by Tania Joyce
She turned off the computer, slipped on her visibility vest, tied up her steel-caps, grabbed the rest of her gear and headed out the door.
***
“Larry? It’s Kelleigh from JLR,” she called out, knocking loudly on the screen door while balancing the takeaway cardboard tray overflowing with food in her other hand.
“What? Wait a minute.” She heard a lot of shuffling and something crashing to the floor before footsteps headed toward her. “I thought you weren’t going to be here until after lunch. You don’t have to come and see me all the time. You can access the farm as you need. I thought I made that clear,” Larry muttered as he came into view, tying up his dressing gown.
“I know. But I thought I would bring you some lunch. It’s some vegetable soup, ham sandwiches and Grace was positive you wouldn’t say no to custard tarts.”
Larry looked like he had started salivating as he licked his lips. “Come on. Come on in. Damn Grace and her meddling. Got her nose in everywhere, hasn’t she.” He smiled, deep creases etching his face as he opened the door.
She followed him down the little hallway to the tiny old kitchen where they sat one week ago. The difference today was the pile of dirty dishes in the sink while empty tins of tomato soup and an old-looking loaf of bread littered the bench. She looked at Larry, trying to hide the concern on her face.
“You sit down, Larry, I’ll get everything. Now, where are your plates, bowls and spoons?”
He waved weakly at a cupboard in the corner of the kitchen and she dived into a mixed array of chinaware. Nothing matched. She grabbed what was needed and set everything out on the table.
“My team from Melbourne should be here soon. We’re going to start marking out the spots for drilling this afternoon up on the far hill and work our way down toward the creek.”
“No worries. Jett’s around here somewhere today. He’s my farmhand. Did I already tell you that?” She nodded, he had—at least three times during their meeting last week. “Sorry he wasn’t here when you visited, but he knows to help you if needed. He’s going away this weekend for two weeks holiday. It will give you a chance to get all your testing done without any interference from the day-to-day farm operations for a while. The sooner you get what you need the better, so all this legal stuff can go through council for approval.”
She couldn’t agree more as she served out the food, glad to see Larry hook in to the meal. “Aren’t you sad to sell this place? How long have you lived here?”
Larry hesitated, avoiding looking at her as he stirred the hot soup with his spoon. His voice lowered. “It’s been in my family for three generations. But now, my kids don’t want anything to do with it. They’ve all grown up and have to deal with their own lives and families. No one wants a cattle and small produce farm. What else could I do but sell? It’s time to move on. All good things must come to an end.”
“I’m so sorry, Larry. You should be happy knowing that the resort JLR have planned for this place is spectacular.” However, bulldozing someone’s legacy that had been passed down generation to generation and turning it into a multimillion-dollar golf course didn’t seem right to her. Looking at Larry’s weatherworn and drawn face tugged on her heart in a strange way. He was such a sweet man. “As our contract with you is conditional, what are you going to do when our application is approved and the sale is finalized? Where are you going to go?”
He closed his eyes, struggling to hide his emotions. “I’m planning to move to Coffs Harbour on the Central Coast, be near my sons and grandkids.”
His words hung heavy on her heart. This man’s livelihood was about to be taken away from him within a matter of months.
“It will be hard to see this place turned into a damn golf resort. If it has to be developed, I’d sooner see it as a golf course than covered in housing. I know I could have tried to sell it as a farm, but I didn’t want to have to deal with scumbag real estate agents or pay them a fortune in commissions. When my lawyer approached me with your company’s offer to buy the place, it sounded so nice and easy. I’m too old for drama these days.”
She ate a couple of sandwiches, listening intently as Larry told her stories about growing up on the farm as a boy, his wife who died five years ago from nothing more than old age, and his kids and grandkids. His life, so full of happy treasured family memories. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea to spend time with Larry. The more she got to know him, the more she cared about him and she couldn’t afford to be emotionally invested. Every project she’d worked on in her past always seemed to upset someone. Crush someone’s dreams. Shatter someone’s livelihood. With this new job of hers she was supposed to be sitting in an office and avoiding face-to-face dealings with the customers, but here she was, out on-site chatting with the client over lunch. Pushing her plate away from her, she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. It was time to focus on the tasks at hand. This place was to be torn down to nothing and sculpted into a grand eighteen-hole golf course. And it was her responsibility to make sure her feasibility studies were done on schedule to meet the project requirements. It was time to get off her backside, step outside and work.
Chapter 9
“I’ve arranged a meeting with several people while I’m here and we will present at the council meeting tomorrow night. Okay, yes?” Toru said to her after picking her up on Tuesday morning.
“Sure. Who are they with and why are we meeting with them?” she asked as she made herself comfortable in the passenger seat.
“One is with a farm owner behind Larry’s, the other one is at Gumtrees Winery. The big bosses want us to talk to them about the resort and plans for future expansion.”
“What future expansion?”
“We are nearly there. I’ll explain everything during the meeting. Yes?”
The hairs on her arms prickled. Why was Toru skirting around her questions? The names Toru rattled off didn’t mean anything to her. As Toru drove towards the dirt road leading up to Larry’s farm and where she had her car crash, she couldn’t help but think of Troy. She wondered where he was and what he was doing right now.
“Where are we going?” She sat up; concerned that Toru had missed the turnoff. “I thought you said the meetings were with the property owners bordering Larry’s; this place is on the other side of the road. Why are we meeting with this vineyard?”
Kelleigh’s mouth gaped open when Toru drove through the grand sandstone gateway and up the long gravel driveway. She’d seen none of this the other day when she’d had her accident way down on the side road. A beautiful sandstone homestead, cellar door and restaurant, barns, quaint little cabins and a cottage, huge machinery and wine production sheds stood surrounded in all directions by the rolling hills covered in vibrant leafy grapevines. Everywhere she looked, the land was so green, painted every shade imaginable. It was one of the most magnificent places she’d ever seen.
“If you missed the sign on the gateway, this is Gumtrees Winery. We have a meeting with Nick Hill, the owner.”
“But why? You still haven’t explained.” Kelleigh smoothed her hands over the legs of her dress pants as Toru pulled the car up outside the reception area. She hated meetings and her nerves were making her jittery.
“I told you, it’s about our plans for the development. No need to repeat myself twice. You coming, yes?” Toru asked as he got out of the car.
Reluctantly she grabbed her laptop bag and stepped out of the car; her shoes wobbled on the graveled driveway surface. Give her a set of flats or steel-cap boots any day over the high-heeled pumps that graced her feet at the moment. Suits and fancy shoes were not her wardrobe of choice, but necessary for client meetings.
She glanced toward the front door; something drew her attention to the office area. An energy that lured her closer. It was warm, inviting and addictive. Unable to look away, she walked up the couple of steps toward the entrance, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other so as not to trip and make a fool of herself in fro
nt of her boss.
A gush of air swooshed loudly when she pushed open the oak-colored timber door, and she followed Toru inside.
Holy shit!
She froze on the spot when she saw Troy sitting behind the desk.
What the hell was he doing here? The conversations she had with him flickered through her mind; he’d never enlightened her about his location of work. They’d agreed not to talk about work. There’d been no logos on his t-shirt, no names dropped, no mention of it.
“Kelleigh? What are you doing here?” He stood up so quickly from his chair it tipped over and crashed to the floor with a bang.
“You two know each other?” A man with mousey gray hair stood in the doorway behind Troy. His eyes darted from hers to Troy’s like he was watching a tennis rally.
“No!” She said at the same time as Troy said, “Yes.”
The man grinned and walked around to greet her and Toru with a firm handshake. “I’m Nick Hill and this is my business partner and co-owner, Troy Smith.”
Business partner! Co-owner! Oh, this just gets better and better.
Kelleigh struggled to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat, her eyes unable to leave Troy’s. This was not going to be an easy meeting, especially when all she could do was picture Troy in bed with her the other night in her hotel room. Her cheeks flushed and heat coursed along her neckline. She’d never felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable in all her life.
With Troy standing before her, the air around her felt electric and tingled her skin all over. She’d thought about Troy constantly, but never expected to see him again. Ever. This brought a whole new level of discomfort. A distraction was necessary to take her mind off those arms, those lips and those hands. Oh, and what was sheathed within his pants. The way Troy was looking at her, she couldn’t quite work out whether he was trying to stab daggers through her or trying to undress her. Possibly a bit of both, but she certainly hoped for the latter.
Somehow she shoved her desire to seduce him again aside and found her voice. “Hello Nick, this is Mr. Toru Kei, general manager of JLR here in Australia. I’m Kelleigh Johnstone, engineering project leader.”
“Excellent. Come on through to our office.”
Kelleigh’s knees wobbled as she followed the gentlemen through to one of the small offices tucked in behind the reception area. Awards and photos adorned the walls, while a large desk piled high with paperwork lay to one side of the room and a round table that could sit four people sat on the other. With sweating hands, she sat with Troy on her left. When her knees brushed against his as they pulled in their chairs, the smile he gave her sent a quiver straight between her legs.
Just her luck. Why did her one-night stand have to come back and haunt her? Troy’s vivid blue eyes were even more accentuated by the sky-blue polo shirt emblazoned with the vineyard’s logo on the breast pocket. He could have worn that the other day! She tried to resist the temptation, but gave in and scanned her eyes over his entire body as he sat next to her. Hopefully her actions were subtle. His ankles were crossed underneath the chair; his feet, adorned in RM Williams boots, jiggled away at a hundred miles an hour. Strong muscular thighs clad in faded denim jeans sat inches from her own legs. Then there were those arms. Muscular, well-toned biceps, perfectly sculpted, not over the top like a bodybuilder. The ones he had wrapped around her all night. Her heartbeat picked up a notch, remembering what a fine specimen he was underneath those clothes. All man in prime condition.
“Excuse me, would anyone like some tea or coffee?” A small plump woman ducked her head into the room.
“Ah, good timing. This is my lovely wife, Maria,” Nick said as he settled in his seat next to Toru. “What shall we get you to drink?”
Maria took orders for coffee and tea, and then disappeared down the hallway.
“So how do you two know each other?” Nick waved his finger between herself and Troy.
Kelleigh cleared her throat and shuffled in her seat. “He helped me last week with my car when I had a flat tire.” She surprised herself with how steady her voice remained.
Troy focused on his hands resting on the table before him. “And I saw her again at Harrigan’s on Tuesday night.”
“Oh.” Nick’s eyes widened and he chuckled. “Oh!”
Kelleigh’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. Did Troy tell Nick about the other night? From the smirk on Nick’s face and Troy’s blushing cheeks, it was obvious he had.
Please earth, open up now and swallow me whole!
Maria returned with coffees, easing Kelleigh’s embarrassment. After placing them on the table she promptly left.
“Mr. Kei, you wanted to discuss your company’s plans in the region. While I’m interested in knowing what’s going on in the area, what’s this got to do with us?” Nick asked, before taking a sip from his cup.
“Thank you, Mr. Hill and Mr. Smith, for giving us the opportunity to meet with you. We have entered into an agreement to purchase Mr. Larry Peterson’s property for the development of a golf course.”
Kelleigh’s stomach took a dive when the expression on the men’s faces washed over with shock. Troy and Nick’s mouths gaped open and they shook their heads in disbelief. “What did you say?” Troy blinked several times.
“We have started undertaking the necessary feasibility studies to submit a rezoning request and development application to council for approval in three weeks. Ms. Johnstone is our project leader and will be leading a small team to survey Mr. Peterson’s property, coordinate audits and collect the required soil and water samples for testing. I will be here on and off during this period to meet with other people to ensure our application proceeds.”
“I didn’t even know Larry was interested in selling.” Nick wiped his hand down across his drawn face.
“You can’t build a resort on Larry’s place. It’s prime agricultural land. It’s not possible, is it?” Troy looked gutted as he slumped back in his chair.
“We believe that the rezoning request will be approved based on other developments that have gone ahead in the area. More eco-friendly tourism and growth is part of this region’s economic plan. We will be announcing our project at the general community and council meeting tomorrow night.”
Kelleigh’s skin prickled as the strain on Nick and Troy’s faces became more evident as the minutes ticked by. Troy’s knuckles had turned white from clenching his fists together. Releasing and stretching his fingers, he moved his hands underneath the table and rested them on top of his thighs.
Kelleigh’s mind strayed. The thought of him, clutching her breasts with those strong hands while she clawed at the bed sheets when he made her come the other night had her biting down hard on her lip. When he slipped those firm fingers inside her and touched her in all the right places, he’d made her gasp for more. She shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking of stuff like this in the middle of a meeting. What was wrong with her? It was taking all her strength to not reach out and touch him; to feel his flesh again. She closed her eyes, trying to find composure, but the vision of his naked body was all she could see. His tongue circling her nipples. His shaft thrusting inside her. His skin sweating against hers. Her heartbeat started to escalate as she remembered how he felt against her during that night. Holy hell, it was getting hot in here! Her eyes shot open. Luckily no one seemed to notice she had been daydreaming. Which was ridiculous. She was a professional. She had to focus. She had a job to do.
“We have grand plans for this development.” Toru continued. “We’d like to show you the initial design plans because there are other matters we need to discuss. Ms. Johnstone will also show you details of the studies we will be conducting.” He waved at Kelleigh to open up her laptop.
Kelleigh fumbled with her computer, then awkwardly clambered down around behind her chair to plug the cord into power because the battery was running low. All the while she sensed Troy’s eyes boring in to her. With him watching her every move, he made her aware of her entire bei
ng—of the way her silk blouse felt cool across her skin, how her hair brushed softly against her back when she moved and how he made the blood swirl through her veins. No other man had ever made her feel her like that. Troy took a long slow sip of his drink, and as he put the cup down on the table he wiped his thumb back and forth across his bottom lip. Her inner core clenched and her throat ran dry, knowing what that mouth could do.
Troy and Nick nodded at appropriate times as she went through the feasibility study schedule—there was nothing unusual about it. It was considerate to let them know what was going on and not be concerned when all the trucks and contractors visited Larry’s place over the coming weeks. Then Toru spun her laptop around to face him, plugged in his USB and started his own slideshow, showing off the designs for the multimillion-dollar golf resort.
Her eyes bulged as he went through each slide. The presentation had changed. The plans had been modified since she’d seen them a few weeks ago. Why hadn’t she’d been told that the development had grown? Now there was a new conference center and more residential villas. Where had this come from?
“But this development won’t fit on Larry’s place. His land is only one hundred acres,” Troy noted, looking closely at the overall map.
“You are correct.” Toru said, “The size of our desired project brings us to the reason for this meeting. JLR’s vision is a fully integrated tourism facility; therefore we’d like to explore the opportunity to purchase your land as well. We’ve done some preliminary investigations and would be willing to offer you a significant sum for its acquisition.”
Kelleigh’s mouth jerked open, her head flew around and she glared at Toru. This had never been part of the plan. How dare he not talk to her about this before the meeting? Her gut felt like it had been kicked. She was embarrassed and pissed off at not being included in management’s circle of information. She was the project leader on-site and should have been informed.
