Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Series Books 16-20

by Brenda Jackson

  * * *

  “Would either of you like some more snacks?”

  Callum jumped and then quickly turned his face away from Gemma to glance up at the smiling flight attendant. He drew in a deep breath before responding. “No, thanks. I don’t want anything.”

  He knew that was a lie the moment he’d said it. He did want something, but what he wanted only the woman sitting beside him could give.

  The flight attendant then glanced over at Gemma and she responded in a shaky voice. “No, I’m fine.”

  It was only after the attendant had moved on that Callum glanced at Gemma. Her back was to him while she looked out the window. He suspected that she was going to pretend nothing had happened between them a few moments ago. There was no doubt in his mind that they would have kissed if the flight attendant hadn’t interrupted them.

  “Gemma?”

  It took her longer than he felt was necessary to turn around and when she did, she immediately began talking about something that he couldn’t have cared less about. “I was able to pack my color samples, Callum, so that you’ll get an idea of what will best suit your home. I’ll give you my suggestions, but of course the final decision will be yours. How do you like earth-tone colors? I’m thinking they will work best.”

  He fought the urge to say that what would work best would be to pick up where they’d left off, but instead he nodded and decided to follow her lead for now. In a way he felt good knowing that at least something had been accomplished today. She had finally become aware of him as a man. And he was giving her time to deal with that. He wouldn’t push her, nor would he rush things for now. He would let nature take its course and with the degree of passion they exhibited a short while ago, he had no reason to think that it wouldn’t.

  “I happen to like earth-tone colors, so they will probably work for me,” he said, although he truly didn’t give a royal damn. The bottom line was whatever she liked would work for him because he had every intention of her sharing that house with him.

  “That’s good, but I intend to provide you with a selection of vibrant colors, as well. Reds, greens, yellows and blues are the fashionable hues now. And we can always mix them up to create several bold splashes. Many people are doing that now.”

  She continued talking, and he would nod on occasion to pretend he was listening. If she needed to feel she was back in control of things, then so be it. He relaxed in his seat, tilted his head and watched ardently as her mouth moved while thinking what he would love doing to that mouth if given the chance. He decided to think positive and concentrated on what he would do with that mouth when he got the chance.

  * * *

  A few moments after Callum closed his eyes, Gemma stopped talking, satisfied that she had talked him to sleep. She had discussed some of everything with him regarding the decorating of his home to make sure they stayed on topic. The last thing she wanted was for him to bring up what almost happened between them. Just the thought of how close they’d come to sharing a kiss, right here on this airplane, had her pulse racing something awful.

  She had never behaved inappropriately with a client before and wasn’t sure exactly what had brought it on today. She would chalk it up as a weak moment when she’d almost yielded to temptation. When she had noticed just how close their mouths were, it had seemed a perfectly natural thing to want to taste his lips. Evidently, he’d felt the same way about hers, because his mouth had been inching toward hers with as much enthusiasm as hers had moved toward his. She was grateful for the flight attendant’s timely interruption.

  Had the woman suspected what they had been about to do? The thought had made Gemma’s head heat up with embarrassment. Her heart was racing and the palms of her hands felt damp just thinking about it. She readjusted the pillow behind her head, knowing she would have to regain control of senses jolted by too much turbulence. Callum was just a man. He was a client. A friend of her family. He was not someone she should start thinking about in a sexual way.

  She had gone twenty-four years without giving any man a second thought and going another twenty-four the same way suited her just fine.

  Four

  Gemma glanced around the spacious hotel where she and Callum would be staying for the night—in separate rooms, of course. Once their plane had landed, she had given herself a mental shake to make sure all her senses were back under control. Fortunately, the rest of the flight had been uneventful. Callum had kept his lips to himself and she had kept hers where they belonged. After a while, she had begun feeling comfortable around him again.

  They’d taken a taxi from the airport. Callum had informed her that a private car service would arrive the next morning to take them to his parents’ home. Gemma assumed they would be staying with his parents for the duration of the trip.

  She thought this hotel was beautiful and would rival any of the major chains back home. The suite was spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto Sydney, which at this hour was dotted with bright lights.

  Because she had slept a lot on the plane, she wasn’t sleepy now. In fact, she was wide awake, although the clock on the nightstand by the bed indicated that it was after midnight. It was hard to believe that on the other side of the world in Denver they were trailing a day behind and it was eight in the morning.

  She strolled to the window and looked out. She missed Denver already, but she couldn’t help being fascinated by all the things she’d already seen. Although their plane had landed during the night hours, the taxi had taken them through many beautiful sections of the city that were lit up, and showed just how truthful Callum had been when he’d said that there was no place in the world quite like Sydney.

  Gemma drew in a deep breath and tried to ignore a vague feeling of disappointment. Even though she was glad Callum hadn’t mentioned their interrupted kiss, she hadn’t expected him to completely ignore her. Although they’d shared conversation since, most of it had been with him providing details about Sydney and with her going over information about the decorating of his home. The thought that he could control his emotions around her so easily meant that, although he had been drawn to her for that one quick instant, he didn’t think she was worth pursuing. If those were his thoughts, she should be grateful, instead of feeling teed off. Her disappointment and irritation just didn’t make any sense.

  She left the window and crossed the hotel room to the decorative mirror on the wall to study her features. Okay, so she hadn’t looked her best after the eighteen-hour plane flight, but she had taken a shower and had freshened up since then. Too bad he couldn’t see her now. But overall, she hadn’t looked awful.

  Gemma couldn’t help wondering what kind of woman would interest Callum. She was totally clueless. She’d never seen him with a woman before. She knew the types Zane and Derringer preferred dating—women who were all legs, beautiful, sophisticated, shallow, but easy to get into bed. For some reason she couldn’t see Callum attracted to that type of woman.

  There were times she wished she had a lot of experience with men and was not still a twenty-four-year-old virgin. There had been a number of times during her college days when guys had tried, although unsuccessfully, to get her into bed. When they had failed, they’d dubbed her “Ice Princess Gemma.” That title hadn’t bothered her in the least. She’d rather be known as an ice princess than an easy lay. She smiled, thinking that more than one frustrated stud had given up on seducing her. Giving up on her because she refused to put out was one thing, but ignoring her altogether was another.

  A part of her knew the best thing to do was to relegate such thoughts to the back of her mind. It was better that he hadn’t followed up on what had almost happened between them. But another part of her—the one that was a woman with as much vanity as any other female—hadn’t liked it one bit and couldn’t let it go.

  A smile swept across her lips. Callum had suggested that they meet in the morning for breakfast before the car arrived to take them to his parents’ home. That was fine w
ith her, because she would be meeting his parents and she wanted to look her best. The last thing she wanted was for them to think he’d hired someone who didn’t know how to dress professionally. So tomorrow she would get rid of her usual attire of jeans and a casual top and wear something a little more becoming.

  She would see just how much Callum could ignore her then.

  * * *

  Callum got up the next morning feeling as tired as he’d been when he went to bed past midnight. He had tossed and turned most of the night, frustrated that he hadn’t taken the opportunity to taste Gemma’s lips when the chance to do so had been presented to him.

  Every part of his body hardened with the memory of a pair of luscious lips that had been barely a breath away from his. And when she had tilted her head even more to him, placing her lips within a tongue reach, he had felt the lower part of his body throb.

  The desire that had flowed between them had been anything but one-sided. Charged sensations as strong as any electrical current had surged through both their bodies and he had fought back the urge to unsnap her seat belt and pull her into his lap while lapping her mouth with everything he had.

  He remembered the conversations they’d shared and how she’d tried staying on course by being the consummate professional. While she’d been talking, his gaze had been fixated on her mouth. He couldn’t recall a woman who could look both sexy and sweet at the same time, as well as hot and cool when the mood suited her. He loved all the different facets of Gemma, and he planned on being a vital part of each one of them. How could any man not want to?

  Minutes later, after taking a shower and getting dressed, he left his hotel room to walk a few doors down to where Gemma had spent the night. Just the thought that she had been sleeping so close had done something to him. He wondered if she had gotten a good night’s sleep. Or had she tossed and turned most of the night, as he had? Probably not. He figured she had no idea what sexual frustration was all about. And if she did, he didn’t want to know about it, especially if some other man ruled her thoughts.

  The possibility of that didn’t sit well with him, since he couldn’t handle the thought of Gemma with any other man but him. He pulled in a deep breath before lifting his hand to knock on her door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Callum.”

  “Just a moment.”

  While waiting, he turned to study the design of the wallpaper that covered the expanse of the wall that led to the elevator. It was a busy design, but he had to admit that it matched the carpet perfectly, pulling in colors he would not have normally paid attention to.

  He shook his head, remembering that Gemma had gone on and on about different colors and how her job would be to coordinate them to play off each other. He was surprised that he could recall any of her words when the only thoughts going through his mind had been what he’d like doing to her physically.

  “Come on in, Callum. I just need to grab a jacket,” she said upon opening the door.

  He turned around and immediately sucked in a deep breath. He had to lean against the doorframe to keep from falling. His Gemma wasn’t wearing jeans and a top today. Instead, she was dressed in a tan-colored skirt that flowed to her ankles, a pair of chocolate-suede, medium-heeled shoes and a printed blouse. Seeing her did something to every muscle, every cell and every pore of his body. And his gut twisted in a knot. She looked absolutely stunning. Even her hair was different. Rather than wearing it in a ponytail she had styled it to hang down to her shoulders.

  He’d only seen her a few other times dressed like this, and that had been when they’d run into each other at church. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, feeling a gigantic tug in his chest as he watched her move around the room. He became enmeshed in her movements and how graceful and fluid they were.

  “Did you get a good night’s sleep, Callum?”

  He blinked when he noticed that she stood staring at him, smiling. Was he imagining things or did he see amusement curving her lips? “I’m sorry, what did you ask?”

  “I wanted to know if you got a good night’s sleep. I’m sure it felt good being back home.”

  He thought about what she said and although he could agree that it was good being back home, it felt even better having her here with him. He’d thought about this a number of times, dreamed that he would share his homeland with her. He had six weeks and he intended to make every second, minute and hour count.

  Apparently, she was waiting for his response. “Sleep didn’t come easy. I guess I’m suffering from jet lag. And, yes, I’m glad to be home,” he said, checking his watch. “Ready to go down for breakfast?”

  “Yes, I’m starving.”

  “I can imagine. You didn’t eat a whole lot on the plane.”

  She chuckled. “Only because I wasn’t sure I could keep it down. There was a lot of turbulence.”

  And he’d known how much that bothered her. He was glad when she’d finally been able to sleep through it. He had watched her most of the time while she’d done so.

  “I’m ready now, Callum.”

  He was tempted to reach out and take her hand in his, but he knew that doing such a thing would not be a smart move right now. He needed her to get to know him, not as her brother’s best friend, but as the man who would always be a part of her life.

  * * *

  “Hey, don’t look at my plate like that. I told you I was hungry,” Gemma said, laughing. Her stack of pancakes was just as high as Callum’s. He had told her this particular hotel, located in downtown Sydney, was known to serve the best pancakes. They not only served the residents of the hotel but locals who dropped in on their way to work. From where Gemma sat, she could see the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance. It was a beautiful sight.

  “Trust me, I understand. I remember my mom bringing me here as a kid when I did something good in school,” he said while pouring syrup onto his pancakes.

  “Wow, you mean this hotel is that old?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

  He glanced over at her as amusement flickered in his gaze. “Old? Just what are you trying to say, Gemma?”

  “Umm, nothing. Sorry. I have to remember that you’re my client and I have to watch what I say. The last thing I want to do is offend you.”

  “And be careful that you don’t,” he warned, chuckling. “Or all that information you provided yesterday on colors and designs would have been for naught. How you can keep that stuff straight in your head is beyond me.”

  He paused a moment. “And I talked to Ramsey last night. Everything is fine back in Denver and I assured him all was well here.”

  Gemma smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. “Did you tell him we were on the flight from hell getting here?”

  “Not quite in those words, but I think he got the idea. He asked me if you fainted when the plane hit the first pocket of turbulence.”

  She made a face. “Funny. Did he mention how Chloe is doing?”

  “Yes, she’s fine, just can’t wait for November to roll around.” He smiled. “She has two more months to go.”

  “I started to call them last night when we got in, but after I took a shower and went to bed that did it for me. I hadn’t thought I’d be able to sleep so soundly, but I did.”

  During the rest of their meal, Gemma explained to him how they managed to pull off a surprise baby shower for Chloe last month right under her sister-in-law’s nose, and how, although Ramsey and Chloe didn’t want to know the sex of the baby before it was born, Megan, Bailey and she were hoping for a girl, while Zane, Derringer and the twins were anticipating a boy.

  Sipping coffee and sharing breakfast with Callum seemed so natural. She hadn’t ever shared breakfast with him before…at least not when it had been just the two of them. Occasionally, they would arrive at Ramsey’s place for breakfast at about the same time, but there had always been other family members around. She found him fun to talk to and felt good knowing he had noticed her outfit and even complimented her on
how she looked. She had caught him staring at her a few times, which meant he couldn’t ignore her so easily after all.

  They had finished breakfast and were heading back toward the elevators when suddenly someone called out.

  “Callum, it’s you! I can’t believe you’re home!”

  Both Callum and Gemma glanced around at the same time a woman threw herself at him and proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist while placing a generous smack on his lips.

  “Meredith! It’s good to see you,” Callum said, trying to pry himself from the woman’s grip. Once that was accomplished, he smiled pleasantly at the dark-haired female who was smiling up at him like an adoring fan. “What are you doing in town so early?”

  The woman laughed. “I’m meeting some friends for breakfast.” It was then that she turned and regarded Gemma. “Oh, hello.”

  The first thought that came into Gemma’s mind was that the woman was simply beautiful. The second was that if it was the woman’s intent to pretend she was just noticing Gemma’s presence, then she had failed miserably, since there was no way she could have missed her, when she’d nearly knocked her down getting to Callum.

  “Meredith, I’d love you to meet a good friend of mine,” he said, reaching out, catching Gemma’s hand and pulling her closer to his side. “Gemma Westmoreland. Gemma, this is Meredith Kenton. Meredith’s father and mine are old school chums.”

  Gemma presented her hand to the woman when it became obvious the woman was not going to extend hers. “Meredith.”

  Meredith hesitated a second before taking it. “So, you’re from the States, Gemma?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.”

  She then turned adoring eyes on Callum again, and Gemma didn’t miss the way the woman’s gaze lit up when Callum smiled at her. “Now that you’re back home, Callum, what about us doing dinner at the Oasis, going sailing and having a picnic on the beach.”