by Lucy Clark
‘Shh.’ She placed a finger over his lips before sliding her hand around his neck, her fingers lacing into his hair as she urged his head down. ‘Kiss me, Jasper. Just kiss me.’
‘Never argue when the woman’s right,’ he murmured in that moment before his lips touched hers for the very first time. The moment was electrifying, mind-numbing and, oh, so perfect. Her lips were the most perfect fit for his own. His mind was most definitely numb and the energy, the need pulsing between them could have been harnessed to power a small city.
She tasted like the night, dark, sleek and seductive, and the one thing that gave him hope that what he was feeling for her wasn’t just that of a passing fancy, was that neither of them had consumed any alcohol that evening. With not knowing if they’d be called to an emergency, it had seemed the wise course of action but now he was pleased because it meant her reaction to him was real. There were no inhibitors making her act out of the ordinary. The woman he held in his arms, the woman whose mouth was pressed so firmly to his own in the most sweetest and seductive kiss he’d ever experienced, was happy to be with him.
When they broke apart, neither of them spoke. It was as though the emotions had been too powerful, too strong for them to process in that moment, and they continued to the car park. Jasper drove the Jaguar back towards Parramatta, holding Jennifer’s hand firmly in his own.
When he turned into her driveway and cut the engine, he turned to face her. ‘Jennifer.’
‘Hmm?’
He could see she was tired and drowsy, coming down from her earlier euphoric high. It made him realise that now wasn’t the time for a talk. They were both tired. Both had a busy day tomorrow and both needed sleep. Still…tonight had changed things and he needed her to acknowledge that.
‘I had a really good time tonight.’ He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, relieved when she smiled.
‘Me, too. It was…exactly what I needed.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’ She gestured to her house with a jerk of her thumb. ‘Want to come in for a cup of tea?’
‘Are you awake enough to make it?’ he quizzed.
‘Probably not, so I should say that if you accept my invitation, you’ll be making the tea.’
He chuckled and leaned forward to brush a kiss over her lips, thrilled when she didn’t pull away or tense up. If anything, she seemed to relax more, sighing into him, her breathing even, her eyes closed. ‘You’re exhausted,’ he declared.
‘Mmm.’
‘I’ll pass on the tea.’ He climbed from the car, coming around to the passenger side to open the door for her. When the cool night air hit her, though, she was instantly alert.
‘I had the most wonderful time, Jasper. Thank you for asking me,’ she said again.
‘Thank you for accepting.’ He pulled her into his arms and she snuggled into his warmth.
‘Mmm. You smell nice.’
‘So do you.’
‘Are you sure you don’t want a cup of tea?’
Jasper swallowed and looked at her dark house, then looked at her, illuminated by the distant porch light which was casting a soft amber glow over them. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea just yet.’
‘It’s just tea, Jasper.’
‘You and I both know that’s not the case, Jen. Sure, we might drink tea but then things would escalate and end up leading us in a direction I don’t think either of us is ready for just yet.’
She pulled back to look at him, raising her eyebrows. ‘You’re very sure of yourself.’
He grinned. ‘I’m sure of where we both know this will eventually end…one day.’
‘But not tonight,’ she stated.
‘No. Not tonight. However, things have changed, Jen. You know that, right?’
‘I do. Things have changed, Jasper, and you have no idea how happy I am about that. What I also need, though, is time to process this change.’
‘Agreed.’ He brushed his lips across hers once more. ‘I’ll see you at Sara’s barbecue tomorrow?’
‘Yes. You and me with, no doubt, quite a few pairs of eyes watching us to see how we behave.’
‘We’ll have to be careful. Not that I’m suggesting we hide from this.’
‘No. I understand. We need to be careful. There are other people involved in this and perhaps keeping things to ourselves is the best option for now.’
‘For now.’ With great reluctance Jasper let her go, holding her hand as he walked slowly backwards until he couldn’t hold on any more. ‘For now,’ he reiterated, before disappearing into the night.
Jennifer rang the doorbell a second time, gripping the shopping bags tightly so she didn’t drop them. ‘Come on, come on,’ she muttered. It would be too much effort to put the bags down, open the door and pick the bags up again but it appeared, as no one was coming to answer the door, that that was exactly what she had to do.
‘Coming!’ she heard, and in the next instant Sara’s front door was thrown open and Jasper stood there, looking gorgeous in dark denim jeans, which had long since forgotten any shape but his, and a thick Aran jumper. He looked…delicious and for a split second Jennifer’s mind went blank.
They both stood there, staring at each other, Jasper shaken because Jennifer’s hair wasn’t pulled back in its usual severe bun. It was still back but she’d pulled it loosely into a ponytail and the ends of her dark hair were currently hanging over one shoulder, a few strands coming loose here and there. Her cheeks were pink from the cool breeze and her eyes were bright and glorious. She was beautiful. It was only when she shifted a shopping bag that he snapped out of his trance and offered his help.
‘Here. Let me take them from you.’ He started forward, which was enough to bring her back to reality. She gripped the bags tighter.
‘I’ve got them. If I let go, I might end up dropping them.’
He shifted back to make way for her and she quickly headed into the kitchen, dumping the bags on the bench. ‘I was wondering where you were,’ Jasper commented as Jennifer began unpacking the items.
‘Sara had run out of a few things.’ She held up a large bottle of tomato sauce to prove her point.
‘A key item,’ he agreed. ‘How can you have a barbecue without tomato sauce, especially in Australia?’
‘Hence why I went to the shops. Sara’s boys go through the sauce like it’s a drink.’
‘It is an Aussie staple.’
‘True.’
They worked alongside each other, Jasper taking the items from the bags and Jennifer putting them away or out where they needed to be.
‘You look nice,’ he remarked as she closed the fridge door.
‘Oh?’ Jennifer stopped and looked down. It was then she realised she was still wearing her scarf and coat. ‘No wonder I was so warm.’ She unwound her scarf and was pleasantly surprised when Jasper helped her off with her coat. It reminded her of her first morning at work when he’d helped her on with her white clinical coat. Why did it seem so long ago? He carefully put her garments over the back of a nearby chair and looked at her again.
‘I like your hair.’
Consciously, Jennifer raised a hand to her hair and twirled her ponytail through her fingers.
He swallowed over the sudden dryness of his throat. Was he allowed to say things like that to her? He wasn’t quite sure where they stood in that department but he simply hadn’t been able to stop himself from commenting. ‘It’s…uh…longer than I thought.’ As well as being more rich and glorious than he’d imagined. The pale pink cashmere jumper she wore only made the blue of her eyes more vivid. The indigo of her jeans and the black boots with the small heel topped off her outfit and Jasper’s mouth became even drier as he allowed himself one more appraisal of her gorgeous body.
‘Jasper.’ Heat had flowed through her as his gaze had wandered over her.
‘Jennifer.’ When he lifted his eyes to meet hers, he wasn’t surprised to discover repressed desire in her blue depths. He also knew she
could see the same emotion in him.
‘Don’t look at me that way.’
‘You’ve said that before but I just don’t seem to be able to stop.’ His voice had dipped to an intimate whisper and somehow the distance between them had seemed to disappear.
‘We can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Not here. Too many eyes.’ She glanced around her as she spoke, checking to see there weren’t any other guests…or Sara…lurking around the corner, listening to everything they said. ‘And this is hardly the time to continue our discussion. Standing in the middle of Sara’s kitchen.’
‘True.’ Jasper exhaled harshly and shoved his hands in his pockets, desperate to control the need to haul her into his arms. ‘Tomorrow?’
‘Sorry?’
‘Can we discuss this tomorrow?’
‘I’m on call.’
‘I’ll come to the hospital and help you if I have to, just so long as I can get ten minutes alone with you between cases.’
‘Jasper.’
‘Jen, I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s starting to drive me insane.’
‘I…er…can’t stop thinking about you either.’ A slight blush tinged her cheeks at the words.
His eyebrows raised at this information and the corners of his lips tugged into a small smile. ‘Really?’
‘Yes. Why are you so surprised?’
‘I’m not surprised. I’m…very pleased by this information. It means we’re both on the same page.’
‘Page? What page?’ A woman with short blonde hair and large circles beneath her eyes came into the kitchen. ‘Have you joined a book club, big brother?’ She laughed at her own joke. ‘As if you’d have time for reading anything that isn’t a medical text. That’s all I have time for. That and stupid bridal magazines.’
Jennifer had stepped back, putting distance between the two of them as the woman who was obviously Jasper’s sister had come into the kitchen.
‘Jennifer, this is my sister Megan. Megan, this is Jennifer, my new boss at the hospital.’
‘Oh, hi. I’ve heard so much about you.’ Megan shook hands with Jennifer.
‘You have?’ She looked to Jasper. Had he confided in his sister?
‘The girls told Megan how you came over for pancakes,’ he quickly clarified, seeing the look of panic that had crossed Jennifer’s face.
‘Pancakes.’ Megan said the word and nodded knowingly, as though ‘pancakes’ was a code word for something completely different.
‘They were delicious,’ Jennifer said, trying to make the point that pancakes had definitely been on the menu rather than what Megan was insinuating…even though Megan wasn’t at all far from the truth.
‘That’s how it starts,’ Megan continued, not fooled for a second. ‘Pancakes one minute, marriage proposal the next, and then, wham—a week before the wedding the groom isn’t sure he wants to go through with it.’
‘What?’ Jasper put his hands on Megan’s shoulders, instantly concerned. ‘Megsy? What’s happened?’
At that question Megan burst into tears and buried her face in her brother’s chest, his arms automatically going around her. He met Jennifer’s eyes over the top of his sister’s head and smiled sadly. ‘Tomorrow,’ he mouthed, and Jennifer nodded, leaving the kitchen to give them some privacy. She admired the way he was there to support his sister, to comfort her and to help her through what was obviously a difficult time. He was quite a man.
Jennifer busied herself helping Iris and talking to Ian, Jasper’s father, as he cooked the meat, chicken and prawns on the barbecue. Most of the people there were related in some obscure way or, like Jennifer herself, were old friends of either Sara or Matt. There were children everywhere and lots of fun and laughter, and it was just the sort of day Jennifer needed after the past hectic month.
‘Still working day and night?’ Iris asked a while later, coming to sit with Jennifer beneath the small marquee in the back yard. The two of them had seen each other a few times during the past week after Jennifer had moved into her new home. The first time she’d popped in, Iris had brought a cake to officially welcome Jennifer to the neighbourhood, and along with the cake had come two adorable girls to help eat it. Both Lola and Lilly had ended up with chocolate smeared all over their faces, hands and Jennifer’s glass tabletop. It had been then she’d realised that her furniture was hardly child friendly and she’d made a mental note to child-proof the house so the twins would be safe when they visited.
‘Working day and night and night and day but I feel as though I’m finally starting to get things under control. Sort of.’ Jennifer smiled.
‘You have a lovely smile, dear, and I do like the way you’re wearing your hair. It suits you. Highlights your pretty eyes.’
‘Oh. Thank you.’ It was strange for Jennifer to receive compliments like that, especially since her own mother had never taken the time to give her any.
Iris leaned a little closer and spoke in an intimate whisper. ‘I think Jasper likes your hair like that, too.’
Jennifer nodded slowly. ‘He did mention it.’
‘Did he?’ Iris’s eyebrows lifted at this news. ‘The two of you becoming…better acquainted?’
For the second time since she’d arrived, Jennifer felt her cheeks tinge with colour and she lowered her head, a little embarrassed.
‘Don’t misunderstand me, Jennifer. I think it’s wonderful. Jasper needs someone like you and the more I get to know of you, the more I’m thinking that you need someone like Jasper.’
‘Hmm.’ She fiddled with the ring she wore on her right hand, still unable to look at Iris, hoping the woman would change the subject.
‘I saw you having a lovely tête-à-tête with Jasper earlier. I could have screamed at Megan for interrupting you. It looked as though you were about to kiss.’
‘Iris, I’m—’
‘I know, I know.’ Iris patted Jennifer’s hand. ‘It’s none of my business but I do want him to be happy. It’s what every mother wants for their children. For them to be happy in love.’ She sighed, her gaze coming to rest on Megan.
‘How’s she doing?’ Jennifer was glad of the reprieve.
‘Not as well as you and Jasper, I’m afraid. Poor Megan. Ian and I aren’t particularly happy with her choice of marriage partner—Megsy’s far too good for him—but she says she’s in love and despite how much heartache the cad seems to cause her, she forgives him.’
‘Love’s a tricky thing.’ Jennifer’s words were spoken softly and Iris gasped as she absorbed their true meaning.
‘You’ve been in love before,’ she stated. ‘Well, no wonder you want to take things slowly with my son. Good for you and good for him.’ Iris placed her hand on Jennifer’s. ‘Just know that if you want to talk about anything, anything at all, you can bend my ear any time, dear.’
Jennifer was so touched by the heartfelt words that tears sprang into her eyes. ‘Thank you, Iris.’
‘Oh, no, dear. Have I said something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘It’s not that. It’s just…my mother and I don’t…’ She stopped and sniffed. ‘Well, let’s just say we’re not at all close. I guess that’s why I’m not all that good at relationships.’
‘Oh, toffle. You have a brilliant and long-lasting friendship with Sara, don’t you? And Matt? What about their boys? And Lilly and Lola can’t stop talking about you. Jasper says you’re doing fantastic things for the department and I know for a fact that he’s quite taken with you. If that’s not having relationships, personal or otherwise, I don’t know what is.’
‘But I’m not good at communicating.’
Iris scoffed. ‘What do you call this, then?’ She indicated the space between the two of them. ‘You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit, Jennifer.’
‘That’s what I keep telling her,’ Jasper remarked as he entered the marquee. He’d been watching Jennifer and his mother talking for quite a few minutes now and was growing restless to know
what they were talking about. Was his mother sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong? Was she scaring Jennifer off? It was those thoughts which had made him walk over and pull up a chair on the other side of Jennifer, shifting it a little closer before he sat. As he breathed in, her fresh perfume surrounded him and he felt himself relax. The woman really did have an amazing effect on him.
‘Do you know, she requisitioned a coffee-machine for the clinic and made me put it all in my name?’ Jasper shook his head as though she was a lost cause. ‘I just don’t know what to do with you, Dr Thorngate.’
Iris stood and grinned. ‘I can think of a few things.’ She winked at them both.
‘Mum!’ Jasper was momentarily mortified but then laughed as he watched his mother head over to talk to Sara. Well, at least he now knew his mother was definitely on his side. ‘Sorry about her.’
Jennifer smiled at him. ‘It’s all right. I think it’s nice that she can tease you.’
‘She was teasing you, too.’
‘Was she?’ Jennifer couldn’t contain her surprise. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been teased by someone else’s mother before.’
‘Were you close to Arturo’s parents?’
‘It was just Art and his dad at the time but his father passed away about a year after Art’s death.’ She paused. ‘What about Elisha’s parents? Do you see them?’
‘The girls have only seen them once. They live in Canada so it’s a bit difficult for them to be a part of their lives, but they send birthday money and Christmas cards.’
‘A shame, really.’ Both looked over to where the girls were running around with Sara’s boys, giggling brightly.
‘It is.’ They were silent for a few minutes, both completely comfortable without feeling pressed to make conversation. It was a nice feeling. ‘Now, I’ve been meaning to ask, how is everything going in your new home?’
‘It’s…cosy.’
Jasper leaned his elbow on the armrest and came closer. ‘And the window-seat?’
