by Robyn Grady
She no longer had a job to run off to.
Last night Gabriel had clobbered her with the news that he was, in fact, her childhood arch enemy number one: Gabe Turner. He’d followed that up by terminating her employ. Offering to set her up with a publishing job in Sydney didn’t fix anything; she wouldn’t go down that undeserving track again. But after he’d seduced her—after she’d surrendered and they’d made love half the night—neither had broached the subject of her termination again.
So where did she go from here?
A cool breeze blew up the gauzy curtains and Nina shivered. Rubbing her arms, she eased out from beneath the sheet. She tiptoed to the spare bedroom and entered itsen suite bathroom. After a long shower, trying to figure out what the heck to do with her life from this point, she grabbed a plush robe off its hook and, fluff-drying her hair with a towel, emerged into the main room.
She stopped dead and caught her runaway breath.
Gabriel spun around to greet her while his dignified guest nodded cordially.
“I invited Dr Newman to check your ankle,” Gabriel said.
“Mr Steele filled me in on your ordeal.” The doctor indicated she should sit at the dinner table. “You’re very lucky he came along when he did.”
Nina tried to release the tension gripping her body, but what must the doctor think of her—an employee breaking that most sacred rule and spending the night with a guest? And, regardless of Gabriel saving her life, what right did he have calling the doctor without consulting her first? She felt like a child.
Clutching the robe closer to her neck, Nina cleared her throat. “Lucky…yes. But my ankle feels fine now, thank you.”
The doctor pushed his bifocals to the bridge of his nose, then released the clip on his bag. “Nevertheless…”
Nina evaluated the situation. Clearly she was in no position to win a stand-off. Two against one, and her ankle was telling her to cop it on the chin and sit down.
Trying to look poised in her towelling robe, she crossed to a chair, and five minutes later the doctor’s examination of her injuries was complete. He fished out some tablets, checked the label, and handed the pack over.
“Anti-inflammatories will help with that slight swelling and any pain.” He snapped shut his bag and straightened his tie. “Keep the wounds clean, take it easy on your feet, and call me if you have any concerns.”
Gabriel thanked the doctor for his time, and the moment the older man had let himself out Nina stood and gave Gabriel a look.
He arched his brows. “What?”
“I’m old enough to make my own appointments.”
He gathered her near, stole three or four slow closed-mouth kisses from her lips, and the lines of her defence typically started to slide.
With a crooked grin, he rubbed the tip of his nose with hers. “I was only looking out for you.”
His mouth lowered to kiss her again, but, feeling a little odd with Gabe Turner now that the daylight had come, she dodged and wove out of his arms. She knew he wasn’t that proud, aloof teenager any more, but still…
She dug her hands into the robe’s pockets. “Don’t you think this is weird?”
“You mean how good we are together?”
“That we’re together at all.” She lowered herself into the couch. “I know time’s supposed to heal all wounds, but you really didn’t like me.”
He tugged his ear. “I wouldn’t say that.”
She grinned. He might notsay it, but she knew what he was thinking. Once upon a time he’d loathed the sight of her.
She sat back. “My parents never seemed to notice the battle going on between us, though. I remember one morning Dad said he thought Gabe Turner was a decent, hardworking boy. I chewed my cornflakes, scowling, and wished I never had to see you again.”
As he folded down beside her, she stole a glance at him from beneath her lashes. Suddenly feeling like that fourteen-year-old again, she admitted, “My cheeks would burn whenever you walked by without so much as a hello. It was all I could do not to kick your shin.”
He chuckled. “Why didn’t you?”
“My mother said ladies never resort to violence.” Her gaze shied away and her voice lowered. “So I tried to hurt you another way.”
She’d let him know that while he mightthink he was hot stuff, he wasn’t fit to wash her father’s car.
She withered into herself and cringed. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I really was awful.”
He was searching her eyes, checking to see if she was patronising him, but then his earnest face dissolved. “Ah, you weren’t so bad.”
He was being nice. She’d been horrid. But now, as an adult, she could acknowledge that annoying burning tension for what it had been…rumblings of sexual curiosity whenever Gabe Turner’s impervious, marvellous presence entered a room. At fourteen, she’d been pretty clueless. Even if someone had pointed out that she’d had a crush on her brother’s best friend, she doubted she’d have known what to do about it.
Had he felt attracted to her back then—even in a “she’s a pain but still cute” kind of way? What would she have done if Geeky Gabe had silenced her snarky barbs with one perfect, penetrating kiss? At that age it wouldn’t have been appropriate.
They’d grown up a lot since then.
She glanced over again, smiled, and swallowed a laugh. “You were such a dork.”
“Hey, a lot of dorks have the smarts to make it in this world.” He threaded his fingers behind his head. “Anthony, on the other hand, was a complete jock. We made an odd pair—” his gaze intensified “—but we understood each other.”
She swung more towards him. “How did you two meet?”
A fond grin hitched up a corner of his mouth. “Anthony’s bike had a flat, and I stopped on mine to help. The next day he offered to coach me at gym. I kicked butt with those grades that term, and our friendship went from there.”
Remembering her carefree schooldays, Nina felt her heart contract. “I still miss him so much.”
Gabriel’s arms lowered and he took her hand. “After his accident I felt numb. It took me till midway through university, when I hooked up with Zane, before I got through a whole day without thinking about him.”
“You liked uni?”
His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “My aunt worked two jobs to pay for my private school education. I owed it to her to do well.” He grinned, remembering. “I wanted to buy her a penthouse in the heart of Sydney, and take her shopping at Tiffany’s for genuine pearl earrings.”
“Very nice.” Her tone changed when she added, “Your aunt would be proud of you now.”
“I have a way to go yet.” He fixed her with a serious gaze. “But we’re avoiding a very grave matter.”
Nina landed back in the here and now.
Gabriel wasn’t that adolescent geek any more. He was her boss, and he’d told her last night she was out of a job. She’d stayed with him last night, but was he about to break it to her that, nice as this little interlude had been, it was time to get her unemployed butt off his island? That their holiday fling was over?
“Thing is,” he began, and his hand tightened around hers, “I want to know why you slipped out of bed this morning without at least one kiss to start my day.”
She let go that breath. “A kiss?”
“At least one.”
He closed in to take what he’d missed. At the same time the knocker fell on the front door. Nina reflexively pulled back, but he tugged her close again.
“Whoever it is,” he murmured against her lips, “it’s not important.”
“How do you know?”
“Because nothing’s as important as this.”
His mouth covered hers, but the knocker sounded again, and again.
Growling, he pushed to his feet and held up an index finger. “Give me one minute.”
But as he strode towards the door Nina gathered her whirling thoughts. This last day and a half she’d felt as if she were on a seesaw—one
minute down and out, the next riding a rocket-ship-high.
Two things were certain. Gabriel needed to spend time on getting this island in shape. The working day had begun. It was time he got out there. Beyond that…as much as he inflated her tyres—as much as her switched-on body begged for his attention—she wouldn’t set foot in that bedroom again until they’d sorted a few things out.
When Gabriel opened the door, his head pulled back. Not who he was expecting.
“April?”
What was his PA—make thatex-PA—doing here?
A tissue at her cheek, April dragged herself into the centre of the room. Her diminutive shoulders hunched and blonde hair came forward as she blew her nose.
“I’m not going through with it,” she mumbled into the tissue.
Dumbfounded, Gabe followed her. “Through with…? You mean the wedding?”
She fixed him with accusing eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
She’d spoken of nothing else for six months. She’d told him she couldn’t live without this guy. She’d said how much her gown had cost, and he’d countered with, “That’s outrageous!” Now she was in tears. Calling everything off. And people wondered why he wasn’t rushing to tie any knots.
April’s watery expression changed as her redrimmed eyes focused on Nina. “Oh…sorry, I didn’t realise you had company.”
Nina was smiling uncertainly at their guest, while tugging the tie of her robe a little tighter. Gabriel exhaled. He guessed he should introduce them.
“April, this is Nina. Nina, this is April.” He realised how this must look—as if he’d picked her up overnight—and while it shouldn’t matter what April thought of anyone he saw, he added, “I’ve known Nina for years.”
Preoccupied, April nodded, then spoke to herself more than to either of them.
“I’ve only known Liam twelve months. One short year.” She collapsed into a chair and gazed unseeing at her sandalled pigeon-toed feet. “I felt as if we’d known each other for ever.”
Nina’s eyes questioned his. Gabriel shrugged, then edged forward. “What happened?”
“He wants me to sign a pre-nup.”
“You didn’t discuss it before now?”
In a daze, April shook her head. “He says his parents are insisting.”
“I didn’t think he had any money.”
April slid him a dry look. “Compared to someone like you, no one has any money.” She blew her nose again and spoke to Nina. “Wouldyou sign a pre-nup?”
Nina blinked several times then stammered, “I—I don’t think I’m the one to ask.”
“You don’t marry someone,” April expounded, “commit your life and heart and soul, but have a conditional clause ‘just in case.’”
Gabe stifled a groan. He couldn’t see the problem. There were plenty of women out there ready to grab what they could. “Pre-nups are common practice these days.”
“Well, these days suck!” April blew her nose again. “I’d love him no matter what.”
He shrugged. “Then sign.”
Nina spoke up. “If he trusted her, he wouldn’t ask her to sign.”
April sat a little straighter, then gave a solid nod.
Gabriel assessed the situation. He felt a lynching coming on, but realities couldn’t be ignored. Pre-nups weren’t heartless. They were useful tools in this modern-day, litigious, high-rate-of-divorce society. A better option was don’t say I do. Don’t move in together. Then property and other entitlement issues didn’t become a problem.
Keep it simple.
Fun.
Brief.
His gaze skated to Nina before he crossed to the fridge, extracted juice, and very nearly grinned at a selfish thought. He looked across at April. “You can always come back and work for me.”
She hadn’t heard. “I can’t see a way around this. Liam’s gotten so testy all of a sudden. He even complained about the service here this morning.”
Gabriel’s business mind swooped in. “The service?” Nina’s ears seemed to have pricked too.
April unfolded to her feet. “Don’t worry. The service is great.” Her brows pinched. “A little starchy, maybe.” She rubbed her arms. “Too serious, or something. And that main restaurant could use a push into the twenty-first century—” She stopped and her shoulders came down. “But I’m not your PA any more.” Her eyes began to fill. “I’m a woman who has to cancel her wedding.”
A small sob escaped, and Gabriel strode over to give her a brotherly hug.
“It’ll be okay. He’s just got cold feet.” He shivered, just thinking about it, and he was only a guest.
April blinked her big green eyes up at him. “You’re sure that’s all it is?”
“April, getting married is scary stuff.”
When April’s eyes flared and her bottom lip wobbled, Nina came forward.
“What Gabriel means is that it’s a big step in any person’s life.” Nina sent him an “enough on the advice” look, and Gabriel sent back a “what did I say?” shrug. “I’m sure your fiance will come around.”
April heaved a sigh then dredged up a smile. “Thanks—” she acknowledged Gabriel“—both of you. I just hope you’re right.”
She dabbed her eyes a final time and Gabriel let her out.
At the door, he spun back and rubbed his hands. “Now, where were we?”
“We were feeling terrible for April,” Nina reminded him as he spanned the distance separating them with “one-track mind” blinking like a neon sign on his forehead.
He threaded her fingers with his, drew two arcs in the air as he lifted her hands, and kissed each one while keeping his lidded gaze on hers. “If that’s what they both want, they’ll work it out.”
“You’re right. If he truly loves her, he’ll see nothing should stand in their way.”
Gabriel didn’t object, but he didn’t agree either. He merely began to lead her, hand in hand, towards his bedroom.
But she tugged back. “We need to talk.”
“And we will.” Hands on her waist, he bounced her up, like a human spear, into the air.
Caught between a laugh and a wail, she clutched onto his shoulders as he let her body slide, bit by bit, all the way down against his hard frame until her feet hovered an inch above the ground and their mouths finally met.
His kiss was drugging…so penetrating and involving that the sheer mastery of it—the undercurrent of ownership it conveyed—robbed her of any sense of time or place. Her nerve-endings were live wires by the time she realised he’d moved them into the bedroom…was lowering and tipping her back against the rumpled sheets and the jumble of downy pillows.
With deliberate calm, he set one fingertip to travel east over her collarbone. Her breasts warmed as his gaze followed the movement of his hand, which had skimmed nearer her cleavage. When his outside finger curved under her robe and over the mound of her left breast heat sizzled through her veins, condensing low in her belly before snaking down to stroke between her thighs.
Eyes drifting shut, she imagined him kneading her flesh, nipping and suckling those sensitive peaks again. When his breath brushed her cheek, her lips parted to take in more air. It was eight o’clock in the morning, and already she craved his mouth working over hers, his tongue delving, darting, showing no mercy and no signs of retreat.
His touch slid higher and found the curve of her jaw. The pad of his thumb circled under her chin before curling up over the rise and applying subtle pressure until her lips parted more. Her want simmered and steamed, a hot iron in the base of her belly. When she forced her eyes open his sparkling gaze was close, and she breathed out his name.
The hold on her jaw tightened as he brushed his bottom lip over hers, gently back and forth, up and then down. As if his erection was the South Pole, and her hips were super-charged magnets, she moved towards him, barely able to smother a moan of pure desire.
She was ready to give herself over to absolute passion when April’s tear-staine
d face flickered into her mind’s eye. Nina pushed the image aside—she would self-combust if she didn’t feel him inside her again soon—but Gabriel’s words…getting married is scary stuff…kept rolling over in her brain.
Scary was such an odd choice of word. It conjured up pictures of blood-sucking demons, or speeding around a hairpin turn with no brakes. Getting married was a serious affair—no argument. There was lots to consider. Precautions to take. But weddings shouldn’t be scary.
She realised his mouth had lifted from her collarbone. He was peering into her eyes, concern creasing his brow.
“Nina, what’s wrong? Your ankle hurting?”
She released the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “I can’t stop thinking about April.”
His nod was sombre. “It’s a worry, but it’s their business.” His mouth nipped her chin. “Right now, I’m only concerned about you and me.”
The warmth of his hand trailed up her leg, but a switch had been flicked on and Nina couldn’t switch it back.
“You and me?” she repeated, then shimmied away and sat up. “You’re right. We need to talk.”
Two fingers trailed down her exposed thigh. “We can talk later.”
She flipped the robe over her legs. “We should talk now.”
His breath seemed to lock in his chest before he exhaled, rolled on one side and propped his weight on an elbow, head resting on his palm. “Okay. Shoot.”
“This is where we are. We know each other’s true identities, names, circumstances, past and present. I no longer have a job, and I don’t want to be handed another one under the table. Finally, I’m being intimate with the man who gave me the axe.”
He considered her summary, then nodded once. “That would be true and correct.”
“So I’m thinking…” Her wry gaze darted left and right. “What happens now?”
“You heard the doctor. You need to stay off your feet. Since you’re no longer entitled to staff quarters, I’m happy to offer you accommodation here until I leave on Monday.”
She muttered, “Nothing like taking with one hand and giving with the other.”
Was Gabriel friend or foe? Her guardian angel or the devil in disguise?
He exhaled patiently. “Fact is Gabriel Steele can’t retain staff who don’t measure up—but Gabe Turner can’t turn Anthony’s sister out on her ear.” He covered her hand with his. “And the man who made love to you all night, who wants to make love to you now, can’t either. I’ll do anything to help you.. .except put you on another shift.”
