by Lucy Clark
'I'm heading to bed. I guess I'll see you...later. Goodnight, Oliver.'
'Wait.' He put out a hand to her but she stepped away. 'I'm sorry, Stephanie. I didn't mean to snap.'
'It's fine. It's been a very long introduction to life in the Blue Mountains for you. Let's get some rest and discuss things later.'
He exhaled sharply and nodded. 'You're right. Sleep well.'
She smiled politely and headed up the corridor. 'Yeah, right,' she mumbled to herself as she entered her room and shut the door. She flopped down onto the mattress, kicking off her shoes. Oliver had a daughter. It certainly altered the picture she'd drawn of him. Busy doctor, doting dad. She had a lot of unanswered questions. When Kasey arrived, what did he plan on doing with her while he was at work? Was she attending school here or staying for an extended period of time?
Surely Oliver didn't need a woman around to help him deal with his daughter? Was that the reason he wanted her to stay while Kasey was here?
But the question at the top of her list was why no one had asked the eight-year-old girl what she wanted. Did she even want to come to Australia? Life here was very different from Seattle, USA, especially as Kasey was probably enjoying summer vacation, while here it was cold, foggy and probably—to an eight-year-old—miserable, dull and boring.
'It's nothing to do with you,' she told herself. 'Not your problem,' she reiterated, and tried to get up off the bed and change before she fell asleep in her clothes. Her limbs felt so heavy it was easier to just snuggle beneath the covers and close her eyes, thoughts of Oliver mixing with a picture of what his daughter might look like.
It seemed as though she'd just closed her eyes when a sound made her sit bolt upright in bed. Someone was in her house! Then she remembered about Oliver. Stephanie glanced across at the bedside clock and was surprised to find it was just after half past eight. She yawned and stretched before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Slipping her feet into warm, fleece ugg-boots, she opened the door and headed out to the kitchen.
'Mmm. Coffee,' she mumbled sleepily.
'Bacon and eggs?'
'Mmm,' she murmured again. 'Sounds great, although with you coming from America I'd have expected flapjacks and grits.'
'But I'm not American. I'm Australian, remember.'
'Oh, yes.' She poured herself a cup and shuffled around to the other side of the kitchen bench, perching on one of the stools. After her first sip of the rich, black liquid, she sighed and slumped forward onto the bench. 'Need any help?' came her muffled question.
'Ha, Like you're in a state to help.'
She lifted her head and gazed at him through bleary eyes. 'I'll have you know I can do a lot of things in this state.' The instant the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. They may both be exhausted and fatigued but the double entendre hung in the air like a hummingbird, For a split second she saw Oliver's gaze darken slightly, as though he knew exactly what he wanted her to be capable of.
He swallowed and forced himself to turn away, to concentrate on cooking breakfast before he burnt it. Why had her innocent remark left him feeling as though he'd like nothing better than to scoop her up and carry her back to her warm bed? Perhaps sharing the house with her wasn't such a good idea after all.
'How do you like your eggs?' he asked, disgusted by the desire he heard in his own tone. He glanced over his shoulder only to find her grinning, her blue eyes filled with mirth. 'What?'
'Nothing, nothing. Er...scrambled.'
'You've got that right,' he muttered, thinking both their .minds had been scrambled ever since they'd met. He'd fought several different emotions since crossing paths with Stephanie, but the desire between them was highly evident.
'I meant the eggs, Oliver,' she remarked, as though she could read his mind. 'If we're going to share this house, we might need to set down some ground rules.'
'We won't need too many,' he ventured. 'Mrs Dixon is flying to Australia with Kasey. Now, Mrs Dixon,' he went on before she could question him, 'was my family's housekeeper and sort of nanny when my brother and I weren't at boarding school. She retired when my father died but I was able to persuade her to look after Kasey during her Australian visit, otherwise Nadele wouldn't have consented to the visit.'
'Ah. I had wondered what would become of Kasey when you were at work.'
'Mrs Dixon is very, shall we say, strict, so she'll make a perfect chaperone for us as well as ensuring your virtue remains intact.'
Stephanie couldn't help it. She threw back her head and laughed. 'Oh, Oliver. You're priceless. Were you sent to an all-boys, stiff-upper-lip school?'
'In Sydney, yes. Does it show?' He grinned back at her.
'Only sometimes.' She watched as he finished scrambling the eggs and making toast. 'Look, perhaps it's better if I just move out. It's no big deal and—'
'No. As I said a few hours ago, you've been through enough trauma.'
'I bounce.' She shrugged as though it were nothing.
'I can see through your nonchalance, Stephanie.' His tone was deep and caring, his gaze said he understood. In that split second Stephanie felt tears well behind her eyes. How could he do this to her? One minute she was laughing and the next she was crying. 'You're more fragile than you let on. I'm surprised your brother hasn't picked up on it.'
'He has,' she replied, not denying his words. 'He also knows not to smother me.'
Oliver dished up the meal he'd cooked and put a plate of food in front of her. 'Am I smothering you?'
She looked down at the plate and then gasped in horror, then relaxed again.
'What?'
'I just remembered I was supposed to go to Stephen's place for brunch but that's not until eleven o'clock.'
'Eleven o'clock?' He frowned for a moment. 'Is it your day off today?'
'Yes. You think I'd learn to sleep in but 1 just can't.'
'I know the feeling. Well, you can't survive without food until then. Eat.'
'Don't you worry, I intend to.' She grinned as she picked up her fork. 'After all, it's not every day my new boss cooks me breakfast. Thanks.'
'You're welcome.' He collected one of the bench stools and took it around to the kitchen side so they could eat opposite each other. 'That's another point. Perhaps it shouldn't be general knowledge around the hospital that we're sharing accommodation.'
Stephanie swallowed her mouthful. 'Why not?'
'Because then people would think that we're...you know.' He shrugged.
'But Mrs Dixon will be here, remember?'
'But still.'
'Oliver, it won't work. Katoomba is small enough so people will find out anyway and it's better to openly admit what's happened as an honest mix-up and that we're dealing with the situation like professional colleagues.'
'They won't believe it.'
She shrugged. 'Their problem. Besides, it does have added compensations for you.'
Again that tinge of desire sparked briefly in his eyes but she waved it away. 'Not those compensations.' She smiled shyly and shook her head, wondering how far she could push him and how much information she'd be able to discover. 'It will keep people like Lauren from throwing herself at you. That is, unless you want women like Lauren throwing themselves at you, in which case I'm happy to—'
'No. No, thanks. I've encountered the Laurens of this world—no offence to any of them, well, except perhaps Nadele—and I have no desire to repeat my mistakes.'
Stephanie breathed an inward sigh of relief, glad the perky brunette wasn't his type.
'I am a changed man,' he announced proudly. 'Reformed from falling for women who are stunning yet shallow, divine yet dishonest.'
'Pretty yet...piranha-ish?' she couldn't resist adding.
He smiled. 'Exactly.'
'Whew!' She pretended to wipe her brow. 'I'm glad I'm none of those things.'
As Oliver's smile slowly disappeared, he held her gaze. 'No.' The word was soft yet definite. 'You're not.' Without breaking eye contact, he slowly
shook his head. 'You're so different, Stephanie.'
Warmth flooded her at his words and she parted her lips to allow a rush of air to escape between her lips. She felt feminine and cherished, just from the way he was looking at her. She felt shy and coy, which wasn't like her at all, and it was all thanks to the man before her.
Her gaze flicked down to his mouth as he continued to speak.
'You're a woman who doesn't care if she sleeps in her clothes. When you shake your head, your earrings make a cute tinkling noise.' The corners of his mouth had started to curve into a smile as he spoke, and she had to admit she was mesmerised by his look, his mouth but most of all his words. 'And you have all your hair shaved off for a good cause,' he concluded, drawing in a deep breath and slowly exhaling. 'Add to that the fact that you are stunning...' he reached out and pushed his plate of food to the side '...deliriously divine...' he leaned a little closer '...and perfectly pretty, not to mention incredibly sexy.' He took her hand in his and gently rubbed his thumb in little caressing circles.
She was finding it difficult to swallow, to speak, to think!
Never, in her life, had a man said anything more.. .romantic to her.
'When do Kasey and Mrs Dixon arrive?' She wasn't surprised to find her voice husky with repressed emotion.
Oliver swallowed as he leaned further across the bench, pushing her plate of food aside as well. Stephanie leaned in, too, eagerly closing the gap between them.
'Not soon enough,' he growled before pressing his lips firmly to hers.
CHAPTER FIVE
Stephanie's insides whirled with nervous anticipation as her eyelids fluttered closed so she could savour the moment.
She loved first kisses and although she'd kissed Oliver at the hospital earlier that morning, it had been merely an acknowledgement that she was attracted to him, rather than following through on that attraction.
Now, though, she let the emotions flood her body, thrilled with each and every one of them. His warm lips remained pressed to hers for a few more seconds as the heightened tension between them began to change from one of repression to one of expression. Through touch, they could express the growing feelings both had been trying to deal with since they'd first met less than twenty-four hours ago.
She breathed in and sighed as his warm, spicy scent swirled around her, helping to create the world that held only the two of them. He was once more fresh from the shower and she found she could quite easily become addicted to him. Whether that was a good thing was yet to be decided.
For the moment she concentrated on how it felt to finally have his mouth pressed to hers, and just as she became accustomed to the tingles spreading throughout her entire body, his lips parted slightly, his touch slow and light but, oh, so seductive, causing a new wave of tingles to assail her senses.
A few more kisses before a groan of what she hoped was sheer pleasure came from deep within him and he gently slipped his tongue between her lips. The pressure became a bit more intense but he didn't change pace even though his exploration was becoming more thorough.
She'd had no idea she could feel this way from just a kiss. Letting him lead, she willingly followed, eager to learn. It was as though he was now acting out his previous words. He'd said he found her incredibly sexy and, thanks to his masterful mouth, she now felt incredibly sexy. It was an amazing feeling.
He pulled back slightly, allowing them each a moment to take a breath before he brushed his lips over hers a few more times. Again, she couldn't control the sigh that flowed through her, her body temperature still rising as he brought one hand up to cup her cheek.
With a regret she could almost feel, he pulled back and she slowly opened her eyes. Why had he stopped? Had she done something wrong? Should she tell him that she wasn't as experienced at the 'romance' game as he probably thought she was? Anxiety began to well up within her in that one split second but as soon as her gaze encountered his and she saw the burning desire still evident in his blue depths, her fears were washed away.
'Wow,' he whispered, and again she felt shyness creep over her. She knew she wasn't anything super-special but with the words he'd said and the kiss they'd just shared, maybe Oliver didn't share that opinion. Perhaps she was super-special after all.
A small smile touched her lips and she looked away for a moment, trying to cope with the swell of feminine power he was making her feel. She'd seen other women use their feminine wiles to bring otherwise unsuspecting males to their knees, but she'd never experienced it before. Not that she'd brought Oliver to his knees, far from it. He'd been the one driving what they'd just shared, but the fact that he'd been unable to resist her was something she found both thrilling and stimulating.
'Steph?'
She raised her gaze to meet his once more but gasped when he brushed his thumb across her lips and back again, her chest rising and falling quickly as her heart rate began to pick up once more.
'You respond so ardently to my touch. It's as though you've been made for me and me for you,' he murmured, and as though unable to help himself, he leaned forward and once more pressed his mouth to hers. Stephanie closed her eyes again, ready for another onslaught, almost desperate for him to take her higher than he had only moments ago, but after two quick kisses he pulled back, dropped his hands from her and stepped backwards. Her eyes snapped open in confusion.
'This is not good.'
Again anxiety began to well within her. 'It isn't?'
'Steph, don't look at me like that or I won't be held accountable for my lack of self-control.'
His words slowly sank in. He wasn't rejecting her, he was trying to control his desire for her. Another surge of feminine power washed over her and she smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.
'It's pretty powerful, isn't it,' she stated rhetorically.
Oliver raked his hand through his hair and nodded. 'Yeah.'
'Perhaps I shouldn't stay here.'
Oliver looked down at the floor and slowly exhaled, as though still trying to get himself under control. 'Let's just let the haze lift and wait for rational thought to return. We can figure this out, Stephanie. I know we can.' As though to prove it to himself as well as her, he reached over and took the plate he'd previously placed in front of her. 'Let me warm this up.'
After he'd set it in the microwave, the phone rang and Stephanie automatically reached over to scoop the cordless phone from its cradle. 'Dr Brooks.'
'Oh. I'm so sorry. I think I have the wrong number.' The female voice that spoke was very English with well-enunciated words.
'Who were you after?'
'I was looking for Dr Oliver Bowan.'
'You've called the correct number. He's right here.' She held out the phone to Oliver.
He frowned, trying to figure out who it was. Several people had his Katoomba contact details. One person was his ex-wife and right now, with the imprint of Stephanie's lips firmly on his, Nadele was the last person he wanted to speak to. He cleared his throat and took the receiver. 'Dr Bowan.'
Not wanting to eavesdrop on his conversation, Stephanie picked up her mug of coffee from the bench and stood.
'Mrs D.,' he said quickly, his frown disappearing and a smile spreading across his face. 'Good to hear from you.' He motioned for Stephanie to sit back down, and when the microwave beeped he took her plate out and set it in front of her.
'Eat,' he whispered, before turning his attention back to his phone call. 'I take it you're safely in the States?'
'Yes, dear. I'll be collecting Kasey in about three hours' time and then we'll head off to the airport.'
'I've arranged for transport once you arrive in Sydney to bring you up to Katoomba.'
'You said that would add another two hours to our journey, correct?'
'Yes, but the car I've arranged is comfortable enough so you'll both be able to sleep if necessary.'
'She is going to be awfully tired. Oliver. You know that, don't you? When she arrives it will take her a few days to get over her jet-lag
.'
'I realise that. I've asked Nadele to take her to the doctor so a travel sickness sedative can be prescribed. The last time I went on a car trip with Kasey, she was quite ill.'
'But she was only two years old, dear.'
'Don't remind me. It was the worst vacation I've ever had and the straw that broke the camel's back as far as my marriage went.'
'Well, that was all a long time ago and water under the bridge. I'll contact Nadele now just to make sure she's actually done as you've asked. Knowing that woman, she probably hasn't and I don't want young Kasey being sick. This should be a fun experience for her.'
'I certainly hope so.' He sounded gloomy.
'She doesn't want to come to Australia?'
'She wants to come. Whether she wants to see me or not is another matter.' Oliver shook his head.
'Things still aren't good between the two of you?'
'It depends on how much Nadele has poisoned her mind against me.'
'She's an intelligent little girl, Oliver. She'll realise the truth as she gets older.'
'Thanks, Mrs D.' Oliver tried to focus on something else rather than the strained relationship he currently had with his daughter. The poor child felt very unloved and unwanted, at least that was the impression he'd received two weeks ago when he'd last seen her. He hoped this trip to Australia, where her mother wouldn't be around to cause friction between them, might actually help to restore some sort of balance in Kasey's life. If he had his way—if Nadele would give in—Kasey would be living permanently with him in Australia where he hoped they could start a new life together.
He picked up his plate of cold food and put it in the microwave. 'I'll see you tomorrow evening when you arrive. Call me if there are any hiccups.'
'I will, dear. Bye-bye.'
Oliver ended the call and replaced the phone in its cradle before placing both hands on die bench and pressing on his arms, his head hanging, his eyes closed. This needed to work, he prayed. Kasey needed to like it here and Nadele needed to give in and relinquish her claim on their daughter. It wasn't right for the child. She needed stability, not to feel as though she was a prize possession being fought over by parents she thought didn't even want her.
