by Chris Taylor
CHAPTER THREE
The evening was warm and balmy. A faint breeze drifted across the water. Samuel had called ahead to the restaurant with a promise to make it worth the maître d’s while if he secured them a waterfront table. The promise and the hundred-dollar bill he’d slipped into the man’s hand on their arrival had worked.
They were seated at a table for two only ten yards from the water and had already given their order. The breeze wafted in and lifted tiny tendrils of Shelby’s hair, curling the strands like a lover’s finger might. She looked even more beautiful than she had on the ward and he’d been trying hard all evening not to stare.
She wasn’t beautiful in the classical sense and wasn’t anything like the blond, blue-eyed women he usually dated, but her dark chocolate, almond-shaped eyes, coupled with her coloring gave her an air of the exotic that he found strangely disorientating and incredibly exciting. His body was as taut as a guitar string.
“So, tell me about yourself,” he said, in an effort to relieve some of the nervous tension that had settled in his gut. He reached over and picked up a piece of garlic bread and forced himself to take a bite.
She looked across at him and smiled. Her glossy, pink lipstick shimmered in the candlelight. A surge of desire, hot and immediate, flooded through him and he clenched his jaw. This was their first date, for Christ’s sake. He needed to take things slow, get to know her, charm her with his wit and intelligence, show her a good time like he usually did with his dates. Not toss her over his shoulder and drag her over to the bushes—no matter how much his body demanded it.
Swallowing the bread, he picked up his wine glass and took a sip. He threw her an encouraging smile. A faint blush increased the color in her cheeks. She cleared her throat, as if she was also finding it difficult to remain focused on their conversation.
“Well, like I told you, my parents are Greek. They were both born in Akrata, a little coastal village a couple of hours’ drive west of Athens on the Peloponnesus. They emigrated less than a year after they were married. They’ve been here more than thirty years.”
“Do you have any brothers and sisters?”
She chuckled and the humor lit up her eyes. “I’m Greek. Do you know of any small Greek families?”
He laughed and took another sip of his wine, enjoying the camaraderie. Some of the nervous tension in his gut eased.
“I have three sisters and five brothers,” she continued, taking a bite from a piece of garlic bread. “And there’re only eleven years between the nine of us,” she added.
Samuel frowned. He wondered if she’d experienced the same downfalls he had being part of a large family. Pushing the depressing thought from his mind, he forced a smile.
“I can go even better than that. There are eleven children in my family, with only ten years between them.” He waited for the light of comprehension to dawn in her eyes. It didn’t take long.
“Twins?”
“Yes. My brothers, Byron and Jasper, are fraternal twins. They’re twenty-nine.”
She smiled in delight. “How wonderful! I can’t believe I’ve met someone with a family bigger than mine! Are you sure you’re not Greek?”
Despite the negativity that often surrounded him whenever he thought of his large family laughter burst out of him. She was beyond adorable. “With hair this color?” He made a show of pulling at his hair then shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
She shrugged. “Well, there are some fair-haired Greeks in the north. So what’s your background? You’re dark enough for me to guess you have something other than English blood running through your veins. Unless you’re sporting a spray tan.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief and he found himself smiling back.
“No, no spray tans. I’m afraid this is courtesy of the good old Australian sun. I’m a sucker for the Bondi surf. That, and the fact my father’s a full-blood Aboriginal. My mother also has some aboriginal heritage, but most people wouldn’t know that.”
“Wow! How amazing! Do your siblings take after you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. I haven’t really thought about it. We’re not all quite as blond as me, but none of us are dark. My cousins are the same.”
“On your dad’s side?”
“Yes, but Mom’s side, too. Aboriginal babies tend to throw lighter as the generations go on. I think we’re the only race in the world that doesn’t throw back darker.”
Shelby shook her head slowly in wonder. “Wow, that’s so fascinating,” she breathed.
Samuel’s heart skipped a beat at the frank admiration in her gaze. Things were moving fast. Earlier that morning, he’d been lining up another date with the fun and flirty Martin twins, no commitment necessary. Here he was, hours later enthralled with a girl who he instinctively knew played for keeps. They’d only just met and yet he felt an indefinable connection. He couldn’t explain it, but it was like he’d met his soul mate, his perfect match. He wanted to talk to her all night. The knowledge frightened the hell out of him.
* * *
Shelby reached for her wineglass with a hand that was less than steady. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to converse with the man who sat across from her looking good enough to eat. It was like they’d known each other all their lives. And yet, her belly was a bundle of nerves and her heart still pounded a mile a minute. It felt like her chest might explode. He was charming and personable and good looking and came from a family even bigger than hers. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told him how surprised she was about that.
“Tell me more about your family,” he asked. “Are you the oldest?”
She shook her head and grinned. “No, but close. I have an older brother, Dimitri, who’s twenty-nine.”
“So that makes you twenty…?”
“Seven.” She laughed. “My youngest brother is eighteen. Like I said, there are only eleven years between us. Mom and Dad didn’t waste any time.”
He lifted his hands in cheerful surrender. “Hey, I’m hearing you. It’s almost embarrassing to tell people how close in age me and my brothers and sisters are. It’s like having to admit my parents couldn’t drag themselves out of the bedroom.”
He’d said it lightly, but Shelby’s belly clenched on a sudden surge of need. Her gaze locked on his, and the restaurant, the diners, the wait staff… All of that melted away. His blue eyes darkened with some unspoken emotion and she felt an answering tug in her belly. He was totally and utterly gorgeous. There was no other way to describe him.
And then he cleared his throat and the spell between them was broken. She blinked and looked up in time to see the waitress bearing down on them.
“Here we are,” the young woman announced, her hungry gaze fixed on Samuel. She leaned forward and set his plate before him, exposing a decent amount of cleavage as she did so.
Shelby frowned and was barely able to murmur her thanks when the girl came around her side of the table. The flash of jealously was both irritating and unwelcome. Samuel Munro was sexy enough to attract the attention of any woman under the age of ninety with halfway passable eyesight. It was silly of her to take offense.
He couldn’t help the way he looked and he certainly hadn’t done anything to encourage the waitress’ attention. He’d barely glanced at her despite the fact she stood close enough that with the slightest encouragement, she could have tumbled into his lap. Shelby was sure the girl had brushed her breast up against his arm on purpose, and yet he appeared not to notice. Good for him. Her estimation of him went up another notch.
The waitress shot Samuel another heated gaze. When his attention remained fixed on the food in front of him she turned away with a huff.
“Mm. This fettucine is to die for,” he murmured a few moments later, twisting a couple strands around his fork with expert precision and putting them in his mouth.
“I’m glad to hear it’s standing up to its reputation,” she replied and dug into her lasagna and salad. “I’ve heard Lucifer’s is one of the best Italian
restaurants in town.”
He looked up at her, surprised. “You haven’t been here before?”
“No. It’s…” She blushed, but forced herself to continue. “It’s a little out of my price range.”
He nodded in understanding, but mischief twinkled in his eyes. “And yet, you offered to treat me. Just so you know, I intend to stuff myself silly and just before I burst, I’ll squeeze in dessert. Seeing as you’re the one buying.”
Shelby shook her head and shot him a wry grin. She almost cringed at the memory of how she’d insisted this was her treat. The whole coffee-spilling incident seemed like a world away and arguing over who was going to foot the bill now seemed childish. She’d honor her promise, even if it broke her. There was always her credit card to fall back on.
The rest of the meal passed amid comfortable conversation and laughter. They discovered both of them held passionate views on politics—even though they stood on opposite sides—and a mutual interest in country music had them regaling each other with amusing stories of attending the Tamworth Country Music Festival over the years.
Shelby learned his cousins were born and bred in the New South Wales north coast city of Grafton and that his uncle was a retired district court judge. He also told her that one of his cousins was also a doctor at the Sydney Harbour Hospital.
“Her name’s Chanel Munro,” he said. “She’s a general surgical resident.”
“The name sounds familiar,” Shelby replied, “but I don’t think we’ve met.”
“She married a cop by the name of Bryce Sutcliffe. They have a set of identical triplets. Zoe, Charlotte and Ginny. Those girls are the cutest kids.”
Shelby smiled in surprise. “I have a sister named Zoe, although I’m guessing she’s a fair bit older than your cousin’s daughters. I take it multiple births run in Chanel’s side of the family, too.”
“Yes. She has twin brothers. Clayton and Riley. They’re fraternal, like my brothers.”
“What do they do?”
“They’re also in law enforcement. In fact, there are seven kids in Chanel’s family and her five brothers are all cops.”
Shelby leaned forward on the table and clasped her hands in front of her. “Wow! Your family sounds fascinating. I love hearing about them.”
Samuel gazed at her and his smile faded. “Yeah, I wish I could say it was always fun growing up with so many siblings.”
She sobered at the serious expression on his face. Shadows flickered in his eyes. She wondered what had happened in the past to cause it. She had nothing but fond memories of living in a household filled with people. Her idea of a family was at least five or six kids. She was totally out of step with her generation but she didn’t care. She couldn’t help the way she felt. It was a little disconcerting to discover that Samuel might not share her outlook.
“What do you mean?” she asked quietly, almost too scared to ask. Their date had been going so well. Was it about to go horribly off track?
“I’m not sure this is the kind of stuff to talk about on a first date.” He laughed, but it sounded forced.
Shelby held his gaze. All of a sudden, it was important to find out how he felt, regardless of the fallout. If they weren’t on the same page… Well, she couldn’t say it would be a deal breaker, but it’d certainly take the shine off things.
“Tell me. I can handle it. First dates are all about getting to know each other. For me, family is incredibly important. They mean everything to me.”
He looked at her with something akin to admiration. She spied yearning in his eyes.
“Then you had it good during your childhood,” he murmured. It was a statement of fact.
“Yes,” she said. “I did. My family have been lucky. They’ve never wanted for much. Dad’s a very successful lawyer. Mom stayed home and looked after the kids. I guess my parents had their arguments, but they’ve made it work for thirty-two years. There’s still plenty of love and respect between them. I admire them. One day, I hope I can say the same about my spouse.”
Samuel stared at her. A wistful expression filled his face. “It sounds like your childhood was idyllic. You’re very lucky.”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.” She could tell from the tone of his voice that he meant it and that his own upbringing hadn’t been quite the same. All of a sudden she was beset with nerves.
What was she thinking? They were on their first date, a date that had been going so well. Did she really want to ruin it by asking him to dredge up unhappy memories? And was she ready to hear them? It would probably spoil the evening and she knew with sudden certainty, she didn’t want that to happen. It was a long time since she’d felt so good in a man’s company. She should just forget about his comments and enjoy the night. After all, she might never get another chance with the delectable Doctor Munro.
With her mind made up, she ignored the voice in her head that told her she was a coward, and cleared her throat.
“Let’s forget about our families, for now. The good, the bad and the ugly. Tell me more about you. Who is Samuel Munro?”
He lifted his hands palm upward and shot her a disarming smile. “What do you want to know?”
“Okay, where did you go to school?”
“The Scots College in Bellevue Hill. Only the best for the Munro boys.”
“University?”
“Sydney. I topped my class.”
“First kiss?” Shelby tried hard not to blush.
A grin lifted the corners of Samuel’s mouth. “That would be Melissa Stanford. We were in the third grade.”
She ignored the flutter in her pulse. “You had your first kiss in the third grade? What took you so long?”
He laughed and the joyous sound of it did interesting things to her insides. She gulped a breath and did her best to slow her racing pulse, unable to look away.
The expression in his eyes intensified and Shelby’s breath halted. He leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs. His boot touched the side of her ankle beneath the table. Only a glancing stroke, but her skin burned from the contact. As if aware of the heat pulsing through her, the cobalt of his eyes darkened imperceptibly and her heart skipped a beat. Her gaze lowered to the strong, tanned column of his neck and then lower still, to skim over his broad, muscular chest, the outline of which was visible through the fine cotton of his white dinner shirt. She’d never been the kind of girl who slept with a man on the first date, or even the second or third, but right at that moment, all she could think about was pressing herself against all that taut, tanned skin and kissing him.
The thought stuck in her mind and refused to go away. Desire kindled through her veins and settled as liquid heat in her core. Her breathing quickened. Her lips parted. Samuel reached across the table and stroked her hand. A tingle of warmth and electricity shivered up her arm. She stared at him, unable to speak, barely able to form a coherent thought. She’d read about love at first sight in romance novels and seen it in chick flicks at the movies, but she’d never given it much credence, let alone experienced anything close.
And yet, every fiber of her being screamed out for him to touch her and to let her touch him. He leaned forward and his spicy expensive cologne teased her nostrils. She could almost taste him on her lips. Her heart pounded. The fire inside her grew hotter…
“Would you like to see the dessert menu?”
The spell was broken. The young waitress was back and her lips gleamed with a coat of freshly applied red lipstick. She stood between the two of them, but she had eyes only for Samuel. Once again, he didn’t appear to notice.
Blinking rapidly, he looked just as disorientated as Shelby felt. What was happening between the two of them…? She was impatient to find out.
“I… I think we’re both good to skip dessert,” she said, surprising herself with her boldness. She barely knew her dinner date and here she was making decisions for him. The realization was both nerve wracking and exhilarating. She peeked at him from under her lashes and was g
ratified to see an answering mischievous gleam in his eyes. He turned to the waitress.
“As much as I’d love to sample the chocolate gelato sandwiches, I think my date is right. It was a delicious meal. All we need is the bill.”
The girl compressed her lips and nodded then abruptly turned away. Shelby hunted under the table for her evening bag.
“It’s my treat, remember?” she said, eyeing him balefully.
He shrugged innocently. “Of course. I was only moving things along. I thought you were as eager to leave as I am.”
Shelby blushed and nodded. “Yes, it’s been lovely. It’s a shame to see it end.”
“How about a stroll along the pier?”
She smiled. “That sounds perfect.”
* * *
Samuel watched Shelby tuck her credit card back inside her wallet and inwardly shook his head. She was stubborn, he’d give her that. The meal easily cost half her week’s wages and yet she’d insisted on paying the bill, even after he’d offered again. He’d given in only to spare her pride. It was obvious it was important for her to repay him, even if it meant she’d be scrimping until the next pay check. He frowned at the thought, but then forced himself to let it go. She was a big girl. She’d done what she wanted to do. He refused to let anything spoil the wonder of their evening.
Reaching for her hand, they strolled along the wharf that led away from the restaurant and meandered its way to the Opera House. The night had settled in around them and the gentle spring breeze had turned cool. Shelby shivered in her sleeveless dress and Samuel put his arm around her. After a moment’s hesitation, she relaxed against him and he smiled. She felt like she belonged there, tucked up against his side. He’d never felt more content. The knowledge troubled him.
“It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it?” she murmured, oblivious to his thoughts.
He gazed down at her and nodded, unwilling to ruin the moment. “Yes, it is.”
“Thank you for asking me to dinner,” she said.
He forced himself to regain his good humor and winked. “Thank you for paying.”
