by Nicola Marsh
‘Bet you say that to all the girls.’
‘Only ones in dresses short enough to pass as crop-tops.’
‘You like?’
She didn’t tug the hem of her sequined primrose mini-dress down, enjoying his lingering stare on her thighs too much.
‘Oh, I like. Very much.’
He didn’t touch her—didn’t need to. Her skin was tingling under the heat from his stare until she squirmed in her seat.
‘So where are you taking me?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
‘Good. You know how much I love them.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
His low voice rippled over her and she swallowed, unable to ignore the growing feeling she was in over her head.
She wanted to have fun tonight, wanted to enjoy their last few nights, wanted to set the foundation for a possible future back in Melbourne, to see if they had anything substantial between them beyond a spark.
Spark? More like a raging bonfire, and if he didn’t put the cart into gear shortly they’d be right back to where they started: getting naked without talking first.
Slapping the dash with a healthy dose of fake bravado, she said, ‘Let’s hit the road. Surprise time.’
His intense gaze lingered a second longer before he smiled, focussed on steering the cart.
‘Starr?’
‘Hmm?’
‘I’m really looking forward to tonight.’
Her heart rolled over, lay down and yelled pick me! at the sincerity in his tone, and she reached across, squeezed his hand on the steering wheel, unable to resist touching him a second longer.
‘Me too.’
Callum had it all planned out.
Take Starr to a fancy dinner at the water’s edge, followed by a romantic stroll along the beach, finish with dancing into the wee small hours.
A date she’d enjoy, a date to impress, a date to show how much he cared.
So much for planning.
‘You sure I can’t carry you to the cart?’
Shooting him an ‘are you for real?’ glance, she shook her head.
‘That’d be taking your knight in shining armour routine too far.’
Knight? He couldn’t feel further from one if he tried.
The five-star meal at the water’s edge had turned soggy when they’d borne the brunt of a freak tropical downpour, then they’d fielded some unwelcome guests in the form of ravenous mosquitoes, and their romantic beach stroll had taken a serious nosedive when the heel on one of her shoes had caught in the sand and snapped.
So here they were, limping up the beach: she was limping literally, his pride figuratively. He’d never botched an evening out with a lady so badly.
‘It’s no big deal, you know.’
Great—she must have picked up on his surly mood.
‘I wanted tonight to be—’
‘Special.’ She stopped, slipped her hand into his and squeezed. ‘It has been.’
‘How can you say that? The food got drenched, the mozzies were annoying, and—’
‘Look around.’
She gestured towards the ocean with her free hand, the broken shoe dangling forlornly from her fingertip a stark reminder of his broken dreams for tonight.
‘It’s a beautiful evening, we’re on a fabulous island, and we’re together. What more could you ask for?’
Buoyed by her constant optimism, he followed her line of vision, seeing the twinkling resort lights against a midnight sky, the endless ocean, the hulking shape of a mountain range.
He never took time out to admire his surroundings, considered Melbourne the business capital of Australia rather than the capital of the Garden State, as Victoria was known. As for leisurely strolls—try never.
Inhaling the pungent scents of fresh seafood and tapas and decadent desserts assailing him from a resort restaurant nearby, he wondered what it was about this woman that made him see and smell and feel everything differently.
At that moment the first strains of a soulful sax filtered towards them and he closed his eyes, hanging onto her hand for dear life, hanging onto the last of his resistance more.
He’d fought this.
Fought it with every rebellious cell in his tightly wound, tightly controlled body.
But he was a realist, if nothing else, and spending time with Starr tonight, after missing her in every second spent away from her when they weren’t working or playing together the last few days, cemented what he already knew.
He was in love with her.
And there wasn’t one damn thing he could do about it.
‘Callum?’
His eyes snapped open, focussed on her face. Her beauty slugged him anew. In the soft moonlight reflected off the water’s edge her eyes sparkled like blue diamonds, her lips curved into a half-coy, half-sexy smile, her hair was wild and tousled.
He wanted her so badly he ached, but he needed to save what was left of this disastrous first date, needed to prove he was as successful at this as everything else.
‘Dance with me?’
Her eyebrows shot up, her delighted surprise vindicating his decision to let down his famed guard and do something totally out of character.
‘Here?’
He nodded, his gaze never leaving hers, hoping she could read half of what he was feeling, all of what he couldn’t articulate.
‘As some wise woman recently said, we’ve got the perfect backdrop, and then there’s the music…and us…’
Placing her shoe in his jacket pocket, where it dangled ludicrously, he didn’t wait, hauling her into his arms, holding her tight.
The sax had been joined by guitar, double bass, piano, drums, melding into a smooth jazz number washing over them, surrounding them in rhythm and sync and magic.
‘I love how you move,’ she said, her head resting on his chest, her arms locked tight around his waist.
‘Wait ’til you see my tango and foxtrot.’
He had to make light of her admiration, had to lighten the mood before he blurted out his true feelings right here.
It was too soon for that—too soon to acknowledge anything other than they were good together out of the office.
‘You’re just full of surprises.’
She pulled back to look up at him, her eyes wide, her lips parted as her tongue flicked out to dampen them, that tiny innocuous gesture surprising him.
She was as overwhelmed by all this as he was, and the fact his confident, sassy Starr was probably just as nervous made him feel better.
‘Bet I can show you a few more surprises.’
His exaggerated wink had the desired effect and she laughed, slapped him playfully on the chest.
‘In that case, why don’t you come back to the bungalow and I’ll show you my tap shoes.’
‘Is that the same as asking me up for coffee?’
‘Uh-huh.’
Her hand slid downwards, a slow, erotic trail towards the waistband of his trousers, where her fingertips lingered, dipped, teased. He groaned, snagged her hand.
‘Come on. I have a sudden hankering to see your whole damn shoe collection.’
They laughed as she slipped off the other shoe, slid her hand into his and all but dragged him along the beach back towards the cart, her feet flying, his stumbling to keep up.
Starr cranked her eyes open, her mouth relaxing into a smile when the first thing she saw was Callum propped on his elbow by her side, sleepy and dishevelled and adorably ruffled.
‘What are you thinking?’ she asked.
His gaze swept over her, intent, lingering, and she shivered at the passing shadow clouding his eyes.
‘That tonight far surpassed my expectations.’
‘How so?’
‘You.’ He touched her bare shoulder, his fingertip skating across her skin, raising goosebumps. ‘Us.’
Us.
One tiny little word, one tiny little syllable that said so much.
After their week on the island they nee
ded to have this talk. But something in his sombre expression made her heart clench in fear.
‘So there’s an us now?’
‘What do you think?’
Increasingly uncomfortable beneath his penetrating stare, she dropped her gaze, settled for fiddling with the sheets, pleating them into nervous rows.
Should she tell him the truth?
That she’d fallen head over heels, yet was petrified he’d morph back into an uptight, buttoned-up boss when they headed back to Melbourne?
That she felt as if she was holding her heart in the palm of her hand, offering it to him each time she opened up to him, only to have him pat it patronisingly and push it back at her?
That allowing herself to feel like this about him, after what she’d been through, frightened her as much as the thought of losing him, losing everything?
‘If we’re going to make this work you need to be honest with me.’
Her hands shook beneath the sheets, her fingers digging into the thousand-count thread, her skin clammy at the thought of laying her heart on the line when she had no idea how he really felt.
But she had to do this—had to know before all the supposition and worry drove her insane.
She took a deep breath, exhaled through pursed lips. ‘I like you. A lot. But you confuse the heck out of me. You’ve been like a different guy this last week, and I have no idea if it’s going to last or if we’re living in some kind of fantasy here on the island.’
Silence greeted her blurted proclamation and she reluctantly looked up, expecting to see curiosity at best, derision at worst.
When her wary gaze collided with his, what she saw took her breath away.
An emotion that went beyond understanding or compassion or caring.
Uh-uh—what she saw in the drowning depths of his beautiful brown eyes was love.
A love she’d dreamed about since she’d never got enough from her flaky parents.
A love she’d craved and thought she’d found with Sergio.
A love she could only dream about having with a man as wonderful as Callum.
‘Who are you, Callum Cartwright?’ she whispered, wanting to fling herself into his arms but needing her question answered.
From the moment they’d moved beyond a fling she’d been dying to know more. Heck, she’d been dying to know everything about him.
‘I’m a guy who’s crazy about you.’
He smoothed her hair, her back, hauling her across the bed and into his arms, hugging her until she could barely breathe.
When he finally released her she wriggled back, watched him struggle with something before finally meeting her curious gaze.
‘I’m also a guy who doesn’t do relationships.’
‘Oh.’
‘Until now.’
He strummed her back, his fingers moving absentmindedly as she held her breath, filled with elation that he wanted more, yet half expecting a big ‘but’ to accompany his declaration.
‘I haven’t had time for a relationship—no interest in one, really. Too busy building the business.’
‘But it practically runs itself it’s so successful. Thanks to you.’
He paused, his expression solemn. ‘Not just me.’
She shook her head, confused. ‘I don’t get it.’
Swiping a hand across his face, he closed his eyes, snapping them open as she reached out in concern. The bleakness in their dark depths pierced her soul.
‘I took over from my older brother Archie when he died.’
‘I’m sorry. How old were you?’
‘Nineteen.’
‘Heck, that must’ve been tough.’
He nodded, pain contorting his features. ‘It was my fault.’
Wariness stole through her. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’d been out with the boys. We were drinking, carousing, making nuisances of ourselves. The cops picked us up for being drunk and disorderly, threw us in the lock-up to teach us a lesson more than anything.’ His mouth twisted, his agony obvious. ‘I called Archie, like I always did. He was killed in a car accident on the way to the jail.’
Her heart broke at the raw emotion on his face, and she reached up, smoothed his cheek.
‘Accidents happen. You can’t control them.’
In a blinding flash she realised what was behind his obsessive drive, his absolute focus on business.
‘You feel guilty…’
Only when his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open did she realise she’d spoken aloud, and mentally kicked herself for being so insensitive.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—’
He placed a finger over her lips. ‘Shh…don’t apologise. You’re right.’
He shook his head. ‘Archie was the best damn CEO Cartwrights ever had, and I’ve spent my life trying to make up for it, to make the corporation the best as he would’ve wanted.’
‘Do you have any other family?’
Shutters slammed down, obliterating all expression. ‘My younger brother Rhys coped with his grief by running away, and my folks are based in London now.’
‘You don’t see them?’
‘Dad’s still active in the business overseas. We’re not close.’
‘Your mum? Rhys?’
‘Mum blames me for Archie’s death. We haven’t spoken since. Rhys rings occasionally.’
Darn it, she’d wanted to know what made Callum tick, and now she had her answers. Problem was, she’d opened an emotional wound she had no hope of cauterising.
Unless she could distract him…
‘My folks died a while back, but we weren’t close. They were pretty flaky. Actors. Followed auditions on a whim, dragged me all over the country.’
‘You hated it?’
‘Oh, yeah, it was the pits. All I ever wanted was a home, somewhere I could belong and have real friends, know that when I got home every night I could relax without fear of finding my suitcase packed and having to move.’
He snapped his fingers. ‘That’s why you love the cottage so much?’
She nodded. ‘I thought I’d found a special home in Sydney, with my ex. I worked hard, paid the rent, trusted him to build a dream of a new dance company for the both of us. And he tore it down.’
Callum’s pithy curse made her smile.
‘Yeah, he was full of that too, and I believed every word that tripped out of his lying mouth. He said he loved me. He said he’d make me the star of our own company. He said if I paid the rent on the apartment he’d use his money to start up the company…’
‘And?’
He touched her arm, gentle, caring, and she swallowed the bitterness lodged like a fishbone in her throat.
‘He cheated on me, threatened to have me fired if I walked out on him, and when I did, asking him for half the rent I’d paid over the years, he made true on his threat.’
‘That money was yours—’
‘Technically we were in a de facto relationship, so half that money was mine. But I didn’t want to be dragged through the courts, and that’s what he would’ve done. He still had his savings. I had nothing. It just wasn’t worth it.’
‘That bastard took advantage of you. Let me—’
‘No.’
She held up her hand, wanting to put this in the past once and for all.
‘I left Sydney to escape all that. The dance world is small. Sergio knows all the heavyweights in the industry. I can’t risk my career over the jerk, no matter how much I’d like to.’
‘Surely there’s something you can do? Have you sought legal advice? Have you—?’
‘Stop! You’re being bossy again.’
He ran a hand over his face, erased his sheepish expression.
‘Force of habit. Sorry.’
She loved a man who could apologise. More to the point, she loved this man. Every strong, controlling inch of him.
‘Sydney is in the past. When I started working with you and moved into the cottage I finally felt safe again, for
the first time in ages.’
‘You can stay as long as you like…’
Her warning glance did the trick and he clamped his lips shut.
‘It’s not the cottage,’ she said.
Confusion creased his brow into a frown, and as he opened his mouth to respond she rushed on.
‘It’s you. You’re the one that makes me feel secure. Not the job, not the cottage. You.’
She shimmied forward, took hold of his hands, betting his stunned expression would only intensify when she continued.
‘When I first arrived in Melbourne I realised I’d never loved Sergio. I fell in love with our lifestyle—knowing the same people, moving in the same social circles, working together, living together. It was what I thought I’d always wanted.’
Placing her hands on his chest, she slid them upwards, interlocking behind his neck.
‘’Til I met you.’
He crushed her to him, his kiss gentle and tender.
‘I’m in love with you,’ he blurted, dazed, a man shaken to his very core.
‘Same here.’
Her goofy grin matched his as they stared at each other in wonder, her heart expanding with so much emotion she thought it would burst.
‘So where do we go from here?’
Tipping her chin up, he brushed her bottom lip with his thumb.
‘Think you can handle a full-blown relationship?’
‘I can handle anything you care to dish out.’
‘That’s why I wanted tonight to be special. Make this thing between us real.’
Sliding her hand along his thigh, over his hip, scrunching the sheet in her fist and tugging it lower until it barely covered his impressive erection tenting the cotton, she smiled the self-satisfied smile of a woman who had it all. And was about to get some more.
‘Feels pretty real to me.’
Her fingertips inched under the sheet, grazed his erection. She savoured her power over him when his head fell back and he moaned loudly.
‘Still does.’
With a growl, he stilled her hand and flipped her onto her back, nuzzling her neck until she whimpered.
‘Yep, very real,’ he murmured, kissing his way down her neck, along her jaw, biting the edge of her robe between his teeth and dragging it until her breast popped free.
‘All real…’
He repeated the same on the other side, raising himself over her when her chest was exposed, his reverent expression filling her with desire and heat and need.