Hard To Regret: Scarlet Bay Book 1

by Kris Pearson

  Jason ran his tongue around his teeth, trying not to laugh. “Mmm - possibly. dn’t thought oif it like thatHaHNot consciously.”

  “Oh, come on, I don’t believe that. You even came into the kitchen with the second sausage and gave me the full close-up view with the fabric all wet and clingy.”

  “Jesus - did I?” His grin finally broke free.

  “And I guess it kind of worked,” she conceded, as a cruising cab slowed when Jason raised his arm.

  *

  “What are we doing today?” she asked, stretching so she could run her toes down Jason’s long muscular leg. He smelled delicious - of cotton sheets and the remnants of last night’s cologne. She squinted at the bedside clock-radio. Eleven thirty-five. Where had the morning gone?

  Well, there were several answers to that, and they were sex, toast and marmalade from some bread she’d found in the freezer, and sex again.

  “You need some proper food,” she murmured. “I should have bought steaks on the way so I could do you a hot builder’s breakfast.”

  “You were a very hot breakfast,” he said in the deep suggestive voice she was now pretty well addicted to. “I enjoyed eating you.” He stroked a big hand up her thigh and cupped it over her mound, teasing her clit with his thumb, and once again she couldn’t stop her indrawn breath of anticipation.

  “Not exactly nourishing,” she muttered, “but I enjoyed you eating me, too, you insatiable man. Anyway, I meant a breakfast for a hot builder, not a hot breakfast.”

  He laughed - a soft, satisfied chuckle. “Yeah, a decent meal would be good.” His hand continued upward, pulled the sheet down, and caressed her breasts - playing with her nipples until the combination of cooler air and clever fingers had them hardening to tight peaks.

  “Now look what you’ve done.”

  He bent his head and obediently looked. “Too good to ignore,” he agreed, scooping a firm hand around the curve of one breast and holding it steady so he could scrape his teeth lightly over her.

  She let out a long groan which combined delight with annoyance. “We need to get up.”

  “I already am.”

  Anna groped around in the bed. Found he indeed was. “Not like that,” she protested. “Haven’t you had enough yet?”

  Instantly, he rolled, pressing her down into the mattress with his heavy body. “I might never get enough of you. Not if we only have a few more days.” He slanted his mouth over hers in a long tender kiss, and then eased himself aside, sighing. “No, you’re right, Frosty. We’d better eat, and I guess I can have you again tonight.”

  But she needed him immediately to erase the new ache inside her! “Aren’t you going to do me now?”

  “No.” He nudged his nose against hers. “Do you good to wait until we get home. You can think about it all day and really be sparking by tonight. ”

  There was just no answer to that - or none she was willing to voice anyway. She shot him a sideways glare and levered herself upright. “Do you need the bathroom, or can I go first?”

  “She’s gone sulky on me,” Jason murmured. “Am I withholding your treat? Poor Frosty. All thawed out and nowhere to steam.” His broad grin told her he was enjoying this far more than he had any right to.

  Anna threw the bedcover aside and stomped away. Well damn! But the minute she arrived back, clean and fragrant, and still just a little annoyed, he tipped her on her back, settled his face between her legs, and granted her the orgasm which, to be honest, she’d been obsessing about ever since she’d left the bed.

  She lay there panting, and patted his shoulder. “One more quickie for you. Come on - you’ve made me so wet again. I’m Juicy Lucy.”

  His whoop of laughter set her giggling too.

  “Really fast?” he asked, reaching for a condom. “You don’t mind?”

  “After that? Hardly! Make it all for you. Just go for it. Then I’ll finally let you out of my evil clutches.”

  She watched his eyes darken. Watched them for the few moments it took for him to roll the condom on. Watched as he stood, looming over her, looking down. Watched as he gazed past her to the pile of pillows, grabbed a couple, and stacked them on the edge of the bed.

  Then he bent and picked her up, lifted her forward, set her on the pillows, and confined her ankles in his big capable hands. “I want your feet on my shoulders. Keep them there. You said fast?”

  Anna drew a shuddering breath. She nodded.

  “And tight is okay?”

  Jeez, he was big, but he hadn’t hurt her yet, so…

  “As tight and deep as you like.”

  He grimaced as he tilted her backward. It looked almost as though he was doing this against his will, and a frisson of fear ran through her. Then she found herself flat on her back, totally exposed, hips raised up toward him.

  His dark eyes became hooded as he continued gazing down at her. “Tell me if it’s too much.” He lifted her feet onto his shoulders, ran his hands down to her knees, and held them together, hiding her view of everything except his fantastic shoulders and brooding face.

  He leaned forward, and the end of his cock made contact and tested her readiness. Groaning, he eased just the tip of himself inside her and held, still watching with those hypnotic eyes. Then he sank - deep and deeper - pushing into the heart of her body again and again as she gasped and moaned at the intense sensations. His hands slid from her knees down to her thighs, pressing them together, wrapping around them, keeping her tight.

  God! The contact was amazing. Every sensitised nerve ending lit up as he ground himself further and further inside her, faster and faster, looking more like a man in pain than in ecstasy.

  “Still okay?” he gasped.

  “Yes!”

  And he came, his face contorting, his eyes squeezing closed, his mouth open in a soundless yell for a few seconds before he pressed his lips together again and flicked his gaze back to hers.

  Mine, she thought.

  My man. The one who wants me and isn’t afraid to show it. The one who banishes anyone else to the shadows.

  Her thoughts were crystal clear and totally possessive. She now wanted Jason Jones for a lot longer than a few days.

  CHAPTER 16 – WALLS AND FENCES

  The rest of their time passed swiftly. They wandered the short distance down Mount Victoria and ate at a sunny table outside one of the Courtenay Place cafes, then spent an enjoyable hour at the Te Papa National Museum. Jason led her up to the permanent art collection, and they alternately admired and criticised the famous pieces on display.

  “People aren’t going to like everything of mine,” he said. “But I’m planning to give them variety. As long as they like some of it…”

  Mid-afternoon found them packing Anna’s unwanted plates into a cardboard box and loading them in the van with their bags. They drove to the gallery to see where his exhibition would be, and then back to Scarlet Bay. She was just reaching for the All Black cap and sunglasses when Jason’s curse distracted her.

  “Jesus! What the…?? That bastard!”

  Anna followed his gaze along to where the newly constructed wall supporting the driveway up to Trev’s house shone in the afternoon sun. She forgot all about her disguise.

  They’d been gone one day, and in that time Trev’s gang had come down onto the cottage’s land, levelled the footings, and stacked the big expanse of interlocking concrete pieces to make a wall – probably half as high as it eventually needed to be.

  “One fucking day we’ve been gone and he’s got this done?” Jason braked in his customary park and leaped out to stand staring, feet planted well apart, surveying the transformation. All evidence of the initial fallen rocks had been removed - concealed no doubt as backfill in behind the concrete blocks.

  Anna remembered the way Cam had sat on Jossy’s settee, legs apart. ‘Just being a man’, Jason had said, and now he was doing it himself - facing up to the enemy balls-first.

  She laid a hand on his arm. “But they’d have plann
ed it well before yesterday. You can’t magic up something this size overnight. All the blocks must have been ordered a while ago.”

  Jason nodded gloomily. “Might have been stored under those tarps down the far end.”

  “And it was probably blind luck that we weren’t here – we didn’t decide to go until yesterday afternoon, and we didn’t tell anyone we’d be gone.”

  “Unless they were watching and biding their time. Puts Trev in a better position now, doesn’t it? All of the sudden the house he built is looking a lot tidier. Site office gone, driveway supported, evidence of the slip hidden.”

  “The wall’s not finished yet though,” Anna said.

  “No - but he’s maximising his chances of getting the other contract.”

  “For your house,” Anna said, tucking a hand through his arm as he stood there, spread legged, hands on hips, bristling with fury.

  “Yeah, my house,” Jason repeated.

  He shook her arm away and began to pace - up and down the length of the swiftly constructed wall now stretching halfway across the back of the property. “Wonder how he got them to work on a Sunday? Stevo and Bazza? Unheard of for those lazy bastards. Come on - I’m going up for a look.” He grabbed her hand again, and instead of taking the rough steps behind the hedge, he walked her out onto the street and then up the asphalted driveway to ‘his’ house.

  “Trev’s drive’s still not finished,” she said, hoping to cheer him up. “You did yours a while ago?”

  “A couple of weeks back. Once all the heavy vehicles were out of the way. We’ve been keeping everyone except essential suppliers off. This land lies differently to Trev’s. I didn’t need to build a wall to retain it.”

  “If you get some shrubs into Hoolie’s planter boxes in the next day or so it’ll look just as finished.”

  He rubbed his hand across his chin. “I’m going to do a quick check to make sure there was no other damage last night.”

  They did a slow circuit of the house and walked back to the van in silence. Without being asked, she climbed in and accompanied him home.

  *

  Next morning the sun poured down over Eddie’s seat as Jason carried two mugs of coffee through the shortcut to the beach and set them down. Anna followed him more slowly. On her tray were bowls of muesli, spoons, a container of milk, and a plate of toast.

  “Not your usual breakfast,” she teased. “And I deprived you yesterday, too.”

  He smirked as he reached for the bowls. “If that was deprivation, bring it on.”

  They sat in companionable silence as they ate. The warm wind blew the spume off the waves in tossing clouds. “White horses,” Anna said between mouthfuls. “That’s what my grandmother always calls them when they’re like this and the spray blows everywhere.”

  “My mother did too.” His grin faded.

  “You always lived near a beach?”

  “Pretty much. Trev likes fishing.” He lifted his coffee mug, hoping she wouldn’t ask more.

  Anna swallowed her muesli. “We moved quite a lot. My mother wanted bigger and better houses. My Dad was too busy to be much bothered - with his law practice, and then he was called to the bar.” She stirred her spoon around, poking at the sultanas to make a neat pile in the centre, and then pushing them back down again. “Tennis more than fishing with him. We’ll have to find you more to eat than this.”

  Jason’s mouth twisted, enjoying her concern, but picturing luxurious houses with gardens large enough to have tennis courts. And swimming pools too. “Yep - I’ll be burning the calories off. Another physical day today. Prepping with Manu and Billy for a job at the campground.” He caught her enquiring glance and added, “The two brothers who don’t get on with Eric. We’re upgrading the ablutions block there. Well, we’re building an entirely new one before the old one comes down.”

  “So I won’t see much of you?”

  Was that a hint of disappointment in her expression and a slight catch in her voice? He hoped it was. His gut churned every time he imagined her politely brushing him off and leaving him behind. “I’ll be around this afternoon, but not this morning. Devon has rejigged his appointments to get all your fancy toilets in today, and that’s pretty much us finished.”

  He saw her lips press together.

  “And is it pretty much ‘us’ finished as well?” Her blue eyes sought his.

  Jason gained a few seconds by laying down his spoon, ripping the crust off a slice of toast, and throwing it onto the sand where a hopeful seagull had been waddling back and forth. Immediately several others swooped down and tried to steal it.

  If she was brave enough to ask, he needed to scrape up the courage to reply. Some long-shored-up hole in his heart had weakened, and yearning flooding through the rift in an unstoppable stream. How long since he’d allowed himself to get this close to anyone?

  He tossed the rest of the slice out to the birds and reached for her hand. “I don’t want us to be finished. You’re special, Frosty. A bit too special for me.”

  Anna made a soft sound of dismay and dissension.

  He tried to clamp his jaw shut then, but the words slunk out anyway. “You make me want more. Enough so I can be worthy of you.”

  “You’re worthy of anyone,” she said quietly, her fingers flexing against his.

  “I’m cleaning up my act,” he insisted.

  “But I like you the way you are.”

  He bulldozed over her protest. “I’ll go ahead with the extra website with Hoolie. I’ll put every damn ounce of effort I’ve got into this exhibition. I want to see a lot more of you this week, and when the house deal gets decided that’s going to determine if anything else can happen.”

  A tiny wrinkle appeared on her brow. “Meaning what?”

  “If I get the contract, then with your family’s permission I’ll enter the current house in the House of the Year Awards. Maybe then we can… see each other for longer. Openly.”

  “I’d like that. Not that I consider it much of their business.” A slight smile twitched at her lips.

  “I’m not willing to put the contract at risk until I hear. Sorry.” He swallowed against the possible pain of losing the work to Trev. “So anything public is ‘on hold’ until then, but I’ll hope to see more of you in private?”

  Anna spooned in the last of her muesli, and chewed.

  Jason watched as she blinked her beautiful clear blue eyes. “I know you’ll be tied up with family stuff, Frosty, but what we have is good. For me, anyway.” He lowered his head and took a deep, slow breath of resolve. “I want us to swing some more time together. I don’t want to lose you yet.” He looked across at her again and saw her gulp the final mouthful down. “I know,” he continued doggedly, “that our backgrounds are way different and that we live too far apart.”

  Going for broke now, he sharpened his gaze. “But I want you. And if we’re still okay once your holiday is over, then maybe I can do some overnighters in Wellington with you, and you could come up here for weekends with me. When you can. If it’s still good.” He fell silent. His cards were on the table now - for better or worse.

  Anna ran her tongue over her teeth. “Are you done?”

  “All I’ve got.”

  She set her bowl down on the tray. “It won’t be easy. I’m a cautious person and this is way out of my comfort zone.”

  Shit - she’s going to turn me down?

  “But,” she continued, reaching across and stroking his arm. “I agree. We’re amazing together. What have we had? Three or four days? Barely that. You can’t count the first morning.”

  “Yes I can,” he insisted. “Not a morning I’m ever going to forget. You appearing so suddenly at the open doorway and all my senses sharpening as though you were danger and treat and temptation all rolled into one.”

  Her mouth opened on a silent gasp.

  “Of course you were. Knocked me off my feet. Couldn’t you see it?”

  She stayed quiet for several seconds, then shrugged. �
��Maybe, because it was... mutual. When I say I’m cautious I mean I’ve had reasons to guard my life and my privacy, and you were so challenging. When your dad’s a judge, you’re a target. Always on display. Certain things are expected. Constant good behaviour.” She bit her lip but when she released it she was smiling. “And you made ‘bad’ such an attractive proposition. I’m probably saying too much.”

  “But I’m liking it.” He couldn’t stop his answering grin as he rose from the sunny seat and threaded a finger through the mug handles. He bent and kissed her hair. “Come on Frosty - things to do.”

  *

  The moment Jason parked the van, Essie from the house next door approached them.

  “I’ve got a job for you,” she announced. “Hello dear,” she added to Anna. “My George has put his foot through the deck and we can’t have it dangerous for the grandchildren at Christmas. I thought of you the moment I saw you drive in together yesterday.”

  “Hello Essie,” Anna said, silently cursing her old neighbour’s sharp eyes.

  “I’ve got a fair bit on right now,” Jason said. “But let me have a quick look anyway.”

  He carried Anna’s bag and laptop inside while she followed with the box of plates. Then they all trooped next door. One of the planks in the steps up to the old deck had given way.

  “Been bouncy for a long time, that one,” white-haired George said.

  Jason gave it a prod and shook his head. “Stand back - I want to try something.” He raised a foot and stomped down hard on the next step. The timber cracked.

  “That’s what you get with the lowest quote,” Essie said, glaring at George.

  Jason shook his head. “Years ago they changed the way they preserved pine planking for a while. Until they started getting failures. Balconies giving way and so on. Can you remember things like that on the TV news?”

  “So that means the whole lot’s bad?” George asked, nodding morosely.

  “Just the excuse I needed,” Essie exclaimed. “I had a little win on Lotto a while ago. You can’t take it with you, so I decided I wanted a spa-pool. Now we’ll get a bigger deck as well.” She narrowed her eyes at George and then looked up at Jason. “You’ll build it for me, won’t you dear?”