Picturing Perfect (Meet the McIntyres Book 2)

by Rebecca Barber

  “Your brother is fine. We’re fine. I’m just tired.”

  “It’s not what Mum said, is it?”

  “No.”

  “’Cause if it is, you should try and forget about it. She left town last night so she won’t be doing that again. Not anytime soon, anyway.”

  “Where’d she go?”

  “Shepparton. Said she needed a fresh start. It’s not forever, but maybe the change will do her good.”

  “Let’s hope so. You work this morning?” I caught the way she changed the subject, deflecting the attention back to me.

  “All night.”

  “Shit! You must be stuffed.”

  “That’s one way of putting it.”

  “Who’s stuffed?”

  Striding through the bakery like she owned the place was the frustrating woman I couldn’t shake. Maybe it was the way her legs looked in those shorts that wouldn’t even be classified as underwear in most states. She was sex on legs. Those incredibly long legs, that I’d had more than the occasional fantasy about being wrapped around me. And she was going to be the death of me.

  What the hell was he doing here? Again? Seriously. Didn’t he have a home to go to? Or at the very least someone else to annoy? A cat to de-sex or sheep to worm? That’s what vets did, wasn’t it? He could at least have the decency to wear a baggy pair of jeans so I didn’t have to see how firm that tight ass of his was beneath the denim. It was just rude, really.

  “’Bout time you showed up. You’re only two hours late!” Payton teased, wiping a stray hair from her forehead and leaving a white flour trail.

  “If I’m only two hours late, that means I’m actually an hour early. So, I might head upstairs and take a nap. This whole taking pictures of the devastation those fires caused is kinda exhausting.”

  “You were out there?” Gage snapped, completely aghast.

  It was absolutely none of his business where I went and what I did, or who I did it with, for that matter. He didn’t get to have an opinion. He may have helped me move my shit and bundled me off out of the way, and while I appreciated it, it didn’t mean he had a free for all invitation into my life.

  “Yeah. It’s incredible.”

  “You know it’s not safe. They’re still burning.”

  “What? You’re an expert on bushfires now as well as the local animal hero.” I was being a bitch. I knew it, and from the look of disdain plastered across Payton’s flour covered face, she knew it too.

  “Carly…” There was warning in her tone, but I was too fired up to slow down.

  “Jeez, Carly. Those fires are contained, not gone. You need to be careful going out there on your own. You never know when a spark will take hold again.”

  “You sound like you care.” Payton beat me to it.

  Gage’s face went red and I swore I saw his eye twitch. “Of course I care. I wouldn’t want to see anyone get into trouble out there.”

  “Sure, sure. Anyone,” Payton teased.

  Watching them banter back and forth made me think about Hayden. I wished he wasn’t such a giant douche. At one point, we’d been thick as thieves. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him and vice versa. Even though I knew it was stupid and a pipe dream, I couldn’t help but hope that one day we’d find our way back. For now though, I wasn’t holding my breath. That was one dream I’d tuck away deep in the back of my heart and keep to myself.

  “Well, I’m gonna get out of here. I need some sleep.”

  “You right to drive?”

  “I dunno. Maybe. Another scroll might help me stay awake.”

  “You’re shameless.”

  “Shameless and starving!”

  I watched as Payton dropped three scrolls into a paper bag, poured a coffee into a large takeaway cup, and handed him the goods. After placing a quick kiss on his cheek, Gage wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly envious.

  Gage spun around, sipped his coffee, and headed for the door. He yanked it open harder than necessary, knocking the bells hanging on a hook to the floor. “Shit!”

  “I got it.” My feet were moving before I knew it. Dropping to my knees, I scooped up the bells. When I lifted my eyes, I was surprised by the denim-covered bulge right in front of my face. And what an impressive bulge it was. Not trusting myself to not say something stupid, I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.

  Rising slowly to my feet, I felt my face burn. I couldn’t bring myself to look up and see the expression on Payton’s know-it-all face. I’d cop shit for this later. Right now though, I just needed to shut up and get Gage out the door.

  “See you soon, Payton.”

  “Friday.”

  “What’s on Friday?”

  “The wedding.”

  “What wedding?”

  “Mia and Derek’s wedding. You will be there, won’t you?”

  I found myself sweating as my pulse sky rocketed. I wanted him to say yes. I wanted him to say no. Fuck! I had no idea what the hell I wanted. All I knew for sure was that there was something about Gage McIntyre that had me completely captivated. I wanted to get to know him better. No, I needed to. I just had no idea why.

  “Of course he’ll be there!” Mia declared as she breezed through the door, almost barrelling Gage over. For a tiny little woman, Mia was a force to be reckoned with.

  “Guess I’ll see you on Friday. If I can find a suit.” With a wink and a smile which sent the resident flock of eagles that lived in my stomach into a frenzy, he was gone.

  He stepped out into the sun, slipping his dark glasses over his eyes. I wasn’t the only one watching him go. Mia and Payton were equally as enamoured with his denim-clad ass as he jumped into his car and pulled away.

  “That boy right there, he’s all sorts of yummy.”

  “Aren’t you about to be married, Mia?” Payton teased.

  “I can look at the menu as much as I like. As long as I only eat at home, Derek’s fine with it. And Gage, he’s definitely dessert!”

  Payton stared at me with a smug, knowing look on her face. “What do you think, Carly?”

  “I think we need to get busy finishing this cake if you expect to serve it at a certain Bridezilla’s wedding.” I needed to get this conversation on safer ground. I didn’t know what I thought about Gage. I knew he looked delicious and I wouldn’t say no to taking a bite out of that ass, but he was Payton’s brother-in-law. I wasn’t dumb enough to believe a one-night stand wouldn’t complicate everything. I’d never put her in that position. We’d survived once. I wasn’t entirely sure we’d survive a second time around.

  “Well, I’ll get out of your hair then.” Mia grabbed a couple of coffees, gave out a few instructions on what she wanted, not that Payton didn’t already have every millimetre of this three-tiered masterpiece planned out in excruciating detail.

  “Go home. Relax. We will see you on Friday, looking all gorgeous.”

  “Here’s hoping!”

  Mia vanished, then Payton locked the door, turned up the music, and the baking began. I have absolutely no idea what sort of drugs Payton was on when she insisted that I come and give her a hand. I was worse than useless. I burnt toast, for god’s sake. Why she would even let me in her kitchen was a mystery to me.

  It didn’t take long for me to figure it out though. I was her designated bitch for the day. It was my job to clear crap out of her way. Play DJ on the iPod. Fetch ingredients and distract her with stupid stories and random trivial gossip. Most of it I made up, and even though we both knew it, we still laughed our asses off.

  By the time the cakes were cooling on the wire racks, we were both exhausted and starving. I ducked across the road and grabbed a pizza before crashing out on Payton’s couch. It was just like old times. Crappy TV, a bowl of ice cream, and a lot of childish giggles. It was exactly what we needed.

  ***

  I was in pain. I’d been plucked and waxed, buffed and polished within an inch of my life. Mercifully,
Payton had taken off an hour ago and left me in peace. To say she was freaking out was putting it mildly. The cake she’d built was magnificent. I have no idea how she did it or why she was stupid enough to even let me in the same room as it, but it was stunning. A scrumptious three tiered, three flavoured cake covered in the most decadent icing I’d ever tasted. As if that still wasn’t enough, then she’d decorated it with dozens of ridiculously intricate purple and white sugar flowers. Even if it fell off the table onto the floor with a splat, there was a fair chance I’d drop to my hands and knees and eat it. It was that good. Let’s just say my biggest contribution to the cake building was ‘disposing’ of the slightly wonky flowers.

  Kicking off my thongs, I rocked back in the chair, lifted my feet to the railing, and cracked open my beer. Damn, I needed this. It was cold, refreshing, and it made me feel a little bit like myself. This afternoon hadn’t all been bad though…hanging with Payton, laughing and dancing around like we were on crack…but sometimes it was just too much. I loved her with everything I was, and god help any bastard who ever dared to hurt her, but damn, I was glad she was gone. Now I had time to myself. Space. Peace. Quiet. All the things I loved about living out here. Sure, most nights there were kangaroos on my doorstep and it wasn’t uncommon to hear all sorts of noises. Yep, big ugly hairy spiders somehow found their way inside. And it was way too far to the nearest coffee shop, yet somehow, it was perfect for me.

  I had photos in frames everywhere. The dining table was buried under piles of prints. And I fucking loved it. When I’d lived in the city or even with Payton I’d stuck to electronic storage. It wasn’t enough though. For me, the job wasn’t done until I was holding a matte or glossy picture in my hand. One I could put in a frame. Having them physically in my hands somehow gave me a new perspective. A different way of looking at things.

  Tapping gently against my chin, my finger came away coated in green goop. My mint and lemon face mask was setting nicely. Adjusting the plastic wrap which was wrapped around my head keeping the hair dye moist, I leant back.

  Taking a long swig of my beer, I peered down at my laptop and checked the calendar. Damn, it was filling up fast. Soon I’d have to start saying no. It was a good problem to have. One bride had been so intent on having me as her photographer for her Hamilton Island beach wedding when I’d declined because I was already booked solid that weekend, she simply changed the date. No arguments, no negotiations. It was just changed. And she upgraded my hotel room to a suite for my trouble. This was insane.

  After replying to a few emails, deleting all the spam, and completing my daily check of the travel sites for a deal that was just too good to miss, I drained the last of my beer. Checking the time, I had five minutes to go before I needed to wash this dye out. I leaned back, I let my eyes flutter closed, and soaked in the last of the warmth from the sun’s dying rays.

  A blinding white light flashed in my face. I jumped up so quickly, my laptop went crashing towards the ground and the chair fell on its side. Gage’s quick hands prevented my computer from landing awkwardly on the wooden deck boards. I’d be grateful if I wasn’t so pissed at him for scaring me half to death.

  “What-the-fuck-was-that?” I half screamed, half panted.

  At least he had the decency to look sheepish. “Just capturing the moment.”

  “What moment?”

  “The moment you looked like that!”

  “Oh shit!”

  My painfully beating heart was racing and I was feeling light-headed. It took a moment, before his words sunk in. I had a face mask on, dye in my hair, and no bra. One look at the smug, satisfied smirk on his face and I knew he’d definitely picked up on that fact. Asshole couldn’t even maintain eye contact. Instead his gaze kept dipping to my chest, where my traitorous nipples were standing to attention beneath my thin tank top.

  “Hey buddy! Eyes are up here!” He opened his mouth before shutting it just as quickly. Obviously he’d decided to swallow his smartass reply. Perhaps he wasn’t completely stupid.

  After a few silent moments, ones Gage had spent weighing his words, he just spat it out. “What the fuck is on your head?”

  “It’s called hair dye. Not all of us can roll out of bed in the morning and pull off that sexy as fuck look without trying.”

  Oh shit.

  I’d said that.

  Out loud.

  To Gage.

  I mean, I know I meant it. He was sexy as hell, but he didn’t need to know that. He definitely didn’t need to know that I thought it.

  “I-I…have to go wash this out.” Spinning around, I stalked through the door and locked myself in the bathroom. As I turned on the taps, I heard his deep barrelling laughter echo through my house. If I hoped hard enough, maybe he’d be gone before I got out.

  Fifteen minutes later, my hair was dried and the bathroom cleaned up. That should have given him enough time to get lost. Clutching the towel tight around my boobs, I unlatched the door and stepped into my silent home. Tip-toeing across the floor, I tried to peer out the door to make sure he was gone.

  “Looking for someone?”

  This time I didn’t even have a chance to yell at him. Instead my foot touched the corner of the Moroccan rug on the floor and I skidded. I felt like I was never going to stop. And I didn’t. Well, not until I came face to face with a wall of very well-built man. Forgetting everything, I reached out and grasped his biceps. Letting. Go. Of. The. Towel.

  I hoped Gage didn’t notice.

  I prayed he didn’t.

  God hated me.

  Instead Gage looked down.

  Straight down.

  Straight down my cleavage.

  My exposed skin pebbled under his gaze.

  I licked my lips.

  I didn’t mean to. It just kinda happened.

  Gage’s eyes were barely slits.

  I should have let go.

  Moved away.

  Covered up.

  I didn’t.

  I couldn’t.

  Before my brain even had a chance to catch up with my out of control hormones, I squeezed my thighs together.

  I didn’t think Gage saw it. He must have. He swallowed. Hard. I watched with strange curiosity as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. I wanted to stick my tongue out and taste him.

  He must have had the same idea because before my heart had a chance to beat another erratic beat, Gage’s mouth slammed over mine kissing me with the most erotic, most demanding kiss I’d ever encountered. I kissed him back with everything I had. When I felt my boobs crush against his chest, I heard a moan. I couldn’t be sure if it came from me or from Gage. Either way, I wasn’t stopping this. I couldn’t.

  When Gage’s hand tangled in my hair, I knew I was screwed. The way he took what he wanted and bent me to his will made me squirm. Somehow my hands found themselves under his shirt, scratching his back.

  Then as quickly as it started, it stopped.

  Gage loosened his grip like I’d suddenly come down with something contagious and backed away. Feeling completely exposed and rejected, I bent down and grabbed my towel, wishing for something more.

  “I-I’m sorry. I’m not sure what made me do that.”

  Hearing his words, telling me it was a mistake, hurt. It stung. I couldn’t let it show though. I had to be strong. This, right here, this is why I didn’t do relationships. They were too messy. Too emotional. Too full of shit.

  “It’s fine.” It wasn’t. It was anything but fine. Right now though, fine was all I had.

  “I’m sorry, Carly.”

  Inside my head, I was screaming. Don’t say you’re fucking sorry. I don’t want to hear it. Instead I remained silent, offering him a half-assed nod. Anything I said next wouldn’t paint me in a very good light. I’d come out looking like one of those freaky women who exploded over nothing. I needed to hide my crazy.

  “I’m going to take off. Just wanted to return your camera. I meant to get it to you earlier, but shit kept getting in the
way. Then I kept forgetting. So, yeah. It’s on the table.” He was babbling. It shouldn’t have made me feel better, but it did.

  I stayed silently frozen to the spot, too afraid to move. I couldn’t risk dropping my towel again or throwing myself at him. Both were a very real possibility right now. I waited ’til he was nothing more than a speck on the horizon before I relaxed the death grip I had on my towel.

  After changing into a clean pair of pyjamas, I grabbed another beer. When I tossed the cap towards the bin, it pinged off the side, landing on the floor. Today was seriously not my day. When I bent down to pick it up, knowing if I didn’t I’d more than likely step on it later, I spied the camera on the table.

  There it was. In perfect condition, my favourite camera. I had no idea how Gage had ended up with it or even where he’d found it, really, though I didn’t give a shit. He’d had it. It was safe. Now it was back where it belonged. With me.

  Grabbing my phone, I went to text him, only to realise I didn’t have his number. The thought crossed my mind to ask Payton, but I didn’t want her jumping to the wrong conclusion. The absolute last thing I needed was for her to be asking questions. Questions I didn’t have answers to. Questions I definitely didn’t want her to ask. After pacing for a few minutes, I decided I wouldn’t worry about it for now. I’d catch up with him tomorrow. I’d just thank him then.

  I’d finished the six pack by the time I stumbled my way into bed. I hadn’t intended to drink that much, it kinda just happened.

  Grabbing my phone from the bedside table, I scrolled through my social media accounts, becoming bored very quickly. Was I really supposed to give a shit what some friend of a friend had for dinner in San Francisco? ’Cause if I was, there was something wrong with me. I couldn’t have cared less.

  ClickChick7: Ever done something dumb?

  Thankfully he didn’t make me wait too long for a reply. My phone chirped almost instantly.

  DrDolittle2.0: Too often.

  DrDolittle2.0: What’d ya do?

  ClickChick7: Someone I shouldn’t have.

  DrDolittle2.0: Do I really need to hear this? ☹