Romance with a Bite

by Tamsin Baker

  He looked around the room and blinked. There was a shimmer in the air, and from the corner of his eye, he caught a hint of purple mist. When he turned his head to look at it, the mist was elsewhere. He shook his head in confusion and promptly regretted the move.

  I shouldn’t have done that. I must have drunk more than I thought. My head is spinning.

  He poured himself a glass of water while the coffee brewed. It didn’t touch the sides.

  Coffee made, he took it outside on the deck with his laptop where he could sit in the fresh air and check his emails. That was helpful. He could feel the mental fog lifting. His eye was drawn to a small trickle of dirt by the outside tap. It made him remember the flower pots. Cassie had watered the flower pots last night. He had shown her where the orchids grew. He remembered that much, at least.

  He hoped he hadn’t behaved badly. He must have fallen asleep while she was still there as he had no memory of her leaving. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something momentous had happened. He’d have to ask her. He could drop into the library and try to speak to her in private. The only catch was, he had no idea what he should ask. Perhaps she would just tell him and he wouldn’t have to ask anything.

  Grabbing his jacket from the back of a chair, he headed out the front door and started in the direction of the centre of town.

  ☐

  The walk helped to clear his head, though the eye shimmers still caused him some concern. It was a beautiful morning in spite of the earlier clouds, and as he looked, the colors of the trees and vegetation he passed seemed particularly vibrant. He even heard sounds with greater clarity.

  There must be something magical about this country air, or perhaps it’s the water. How come I haven’t noticed this before?

  As he passed Raff’s workshop, he could see the back half of the mechanic. The front half was obscured from sight, hidden beneath the open bonnet of a car he was working on.

  “G’day, Raff!”

  The man emerged, spanner in hand. He stood and stared for a moment, his face expressionless. He looked vaguely menacing, his eyes obscured by shadow. Daniel experienced a ripple of unease before the other man’s face split into a grin of recognition. He gave a wave before diving back beneath the bonnet. Obviously busy.

  The main street had the same sort of activity he’d observed on his first day in town. Locals clustered in groups outside the post office, mums pushed prams, pickups and 4-wheel drives occupied a significant number of the parking spaces, and the cafés were doing a roaring trade. A few people looked at him curiously as he passed, some with a nod and a smile. Everyone noted a newcomer in a town like this.

  The rumbles in his stomach reminded Daniel he hadn’t had breakfast. The offerings he spied through the café windows looked incredibly mouth-watering. Time to eat. He picked up the morning newspaper from the newsagent’s and with it tucked under his arm, headed for the nearest café. One he hadn’t tried before. He could read the paper in peace without the Amber factor intruding.

  His thoughts of Amber made him think again of his strange dreams. They seemed so real. Usually his dreams faded quickly after waking, but not this time. The image was vivid—a woman wrapping her legs around his, her breasts pushing against his chest, her hand grasping his butt cheek as she held him deep inside her. The only thing he couldn’t see was her face.

  It was an important dream, though. He didn’t know why, but the feeling was so strong. It would help if he understood it. Perhaps the library would have a book on interpreting dreams. Freud would say the dream was an indication of his repressed wishes. More likely, his subconscious was still dwelling on the scenario he’d witnessed on his way into town.

  He paused outside a new age shop. The window was full of dreamcatchers, crystals and books with mystical-looking covers. Daniel smirked to himself. Would a dream catcher have caught his dream woman?

  “Well, hello, Mister Writer. Looking for something to light up your day, or perhaps someone to light up your night?”

  There was no mistaking the voice. Amber emerged from the shop and sashayed towards him. Daniel closed his eyes and clenched his teeth briefly. Would he have to endure this performance every time he came down the main street?

  Adopting his most friendly but keep-your-distance smile, he turned to greet the woman. The first thing he noticed were her breasts. Couldn’t help it, really. Her low scooped top revealed what a push-up bra supported. She noted the direction of his gaze, and tilting her head coyly to one side, pulled her shoulders back to push her breasts even more in his direction.

  “Don’t tell me,” she purred. “You’re a breast man. Some men never get beyond that mother fixation. I can help you indulge that or overcome it, if that’s what you prefer. There’s so much more to discover about a woman. Don’t you agree?”

  Daniel felt his knees go to jelly. The suggestiveness of the woman awoke overwhelming sensations in his groin. He needed to unfold the paper. Anything to hide what was happening. As he looked at her, it seemed as though he was sinking into the deep, dark abys of her eyes. He imagined himself, sinking onto those pillowed breasts, exploring her body as she opened up to him. He could have sworn there was a faint purple halo shimmering around her figure. She was an attractive woman, there was no denying that. He hadn’t appreciated her fully before. Was she the woman he’d dreamed about?

  As she moved to go, Amber brushed past him, close enough to whisper in his ear. Her breast grazed his arm. “I know you want me, Mister Writer. I can see it ooze from every pore in your body. It will happen, and very soon, I promise you.”

  There was a vortex that followed Amber. Daniel felt as though the air had been sucked out of him. He stood for a while, watching her swaying path as she walked back towards her mother’s café. That had been an embarrassing encounter, more so because he knew he had responded to her. How could any man help that?

  Taking a slow deep breath, he turned from the shop window. If he’d been observant, he could have seen her reflection. The librarian stood there, holding a take-away tray of coffees. The look on her face was one that cut straight to his heart.

  ☐

  Getting to work on time had been an effort. She hadn’t slept so deeply in a long time. When one of her colleagues muttered about coffee, Cassie volunteered to do the coffee run. The takeaway from their favorite café always tasted better than the instant blend the library provided.

  She hardly remembered driving home. Her body resonated with a previously unknown song. She felt more alive than ever before. There were no doubts about the potency of Muscal. The effects had been amazing. She was glad she hadn’t slipped the potion into Daniel’s wine without telling him what she was doing. Okay, she hadn’t elaborated on what it might do, but she had told him it provided sensory enhancement.

  That was an understatement. The impact had exceeded her expectation. She hadn’t planned on the sex. She hadn’t thought on going to bed with him at all. That was a lie. It had crossed her mind, but not yet, not like that. Now that it had happened, it seemed like destiny. The Goddess worked in mysterious ways, but surely Daniel was the man meant for her. His arrival in town coincided with her plea to Aphrodite, and there was definitely the vibration her mother told her about. He made her heart sing. She had never felt like this about any man before.

  The big question was how would Daniel feel? His immediate reaction had been obvious, but how much was due to the Muscal and how much was a genuine response to her? How would he feel in the morning? These issues had still buzzed around her head when she gave Monty a saucer of milk and retreated to bed. It was a blissful sleep, more restful than she’d had in months.

  Walking down the main street, Cassie felt the spring in her step. Her world was suddenly different. A couple of people turned to look at her, so perhaps they noticed it too. The barista in the café knew the usual order for the library staff, so she was in and out of there quickly. She was halfway back to the library when she saw them—Daniel and Amber. There was an in
tensity about them, but then there always was with Amber. With any man.

  It was Daniel who drew her attention. She couldn’t miss him, and not just because of his height. The vibration would have alerted her he was close. It was difficult to describe. If a body could hum, that’s what hers was doing. Her scalp tightened as the feeling swept over her body. Last night it had teased and tantalized her. Now it tormented.

  She stopped abruptly, observing the couple who were intently engrossed in each other. The look Daniel gave Amber was hungry, and when she brushed against him, he didn’t pull away. From a distance she couldn’t be sure, but the bulge in his trousers indicated there might have been a physical reaction to the encounter.

  Stupid. That’s what she’d been. Of course, it had been the Muscal. She could never expect to compete with the allure of someone like Amber. She’d made a total fool of herself. A flush of embarrassment threatened to consume her, and then she wished it would. She needed to remove herself from the situation before she made it any worse.

  In that moment, he looked up and saw her. She saw the flash of recognition. He made as if to speak, hand raised in her direction. She didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. She didn’t need that humiliation. Turning abruptly, she crossed the street and took the long way back to the library. Too bad the coffees were cold when she got there.

  ☐

  Cassie. It was her. In that moment as she stared at him, the memories came flooding back. It hadn’t been a dream. She had been in his bed. With him. Engaged in the most amazing sex he’d ever experienced. It had been her hands eliciting a response from him that had been explosive. He remembered the discussion on the deck and the stars, and the sudden realization that she was an amazing woman and he wanted to get to know her a whole lot more. How they’d progressed so far so quickly was a little hazy, but it had totally blown his mind.

  Now, she was looking at him as though he’d stepped in something disgusting. She’d seen the interaction with Amber. That much was clear. She couldn’t think he had welcomed it. He had to explain. He reached out towards her but, she wheeled around and crossed the street, snubbing him with a tight expression on her face. Grasping Amber by the upper arms, he pushed her from him, ignoring the muted cry of protest. More of a squeak, really.

  Fuck. How can I fix this?

  He dropped his hand. Now wasn’t the time or place, but he would have to catch up with Cassie later. Anyway, she had the DVD for Runtime. That meant they had to see each other again.

  Amber had watched the interaction and formed her own conclusions.

  If the pout she gave was meant to be alluring, it didn’t disguise the sour tone. “Too bad, Mr. Writer, if you’re lusting after Cassie Craven. She’s not into men like you. In truth, I’m not sure she’s even into men at all. She has other things on her mind.” She turned and flounced off towards her mother’s café.

  He dragged his glance back from Cassie. Other things? What did Amber mean by that? He didn’t want to get Amber off-side either. His gut told him that would not be a good idea. How could a man get himself into trouble after only a few days? He’d only come to Harrow to write.

  He bought a takeaway coffee and cinnamon roll to take back home. He didn’t feel like eating in the café now. He needed time out to process what had happened. His memories from last night were jumbled, but the sequence wasn’t that important. All he really knew was that something momentous had happened between himself and Cassie and he had to see her again. It was as though a magnetic force had drawn him into her orbit, and he had been intrigued by her since that first night.

  On the way home, he passed Raff’s workshop again. This time, Raff spied him coming and ambled out to greet him.

  “If you drop your car in tomorrow, mate, I’ll be able to start work on it.”

  “Thanks. It’s an embarrassing reminder of my own stupidity in its current state.”

  Raff laughed. “You wouldn’t be the first one to have come to grief on that stretch of road.” He wiped his oily hands on a piece of rag, before stuffing it into the back pocket of his overalls. “So, you’re settling in okay?”

  “Sure. It’s a friendly town. In more ways than I expected.”

  Raff looked at him quizzically. “It’s a great town, mate, but don’t go getting too involved. Some things are best left undisturbed. After all, you don’t plan on being here long. Finish your project and keep the good memories.”

  What a strange thing to say. Daniel looked at him more closely, trying to read what might be behind those words, but Raff had turned back to the car he was working on. The conversation was finished.

  Chapter 7

  There was always a first time. The Goddess had never failed her before. Perhaps her expectations of a quick result were unrealistic, but she’d been so certain.

  “Monty, I made an utter fool of myself. I can just imagine what he must be thinking right now. ‘The women come easy in this town.’ If it’s not Amber throwing herself at him, it’s me.”

  The cat wound himself in a figure-eight around her legs, purring loudly.

  “Of course, I won’t leave you,” she said, reaching down to scratch his head between his ears. “No matter what happens, you’ll always be part of the deal. I’ll probably end up being a tragic cat lady. At least, that’s how others will see me.”

  She would avoid Daniel Burton if she could. As she headed towards the kitchen, she saw the DVD on the dining table where she’d left it the night before. She picked it up and turned it over to read the credits. There it was. The print was microscopic but by squinting she could make it out. Scriptwriter - Daniel Burton. When she returned it, she would slip it in his letter box with a thank you note. No need to speak to him.

  Cassie filled a saucer with milk, and the cat immediately transferred his attention to the treat. “Cupboard love, that’s all it was,” she muttered. She glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes before she needed to leave for work. Enough time to water the plants in the shade house. She wanted to be sure the new orchids were not stressed. No point all of them feeling that way.

  An unexpected sadness swept over her. She had let herself imagine a situation that simply didn’t exist. She was attracted to Daniel, but he wasn’t attracted to her. Was that how it would always be? Men would be drawn to the physical charms of women like Amber, but she would be overlooked in the shadows. Her heart ached at the thought.

  The women of the clan were right. Time was marching on, and she was teetering on the precipice between desirable, single woman and confirmed spinster. Whatever—she wasn’t going to accept just anyone, and they had no right to try and push her in that direction. Her mother wouldn’t have let them do that. Her mother would have insisted she should be true to herself and live her life accordingly.

  Unbidden, a single tear erupted and slid down her cheek. The pain of losing her mother erupted and often caught her at moments like these. Cassie brushed it away, blinking at the emotional rush. Cassie, put on your big girl pants. The orchids are calling.

  ☐

  The light morning breeze carried with it the smell of the bush, settling lazily on the emerging landscape. Shutting his eyes and inhaling, Daniel was transported back to the clearing surrounding the stone. His thoughts returned there often, tethered to the image by a cord he could neither see nor cut.

  He stood for a while on the rear deck, hands on hips while he surveyed the area beyond the back fence. He didn’t know why, but it lured him back again. It wasn’t just the constitutional value of the morning walk. He wanted to return to the place where the orchids grew, as though they might hold the answers to the questions that teased him.

  The area was just as he remembered it, except some of the earth was disturbed where Cassie had released a couple of the plants from their place in the ground. He was more respectful of the cluster now he knew more of their story, and was careful not to disturb the plants. The colouring of the flower was subtle. The outer petals fanned out, the deep purple tips leading the eye
into the softer hues of the centre. The tulip-shaped inner petals cocooned the nerve centre, where the stamen grew. The short, hair-like bristles inside those petals were ready to trap any passing insect.

  Was that what they had done to him as well? He shook his head in exasperation at the direction his thoughts were taking. That was a stupid idea. He was letting his imagination get to him. Instead of loitering there, he should get some fresh air pumped into his lungs. He set off down the bush path, but rather than continuing down into the valley, took a fork in the track that skirted the ridge.

  He hadn’t expected to see Marnie again, but sensing a movement ahead, spotted her coming towards him. She had the dilly bag over one shoulder again, stuffed full of greenery she’d evidently picked. She halted to one side of the path, waiting for Daniel to come abreast.

  As he approached, he raised his hand in greeting. “Don’t tell me I’m in trouble again. I’ve kept away from the area you pointed out to me.”

  “If you’re in trouble, it will only be because you’ve put yourself there. It’s not up to me to tell you. You should know for yourself.”

  These were hardly reassuring words. It was almost as if she was saying, I won’t tell you what the risks are, but if you fall off a cliff, it will be your fault.

  He scratched his head, not sure what would constitute an appropriate response.

  “Here.” Marnie thrust some of her harvest towards him. “Try this. Cook it like spinach, not too long, mind, or you’ll kill the goodness. Put it in your salads too, any place where you might use rocket.”

  Daniel accepted the bunch of greenery, unsure what to do with it during his walk. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “You blokes can’t manage anything. Put it on that rock in the shade and pick it up when you come back this way.” She could have been speaking to a small child.