Just for Now: Escape to New Zealand Book Three

by Rosalind James

  “Nothing that sounds better than that,” she sighed. “But do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “Do you mean, will we jump each other if we’re alone together? That’s what I’m counting on. At least, I plan to jump you. Whether you reciprocate . . . well, that’s up to you. But that’s my game plan. Since we’re sharing.”

  “I’m working for you, though. This time was one thing. And I’m not sorry. But we shouldn’t do this again.”

  “Why not?” he challenged. “You’re on holiday. Nothing to do with working for me. We can go away, if that helps. Because I bloody well need to do it again. And I think you do too.”

  “And what about after that? I don’t want the kids to know. It wouldn’t be fair to confuse them. It wouldn’t be right, or doing my job. Anyway, sleeping with your kids’ nanny? Isn’t that kind of a classic? And not in a good way.”

  He pulled her down to him to kiss her. “If you’re married to the kids’ mum. Which I’m not. Or looking for a bit extra on the side. That’s not me. We can’t help that this is how we got to know each other. And if you want to stop, you can tell me. We just have to keep the two things separate in our minds. There’s the job, and there’s us. The kids, and me. Separate. Easy as.”

  She laughed reluctantly. “You’re very persuasive. But nothing in front of the kids. Not while I’m staying in the house.”

  “Done,” he agreed. “Now let’s get dressed, get back to this party. You’ve got a just-been-done look about you, and I want to dance with you and watch you, and know I did that. And that I’ll be doing it again tomorrow.”

  “Finn!” she laughed. “If I really look like that, I’m not going down there.”

  “No worries.” He kissed her again, then gave her a slap on the bottom. “Long as you only dance with me.”

  They stepped off the elevator, sedate again now. If Jenna’s hair wasn’t quite as smooth as it had been an hour or two earlier, that was understandable. And if his own shirt was a bit wrinkled, well, that was what the jacket was for, wasn’t it?

  Finn saw a group of his younger cousins standing in the hallway near the ballroom, Sean amongst them, and groaned inwardly.

  “Go on ahead of me,” he told Jenna. “I’ll follow along in a minute or two. Less conspicuous.”

  She nodded, said a pleasant hello as she passed the men, and disappeared into the ballroom. Finn strolled up to his cousins, saw that Sean was even further gone than he’d been at dinner. No surprise.

  “Evening, boys. Enjoying yourselves?”

  “You’re already having a bit of that, eh,” Sean challenged, jerking his head in the direction Jenna had gone. “Should’ve guessed you’d be in there before the rest of us could have a go.”

  Sean never even saw the hand that shot out, pinned him to the wall.

  “Shut yer gate, ya little scunge,” Finn snarled as his cousin choked beneath his hand.

  “Finn.” Liam had his own hands on Finn now, pulling him off, voice urgent. “Don’t be bloody stupid. It’s not worth it. He’s full as a tick anyway. Pull your head in, mate.”

  Jesse weighed in. “Hurt him, and you’ll be suspended. Not good for your kids.”

  Finn loosened his grip, continued to glare as Sean gulped in lungsful of air. “And that’s the only reason I’m letting you go. That, and because Jenna doesn’t need the publicity either. But I’ve had a gutsful of you. If I hear you saying anything like that again—if I even hear that you said it to somebody else—I’ll be doing you over, and no beg pardons. Suspension or no.”

  Sean nodded, staggering a bit, raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Not saying anything,” he agreed hoarsely.

  “Get this arsehole out of here if you want to keep me out of trouble,” Finn told Jesse and Liam with disgust. “I don’t want to see him again tonight.”

  He could stop Sean from saying anything, he realized as he stalked into the ballroom. But he couldn’t stop what other people would be thinking if they saw him with Jenna the way his family had tonight. They were going to have to be more discreet from here on out. For her sake.

  Chapter 21

  “Got everything you need?” Finn asked his mother the following morning. “I’ll have my mobile on. You can call me anytime.”

  “No worries,” Maureen assured him. “We’re going to have heaps of adventures, aren’t we, kids? Go on, now.” She reached up and pulled her son down from his considerable height for a hug and kiss.

  “It was good to meet you too, Jenna,” she added, giving Jenna her own kiss. “Have a safe trip, and a good holiday.”

  “Sure you don’t want me to give you a lift to the airport, Jenna?” Sarah asked helpfully, watching with interest from one of the lobby’s big chairs as Finn gave each child a final kiss goodbye. “I thought your flight was leaving after Finn’s. Do you really want to hang about in the airport all that time?”

  “Ah . . .” Jenna looked to Finn in confusion.

  He straightened up and looked at his sister. “I need to have a bit of a talk with Jenna. This past week was pretty busy. Plans to make.”

  “I see.” Sarah was smiling now. “Plans.” She got up to give Jenna a warm hug. “Enjoy your holiday. Hope you have heaps of adventures yourself. See you next week.”

  Finally, the taxi was pulling away from the hotel. Jenna gave one last wave at the kids out the rear window, then settled back with a sigh. “I have a feeling Sarah knows.”

  “She’s not a gossip. She’ll tell Kieran, that’s all. But I don’t want to think about my sister just now. I have some other things in mind. Those plans we need to talk about.”

  She made a face at him, indicating the taxi driver with her head, and Finn laughed. “For now, though, I’ll hold your hand. How would that be? Discreet enough for you?”

  They had to forego even that simple contact when they reached the airport. As always, Finn spent a few minutes having his picture taken with fans of all ages, signing autographs, and generally showing his most pleasant face. Finally, though, they were sitting at a table in another Koru Lounge, having a coffee while they awaited their flight.

  “Now I see why these lounges are necessary,” Jenna commented, “after a couple trips with you. It’s not just about the VIP treatment. Does all that happen every time?”

  He shrugged. “I’ll wear a hat and sunnies sometimes. That helps a bit. But I’m tall enough that I’m usually recognized eventually. With me, it’s mostly the young kids, the rugby-mad ones. I don’t get the mob scene that some of the boys do, specially the backs. Reckon forwards aren’t flash enough. And I’m not one of the lookers.” He smiled at her protest. “No worries. Just as glad not to draw the crowds.”

  “But if they recognize you, you have to pose with them, sign autographs?” she asked. “Believe me, no U.S. athlete would do half as much of that as you do. They charge for autographs, you know. If they sign them at all.”

  He laughed. “Like to see the response to that idea here. You can’t be a tall poppy, specially as a senior player, setting an example for the younger boys. You’re an All Black 24/7, on and off the field. If you aren’t willing to live that way, you aren’t worthy of putting on the black jersey. Because it’s not really about us. It’s all about the jersey.”

  “Except that you’re the one doing all that work,” she pointed out. “It’s not the jersey signing those autographs.”

  “Which I’m well compensated for. You won’t hear me whingeing about my hard luck,” he told her firmly. “Anybody’d want to be where I am. Specially where I am just now.”

  He took her hand again under the table, threaded his fingers through hers. “Not to mention where I’m going to be in a few hours.”

  Jenna woke, confused for a moment by the sloping shape of the ceiling overhead. She was in Finn’s bed, she realized as she came to full consciousness, pulled herself up against the massive headboard. Naked. And alone.

  She got out of bed, looked for her clothes. Nothing. Downstairs, she remembere
d at last. They’d finally got up the evening before to go out to the pub for dinner. And he’d started undressing her again at the front door. She flushed at the recollection.

  She was in the hallway, headed for her room, when Finn appeared, fully dressed in T-shirt and jeans, at the kitchen doorway. He looked her up and down with a smile. “Wearing my favorite outfit, I see. That’s the thing I appreciate most about you, I’ve decided. How you give me exactly what I want.”

  “Somebody took off my clothes last night,” she reminded him. “And failed to collect them for me this morning when he got up.”

  “Oi. I’ve been busy.”

  “Doing what?” She shivered. “Sorry, but I’m freezing. I need my dressing gown.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her up on tiptoes to kiss her, his hands reaching under her bottom to hold her against him. “Let me warm you up,” he suggested.

  “Mmm.” She snuggled against him. “You are warm.”

  “I’d warm you up some more,” he said, reluctantly letting her go, “but I really have been busy. And I want to tell you about it. Go put your dressing gown on, come have a cup of tea.”

  “OK,” she told him, pulling her sash tight as she came into the kitchen, took the mug of tea he held out. “What’s this mysterious activity?” She sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “I know I slept in, but I was up late last night, for some reason. Did you go somewhere already?”

  “Did a bit of research, made some bookings,” he told her, taking his own seat. “Decided I’m taking you away for the rest of the week. I don’t want you thinking about anything you have to do. Other than pleasing me.”

  Another rush of heat filled her at his words. “Where are we going?”

  “The Far North. Warmest I can get, with just a few days for it. I’ve booked a bach outside Mangonui, on Doubtless Bay. A few days with the dolphins, a bit of time on the beach. Not many people there, this time of year. We’ll have it to ourselves.”

  “Sounds great. I’ve never been.”

  “You’ve never been a fair few places,” he pointed out. “For someone who’s lived in En Zed all these years. Never been to Doubtless Bay, or to Dunedin. Or much of the South Island at all, from what I can tell.”

  “You’re right. Jeremy was more . . . urban. He liked to travel to Sydney, Thailand. Places like that. And he didn’t always want me to go with him.”

  He snorted. “Three guesses why not. Well, I’m not urban. And I do want you with me.”

  “Both things I’m thrilled about, trust me,” she assured him. “I just want to spend time with you. But if I can do it at the beach, hey, bonus.”

  “The water’s a bit warmer there, but we’ll stop by the surf shop in Takapuna all the same, get you a wetsuit and a snorkel. Since I have a bad feeling I won’t be able to keep you in bed the entire time.”

  “Most of the time, though.” She took another sip of tea and smiled at him, reached out to run a hand over his bicep, feeling it flex at her touch. “I have a lot of catching up to do, I’ve decided. A lot to learn. And you’re an amazingly good teacher.”

  He stood up. “Get your skates on, then. Pack your cossie, a few clothes, and we’ll go. We’ll have brekkie at the café on the way. Because if you keep saying those things, we aren’t going to be leaving this morning after all.”

  “I have to say,” she sighed two evenings later as they lay in the spa pool on the deck of their bach, the Southern Cross and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere constellations in a dizzying array overhead, stars bright against the black night. “This has to be the most . . . physical period of time I’ve ever spent in my life. Nothing but eating, sleeping, swimming, and . . .”

  “And making love,” he agreed. “Welcome to my physical world. You’ve slipped up and done a bit of reading, though. I’ve noticed.”

  “Otherwise, I’m going to turn into some kind of mindless zombie,” she argued.

  “Hmm.” She could see his teeth flash in the darkness as he moved to pull her closer. “I’ve always wanted my own zombie.”

  “You said I was your android before,” she reminded him, sighing as he ran warm hands over her body, his hands lingering on her breasts. “Make up your mind.”

  “Reckon you’re mine, whatever it is you are,” he decided, pulling her onto him.

  “I’m so crazy about you,” she said breathlessly, feeling his hands guiding her, the warm water bubbling around them. “I’m afraid I am becoming one of those things.”

  “Keep moving like that,” he instructed. “That’s really good.” He moved his hand between them. “I’m going to touch you here. Tell me what you want. Harder, softer. Tell me. Move my hand, show me.”

  “You don’t mind?” she got out, breathing hard now at the feeling of him inside her, his big hand on her. She leaned back, allowing him better access, felt the excitement begin to build.

  “Tell me,” he commanded. “Or show me.”

  She reached down, laid her hand over his, showed him what she needed. “There,” she sighed. “Oh, Finn.”

  She was barely managing to move now as he found the perfect spot. She felt him taking her up as he stayed there for long minutes, kissing her, murmuring words of encouragement, his hand stroking, the heat building higher and higher within her. Her breath came in panting gasps as she forgot to worry about him, about whether he was enjoying himself enough. The bands within twisted tighter and tighter until, at last, they released in a series of convulsions that had her sobbing against him.

  He held her hard now, moved her limp body over him, drove into her as she clung to him. Called out as he found his own release. Held her afterwards while she curled against him, languid and boneless, stretching her neck to allow him better access as he kissed her there. Felt her shiver as he ran his hand over a breast.

  “That really didn’t bother you?” she murmured.

  He chuckled softly against her hair. “Did I seem bothered?”

  “I mean, my . . . showing you?”

  “Aw, Jenna.” He bent down to kiss her, long and sweet. “Do you know how good it feels to me when you’re that excited? When you’re coming, and I’m inside you?”

  “It does?”

  “It does,” he assured her. “Whatever gets you there, that’s what I’m going to do. And I need to know what that is, so I can do it. I’m always going to want to know. And if that’s my hand, or your hand . . .” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s all good.”

  “Mine?” she faltered. “Really?”

  He laughed aloud. “Do you have any idea how hot that is? How much I’d like to stand there, watch you do that? Especially if you didn’t know I was there. Making me hot again just thinking about it. You may have to put on a show for me, now I’ve thought of it. Because after that . . .” he sighed. “After that, I’ll be turning you up, down, every way there is. Oh yeh. That’ll work.”

  He kissed her again, lingering over it. “You turn me on. You always have, and it just keeps getting stronger. Your gorgeous body. The sounds you make, the way your eyes glaze over when I come inside you. Thinking about what I’m going to do next time, how it’s going to feel. Wondering how far I can go, how much I can push you before you tell me no. That’s the only mental exercise I’ve been getting, this week. And it’s keeping me occupied.”

  “The answer is,” she said against his chest. “The answer is, as far as you want. Anything you want to do, I’m willing to try. As long as you don’t hurt me. And there’s no livestock involved. Or other people.”

  “No livestock. And nobody else. The last thing I’d do is to share you, or to hurt you. But cheers for the green light. You’ve just given me something to think about, the whole drive home tomorrow.”

  She sighed. “Yeah. Going back. I’ll be glad to see the kids. But so sorry to leave this place.”

  “We can come back,” he promised. “Another time.”

  “And now.” He got up, pulled her out behind him, handed her a towel. “We’re
going to go inside, take a shower to wash off this chlorine. Sleep for a bit. Till I wake you up because I need to do it again.”

  Chapter 22

  “Dad!” Finn received the full force of Harry’s hug as the boy charged through the security gate and into his arms. Finn gathered Sophie in as well, then kissed Sarah hello, shook hands with Kieran.

  “Good to see you both. Thanks for bringing them up. Flight OK?” he asked as they waited for their luggage.

  Kieran laughed. “Hour and a half. Can’t complain. Nothing to what you do, bro.” He pulled a suitcase off the belt with a stocky arm. Years of working outdoors had tanned and seamed his face, making him look older than his 43 years. But the lines around his eyes and mouth were good-humored ones, and Finn counted himself lucky in his brother-in-law.

  “Those two behaved themselves, eh,” Finn asked, pulling off Harry’s and Sophie’s suitcases as well.

  “Daddy,” Sophie sighed. “We aren’t babies.”

  “Where’s Jenna?” Harry asked as they made their way to the car park. “Isn’t she back from her holiday yet?”

  “Nah, she’s home. Not enough seats in the car,” Finn pointed out. “And she’s taking the chance to get her run in before everyone arrives.”

  “Heard a lot about Jenna,” Kieran remarked from the back seat where he was wrestling with seatbelts. “From multiple sources. Can’t wait to see for myself.”

  “Oh?” Finn glanced across at his sister, who smiled back at him. “This’ll be your chance, then.”

  Harry was out of the car as soon as Finn had pulled to a stop and turned off the car, pounding up the steps ahead of the rest of them.

  “Reckon he’s in love,” Kieran commented dryly. “She must be pretty special.”

  Jenna was at the front door then, gathering Harry in for a hug, reaching for Sophie as well, laughing in delight. “Oh, how glad I am to see you two. And Sarah. I’m so glad you’re here.” She embraced the other woman, then greeted Kieran with a warm smile and a handshake. “Thanks for lending me your wife to be my date last week. I had a great time with her. I hope I can return the favor by making you comfortable for a couple days.”