‘I didn’t think I’d see you again,’ he said.
She took a fortifying sip of champagne to wet her lips and distract her fluttering stomach.
‘You weren’t meant to,’ she said. ‘That was the whole point of having ground rules.’
‘Ah yes, the ground rules,’ he said, smiling. ‘Are they still in force? Should I make a quick exit stage left?’
She shrugged noncommittally.
‘You can if you want to. I’m sure Arabella would be happy to find some new people to introduce you to. I’ve seen so many faces I’m worn out with smiling. Not that I mind of course,’ she added quickly. ‘Free advertising like this doesn’t come along very often.’
He glanced around him.
‘I can’t imagine you need to talk yourself up. The garden pretty much speaks for itself. You really did this?’
She looked up to see him gesturing around them at the manicured lawns and brightly coloured beds.
‘No need to sound so surprised,’ she said. ‘I told you I was a gardener.’
‘I didn’t realise it was on this kind of scale.’
He probably thought she grew her own herbs and had a couple of window boxes. It wouldn’t be the first time. The term ‘gardener’ didn’t really communicate the years she’d spent developing her knowledge or the management skills needed to take a project like this from start to finish.
He was watching her intently. Even his gaze seemed to touch her physically. She was so on edge she could hardly stand still and now he took a step nearer, closing the gap between them. Her stomach responded with a delicious flutter and she distracted herself with a sip of her drink.
‘Why did you leave like that?’ he asked softly. ‘In the early hours without saying goodbye.’
It had almost been like a dream, waking up to find her gone, his mind and body aching with the night they’d spent together, her absence making it feel as if he’d imagined the whole thing.
‘Dent your ego, did it?’ she said. ‘Used to women fawning after you misty-eyed while you backtrack and look for a way out?’
He couldn’t stop a smile at that.
‘Well actually, yes,’ he said. ‘It made an interesting change.’
She smiled back and he felt that connection he’d had with her snap back into place as if it hadn’t gone. The interim six weeks dissipated. Six weeks that had been peppered with thoughts and recollections and wonderings about her that had driven him crazy. Who she was, where she lived, why she had been able to simply walk away with no comeback at all. No tracking him down, no bright carefully-casual phone messages at his work, no wondering if he might like to get together again. He’d heard it all before. Every girl except for this one, and it bothered him like an itch he couldn’t reach. He couldn’t help himself asking,
‘You regret it?’
She tilted her chin and surveyed him with her lovely grey-green eyes, a light blush touching her cheekbones.
‘None of it,’ she said. ‘I loved it. I But it was never going to be anything more than the one night, we both knew where we stood. I thought it was best to jump ship while I was ahead.’ The way she held his gaze made heat begin to pool in his stomach. ‘Also I did you a big favour. You didn’t have to see me in the morning, NOT a pretty sight.’
He laughed. He’d forgotten how much he liked the freshness of the way she looked. The honey coloured hair tumbled around her face in waves and she looked softly feminine in the silk dress and heels. No mask of makeup, just freckles on her nose and lightly tanned cheekbones.
‘I don’t believe that for a second.’
She shrugged and glanced around her as if she was thinking of moving away, finding the next person to talk to about her work. He felt an unexpected urge to keep her engaged, unheard of for him. This reversal in circumstances didn’t sit well with him. He was the one always moving on, trying to disengage. No girl he’d been with before had shown this maddening indifference.
‘You didn’t consider for a moment the idea of seeing me again?’
She gave him an intent look.
‘Ah, but that wasn’t the deal, was it? I wanted to keep it like that, perfect in my mind. I didn’t want to go down to breakfast and find out things about you that I didn’t like.’
‘Such as?’
She looked down at her glass.
‘Let’s just say I’m not looking for a relationship right now,’ she said. ‘Not with someone like you. Not with anyone, in fact.’
He was onto the caveat instantly.
‘Someone like me?’
She shook her head faintly as if to brush the comment off.
‘You know virtually nothing about me.’
His voice had lifted in tone and drew a couple of interested glances. Great. A loud public discussion of her recent dalliance. What a fabulous impression that would give to prospective new contacts. She needed to dispense with this. Quickly and privately.
‘Would you like to take a walk,’ she said. ‘Have a proper look at the garden.’
She didn’t wait for a reply, simply took the gravel path down the garden, away from the buzz of the terrace. He kept pace with her.
‘I didn’t mean to offend you,’ she said as soon as they were out of earshot. ‘And I don’t need an argument, not here. I’m trying to showcase my work, not show myself up.’
‘Level with me then,’ he said. ‘What did you mean, ‘someone like me’?’
Dusk was closing in now, coloured lanterns strung along the trees that lined the garden lent a softly twinkling glow to the party. Mellow jazz music was audible through the open French doors up at the house, fading softly as she led the way down the path and through the dense greenery at the end. She’d kept this area as it was, simply thinning out some of the more dominant plants and doing some cutting back to make the most of the small clearing beyond.
The warm green scent of the trees was heavy on the air, laced with smoke from the firepit being stoked back up on the flagstone area outside the house. The music was so faded now that she could hear the breeze whisper through the trees. She picked her way to the gate at the end of the garden and unlatched it. The house edged onto farmland and there was a small wood behind it that offered privacy. A five minute conversation away from her potential customers and she could get back up that garden path and carry on networking her way around the lawn. Oliver Forbes and the antsy way he made her feel was an unwelcome distraction, one she should be drawing a line under right now. If she could smooth things over with him, everything would be fine.
She walked a short distance into the wood and turned to face him. He was watching her levelly, his expression inscrutable.
‘You know the reason I was at the hotel,’ she said. ‘I was trying to make something useful of my stupid romantic mini-break.’ She sighed and leaned one hand against a tree trunk, the bark dry and rough beneath her fingers. ‘My boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, used to work away a lot. Staying in hotels all over the country.’
She gave a wry laugh and flashed a glance at Oliver to see if he was following. His gaze didn’t waver.
‘Turned out he wasn’t just working, if you get my drift. He was picking up women in hotel rooms.’
She saw the flash of instant understanding in his eyes.
‘I get it,’ he said. ‘Like me. That’s what you think of me, is it? The low-life cheated on you and you’re pitching me at the same level.’
His expression darkened.
‘You told me yourself it wasn’t the first time you’d taken someone to bed that you’d only just met,’ she pointed out.
He glanced skyward in a gesture of exasperation.
‘The difference is, I wasn’t cheating on anyone. I never have done and I never would. We were both free agents, no one was getting hurt. I didn’t realise I was being judged on someone else’s behaviour. I thought we were both adults and we both knew where we stood,’ he added, clearly implying that he was the grown-up in this scenario. ‘Obviously I was wrong.’
She felt suddenly very childish and an awkward pause followed as she groped for a way to regain her footing in the conversation.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘When I woke up next to you I got this thought in my head about all those times I’d been at home, working hard, saving up for our future, while Joe was away having hotel-room-flings. I suddenly realised there might be some other girl at home waiting for you, thinking you were away working. I didn’t feel right with that, so a quick exit seemed the best thing.’
‘I’d told you I was single. You didn’t believe me? You didn’t consider waking me up to double check?’
She gave a small smile.
‘I’d only just met you. You could have told me whatever you liked. And as we’d agreed it was just the one night there wouldn’t be much point double checking, would there?’
He smiled at that and tension slipped a notch. He dug his hands into his pockets and walked a half circle around her, still keeping his distance, as if thinking things over.
‘And now you know there isn’t any girl pining at home? Would you have behaved differently?’
He waited for her answer, looking down at the ground.
‘I might not have rushed off in the early hours,’ she said. ‘But it was still only ever going to be the one time.’
A pause, she could hear the whisper of the leaves in the light breeze, birds singing. Her favourite sounds.
‘What if I said I were to suggest making it more than that,’ he said.
She caught her breath as the steamy details of their last encounter danced through her mind, yet the wounds from Joe’s betrayal were raw enough still to make it easy to decline. The thought of dating again filled her with trepidation. She just couldn’t face putting herself through it, investing all that emotion and trust only to have it crushed.
‘I meant it when I said I don’t want a relationship,’ she said. ‘I’m not in the place for that right now, not after Joe. I just want to concentrate on my work and build up the business.’
‘I don’t want a relationship either,’ he said, voice matter-of-fact. ‘Not now and not for the foreseeable. That wasn’t what I was suggesting. That’s why this could be perfect.’
She looked up and in his eyes she could see exactly what he meant.
‘Think about it,’ he said. ‘Same rules as last time. No strings. No comeback. We see each other when we both want to, and when it’s over we walk away. Simple.’
Her heartbeat began to climb and she leaned back against the tree because her knees seemed to have developed a strange elastic quality. Heat simmered its way from her stomach to the tops of her thighs.
This was playing with fire. The smart thing to do would be to go back up the path, carry on circulating, bag herself a few new contracts, maybe. Her mind, unconvinced, treated her to a simmering replay of their last encounter, the delectable things he’d done to her, the way he’d touched her. He had pushed her to a place so delicious she’d believed that one visit would be enough to last her forever. Now with more on offer, she found a greedy part of her surfacing that wanted to go back for more, take as much as she could get. That part of her wondered why the hell she was hesitating. Why shouldn’t she enjoy life for a change instead of being at the receiving end of all the crap? There was no danger of getting in too deep here, she was in total control, after Joe the last thing she was about to do was fall for someone. The idea of that was laughable. This thing between Oliver and herself was physical, no more.
Her stomach softened like warm chocolate just at the memory of how it had been with him in his hotel room, the feel of his hands on her skin, his lips gliding over her body, his fingers exploring her. Now she knew he was single and there was no poor wronged girlfriend lurking in the background, what was to stop her? Neither of them wanted some emotionally-draining long term relationship. What the hell was so wrong in just shutting out the emotion? If men could have a no-strings, no-risk fling, and simply walk away when they’d had enough, then women could too.
‘Maybe we could revise the ground rules,’ she said.
Sensing victory, he moved towards her and tugged her by the hand to face him, sliding his hand around her waist. The silk dress she was wearing flowed lightly through his fingers as he explored the contours of her skin through the thin fabric. Her light flowery scent was fresh and new, like she was part of the garden, and his senses were assaulted by his sudden need for her.
In a few firm strides he backed her towards the tree trunk, green leaves hanging in fronds around them, privacy provided by the dusk and the wood, although beyond the fence the party carried on without them.
‘New ground rules, then?’ he said against her cheek.
Izzy automatically reached hands out to circle his neck, instantly recalling his broadness, the way it had felt to touch him, as if it had been yesterday and not weeks ago.
‘Well…’ she whispered into his hair ‘…this will not be a relationship. No going out on dates, no meeting my friends or –heaven forbid- my parents. No grief. My work comes first.’
His lips grazed her neck and she realised she was gabbling and forced herself to focus.
‘And when it’s over, we draw a line under it and go our separate ways. This isn’t going to be friends with benefits. I have friends. It’s just going to be…well… benefits.’
She felt him smile against her neck.
‘Agreed,’ he whispered, his breath warm on her skin. As he slipped a hand beneath the silk of her skirt, across the sensitive skin of her thighs, Izzy felt rough bark press against her lower back. His lips moved to meld against hers, his other hand tangling in her hair as he explored her mouth softly with his tongue. His fingers crept higher, caressing their way to the tops of her thighs and she drew in a quivering breath as his fingertips teased their way beneath her panties. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut but she felt his mouth smile against hers in response to her reaction.
‘Not here,’ she squeaked. ‘I’m supposed to be working.’
Yet even as she spoke the party seemed to fade to the edge of her consciousness.
Her traitorous body squirmed against him, wanting more. Her hands betrayed her, sliding lower, and she felt him catch his breath as she traced her fingers over his erection. He let out a guttural moan that filled her with excitement as she caressed him. As she began to tug at his belt, all thought of networking floating away like smoke from the firepit, he used his free hand to catch both her wrists, stopping her distraction so he could focus on her properly.
His fingers teased beneath her skirt, pulling her panties free and stroking gently at her swollen entrance until she was writhing and desperate for him to slide them inside her. He made her wait, holding her wrists lightly together at the base of her spine, revelling in indulging her completely. When he had her twisting against him, breathing hard, his hand slick with her desire, he eased his finger deep into the silken warmth of her, adding a second finger in response to her gasp, then a third, moving slowly and steadily now, his thumb circling her most sensitive spot, rhythmically moving until he felt her climax approaching in the tension of her body and the deep moan that escaped her throat. He replaced his mouth against hers, letting the sweet hiss of her breath mingle with his as he tipped her over the edge.
He was back in control. The feeling of power deep inside him as he brought her to orgasm made him want to take this further, have her again right here and now. He made himself hold back. He would make her wait now, play this out the way he wanted to. And when he walked away this time it would be on his terms and he would have no need to look back. He would exhaust this misplaced physical desire for her and then his mind would stop dwelling on her and he could move on.
‘What about you?’ she asked, trying to catch her breath. ‘That didn’t seem fair.’ He was straightening his clothes, the expression on his face like the cat that had got the cream, finished it, and gone back in for seconds.
‘Plenty of time for that,’ he said.
&n
bsp; She straightened her dress and ran a hand through her hair, wondering if what she’d just done might show on her face.
‘I need to get back to the party,’ she said, moving back towards the garden, opening the gate. ‘You’re such a bad influence, I’m meant to be networking.’
He followed her, hands in his pockets, relaxed smile on his face.
‘So network,’ he called after her. ‘Come and work for me.’
The terrace came back into view as they walked through the greenery at the bottom of the garden. Hurricane lamps flickered on tables and people mingled in the soft light of the fire pit. The smell of woodsmoke clung to the air.
She turned back to look at him, a light frown touching her eyebrows.
‘Seriously? You mean you actually want me to redesign your garden.’
‘Among other things,’ he said, catching her up in a couple of easy strides.
He leaned in and spoke softly in her ear.
‘On these terms there doesn’t need to be an end to it. No ties, no strings. Just fun. Don’t you think you deserve some of that?’
‘Everything has to end at some point,’ she countered.
He inclined his head.
‘Of course it does. So we enjoy it while it lasts, and when one or both of us are done with it we walk away. No comeback, no painful break-up, no strings. Or maybe you think you won’t be able to distance yourself like that now?’
The arrogance of him! She was mesmerised by the sex, definitely. But that hunger didn’t extend to wanting to get to know him or share time with him, why would it?
The flash of danger was somehow intoxicating, she felt like she was playing a role, one much more exciting than her own sensible life. But with Joe’s behaviour ever on the fringe of her consciousness, she knew that a role was all it really was. Feelings didn’t come into it.
‘I need to rejoin the party now,’ she said, then raised her voice as Arabella approached them. ‘But I’ll arrange a time for us to talk about the specifications of your garden design. ‘Shall we take things from there?’
She held his gaze and she could see from the slight nod and the flash of a smile that he understood completely.
Your Room or Mine? Page 5
