Not until it was too late.
By the time they were done with the drills, Mai was tired. Usually she enjoyed the camaraderie, the teasing, and working through different exercises, but the stress of the last week had finally caught up with her and all she wanted to do was sleep. She had a staff meeting tomorrow to tell everyone what was happening and wanted to be alert for it. She grabbed a slice of pizza to go, wishing she hadn’t walked down to the fire station this evening. “I’ll see you guys next week.”
“Off so soon?” Jeremy called.
“Yeah, it’s past my bedtime and I’m walking home.”
“I’ll give you a lift.” Nicholas placed a hand on her arm to stop her. “I’ve got some work I need to finish.”
Her heart jumped. Maybe he wasn’t mad at her any longer. “That would be great.” She walked out to his BMW and he opened the boot so she could put her kit bag in with his.
She sank into the soft, leather seats, her whole body heavy. Her eyelids closed and she forced them back open, straightening her spine. “How long will it take you to get some updated designs?”
“My architect sent it through today. I’ll get the revised quotes for the concrete before I resubmit them to council.”
Meaning it was likely to cost him more. She winced. “I’d love to see it.”
He pulled up at the back of the bakery and turned to her. He was silent for a moment as he studied her. “Do you want to come over tomorrow? I have the paperwork ready for you to sign and I can show you then.”
Tomorrow was Saturday. Didn’t he take the weekend off? Or was this more of a social invitation? No, she was hoping for too much. Besides, she still needed to ask him about the arson thing before she decided if she wanted to pursue anything further with him. “Sure. What time?”
“I’m free all day.”
“How about two?”
“Great. Feel free to bring Calypso.”
Her heart warmed that he’d remembered her cat. “Thanks.” She got out of the car and remembered her kit bag. “Do you want to pop the boot?”
He got out, opened the boot and lifted out her bag. “Good night, Mai.” His fingers brushed hers as he handed it over and a spark ran up her arm. They were standing close, and all she would have to do is take a small step forward to kiss him goodnight. She clearly remembered the kiss they’d shared on New Year’s, the zing that had flooded her body. But he might not be interested, not after the fiasco with Kit. And she hadn’t signed the paperwork yet.
One thing at a time.
“Good night.” She walked up the steps and opened her door. She glanced back at him.
“Sweet dreams.” He gave her a half smile, his expression unreadable.
“You too.” She closed the door behind her, cutting off the sensation.
Business first.
Then they could explore where this thing could go.
Mai took her time getting ready the next afternoon. She needed the boost of confidence after the staff meeting she’d just had. Jodie had gone into panic mode even though there would be no change to her working hours, and Sylvia and Penny had peppered her with questions. The only one not worried about the move was Trent, who would be going back to part-time hours when school started back.
Flicking through her wardrobe she paused at her business suit for a moment before settling on her emerald green halter-neck dress which finished just above her knees. She wanted this to be more of a social occasion, and to see if anything more could come of their relationship. Slipping on her cute black flats, she then headed for the kitchen to where she’d packaged up a fresh batch of Mai’s Delights. Was it too much? She straightened the bow and called Calypso.
Only one way to find out.
Nerves prickled her skin on the drive over and her heart beat a little faster as she knocked on his door.
Nicholas opened it, his phone to his ear, his expression apologetic. Despite the temperature being in the low thirties, he wore black pants and a white business shirt, though he’d rolled the sleeves up. Maybe he was treating today like a business meeting. She should have gone with something less flirty. He motioned her inside as he said, “The changes are required to get planning permission.” His tone was stern, no-nonsense.
She walked into the living area where the dining table was covered with plans and his laptop was on.
“I know,” he said. “Listen Dad, I’ve got a client here to sign some paperwork. Can we discuss this more tomorrow?”
Client? Well that cleared up that question. Her face flushed as disappointment swirled through her. She should have worn her suit.
He frowned and turned his back on her to shuffle some of the papers on the table. “I’ll be at least an hour.” Finally he sighed. “I’ll call you back.” He hung up and clutched the back of the dining chair, his knuckles white and body tense. Mai’s heart went out to him.
“Is everything all right?”
He stiffened and then turned to Mai, his eyes a little distant. “I’m sorry. Can I get you a drink?”
“A tea would be great, but we can reschedule if you’re busy.”
“No, I’d like to get the paperwork signed.” He gestured to the table. “Take a seat. The contract’s on the table.”
His words were clipped, but he picked up Calypso who was rubbing against his pants and stroked him, nuzzling his fur before handing him to Mai. As he put the kettle on, his movements were fast and a little jerky.
She recognised his agitation. She put Calypso down and walked over to him. “I’m sorry Kit made your life more difficult.”
He sighed. “It wouldn’t be a big deal if there hadn’t been issues with the last development.” He winced. “Forget I said anything.”
This was her chance to ask. “Are you talking about the fire?”
He stared at her. “You know about that?”
“Kit mentioned something about it, so I googled it.”
He continued making the tea. “I guess you’ve got questions.”
She nodded.
“Fire away.”
“Did the police ever find out what happened?”
“No, they’re still investigating.”
“Did you tell Lincoln about it after the break in?”
He handed her the tea. “Why do you ask?”
He was avoiding the question. That was odd. “Someone tried to light a fire in the empty unit. I called Lincoln.”
“It wasn’t me.” The words were flat, definite.
“I didn’t think it was.” Not after she’d had time to think about it.
“Really?” The disbelief was clear on his face.
She sipped her drink. “You strike me as an intelligent man,” she said. “You wouldn’t light a fire at your new development if the police still had you on their suspect list for the earlier blaze.”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“So who have you annoyed lately?”
“Huh?” He blinked at her.
“First the Baldivis project and then this one. If someone was angry at the company, they’d hardly drive for four hours to break in and set a badly prepared fire – they’d target one of your Perth developments.”
Nicholas stared at her for a long moment and then nodded. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought about it like that.” His phone rang, and he swore and hit cancel. Almost immediately the phone rang again.
“Do you need to get that?”
Nicholas hesitated. “No. It’s my father. He can wait.”
“How did he take the arson accusations?” What kind of relationship did he have with his father?
“He didn’t believe them.”
“That’s good.” The phone continued to ring. “So the reason he keeps calling you on a Saturday afternoon is because he’s a workaholic?”
“He’s micro-managing.”
Why was Nicholas so tense? “Because he doesn’t think you’re capable?”
“Not after the fire.”
She frowned. “But you said he d
idn’t believe it was you.”
“He didn’t, but he did blame me for not paying the insurance.” Nicholas almost spat out the words.
Mai sat back. “You had no insurance when the development burned down?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “It was two days overdue. I’d barely been in the office over the past week. We’d had issues with the construction company …”
She placed a hand on his arm. He obviously blamed himself. “It could have happened to anyone.”
“Not according to my father.”
She hated seeing him so stressed. “That’s rubbish. It was an oversight that normally wouldn’t have mattered. You didn’t do it on purpose.”
“No, I didn’t.” He stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the backyard, his posture stiff.
Mai wasn’t sure what to say. She watched him for a moment, and then turned her attention to the paperwork in front of her. “Is this my contract?”
“Do you really want to sign now you know about the fire?”
She met his dark expression. He was hurting. “I imagine you’ve already double-checked the insurance details.” She kept her voice light. “The new design is lovely.” They hadn’t changed the layout of the building, but the façade had flourishes, extra detail on the walls and across the roof that were reminiscent of an earlier era.
He walked back to her, his shoulders relaxing. “Thanks. I like the changes as well.”
Mai examined the floor plan next and discovered he’d made the adjustments she’d asked for.
Turning to the paperwork, she carefully read through the agreement. It seemed to have everything, but she should run it past her mother first. “Can you email this to me? I should send it to my lawyer.”
“Sure.” He pressed a couple of buttons on the laptop. “Your mother?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“She contacted me yesterday about a unit. She’s going to lease one.”
“So you’ve only got a couple left to lease?”
“Yeah and I talked to a co-op this morning who might be interested.”
Mai opened her email on her phone and forwarded the proposal to her mother. Then she sent a text asking her to review it.
Nicholas was still focused on his screen, and her stomach rumbled. She took the bakery box from the kitchen bench and offered it to Nicholas. “Mai’s Delight?”
His whole face lit up. “You didn’t need to do that.” He stood and got a couple of plates out, handing her one.
At least she’d managed to cheer him up.
“Have you leased the new place yet?” he asked.
“I signed the agreement yesterday and it’s effective immediately.”
“I’m glad.” His laptop dinged with the sound of an email message. He groaned. “I need to answer this.”
“Go ahead.” She sipped her tea and then bit into the pastry. It really was one of her best creations.
About ten minutes later, Nicholas was still typing on his computer and her phone rang. Nerves sprang to her skin. Her mother.
“The agreement looks good,” Bian said.
Relief swept through her. “Nothing I need to worry about?”
“No, he’s agreed to everything you wanted, hasn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Then feel free to sign it. I’m going to lease one of the units myself.”
“Nicholas just told me that.”
“It’s the weekend. Is he working?”
Mai’s face flushed. “You know me, Mum. I work strange hours so I have to fit things in when I can. I’ll drop by tomorrow to chat.” She hung up.
Nicholas watched her. “Everything OK?”
“Yes. Have you got a pen?”
He handed her a silver pen with a satisfying weightiness to it as if to symbolise the importance of the task it was about to do. She tested it, drawing a line on the back of the plan and it was smooth, the colour a rich blue.
She smoothed down the signing page. This was it.
Breathing in deeply, she signed her name and then dated first one and then the second contract.
She passed them over to Nicholas who quickly counter-signed them.
It was done.
She had taken the next step in her career. She would be a success.
Smiling at Nicholas, she said, “I’m glad we’ve got it sorted.” Now maybe they could explore the attraction between them.
“Me too.”
“How long are you planning to stay in Blackbridge?”
“At least until the development is finished.” He hesitated and then added, “I’m meant to be doing penance for my mistake, but I’m enjoying it down here.”
His father sounded like a complete douchebag. “That’s good, and I’m sure the development will be a success.”
“I hope so. I don’t like the message that was left at the building.”
“Message?”
“You didn’t see the graffiti on the wall?”
“No.”
“It said, Will this one burn too?”
Her teeth clenched. She didn’t like the sound of that. “Maybe you should put a smoke detector in there just in case.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Perhaps she should move to Fleur’s sooner than she planned. Though if she stayed in her apartment she’d be able to keep an eye out for anyone skulking about.
“I’m glad you found a temporary solution for the bakery.”
It took her a second to catch up with the change of topic. “Me too. It’s going to be a busy few weeks.”
“I meant it when I said I’ll help,” Nicholas said. “I’d like to.”
And she’d like to have him around. “Don’t worry,” Mai assured him. “I could do with all the free labour I can get.”
He chuckled. “All right.”
They stood there looking at each other. The crinkle in his forehead wasn’t there now, as if the weight that had caused it had been lifted. His smile drew her in and she leaned forward just a little. What was she doing? “Do you want to go out to dinner with me?” she blurted.
Nicholas hesitated. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She stepped back, the rejection sharp, and her face flushed. She could have sworn the attraction was mutual. “Why not?”
“We have a business relationship – anything else could get messy.”
He hadn’t actually denied he was interested. “The contract is signed and I can keep business and pleasure separate.” She moved closer and he eyed her warily. “Why shouldn’t we explore this attraction between us?”
“Because it could end badly.”
“All relationships could. It’s not a reason not to try.” She smiled at him. “There’s a lovely winery out of town. Let’s have dinner to celebrate.”
The indecision was clear on his face, but his eyes didn’t leave hers.
Slowly she stepped forward. “We both need to eat.”
His eyes darkened.
Mai rose up onto her toes and brought his head down to hers. Their lips met and there was that spark again, a thrill that raced straight down her spine and tingled her skin. She gasped as he took control, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.
He was good at this.
He tasted sweet like the pastry he’d just eaten and his hands, firm on her back, made her feel secure. His lips teased, tasted and heat shot through her.
She wanted this passion. Craved the desire, the connection. She needed to be closer to him. She dug her fingers into his hair as something warm and soft rubbed against her leg. She jerked back. “What the …?” She looked down, catching her breath.
Calypso.
Damn.
Nicholas cleared his throat. “So, dinner tonight?”
She grinned. “Absolutely. How about I pick you up at five-thirty? I tend to eat early because of getting up so early.”
“Five-thirty is great, but I’ll pick you up.” He ran his hand through his hair.
She couldn’t wait for tonight.
Chapter 10
What had he just agreed to? Nicholas shook his head as he closed the door behind Mai and then wandered back into the living area. Dating Mai would only end up with him hurting her when he returned to Perth. And his father would see it as a conflict of interest.
But damn if he wasn’t aroused by the way she’d taken charge. It took a much stronger man than him to say no.
He tugged on his earlobe as his phone rang. His father was incessant, but there was no way Nicholas could ignore it this time. “Hi, Dad.”
“You’ve finally decided to answer your phone?”
He rolled his eyes. “I was still in my meeting.”
His father harrumphed. “Is it signed? I don’t see the contract in the folder.”
“I’ve just walked the client out. I’ll scan and upload it now.”
“I’ll wait.”
Nicholas reached for his antacid and then stopped. He hadn’t needed them at all while talking to Mai, only needed them with his father. He touched his lips, still warm and singing from her kiss. She made him feel good, whereas his father just stressed him out. With a sigh, he went into the study to scan and email the document. “I should have the contract on another one of the units signed by the end of next week.”
“Which leaves how many?”
“Two.”
“What about the changes to the design those hippies demanded? How much are they going to cost?”
He breathed out, ignoring the way his chest tightened. “I’m still getting quotes,” he said. “But the design is good and it should be approved.”
“You thought the last design would be approved as well,” his father reminded him.
He wouldn’t be allowed to make a single mistake ever again. Not with his father. He’d destroyed that trust forever. “I didn’t understand the community then,” Nicholas said. “Mai likes the new design.”
“Who’s Mai?”
Nicholas winced. “She’s the tenant in the current building, the baker. She saw the plans today when she came to sign the contract.”
“You shouldn’t go showing them to just anyone. It gives them time to come up with arguments against it.”
Nothing to Gain Page 12
