by Nicola Marsh
Liza surreptitiously slid the sleeve of her dress up to check her watch.
On the plus side, Wade had stopped interrogating her during their second meeting of the day and had concentrated on marketing plans.
On the downside, it was six o’clock and she was on the verge of fainting from lack of food.
Her tummy rumbled on cue and she wrapped an arm over it. Too late. His gaze zeroed in on it. The rumbles were quickly replaced by a horde of tap-dancing butterflies as she remembered the way he’d stared at her naked body on that unforgettable night.
Damn, she’d vowed not to think about that night again, especially when working. She’d done a good job of it so far, then all it took was one casual glance from him and the entire evening flashed across her mind in vivid detail.
His hungry stare as he’d propped over her, their bodies joined and writhing slowly.
His sensual lips as he’d kissed and nipped her elbows, her thighs, her stomach, every zone more erogenous than the last.
His skilful hands as he’d brought her to orgasm. Repeatedly.
Great. The butterflies had stilled, only to be replaced by a fiery heat that had her gritting her teeth to stop from squirming.
‘Hungry?’
‘A little,’ she said as her stomach gave another growl akin to a muted roar.
He laughed. ‘Sorry, I’m used to working through when I’m on tight deadlines.’
His eyebrows arched when he glanced at the time on his PC screen. ‘Didn’t know it was so late. Want to grab a bite to eat so we can keep working?’
‘Sure.’
Thank goodness she’d had the foresight to ring Shar before this meeting started. With a four-thirty start she’d had a feeling it would run late.
‘Been to Chin Chin?’ He shrugged into his jacket. ‘I’ve heard it’s a favourite in Melbourne.’
‘Good choice,’ she said, surprised they were going out for dinner. ‘Food’s sublime.’
When he’d suggested grabbing a bite to eat she’d expected ordered-in sandwiches while he kept her chained to the desk.
Chained... Like how he’d pinned her wrists overhead as he entered her the first time....
Uh-oh. She needed to stay work-focused. And hope to hell he didn’t pick up on her sudden shift in thoughts.
‘Let’s go.’
He opened the door for her and as she stepped through, with him close behind, a ripple of awareness raised the hair on the back of her neck.
It disarmed her, this unexpected physical reaction when she least expected it. Several times during their meeting she’d experienced a buzz from perfectly innocuous actions like their fingers brushing when handing over documentation or a lingering glance a tad longer than necessary.
She’d been deliberately brusque, determined not to botch this opportunity, which was exactly what would happen if she acknowledged the attraction between them now he was her boss.
And not forgetting that little technicality of him potentially using her despite his protestations of innocence.
No, she’d be better off forgetting their night of scintillating sex and concentrating on getting her story straight for the book and making her marketing ideas fly.
She had enough complications in her life without adding fraternising with the boss to them.
They made small talk as they strolled down Flinders Lane and Liza tried to ignore the way people turned to stare.
Considering they were both tall and well dressed, she could attribute it to natural curiosity. Or she could acknowledge it for what it was: once a recognised WAG, always a recognised WAG.
When would people forget whom she’d dated and move on to the next ‘it’ girl? Sure, she’d milked her image for all it was worth, most recently hosting a reality show that had been a ratings disaster yet was the most talked-about event on social media sites for months.
But she was done with that part of her life. Wasn’t that the main reason she’d slept with Wade in the first place, celebrating putting her past behind her and moving on to a new life?
Ironic, her past had caught up with her and collided with her future.
When they arrived at the Melbourne institution, the nightly queue of eager patrons dying to try the fabulous Asian food was thankfully small but Liza knew they’d still be ushered to the bar downstairs to wait for a table to become available.
Not good. When she’d agreed to have a meal with Wade, she hadn’t envisaged the two of them sitting too close in a bar.
A bar was reminiscent of their first night together and the last thing she needed right now was any reminder. Her body hummed with his proximity. Sharing a drink in a cosy setting? Not good.
Their wait for a table wouldn’t be too long according to the hostess so Liza headed downstairs with Wade, trying to ignore his hand on the small of her back and the accompanying reaction that made her knees wobble a tad.
It worsened when they took a seat at the bar and their thighs brushed. Hell, what had Liza let herself in for?
‘Drink?’
‘Soda with a twist of lemon,’ she said, desperate to reassemble her wits and not needing alcohol to add to her bedazzlement.
‘Technically we’re off the clock, so you can have a drink, you know.’
‘Isn’t this a working dinner?’
He nodded but she didn’t trust the glimmer of mischief in his eyes. ‘Maybe I should order you a martini again and see what happens?’
‘That won’t be happening again,’ she said, squeezing her knees together for good measure.
He laughed and nudged her with his elbow, the slightest contact making her body prickle with awareness. ‘Never say never, I reckon.’
‘We are so not going there.’ She glared as if she meant business.
By his answering wink, he was thinking monkey business.
‘I’ll let you in on a secret,’ he said, leaning so close his breath fanned her ear, pebbling her skin in the process. ‘It’s okay to flirt outside the office. Especially after we’ve already—’
‘No flirting,’ she said, unable to suppress a smile when he blew on her ear for good measure.
‘That’s better.’ He touched a fingertip to the corner of her mouth. ‘First time I’ve seen you lighten up all day.’
He traced her lower lip, lingering in the middle, and she couldn’t have formulated an answer if she’d tried. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I like how focused you are on helping us meet this all-important deadline, but today?’ He pulled a funny face, complete with crossed eyes. ‘You were seriously scary.’
‘Was not,’ she said, enjoying his antics despite her vow to keep things purely platonic from now on.
She liked the fact he could switch from mega-powerful corporate CEO to teasing. It was one of the things that had attracted her that first night, the way he lightened up when they started talking.
‘Yeah, you were.’ He bumped her gently with his shoulder. ‘But not to worry. I’ve got all night to get you to loosen up.’
‘All night?’ She wished.
‘Figure of speech.’ His wicked grin said otherwise. ‘Though I have to tell you, I was pretty blown away when you barged into my office yesterday. It was like all my prayers had been answered.’
Liza didn’t want to go there. She should change the subject, fake an emergency trip to the loo, anything to quell the irrational surge of jubilation that he’d been happy to see her.
‘We really shouldn’t talk about that night. It’s unprofessional—’
‘Why did you bolt without leaving contact details?’
A host of callous retorts designed to maintain distance between them sprang to her lips but Liza settled for the simple truth.
‘Because I didn’t think you wanted more than one night.’
There. She’d put the onus back on him. No way could he admit to wanting more without appearing a little needy.
‘Considering we’d only just met, I don’t think either of us knew what we wanted beyond the amazing connection we shared. But later...’ he shrugged and turned towards the bar, but not before she’d seen a flicker of something akin to regret darken his eyes ‘...let’s just say I was disappointed to find you gone.’
Liza admired his honesty. He sounded so genuine she could almost believe he hadn’t known her identity when they slept together.
It made her curious. What would have happened if they’d had more than one night?
‘For argument’s sake, let’s say I left my number.’
The waiter deposited their drinks and he took a sip of whisky before turning back to face her. ‘I would’ve called you. Asked you for a date.’
‘Before or after offering me a publishing contract?’
He grimaced. ‘Got to admit, that does complicate matters now I know.’
There he went again, reiterating he’d had no idea of her real identity that night at the party. Maybe she should give him the benefit of the doubt?
For when it came to liars, she had a pretty good radar. She could tell when someone was uncomfortable with Cindy from ten paces and hated when people acted as if cerebral palsy were contagious.
It had driven a wedge between her and Jimmy, between most of her friends too. Which suited her fine, because most of them had drifted away as Jimmy became more famous and their lives changed.
It had started with her school friends pulling away, girls she’d grown up with and who she’d assumed she could always count on. But the more fancy events she attended with Jimmy, the faster the snide remarks started and she found herself not invited to their parties or dinners or girls’ nights out.
Being abandoned by her friends had sucked and she’d learned to cultivate light-hearted friendships with acquaintances, fellow WAGs who stuck together out of necessity. But they’d pretty much abandoned her too once she broke up with Jimmy and Henri, and she missed her old friendships more than ever.
True friends stuck around through life changes. Guess she didn’t have any true friends.
‘Hey, you drifted off for a second.’ He touched her hand and a lick of heat travelled up her arm.
‘It’s more than a complication now I’m working for you and you know it,’ she said, re-evaluating the wisdom of working for him when his simple touch made her skin sizzle.
‘Co-workers have relationships all the time these days,’ he said, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. ‘And don’t forget, the only reason you’re working for me is because you blackmailed me into giving you a job.’
‘Good point.’ She chuckled, proud for pulling that masterstroke. ‘So you’re trying to get into my pants again on a technicality?’
His thumb paused and his eyes widened in surprise. ‘Are you always this blunt?’
Not always. Most of her life she’d watched what she said and what she ate and what she wore, presenting a perfectly poised persona to the world, desperate no one saw behind the façade.
If she didn’t let people get too close they couldn’t hurt her. A motto she’d learned to live by the hard way.
So what was it about this guy that had her more relaxed than she’d ever been?
She took a sip of soda and shrugged. ‘We’ve seen each other naked. I don’t see the point in playing coy.’
He mouthed ‘wow’ and squeezed her hand before releasing it. ‘Okay, least I can do is return the favour. I like you. You intrigue me. So while I’m in Melbourne, I’d like for us to see each other.’
Lord, Liza hadn’t seen that coming. She’d thought Wade might put the hard word on her for another night in the sack. No way did she expect a quasi-relationship for the time he was in town.
She was tempted. Seriously tempted.
How long since she’d had great sex or indulged in genuine fun? Probably in the early Jimmy days, before the fame and the expectations associated with living up to the WAG label. She knew time spent with Wade would involve both sex and fun.
But what about Cindy and the lies she’d constructed to protect her?
If she started dating Wade, how long could she keep him from her place? How long before her lies unravelled and her carefully constructed story came crashing down?
She couldn’t afford to have Qu Publishing renege on the contract, nor did she want to lose her first real marketing job.
Getting involved with Wade could compromise both.
‘Wade, I like you—’
‘I can sense a but coming.’ He winced and pretended to clutch his heart. ‘Give it to me straight. I’m a big boy, I can take it.’
She managed a wan smile. ‘But I don’t want to complicate our business arrangement.’
Disappointment downturned his mouth for a moment, before those lips she’d experienced over every inch of her body curved into a seductive smile.
‘I understand. You don’t know me that well. But the way Qu Publishing secured your book deal was by sheer persistence.’
He raised his glass in her direction. ‘I don’t give up easily. Challenge is my middle name.’
He clinked it to hers. ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
* * *
Liza had been in a quandary when Wade offered to drive her home.
She’d wanted to refuse because it had been bad enough having him charm her over a delicious dinner of green Thai chicken curry and sampler plates of murtubak, slow-cooked beef and exquisite calamari.
But she’d wanted to get home fast so she could spend time with her sis before Cindy went to bed so she’d agreed.
And was now ruing the fact as he walked her to the front door.
Politeness demanded she invite him in for a coffee.
Self-preservation demanded she get rid of him ASAP.
‘Thanks for dinner and driving me home,’ she said, juggling her handbag from one arm to the other, hoping he’d get the hint.
‘My pleasure.’ He stilled her arm with a light touch on the forearm. ‘Not going to invite me in?’
Damn. She admired his bluntness. But she hated being put on the spot.
‘Don’t think that’s a good idea.’
His hand travelled up her arm in a slow caress before resting on her shoulder. ‘Why? Scared I’ll take advantage of you?’
‘No. I just have a lot of work to do before my meeting with Danni tomorrow so—’
He kissed her, a stealth kiss that caught her completely off guard.
Her hands braced against his chest, ready to push him away as he backed her up against the front door.
But then his tongue touched her bottom lip, stroked it with exquisite precision, and she clung to him instead. Responded to his commanding mouth deepening the kiss to be sublimely erotic. Wanting more than this.
When his arms slid around her waist and pulled her flush against him, her body zinged with remembrance. How it felt to be pressed against his arousal, how he’d masterfully seduced her with a skill that left her breathless.
She felt weightless, floating, as he kissed like a guy who couldn’t get enough. And the feeling was entirely mutual.
When Wade kissed her, when he touched her, she forgot about responsibilities. She forgot about the stress of losing her money and Cindy’s security. She forgot about the long list of doctor’s appointments and physiotherapy sessions and hydrotherapy at a new pool next week. She forgot about finding a replacement carer for when Shar went on holiday next.
And she existed purely in the moment, revelling in this incredibly sexy guy’s desire for her.
As the blood fizzed in her veins and her muscles melted, she wanted more than this kiss.
She wanted
him. Naked. Again.
The thrill of skin to skin. The excitement of exploring each other’s bodies. The release that left her boneless and mindless.
Until a massive reality check in the form of her buzzing mobile switched to silent vibrated against her hip.
Shar probably wanted to head home and here Liza was, indulging in a pointless kiss that could lead nowhere.
Regret tempered her passion. She eased away. Last thing she needed was for him to think something was wrong and want to talk or demand answers she wasn’t prepared to give.
‘Told you I wouldn’t give up,’ he said, cupping her cheek in a tender moment before stepping away.
‘You should,’ she said, but her words fell on deaf ears as he shot her one last wicked grin before strolling down her path like a guy who had all the time in the world to woo the woman he wanted.
* * *
An hour later, Liza had bathed Cindy, assisted with her stretches and helped her painstakingly make a batch of choc-chip muffins.
Every task took double the time with Cindy’s clawed elbow and hand but that never stopped her sis having a go. Liza’s admiration knew no bounds and whenever she felt her patience fraying she tried to put herself in Cindy’s shoes.
Being a carer over the years had been tough, but imagine being on the receiving end? Of being dependent on others for activities of daily living that everyone took for granted? Needing help with bathing and dressing, cooking and cleaning?
Not to mention the never-ending rounds of therapy and medical interventions.
Liza had it easy compared to her sis and Cindy’s amazing resilience and zest for life was what drove her every day.
‘Were you talking to someone outside?’
The spatula in Liza’s hand froze in mid-air, dropping a big globule of muffin mix into the baking tin involuntarily.
‘No one important,’ she said, concentrating on filling the tin while Cindy popped choc chips into her mouth and chewed slowly.
