by Suzy Shearer
Exasperated, she said, “I can well afford a car Tobias, dozens and dozens.”
“I know and that’s why I want to buy you one, because you can afford one and would buy it tomorrow without hesitation.”
Confused, Laura just stared at him, shaking her head. She couldn’t follow his reasoning at all. He was like a little kid who’d been given money and told he could have anything he wanted. It was madness.
“You’re crazy, you know that? I think you’ve been around Julian too long—he’s definitely mad.”
“Maybe. I’m so worried those tyres might burst, plus it’s an old car.”
She looked at him worriedly. How was she going to get out of him buying her a car?
“Your friend checked them and said they weren’t really roadworthy. He’s going to come back through the week and put new ones on it for me.”
“I know, he told me. It’s because they’ve had the weight of the car on them for months and months, they were flat as a pancake. Reminds me, do you like pancakes? I do and I make a mean pancake.”
“Stop trying to change the subject, Tobias,” Laura demanded, trying to think of a compromise. “I’m not sure about you buying me a car. Buy me the tyres instead if you must. Better yet, why don’t we wait and see if we’re still together in a couple of months?”
“And what will you drive in the meantime?”
She shrugged.
“Once it’s got new tyres the car will be fine, anyway I’m going to trade it in.”
“Maybe it will be fine, but it’s old, it’s been sitting for God knows how long. I know I’ve done the brakes and stuff, but there could be other parts not reliable. I just don’t like it, and I don’t think it’s safe for you to drive.”
Laura felt apprehensive now. She knew the car was old, but he’d scared her by saying something else could break or go wrong. She bit her lip trying to think of what to say.
“I told you I’m trading it in.”
“Exactly, but how about this? I buy myself another car and lend it to you. If we’re still together in two months, I make it over to you.”
Laura had a feeling that even if she said no Tobias would buy her a car.
“You’re going to do it no matter what I say, aren’t you?”
He nodded. Maybe this plan of him buying a car for himself would work. She couldn’t see anyway past his idea. On the plus side, it would mean she’d have a safe reliable car to drive, but she was still hesitant. The most Colin had ever bought her was a pair of gold earrings one Christmas—and they had been on sale.
“What if you come with me when I buy a new car? You can pick one that you think is safe.”
He kept shaking his head.
“Come on, Laura. We’ve both got money to burn, what’s the risk? If we don’t make it I have another car, big deal.”
“You know you’re bossy?” she answered angrily.
He burst out laughing, and it echoed around the room.
“This coming from the woman who told me I wasn’t allowed to come while she was sucking my cock?”
Laura blushed but she could see his point.
“I can’t win, can I? You’re going to do this no matter what I say.”
“Yep, sure am. I’ll go out tomorrow and buy one before you have a chance to. So any colour preferences?”
“Oh, so I get to choose a colour?” she asked sarcastically.
“Of course,” he said with an evil grin.
“Not black or white. Oh, not that baby poo orangey colour.”
Tobias still laughed at her and kept shaking his head at her.
“Yes, my lady. I’ll remember that.”
Laura finally conceded defeat. She threw her arms up. “Damn you, Tobias Duncan.”
“Ah, so she remembers my last name.”
“You wrote it on the card.”
“I see you kept the vase.” He pointed to the empty glass vase on one of the counters.
“Of course I did. I wished I could have kept the flowers, too, they really were beautiful, Toby. Thank you for them, honestly I loved them.”
“Then I’m very glad.”
He finished his coffee and looked at his watch.
“I’d better get going. I promised my father I’d cook tonight.”
“Your dad? You see him often?”
“He lives with me and my two dogs.”
“Damn, that’s right, I forgot. I remember Peter Bailey or Julian mentioning your father lived with you. Dogs? You have dogs. Oh, I’ve always wanted a dog, what are they?”
“Boxers, a girl and a boy. Both spoilt rotten. I’ll bring them over one day if you like.”
“Are they inside or outside dogs?”
“Both. The downside is I really have no yard for them. Have a doggy door so they come and go as they please. They’re supposed to sleep downstairs, but invariably they sleep with dad or me.”
“Oh, that’s what I’d love. I couldn’t have a dog here yet, it could get out. I’d have to figure out a way to block off the front from the back, fortunately there’s a nice suitable fence at the start of the natural area so they couldn’t get into the bush. That would be dangerous because of snakes.”
“Shouldn’t be hard to do. Some nice fencing through to your boundary fence line either side of the house.”
“Yes, that would be perfect.”
“Want me to send one of our fencing contractors out to talk to you about it?”
“Yes, please.”
Tobias stood so Laura did as well, and walked to the front door.
“Wait! The fudge.”
“Leave it, I’ll sample it another day. I have to work tomorrow, Jules and I have a meeting with potential clients that will tie us up most of the day and maybe the next, it’s an enormous contract so lots of to-ing and fro-ing from both sides. Can I come visit on Wednesday?”
“I’d like that.”
He pulled her into his arms, and the kiss he gave her had her senses reeling. She realised that if things continued she’d be in love with the man within a week, that was if she wasn’t already there. It shocked and surprised her. It was really unexpected that she’d feel this close to him after just a few weeks of going out. Of course these amazing kisses certainly helped—oh and some unbelievable sex.
“No regrets?” He cupped her chin in one hand.
“Definitely no regrets.”
“I’ll miss you tomorrow and the next day. Try and miss me at least once.”
“Mm, I guess I’ll give it a try,” Laura replied very casually, trying to sound uninterested.
Tobias just laughed at her attempt.
“Wicked woman.”
She watched as he walked out to the car then drove off. Laura stood at the door, hugging herself. She wasn’t sure what she’d gotten herself into, but she did know she was the happiest she’d been for many, many years. She closed the door with a smile and went into the kitchen. Doing a crazy little dance, she stomped her feet up and down a dozen times quickly.
“I have a boyfriend!” she shouted joyfully. “And he’s perfect for me.”
Chapter Eighteen
“You got laid!” Julian declared, his voice exultant, as he walked to a chair in Tobias’s office after looking at Tobias.
“Shut up Jules,” Tobias snapped as Julian threw himself into one of the leather chairs.
“You did. Come on, tell all.”
“No.”
“Then I’ll ring up Laura and ask her,” Julian threatened and reach for the phone.
“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare!” Tobias enunciated each word angrily, snatching the phone away from Julian’s reach.
“Well, spill the beans. What did you do? Where did you go?”
“We went sightseeing in Katoomba on Saturday, then Sunday I just took her to that pie place near her and we had lunch.”
Julian snickered and said, “That wasn’t all you ate I bet.”
Exasperated with his friend, Tobias exclaimed, “Shit, Julian!”
“Sorry man, but I’ve never seen you look like this. You look like. I don’t know—a man in love.”
Tobias knew that was exactly how he felt, and his frustration with Julian evaporated as he replied, “I feel like it.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
“What about the, um…kink problem.”
“No problem.”
Jubilantly, Julian shouted, “Get away! You mean it?”
Tobias nodded. He didn’t want to go into the details with anyone but then Julian and he went way back. Julian knew that sex for Tobias just wouldn’t happen unless the woman was in charge. He knew Tobias had trouble maintaining an erection if the woman wasn’t the boss. He looked at Tobias and shook his head.
“You are one lucky bastard, you know that?”
“I do.”
“So when do you see her again?”
“This Wednesday.”
Julian kept shaking his head, muttering how lucky Tobias was as Alice came into the office and told the two men their appointment people had arrived. Both men stood to walk out the room and down to the boardroom when Julian held out his hand.
“I’m sorry I stirred you, mate. I’m truly happy for you, Toby. I want this to work as much as you. You look ten years younger and so happy already.”
“Thanks, mate.”
The rest of the day was spent talking business. Tobias often found himself thinking about Laura and couldn’t help smiling. Julian had said he looked like a man in love and he really felt it.
Ever since that awful day when he’d hurt her unintentionally he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. His life had revolved around plotting ways to find out where she lived, where she worked, anything to find her. Now she’d committed to giving him a chance and there was no way he was going to spoil it.
After taking the prospective client and his entourage to lunch, Julian and Tobias gave them an hour to sit down alone and talk about the proposal they’d put to them. Tobias went into his office and rang his Range Rover dealer.
“Rod, Tobias Duncan.”
“Hi, Tobias, how’s the car going?”
“Great. Listen I want another.”
“What, the same?”
“No, I’ve gone online and customised a Range Rover 17MY Vogue. I’ve e-mailed the specs over to you. Can you tell me when I can get it?”
“Give me a minute to look.”
Tobias waited ten minutes then Rod came back on the line.
“Okay, Toby, I’ve checked up, there’s one in that colour. Has most of what you want on it already, just have to add a couple of the extras. It’s in Melbourne but I’ll get it shipped up. I’ll send through the order now and we should have it by Thursday at the latest. Give me a couple of days to personalise it to your remaining specs, and hopefully you can have it before the following weekend.”
“That’s good. Just check through what I’ve added to make sure I’ve got all the safety features included.”
“No problem. So you want me to add anything I think you’ve forgotten?”
“Please. It’s for my girlfriend so I want it super safe.”
Tobias grinned to himself as he said the word ‘girlfriend’. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy.
“Leave it with me and I’ll keep you posted. Should work out around two hundred grand with your extras, give or take ten thou.”
“That’s fine. Thanks, Rod, bye.”
Tobias hung up happy. Laura would have a nice, safe car very soon. He was so glad she’d agreed to their arrangement about the car. He knew perfectly well he’d railroaded her into agreeing, he’d kind of overdone it saying the old car wasn’t safe when it really was, anything to make her agree to his suggestion. The truth was he wanted to show her how much she meant to him, to buy her the moon. That reminded him.
Grabbing the phone again, he ordered a bunch of sweet peas and roses sent to her. The woman on the other end of the line told him sweet peas were now out of season and suggested peonies instead. He agreed with her suggestion, adding he wanted an enormous bunch and they had to be delivered today, by taxi if necessary, he wanted them to the address before five. She assured him they’d be there before well before the end of the day, so another reason to smile.
The rest of the day he and Julian negotiated together with the two people they were grooming to take over from them. By four it seemed a consensus was reached and the customers left telling them they give them a “yay” or “nay” when they met up again tomorrow.
“I think they’ll sign don’t you, Toby?”
“Yep, I get the feeling they’d already made up their mind but want to make us sweat.”
“My feeling, too.”
Tuesday was spent around the negotiating table until lunchtime when the clients finally agreed on Tobias’s offer. There were handshakes all around and a temporary contract was drawn up, and by three it was signed by all parties. Once the new clients left, Tobias thanked the staff involved and sent them home for the rest of the day. He also thanked the woman who would be his successor, Jeannie Morgan, for her work on the deal. He and Julian then went into Tobias’s office.
“That’s a great contract, Toby. I’m glad we got it.”
“Me, too.”
The contract was to build and-or renovate a chain of one hundred and seventy-two stores throughout Australia. The deal was signed for the next five years which meant hundreds of thousands of dollars would be poured into the boys’ company. On top of that another company had approached them to build three multistorey buildings in Melbourne. He and Julian would have to assign a team to oversee the chain store contract and another for the Melbourne work.
Calling back in the two people they’d both chosen to take over their jobs when they retired, the four spent a few hours looking through their personnel trying to settle on who best to appoint as project managers, and who would be on the two teams. By five-thirty they called it a day.
“I’m going to call it a night. See you Thursday.”
“Yeah, night, Jules.”
Julian and his replacement trainee had several legal appointments tomorrow to go over contracts that didn’t need Tobias which meant he was free to visit Laura. He’d mentioned it to Julian on Monday.
“Say hi to Laura for me,” Julian added with a wink as he walked from the office.
Tobias drove to Laura’s the next morning, feeling on top of the world. He’d missed her the past two days and couldn’t wait to see her again, he just hoped she hadn’t changed her mind. It was ten-thirty when he pulled up at the side of the house and rang the doorbell. Laura opened the door and the smile she gave him melted his heart and reassured him she hadn’t regretted Sunday.
“Hi, Toby.”
“Morning, Laura.”
She stepped aside to allow him into the house then shut the door behind him, the day was showing some of the summer heat that would soon be inflicted on them once December arrived.
He turned to face her, taking a step that brought them together. Laura looked up at him as he put his arms around her. She fitted so neatly under his arms, he could stand there holding her for hours, but instead he lowered his head and captured her lips with his own. Softly at first, he explored them, tasting her fresh minty breath, then as his arousal grew he increased the pressure. He felt her arms wrap around him as her tongue dove into his mouth. The perfume she wore teased his senses adding to his excitement. When their lips finally parted, she turned her head to lay it against his chest, her head under his chin.
Tobias knew she would hear his heart pounding fast. This woman had such unbelievable power over him, he wondered when she would realise it. Anything she asked for he would give her in a heartbeat.
“I can hear your heart,” she whispered. “It’s beating as fast as mine is.”
“I can’t help it, you make it pound. Just being close to you and I can’t
think straight.”
She twisted her head and looked up at him.
“Neither can I.”
“You really feel the same, Laura? Truly.”
She nodded. “Yes. I can’t explain it.”
“I’m so glad, honestly, Laura. You’re all I think about.”
He kept his arm across her shoulders as they walked into the kitchen. Laura had put the flowers in the glass vase and they were now on display on the end of one of the kitchen benches where it could be seen from the breakfast nook and the family room.
“Thank you for my beautiful flowers. I wanted to thank you when I received them, but realised I don’t have your number.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I threw out your business card without looking at it, remember?”
“You could have rang the office.”
She gave a little sideways grin.
“Don’t actually know the name of it.”
Tobias hit his forehead with a hand and rolled his eyes.
“God, I’m so stupid. The company is called Duncan Building Enterprises. Here, where’s your phone?”
Laura picked up her mobile off one of the kitchen counters and Tobias keyed in his mobile number and home number, as well as the direct line to his office.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks. I promise I won’t ring unless it’s important.”
“Don’t be stupid, Laura. You can ring me anytime you want. In fact, I’d love it if you did.”
“Okay I’ll remember that. I’d better give you mine.”
Tobias entered her number into his phone, wondering how on Earth they managed not to exchange numbers before now.
“If I’m not in the office just tell Alice, she’s my PA. I think she runs the place better than me, anyway just let her know and she’ll get a message to me.”
“Thanks.”
Tobias dropped his phone onto the counter, leaned against it, and pulled Laura close. She snuggled against his chest, one hand over his heart. It felt so right as he rested his chin gently on the top of her head and took a deep breath, smelling the same flowery citrus smell that he’d come to associate with her.
