by Jennifer Rae
She wasn’t sure, and nor did she want to find out.
‘No, Wills. Don’t get excited. The only person getting any action around here is you.’
‘If you say so, Ames. If you say so.’
Amy could hear the smirk in her friend’s voice but it was the truth—more or less. Disappointing though that was...
CHAPTER FIVE
Luke’s name isn’t on the door.
THE TEXT MESSAGE flashed on Amy’s phone. Damn. She’d thought Willa had gone off the idea of inviting Luke. Clearly she hadn’t, and now they were here and she couldn’t just turn him away. Although that was exactly what she felt like doing. Particularly since the jerk still hadn’t called.
Amy avoided Luke’s eyes when she met them at the door. Instead, she spoke only to Willa.
‘I thought you weren’t bringing him.’
Amy knew she was being rude. Talking about Luke while he was standing there. Tall, strong, and with the fierce look on his face that had used to make her melt. But she wouldn’t melt this time. She was no silly teenager any more. She was no one’s slap and tickle. He should have called.
‘Trust me—I didn’t want to come.’
Amy looked at his eyes then. What did that mean? Did he regret the kiss? Did he not want to see her? Well, two could play that game.
‘No one’s forcing you.’
‘Fine. Good. I’ll go. Call me when you need a lift home, Willa.’
‘No!’ Willa grabbed his arm as he made to turn. ‘No, Luke. You’re coming in and you’re having a wonderful time.’
Luke didn’t look happy but he stalked in—all darkness and clouds.
‘Be nice!’ Willa hissed to Amy as soon as he was out of earshot.
‘I’m all rainbows and lollipops, Willa. It’s your stupid brother who’s got an attitude.’
‘I know. He’s had a bad day. But please try and be nice. For me.’
For Willa. Amy would do anything for Willa. And she wasn’t exactly angry at Luke—just confused. What was wrong? Why was he being so damn rude?
The nightclub was clearly the current ‘in’ place to be in Sydney. Every B-grade celebrity had shown up, and Amy made her way around almost all of them. Her bosses would be even more in love with her when they found out about the publicity opportunities she was organising.
As the champagne flowed and the party bubbled along Amy managed to rack up event attendances, product endorsements, and even convinced a local TV presenter with massive boobs to bring her successful travel show to the hotel chain she was managing.
The night was going well, and Amy was getting what she needed—a temporary high. Except every time she glimpsed Luke her high left her. He wasn’t looking at her, or talking to her, and every minute of neglect from him was making her blood burn.
‘Amy McCarthy, your tits look amazing in that top!’
Matthew Davey. The biggest sleaze on the Sydney party circuit. He hit on everything that moved and had been pestering Amy for a date since she’d moved there.
‘Matthew. You’re...here.’
Normally Amy would turn on the charm. Matthew may be the biggest knob in the entire universe, but he had a super-successful health food supplement business and was currently in the market for a new PR agency. But there was something about Matthew that Amy didn’t like. A certain way he’d look at her or accidentally touch her that made her skin crawl.
‘Yes, I’m here. Have you been waiting for me?’
Amy didn’t smile. ‘Sure. Have you got a drink?’
His glass was full but she was more than happy to go away and find him another one. And then maybe ‘accidentally’ get lost on the way back.
‘Yeah, I’m good, babe. Did you get my text the other day?’
She had.
The grassy knoll. One p.m. Saturday. Be there.
Amy had ignored it. Sitting amongst Sydney’s most unbearable hipsters and putting up with Matthew on a hot, sticky afternoon sounded like her version of hell.
‘Yeah, I couldn’t make it—work, you know. It’s hectic!’ She raised her glass and sipped, looking away to see whose eye she could meet.
Where the hell was Willa? She’d get her out of this in the flick of an eyelash.
‘You work too hard, babe. Listen—there’s something I want to discuss with you. I’ve made my decision on who I’m going to go with for my account.’
‘Mmm?’ Please not me, please not me. Amy sipped her champagne again.
Matthew stepped closer. His aftershave wafted around her. It was a nice scent, but for some reason on him it just smelled cheap and nasty.
Matthew lifted a hand and gripped the upper part of Amy’s arm. He was squeezing too tightly and it hurt. A searing heat ran through her. She schooled her breathing, turned her head to look at his hand, raised one eyebrow and looked him square in the face.
‘Matthew, I don’t know who you’re going with for your account, and frankly I don’t care. But if you don’t take your hand off me you’re going to wake up tomorrow with the blackest pair of balls known to man.’
‘Oooh!’ Matthew smiled, not removing his hand and moving in closer. ‘Kinky. I like that.’
‘What’s going on here?’ Luke’s gruff voice broke into the space.
‘What?’ Matthew let go and snarled at Luke. ‘Who are you?’
‘Never mind who I am. I think it’s time you left.’
‘Why?’ Matthew drew himself up. He was tall—almost as tall as Luke—but nowhere near as thickset. ‘Go away, mate.’
Luke stepped deliberately in front of Amy, blocking her view and meeting Matthew’s eyes. ‘I said, leave.’
‘Okay, okay, okay...’ Amy shoved herself in front of Luke. ‘I think that’s enough, Luke—everything’s fine here.’
‘You stay out of this, Amy.’
Luke’s brutal, patronising words made Amy’s body buzz. She understood what he was doing. She knew he was trying to help her. But she’d been helping herself for these past eight years. The last time he saw her she might have been a pathetic teenager who made stupid mistakes and got herself into bad situations but that had been a long time ago. She’d learned to be more cautious. She’d learned to trust her instincts. She’d learned to stick up for herself and she didn’t need him busting in, trying to be the hero.
‘I won’t stay out of this, Luke. I’m handling it.’
‘It’s all right, Amy, I’ve got this.’
He glanced at her and she saw the flash of green in his eyes. He was angry. But Matthew hadn’t done anything really wrong. He was obnoxious and annoying, but she’d already let him know his attentions weren’t welcome.
‘No, I’ve got this.’ Amy turned to Matthew. ‘Go away, Matthew.’
Matthew’s eyes opened wide, as did his mouth. But he didn’t say anything. He just threw Luke another dramatic look and left.
‘You’re lucky I was here.’
Amy turned back to Luke, her own face as shocked as Matthew’s. ‘Lucky? Why am I lucky? I had the situation under control.’
‘You’re not known for having situations under control, Amy.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I was just trying to help.’
‘No, you were trying to interfere. You stepped in without asking and just assumed I’m some idiot who can’t control my own life.’
‘That’s not what I did, Amy. You were having trouble with that loser, so I stepped in before anything got any worse...’
‘Oh, I see. You assume that I’m as stupid and naïve as I was eight years ago. That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t see me as anything else but a silly eighteen-year-old and you never will. The same way you see Willa. Just a stupid little girl who made a bad choice and married the wrong man all because you weren’t the
re to save her. That’s why you’re driving her crazy now. That’s why you won’t leave her alone. You’re suffocating her, Luke, and she doesn’t like it.’
Luke stared back at her, his eyes still flashing green. ‘My sister is my responsibility. And, yes, I see Willa as someone I have to look after—but not because she’s stupid and can’t take care of herself. Because I let her down. I knew she shouldn’t have married that man. I knew she was too young and he was too old for her. But I said nothing back then. Just like when—’
His eyes searched hers.
Was he talking about the night she’d been attacked? Amy flushed. She hadn’t seen Luke again after that night. She’d shed a lot of tears over what had happened, but so many more over what Luke must have thought of her. And now she knew. He thought she was silly and naïve and couldn’t take care of herself. The thought made her heart feel heavy—she didn’t want him to think like that about her.
‘There were times I let things happen that I shouldn’t have, and that was wrong. So I’m sorry if you think that my coming over here and stepping in is interfering, Amy. I’m sorry if you think I shouldn’t be the kind of man who steps in and takes action to stop the people I care about from getting hurt. But I am that man. I may not have been eight years ago—hell, I wasn’t that man a year ago—but I am going to be that man now. I don’t want to lose any more people in my life just because I sit around and wait for bad things to happen.’
Emotion rolled off him like a morning fog. His fists were clenched and he stood too close. His eyes glowed and Amy realised there was more going on with Luke than he was letting on.
He might think she was silly and always getting into trouble—he might not want her or even like her—but she knew when someone needed a friend, and from the look on Luke’s face, she knew he needed one right now.
‘Luke...’ He’d turned to go, but Amy caught his arm. ‘Luke, wait. Stop.’
He stopped and turned. ‘What?’
Amy realised now why he was all up in Willa’s grill. Because he needed to talk...about something that was bothering him. His speech about not being there for people when they needed him had been passionate and emotional, and that was so unlike him. Hard, cool and distant. That had been Luke eight years ago. Something had changed.
Eight years ago Luke had been there for her when she’d needed him. He’d been a friend in the most difficult time she’d ever experienced. And tonight Amy was going to return the favour.
‘Do you still have that crazy sweet tooth of yours?’
Amy smiled and Luke’s brow furrowed into two dents between his eyes.
‘What?’
‘Come with me, Boss. I’m going to take you to heaven.’
CHAPTER SIX
LUKE KNEW HE was probably sporting his orgasm face right now, but he couldn’t help it. He was literally in heaven. Amy had taken him to a late-night bakery called Heaven and inside he’d found cakes, slices, ice cream, macaroons and every other sweet thing his boyhood dreams had been made of.
He avoided this type of food because he knew how much he loved it and would always eat too much of it, but tonight it was just what he needed.
He’d had a bad day. The Singaporean government had brought up more issues. His manager in Singapore had been able to take care of it, but it had irritated him. He’d come to Sydney for some much needed rest, but so far he’d done nothing but stress. About the Singapore project, about Willa, and now about Amy.
He’d been thinking about her since that night. He’d tried to stop but he couldn’t. She was still that same girl he’d known all those years ago but something had changed. He couldn’t put his finger on it. She’d always been confident, but it was different now. Not a reckless wild confidence in her looks and the way she could turn men on. Now her confidence seemed more internal. As if she’d actually learned to like herself instead of always wanting to feel that attention from others.
Sure, she was still a flirt, but she seemed more in control of it now and was somehow able to turn that confidence in herself into a generosity that had him captivated. Like tonight. Instead of staying angry, as she should have when he’d stepped in and interfered, she’d seen that he was upset and left the party to make him feel better.
Luke shifted a little closer to her. Somehow, in some crazy way, that made him feel even more protective of her. He wanted to protect that good, kind heart of hers and not let anyone hurt it.
‘Good?’
Amy was smiling. Tonight she looked even better than she had before. With a slick of red on her lips that matched the fire-engine-red strapless top she had on, she looked polished and perfect. Professional with an incredibly sexy edge. He could see why she was perfect in PR. She was the ideal combination of warmth and smarts. If she hadn’t already been kicking goals and clearly happy in her job he would have tried to poach her for himself.
‘So good. You’re going to make me fat, Amy.’
She laughed, and he was reminded of old Amy. That bright laugh had used to echo across the office constantly. She didn’t laugh as much now, he noticed.
‘You’d never get fat, Luke, you’re way too disciplined for that.’
She was right about that. He made sure every hotel he built housed a well-equipped gym. Keeping his body under control was something he could do—and with his sweet tooth, it was necessary.
‘How did you remember about my sweet tooth?’
She laughed again, and he found himself moving even closer to her on the curved bench they were perched on. He licked another piece of cake off his spoon.
‘You always worked. You were always in your office, or scooting off on a golf cart to check on some problem. The only time you emerged and actually sat with us was on the days someone had a birthday and we got cake. Sometimes we made birthdays up just to lure you out.’
‘No? You didn’t!’
Amy laughed again. ‘We did once. Remember we wanted new uniforms and you didn’t have time to go through them and choose? We went and got your favourite cake—chocolate rocky road—and had all the uniforms out and ready for you.’
He didn’t remember that. But he did remember not having enough time. He’d worked hard over the years on that, and now made sure he was across everything.
‘You always were a ratbag, Lollipop.’
‘And you always were hard to deal with.’
Amy lifted her spoon to her mouth and Luke watched as she poked out her tongue to lick it clean. Long strokes, getting every last piece of cake. His body hardened. He’d tried to stay away from her. He hadn’t called or contacted her because he knew his attraction to her was wrong. And now he was reminded of why he should have stayed away tonight.
She dipped her spoon in for another piece. Her tongue came out before the spoon hit her lips and she closed her eyes as she sucked it. Luke put his cake down, his appetite gone. For food anyway.
‘I’m not hard to deal with at all.’
Amy crossed her legs and her bare knee was now pointed at him. He wanted to touch her, just rest his hand there and feel that skin again.
‘I’m a pussycat,’ he said, trying to keep his voice level.
She laughed again and he smiled, right down deep inside. He liked it when she was happy. She deserved to be happy.
Amy placed her plate on the table but kept the spoon and absently licked it. He watched her tongue go in and out, wishing like hell that she was paying that type of attention to a part of his body that was now become uncomfortably large.
She leaned forward a little and her cleavage filled the red top. Swallowing, he lifted his eyes to hers. They were dark and warm, like the caramel fudge he’d just been eating.
‘You’re no pussycat...you’re a big, unfriendly old lion. Even tonight you weren’t happy to be here.’
‘I’ve had a bad day. A
bad week. I’m sorry.’
She sucked in a breath and her breasts moved up and down. Flicking her hair back, she leaned an elbow on her knee and rested her chin on it. Her dark eyes were big and she blinked at him. He licked his lips. Hot—it was so hot in here.
‘And how about not calling me all week? Are you sorry for that?’
‘Do you want me to be?’
‘Luke, you don’t kiss someone like that and then not call them.’
‘I thought we’d agreed getting involved was a bad idea?’
‘Did I say I wanted to get involved?’
‘Well, what do you want, then?’
She moved closer, her face now level with is. Her scent met his nose and all his thoughts left his head. It was a week ago again, and this time he couldn’t blame the booze. He wanted her.
‘You. In my bed.’
‘Be careful what you wish for.’
His blood pumped. He wanted this to happen. She wanted this to happen but knew it shouldn’t. He knew that. But as her hand touched his leg he couldn’t remember why.
‘The thing is, Luke, I haven’t had sex in a long time. A very long time. I find it hard to meet men I feel comfortable enough to want to get naked with. I know you think I’m a flirt and that I’ve probably got men tied up all over town...’
Luke had visions of her on top of him, his wrists tied and her doing whatever the hell she wanted. He put down his spoon.
‘But I haven’t. And the truth is I find you incredibly sexy. And I want you. And I know this is a terrible idea, but—to be honest—I think you’d really be helping me out.’
For the first time Luke realised Amy wasn’t flirting with him. Her words were sincere. There was no fancy flattery. She was matter-of-fact, and he found himself liking it. She knew what she wanted. Sex. With him. And he realised that it was exactly what he wanted too.