by Roxy Wilson
Of course, that wasn’t the sole reason he asked her. If she stayed over, it would give him a good chance to set the scene and impress her with his finer skills. A good dinner, a cup of coffee on the patio, a walk along the trail, might soften her towards him much faster than any fancy meal in a restaurant. It would also give her a chance to see him in his own territory and get a good feel for the kind of life he led.
She stared into the depths of his eyes as if trying to gauge his real intentions. He must have passed the inspection because she smiled. “Sure. That sounds like a plan.”
The rest of the evening passed quickly. The food was amazing, the company even more so. He was entertained while hearing her account of a client who fainted in her office after he heard the amount of taxes he was required to pay. Then she had him in splits with the story of a couple who both bombarded her with requests to hide their real income from their spouses. “Did they ever catch up with each other?”
“I have no idea. After the third or fourth time they called me, I refused to entertain them any longer. Then I told my boss I didn’t want to work with them. I believe a husband and wife who are cheating on each other, financially or otherwise, are quite likely to screw a stranger. After all, if they don’t have respect for the person who’s the most important in their lives, how can they possibly have respect for someone who works for them?”
“I agree.”
The waiter came to whisk away their empty plates.
“Would you like some dessert?”
“Not for me, thanks,” she said. “I’ve been off sweets for some time now.” She patted her stomach to indicate what she meant.
Heath didn’t want anything. “Coffee then?” he asked her.
“Maybe green tea?” she suggested.
Heath placed their orders. “Have you been feeling queasy?”
“So far, it’s just an intense dislike for desserts. I think this baby craves healthy stuff.” She shook her head. “I never saw that coming. Before this, I made it a point to visit my favorite bakery twice a week, but now as soon as I enter, there’s an instant urge to escape. It’s the smell. Can’t stand it.”
Heath could sympathize with her plight. It couldn’t be easy to nurture another human being in her body. “Why don’t we make a deal? As soon as you’re released from the hospital after the birth, I’ll take you to the bakery and you can order anything you like.”
Her lips lifted in a smile. “That would be nice.”
Heath kept his fingers crossed. Hopefully, they would be able to leave the hospital together as a couple and go back to the same home. That is what he had in mind. He hoped to have plenty of time to make that into a reality. Since he didn’t want her to dwell too much on his statement, he changed the subject. “I don’t have as many exciting stories as you, but I do recall this one couple who came down to purchase a horse and left yelling at each other. I heard they filed for divorce a week later.”
“Oh, my! I hope you didn’t contribute to the demise of their relationship?”
“On the contrary, I tried to talk to them but they wouldn’t let me get a word in. It became apparent by their ranting that the husband had already spent the money she saved for the horse on gambling.”
Aghast, she stared at him. “That’s terrible. It’s shocking the way marriages fall apart at the drop of a hat. It’s hard to meet people who are willing and happy to make compromises to spend a lifetime together.”
“Luckily, I grew up watching a good example in my house. My parents have been together for thirty two years now. And my father is already making plans to take my mother for a three-week cruise for their anniversary.”
“That’s amazing. It’s obvious they love each other deeply. I was inspired by your family. They’re all very close.”
Heath planned to add her into his family as soon as possible, but he couldn’t give her a hint as to what he wanted. If she found out too soon, she might just decide to run in the opposite direction. How quickly he fell! His friends would be surprised if they saw him spinning such plans in his head. He’d sworn off women after his divorce, but then he didn’t know he would meet Tasha and she would change his life forever. “Yeah. They’re a great bunch.”
The waiter brought their coffee. Tasha began to talk about her plans for the baby. She wanted to start buying things they needed at the end of her second trimester because she would still be energetic and active.
He was impressed to hear she had a complete list of the stuff she needed for the child from the birth till he or she was about a year old. “Still don’t want to know if the baby is a boy or girl?”
Tasha shook her head.
Heath didn’t care one way or the other. He didn’t have any preferences, but he could imagine the excitement of his family once they found out. “I have to warn you that my mother is already talking about throwing you a baby shower. She might call you as she took your number. If you’re not comfortable with the idea, you could tell her no.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Why wouldn’t I be comfortable? It’s amazing that she would want to be a part of this whole experience. In fact, I would call my mother over for the occasion. It would also give her a chance to meet your family.”
The plans were finalized all too quickly. Heath signed the check. After they left, he dropped Tasha home. At the entrance to her building, he hesitated. “So? How was our first date?”
She pushed back her hair with one hand, looking slightly flustered. “It was great. I had a good time.”
A feeling of relief coursed through his veins. “So how about another date? We could catch a movie?”
“I’m supposed to meet you on Friday, and it’s Wednesday already.”
He didn’t understand her drift. “So?”
She laughed. “I think you can wait for one day. We’ll consider Friday dinner as our second date.”
His gaze traveled to her lips. “In that case, I would need something to fortify me until then.”
“What do you mean?”
For an answer, he pulled her into his arms. The kiss was hot and spontaneous. His tongue slid into her mouth and he tasted the sweet contours of her with unbridled passion. His fingers slipped up along her back as he pressed his body against hers. Heath could feel her soft curves and desire ignited in his heart. All he could smell was her, all he tasted was her and yet—it wasn’t enough. He wanted more. With a reluctant sigh, Heath stepped away. He wasn’t sure if it was the heat wave that hit the city a week ago, or just her close proximity, but he felt infused with heat.
“Until Friday, then.”
Heath felt her eyes on him as he walked towards his car. He wanted to take it slow and steady. There was enough time to ignite that spark of passion inside her. Then once it was lit—he would bask in its glory for a lifetime.
Chapter Nine
Tasha took a look at the boxes filled with papers. The task ahead seemed daunting but she dealt with such situations on a daily basis. Most people didn’t like dealing with paperwork, and Heath was no exception. After arriving at his farm, she left her luggage in the guest bedroom and he took her for a tour of his facility. The farm was extremely well-managed, clean, and well run—but in this room was a huge mess waiting for her.
He stood beside her. The mere presence invoked feelings she didn’t know she was capable of having until he walked into her life. With each passing day, Tasha was beginning to realize Heath may mean more to her than just the father of her baby. Maybe they could build a life together. Then again, she was too afraid to say the words out loud, unsure in which direction he was going. Is this something serious for him?
Or is he just having a good time?
“Already thinking of running away?”
Tasha stepped into the office, more to avoid standing so close to him than anything else. “When I’m done, you’ll be amazed at my skills.”
“I’m glad this doesn’t frighten you, because to be honest, it scares the hell out of me.”
She turned to face him. Her fingers itched to run though his dark hair. He was so cute, so handsome, that she could barely keep her hands off him. “I would like to start now and organize these in piles.”
“I have set them in some sort of order.” He pointed to each pile. “Those are the bills from farm equipment that have been paid. Those are my personal expenses. And that is miscellanies.”
She laughed at his naivety. “We need more order than that to get things going.”
He lifted his shoulders. “I’m afraid that’s the limit of my expertise. I did the best I could. You could tell me what you want and I’ll separate them.”
Tasha took a careful look at the boxes. “You know what? I have a feeling that I would work faster on my own. Just give me a few hours to get everything organized the way I like it. And we’ll start crunching numbers tomorrow.”
“Do you need my help?”
It would be impossible to concentrate if he sat with her. She would never get any work done. “No, I might work faster on my own.”
“All right then. I’ll get started on dinner.”
Tasha assumed he would order take out. That is what she did. If there was one area where she lacked, it would be in the kitchen. “You cook?
“Ah, madam! Why don’t you wait and see.” He took a short bow. “I might be able to impress you.”
After he left, she took a seat. If he impressed her any further, she would be a lost cause. As it was, she’d become pretty smitten with him. Smitten! Now, there was a word she didn’t use often. But it was just the way she felt. He is so much more than she thought and she found herself being swept along a current that became too hard to resist.
With an effort, Tasha turned her attention to the work that awaited her. His description of the state of his paperwork wasn’t an exaggeration. There simply didn’t seem to be a system to the way he dumped the papers in the boxes. All receipts were just thrown in. She first organized the lot according to dates and then began making notes on questions she wanted to ask him. Hours passed by without her realizing it.
Heath poked his head into the room. “Hey! Dinner is about ready.”
Tasha looked up, her eyes bleary from staring at numbers. “I’ll be right along.”
“So how much is the damage?”
She sighed, put the pen down, and stood. “Let’s just say one dinner isn’t going to cover it. You might have to be slave for a year in exchange for this.”
He laughed but then stopped when she didn’t join him. “That bad, huh? Come on, let’s have dinner. Maybe that might make a dent in the payment.”
Tasha followed him into the dining room. To her surprise, he had laid a pretty table with matching napkins and table cover. “Wow! You’ve gone to a great deal of trouble.”
“It’s not often I have someone over, so I thought I may as well make an occasion of it.”
Tasha thought she detected an odd note in his voice. It appeared as if he might be hiding something, but since he got busy fussing with the cutlery, she didn’t say anything and simply moved to her chair. Much to her delight, he lit two candles. No man ever went to so much trouble for her, so she was a little bowled over when he brought out a tray of homemade canapés. Tasha tried one. “This is amazing,” she commented. “I didn’t know you were such an accomplished cook.”
“My ex-wife and I took some classes together,” he admitted. “To be honest, I just wanted the lessons, so we could do something together. We didn’t have much in common,” he added as an explanation.
Tasha felt impressed he would go to such lengths to save his relationship. It was sad it didn’t work out, but of course, destiny got her together with him. Also, that wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t divorced. “How long has it been since your divorce?”
He hesitated, his lips pressed together in a slight scowl, as if he wasn’t sure if he should share this information with her. “Officially, only nine months. But she moved out a year ago. Jeanine couldn’t stand the smell of horses.”
“That’s a difficult situation for a man who spends most of his time with them. Lucky for you, I don’t have any such objection,” she said in an attempt to lighten the mood.
He laughed and stood to get the first course.
As dinner progressed, Tasha found herself having a really good time. It was easy to talk to him. Definitely, a man of varied interests. She discovered he enjoyed traveling and took three weeks off twice a year to go see new places. Also, something she enjoyed, so they exchanged notes about the places on their bucket list.
Once dinner was over, he picked up the plates.
“Let me help you,” she offered.
“Oh no, you don’t.” He swiped the plate out of her hands. “You’re doing enough as it is. Let me do what I’m good at, and you can carry on with your end of the bargain tomorrow.”
She decided not to protest. “I may actually have some preliminary documents ready for you to submit for the deal,”
He stared at her. “That quickly? My ex-accountant said it would take more than two weeks.”
“I’m very good at what I do,” she emphasized. Tasha grinned at his expression. “When it comes to my work, I’m not modest at all.”
“And you don’t need to be.”
“I must admit your cooking far exceeded my expectations. Thank you.”
He put the plates in the dishwasher. “How about some green tea in the garden? Since the weather has improved, we can sit outside.”
“You have a garden?”
“It’s still work in progress.” He took out two cups and put water on boil. “But I spend some time on it every weekend. Do you enjoy gardening?”
“I live in an apartment,” she pointed out. “Actually, I’ve never given it a thought. But yeah, if I ever have a garden, I might want to learn some things.”
As he prepared the tea for her and coffee for himself, she watched him move around the kitchen. It was obvious he spent time there regularly because he seemed to be quite familiar with everything. It didn’t take him long to brew her tea. Tasha marveled at the fact that the first time she came to see him they had a fight in this very kitchen, and look at them now. Things were progressing fast. Too fast, in fact! She felt amazed at how quickly they came to know each other in such a short time. Although it started as an exercise in building a relationship for the sake of their unborn child, it soon became something else.
How could she have fallen in love so fast?
Love! Tasha focused on the word that popped in her mind. Damn it! Was she actually in love with Heath? How did it come to this? Sure, she was charmed, smitten, and perhaps a little bit besotted with him, but love is such a big emotion. How could she have jumped on it without even realizing what was happening?
What was she going to do?
“Are you all right?”
His concerned voice dragged her out of her thoughts. “Yeah! I’m just—a little lost. It happens during pregnancy. The doctor told me some women go through episodes of memory loss.”
“My mom had that with Tegan. In fact, she once forgot Myron and me at the grocery store.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t such a big deal.” He grinned at her horrified expression. “The store owner knew us well. He just waited with us until she came back fifteen minutes later. But of course, over the next three or four years, Myron and I never forgot to remind her of it every chance we got.”
Tasha said a silent, mental prayer that she wouldn’t be that bad. But who knew what might happen in the near future? She followed Heath out of the door and into the patio. When he switched on a button, she was instantly charmed by the low lights that highlighted various points of the garden. A flowering begonia stood in one corner while a neat bed of roses was coming along nicely. She saw various large clay pots brimming with flowers she couldn't identify. In one corner, a clay duck waddled with three ducklings in tow. Pretty flowers were sprouting out of their back.
“Those are adorable.”
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“One of my employees made them.”
“He’s very talented.”
He passed her the cup of tea and took a seat beside her on the wicker couch.
When his arm bushed against her, a shiver of anticipation swept up her spine. Tasha wasn’t sure what might happen, but she could sense their platonic weekend plans were going to be demolished. In fact, she’d been expecting something to happen ever since she came to his place. Their attraction for each other was too intense to be swept aside just by an effort of will.
If she were honest with herself, she was tired of fighting it.
He’s the father of my child…the man I want. What is the harm in us getting into bed together?
“In fact, I told him to devote a couple of days a week to pottery. I think I’m going to allow him to open a stand in the corner of the farm. People who come here might enjoy buying his creations.”
It took her a while to concentrate on what Heath was saying. The cologne he wore hit her nostrils and made her inhale deeply. Such a familiar scent to her now. Immediately, she was transported back to the first and last time they made love—an event she would never forget. Tasha sipped her tea as she tried to concentrate on the conversation.
Heath went on to describe his future plans for the garden.
Once her tea was finished, she set the teacup down on the little table by the side of the couch. Restlessly, she stood. Tasha moved down the steps and into the garden. On an impulse, she slipped off her shoes and stood on the soft, green grass. Such a beautiful evening. A pale, silver orb glowed in the dark sky, accompanied by countless twinkling stars. A light breeze flitted through her hair.
As she turned back, he joined her. “Beautiful,” he commented.
She gazed up at the moon. “Yes, it is.”
“I was talking about you.”
Tasha stared into his eyes. Passion flared. Need overtook everything. When they rushed into each other’s arm, she put her arms around his neck, eager to feel his lips on hers again. Desire careened though her veins. She wanted him now. When her mouth opened and his tongue dove in, she pressed her body against his, desperate to quench the hunger burning inside her like molten lava. Something twisted inside her, and she gave in to the impulse. Her lips trailed down to kiss the pulse beating at the base of his throat. She nipped at his shoulder, desire pulsating inside her like a fire threatening to engulf her.
