by Lexi Greene
“That’s some dedication to a goal.”
He lifted a berry towards her mouth. “Don’t make me hurt you, Radcliff.” She scowled, and he laughed.
“Tell me about your family.” He lazed in the sun, confident in his million-dollar suit.
“My parents were both primary school teachers. Education and achievement were high priorities for them, but there was a lot of love, too.”
“They must be very proud of you.”
Scarlet took a sip of her wine. “They’re proud of my work ethic.”
“Why the partnership or perish attitude?”
“I want to succeed.” She glanced up and saw the roadside assistance vehicle fast approaching. “Hallelujah.” She struggled to her feet and slipped her heels back on.
“Why is it so important that you need an inked reminder?”
“I don’t expect you to understand.” She smoothed her skirt over her hips.
“Try me.”
“It’s nice of you to ask.” She turned her attention to the tall mechanic who had extracted himself from his vehicle. “But I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
Tony’s head spun with WTF? He couldn’t be falling for her. He’d never truly fallen for a woman before. Not like this. Not like he’d leapt from the crest of a mammoth big wave and lost his grip entirely. Not like he’d been pummelled and smacked his head. She was as prickly as a pufferfish, but he saw the woman behind the cloud of animosity. He saw her vulnerability. Why did he care? Did he feel guilty on his brother’s behalf? She was a close-out, a rip, a dangerous swell. He was crazy to contemplate what he was contemplating… but her violet grey eyes drew him like a storm brewing over the ocean. She was competent and clever, and sassy and smart.
Scarlet turned as if she’d sensed his gaze and he winked, loving the flick of barbed tail in her eyes. Yep. She wanted him, but she’d fight him all the way and what was he thinking? It was a path to professional suicide. Geoffrey’s career had taken years to recover from the bombshell she’d pitched his way. Not that he hadn’t deserved it.
Tony savoured the sunshine and the view. Scarlet looked just fine in a business suit. Corporate and sedate, yes, but ravishing and distracting also came to mind. He would be wise to give her a wide berth. An ocean-wide berth.
There was nothing wrong with looking.
There was nothing wrong with getting to know her. From his brother’s perspective, Scarlet was Eve herself. Their fling had destroyed his family. Never mind that Scarlet was one of many. Never mind that his brother was a player not a stayer. He hoped that trait wasn’t in his genes. He hoped the early dementia trait wasn’t either. He chewed on his lip. Life was short. His mum’s death last year from breast cancer had taught him that much. Internalised resentment wasn’t healthy, and he didn’t want that for his own wife.
“All done, Radcliff. It’s time to get back to the real world.”
“You didn’t try the chocolate-dipped orange slices.” He held the bag out for her.
“Tempting.”
Her violet gaze met his and the connection made his heart zing. “And healthy. Dried orange. Dark chocolate.”
“They sound too good to be true. Okay.” She reached over and took a piece, and he waited while she tasted. “Mmmm. They’re good.”
He grinned and started packing up their picnic. She stood and he reached for the blanket and gave it a shake. He tucked it into the boot with the leftover food. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Thanks for lunch. I enjoyed it.” Her smile was soft, but her gaze was guarded.
Thanks, Bro. The one woman who might have interested him and his brother had stymied any chance he might have had. Damn, Geoffrey.
Scarlet’s brow puckered and it seemed that even the thought of his brother was enough to put her off. “Oh, you’re welcome.” He liked it when she softened. He liked it when the violet in her eyes went from stormy to balmy to a different kind of stormy. The kind of stormy that left his body strung out, craving to touch, to taste, to linger…
“Let’s get back to work.” She opened the door on the driver’s side.
“Yes, Ma’am.” He lowered himself into the passenger seat and tried to keep his attention on the road. In truth, the woman beside him intrigued him. She didn’t talk to fill the silence and he was surprised to find he felt comfortable with her. There was no second-guessing, no need to impress her. He’d probably fail anyway.
“Where do your mum and dad live?” Her gaze turned towards him for a brief moment.
The question hung between them while he struggled to sort his words into a palatable answer. In the end, his promise of honesty won out. “My mum’s not with us anymore and dad lives in our family home in Camberwell.” With a full-time caregiver. “He’s not very well.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
He could hear the compassion in her tone and every cell in his body armoured itself against her. He didn’t want her sympathy and his feelings regarding his mother’s death and his father’s deteriorating health confused him. As a child and adolescent, he’d found his father formidable, distant and disagreeable, but at his mother’s funeral, he’d watched the man crumple. For that alone, he loved him. For that alone, he dragged his body to the office and worked harder than he’d ever worked because time was short.
“What about yours?”
“They live in Ballarat on a small property. They grow their own vegetables and have a few calves that they raise and sell.”
“How often do you see them?”
“Not as often as I’d like.” He heard the weight in her words.
They sat in silence and Tony watched the rural scenery recede, replaced by industrial buildings at the fringe of the city. He hadn’t expected to like her. He hadn’t expected his body to react to hers the way it had. There are plenty more fish in the sea. Yep, he knew it. And he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not now. Not yet. But that image of his children on the beach? It sharpened and for the first time, he saw them clearly. Their blonde hair, their violet-blue eyes, their smiles, so like Scarlet’s.
The phone rang in his pocket and he drew it out. “Hello?”
Think and speak of the devil. “Ant, your receptionist tells me you’re out of the office. On your first day? I’m in the foyer. There’s been a bit of an emergency with Dad.”
“What happened?”
“He’s had a fall. A nasty one. He’s in surgery. They’re not sure he’s going to make it. How far off are you?”
His gaze connected with Scarlet’s, before she looked away. “About five minutes.”
“Great. I’ll wait for you and we can go together.” He paused, then added. “Who’s we?”
“I’ve been out on a site visit.” He took a deep breath. “With Scarlet O’Connor.”
“You’re kidding, right?” His brother’s anger spat along the airwaves. “Back away slowly, mate. She’s a ball-buster.” She sure brought the crazy out in his brother.
“I’ll see you soon.” Tony hit the end button and tucked the phone back into his suit pocket. How much of that had Scarlet heard? “My dad’s had a fall. He’s in a bad way.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry. I only caught the last part of the conversation. My mind was miles away.” Her knuckles appeared white from the tightness of her grip on the steering wheel and his heart sank.
“I’m sorry you heard that.” No need to elaborate.
“Do you need me to drop you at the hospital?”
“No, Geoffrey’s waiting at the office, but if you could drop me in Collins St. that would be great.”
“Sure.” She glanced across at him, concern on her face, compassion in the violet depths of her eyes. They slowed for a red light and she closed the convertible roof, lowering the volume of the music.
His mother’s death had sucked the life from his father, and he’d become even more frail, confused and lost. They’d resorted to telling him she’d gone to the shops. It helped to ease his suffering for a shor
t time, but it didn’t last. Tony’s heart banged crazy-loud in his ears. All those lost years. He hadn’t appreciated how precious they were. Grief, regret, pain pounded in his head. When they drew up in front of the office, Scarlet reached over and rested her hand on his arm.
“I hope your dad’s okay.” Her gaze held his, warm and comforting.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” His chest swelled and a wave of emotion swamped him.
“Ant.” His brother’s voice interrupted the moment. A hunted look flashed into Scarlet’s eyes before the violet crystallised into hard black. No way had she been the one at fault.
Tony stepped out of the car and turned in time to see a twisted smile on his brother’s face. “Scarlet O’fucking Connor.”
“It’s been a long time, Geoffrey.” Scarlet’s voice was calm and dignified.
“If you’ll excuse us.” Tony slammed the door and pushed his brother in the direction of his Audi, parked illegally in front of the building. “We need to go before we get towed away.”
Chapter Four
Scarlet seethed and cussed and accelerated just a little too fast as she turned the corner and headed towards the carpark. The wheels squealed in protest and echoed the sensation in every cell of her body. She’d relaxed her guard… with a Radcliff. And his older brother hadn’t changed a bit. He was as arrogant as ever. But he’d aged and not well. She couldn’t remember why she’d found him attractive. There had been pain, raw and real in the clear blue of Tony’s eyes. He wasn’t Geoffrey and his father was hurt.
She gathered her things from the back of the car and eyed her watch. Plenty of time before her three o’clock hearing. She forced herself into the lift and arrived with more of a sweat on her brow than if she’d taken the ten flights of stairs. She strode into her office and got back to work. She didn’t think of Tony for the next four hours. Well, that was almost true. By the time she walked into the tearoom to refresh her water bottle the office was quiet. She preferred the office after five o’clock. The busy hum stopped, and she could focus on her work without interruption.
She was deep in the contents of a file, assessing the case and taking notes, when there was a knock on her door.
She looked up and saw Tony, his eyes the colour of Hobsons bay on a winter’s day. He looked dishevelled, his tie loose and his hair mussed like he’d raked his hands through it. He looked done in. “How’s your dad?”
“He didn’t make it.”
“Oh, no.” Scarlet felt the force of it like a medicine ball to the chest. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s a blessing in disguise. My dad was increasingly lost in time and he couldn’t understand why my mum wasn’t around. He was devastated by her death but confused. He thought she’d left him. God knows he gave her reason enough.”
“Dementia?” She didn’t want to feel anything for Tony Radcliff, but he looked so shattered and forlorn that she didn’t have the heart to reject him the way she’d promised herself she would on the way back to her office. She nodded to the chair in front of her desk. “Do you want to come in.”
“Sure.” He collapsed into the soft leather bucket seat. “Thanks. It’s been a tough day.”
“I left your wine in your office.”
“Thanks. This morning feels like a lifetime ago. I thought you would have gone home by now. It’s past nine thirty.”
“I needed to get this sorted for a mention tomorrow morning.”
“There’s so much pressure in this business. What of the cost? What of the pound of flesh that has to be sacrificed? Don’t you question it? Don’t you ever get angry?”
“No, I want to succeed. Badly.” Her mother’s warning echoed in her head and she felt the urge to cover her ears. There was plenty of time for a family after she’d achieved what she’d set out to achieve. She should thank Geoffrey Radcliff. He’d hardened her resolve—her goal was resolute and unyielding like hot metal thrust into cold water.
“I see that.” He raked his hand through his hair and his bicep bulged under the sateen cotton of his shirt.
She shouldn’t have noticed. She shouldn’t have heated in response. She shouldn’t have invited him into her office in the first place, but it seemed she had a thing for wounded wolves in one hundred percent fine wool. “Have you eaten?” She shouldn’t have cared.
“No.” His body straightened in his chair. “Have you?”
She shook her head. “But I have a packet of Tim Tams if you’re interested.” She pulled them out of her drawer and passed them across. “Here.”
“Chocolate biscuits? You’re a life saver. I’ll make some tea to go with them. Would you like one?”
“Sure. I’d love a green tea.” No, she scolded. No, thank you. I’m working. Her words weren’t cooperating. Her body wasn’t cooperating. And when she turned her attention back to the file on her desk, she’d lost her flow and instead of her mind feeling focused, it was infused with syrupy warmth. It had been so long since she’d felt anything but cold determination, she found it surprising and addictive. You’re nearly done. Push through. Another ten minutes. She’d just finished when Tony lowered a mug of tea onto her desk. A mug. Clearly, tea etiquette hadn’t rated highly in his expensive private school education.
“Sorry about the mug. The cups were in the dishwasher.”
Or maybe she was wrong. “That’s okay.” She expected scalding, but he’d put a dash of cold water in just how she liked it. “Thanks.” Thoughtful. In the middle of his distress, he’d been thoughtful. It threw her. The same way he’d thrown her all day. And he’d lost his father. Grief was there in the slump of his shoulders and her heart refused to stay frozen. His father. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her own. It would be like having her heart ripped from her chest.
“I should have made it for you. I’m so sorry for your loss.” The formality of the words echoed in her head and she swallowed them along with a sip of her tea. She was rusty at the friend-thing. She kept people at a safe distance, but Tony wouldn’t stay put. He didn’t fit the lawyer mould. He didn’t fit the Radcliff mould. He threw her and that’s what had her in a tailspin.
“It’s funny. I miss him already and it really hurts, but in truth, it was only when my mum died last year that I connected with him. He wasn’t an affectionate man. I realise now, he showed his love differently. He showed it by pushing himself to be better. By working hard to succeed. By providing for his family. I didn’t get it.” He reached for a Tim Tam and dunked it into his tea.
Her father did that with Tim Tams, too. They were his favourite and her go-to comfort food.
“There are lots of different kinds of love…” She took a biscuit and carefully dunked it into her tea. She savoured the hot sweetness and when she caught Tony’s eye, she smiled. “…I guess some kinds are harder to recognise than others.”
“Yes.” Tears welled in his eyes and pain flashed across his face.
Oh, hell. She was making it worse. “I’m sorry. I’m sure he was proud of you.” She pushed a box of tissues towards him.
“I don’t know. He never said. That wasn’t his way.” Tony took a tissue and blew his nose. Her body reacted to his closeness. He smelt musky and male, and there was a slight citrus scent beneath the rest.
“What about your mum?” Scarlet dunked the other end of her biscuit into her tea. She didn’t like floating biscuit crumbs so two dunks per biscuit was her limit.
“She, too, struggled to live up to dad’s expectations. He was demanding and critical and hard to live with, but he loved her. I guess she loved him back or she wouldn’t have put up with him for all those years.” Tony settled back into his seat and picked up his mug, blowing across the hot liquid.
“When’s the funeral?”
“No date yet, but within the week. My brother will want to organise it. It doesn’t matter how old I am, I’ll always be the baby of the family and in his eyes, less competent.”
“Is that why you want the partnership position? To prove yoursel
f to Geoffrey?” Scarlet reached for another biscuit. She hadn’t realised she was hungry.
“Partnership is the only thing that will earn his respect.”
“And his respect is important to you?”
“Self-respect is important to me.” Tony’s wet eyes met hers.
“I get it.” He finished his biscuit and took a gulp of his tea. His face was strained, his eyes cloudy and distant, like his thoughts were far away.
“Are you nearly done for the day?” he asked, his voice quiet.
“Yes.” She sipped her tea, grateful for the warm comfort of it.
“I’m going for a ride down to Torquay. Would you like to join me?” His words were casual, but his gaze arrowed deep inside her.
“Now?”
“Yes. I want to stand in the ocean and feel the waves. I want to see the moon and the stars.”
“I’m tired. It’s been a long day.” Go, a small voice inside her whispered. Are you crazy? “Did you say ride? What are we talking?”
“A Suzuki GSX R 1300. I thought you’d like the power of it. Another time.” He took a generous gulp of his tea.
“I’m not dressed for it, Radcliff.”
“You can wear my one-piece and I’ll wear my leather jacket and jeans. They’re in my locker downstairs. I’ve got a spare helmet.”
The sadness in his gaze pulled at her. Damn. Where was denial when she needed it? Go home, Scarlet. The thought of her bed beckoned, and she stifled a yawn.
“You look tired. You’ve had a tough day.” His gaze held hers, and now that it was gone, she missed the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
“Your day was worse.”
“Yep.” He drained his mug and stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow. After eight thirty.” He grinned and the sad power of it punched her in the midriff, her resistance crumbling like her Tim Tam had softened in her hot tea.
“Radcliff?”
He turned from the doorway and magic seemed to shimmer between them. “Fine, I could do with some fresh air.”
“Really?” His face lit up and his eyes lost their wintry hue.
