Secrets (Hope Bay)

by Angela Verdenius

  “Then I guess I’d better whiz home, feed CK and start the pick-up.”

  Smiling, Shane turned to her. “Pick me up, too?”

  “You’re the first,” she promised.

  Not caring who saw, he bent down to kiss her on the lips. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay.” She smiled back up at him.

  Shane walked her to her car, opened the door and waited until she got in. Before she could close the door he leaned down, his lips brushing her ear as he said softly, “I might not be a kinky sex machine, but I promise you, I’d never leave you wanting.”

  Before Emma could even fully comprehend what he’d said, he kissed her hard, deep, fast, a hot lick, and a hotter promise in his eyes when he pulled back to observe her. “That’s a promise.”

  With that he straightened, shut her door and strode away to his own car parked opposite.

  Finally realising that yes, he had really said that, Emma could only stare as he got into his car and drove away. The whole time her heart thumped hard and a host of butterflies flickered low in the pit of her belly.

  How could she be so turned on by just a few simple words?

  Easy. Because Shane had said it with such promise, such heat.

  Mouth dry, she swallowed. She had a feeling that her life had just tipped off its axis. The easy-going Shane had shown a hotter side.

  And that heat was directed at her.

  “Oh boy,” she whispered.

  Lifting her gaze to the mirror, she saw the brightness of her eyes reflected back at her. She smiled. Hugely.

  ~*~

  The fete was in full swing.

  Sipping on a tin of icy cold Diet Coke, Emma observed the goings-on from under the shelter of the gazebo where her table was also set along with three chairs and her equipment laid out - stethoscope, BP machine, BSL machine, and some pamphlets. Luckily there was just the faintest breeze otherwise the pamphlets would have whipped away. Instead, they stayed tidily in their little rack.

  Doc was chatting with one of the shire council members nearby. Mrs A was manning the cake stall. Katie was wandering through the crowd handing out business cards with Danny strolling along beside her chatting, Mitch was leaning against the local Lions Club van licking an ice cream, while Steve and Daz were meandering around taking in the sights.

  “Hey there.” Shane appeared around the corner holding two sausages in bread. He held one of them out to her. “Sausage sizzle?”

  “Mmm. Thank you.” She took it from him. “How much?”

  “Yes, because two dollars is going to kill me. Don’t insult me.” He dropped into the chair beside her. “How’s it going?”

  She blew on the hot sausage. “Not too bad. I got to tell a lot of people that they’ve obviously had a load of sugar to eat this morning.”

  “Nice.”

  “I was told I looked like I ate a lot of sugar.”

  “Because you’re so sweet?”

  She cast him a sideways look. “Try again.”

  It took him several seconds to comprehend what she meant. Immediately he scowled and looked around. “What bastard said that? Point them out to me and I will snot him.”

  “Calm down. It was a woman.”

  “Then I’ll tell Mum or Katie and they’ll snot her.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Emma laid a soothing hand on his arm. “It was a tourist, no one local. They’ll be gone and forgotten in no time.”

  Shane laid a hand over hers. “Don’t take notice of arseholes, Em. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

  “You are so sweet.”

  “Truthful. I’m being truthful.” He looked her right in the eyes. “I love your curves. I love your sense of humour. I lo-” He stumbled, glanced behind her.

  Wondering just what he’d been about to say, she looked around but couldn’t find who or what had caught his attention. When she swung her gaze back to him, he was chewing a big bite of sausage and bread.

  He smiled at her, which was rather cute when he had bread stuck in his teeth and a spot of tomato sauce at the corner of his mouth.

  Without thinking, she took a tissue from the box on the table, leaned across and wiped the tomato sauce off. “There. That’s better.”

  “Thanks. Now I look respectable.”

  “Not with bread in your teeth and bits of sausage being chewed up. Keep your mouth shut when someone comes and you’ll pass muster.”

  He regarded her wryly. “You’re so good for my ego.”

  “Your ego doesn’t need anymore stroking than it already gets.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Emma scanned the passing crowd before inclining her head. “See the redhead over there?”

  “Where?”

  “Blue bikini top, white shorts?”

  Shane looked, then nodded. “Yeah. What about her?”

  “She’s been eyeing you like a shark.”

  The redhead, who’d indeed been eyeballing Shane, caught his eye, smiled and waved.

  Automatically he gave a smile of acknowledgement. “Not my fault I’m such a hunk the sheilas all want me.”

  “See? Your ego is fine.” Emma took a mouthful of Diet Coke. “And your redhead is starting to come in this direction.”

  Shane stopped lounging lazily in the canvas chair, his hand holding the sausage and bread stopping near his mouth. “Oh shit.”

  Emma had to admit the redhead looked way better in bikini top and shorts than she ever would. Long slim legs, tiny waist. And she had Shane in her sights as she strolled with long-legged ease through the crowd.

  For just a few seconds Emma felt a little less, more self-conscious of her own abundant curves, but then she reminded herself that you never knew what was going on in people’s lives, and personally she was very happy with her life just the way it was.

  “Emma.”

  “Yes?” Startled out of her thoughts, she turned to Shane. “What-”

  Her words were cut off by his mouth on hers.

  Shane kissed her, and he didn’t hold back. His mouth moulded to hers, his tongue licked deep, he flooded her with his taste, his heat.

  Fire sparked through her veins, swirled low into the pit of her belly, lower still to coil hotly in her womanhood. Her nipples tightened, pressing against the bra cups to pebble brazenly against her shirt.

  Shane didn’t touch her with anything but his lips. They both still held their food and drinks in their hands, only their mouths touching, but Emma felt as though she was surrounded by him, his scent in her nose, his taste in her mouth, his warmth and protection folding around her.

  Her breath hitched, and she could only moan when he swallowed her sigh with a firmness that had her nerves dancing along her skin in delicious prickles of anticipation.

  The pressure of his lips eased, lifted away, and she opened her eyes to find his face so close to hers that their breaths mingled.

  He was breathing faster.

  Her heart was galloping.

  There was a definite crackle of sexual tension between them, hot and heavy, blocking out every sound and sight, keeping them in their own little world.

  “Nurse Emma.”

  She smiled slightly.

  “Nurse Emma.”

  His pupils dilated.

  Her breath caught.

  “Nurse Emma!”

  The snap of her name broke through their privacy, stripping away the invisible shield that had surrounded them to bring awareness crashing back. Rather unwelcomely, in fact, she had to admit, seeing as how she had been thoroughly enjoying the heated kiss.

  She looked around to find the Harper twins giggling and pointing at her, while their mother’s expression was pained.

  “I’m sorry,” Emma managed. “I didn’t know you were there.”

  “Obviously,” Charlotte replied.

  Shane held up his half eaten snagger in bread and pointed to Johnny. “I see you bought one, too.”

  Johnny frowned. “It doesn’t taste
good.”

  “You wanted onions,” Jenny interjected. “You wanted tomato sauce and lots and lots of onions. I told you it was nasty.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re just…” He didn’t know what to say, so he made a snatch for her ice cream instead.

  “Mum!” Squealing, Jenny dodged away. “Muuuum!”

  “Children, stop it,” Charlotte said. “Be good and I’ll buy you a lolly.”

  Oh boy. Emma quickly picked up the BSL machine. “Want to see how much sugar you have in your body already?”

  “Oohh, yes!” Johnny immediately shot forward, bits of onion falling out of the bread in which the onions, snagger and tomato sauce were wrapped.

  “Oh, dear, I don’t know.” Charlotte frowned worriedly. “It’ll hurt.”

  That had Johnny stopping. “It will?”

  “Well, yes,” Emma replied. “It will sting when the needle pricks your finger but after that-”

  “I’m not letting you hurt me!” He sprang back.

  Jenny sniggered. “Coward. Chicken. Awk awk awk!” She flapped her arms. “Johnny is a chicken!”

  “No I’m not!”

  “Awk awk awk!” More arm flapping.

  “Now, dears,” Charlotte began.

  Johnny reached for Jenny, she took off with a wail, and they disappeared into the crowd with Charlotte behind them calling out, “Be good! Be good and I’ll buy you some comics!”

  Shane and Emma looked at each other.

  “I think those two are very good indications of how not to bring up kids.” Shane took a swig from the carton of Iced Coffee he held in his other hand.

  “Indeed.” Mrs A appeared. “All boys should be good. Big and small.” She fixed a reproving look on him.

  Shane grinned.

  Emma’s cheeks flushed under her stern gaze.

  “Not you, dear,” Mrs A said. “I saw what happened. He took advantage of your sweet nature.”

  “Yeah, I sure did,” Shane agreed smugly.

  Emma reached sideways to punch him on the bicep.

  “I’d do it again, too.”

  “You will behave yourself,” his mother told him severely. “Stop fooling around where children can see you and - argh!” She jumped.

  Doc appeared from behind her with a wicked grin.

  Scowling, his wife rubbed her bottom. “You pinched me!”

  “I can kiss it better.”

  Shane winced.

  “You will not, you deviant,” Mrs A retorted.

  “I’ll pat it better, then.” His eyes gleamed. “Want me to check it out? Step into my office.”

  “You don’t have an office here, and the answer is still no.” She was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

  “Please.” Shane closed his eyes. “I can’t watch.”

  “That’d be a dampener for sure,” Doc agreed. “No watching for you, young man.”

  “There’ll be nothing happening right now.” Mrs A shook her head at Emma. “I apologise for them both.”

  “It’s okay,” Emma said. “I work with them. I already know what they’re like.”

  “Hey!” both Shane and Doc protested.

  “Welcome to the family, then.” Mrs A slid her arm around Doc’s wasit. “Come on, you were going to buy me ice cream, remember?”

  “Was I?” He jumped suddenly. “Argh!” He scowled at her. “You pinched me! That’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t whine, it’s not attractive.” Hooking her arm through his, she waved to Shane and Emma. “Have a fun time, dears.”

  Watching the couple disappear into the crowd, Emma had to laugh, most especially because Doc’s hand kept wandering down his wife’s back but when he got too low, she reached behind to hoick his hand back up to her waist.

  “My eyes,” Shane protested, clapping his hand over them. “Oh, my eyes!”

  “Don’t be a baby,” Emma said.

  “How can you say that? They’re my parents! Parents don’t do those things!”

  “They do.”

  “Yeah.” He sighed, dropped his hand, gave her a crooked grin. “It runs in the family, you know.”

  Oh boy, that wicked look flared into his eyes so fast it would have left her head spinning if she didn’t expect it by now.

  And if her head wasn’t already spinning still from the kiss they’d shared.

  Emma took a calming mouthful of Diet Coke before pinning him with a stern look. “You just behave yourself while we’re here.”

  That only made his eyes gleam brighter. “So I can be bad after?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t not say it, either.” His slow drawl was just as wicked as his eyes. “I can’t wait for this day to be over.”

  That sent a hot shiver through her, but she just kept sipping calmly while eyeing him over the rim of the can.

  “Oh yeah.” Satisfied, he looked out at the crowd, then suddenly grinned widely. “And it worked.”

  “Huh?”

  “The redhead.”

  Emma glanced in the direction he indicated to find the redhead now standing beside Mitch, licking her ice cream with long, slow strokes of her tongue while listening to him. All interest in Shane had vanished.

  “Yep,” Shane said with satisfaction. “I made sure she knew that you’re the only girl for me.” He shot Emma a wink. “And everyone else.”

  Emma blushed as she became aware that yes, Shane had kissed her deeply and decadently in front of everyone at the fete. If there had been anyone left in town who didn’t know the local GP was going out with the local clinic nurse, they knew now.

  “Way to telegraph the news,” she said a little dryly.

  “Best way ever.” Screwing up the empty wrapper, Shane stood up leisurely. “As fun as this has been, I better do my duty to the practice and mingle.”

  “You do that.”

  Moving close, he held out his hand. “Give me the wrapper and I’ll toss it in the bin.”

  Emma handed it to him, only to find her fingers captured, his thumb sliding along the back of her hand.

  Her heart jumped again at the heat within the grey depths of his eyes. As light-hearted as he seemed, Shane’s calm exterior was hiding the flicker of desire lingering from their kiss.

  “Oh yeah,” he drawled huskily. “See you later, love.”

  Dropping her hand, he turned and walked away, leaving Emma to sit, breath deeply, and think about what Shane might have meant by his words. Words that had her running hot and cold all at once, that had pictures forming in her head making her knees tremble a little and-

  “Emma, could you check my blood pressure?” Hank dropping into the chair on the other side of the table jolted her out of her dreamy haze. “May is nagging me about it.”

  Granny May appeared behind him. “I swear, Hank, if you don’t stop rushing around your heart will explode.”

  “Only with you nagging me.”

  As they bickered good-naturedly, Emma focussed on the job she had to do for Doc. Besides, she couldn’t be seen to be just sitting here with a goofy grin on her face and her knees pressed tightly together.

  Picking up the stethoscope, she reached for Hank’s arm. “Have it done in a jiffy.”

  Besides, she could dream all she wanted when she was at home where no one could see her goofy grin, and she could think some naughty thoughts and imagine just what Shane meant by those words.

  It wasn’t just the words, though. It was the hot promise with which he’d said them.

  Taking another deep breath, Emma firmly directed her attention to the job at hand.

  ~*~

  Hands in pockets, Shane strolled through the car display. It was a good way to take his mind from Emma for a short time. It was either that or walk around with tented pants, and he was pretty sure his mother would have a fit if that happened.

  Not to mention it wasn’t a state he wanted to be seen in while out in public.

  When a Holden Sandman caught his attention, he st
opped to tell the owner, “It’s a bewdy.”

  “I’m Roger.” The man shook his hand, then stepped back to proudly regard the panel van. “Yep, she’s a bewdy all right.”

  Walking around to the back, Shane peered into the interior, whistling at the sight of thick piled carpet on the floor and sides. Mirrors glinted from the roof. There was even a tiny ‘fridge in the back. “Now this is a real shag wagon.”

  Roger laughed. “Mate, no sheila is getting into this lovely thing. Can you imagine getting sweat all over this carpet?” He sunk his hand into the lush pile. “This is strictly for viewing only.”

  Shane thought of Emma laid back in that soft carpeting, her curves on display, her eyes all willing and wanting and fixed on him.

  Oh boy.

  Forcing his mind elsewhere, he laid one hand on the door, the other on his hip. “So strictly for viewing only, huh?”

  “Do you know how much money it cost to do up this baby? This is a 1970 model.” Roger rubbed his hand affectionately along the door. “It’s been sanded, painted, polished, the rust cut out, all the fixings, and get a load of this.” He stepped back to wave at the side of the panel van.

  Shane had already seen it, but he nevertheless walked around to admire the mural painted on the side. A full-on fantasy scene, roiling mists, a dark lake glinting in moonlight with a big-breasted warrior woman holding a sword stepping from the depths. Her hair was thick and black, her outfit miniscule and leaving little to the imagination.

  “Bet you get some comments about that,” he remarked, thinking it didn’t hold a candle to his pretty little nurse.

  “Won the show for best mural a few years back,” Roger replied. “You interested in doing cars up?”

  “Not really. I bike a lot.”

  “Got a Harley, hey? You look like a Harley man. Or a Suzuki or Yamaha.”

  “Push bike.”

  Roger’s enthusiasm died a bit. “Oh, one of the bike brigade huh? Tight bike shorts, streamlined helmet, speeding along the road bent over? Keep company with a load of other bike brigade people?”

  Shane was amused. “Far from it. I’m riding the same push bike I had when I was a teenager, I wear normal shorts and t-shirts, and my helmet is just a plain helmet.”

  Roger looked him and down.

  Shane couldn’t help but add, “I trundle around town on my push bike. You know, leisurely riding. I only put in a lot of effort if the wind is in my face, then I work up a sweat.”