“Ah. I see.” Roger’s attention was diverted by several blokes looking in the back of the van and discussing the price of the carpet and mirrors. His face lit up at the presence of true car lovers. “Well, have a good day.”
“Yeah.” Shane watched him disappear behind the open van doors, the enthusiastic voices of the men filling the air.
Not worried in the slightest, he looked down at the mag wheels. They were shiny and definitely suited the car. He appreciated the panel van, liked it, but truth be told he wasn’t a huge car enthusiast. He liked a nice car, but he went more for economy, durability, price and size. He only bought what he needed, which was why his own car was a straightforward sedan with no bells and whistles, but it had everything he needed and wanted - mainly good petrol mileage, a CD player, comfortable seats, and room for what he needed to carry.
Kind of like Mitch who drove an old VW van with his handyman logo painted on the side. When he wasn’t working, he had the surf board on the roof and his swimming gear tossed atop the tools of his trade.
While Shane liked cheap and simple, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t appreciate the fancier, higher-priced cars, so he ambled around the car display, chatting to the owners, admiring the finishes, basically relaxing and enjoying himself.
He was crouched down checking out the wide tyres and shiny, fancy rims on another car when a voice behind him said, “I see you staked your claim on your cutie-pie nurse.”
Shane looked up to see Danny, Daz, Mitch and Steve, their expressions amused.
Pushing up, he dusted off his hands. “Did you just?”
“Yep.” Danny smirked. “Also saw your mum come barrelling to Emma’s rescue.”
“Emma didn’t need rescuing. She was into me.” Shane corrected himself, “She is into me.”
“Yeah, about that.” Folding his arms, Daz leaned his hips back against the bonnet of one of the cars. “Did you know she hunted you?”
That made Shane blink. “What?”
“Yep, told Katie she hunted you and brought you down like a stuck pig,” Steve said.
“You didn’t even have time to squeal,” Mitch added.
Daz and Steve looked at him. Danny just kept his gaze on Shane.
“What?” Mitch shrugged. “I just wanted to be part of the conversation.”
“Idiot.” Steve looked back at Shane. “So, the hunter becomes the hunted, huh?”
Shane snorted.
“Now, now, don’t be upset. Sometimes the caveman has to be donged on the head with a club and dragged around by his nuts by the cavewoman. Just live with it.”
Shane flipped him the bird.
Danny’s eyes were gleaming. “Then again, Shane was the hunter, too, right?”
The way the men grinned at each other in a knowing way had Shane eyeing his friends dubiously. They knew something, were laughing about something, he just didn’t know what. “What?”
“Nothing.” Steve started whistling.
“Listen, you drongo, if you’ve heard something, tell me.”
Daz grinned. “Now now, Shane. It was all very sweet, really.”
“Sweet?” He frowned suspiciously. What was going on? Something had vastly amused this mob and it couldn’t be good. “What was sweet?”
“I don’t think we should say.” Daz shook his head. “We promised.”
“You did?” Mitch raised his eyebrows.
“We didn’t?”
“Nope, you didn’t promise me.”
“Well then…” Daz held out one hand. “Feel free.”
“Yeah.” Danny was practically salivating like a wolf that had spotted prey.
“I’m not sure.” Mitch stroked his jaw thoughtfully. “Don’t want to upset Shaney-boy.”
Folding his arms, Shane eyed them.
They eyed him back.
“I think you’re all full of shit,” Shane decided. “If it was important you’d have told me already.”
“Maybe we just found out,” Steve suggested.
“Or maybe we found out awhile ago and wanted to tell you when the time was just right,” Daz added.
“Time was right?” Shane repeated. “What the hell are you lot on about?”
Danny scratched his ear. “Well, you see, we know how much you want Em.”
“So? It’s not like I’ve made a secret of it.”
“We just didn’t know how much you desired the fair hand of the sweet nurse.”
“I think you’ve got a screw loose. No.” Shane held up a finger. “I know you’ve got a screw loose. Nothing new.”
Danny’s grin widened. “So, how’s the chook cooking going?”
“That’s it?” Shane’s eyebrow rose. “You think you can rag me about cooking a chook? So what if I want to learn how to cook? Maybe I learned it so that I could impress my girlfriend - of which you all have none, can I just add - and get her undying admiration. What do you think about that, eh?”
His friends exchanged long, knowing looks before returning their attention to him.
“And maybe,” Steve said, “you were out to impress another girl.”
That had Shane staring blankly at him. “What? You know I don’t cheat. What the hell-”
“Maybe you’d do anything to win one girl to catch another.”
Angrily, Shane flushed. “Here, you cocky bastard, I would never cheat on Emma or use another girl to win her. What are you insinuating?”
He couldn’t believe his friends would even find that funny. None of them cheated. They might clown around, tease and joke, but not one of them was the kind of bloke to even find the thought of anyone cheating on their partners hilarious, so why were they so amused at this bit of smutty gossip?
“Don’t go off half-cocked,” Steve replied mildly.
“Half cocked?” Shane took a step forward. “I’ll have you know I’d never do anything underhanded to get to Emma. Ever. Who told you such a bloody-”
“How was the chook?” Danny repeated.
“Chook? What bloody chook?”
“The one you roasted at my place.”
“Are we back to that again?” Shane’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. You think I cooked it for another woman?”
“You denying it?” Mitch queried.
“I bloody am denying it!” Hands fisting, a vein started to throb in Shane’s temple. “I can’t believe that you lot think this is funny! Who bloody told you that shit?”
“Katie.”
Shocked, his jaw dropped. “What?”
“Yep. She had it from Emma herself.”
“Emma?” Flummoxed, Shane didn’t know which way to look. “Emma said I cheated on her?”
Mitch looked at Daz. “He’s a bit of a doofus. I never realised that before.”
Danny’s eyes were sparkling with laughter. “You cooked that chook to impress a lady that wasn’t Emma.”
“I did not! How many times-”
“Meow.”
He stopped cold. Took one look at his friends’ faces, watched them crack up and start guffawing, and it hit him.
Shit. Shit!
“Hells bells!” Mitch roared with laughter. “Look at his face!”
“Meow meow.” Daz batted his eyelashes at Shane while pretending to clean invisible whiskers by rubbing the side of his hand against his cheek.
Danny rubbed his cheek on Mitch’s arm. “Look at me, Shane. Meow. Can I have some chook? Meow meow. Please? Huh?”
What really took the cake was Steve turning sideways, arching his back upwards and sidling towards him.
“Holy heck,” Said Shane. “You look like some mutant. Get away from me!”
“I only want to rub against your leg.” Steve shuffled closer. “Purrrrr.”
“Get off!” Shane shoved him back.
“Aw, c’mon. I only want to rub my scent on you.” Steve grinned, which looked creepy when combined with the back-arching he was attempting. “Roast me some chook, Shane, c’mon. Be a sport. Meoooooooow!”
�
�You sound like a drunk dingo.” Shane folded his arms. “Come any closer to me and I’ll kick your arse.”
Daz snorted a laugh. “Bet you didn’t say that to Emma’s precious Cute Kitty.”
“She’d rip him a new one so big it’d swallow the whole town.” Mitch grinned. “So, cooking a chook for CK, huh? All to win Emma’s heart. You sly dog, you.”
“Meow.” Steve primped.
“Shut your cake hole.” Shane shook his head. “I can’t believe Emma actually told Katie. I mean, seriously, Katie? She can’t keep anything like that silent.”
“She did a good job of it.” Hands in his pockets, Mitch rocked back and forth in his sneakers. “Kind of.”
“Apparently not good enough.” Shane sighed. “I need a drink.”
“Milk?”
“No, you loser.”
“Oohh, catty.”
The drongos guffawed again. Resigned, Shane just waited. He couldn’t believe it was out. Couldn’t believe that Emma had actually told Katie, and that right after he’d warned her there’d be dire consequences and - wait a minute. Wait a doggone minute!
Daz stopped laughing. “Hang about.”
The laughter trailed off as they eyed him.
“There’s a gleam in his eyes.” Danny straightened.
“He looks pleased.” Steve frowned. “That shouldn’t be happening.”
Oh hell, yeah. Shane chuckled inwardly while rubbing his hands together.
“He looks like the cat that got the cream,” Mitch said. “And I don’t mean that jokingly.”
Daz studied Shane. “What have you got in mind?”
Danny’s eyebrows rose. “Plotting revenge on my sister?”
“Far from it.” Shane grinned. Widely.
“Oh ho.” Daz nudged Steve knowingly. “Revenge on Emma.”
“Emma?” Steve smirked. “Heh heh.”
Danny sighed. “I think we just delivered poor Em up to the quack on a platter.”
“You have no idea.” Shane laughed darkly.
“Now that’s just freaky,” Mitch said.
Turning on his heel, Shane walked off. The sound of his friends talking followed him, a sure indication they were on his trail, but he didn’t care. Didn’t give a flying fig. Didn’t give a rat’s arse, because his focus was on one person only.
He stopped at the edge of the rope sectioning off the car show, gazed through the throng of people towards the gazebo where the Hope Bay Clinic was doing free BSLs and BPs and giving advice. At just the right moment the crowd parted and there she was, the local practice nurse sitting back in her chair, legs crossed, Diet Coke in hand, her pretty face cheerful.
She saw him, smiled, waved.
He waved back. Smiled…in pure satisfaction.
Oh yes, let’s all be sweet and polite. But honey, I’m coming for you.
Chapter 9
Knock knock knock.
Two o’clock. The fete was over and Shane was at Emma’s house. He stood on the veranda, legs braced apart, all relaxed and casual on the outside.
All alert and seething with combined inner laughter and anticipation.
The sound of footsteps on the other side of the door had all his alertness spiking. The door swung open and there was Emma smiling up at him, all sweet and curvy and so cute he practically salivated.
His little CA. His little Cute As. His little nurse who was one yummy little piece of womanhood.
“Hi.” She stepped back in invitation. “Come for a cuppa?”
“Come for something, all right.” He walked past her, his arm sliding around her waist taking her with him as the door swung shut behind them.
Startled, she fell against his side and he tightened his hold, supporting her as she scrambled to regain her footing.
“Shane, what the-”
“Got something to sort out with you, missy.”
“Missy?”
In one smooth motion he pushed her back against the wall, leaning forward to rest one forearm above her head, the other hand he kept at her waist. Eyebrow arched, he studied her confused expression.
“Shane?”
“You owe me.”
“Pardon?”
“You. Owe. Me.”
A small frown crossed her features. “I’m not following.”
“Meow.”
That only earned him a blank expression.
“Let’s try a little explanation,” he suggested.
She took a deep breath which did all kind of interesting things to her bountiful bosom. Such as making the delicious mounds swell so temptingly close to his chest. “Good plan, because I have no idea what is going on.”
“Mmm mmm.” He almost laughed at the wary light in her eyes.
He also couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t pull away or push him backwards. Nope, she stayed right there with him leaning over her.
Kicked all his predatory instincts into overdrive.
Along with the sensation of her smaller, curvy body close to his, the soft scent of soap, deodorant and powder from her recent shower being drawn deep into his lungs with every breath he drew, kicked all his protectiveness into equal overdrive.
Heady combination when the woman of his dreams was backed against the wall awaiting his attention.
Shane smiled slowly. “CK and the chicken.”
“What about CK and the chicken?”
“Think about it, Emma.” His growing smile was all teeth. “Have a really good think.”
She stared up at him for several seconds as she thought back and - “Oh, crap.”
Yep, there it was. Immense satisfaction surged through him.
“Oh, Shane.” She didn’t know where to look, her gaze darting around before landing on his jaw and inching higher before finally meeting his.
“Oh, Shane, indeed,” he murmured.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, it just slipped out and - how could Katie say anything?” She threw up both hands, exasperated. “She promised!”
“Hmmm.” He leaned in further, hearing her breath catch as his chest pressed against her bosom. Lowering his head, he trailed his lips across the silky smoothness of her cheek to stop at her ear.
Silence filled the hallway as he breathed deeply, his breath caressing her ear.
The heady sense of uncertainty and anticipation was in the very air between them.
She shivered even as her palms settled on his chest.
But still she didn’t push him away. Instead, she waited.
“Didn’t you promise not to tell?” He deliberately put a sliver of steel into his soft tone.
“Um…” She swallowed.
“Emma?”
“Yes.” She almost squeaked the word.
That made him smile. Predatorily. “And what did I say would happen if you broke that promise?”
“No idea,” she said in a rush.
“Em.”
“Really, no idea.”
“Em.”
Breathing becoming a little ragged, her fingers curled slightly into his t-shirt. But still she didn’t push him away.
He waited.
Finally, she whispered, “You said you’d hunt me down.”
“Yes. Yes, I did.” His tongue flickering out to trace the edge of her ear made her tremble. “And here I am.”
“Caught me in my den?” Her voice was shaky, but there was a definite undertone of heat.
Interesting. And titillating.
“Caught you in your den.” He traced his tongue along the delicate edge of her ear to the tender skin of her throat, trailer further down to poise over the pulse beating beneath the skin. “Now what should I do with you, I wonder?”
Fingers tightening in his shirt, she tugged him closer.
“Hmmm?” He laved the pulse with his tongue, felt it beat fast, fastened his lips over the bounding beat to suck lightly.
Not enough to make a permanent mark, but enough to make her know he could do it if he chose.
Oh ho, didn’t tha
t have a delicious effect on her? Emma rose up on tip-toes, tilting her head to the side to give him freedom to explore the length of her throat.
Parting his lips, he pressed his open mouth to her, letting the damp heat engulf the satin skin, then softly, slowly, he closed his mouth, his lips dragging along her skin until his mouth was closed and resting against her.
Breathing her in, her scent filling his senses.
She pressed closer, turned her head, her breath fanning against his ear as she arched into him.
Still she remained silent.
Her increased breathing, however, spoke volumes, just as the way she clung to him let him know that she wasn’t adverse to this little interlude.
Then she whispered, “And just what do you think you’re going to do about it?”
The words weren’t spoken in jest. In fact, there was a blatant dare in her tone.
In the blink of an eye this little interlude suddenly switched from teasing, fun and hotly anticipated, to something hotter, deeper, and far more carnal.
Wicked fun fled from Shane, laughter and teasing replaced with something more.
Neither spoke as the seconds ticked past, both feeling the other’s breath on them, the heat from their bodies, the way he leaned over her smaller body, the way he had her backed against the wall.
As the silence lengthened he indulged in inhaling her scent, feeling her body, the sensation of her curves pressed against him more pronounced as he leaned into her, relaxing against her.
Or as much as he could relax. His desire for her was surging upward, the undeniable hardening of his manhood behind the zipper of his pants pressing forward, seeking her softness, her heat. Her femininity.
This was the woman he loved, desired. Wanted so badly his loins were starting to throb.
Fun had turned to lust.
Teasing to carnal thirst.
Lifting his head, he placed his lips at her temple, breathed in the scent of her shampoo, the faint hint of strawberries, knowing he would never tire of having her scent in his lungs.
Wanting it in his bed. On his skin. In him, on him.
Slowly, his arm slid from her waist as he trailed his fingertips upwards, grazing the full curve of her breast, the heavy weight that was hidden from his eyes beneath her shirt, but not from his touch.
Secrets (Hope Bay) Page 22