressing the distant alarm bells, I closed the gap between us. When our lips collided, the anticipated fireworks erupted – catherine wheels and rockets exploded behind my eyes in bursts of colour and light. Small groans escaped from both of us. Ryan’s arms quickly enveloped me, pulling my hips into him. His erection was clearly evident as my body pressed greedily against his. It was the most erotic kiss I’d ever experienced, and I was damned if it was going to end there. I had crossed the line – I wasn’t stopping now. He had cleverly let me make the first move, but when I started to pull at his shirt, he grabbed my hands, immediately halting my one-track mind.

  “Are you having second thoughts?” I asked, irritated that he had ruined my bliss.

  Ryan’s arms immediately pulled me closer. He kissed my neck, then whispered in my ear, “I want you more than I want to breathe.”

  I pulled out of his arms so I could look at him. “I can’t overthink this, okay? This is just sex. Nothing more, nothing less.”