Sons Of Australia: The Mackays: Australian Boss: Diamond Ring/Surprise: Outback Proposal/Tempted by Her Tycoon Boss

by Jennie Adams

  ‘You could have been hurt too, Linc.’ Her words were low as remorse began to fill her chest. ‘I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me today.’

  ‘I asked if you’d let me. There’s a difference. And this is not your fault.’ Linc’s jaw clamped into a tight line. ‘If I hadn’t got there when I did—’

  ‘He would have dragged me into his car, and I dread to think what would have happened to me.’ Cecilia suppressed a shudder. ‘Thank you for being there and for acting so quickly to scare him off.’

  They made their way to the police station, spoke to the police, looked at images, and found out in the process that Stacey’s Joe was operating under an alias. He was wanted not only for the armed robbery in Australia, but for a string of other crimes in his home country of New Zealand—some of them very serious.

  The police over there had been trying to catch him for two years.

  ‘I don’t think Stacey knows any of that.’ Cecilia spoke as Linc drove towards her home after the interview with the police. They would meet officers there to ensure her house was safe.

  Linc shook his head. ‘The police said he can lay the charm on when he tries. He must have hidden a lot of the truth about himself from her.’

  ‘He must have. It makes me scared for her, as well as for myself.’ She pushed the words past a lump in her throat.

  There was a long pause while Linc’s hands maintained a death grip on the car’s steering wheel. The street was quiet. Then he pulled over into a parking space, unclipped his seat belt and hers and pulled her into his arms.

  The strength of Linc’s hold let Cecilia know how concerned he had been for her safety.

  Barriers Cecilia had tried to keep propped up fell away. Her arms tightened around him.

  He didn’t say a word. Neither did she. But, oh, it felt good to be held and to hold him.

  ‘That situation ranked right up there with some of the worst moments I’ve experienced in my life.’ The words were almost wrenched from Linc as he held Cecilia close. ‘If he’d harmed you—’

  He drew back, and his gaze searched her face, travelled over her. He lifted the wrist the man had gripped. Red marks showed on the delicate skin. Everything inside Linc cried out for justice, for the man who had done this to her to pay for it. In those few moments in time, he let his eyelashes sweep down, because he didn’t want Cecilia to see his roiling emotions.

  ‘There will be a bruise, but that’s all.’ Her words were soft, hushed almost and edged with a need for reassurance that she probably didn’t realise was there.

  Linc lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest, laying his own over it. His need to give to Cecilia won out over his memories and the guilt from the past. The emotions he felt, this need for connection, just couldn’t feel wrong to him in this moment.

  The knowledge sent a warning signal through him. But with so many other emotions churning, that signal quickly faded and disappeared. He gently kissed her, and then there was no thinking at all—just experiencing.

  Cecilia’s lips parted beneath Linc’s as she gave herself to kissing him. Her lips softened, yielded to him and received from him at one and the same time. Her defences were down and she needed this.

  They kissed softly and gently, exploring each other and healing the fear of those earlier moments.

  And then a thought came to Cecilia.

  She’d reconciled with her sister.

  Surely that meant that anything could be possible.

  She and Linc could be possible...

  Once that last thought surfaced, there was no taking it back. It changed her. It infused her with hope. And while the common sense side of her warned that such hope was not wise, she couldn’t heed it.

  When they finally broke apart, Linc seemed to let her go reluctantly.

  He sighed and restarted the car. ‘We’d better get moving. Now, talk me through the layout of your home.’ He cast a quick, apologetic glance her way. ‘I’d like to know before we get there. I remember from this morning that there’s no place in the front that a person could hide. I could see all of it while I was waiting for you. What about the sides and the back? Would it be easy to break in from any of those points?’

  ‘I’ve never thought deeply about any vulnerabilities there in that way.’ Cecilia forced herself to think about it now. She’d forgotten the threat of Joe during those moments in Linc’s arms.

  Oh, how easily she had forgotten.

  ‘The back door is deadlocked, and all the windows have locks, but the house isn’t alarmed. It backs onto a neighbouring property, but I guess that wouldn’t really stop anyone. A person could also enter from the front yard and walk down the left side. The bathroom window is halfway down on that side.’

  When they were several blocks away from her home, Linc spoke again. ‘The police suggested you don’t stay there for the time being. I’m holding you to your agreement to that advice.’

  ‘I know I might not be safe.’

  In a way she’d been waiting for this—and also dreading him bringing it up, because it forced her to think about the implications. The thought of being forced out of her home and looking over her shoulder until this situation could be resolved was hard to take.

  ‘There’s work, too. That will have to be managed so no one is placed in any danger. Oh, goodness! The masked ball. What am I going to do?’

  ‘That isn’t upon us yet, so let’s worry about one thing at a time. We’ll sort this out, Cecilia. I promise you.’

  His calm words helped.

  ‘For now I want you to wait in the locked car while I let the police in so they can check your place. Once I’m sure it’s safe, you can gather some things together. The police said they’ll have a car there watching until further notice, in the hope that Joe does follow through and turn up.’

  Linc stopped the car two doors down from her home.

  She identified her front door key for him.

  He reiterated that she was not to get out until he came back and gave the okay.

  ‘How do I know you’ll be safe?’ The question burst from her at the last moment.

  The smile he gave had an uncompromising edge to it. ‘I’ll be careful. You don’t need to worry about my safety.’

  She worried anyway, and it seemed he was gone for endless minutes before he returned to the car and told her he was satisfied she could safely enter her home.

  Cecilia entered, retrieved her phone and started packing an overnight bag. It was reassuring to have Linc with her and to know that the police were watching from across the road in their unmarked car.

  ‘Pack for several days.’ Linc made the suggestion from the living room. It was the one place where he could see both her and the front and back doors. ‘Since we don’t know yet exactly what will be happening, I think that would be best.’

  She packed. They left quickly.

  Cecilia let herself think then about where she should go, and realised Linc seemed already to have a plan in his mind, if his confident driving gave any indication.

  Rather belatedly, she asked, ‘Where exactly are you taking me?’

  CHAPTER NINE

  ‘YOU’VE LEFT YOUR car at my house.’

  Cecilia not only didn’t know where Linc intended to take her—she didn’t know what might happen to his vehicle if he left it outside her home.

  ‘I made a couple of calls when I retrieved my phone out of it. Alex and Brent are on their way to collect my car.’

  Linc’s words were matter-of-fact, as though he called in his family to sort out other people’s problems on a daily basis. As though he didn’t find it strange at all to be helping Cecilia deal with this entire issue.

  ‘The police will be watching, so I’ve let them know Alex and Brent will be doing that.’

 
‘Okay. That’s good to know.’

  She couldn’t deny that it was reassuring to have Linc’s level-headed input just now. Was this what people experienced when they entered into a truly meaningful partnership? This alignment of emotion to the needs of each other?

  Not that she and Linc had entered into such a thing.

  She, however, had entered into believing it could be possible.

  Not a smart way to start thinking, Cee.

  Yet she couldn’t undo the thoughts. They were a part of her now, and they did not want to be denied. She needed time to consider them, to think it through rationally and ask herself whether there really might be a chance and what that might entail.

  Could she see Linc for a period of time, enjoy wherever it might lead them and then let it end with no regrets? Because wouldn’t that be all Linc would offer?

  ‘It’s good of Alex and Brent to help.’ She knew she was dodging her own question. ‘Please thank them for me when you can.’

  ‘Not needed, but I will.’ He drew a deep breath before he spoke again. ‘I want you to stay with me tonight, Cecilia.’

  For a moment she felt as though he’d read right inside her mind just now, and her heart fluttered, but then she realised there must be a different motivation for his statement.

  ‘It’s good of you to want to keep me safe.’

  If you’d asked me to stay for other reasons, I’d have agreed instantly.

  Maybe it was just as well that he hadn’t!

  She cleared her throat. ‘But I’d planned on going to a hotel.’

  ‘I don’t feel that would be safe enough.’ His response was immediate and firm. He went on, ‘We’re heading for my place in the city. The building has excellent security. I realise I didn’t ask you first. I should have. That scene back there left me more shaken than I care to admit, I guess, but I know I do need your agreement. I’ll take you to a hotel if you insist, but please don’t.’

  Any problem she might have had over him not seeking her agreement first evaporated in the light of that final request.

  Oh, Linc, you become more lov—likeable by the minute.

  ‘I’ve only ever seen your warehouse building.’

  That near slip-up in her thoughts shocked Cecilia so much she struggled to maintain an even tone of voice. It was one thing to contemplate seeing where a relationship might go with Linc in the short term, but to almost think the L-word about him was a whole other matter!

  ‘I maintain both. The family all get together at the warehouse regularly. Rosa keeps everything ready for us.’

  He shrugged his shoulders—a wealthy businessman with a busy lifestyle and the financial capacity to make that lifestyle as workable as possible for himself and for those around him.

  ‘I guess that would make sense for someone in your position.’

  She’d known he had other properties and that both brothers had moved out of the warehouse to other homes. But knowing she was about to enter another one of Linc’s properties did remind her of the disparity in their circumstances.

  Well, from Linc’s perspective it would be the height of practicality to have a place in the city. If Cecilia wanted to think about anything, it should be how she was going to manage the rest of her commitments while this was all going on.

  Yes, Cecilia. Maybe you should be thinking about the actual circumstances that have brought about this temporary change in your place of residence.

  And she should also be thinking about what she could do, if anything, to try and help get that man caught, so she could get back to her normal life and be totally sure Joe was out of Stacey’s life for good.

  ‘I appreciate your offer, and I’m grateful to accept the security measures that will go with it.’ She forced her voice to remain as steady and even as his had been. ‘I need to figure out how to manage things at work. I have to get back there. There’s so much to be done, and I also need to make sure the staff are safe. What if this guy knows where I work, as well?’

  ‘There are certainly measures that need to be taken, and the police don’t have infinite resources.’ He said it carefully, as though feeling his way.

  When he went on, Cecilia understood why.

  ‘I’ve asked Alex and Brent to arrange a security firm to provide around-the-clock surveillance at the plant nursery until further notice.’

  Rather than contesting or questioning this, Cecilia simply expressed her gratitude.

  ‘Thank you.’ She would worry about what that would do to the business’s bottom line later. For now the important thing was that everyone would be safe. ‘That will help when I return there, as well.’

  With a suppressed sigh she changed the subject.

  ‘I need to make that phone call to the centre now. I know the police were going to alert the staff to what happened in the parking lot, but I need to put a request in for Stacey to call me. I haven’t even had the chance to tell you that we had a genuinely wonderful reconciliation this morning.’ Cecilia fell silent for a moment. ‘I hope this happening won’t undo that progress.’

  ‘I’m glad you got that result with your sister, and I’m sure she will want to continue being closer to you.’ Linc drew the car off the street, and his words rang with sincerity. ‘We’ve arrived.’

  ‘I didn’t notice we’d come so far.’

  They were on an affluent street in one of the city’s most sought-after suburbs. A beautiful multistorey building loomed before them. It had secure underground parking. Other cars must also park there. Yet Cecilia saw only Linc’s private parking area as they drove in.

  At least by focusing on those details she could distract herself away from her softening emotions towards Linc.

  Yes, Cecilia, but those emotions are still there. What are you going to do about that?

  Fine. Maybe there were emotions. But it had been an emotional day. She didn’t need to do anything about...anything.

  So she stated the obvious instead. ‘You’re the owner of the whole building, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes, it’s one of my investment properties.’ He said it without any particular inflection. ‘Holding an apartment here works well for when I need to meet with my business broker or take care of other business without the trouble of going in to the office.’

  Yet he and his brothers had created their own return-to-the-family oasis out at the warehouse building after the other two had moved out. Cecilia liked that concept, too. It spoke of a close-knit family who, while they went about their individual lives, still needed to reconnect on a regular basis.

  That was what she’d had with her sister when they were younger, and now she believed she would have again. She did believe it and felt better for giving herself that reminder.

  Minutes later they were safely ensconced in Linc’s apartment on the top floor. The harbour views were magnificent, and the apartment was furnished in elegant yet comfortable style. A squashy black leather sofa and matching chairs dominated the lounge area. The kitchen shone in chrome, with a white marble workstation in the middle.

  ‘This is—’

  Opulent. And yet it was still Linc. A demonstration of his vast wealth, and yet it felt welcoming. Maybe that came from the clutter of kicked-off male shoes and boots inside the door, or the scatter of financial magazines tossed down beside one of the armchairs.

  ‘It’s a great place, Linc.’

  Linc might wear jeans and work boots and look like a regular working man much of the time, but he was a millionaire—a self-made success story. This apartment certainly testified to that fact.

  ‘I’m glad you like it.’ He shifted her bag in his grip. He’d insisted on carrying it in for her from his car. ‘There’s a guest room through here.’

  They passed a room that must be his, and an office, and came to the guest room. With her bag s
towed inside the door, and Cecilia determinedly refusing to think about Linc’s bedroom just an office space away, she followed him back into the living area.

  ‘I don’t know what to do.’ She’d murmured the words before she realised she had spoken aloud.

  About my feelings, about that threat, about anything at all right now!

  ‘It will be okay, Cecilia.’ Linc spoke the words from the open-plan kitchen.

  He was boiling the kettle and had mugs, coffee granules and a teabag at the ready. Right there, in that chrome and marble masterpiece, Linc MacKay was preparing a fortifying cup of tea for her and making coffee for himself while he was at it.

  Who was he, really? Which man was the real Linc? The one dressed in work boots and casual clothes who would drive a woman to a correctional facility first thing in the morning so she could see her sister? Or was he the man in this apartment, entertaining high-brow corporate colleagues? Was he the business magnate, or the loving, protective brother? Was he Cecilia’s boss, or the man who would have fought today to ensure her safety?

  He was the same Linc and yet not the same—because the Linc of six years ago had rejected her interest in him. This Linc had kissed her, held her and he was letting himself care about her. He was!

  Cecilia told herself he must be all of those people, all of those things. His complexity had caught her attention from the first day they’d met, and it intrigued her more and more now as she came to know each new layer of him in a more personal way.

  Cecilia made her call to the correctional centre then, and they surprised her by allowing her to speak to Stacey.

  ‘Cecilia? What’s going on? Are you okay?’ Panic rang in Stacey’s tone when she came on the line. ‘People don’t get called to the phone here unless it’s bad news, and on top of that they moved me into the strict protection section here today!’

  ‘I’m afraid it is troubling news, Stacey.’ Cecilia drew a breath and explained what had happened. ‘I’ve been to the police, and obviously the staff there at the centre know about it as well now. I’m glad they’ve moved you. I was trying not to worry about whether harm could come to you. ‘