Meet Me in the Middle (Wattle Valley, #2)

by Jacquie Underdown

  ‘You, head back to the change rooms that way,’ the coach said to Damien while pointing an angry finger towards the left of the field. ‘You, head back to the change rooms that way,’ the coach said to Anders and pointing to the right.

  He came in close as Anders was about to jog off. ‘You’re the bloody captain of this team, Anders. I expected more from you.’

  Anders didn’t reply, simply jogged off, Jager keeping stride beside him. When they were out of earshot of the others, Jager asked, ‘What the hell was that about?’

  He closed his eyes, wasn’t going to say anything, but he had nothing to hide anymore. ‘He was talking shit about Neve.’

  Jager went rigid. Stopped jogging. ‘What did he say?’

  Anders shook his head. ‘Don’t worry about it. Not worth repeating.’

  ‘Tell me—’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I think he got the message.’

  ‘Man, I thought you were going to kill him.’

  ‘I thought I was too.’ And then he jogged off ahead of Jager, no longer wanting to talk.

  Chapter 19

  Football training nights were Neve’s night to cook; it made it easier for her brother. But she ended up eating alone after an hour of waiting for Jager and put a dish aside for him under cling film in the fridge.

  When Jager stepped through the front door, he sighed.

  ‘Why so late?’ she asked, curious now considering the deep frown on his face.

  He shut the door behind him, shaking his head. ‘Have you seen Anders lately?’

  Her heart thudded against her ribcage. Had Anders admitted everything to Jager? Or did Jager find out another way?

  She shook her head slowly. ‘No, not lately. Why?’

  He sat on the couch beside her. ‘He was not himself tonight.’

  Her stomach lurched, remembering their last conversation, the coolness with which it ended. ‘How so?’

  ‘He nearly punched one of his teammates. If we hadn’t broken them up, he would have done some serious damage. I’ve not seen him lose his shit like that—not for a long time.’

  ‘Oh my god. Do you know why? Did the other guy do something?’

  Jager blew out a long breath. ‘Supposedly he said something crude about you.’

  ‘About me?’ she repeated, pointing to her chest.

  Jager nodded.

  ‘Who was it?’

  ‘Damien Walters.’

  Neve rolled her eyes. ‘That explains it. He’s a major wanker. He tried to crack onto me one night at the pub. He wasn’t exactly happy when I turned him down. Why, what the hell did he say that would get Anders worked up like that?’

  ‘Anders wouldn’t tell me. Just said it was crude.’

  She pressed her palm to her forehead and winced. ‘How embarrassing.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. Anders took care of it.’

  ‘This isn’t going to cause trouble with the team, is it?’

  Jager stood, shaking his head. ‘It’ll be fine. It will be water under the bridge by training on Thursday night. Anyway, I better go have a shower,’ he said, thumbing in the direction of the bathroom.

  ‘Sure. There’s a bowl of tonight’s dinner in the fridge for when you get out.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He strode out of the room but as he got to the hall, he turned around and poked his head back in. ‘I understand why Anders did what he did tonight, putting Damien in his place. Knowing Anders like I do, he would never let anyone get away with talking shit about someone he or I cared about. But there’s something about the way he reacted, the fierceness and volume of it, which I can’t understand.’

  Neve’s heart sped up. She forced her expression to remain nonchalant as she shrugged. ‘Not sure, Jag. Maybe he’s got something else happening that’s upset him.’

  Jager considered that then nodded. ‘Perhaps. I’ll give him a call later on to check on him. He might be willing to chat when he’s had time to clear his head.’

  When Neve heard the shower was on, she texted Anders.

  NEVE: I heard about what happened tonight at training. Is everything okay?

  ANDERS: Everything’s fine.

  NEVE: I’m worried our conversation may have upset you.

  ANDERS: No. That had nothing to do with it.

  NEVE: Nothing else is bothering you?

  ANDERS: No. It’s fine.

  NEVE: Thanks for sticking up for me. I appreciate it.

  ANDERS: No worries. Have a good night.

  NEVE: You too.

  She leant back against the couch and sighed. All the warmth had disappeared from his texts and it struck her heart. Everything inside of her wanted to type out another message and apologise for what she had asked of him the last time they spoke. That stupid suggestion was all she had been able to think about these last couple of days.

  She sat up taller, opened her messages, thumb floating over the keyboard, but she shook her head and turned the phone off instead. Better to let it go.

  Chapter 20

  Anders woke early, despite tossing and turning all night. With his adrenaline sparked, it kept his mind active for hours after the altercation with Damien.

  He didn’t regret chipping Damien for what he said, but he did regret how he went about doing it. Thinking about the off-handed, nasty way he had spoken about Neve still had his chest hot with disgust.

  Bleary-eyed, he dragged himself from bed, desperate for a coffee, only to find he had no milk. He groaned as he looked at his bare fridge. How ironic, considering his parents produced milk by the hectolitre a mere thirty minutes away. But, when he wasn’t thinking with his head (despite assuring his mother that he would) in his haste to get home to see Neve on Sunday, he hadn’t grabbed a bottle.

  He would have to head down to the shop, but he opted for a long, hot shower first, letting the water ease the tension in his back and neck muscles.

  Damien had rung and apologised last night, admitting that what he had said about Neve wasn’t good enough. It didn’t ease Anders’ anger completely, but it had helped somewhat.

  Everything that came out of Damien’s mouth that afternoon at training was disgusting, but when he had mentioned pushing Neve’s head into the mattress, Anders couldn’t breathe. He knew what that felt like, he’d had it done, and picturing Neve, arms flailing, trying to drag in air, simply because she had a scar on her face, had his vision coated with red and his blood fiery hot.

  Dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoodie, he jumped in the car and headed for the local bakery on Main Street—the only shop open this early that would have what he needed.

  The signs of a new season were everywhere—calves and lambs in the paddocks he passed. Vibrant green foliage revived bare tree branches.

  On his way back, a cold bottle of milk on his passenger seat, up ahead was a blonde-haired girl jogging alongside the road.

  Neve.

  His heart stuttered as he passed her. She turned her beautiful exercise-flushed face to him, and he gave a polite wave—short and to the point—and kept on by.

  His heart wrenched anew at how strong his desire for her was. She was stunning, funny, kind and perfectly willing to share his bed, yet here he was saying no to that because it wasn’t enough.

  Any other man in town would jump at her offer. It was only a matter of time before she found someone else more than willing to share her bed. Someone, perhaps, who didn’t care about her as much as he did.

  He shook his head and slammed his palm against the steering wheel.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  Before he knew what he was doing, he had done a U-turn and was heading back up the street. There she was, the woman of his dreams, jogging towards him, and he could be with her most intimately, except he had said no.

  Was he a fucking lunatic?

  He parked off to the side of the road, and she stopped jogging. Two lines of tension sat between her brows as she stared at him.

  ‘Hi, Neve,’ he said, lowering the window.


  She pressed her hands to her hips. Each breath was heavy. ‘Um. Hi.’

  ‘Can we talk?’

  She glanced up the street and then back the opposite way. ‘Here?’

  ‘You could jump in and we could head back to my place if you like?’

  Myriad expressions crossed her face as she obviously fought to make the right decision. ‘Sure.’ Jogging to the car and opening the passenger door, she looked at the bottle of milk on the seat. ‘Looks like this seat is already taken.’

  He smiled and moved it to the back seat. ‘Sorry, the seat may be a little cold now.’

  ‘Can’t be any worse than this weather.’

  ‘True.’

  They drove in silence for the short distance back to his place. When he parked in his garage, he asked, ‘Have you had your morning coffee yet?’

  She shook her head. ‘I tend to get my run out the way before anything.’

  Inside, Neve took a seat at his dining table while he made coffees. He handed her a cup and took the seat across from her.

  She cradled her coffee between her hands and sighed. ‘I’m so sorry about what I suggested the last time we spoke. I have felt like such an idiot since. To ask that of you and of myself was, honestly, Anders … it was completely out of character. I’ve never ever considered having no-strings-attached sex before.’

  ‘I’m sorry too. For overreacting.’

  ‘You acted how anyone should react. I was insensitive to how it could make you feel.’ She frowned. ‘I couldn’t bring myself to end what we had started, and yet I was scared about how fast my emotions were developing.’

  Anders was silent for a long moment. ‘You have feelings for me?’

  ‘Of course I do. It scares the hell out of me. And I know that sex isn’t a promise of a future, but it felt like a ‘next step’ that I could handle.’

  Here he was thinking she had no feelings for him at all, apart from superficial lust. He was the world’s biggest arsehole for how he overreacted, but it was hard not to with a past like his. ‘I don’t want you to be afraid of what you feel. But I do understand why you are scared of commitment, and the way I reacted was insensitive about that.’

  She scrubbed a hand through her hair. ‘God, Anders, I wish I was the old me, the less complicated me, and this wouldn’t be so hard. But I’ve tried and I don’t think I can ever be that girl again.’

  ‘I like the Neve you are now.’ He had known Neve since she was ten, all through young-adulthood, up to now, yet it was only now that he had ever felt this pull of attraction.

  He wasn’t sure why—maybe it was her maturity, maybe it was his own, or perhaps he was finally ready for someone as wonderful as Neve, like he had started to believe that he deserved her. ‘I think we are making this harder than it has to be.’ He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I do want to be with you, Neve. I really don’t care how, as long as there is some way.’

  ‘But don’t you want to be good for me?’ she asked, reminding him of what he so adamantly told her over the phone.

  He wanted to be good for everyone—that was his problem. ‘Of course I do. But perhaps that means being who you need me to be, rather than what I think you need.’

  She shook her head sadly. ‘I’m not sure I even know what I want.’

  ‘You’ve actually been pretty clear about what you do and don’t want. It’s me who hasn’t been listening. And, sure, I have my own reasons for that, but I’m not sure they’re the right reasons.’

  A slight smile curled her lips; a faint blush coloured her cheeks.

  ‘So, if that means being a sex toy …’

  She laughed.

  ‘… then that’s how it has to be. I’ve been in worse situations.’

  Her grin fell from her face. ‘Are you certain, Anders?’

  He nodded. ‘I am.’

  ‘Because I don’t want to start something …’

  He was on his feet.

  ‘… that you’re not comfortable with.’

  He walked around the table to her, her big blue eyes watching him.

  ‘This needs to be something we both want.’

  ‘I want this.’ He took her hands in his and lifted her from her chair. ‘I want you.’ He hoisted her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. ‘I want you so much, I can’t wait a second longer because three long days of knowing that I could have said yes to sex with you but didn’t, was long enough.’

  She giggled. ‘I agree wholeheartedly.’

  He opened his mouth to say more, but he couldn’t find words, not when her lips were so close and her body was hot and ready against his. Instead, he kissed her, and he didn’t stop kissing her as he walked her to his bedroom and laid her on his bed. Any and every doubt he ever had about this arrangement vanished and all the reasons why making love with Neve was utterly right exploded between them.

  Chapter 21

  NEVE: Definitely not a dud in the bedroom. Big AND able to use it.

  EMILY: Jesus, Neve, I’m with a bloody client. I had to fan myself.

  NEVE: Just needed to get that off my chest.

  EMILY: I’ll call you later this afternoon to talk finer details.

  ***

  Concentrate, Neve.

  Neve was editing the video she and Anders had made together, but her mind was misbehaving. Each time she looked at his face in the video, her lips tingled with the memory of kissing him, of how his hungry mouth and tongue had tasted every part of her body.

  She hadn’t predicted the distraction value this sex agreement would have on her life because she never anticipated that sex with Anders was going to be so explosive. Like fireworks, dynamite igniting, earth-quaking amazing.

  The residual effect on her body from this morning was taking a long time to leave. With every flickering memory, her belly tugged most deliciously.

  All she kept thinking was how long she had known this guy and how much time was wasted not sleeping with him until now.

  Looking at him as he laughed and played up for the camera as he put make-up on her, she was finding it difficult to concentrate. Especially as the video was ending and she saw that gleam in his eyes right before they kissed. That look as though he wanted to devour her and at the very least fuck her senseless, had her body welling with hot blood.

  Without a doubt, if he were here, that’s exactly what she’d let him do.

  With the incriminating bits and pieces cut out, she uploaded her video to her channel. Her samples sent courtesy of Michelle’s Make-up Solutions had arrived yesterday, so she was going to quickly get a review done before the products hit the shelves on Monday.

  Other YouTube artists out there were paid to give biased reviews of products, and she had been given offers to that effect, but as enticing as the money would be—her credit card balance would thank her for it—she always wanted to be upfront with her audience.

  They appreciated and respected her for that.

  Her tumble between the sheets with Anders this morning had inspired a new look she wanted to create: the just-got-out-of-bed tousled look. Puffy, glossy cherry-red lips, sheer foundation, and moody, bedroom eyes.

  She filmed her new routine without distraction—these videos could take hours otherwise and doubly so when it came to editing. Time she didn’t have. This latest video had to be polished and uploaded today because she was teaching a make-up course at a nearby TAFE college the rest of the week as well as hopefully squeezing in some Anders time.

  Now, more than ever, she wished she had her own place. But, if she were to look at the positive side of living with Jager, he was going to put some much-needed brakes on this arrangement she had with Anders.

  An arrangement that had the potential to get well out of hand otherwise.

  When finished, she took some photos of her completed make-up look and posted them to her social media accounts. She snapped another one, with a seriously suggestive pose—lips parted, finger in her mouth, seductive gaze—and sent it to Anders
.

  ANDERS: You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you? I’m at a high school running an AFL workshop and you’re sending me pics with your lips looking like that?

  She grinned cheekily.

  NEVE: I don’t know what you mean. Just a simple, unremarkable pic, with zero innuendo or suggestion whatsoever.

  ANDERS: I need to kiss you again or I may literally die here on this oval surrounded by sweaty, pimply teenage boys and girls.

  NEVE: Is ‘kiss’ code word for what we did this morning?

  ANDERS: It’s code word for whatever you want it to be.

  NEVE: What time do you finish up?

  ANDERS: I’ll be home by six.

  NEVE: I’ll meet you then.

  ***

  When Neve pushed through the garage door into Anders’ house, he was there waiting in the hall for her, his hair still wet from a shower, dark and messy.

  ‘I arrived a little too late,’ she said, with a brow arched, taking in his shirtless form, a pair of sweatpants hastily pulled on and hanging low on his hips. His shoulders were round and taut, his stomach bearing the slightest of six packs, tapering down to exactly where she wanted to go.

  ‘That depends,’ he said, reaching for her and pulling her to his still-warm body. He smelled like soap and hot, steaming man. Her breath caught in her throat and she moaned as his mouth fell upon hers.

  He nudged her backwards until she butted up against the wall, and he kicked the door shut, his mouth never leaving hers.

  ‘Lock the front door too,’ she whispered between frantic kisses.

  He dragged his lips from hers, hurried through to the foyer and flicked the lock, before rushing back and kissing her again. ‘I’ve thought about this All. Day. Long,’ he whispered against her lips.

  ‘Me too. You’re more distracting than I had planned.’

  He lifted her into his arms. ‘Good.’ And he carried her to the bedroom.

  What had started in the hall as frenzied groping and kissing soon turned into something much different. He undressed her, piece by piece with care, taking the time to kiss and caress each new body part exposed.

  And when they were both naked, hot and writhing, with his mouth, tongue and hands, he set her alight, incrementally taking her higher, making her hotter until she thought she would combust. The intensity of pleasure was incomparable to any other sexual experience she had ever had.