‘My pleasure,’ she said softly, while her skin tingled and glowed from the contact.
When they reached his car, he opened the passenger door for her, and she was about to get in when he said, ‘Wait a minute.’
She turned and he gently touched her cheek. ‘I just wanted to tell you—you look lovely tonight.’
Her skin flamed with pleasure. ‘Thank—’
Her reply was cut off by his kiss.
Which wasn’t exactly a surprise—all night she’d been teased by memories of their other kiss.
This kiss was different and yet utterly perfect. Beyond friendly—oh, heavens, yes—but not pushy. Just slow and sexy and powerful enough to make Zoe hungry for more.
She was floating as she settled into the passenger seat, and it wasn’t till they pulled up outside her flat that she came to her senses. It was time for a polite, but hasty exit.
A kiss was one thing, but becoming more deeply involved with this man was way too risky. He might be the most attractive man she’d ever met, but tonight he’d admitted that his long-term goals were the polar opposite of hers. She wanted to settle down. He didn’t.
It was all very black and white.
‘Thanks for a lovely evening, Kent.’ Already, her fingers were reaching for the door handle.
‘Zoe, before I forget, I have something for you.’ Reaching into the back seat, Kent picked up a brown-paper packet.
‘Another gift? But you’ve given me a bracelet and a goldfish.’ She hoped this wasn’t going to be chocolates or flowers—the clichéd trappings of seduction.
‘It’s just a book,’ he said. ‘I thought it might come in handy.’
She caught the dark gleam of his eyes as he smiled at her through the darkness. A book, a nice safe book. Tilting the packet, she let it slip onto her lap. It was a hardback with a glossy cover. They weren’t parked near a streetlight, but there was just enough light for her to make out the title.
‘A book about Prague. Gosh, how thoughtful of you.’
Flipping it open, she saw beautiful, full-page coloured photographs, but the dim light couldn’t do them justice. It seemed rude not to invite Kent inside.
‘I need to make you coffee before you tackle the long drive back,’ she explained in case he got the wrong idea.
So they ended up on the sofa, poring over pictures of Prague while their mugs of coffee cooled on the low table in front of them. The pictures were gorgeous—soaring cathedrals, fairy-tale castles, steep-roofed houses, a horse and carriage in the snow …
‘It’s so old world and so very civilised,’ Zoe said.
‘I know. I couldn’t think of any place more different from Queensland.’
‘I can’t believe I’m going to see it all. I’m booked into a small hotel just around the corner from the Old Town Square.’
Kent was silent for a bit. Frowning, he said, ‘I hope you won’t be too lonely spending Christmas overseas on your own.’
Zoe wondered if he was teasing her, but he looked quite genuine, and if she was honest she was a little worried about being on her own. But now with Bella unavailable it was a matter of travelling solo, or not at all. She looked sideways to find Kent still watching her with a troubled expression.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘I’ve been doing some research, and, from what I’ve read, solo travellers have a much better chance of meeting people. There’s always someone to share a meal or a bus ride.’
‘I dare say that’s true.’ Kent picked up her hand and turned it over.
At the unexpected contact, Zoe’s breath hitched and her heart picked up pace. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m reading your palm,’ he said calmly.
She should have resisted, should have pulled her hand away, but it was already too late. She was mesmerised by his touch, by the scent of his aftershave, by the inescapable fabulousness of having him so close beside her.
Instead of protesting, she found herself playing his game. ‘And what do you see in my palm?’
His eyes sparkled. ‘Travel to far away places.’
‘Fancy that. How perceptive.’
‘And romance.’
Her palm curled instinctively. The warmth of his hands and the mellow teasing in his voice wove silken threads of longing deep inside her.
Fighting the hot urges, she challenged him. ‘I thought palm readings only told you how long you’re going to live and how many children you’ll have.’
Kent’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Is that right? I’d better take another look, then.’
OK … she really should stop this nonsense. She tried to pull her hand away, but Kent was holding her firmly.
‘Yes, of course,’ he said. ‘I can see a very long and happy life here.’ With his forefinger he traced a shiver-sweet line across the centre of her palm. ‘And a whole tribe of children.’
‘A tribe?’ Her breathlessness was caused more by his touch than his words. ‘How many children are in a tribe?’
‘Oh, I’d say around ten or eleven.’
‘Far out.’ Zoe tried to sound appalled, but she spoiled it by laughing. ‘I think you’d better give up reading palms and stick to farming.’
Sure that her face was glowing bright pink, she switched her attention back to the book, still lying in her lap. It was open at a double page, showing Prague in the soft blue light of dusk. Four beautiful, ancient bridges spanned the Vltava River, and the sky and the water and the distant hills were all the exact same shade of misty blue. Even the splashes of yellow from streetlights and windows were soft and fuzzy. So pretty.
‘Willara Downs is as lovely as this at dusk,’ she told Kent.
To her surprise, he closed the book and set it on the coffee table, then he took her hands, enclosing them in both of his. ‘Zoe, I have a confession to make.’
Her heart skidded as if she’d taken a curve too fast.
‘Would you be shocked if I told you that I fancied you before Bella and I called off the wedding?’
‘Yes.’ Of course she was shocked. Her heart was thumping so hard, she could hardly hear her own voice.
‘Believe me, I was shocked, too. But I couldn’t shut off my feelings.’
‘But you didn’t—’ She pressed a hand to her thumping heart. She was scared and excited. Confused. ‘You didn’t call off the wedding because of me.’
‘No, I didn’t.’ Smiling, Kent tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. ‘You don’t have to feel guilty. It was only afterwards that I allowed myself to think about what had been happening. By then, I realised that I fancied you like crazy.’
She closed her eyes, searching for the strength to resist him. Kent had fancied lots of girls. This wasn’t a confession of love. But even though she knew this, his words were unfurling fiery ribbons of need inside her. His touch was clouding her thoughts.
When his thumb brushed gently over her lips, she couldn’t think of anything but kissing him again, of throwing herself into his wonderful, strong arms, of climbing brazenly into his lap … the bliss of skin against skin … ‘You’re lovely,’ he whispered.
‘Kent, don’t say that.’ She dragged herself back from the magnetic pull of his touch. ‘You mustn’t. We can’t.’
‘Why can’t we?’
Remember Rodney.
But Kent was nothing like Rodney. He wasn’t up and down in his moods as Rodney had been. He’d been engaged to Bella for noble reasons and he’d been very considerate of everyone’s feelings when he’d broken that commitment. He was a man who took responsibilities seriously.
Even so, by his own confession, he still wasn’t the marrying and settling down type.
Maybe I can simply enjoy the moment?
In a few weeks she was going to Europe, and Kent knew that, so a liaison now could only be temporary. Temporary flings were safe. They couldn’t break a girl’s heart. She could look on her trip overseas as her escape route.
Besides … heaven help her, she wanted this man … wanted him to
kiss her, wanted his kiss so badly she was trembling. Every nerve in her body was quivering.
Kent dipped his head till his lips were almost touching hers. She looked into his eyes and saw the dark urgency of her longing mirrored there. A soft gasp escaped her, an embarrassing, pleading sound.
His mouth brushed hers, slow but insistent. ‘Tell me why this is wrong,’ he murmured against her lips.
She couldn’t answer. If there had ever been a reason to say no, she’d lost it. His lips caressed hers again, and the last warnings in her head crumpled like tissue paper thrown on fire. She couldn’t think of anything but returning Kent’s kiss. Already she was winding her arms around his neck … and she kissed him.
Kissed him and kissed him.
Somewhere in the midst of kissing him, she kicked off her shoes and wriggled into his lap. And this time it was he who gasped. Then his hands traced the silky shape of her legs encased in tights. He dropped a fiery line of kisses over her skin from her collarbone into the V of her blouse. Then their mouths met again, and their kisses turned molten as they tumbled sideways—a blissful tangle into the deep red cushions.
Out of habit, Kent woke early, but this morning, instead of bouncing out to face a day’s farm work, he lay in the soft light watching Zoe sleep. She was on her side, facing him, her dark hair tumbling over the white pillow, her dusky eyelashes curving against her soft cheeks, her mouth pale and slightly open. She looked so innocent and vulnerable now, so different from the fiery, sensuous woman who’d made love to him last night.
Last night …
When he’d knocked on Zoe’s door, he hadn’t known what to expect. Hadn’t dared to hope that he might end up spending the night with her. And yet, he couldn’t deny he’d been on fire since their farewell kiss at Willara.
Even so, last night had defied all logic. He and Zoe had shared a mere explosion of passion and excitement, but there’d been astonishing tenderness, too. The same kind of emotional connection he’d felt before—over dinner conversations or on the creek bank. An amazing sense of rightness. A certainty that some kind of miracle had been set in motion.
Briefly, as he lay there, he wondered if such thoughts were fanciful. But then Zoe stirred beside him, opened her bright blue eyes and smiled, and he was flooded with a wonderful sense of buoyancy. Perhaps his life was taking a turn in a very good direction.
CHAPTER TEN
ZOE’S new version of heaven was waking up beside Kent Rigby on a Saturday morning and knowing they had the whole, delicious weekend to spend together.
They rose late, and went out to have breakfast at a pavement café that served great coffee and luscious, tasty mushrooms on thick sourdough toast. Afterwards, they walked beneath flowering jacarandas on the banks of the Brisbane River, enjoying the sunshine, and sharing happy, goofy smiles.
In the afternoon they went to a suburban cinema to see a creepy thriller movie. Like teenagers they stole popcorn flavoured kisses in the dark, and on the way home they stopped off at a supermarket and bought ingredients for a pasta dish to make at home.
In Zoe’s kitchen they sipped wine while they chopped and cooked. Every chance they had, they touched and smiled and hugged and kissed. They were, in a word, entranced.
Wrapped in a bubble of bliss, Zoe wouldn’t let anything intrude. No negative thoughts, no questions, no doubts. If the slightest misgiving about history repeating itself reared its ugly head, she told herself this time was nothing like her disaster with Rodney. Rodney had moved in. Rodney had promised for ever.
With Kent, she was merely enjoying a fab weekend. At the end of two days he would go back to Willara, knowing that she was about to leave for overseas. For now she was trusting her instincts and her instincts felt fantastic!
Their pasta sauce was bubbling beautifully and Kent was stealing yet another kiss from Zoe when the phone rang. She grabbed the receiver and trilled ‘Hello-o-o,’ in a super-happy singsong.
‘Zoe, how are you?’
‘Bella?’ Zoe shot a startled glance to Kent and watched his eyebrows hike.
Bella laughed. ‘Don’t sound so surprised.’
‘Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you, Bella, and I was—um—distracted for a moment.’
‘Are you all right, Zoe?’
‘Absolutely fine. Why?’
‘I don’t know. You sound—different somehow.’
‘I don’t think I’m different. More importantly, how are you?’ Zoe flashed another glance Kent’s way.
His eyes were more cautious now, as if he felt as awkward as she did. It would be so hard to explain this to Bella. A week ago, Zoe had been focused on being the perfect bridesmaid. Last night she’d slept with the bridegroom. Admittedly, those roles were now defunct, but how would Bella react if she knew they were together so soon?
And just like that, with Bella on the other end of the line, Zoe saw her wonderful weekend in a whole new light—as an outsider might—and her brain flung up words like impetuous, cheeky, reckless …
Bella said, ‘I’m fine, thanks. I’m in Port Douglas with our grandparents. There’s been a cyclone, would you believe? But we’re all OK. Just garden damage.’
‘That’s really bad luck about the cyclone. How’s everything … going … with … Damon?’
‘OK,’ Bella said in a sharp, don’t-go-there tone. ‘I was actually ringing to see if you’ve been in touch with Kent.’
‘Oh?’ Zoe was instantly nervous. She widened her eyes at Kent. Pointing to the phone, she mouthed, ‘Do you want to talk to Bella? ‘
Frowning, he shook his head.
She swallowed. ‘Yes, I’ve had some contact with him.’
‘I tried his mobile, but he’s switched it off, so I rang the homestead and he wasn’t there either so I rang his parents and Stephanie told me he’s away for the weekend.’
‘Did you want Kent for anything important?’
‘Not especially. I guess I just wanted to make sure he’s OK. You know the wedding would have been happening right about now.’
Oh, gosh. Zoe glanced at the clock on her kitchen wall and saw that Bella was right. At this very moment, Bella and Kent should have been exchanging their marriage vows. How on earth had it slipped her mind?
‘I would have liked to make certain that Kent was OK,’ Bella said.
‘I’m sure he’s fine. He’s probably decided not to dwell on the wedding too much.’
‘Yes, that would be best, wouldn’t it? I hope you’re right.’
On the stove the sauce began to boil and spit. Zoe gestured frantically, but Kent had moved to the window and was standing with his back to her, studiously looking out into her backyard. His shoulders were squared and his back very straight. Sure signs of tension.
Zoe tried to attract him with a stage whisper. ‘Pssst, can you turn that sauce down?’
‘Do you have someone there?’ Bella asked.
‘Yes—just—a friend over for dinner.’
‘Oh, that’s nice. I won’t keep you, then.’ But instead of hanging up, Bella lowered her voice. ‘Would this friend be male by any chance?’
Zoe made the mistake of hesitating for a shade too long.
‘Zoe, it’s a guy, isn’t it? That’s why you sounded so different—sort of bubbly and excited. Who is he? Anyone I know?’
‘Bell, I’m sorry. The dinner’s burning, and I’ve got to go. But it’s been fantastic to hear from you and to know you’re OK.’
‘All right.’ Bella laughed. ‘I can take a hint. But if you hear from Kent, tell him that I rang and, apart from the weather, I’m fine.’
‘I will, and I’ll tell him you were thinking of him.’
Zoe hung up and rushed to rescue the sauce. Kent turned from the window, and she sank back against a cupboard, letting out a groan. ‘That was awful. I felt terrible lying to her.’
‘You weren’t exactly lying.’
‘No, but I was hiding the truth and that’s just as bad.’
Zoe felt sick. Hands clenche
d, she paced across the kitchen. And to her horror, all the reasons she shouldn’t be with Kent rushed back to taunt her. What was she doing leaping into bed with another man who’d just broken off an engagement?
Spinning around, she challenged him. ‘Had you remembered that you should have been getting married right now?’
He looked uncomfortable. ‘Is that why Bella rang?’
‘Yes. She was worried about you. She tried the Willara Downs number and your mobile.’
Pulling his phone from his pocket, Kent thumbed a button or two. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to talk to her. I didn’t want to embarrass you. I’ll call her back now.’
‘Actually … I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If you call back straight away, she’ll probably guess you’re with me. She’s already figured I have a guy here.’
Grimacing, Kent stood looking down at the phone. It looked tiny in his big brown work-roughened hand. His throat rippled as he swallowed. ‘I’m sure Bella will understand if I explain.’
Zoe gave a choked laugh. ‘How are you going to explain that you ended up spending the weekend with her bridesmaid? It’ll sound so—’ she swallowed, grasping for a word ‘—tacky.’
‘Tacky?’ Kent repeated, shocked.
‘Hasty, then. Indecently so.’
In two steps, Kent was across the room and grabbing Zoe’s arm. ‘Is that what you think? That last night was tacky?’
‘No.’ Suddenly, Zoe was trembling and fighting tears. ‘Oh, Kent, you have to admit it might be viewed by many as indecent haste.’
He pulled her in to him, holding her against his broad chest, kissing her hair. ‘Whatever’s happening between us is good.’ Gently, he tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her brow. ‘And it’s no one else’s business.’
Zoe closed her eyes and let her head sink against his shoulder. She loved being with this man so much—loved the way he smelled of sunlight and clean shirts, loved the hard strength of his body, and the warm reassurance of his arms wrapped around her. Loved who he was.
But she had loved Rodney, too. She’d adored him. She could never have believed he might hurt her.
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