Capture Her Heart

by Catrina Maddox

  “Well, I guess that is a bit of luck,“ Blake remarked, nodding at her banged hands.

  “I guess so. I was going to take some time off myself this week to recharge. I'm a bit tired after an exhibition. All the hustle and bustle of getting things done before the deadline this time was a bit hectic,” Emily confessed.

  “It's no wonder that you crashed, then.” Sympathy was apparent in his voice as he picked up one of her bandaged hands.

  “I think you should be able to manage the dinner I'm cookingit's a stir-fry. I figured you could use a fork to stab at things. no one needs to cut up your meat for you.” he drew a stray hair behind her ear with a bland expression.

  There were some things she would like to stab, she thought, and the vision of him cutting her meat up in front of her like a five-year-old came to mind. She was well aware of what he was saying.

  “I can't see you in the role of a father. Sugar daddy, maybe,” she bit out.

  “You could ask me to be your sugar daddyI'm sure we could arrange a mutually enjoyable exchange of favors...”

  “Don't be ridiculous, you too....” Emily fumbled for words.

  He carried the board of chopped vegetables over to the stove-top with a broad smile on his face. Emily watched as he cooked the dinner in a wok with ease, his movement economical. While he cooked, he pulled a T-shirt off the counter she hadn't seen and slipped it over his head. The fabric strained at the seams across his broad shoulders.

  “Why don't you go sit at the table outside while I serve this up?” he let her off the hook.

  Emily turned towards the old table to find that it had already been set up. The sun was sinking towards the nightthe intimate setting for two on a lazy summer night.

  “Thank you,” Emily smiled as Blake joined her with two plates of fragrant smelling food in his hands.

  The dish was scrumptious. “This is really delicious,” her voice a sensual purr.

  “I'm glad you're enjoying it,” he responded, watching her eyes haze over in delight as she licked a drop of the spicy red sauce from the corner of her mouth. She ate with gusto, which sparked an answering call in him.

  “You missed a bit,” he said.

  “Where?” She looked up at him a glint in her eye.

  He reached over and drew his finger across the corner of her mouth, holding out his finger to her, touching her lips.

  Emily drew her tongue out, dazed by the expression in his eyes, and delicately licked at his finger where a splash of the sauce was resting.

  Emily dropped her eyes, concentrating on gingerly balancing the fork between her good fingers as she consumed the dinner.

  “Can I ask you a serious question?”

  “So, what was I supposed to be?” His voice had a distinct edge.

  Emily's head jerked back up to look at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Your revenge on the straying boyfriend?”

  “No,” the instinctive denial came from deep inside.

  “Well, perhaps. Really, I don't…” she slumped in her chair, closing her eyes for a second.

  “I think it started out that way, but then it became more about me. The anger at his words hurt me, and then it just became...” She broke off before she admitted what the night meant to her.

  “How did you guess he was a straying boyfriend?”

  “Something Cain said. I put two and two together this morning,” Blake said with an inscrutable expression on his face.

  “I didn't want revenge,” she hasted to assume him; she'd already wasted enough time and energy on Paul.

  “Then you must be unique amongst human beings,” he replied dryly. “If someone I loved betrayed me, I'd take great pleasure in stripping them of everything they valued piece by piece.”

  Emily shivered at the icy words and the passion behind them. It was clear that this was the passion she had been missing with Paul.

  “Possible I wasn't in love with him,” Emily muttered, the food in front of her forgotten.

  “I was already thinking of ending it with Paul when I caught him in the act, so to speak,” Emily crossed her fingers.

  “So, you had already moved on,” Blake murmured, a quiet tone to his voice.

  “Eat up, you're going to need your stamina.”

  Emily focused on Blake, the implied threat in his voice causing her to break out in a shiver. “What's going on in your devious male mind?”

  “Oh, I think if you try, very hard, you could make an educated guess.” He shot her a look beneath drooping eyelids.

  “I'm tried. I think bed is where I'm going,” Emily said truthfully, too tired to wrestle her own desires as well as his! Her hands were smarting quite badly.

  “If you weren't hurt, I would join you, Em,” Blake teased as she got up from the table. Emily shot him a dark stare from under her eyelashes as she moved towards the door.

  He followed her down the hallway. “I'll get a glass of water. I think a couple of the pain pills Cain prescribed will help you.”

  “How are you planning to wash? After a hot day like today, you must be dying for a soap-down.”

  His words conjured up vivid images in her head that she couldn't block out. “I'll manage.”

  “Not if your fork-handling is anything to go by. Don't be silly, Em. You'll take ages and hurt yourself in the process. Why not let me give you a nice wash?”

  Em felt a flush rising up her face at his words. He appeared so innocent, standing there with a glass of water in his hands.

  “I promise to be a gentleman, hand on heart. There's not much I haven't seen of you already is there, Em. You have nothing to be shy about, you have a lovely body.”

  He’s right, Em thought. He had seen it all before, and the thought of being clean and slipping into the cool crisp sheets was tempting.

  “Yes,” Emily tentatively agreed.

  Em closed her eyes as he moved towards her, surrendering to the inevitable. He unbuttoned her shirt, his hands warm as they slipped around her ribs and meet in the center of her back. He unclipped her bra catch with undue haste, her full breasts lowering and settling onto her chest with a bounce.

  Without a word, he peeled off her shirt and slid her bra down her arms. He knelt and unzipped her shorts, his warm breath brushing her chest as he pulled them off, along with her white cotton panties. Not once did he take his eyes off hers.

  He rose and guided her down to the bed before he moved into the en suite bathroom. Emily took a big gulp of air, her nipples pebbling.

  Blake returned with a bowl of warm soapy water, a face cloth, and her hairbrush. Silently rinsing the cloth, he got on his knees in front of her. He washed her throat and shoulders, drifting the cloth across her skin. He then moved on towards her breast, his touch soft and gentle. He moved across the upswell of her breast before moving downwards. His face was ice-cold as he focused on her eyes. He mapped her body with his hands and pattered her skin dry before moving the sheet back for her to climb naked into bed, pulling the sheet to cover her naked form.

  He leaned towards her and pressed a brief kiss to her forehead before placing one gently on her mouth. Then, still without speaking, he was gone, closing the door of the room behind him with a quiet click.

  Emily lay dazed in the bed; it took some time for her heart rate to return to normal and sleep to take her into his embrace.

  6

  The road down to the lake was clear of cars, The quiet town of Glen Point didn't attract the tourists like Queenstown or Glenorchy, and that's the way the locals liked it. She knew everyone in town by name and sight, which is why she took the side road in an effort to avoid many of the locals seeing her or stopping her for a chat. She was in no mood to talk about her hands. As she passed the empty section next to Catherine's house, she peered up as she heard the sound of male voices laughing. In particular, the clear baritone was familiar to her. Through the long grass, the old barn butted up to the vacant section, standing off its roof like gods, where Blake and Evan, shirts off,
tool belts slung across the hips, jeans tight against their taught buttocks as they bent over at the waist, nailing new iron to the roof. The male next to Blake was just as impressive, and the tilt of his head was familiar and not the Evan Senior she was expecting. He said he was going to be helping Evan; she had thought he meant the older Evan Seniorthe local farmer. Standing tall and handsome next to Blake was Evan Jr. She shadowed her hand across her brow to check them out, unaware that she had stopped in the middle of the road in clear view of the men on the roof.

  “Emily!” The greeting caught her off guard. Evan was waving at her from up on the roof.

  She stood where she was as the two men scrambled down off the roof like monkey's, making it look easy.

  “Emily, long time,” her childhood friend greeted her. She then found herself enveloped in a gigantic bear hug from Evan, her feet leaving the ground.

  Emily stared up into the grinning face of Evan, his skin tanned, muscle on muscle on display, as well as being over six foot. Evan was what was referred to as a 'Catch' shame. Still, she had never been attracted to her friend. Having known him as a skinny teenager who was too smart for his own good, she looked between the two men, aware of a tension emanating from Blake.

  “Let me introduce you to my mate Blake. He can't stay long; he's off to make lunch for his damsel in distress; she's giving this one some trouble.” Evan gave the glowing male next to him a slap on the back while giving him a male grin.

  Emily cocked a brow at Blake. She had to try hard to stop a smirk crossing her lips.

  “Thanks, mate. Emily is the damsel in distress,” Blake grinned at Evan ruefully.

  Emily held up her hands to show the bandages on her hands.

  “Oh, Em.” Evan examined her hands with sympathy.

  “I didn't know you were in town, Evan?” Emily broke in before he could ask how she injured her hands.

  “I'm home on leave, so I took Blake up on his offer to help on this place.” Evan gestured behind him at the woodshed on the corner of the family farm, a knowing smile on his face.

  “How do you know each other?” Emily thought it was clear they were long-term friends from the camaraderie that she had seen on the roof. The imp inside of her wanted more information about this man.

  “We were colleagues in the army together.” Blake spoke in clipped tones, his tone caused Emily to frown.

  “He's being modest,” Evan grinned at Emily.

  “He was my commander in the army, the best chief I ever had. Saved my life more than a couple of times I can tell you. We kept in touch after he retired.”

  “Where you off to Emily?” Blake cut into the conversation

  “I was going down to the lake to do some sketching. Not much I can do at home as the bandages get in the way,” Emily blushed as she realized her tone displayed her frustration at the limitations.

  “How about I get some food from the cafe and I meet you down there? We could do with a break.” Blake turned Emily away from Evan and pointed her in the direction of the lake as if it was a forgone conclusion.

  “Yep, could do with a break, but I think I'll just make the trip into Queenstown for that extra iron that we need while you look after Emily,” Evan said after Blake stared at the other man. Emily was unable to see what was happening, but she knew some unheard exchange was taking place.

  Before she knew it, she was seated under a sizable willow tree down by the lake. The shade in the lunchtime sun was lovely. She spread out the picnic blanket she had brought with her, and a shirtless Blake sitting next to her the leftover food from their lunch spread next to them. Full and rested, she decided to ask the question that had been rambling around in the back of her head.

  “So, why did you retire from the Army?” Subtle tension gripped his body at her question.

  “I got injured.” His focus shifted on something out on the lake.

  “You don't look injured,” Emily blustered out as she skimmed the body of the man laying next to her; he seemed in peak physical condition.

  “My hip and knee got damaged on an op overseas. It took time before medical attention was able to be deliveredcomplications on the mission. My hip recovered, but my knee will never be the same; it can't stand up to the rigors of being an SAS soldier, so it was either retire or take a desk job.” Blake's eyes were dimmed.

  “Being a soldier meant a lot to you?”

  “It was all I knew at that point. I loved what I did, and then to have it taken away was hard,” Blake confessed.

  “Were not all hard men, if it weren't for friends like Evan helping me channel that same drive I had in the army, I wouldn't be where I am today.” Blake's head faced back out across the lake.

  “I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do my pottery,” Emily confessed, aware that he had left something unsaid.

  “To be honest, I think you would have made a success out of anything you turned your hand to,” Emily blushed as Blake surveyed her.

  “Why do you say that?” he queried.

  “It takes a lot to be an SAS soldier. I've seen that from being around Evan and Cain. You’re smart and driven. I can't imagine you giving up on a goal.”

  “Now, that's true. Once I set my eyes on something I want badly enough, I work out how to make it mine.” The intense stare from Blake's eyes caused shivers down her spine. She was sure there was a message in that statement for her.

  “So, can I ask you a question? Why does an artist such as yourself keep such a low profile? Blake turned on his side to face her as he asked.

  “Easy. I don't like the limelight.” She took a breath. “I'm just a small-town girl at heart, Blake. The life of a prominent person can be savage.”

  “That sounds like the voice of experience,” Blake stated.

  “Glen Point is isolated, but with easy access to Queenstown. It's not like I keep myself hidden, as such. Yes, I have some famous relatives, so I understand what it can be like to be in the limelight. I made a choice not to be. I'm sure you have some experience with it as well.” Emily bluffed her way through the question.

  Blake snorted at the comment. Emily's mind went back to the newspaper article she had read about him.

  “Is it true that you’ve bedded more women than hot dinners, as the tabloids say?” Emily smirked at him.

  Blake started laughing at the impish expression on her face. “As you say, being in the limelight does come with its downsides, and while I am a healthy male specimen, I'm not that way inclined. I find I'm more a one-woman man these days.” He glanced at her from beneath his lashes. “And for the record, I don't court the media, and when I do appear, it’s mostly in the business pages.”

  “So, what's it like be a world-famous potter?” Blake asked, appearing genuinely interested.

  “I pot because I have to...” Emily found herself trailing off, unsure of how to explain.

  “I love finding new ways to create a glaze, getting the piece just so. I didn't start out wanting to be famous, it just sort of happened. People liked my pieces, and I got more and more commissions.”

  Blake was mesmerized by the expression on her face. Her passion for her art was evident in her expression and tone of voice. She gestured with her hands as if she was caressing the piece.

  “But you are known as the artist who really comes out to exhibit. Do you think that has helped your sales?” Blake, the businessman, was coming through.

  Emily shrugged “At first, it was because I didn't want to be compared to my uncle’s work, and then, a lot of my work came from commissions, so exhibiting seemed like another thing to try to squeeze in.”

  “Your uncle?”

  “Oh...” Emily realized she'd been so comfortable with Blake that she had trod into dangerous waters.

  “My uncle is James Mercy.” Emily focused on Blake to view his reaction, and she was not disappointed.

  She saw Blake stiffened on the blanket, his eyes piercing into hers as his disbelief was apparent.

  “James Mercy, the
landscape artist?”

  “The one and the same. As I said, he was the one who got me into pottery.”

  Blake laughed, “I have some of his paintings.”

  “Yep,” Emily grinned. “I've been in your apartment, remember.”

  “So, what was it like growing up with him?”

  “It was interesting. James is very passionate about art but relaxed in life. It certainly didn't help that a lot of his friends were artists. I had access to someone with the best resources” Emily cocked her head to one side as she considered Blake.

  “So, why didn't you go into painting?”

  “Because, believe it or not, I'm not that good at it. I like clay because I can touch the texture I can hold it to what I want.”

  “Ahhh... I think I understand,” Blake smirked at her. “You’re quite a sensual little thing, aren't you.”

  “What... No, knock it off Blake,” Emily frowned down at him. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Don't play dumb. That's not you. Why are you helping me”

  Blake looked at her in surprise “Because you need it. What kind of man would I be to leave you? Let's be honest, I was part of the cause of the accident. Also, you’re actually doing me a favor by putting me up; otherwise, I would have to sleep on the floor in Evan's place; your bed is much more comfortable. I've grown soft since I left the army.”

  Emily could not help but laugh at the hangdog expression on his face. “Damn right it was your fault,” Emily groused as she held out her hands in front of her.

  “As long as you don't think what happened before is going to happen again. I'm not looking for a lover.”

  “Hmm… I'm just trying to get to know you, Em. Have I made a move? I'm disappointed in you, Emily.”

  Emily looked out across the lake, unsure whether to take him seriously. He had been flirting with her the day before; maybe it was her hidden desire coming to the fore. This man was not for her, but he would make a great friend. You could never have enough of those.

  “So, why did you choose to settle in Queenstown after you left the army?”