Gavin snickered. “What is it with you loved-up people? All of a sudden you want to talk about relationships all the time. I had enough of it when Carter fell for Cassie, although he should be the last person to push me into the love thing.”
“Why’s that?”
Gavin shook his head, smiling mysteriously as he stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll see you later. Say hi to Erin for me.”
Brad rubbed his jaw, pondering Gavin’s demeanour. Well, Gavin could expect a bit more prodding into his love life from Brad. Everyone deserved a second chance at love.
He laughed at himself. Was that really him thinking these thoughts? Damn, he really had it bad.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Three and a half months later...
“Elsa, what are you doing?” Erin asked, finding their housekeeper with a feather duster and swirling it around an intricate photo frame containing a close-up picture of Erin and Brad, cheek-to-cheek and grinning at the camera.
“I thought I’d tidy up some more before your guests arrive.”
With a shake of her head, Erin took the fluffy cleaning material from Elsa’s hand. “And you’re here as one of our guests. No work for you today.”
“But this is why I came early,” Elsa protested, “so I can help with whatever needs to be done for the housewarming party for this beautiful, big new home of yours.”
“You’re such a workaholic that you’re as bad as Brad,” she said, chuckling. “You can put your feet up today. The party organisers and caterers are taking care of everything, even the cleaning up.”
“Did I hear my name mentioned?” Brad asked, bounding down the stairs.
“Elsa had this in her hand,” Erin said, holding up the feather duster. “I said she’s such a workaholic like you.”
Brad grinned at Elsa before pulling Erin to him for a hug. “But I’m not as bad as Elsa anymore because you distract me too much,” he murmured in her ear.
“Are you complaining?”
“I most certainly am not,” Brad said, giving her a lingering kiss on the lips.
Elsa sighed theatrically. “You two are so sweet. I better go see if those party people need any help with the setting up, so you two can do some more lovey-dovey stuff in private before the others get here,” she said, walking towards the back of the house. “By the way, I want you to know that I’m happy to do nanny duties when the babies come.”
Erin’s mouth formed into an “O”, blushing.
Brad laughed out loud. “She’s as bad as my mother. But she’s right. We should do some more lovey-dovey stuff before the others arrive. We still have a few rooms in this house we haven’t made love in yet, including this foyer right here.” He nuzzled her neck.
Erin giggled, thrilled that Brad hadn’t freaked out at the mention of babies. Perhaps her suspicion that he was going to propose today was correct? She kept telling herself not to be stupid, that Brad couldn’t possibly be ready to get engaged for real so soon. But he’d been acting strange lately, insisting on being responsible for organising this housewarming party and not being forthcoming with all the details. It wasn’t like Brad to be so hands-on with things like this, especially when he was busy with the new Carmichael contract he’d been awarded just last month.
She was so happy for him about that. The Carmichaels—who’d apparently been so disappointed when he’d pulled out of their Pyrmont project—had instantly picked him for their upcoming development in the South Coast. Now Brad was back in competitive mode with Warren, ensuring that the South Coast designs would be better than the Pyrmont ones Warren was working on. It was a healthy, friendly competition this time around, though. Gladly, the animosity between the two men had gone.
“Ahem, excuse me.”
Erin blushed at having been caught canoodling with Brad by Lisa, the party organiser.
“Sorry, Brad. Could I just talk to you for a second?” Lisa asked, clearly embarrassed at having to interrupt.
“Sure.” Brad gave Erin a brief back rub before disappearing with Lisa.
See, this was what she was talking about. Why couldn’t Brad have discussed things with Lisa in front of her? What was he hiding?
She grinned, walking back upstairs to perhaps try on another pair of earrings that might go better with her light yellow dress. She didn’t need to, but the last thing she wanted was to overhear Brad and Lisa’s conversation and ruin Brad’s surprise.
And what if it’s not a proposal he’s planning today, Erin?
Oh, she’d be disappointed, but not unhappy. It was just so hard to switch off the fountain of hope that kept on gushing when the suspicion had entered her head.
Well, she’d know what he’d been concocting soon enough.
*****
Erin caught Jade, Cassie and Marilyn whispering in a corner. Hiding a smile, she approached them. Were they discussing something she shouldn’t hear?
“Well, Gavin’s been grilling Leo for a while now,” she heard Marilyn say.
Oh, they weren’t talking about Brad’s “surprise”.
She rolled her eyes at herself. Seriously, this continuous searching for signs that Brad might be proposing today had gone far enough. Dessert had been consumed ages ago, the party was winding down and the organisers were getting ready to leave. If Brad had had an announcement to make, he would have made it already by now.
Besides, it appeared that Brad’s “surprise” was simply that he wanted to prove to her that she could rely on him to take the time to properly organise a non-work-related event. He hadn’t wanted her to think that his business would always take priority over something as significant as the two of them celebrating the move into the house of their dreams.
While this abode had originally started as being Brad’s vision alone, he’d included her in the decision-making process when they’d reconciled, saying he wanted her input because she’d be living in here too. Brad had happily incorporated her design wishes to the plans and made her feel that this was truly their home, not just his.
So it was time to let go of the hope that she and Brad would get engaged tonight. They’d get there eventually, hopefully. Not just today.
“What’s up, girls?” she asked.
“We’re just talking about how Gavin hasn’t stopped questioning Leo since they got here,” Jade said.
She glanced around surreptitiously and found Gavin still sitting with the guy that Natasha—Cassie’s future sister-in-law—had arrived with. “I would have thought that Carter would be the one interested in knowing more about his sister’s date, not Gavin. Although I suppose Gavin’s like a brother to Tash, isn’t he? Since Gavin and Carter have been best friends since they were kids?”
“Well, I don’t know about treating each other like siblings,” Cassie said. “Tash told me she and Gavin dated for about ten months five years ago.”
“Oh, really? I wonder why it didn’t work out? You think Gavin’s jealous of Leo?”
Cassie shrugged. “Carter seemed to think that whatever Tash and Gav had in the past was now well and truly over. I just think it’s funny how Gavin’s still chatting with Leo, even though Tash had tried a couple of times to steer her boyfriend away from Gavin.”
“Yeah, it’s interesting,” Marilyn said. “You know, I think we should find some bachelorettes for our remaining bachelors. I’m afraid our Captured by Love game might not have any new winners for a few more months. I might need to tweak the game a bit so we can continue raising money for charities.”
The three laughed at Marilyn.
“What so funny, ladies?” Brad asked, joining them.
“We’re just talking about love and money, Brad,” Marilyn said. “Remember that our charities are waiting, so don’t take forever, okay?” she added with a wink.
“Hey, isn’t Erin and I moving in together proof that I’ve renounced the single life? Isn’t that good enough for whoever bet on me to win?”
“Only your mother bet on you, and unfortunately, the three previous winners had
set up a precedent. There has to be an engagement.”
“Oh,” Brad said in a tone that proved to Erin she wasn’t going to be his fiancée today.
She exhaled her disappointment and berated herself for being greedy. Brad loved her, and they were living together. That was enough for now. She shouldn’t be expecting more than what he was ready for.
“I can’t believe only my mother bet for me,” Brad said. “How sad.”
The women laughed.
“But you didn’t want anyone putting money on you at all!” Jade said.
“True,” Brad said with a grin.
“Erin, look up!” Vivian shrieked from behind them.
Erin twisted around and looked questioningly at Brad’s mother, who looked like she was going to hyperventilate.
“Look up!” Vivian repeated in a higher octave.
She did. For a long moment, all she could do was stare in shock. Then her eyes filled with tears, blurring the message floating in the sky. She hadn’t heard the small plane through the music and conversation around her, but it had obviously been flying overhead for a while, having already skywritten, “Erin, marry m.” It was now finishing off the letter “e”.
She looked at Brad, who promptly fell to one knee. “Sweetheart, I’ve been racking my brains for the perfect words to say to you today. And all I keep coming back to is I love you, I love you, I love you. I love you so much that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
She smiled at him and touched his face. “I love you too, Brad. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
With a dazzling smile, Brad dipped his hand in his pocket out pulled out a ring. Her ring. He still had it!
She laughed, happy tears streaming down her face. “I’m glad you didn’t get rid of it.”
Brad shook his head and put in on her. “Your finger is the only place where it should be.” Then he got up, cupped her face and gave her a lingering kiss.
Applause rang all around them, with Vivian literally whooping with delight.
Brad chuckled, turning to his mother. “Mum, did you know I was waiting for the pilot to finish the last letter before asking Erin to look up?”
“Oh, sorry,” Vivian said. “I panicked that the wind might blow the whole message away before Erin saw it. I never thought you could be so romantic, son.”
“Neither did I, Mum,” Brad said, looking back at Erin and giving her another thorough kiss.
“We better let them congratulate us, honey,” she murmured against his lips when Brad refused to let go of her after a good few seconds of kissing.
“I guess so, then we can ask them all to leave so we can make love.”
“Shh,” she said with a giggle, pulling away and turning to her friends, who flung their arms around her with delight.
The housewarming party went for longer than intended, having turned into an engagement party and a celebration for Vivian’s charity, which would be getting a good sum from the losers of their betting game. Frankly, though, she couldn’t wait to be alone with Brad. She cuddled closer to him on the bench they were sitting on.
“We should get rid of them soon,” Brad whispered in her ear.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Let’s start giving everyone hints,” he said, surveying their guests. “Hey, have you noticed how Gavin seems to have taken a special interest in Leo?”
“Yeah. Do you know he and Tash used to go out five years ago?”
“Gavin and Tash?” Brad asked in surprise.
“Yup.”
“Aha! So it’s Tash,” Brad murmured.
“What do you mean?”
Brad shrugged. “I think there’s still something there—for Gavin, anyway. He talked about not believing in getting back with an ex, but sounded like he was covering something up.”
“Oh,” she said, suddenly feeling sorry for Gavin. “But Tash is already going out with Leo.”
“Yeah,” Brad said a little sadly. “Anyway, I think I’ll bet on Gavin for the next round of our little Captured by Love game. It might give him some luck.”
She smiled at him fondly. Proudly.
“What’s that look about?” Brad asked.
“You turning into such a romantic and wanting your friends to find love.”
Brad smiled. “It’s all your fault. You did this to me.”
“I can do a lot more to you in the bedroom,” she whispered in his ear.
Brad grinned, giving her a heated look. Then he stood up and clapped to get their guests’ attention. “Everyone, thank you all for coming.”
###
Thank you for reading!
The Unforgettable Ex is the next book in this series and, yes, it’s about Gavin and Natasha. Release date for this book is not yet set in concrete, so if you’d like to be notified by email when The Unforgettable Ex will be available, please subscribe to my newsletter. I don’t send out a lot of emails—only cover reveals, release date notifications, and chapters one and two of upcoming books before they are officially published. You can also easily unsubscribe at any time. Click here to subscribe.
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The Captured by Love series started with Lucas and Jade’s love story. To get your copy of The Unwilling Executive (Captured by Love Book 1), please click here.
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If you’re up-to-date with the Captured by Love series, you might want to check out the steamy Time for Love series, which features the love stories of the Carmichael brothers, Zach, Jeff and Greg, as well as two other hunky heroes. Lucas Renner-Bilton—The Unwilling Executive, and Rick Donnelly—The Unyielding Bachelor, also appeared in that series as supporting characters. (Lucas is in book 3, and both Lucas and Rick are in book 5).
To enjoy the first chapter of Zach Carmichael and Rebecca Andrew’s story in Forever (Time for Love Book 1), please turn the page.
Forever (Time for Love Book 1) Extract
Rebecca Andrews and Zach Carmichael
CHAPTER ONE
Extremely lucky. How else could Rebecca Andrews describe what she should be feeling for the new work offer she’d recently received? But somehow, she couldn’t muster the same excitement that radiated from her friend and colleague Sarah Daley.
“I understand why you’re not ecstatic about this, Bec, but I still think you should grab it with both hands,” Sarah said, her wide eyes magnifying the intensity of her belief.
Rebecca thanked the server, who placed two mango smoothies on their table, before responding to Sarah. “I know. But the client is Magda Carmichael.”
“Yes. I know that’s a big deal for you. But you love Magda, don’t you? She’s asked for us. She doesn’t want anyone else to go with her.”
Sarah, one of Rebecca’s four best friends whom she’d known since primary school, had been ready to pack her bags from the moment they got the call from their nursing agency. They had both been personally selected by Magda Carmichael—a very wealthy and absolutely sweet lady—to be her private nurses during her month-long holiday aboard one of the most luxurious cruise ships in the world.
“You have to go with me, Bec,” Sarah pleaded. “We’ve both never been on a cruise before, and we’ll get to visit some exotic Asian cities. It’ll be fun!”
“Fun?” Rebecca said with a laugh. “We’re not being hired to have fun. We’re being hired to work, remember?”
“I know. But we won’t be working twenty-four/seven. That’s why they want the two of us there, so we could work on shifts looking after Magda. We’ll still have some private time to enjoy what promises to be an incredible trip.”
“I do wonder why she needs two nurses with her?” Rebecca mused. “She’d fully recovered from her hip replacement surgery, and according to the agency, she’s not currently suffering from any illness or injury.”
“She’s almost eighty, Bec. Magda and her family probably prefer to have two professionals with her on the cruise in case something happens. Besides, she could very well afford to pay for our salary and our trip.�
��
Yes, the Carmichaels could certainly afford those and much more. Magda Carmichael’s late husband was a self-made multi-millionaire who’d founded The Carmichael Corporation, one of the biggest property development companies in Australia. Now Magda’s three grandsons looked after the various interests of the company, which extended to wineries and eco-tourism.
“I wonder who else would be accompanying her apart from nursing staff?” Rebecca asked. “I’m sure she wouldn’t be going on a holiday like that by herself.”
“You mean you want to know if Zach will be going,” Sarah said softly. “You said you’re over him.”
“I am. But that doesn’t mean I want to bump into him again,” she responded, ignoring the pinching in her chest that still happened every time she thought of Zachary Carmichael, Magda’s oldest grandson.
“It’s none of our business and it would be rude to ask. Besides, I can’t imagine Zach accompanying his grandmother on a cruise for a month even if he’s very fond of her.” Sarah leaned across the table with a serious look. “Bec, you know it’s time you let go of whatever feelings you still feel for Zach—even the bitterness and regret. And do you really want to say no to Magda?”
Rebecca sighed. Magda Carmichael was the nicest, kindest, most generous client she’d ever worked with. When she and Sarah were hired as Magda’s physical rehabilitation nurses while Magda recovered from her hip replacement surgery after an accidental slip in her bathroom, Magda had treated them like family, not paid personnel. She’d often wondered if the fact that Magda didn’t have granddaughters was the reason she’d grown attached to her and Sarah. At twenty-eight, both she and Sarah were close to the ages of Magda’s three grandsons. Zach was the oldest at thirty-two. His younger brothers Jeffrey and Gregory were thirty and twenty-nine.
“You know I can’t say no to Magda,” she admitted.
“Yay! You have to tell the agency you’re accepting the job, then you have to advise Magda’s personal assistant that you’re going so she can arrange your travel documents,” Sarah said excitedly. “I’ve already emailed her my details that she’s asked for.”
The Unintended Fiancé (Captured by Love Book 4) Page 18
