by Emily Forbes
‘Sure.’
They left the bar and walked across the road to the Hill Street house. James’s Jeep was parked in front of her neighbour’s place and he stopped beside it, unlocking the back. He flipped open the lid of an esky that was stashed in the boot and pulled two small bottles of beer from the ice.
‘This wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I asked you home for a drink,’ Ellie said.
‘Don’t you drink beer?’ he asked as he closed the ice box.
‘I do but I have drinks inside.’
He smiled at her and Ellie delighted in the way his smile lit up his face. ‘It was my buy, though, and this fridge was freshly stocked today,’ he said as he flicked the tops off the bottles.
‘Mmm.’
‘What do you mean, “Mmm”?’
Ellie laughed. ‘I’m just used to men trying a bit harder to impress me.’
‘Hey, you invited me over and, remember, you’re talking to a man who’s living out of his car. But there’s an additional benefit to that,’ he said as he dived back into the esky. ‘I can easily up the ante when required.’ He emerged with a glass which he handed to Ellie. ‘There you go, but I figured if you were prepared to go on a date with me, when you’d already been in my car, you’re probably not into embellishments. There’s not all that much about me that’s impressive.’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’ From where Ellie was standing there was plenty to be impressed with. At some point today he’d had changed out of the shirt and trousers he’d worn to work and was back in his faded jeans and black T-shirt. The same outfit he’d been wearing on the night she’d first seen him. The hot guy. She had no complaints.
The old, wooden, front gate squeaked on its rusty hinges as James pushed it open. He held it for Ellie. ‘Do you want to sit outside for a bit?’ he asked. Tucked against the side fence was a garden swing and he inclined his head towards it. ‘It’s such a beautiful night.’
It was too. The night was clear and still and the stars danced in the sky. To the north and west they competed with the glowing lights of the city but to the east, where they hung over the ocean, they were shiny and bright.
She kicked off her shoes and sat on the swing, her feet curled up beneath her.
James filled her glass and clinked his bottle against it. ‘Here’s to getting to know one another a little better.’
His smile was full of promise and it was enough to make Ellie tremble in anticipation of things to come. All in good time, she reminded herself. Even though the kiss they’d shared earlier in the day had been enough to make her change her mind about dating him, she still needed to try to take things slowly.
James joined her on the swing. He sat sideways and pushed off the ground, setting the swing moving gently. He pulled Ellie’s legs out straight, settling her feet in his lap. He held his beer in one hand and rubbed the soles of her feet with his other.
It was heaven.
‘What would you like to know?’ she asked.
He took a sip of his beer before replying. ‘What’s your favourite colour?’
‘That’s what you want to know?’ That wouldn’t have been her first question.
He nodded.
‘Blue,’ she said. Or maybe chocolate brown now, she thought as she looked into the dark depths of James’s eyes.
‘Your favourite food?’
‘Limes.’
‘Limes are not a food.’ He laughed. ‘You’re supposed to say smelly cheese or crayfish.’
‘Well, I can’t think when you’re rubbing my feet like that,’ she protested.
‘Would you like me to stop?’
‘No.’
He wiggled each of her toes in turn as he recited what he knew. ‘I know you grew up in Goulburn, you were educated by Catholic nuns, you like blue, you think limes are a food.’ He grinned at her. ‘You work as a nurse and most of your male patients would love to be in the position I’m in right now. But I still need more.’
‘How much more?’
‘Like why you don’t want to date a doctor.’
‘I never said doctor, I said people from our department.’
‘Either way, you’ve crossed me off your list.’
‘Let’s just say I’ve had a couple of bad experiences lately.’
‘What happened?’
‘Some false pretences and a lack of honesty.’
‘Surely you can’t attribute that to the fact they were from the orthopaedic ward?’
‘No, it could have been coincidence but they were both doctors and I expected better, I guess.’
‘So, no chance for me, then?’
‘In your case I’m prepared to make an exception.’
James raised his eyebrows. ‘Really? Why?’
‘Because you certainly don’t seem to be pretending you’re someone you’re not. After all you’re living out of your car and you have an esky for a fridge,’ she teased.
‘Hey, that’s not fair, I only live out of my car sometimes. I have to be at the hospital at seven tomorrow morning and it’s a hassle driving all the way across the city from Cremorne.’
‘I’m not criticising you. You’re one step ahead of me, I don’t even have a car.’
‘So my semi-nomadic lifestyle isn’t putting you off?’
She shook her head. ‘Honestly, after you kissed me this afternoon I’m prepared to overlook just about anything. I have never been kissed like that before in my life and I want more.’
‘Why didn’t you say so earlier?’ He took her glass from her hand and put it on the ground with his bottle of beer. His hands cupped her hips and he pulled her forward, wrapping her legs around his waist, joining them together. His hands were warm and his body was firm between her thighs. Ellie imagined that this was what heaven would feel like. Warm and safe and perfect.
His lips were warm as he claimed her in a kiss.
His arms were around her, holding her, protecting her, keeping her safe.
The kiss was perfect.
She closed her eyes and surrendered to the sensation of being thoroughly kissed by someone who knew what they were doing. She parted her lips, her tongue tasted his, exploring his mouth. His hand was under her shirt, fingers splayed, warm across her back. She leant into him as he deepened the kiss.
It was heaven.
CHAPTER SIX
THE tell-tale squeak of the front gate interrupted the moment as someone else came home. Ellie froze and broke the kiss, her lips suddenly cold now they were no longer under James’s caress.
‘Wha—?’
‘Shh,’ she whispered, cutting off his question. She didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention. The front of the house was dark, casting no light on the garden swing. She watched as Tilly opened the front door and switched on the passage light. No one else was home yet.
‘Who was that?’ James asked as Tilly shut the door.
‘Tilly. She lives here too.’
‘Anyone else I need to know about?’
‘Jess you met, we went to nursing school together. Tilly and Ruby, they’re also nurses at the hospital, and sometimes Adam. It’s his house.’
‘Lucky Adam. Why is he only here sometimes?’
‘He’s a surgeon. He works with Operation New Faces so he’s away a lot.’
‘Adam Carmichael? This is his house?’
‘You know him?’
‘I’ve heard of him but I’ve never met him.’
‘He’s just headed off again otherwise I could introduce you.’
‘I think I’d rather not meet him under these circumstances.’
Ellie frowned. ‘What circumstances?’
‘Kissing his tenant in the front garden of his property,’ James explained. ‘It’s not quite the first impression I’d want to make.’
‘Oh, and why is that?’
‘You know what the medical fraternity is like. There’s a definite hierarchy separating us junior surgeons from our more experienced and esteemed colleagues and it’s importan
t that I give the right impression.’
‘And what would that be?’
‘Being dedicated and responsible, and it’s a bit hard to do that if the first thing they see is me kissing the nurses.’
‘I know about the pecking order,’ she interrupted before he could say anything else he might regret. At least she hoped he might regret his words. ‘Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?’ If she’d learnt one thing from Rob’s betrayal it was never to accept a clandestine relationship again. She wasn’t someone to be ashamed of.
‘That’s not what I meant. I’ve been bugging you to go out with me so of course I’m happy to be seen with you. I just meant that I would prefer to meet any senior surgeons when I’m in work mode, not in the middle of my recreation.’
Ellie realised she was being unfair. She shouldn’t judge James by Rob’s standards. She owed him an apology. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to jump down your throat.’
‘Don’t sweat it, I’d rather we didn’t have any misunderstandings and I’m more than happy to continue this…conversation…’ he smiled at her and the corners of his dark eyes creased with mischief as he ducked his head and kissed her softly on the lips ‘…another time but I probably should get going before the rest of your housemates come home.’ He stood up and then took her hand, pulling her to her feet. ‘Can I see you tomorrow? Are you going to the Stat Bar? The orthopaedic ward has organised drinks to welcome Penny Coleman to Australia.’
There was no way she was going to that gathering. She shook her head. ‘I’m not going. I’ve volunteered to do a late shift.’ That was at least partly true and she could hardly tell him the whole truth—it would be extremely hypocritical on my part to welcome her to town when I had an affair with her husband.
‘Then I’ll meet you at the hospital at the end of your shift and walk you home.’ Now that he’d had a taste for her he knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away. She was the type of girl who would get into his system. She seemed vulnerable. No, that wasn’t the right word, fragile was perhaps more accurate. Not in a sense that she was delicate, just that she was the type of girl who needed someone to take care of her. She’d been to boarding school then nursing college and was now sharing a house with four others but he’d bet she wasn’t the house mother. She would be the one that everyone looked out for.
He took a cool shower when he got to the hospital but then spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Ellie. He knew he would probably have to take things slowly, but he needed some way of taking the edge off his desire, if he had to wait too long he’d go crazy.
The following evening he made sure he was back at the hospital before the change of shift as he didn’t want to miss her.
‘Did you go to the Stat Bar?’ she asked him when he met her on the ward.
She smelt like sunshine; warm and happy, and that was how she made him feel too. How on earth could she smell so good at the end of a shift?
He nodded. ‘Briefly,’ he said as he took her hand, hoping she wouldn’t resist. She didn’t and he was surprised at how good it felt to leave the hospital hand in hand with her.
‘Are you going back?’
‘If I don’t get a better offer I might,’ he teased. ‘What are your plans?’
‘I’m going home for a shower and something to eat. How does that sound?’ She raised one eyebrow and the corner of her mouth followed in a silent invitation.
‘Too good to refuse,’ he said, quickening his pace just a little as they walked down the hill.
His hand was warm and familiar as he led her away from the hospital. She barely knew him, how could it feel so natural?
The cool evening breeze carried his lime scent to her. He smelt so clean and pure after the chemical smell of the hospital. She breathed in deeply, letting his fragrance eradicate all the lingering traces of the orthopaedic ward.
She could feel the humming, their unique bubble enveloped her. She knew she should resist but, just as she’d feared, it was becoming harder and harder. The more time she spent in his company the harder it was to ignore the attraction. She was struggling to fight temptation. She was falling under his spell and she didn’t think she could resist much longer.
Did it matter? she thought. Did she have to resist?
No, she just had to make sure she didn’t fall in love.
He wasn’t ‘the one’ for her. He’d already said he never planned on getting married. He definitely wasn’t the one but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun. She just couldn’t take it seriously. He could be a distraction, some light-hearted relief. As long as she didn’t make the mistake of falling in love, it could work.
By the time they neared the house she could barely concentrate on walking. All she could think about was James’s touch. His grip was firm yet gentle, his hand was warm and she could already imagine how his hands would feel running over the rest of her body, running over her breasts, her stomach and her thighs.
They were two houses away and she felt her pace quickening. James’s steps kept time with hers. They were both hurrying now, both eager to reach the house, and that’s when she knew she was in trouble.
They barely made it inside.
As she pushed the front door closed James turned her around and pinned her against it. He had one thigh between hers and his hands were at her hips, holding her to him. He bent his head and Ellie closed her eyes as she breathed in his tangy lime scent and waited for his lips to meet hers. Her stomach did a slow somersault of desire.
She felt his breath on her cheek. It was warm and soft and disappeared as his lips brushed over hers. She opened her mouth to taste him and their tongues met and entwined, joining them together. Her hands wound around his back and his muscles were firm and sleek beneath her fingers as she leaned into him. She needed to use his strength to hold her upright and just when she thought her legs were going to give way her stomach rumbled and the noise echoed in the long hallway, loud in the quiet house.
James broke the kiss. He was laughing. ‘Why don’t you have a shower while I cook us something to eat? What do you have in the kitchen?’
‘You’re going to cook?’ He was thinking about food? That was the last thing on her mind.
‘If I want to keep you awake most of the night it sounds like I’d better feed you first or you won’t make it,’ he said with a smile.
That sounded better, much more in line with her own rampant thoughts.
‘I have no idea what’s in the fridge but you’re welcome to see. The kitchen is through here,’ she said as she ducked under his arm and led him to the bottom of the stairs and pointed towards the kitchen. ‘You’re welcome to use whatever is in the big fridge—the little one is Ruby’s.’
‘She has her own fridge?’
Ellie didn’t have time for detailed explanations. Everyone else in the house was used to the dual fridge system, so she kept her reply brief. ‘She’s vegetarian,’ she explained, as if it made perfect sense. She didn’t elaborate any further, she was on a mission. She raced upstairs and stripped off her uniform, throwing it into the laundry hamper. She pinned her hair up to keep it dry as there wasn’t time to wash it, and jumped into the shower.
Clean and refreshed, she rummaged through her underwear drawer. She had a bit of a thing for lingerie and only ever bought matching bras and knickers, as impractical as that often was. She found her favourite set and pulled it on. She sprayed her wrists and the backs of her knees with perfume and dabbed some on her throat before buttoning an old white shirt over her underwear. There wasn’t much point in getting fully dressed, she hoped to be naked again very shortly.
She knew she shouldn’t even be thinking about sleeping with James yet but she was finding him irresistible and perhaps the best way to get him out of her system was to take him to bed and then maybe the yearning would pass. She could do this. She could sleep with someone without falling in love and dreaming of babies. He wasn’t planning on getting married so she could use him for sex with a clear c
onscience.
‘Dinner smells good,’ she said as she came downstairs. The smell of cooking had awakened her appetite for food and her hunger now almost outdid her sexual desire. Almost.
James was sliding omelettes onto plates and he looked up as she entered the kitchen. His eyes travelled from her face down along the buttons of her shirt to where the hem skimmed her bare legs and back again. He gave a low whistle. ‘Wow, how quickly can you eat, do you think?’
‘Let’s start by putting the pan down,’ Ellie said with a grin as she removed the frying pan from his hand. He was fixed to the spot and she recognised the fire in his eyes. She knew it was passion that made them burn like coal, turning them black.
James wolfed his omelette down in record time while Ellie sprinkled salt on her eggs and spread her toast with butter, teasing him as she ate her meal slowly and deliberately. She was desperate to feel his lips on hers, to feel his hands on her skin, but she knew it would be sweeter if she waited and she wanted him to want her just as badly.
But she hadn’t counted on what he’d do while he waited for her to finish. What he’d do when he didn’t have a knife and fork in his hands and food in front of him to keep him occupied.
He slid his chair closer to the corner of the table, closer to her. One hand disappeared under the table and she felt his fingers on her knee, just the lightest whisper of a touch but one that made her shiver with longing. His fingers brushed the inside of her thigh, inching higher and higher but, oh, so slowly. Ellie closed her eyes and breathed in, trying to control her senses, her meal forgotten.
The movement ceased. She opened her eyes, wanting to know why he’d stopped, wanting to tell him not to. His eyes met hers, even darker now, his irises and pupils all the same colour. He smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting very slightly before the smile broke open across his face. She knew then that he’d just been waiting for her to open her eyes, waiting to see his desire reflected in her. His hand moved again until it was merely inches from the top of her thigh. Ellie bit her lip and slid forward in her chair, pushing her hips towards his hand, urging him on.
