by Tania Joyce
Chapter 2
“Jess, do you mind if I take off?” Gabby asked as they packed up the last of the video equipment. Lights, cameras, tripod stands and cables galore. “I’m catching up with friends for dinner and I’m already late.”
“Sure. I’ll get one of Nate’s staff members to help me load all this into my car. Off you go. Have fun.”
As Gabby disappeared out the door, Jessica went to close down her laptop but knocked her folder of papers off the table and onto the floor. With a heavy sigh, she dropped down onto her hands and knees and started to gather them up when an impeccably polished pair of black leather lace-up shoes appeared before her. Size ten, if I had to guess. Her pulse went up a notch. She slid her gaze up the legs of the tailored trousers, up the front of the black jacket, before meeting Nate’s blue-gray eyes. She felt a little shock to her solar plexus and clambered to her feet, refusing his offered hand. She shoved her folder into her bag and hastily straightened her skirt. Even after spending all afternoon in the same room as him, something in the air changed when he stood this close.
“It’s been a long day. Would you like to join me for a drink on the boardwalk?” Nate asked as he handed her a piece of paper she’d missed off the floor.
Jessica dropped her eyes to the desk and swallowed hard. A drink? Surely no harm would come from having a friendly drink.
All afternoon Nate had been attentive to Gabby and her, every request he seemed only too happy to please. He ensured they had enough food and water. Mid-afternoon, he personally made them cups of tea for their break. He was well-mannered; the consummate English gentleman, never faulting in his professionalism, even when Gabby made him repeat a section of interview questions several times to capture his detailed responses correctly.
Would he be different outside the office environment? Maybe finding out more about Nate would put her somersaulting stomach to rest. But would she find anything negative about him that would turn off the attraction? She tried not to judge books by their covers—but my oh my—Nate was eye-catching, glossy and had ‘Get your hands on me now’ written all over him. “Sure. Sounds wonderful.”
“After you.” Nate gestured toward the door.
* * *
Once they were seated at a restaurant on the rim of Cockle Bay, nestled under the amber warmth of an outdoor heater, Nate ordered a bottle of red wine. The winter evening was cool and the harbor waters rippled with dark blue and rosy pink hues as the sun disappeared in the western sky.
“So have you been to Australia before?” Jessica asked as the waiter poured wine into her glass. She needed a drink to take the edge off. Nate’s presence made her nerves spark.
“Yes, twice. I came here on a holiday to Cairns when I was about ten years old, and four years ago when our scouts found the location for the hotel.”
“Well you certainly have a winner on your hands. Darling Harbour was in desperate need of a new waterfront hotel.”
“We like to think it adds to the glamor of the city and will become an iconic landmark of the Sydney skyline.”
“Are you staying here until the launch or is it just a visit to see that everything gets underway?”
“I should be here the whole time. Maybe a week in Singapore to see my daughter.”
“You’re married?” No one had mentioned that little detail to her before.
“Oh, dear lord, no. Not anymore.” Jessica heard a certain amount of disdain in his tone. “I was married at the ripe old age of twenty-four and it lasted a whole eighteen months.”
Shocked by the news and without thinking, Jessica blurted back, “I have a son, too. He’s nineteen though; all grown up now and out of home.”
“Are you serious?” Nate looked startled as he placed his glass on the table. “You don’t look old enough to have a grown child?”
“Not one of my finer moments in life, but yes, I had Conner when I was sixteen.” She shouldn’t have brought it up. Was she really so flustered? Calm down, Jess. To avoid further questions, she turned the conversation back to Nate. “It must be hard for you not seeing your daughter.”
Nate let out a deep breath and sank back into his chair. “Rachael makes it very difficult. We had an ugly, bitter divorce. With my demanding job I had to think of what was best for Lucy, so I granted Rachael full custody. The least I could do was offer financial stability for them both, and Rachael ensures that I’ll be paying the price for the rest of my days.”
Bad end to his marriage, Jessica could relate to that. “Well my ex-husband, Graeme, left me for someone ten years younger. Now he’s shacked up in a new house that I paid for.”
Nate grinned as he ran his hand over his five o’clock shadow. “I can relate to the house thing. My ex-wife took notes off Zsa Zsa Gabor. You know that saying about being a housekeeper. We divorced—she kept the house.”
Jessica chuckled, nearly choking on a mouthful of wine. “Yes, you never understand the value of money until you get divorced.”
“There was no value in my marriage, only cost.” He smirked. “The only time I knew I made Rachael happy was when I signed our divorce papers.”
His sarcastic sense of humor made her laugh. As they tried to outdo each other on whose ex was the worse, Jessica’s belly hurt from giggling so much. Her marriage had always loomed in the back of her mind as one of the biggest failures of her life, but joking about it with someone who’d had a rough ending as well, it didn’t feel so bad after all.
Nate’s eyes locked on hers in all seriousness. “I don’t mean to pry too much, but is Alex your partner now?”
“Partner? Definitely not.” She struggled to keep a straight face. “You’ve met Alex, right? He’s gay as Elton John.”
Nate nodded as if the pieces of the puzzle clicked together. “That explains a lot.”
“We met during our first job out of university at a small advertising firm in North Sydney, and hit it off. He handles all the operations, business processes and bid management, whereas I manage sales, the creative team and events.” She was baffled that anyone could think she and Alex were together. “I’m very content being single. No … wait, I’m married to my business.” She threw her head back with a laugh, and then peered into his eyes. “You? Which supermodel are you dating at present?” Snideness crept into her voice as she remembered seeing him photographed with various women on the internet.
He leaned toward her, took a long, slow breath and looked straight at her with a very stern expression. “Are you sure you’re not thinking of my father?” Noting his reaction, this was definitely a sour subject. “Just for your information, I don’t think I’ve ever dated a supermodel. Not even an actress. And recently, no one at all. Work consumes all my time.”
Her breath faltered as a smile returned to his face. She didn’t know if it was the wine affecting her, but his English accent seemed to coil itself around her body and warm her deep inside. She wondered what it would be like to have his naked body … What the…?Jessica blinked and turned her eyes away. Her hands were trembling so she slipped them into her lap. She glanced across the table at his fingers. He was stroking the stem of the wine glass absentmindedly. Why did she wish for those hands to be on her instead? How was she going to work with him if her temperature rose like the mercury on a hot summer’s day whenever he was near?
The more he said, the more she wanted to taste his lips that were now slightly stained with red wine. So much for trying to find out his bad points. Other than an ex-wife and a daughter he hardly saw, Nate Somers had too many ticks in all the right boxes: easy to talk to, funny, work was his life, and they had many things in common, including the love of red wine, tropical island holidays and attending Spring Racing Carnivals.
After their meal, they strolled along the boardwalk toward the Somers Residential Tower. Nate stopped and leaned on the railing overlooking the water. The breeze danced through his short brown hair. “Would you believe that this stay in Australia will be one of my longest anywhere? I’m usually nev
er in one place for more than a month.”
“Well, Sydney is a beautiful city. I’m sure you’ll find things to do to keep you entertained.” Jessica settled back against the railing next to him and enjoyed the cool evening air upon her face.
“I don’t have a lot of spare time, but I already like what I see.” Nate turned. He stood barely a body-width in front of her. “But I wasn’t anticipating anything like you. You’re impossible to ignore.” Nate hesitated, his eyes searching her face.
His close proximity caught her off guard. Jessica felt her cheeks color. She wanted to blame the alcohol, but the presence of this man before her had her unraveling. Where had all her years of professional conduct gone? As if the ground turned to quicksand, she felt herself sinking further and further under the spell of Nate Somers. His alluring voice pulled her along like the Pied Piper.
She had to resist, but was unable to look away. “I think you’re suffering from delusion.”
He lowered his head toward hers. The scent of his spicy cologne filled her senses and Jessica felt her body temperature rise as he closed the gap between them. She closed her eyes and held her breath. Her body tensed and waited for his lips to press against hers.
But they never came.
She opened her eyes to see Nate’s darkened with desire, just inches from hers.
“Am I?” His lip curled at the corners.
Why had he stopped? No, that’s a good thing. Jessica blinked several times to regain her composure. Flushed with embarrassment, she stepped away. “Yes. I think we should head back. It’s been a long day.”
Chapter 3
Thanks to strict advertising deadlines and conflicting meetings, Jessica and her team had a late night of work ahead of them as they arrived at Somers Residential Tower on Thursday evening. Their first run of promotions and advertisements was due tomorrow and the whole crew was full of energy.
Nate met them in the lobby. “Come, we’re going up to my apartment. There’s more room for us all to work, and the view is spectacular.”
Jessica’s jaw strained and her palms went clammy at the thought. His apartment? Even though she was going to have others around her, the prospect of spending an evening working in his private dwelling made her break out in a cold sweat. She needed space, distance and formal settings to avoid intimate situations with Nate. Since Monday evening, she’d failed dismally to not think about his lips and what they would taste like. The chemistry between them was impossible to ignore. Regardless, the flame needed to be extinguished. She sucked in a long hard breath to calm herself down as Nate led them into the elevators and headed on up to his floor.
Nate’s apartment was sleek and luxurious like the rest of the residential complex. In the dimly lit room, white furniture stood out against the plush, charcoal-colored carpet. A leather modular couch surrounded a glossy coffee table scattered with newspapers and magazines. Full-length glass windows framed spectacular views over Darling Harbour, Sydney Wharf Apartments and the casino, all of which looked peaceful from thirty-two stories up.
Jessica noted the empty suitcase left standing by the far wall, a sole photo frame on top of the sideboard; laptop and work folders piled high upon the desk.
“I’ve ordered pizzas. They should be here any minute. So, what can I get everyone to drink? Beer? Wine? Soft drink?” Nate asked, as he grabbed glasses from the kitchen cupboard and waited on everyone’s requests.
The doorbell rang and Nate disappeared down the hallway, returning with pizzas in hand. The smell of garlic and pepperoni filled the air, making Jessica’s mouth water. She had to laugh as she saw Nate roll up his business shirtsleeves and hook into pizza, just like one of the boys.
“Jess, you want the last piece?” Martin asked her. She put up her hand and shook her head. No, definitely not. Her belly was full. “Dibs, it’s mine then.” Martin reached across the table and started to gobble down the last slice.
“Can I get you something else, Jessica?” Nate asked as he wiped his fingertips with a napkin. “I don’t have much as I’ve only been shopping once. But I have more alcohol, tea and crisps. Or I could order up something from the restaurant.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
After the team finished dinner, they buckled down to work. Martin sat at the table with Matt and Darren in front of their Macs, modifying artwork designs. Jessica sat on the couch with Nate and Gabby, sifting through dozens of photo proofs and watching video edits.
“You’ll have to point out my imperfections, Ms Mason,” said Nate. “I hope your team will Photoshop out any irregularities they find in the images.” He spoke softly as he handed her a second glass of wine. When she closed her hand around the glass, he didn’t let go. His slight hesitation made her look up at his face.
“There don’t seem to be any—none that I can find.” Jessica held his gaze until she became conscious of the others in the room. She didn’t need her staff making speculations, so, with a subtle shimmy of her hips, she edged across the couch, putting more distance between her body and his.
The work that should have taken an hour or two ended up taking four. As everyone readied to leave, Nate turned to Jessica. “Do you mind waiting for a moment while the approvals print off, and I’ll sign them for you?”
“Sure.” She prayed that the laser printer in the far corner produced the documents at lightning speed so everyone could head for home.
“Jess, we have to go or we’ll miss the train,” Matt pleaded.
“Okay. Go on ahead, guys. Brilliant work as always. I’ll see you tomorrow.” More than anything, Jessica wanted to depart with them, but everyone, including Martin, disappeared out the door. She gulped loudly when Nate closed the door behind them and she heard the soft click of the latch.
Jessica closed her eyes and bit hard into her lip. She was very aware that she was now alone with Nate in his apartment. Not good.
The air prickled with electricity as he walked back down the hallway toward her. Every nerve in her body felt on edge. After sculling the last of her wine, she placed the glass on the coffee table. She couldn’t deny Nate’s allure, but there was a line not to be crossed.
Quick. Get these documents. Clean up and get out of here.
Jessica gathered up empty pizza boxes and took them to the kitchen. She was stacking them on the counter when she felt him come up and stand behind her. She didn’t even need to turn around. His body radiated heat, just inches from pressing into hers. Too close. Slowly she turned to face him. Her heart thundered in her chest. His vivid blue-gray eyes took possession of her. This is not good.
With his eyes fixed on her, Nate slowly drank the last of his wine. Then he reached around her, placed his glass on the bench and seductively licked his lips. Jessica’s breath deepened. She struggled to swallow.
“I have a solution,” he said softly.
“What’s the problem?” She could feel her pulse tapping in her throat.
Nate edged closer, his eyes not leaving hers. “You … and making the most out of my stay in Sydney.”
“Nate!” Jessica gasped as she leaned back, trapped up against the bench.
“Hmm?”
“I have to go.” Her voice quivered, threatening to break in spite of her resolve.
“Okay,” he whispered, but didn’t move aside. His face angled toward hers. She placed her hand on his chest to stop his advances, but the feel of his hard body beneath his cotton shirt ignited a fire within her that had been dormant for too long.
His warm breath gently brushed across her face.
“This … is wrong,” she whispered.
His lips were an inch from hers. “Very.” His voice was soft as silk.
“We shouldn’t.” She wanted to run, but her feet felt glued to the ground.
“I know.” Distance evaporated into nothingness as his lips pressed against hers.
Her mind screamed so loudly she was sure Nate could hear her thoughts. Stop. He’s your client!But his lips were warm and sof
t. The wine lingered on his mouth and she couldn’t help but want to taste a little bit more. With her pulse racing and her head spinning, all sense went out the door.
Jessica’s hands shot up and latched around Nate’s neck. She laced her fingers into his thick soft hair. With a gentle moan, she parted her lips and kissed him deeply.
Nate’s breath against hers was hot and fiery as her tongue found his. The scorching touch of his hands as they ran around her hips sent shivers to every part of her being. Her breasts nestled firmly against his muscular torso and she could feel his heart throbbing. Never in her life had she wanted to kiss a man or to touch and feel his skin so badly. She was shocked at the desperate want burning inside her. Nate’s hands slipped to the lapels of her jacket and slid it from her shoulders onto the floor. She wanted more. More to taste. More to touch. More of him.
“Jess.” The sound of him whispering her name into her ear made her knees feel weak.
In a heated frenzy, zips, buttons and belts went flying in all directions. They tore each other’s clothes off, down to their underwear, leaving a scattered trail between the kitchen and the bedroom. Falling on the bed, he hovered over her, grinding his hips into hers. Jessica groaned as she felt his erection swollen and hard against her belly. His demanding, hungry kisses made their way down the arch of her neck and across the line of her shoulder as his fingers slid her bra strap away from her skin.
The fabric of his trunks felt smooth against her hand as Jessica glided her fingers over his buttocks. So firm. So hot. She playfully rolled Nate over onto his back and straddled his hips. Just looking at his hot body and handsome face nestled amongst the throw of pillows turned her on.
This was so out of character. Her calm, cool facade disappeared with his kisses.
His stomach flexed beneath her fingertips as she ran her hands over every groove. Her mouth watered at the taste of his skin as she snaked kisses down his chest. As she wriggled her body downward she admired the smooth skin across the arch of his hips before she peeled his trunks away. The sight of his nakedness sent a shock of pleasure to her very core. She took him in her hand and firmly stroked up and down his length and rubbed across his head. His hard, warm skin in the palm of her hand made the muscles between her legs clench in eager anticipation.
