Greer came to stand beside him and reached out her hand, letting Herc sniff her unfamiliar, but tantalising smell. His giant pink tongue shot out from his mouth and left her hand sticky with dog drool. Instead of crying out in disgust like some women might, she simply laughed out loud.
And what a laugh it was. Genuine and heart-stopping.
“Here, I’ll get you a towel.” Hamish ran to the front of the ute and returned a moment later with a hand towel which he used to help her wipe the warm drool from her hand.
“I hope that means we’re friends now.” She directed the comment at Herc who opened his mouth and panted loudly.
“I’m pretty sure it does.” Hamish took the dirty towel and led her to the passenger’s seat. “You don’t mind dogs then?”
“I grew up with all sorts of animals. Dogs, cats, horses, and cows of course.” She waited while he opened her door. “Herc is more cow-sized than dog-sized though.”
“Yes, and he eats about the same amount too. A real guzzle-guts that one.”
Again, she laughed, sending little sparks of hope shooting up from his heart. So much for being celibate for the rest of his life. He was already fearful he wouldn’t be able to make it through the night.
What had he gotten himself into?
Butterflies flapped wildly around Greer’s stomach as Hamish drove along the driveway and turned onto the country road heading into town.
When he took the road toward Montville, she turned to him. A slow grin spread across his face.
“Where are you taking me?”
“I thought you might like to eat at The Clovelly?” He shot her a look.
She couldn’t contain her excitement. The Clovelly was the most prestigious restaurant in the Hinterland and usually booked out months in advance due to its intimate setting. This was shaping up to be the perfect date. She only hoped it ended as well as it’d started. “I’ve heard great reviews but haven’t been there myself. Thank you.”
Hamish looked pleased with himself as he drove the familiar bends and hills of the road leading them to Montville.
“Apart from work, what else have you been doing?” she asked, hoping to learn more about this man who was still such a mystery to her.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time preparing the land at the back of my place for some coffee trees.”
“Really? You’re going to grow your own? I thought they only grew in places like Africa and South America?”
“No, there are coffee farms in Australia too. I’ve been doing a lot of research and experimentation, and I’m hoping to create a bean that’s just right for this climate. There are a few farmers experimenting with hybrids due to droughts and changing weather patterns. People don’t realize just how much an environment affects the taste of beans. I am particularly keen on coffee farming that does not impact the environment.”
“That’s so true. Organic vegetables always taste so much better, and don’t even get me started on free-range eggs.”
Hamish turned off the main road and after driving down a short gravel drive, he parked the car.
Greer was pleasantly surprised when he appeared at her door and opened it for her. Men rarely did that anymore.
“Stay!” he commanded to Hercules who hadn’t moved an inch the whole trip and simply slapped a large red tongue across his nose.
The pair crunched their way across the parking lot toward a set of large granite steps which evened out onto a white slate stone path that led to the entrance of The Clovelly.
The generous, bay windows glowed like soft tigers’ eyes as the warm light from within poured through them. Through the pristine polished panes, patrons could be seen enjoying spectacular plates of food as candles flickered and waiters filled their wine glasses.
Hamish gave his name to the front desk and they were quickly escorted to their private table beside a window with glorious lamplit views of the garden outside.
The table was covered in starched white linen, with a single vase holding a delicate orchid in its centre, accompanied by a fat candle. Soft jazz music played in the background, creating a romantic, intimate atmosphere.
Except this was not a date, but a business proposal.
Greer looked around at the other couples generously spaced out, affording each other absolute privacy. For once, Greer didn’t recognize anyone. Phew. If Hamish turned her down and made a scene, at least no one she knew would witness it.
Hamish picked up the wine list and started to read.
Are his hands quivering? What does he have to be nervous about?
“Do you prefer red or white?” he asked, peeking over the menu at her.
She smiled back. “I guess it depends on the meal. Are you a wine drinker? Don’t feel like you have to get one for my sake. I’d rather you order beer if that’s what you want.”
“To be honest, I’m not much of an alcohol drinker at all. But like you said, I enjoy a glass of wine if it matches the meal. What takes your fancy?”
You do. She eyed him up, trying hard to repress a smile. “It all looks so good.”
“It certainly does,” he replied in that husky, low tone of his.
They ordered their meals and the conversation never slowed as they chatted, and Hamish’s shoulders started to relax.
When the waiter had cleared away their plates, Greer took a deep breath and turned serious eyes on him. She had to ask, even if it meant facing rejection and a mortifying ‘Hell no’ from Hamish. “So, there’s something I want to ask you to do ...”
He sank back in the chair as though disappointed but not terribly surprised that she had an ulterior motive.
Greer had been practicing this over and over in her mind, but when it came time to say it, she decided the direct, honest approach would be best. “Look, I want to have a baby. That’s why I moved back to Maleny. I want a family of my own. I thought I would have met someone by now, but I’m pushing thirty and I can’t wait any longer.”
He sat statue-like opposite her, unspeaking and obviously confused.
“I have two choices. Either I use donor sperm, or I find someone willing to donate.” Greer kept her tone brisk, all business. How was she going to look him in the eye again if he turned her down?
“I don’t want a stranger’s baby. I would really rather it be someone I know to be a nice guy.”
He blinked for the first time since she had started speaking. Realisation of what she was asking dawned across his face. “You want me to …?”
She nodded slowly.
He thrust his hand through his carefully combed hair, ruffling it up. “Shit.”
Oh, this is going so well.
“I’m not even close to being ready to be a dad,” he said on a long, twisted sigh.
“No one ever has to know you’re the father. We can keep it strictly confidential and legal with a contract drawn up and everything. You wouldn’t be responsible for anything. I’d even pay you.” The payment idea had just popped into her mind, but yes, she had money she would be willing to pay him to give her such an amazing gift.
He put his hand up to silence her then. “If you were going to raise our child single-handedly, you’d need all your money. I wouldn’t expect payment.”
“I would be a great mother, I swear I would, and I’d love it. Enough to make up for not having a father in the picture.”
“I’m sure you would and that’s not what this is about. I just have to get my head around it.”
Worry crawled over her skin. He was going to say no.
“It might be my only shot at a baby.”
“I’ve never gotten anyone pregnant before. I don’t know if it’ll even work.”
“We would use IVF. The clinic we’d use has a really high success rate.” Even she could hear the desperation in her voice.
“IVF?” He frowned then shook his head. “For a minute there, I thought …” His voice faded.
“Oh, you would prefer a natural conception?” She swallowed. “I mean, I ju
st thought you’d rather do it as impersonally as possible, but if that’s what you’d rather do.” Her cheeks flushed. “I’m certainly open to that.” Oh, she was more than open to that. Baby-making sex with Hamish was definitely something she would enjoy doing. They would have to do it over and over and over again to get the highest chance of conception …
He lifted his wine glass to his mouth, pulling away when he realised it was empty. “You’re still so young, Greer. Why the hurry? Are you sick or something?”
She shook her head. “I’m ready for a baby now.” She was no longer going to sit on the sidelines of her life and hope fate gave her what she wanted. “I’ve had the great career, but a dream come true doesn’t amount to much without a family to share it with.”
He looked at her then like he knew exactly what she meant. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings or your pride, but I’m just not sure I could do it. Even if I got you pregnant, how would I be able to live in the same town as my kid and not be part of its life?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, and we can work out all those details.”
He reached out his hands and covered hers. She wanted to cry, to beg him to say yes as she felt him prepare to break her heart. “I just don’t think I can.”
She withdrew a hand and wiped at the tear escaping her eye. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“It’s okay. We can pretend this never happened. How about we just take it slow? Date and see what happens?”
She looked back at him. She had nothing left to lose. “I want a baby more than anything and if you’re not willing to help me, I’m going to have to find a man who will. And that would be easier if I’m not already involved.”
His eyes narrowed. “It means that much to you?”
“It means everything to me,” she whispered.
Again, he thrust his hand through his hair. “Let me think about it then.”
Wings of hope spread within her. It wasn’t a no. A maybe could turn into a yes.
“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand. “I appreciate you giving it some thought.”
Greer could be very persuasive when she needed to be. The sexual chemistry between them was palpable, and if she needed to use all her feminine charms to get him to say yes, she was willing to do it.
Hamish opened and closed the passenger door for Greer as his mind churned her proposal over again. He walked around the tray of his ute, dug a piece of meat wrapped in a napkin which he had taken from his meal out of his pocket , and tossed it to Herc who hungrily chomped it down.
The air was thick between them as he drove back along the winding road, the night sky black and full of unanswered questions.
There was one question that had been growing louder and louder in his mind since she had propositioned him, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if he didn’t just ask it. “What if I did want to be involved?”
Although he couldn’t see her expression, he did hear her sharp intake of breath. “Well, um, I guess we could make that work. Shared custody I suppose.”
He murmured his acknowledgment.
“No one knows I’m asking you this. Well, Freya knows, but she won’t tell anyone, not even Justin—”
“I won’t tell anyone. You have my word,” Hamish promised as he pulled up in front of her house.
“Thanks,” she said as she unbuckled her seat belt. Then she leaned across and pressed a fleeting kiss to his lips.
He wanted to taste more of that mouth. He wanted to taste every sweet inch of her tantalising, sexy body. If he agreed to her proposition, he could have her, bare and willing. Oh, it is so tempting. But were a few hours of pleasure worth a lifetime of knowing he had a child?
She climbed out of the ute, then turned back to look at him. “Please think about it and let me know what you decide.”
“I will,” he promised. How would he be able to think about anything else?
She walked up the stairs of the Queenslander, her bottom swaying alluringly.
How could he say no to a woman like that? Did he really even want to?
Chapter 6
Hamish spent the following day in the office trying to work through the ever-increasing paperwork on his desk. But thoughts of Greer Montgomery and her baby-making proposition kept distracting him. By lunchtime he gave up, closed his laptop, and went out to the shed. Some good, hard physical work was what he needed.
Herc watched as Hamish collected an axe and headed to his woodshed. Within minutes, he was drenched with sweat and had a growing pile of freshly cut firewood.
Too many questions rode his thoughts. What would their child look like? Would it have her soft espresso eyes and his dark unruly hair? Would it love the mountains and natural beauty of the Hinterlands as much as he did?
“Hello! Hamish?” Meredith called out from behind him. He had been so distracted he hadn’t even heard Herc barking a warning.
Hamish wiped his brow with his arm and turned to his sister. “Hey, why aren’t you at the café?”
“I left my staff in charge. Decided I needed an afternoon off.”
“Shouldn’t you be spending it with your husband then?”
She looked away, avoiding his gaze. Or was she really avoiding something else?
“Actually, I’m glad you’re here. I need your opinion,” he said, pulling his shirt back on and leading her to his loft. Meredith was the perfect person to ask about this. He had thought of Linc, but knowing his mate and his wild, single lifestyle made Hamish wonder about the quality of his advice.
A few minutes later, the coffee was brewing and Hamish was telling Meredith about the night before.
“Wow. I had no idea she was so baby mad. And she asked you? That’s a big decision.”
“I know.” He rolled his neck, trying to smooth out the knots that had formed. “She wants a no-strings-attached baby. No obligations. I don’t want a kid at this point, but if my child was growing up across town, I would want to be in its life. If she lived farther away maybe. Out of sight out of mind, and it would be easier to forget, but here? In a town as small as Maleny?”
“Would she let you be involved?”
He nodded. “She’s pretty willing to compromise, even said she’d pay me, but I said no to that. I could never accept payment.”
Meredith leaned closer, eyes narrowing. “What are you really worried about?”
He took a deep breath. “She’s the kind of woman it would be so easy to get hooked on, and neither one of us is looking for anything serious.”
“You know I love Greer. She’s a smart woman, she wouldn’t have asked unless she was running out of options. Most women still want to have babies with someone they love. Being single is a tough gig. Look at our parents.”
Their childhood had been split between their mum’s house in Maleny during school term and their Dad’s property in Gympie in the holidays. Both parents had done the best they could, but money had always been tight and they had found it hard to juggle work and family commitments.”
“But Greer has her parents, aunts, and uncles here to help. She’s got this huge support network that we never had. The kid would be so loved, so lucky,” he said, thinking about all the Montgomerys in town.
Meredith nodded in agreement. “I know you like her—a blind person could see the chemistry between you. What will she do if you say no?”
“She would find someone else willing to do the job.” Someone else would share her bed for however long it took to get her knocked up. Just thinking about it made Hamish shiver.
“You two need to talk about it more,” Meredith said. “Discuss the details and see what happens. You said she was willing to compromise and she seems pretty keen for it to be you.”
His sister was right. He needed to have a rational conversation with Greer. Get to know her better so he didn’t just feel like a stallion being put out for stud. “ I knew you’d know what to do.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “Thanks.”
“Deep down, I selfishly wan
t to you to say yes. I’d love to be an aunty.”
Hamish laughed. “You’d make a great one too.”
Greer turned onto the gravel drive which wound its way up to Maleny Roast’d. Tall bunya trees waved to her in welcome as the breeze surfed between their large evergreen branches. Since Hamish had texted her and invited her for dinner at his place, she’d come up with a thousand reasons why he might turn her down. It would be hard to cope with the disappointment.
The tree-lined path gave way and Greer found herself staring at a double-story timber building with a large bronzed and copper banner labelling it Maleny Roast’d. A set of double barn doors were wide open and the sound of acoustic music streamed out.
No sooner had Greer climbed from of her car than she was greeted by Herc, tongue lolling and tail wagging.
“Hello, boy.” She reached out and scratched the furry spot behind his ear and he leaned into her hand. He wasn’t so scary after all.
She turned toward the barn doors only to stop when Hamish’s tall figure appear.
Her stomach did a nervous loop-the-loop as she took in his lean, hard body, showcased to perfection by worn jeans and a plain black T-shirt.
“Come in. I’ve brewed a pot of my new vintage blend.” He leaned against the doorframe as he greeted her. His hair was falling over his brow and curled in a messy torrent around his ears.
“I brought some groceries.” She could feel the thud-thud of her heart within her ribcage as she gestured to the back of her car. “I’d like to make you dinner.”
He moved toward her, all long strides and a sexy hip sway. “You didn’t have to do that. But I won’t turn down a meal cooked by a renowned chef.”
She hoped that the way to a man’s heart really was through his stomach. Between that and the sexy dress she was wearing, she planned on seducing him into agreeing to her plan. Manipulative maybe, but she was desperate. And even if he said no, a plate of delicious food would hopefully help smooth things over.
Their Perfect Blend Page 4
