by Ally Blake
‘It’ll be taken care of in the morning.’
‘There you go again,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘Thinking yourself at the centre of the universe.’
He lifted his chin. ‘You know what? I’m thinking I might hang onto that thought a while longer yet. The pay’s good, and the benefits are beyond compare.’
The lift door closed on the concrete and steel, unlit candles and glowing horizon, and Rosie had to admit the guy probably had a point.
They reached the plasterboard wall and Cameron glanced at the top of Rosie’s head and held out a hand. It was only then that she even remembered she’d been wearing the orange protective helmet the whole time.
She groaned inwardly. All those longing glances she’d imagined—the moments his eyes had locked on hers, and she’d seen things therein that had made her feel warm all over and scared her silly—she hadn’t even noticed his helmet; she’d been so caught up in the rest of him. All the while she must have looked an utter treat.
‘If you are hoping to keep it as a souvenir—’
‘No, of course not!’ She slid it forward, ran ragged fingers across her scalp and tied the length into a hasty knot at her nape, not wanting to know what kind of red marks were shining across her forehead as she spoke.
‘Where did you park?’ he asked.
She motioned vaguely with her shoulder. ‘Down the street.’
He moved in closer. Or had the moon shifted behind a cloud and made everything suddenly seem more intimate? ‘Where? I’ll walk you there.’
‘I’ll be fine. These boots might not be steel-capped but I know where to aim them if I get in any trouble.’
The word ‘trouble’ almost lodged in her throat. Trouble was the look in Cameron’s eyes. Trouble was the slip and slide of desire keeping her from backing away as he inched ever closer. Trouble had become her new best friend the moment Cameron Kelly had re-entered her life.
She leapt up on the only thing she could think of that might give her time to find a reasonable, last ditch, way out. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask—what were you doing in the planetarium yesterday morning?’
He paused. She took a thankful breath.
‘I’m not sure I should say,’ he said.
‘And why not?’
‘Because it’s not going to flatter me any.’ And it wasn’t enough to stop him any longer. He moved in closer.
Rosie lifted a hand to his chest. ‘Try me.’
His eyes narrowed. The weight of him pressed upon her hand. His voice was as low as she’d ever heard it as he said, ‘I was hiding.’
‘No! Yes? Seriously? From whom?’
‘My sister Meg. She was there having coffee with a couple of mates, one of them Tabitha.’
Rosie’s laughter split the quiet night. ‘Tabitha on caffeine? I don’t blame you for hiding.’
His eyes slid down her face to settle upon her lips. Her heart shot into her throat. She shut her mouth. But it was no use; every part of her buzzed in expectation of what it would feel like to have his lips on hers.
‘Did you know Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system?’ Okay, so she was getting desperate.
He paused about three inches from touchdown.
She went on, ‘And, while Venus was the Roman goddess of beauty and love, in Greek mythology she was named Aphrodite, and Ishtar for the Babylonians?’
‘That I’m sure I knew. I went to a very good school, you know.’
He was so close now; he breathed out, she breathed in, and the sweet taste in her mouth was his.
‘Did you ever see that movie—? Ishtar? What was the name of that French actress?’
‘Rosalind.’
‘I don’t think so. I wouldn’t have forgotten her name if it was the same as—’
‘Rosalind,’ he growled.
‘Yes, Cameron?’
‘Shut up so I can kiss you.’
‘Yes, Cameron,’ she whispered, but it was lost as his lips finally, finally found hers.
She’d heard how some people claimed they saw their lives flashing before their eyes as they were about to pass over. She’d never really believed it could happen until that moment.
Memories of past kisses faded to dust. Every other man she’d ever thought she’d been attracted to melted into a grey, shapeless nothingness, and the blank slate inside her head filled with everything Cameron as emotion upon emotion crashed over her so fast she couldn’t keep up.
She tucked a hand along the back of his neck, letting her fingers delve into his soft, springy hair as she pulled him close. His hands bunched into the back of her dress. And together they shifted and turned until every part of them that could touch did.
The kiss deepened, warmed, and took her breath, her sense and her mind until she curved against him like a sapling defenceless against a strong gale.
Helpless, unprotected, lost…
The wind in her ears began to decelerate as the kiss gentled and fell away. It took a few seconds longer before she was able to clamber her way back to the surface, only to find Cameron’s smouldering eyes looking deep into hers.
‘You busy tomorrow night?’ he asked.
She blinked heavily, trying to remember where she was, what day it was, who she was…‘You need some new material.’
‘My material is just fine. Are you free?’
She still needed a moment to gather the last few strands of sense that had not been unravelled by his kiss. She’d known it would be amazing, but she hadn’t expected anything could be so stunning that it could sap her of every ounce of judgement so that she stood there wide open, wanting more, taking more, any tiny little bit she could get her hands on.
She licked her lips, took a breath, then said, ‘I’m busy every night. Busy busy busy, stargazing and the like.’
‘Too busy to have dinner with me again?’
‘It’s certainly possible.’
‘I’ve never known a woman make me work so hard to pin her down for a simple dinner-date.’
He ran a fast hand through his hair, mussing it up, making him look like he’d just tumbled out of bed. The pure, unadulterated sexual energy that careened unimpeded through her brought her out of her trance quick-smart.
She pulled away just enough so that she could feel where she ended and he began. ‘The thing is, Cameron, dinner with you has never been simple.’
He trailed one hand up her back to unhook her knot of hair, sliding his fingers through it until it fell down her back. Then he twirled a curl around one finger and let it go. Again and again and again.
He said, ‘If you like simple, “yes” is a simple word. Only three little letters.’
Heck, if she was looking for simple, the word ‘no’ only had two letters. So why was it so very hard for her to say? Because cracks the likes of which she’d never experienced before were appearing in her resolve. So far she was coping okay. She was keeping her feet, she was sticking up for herself. What she couldn’t be sure of was at what point the damage would be irreparable.
Or perhaps Cameron Kelly was to be the man who would help her prove to herself just how strong she could be, and how the hard work she’d put into herself to make sure she wouldn’t make the same mistakes her mum made had truly paid off.
Less than certain of her reasoning, she still said, ‘Fine. Yes.’
His forehead unknotted, and she hadn’t even realised how tight it had been as he’d awaited her answer. Unless it was evidence of other concerns, which in the midst of her internal toing and froing she had all but forgotten he had.
‘Cameron, is…?’ She shook her head, searched for the words that would least likely bring the shutters slamming down between them. ‘I’d understand if you wanted to make time for your brothers and sister tomorrow night instead, to talk about…things. Or maybe even to go see your dad in person. I know I’m being presumptuous, but with twenty-twenty hindsight that would be my next move.’
‘Being with you tends to keep me more pleasantly occu
pied.’ He said it with the kind of smile he knew could make a girl’s knees go weak. But she wasn’t falling for it, not when she’d glimpsed what it felt like to really be with him on the other side of the wall. It was enough to keep her pushing.
‘So that would be a no to visiting your dad?’
Cameron’s cooling smile said it all.
‘Did you even talk to Brendan about it?’ she pressed.
His eyes narrowed.
She just raised an eyebrow in return. ‘You’re not going to scare me off the subject. Being an obnoxious teenager prepared me too well for dealing with stubborn men like you.’
A glint lit his eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted. ‘I’m beginning to see that. Fine. He made no mention of my father’s health, but he was quite vocal about the fact that if I don’t come to the birthday bash this weekend I may as well relinquish my surname for good.’
His hand on her back slid upwards, the shift of fabric made her body melt back against him.
‘Them’s strong words,’ she said, her voice husky.
He pushed the hair he’d been playing with behind her ear. ‘Brendan’s been around the longest. He’s been indoctrinated. He doesn’t know any other type of words.’
‘Poor Brendan,’ she whispered.
‘Poor, poor Brendan.’
He leaned in and placed a kiss just below her ear, and she half forgot what they were talking about. And when he moved to nibble on her earlobe itself she forgot the other half.
An age later when he pulled away all she could remember was that they had agreed to a third date. ‘So, where to tomorrow? A spaceship? No, a submarine. It better be your basic, run-of-the-mill submarine or I’m out of there.’
‘I was thinking of taking you to the first place I ever built.’
She bit back a yawn. ‘Fine. But they’d better serve coffee. Three nights out in a row, and I’m afraid I might fade to a shadow.’
‘If that’s what it’ll take.’ With that he pulled her close and kissed her again. This time it was slow, soft, tender, mesmerising. He tasted of white wine and strawberries. He made every inch of her feel toasty warm. In that moment the word ‘yes’ felt like the easiest word in the entire world.
When he pulled away, he did so with discernible regret.
He groaned, spun her on the spot, gave her a small shove in the direction of her car and said, ‘Now get, before today becomes tomorrow and we both turn into pumpkins.’
As Rosie walked down the street she felt Cameron’s eyes on her the whole way. He obviously hadn’t believed her about her ability with her boots. Or maybe he just liked the view.
She added a swagger for good measure.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE sun was just beginning to rise but Cameron’s backside had already been parked atop a dry, paint-spattered stool for an hour as he earned his keep playing diplomat between Bruce, the project manager, and Hamish, the architect. With a month to go before completion, things were tense.
He slid a finger beneath his hard hat to wipe the gathering sweat from his brow, and was hit with the image of Rosalind wearing one the night before.
With those big, grey eyes and her long hair hanging in sexy waves beneath the orange monstrosity, she’d looked adorable. And he was entirely certain she’d had no idea. As a short-term distraction she was proving to be all he could have hoped for.
‘Kelly!’ Bruce called out, slamming Cameron back to earth with a thud.
‘What?’ he barked.
‘Where the hell have you been for the past five minutes? You sure as hell haven’t been on Planet Brisbane.’
Cameron frowned. But Bruce was right. Spending every spare moment with Rosalind was proving to be mighty helpful at distracting him from obsessing about his father. He just didn’t need that distraction spilling over into other areas of his life.
Since he’d been thrown out on his own, his business was his everything. It filled his waking hours, and many of his sleeping ones as well. It was his fuel, his drive, his passion. While on the other hand, Rosalind was…
‘Earth to Cameron,’ Bruce said, shaking his head.
Cameron mentally slapped himself across the back of the head. Enough, already.
‘I’m here,’ he growled. ‘Keep going.’
Bruce leant against a column and crossed his arms. ‘I was just telling Hamish here about your little tryst upstairs last night. Candles? Seafood?’
Cameron all but threw the handful of papers in his hands into the air in surrender.
Hamish pulled up a stool so that he was in Cameron’s direct eyeline. ‘Please tell me the big man’s been telling tales out of school. You did not bring some woman here after hours without proper supervision. Not a month out from signing off?’
Cameron stared hard at his mate. Hamish—who had known him since university, therefore knew him only as the ambitious, focussed, blinkered entrepreneur he had become—stared right on back.
‘God, Cam,’ Hamish drawled. ‘You had to be breaking a good dozen laws, not to mention union rules.’
‘You think I didn’t tell him that?’ Bruce asked.
But Hamish wasn’t done. In fact there was a distinct glint in his eye as he crossed his arms and leant back on the stool. ‘Cam,’ he said. ‘The last of the honourable men, brought thudding back to earth by a mystery woman. Who the heck is she?’
Cameron closed his eyes and ran his index finger and thumb hard across his forehead. ‘She’s no-one you know. And this subject is now closed.’
‘Fine with me.’ Hamish held both hands in the air, then glanced at his paint-splattered watch. ‘I have somewhere else to be.’
‘We have work to do, McKinnon,’ Bruce cried. ‘Where else could you possibly have to be?’
‘I have a date waiting for me on the exterior-window cleaning trestle. She should be at about the thirtieth floor by now, so I’ll just go grab the champagne and get harnessed up.’
Cameron didn’t even bother telling Hamish where to go, he just slid from the stool and walked away.
‘Where’s he think he’s going?’ he heard Bruce ask as he reached the lift door.
‘If he’s trying to cut in on my date,’ Hamish said, ‘It’ll be pistols at dawn.’
There was a pause, then Bruce said, ‘I thought you were kidding about the girl,’ as the lift doors closed. Cameron was only half-sorry he missed Hamish’s response.
He reached the top floor before he knew it. The lift doors opened to a cacophony of noise as glaziers, construction workers and plasterers chatted, banged, drilled, swore and gave the place the kind of raw energy that usually invigorated him.
It meant progress. Honest work, honestly executed by honest men. Sweat of the brow stuff. He was proud of the healed blisters on his own hands for that exact reason.
But as he hit the spot on the roofless penthouse floor, where the night before Rosalind had sat upon a crate, looking out over his city, and with her mix of ruthless candour and subtle beauty had managed to smooth over his perpetual dissatisfaction, the noise faded away.
He leant a foot against the edge of the roof and looked out over the horizon where streaks of cloud were just beginning to herald the rising of the sun.
He held out his hand at arm’s length and a span above the horizon; just where she’d said it would be, there it was: Venus. A glowing crescent in the pale-grey sky.
His hand dropped. Somewhere out there, beyond the borders of the noisy, thriving city he loved, she would be sitting somewhere quiet looking at the exact same point in the sky.
And while she was thinking trajectories, gas clouds and expanding universes, he was thinking about her. About seeing her again tonight. It would be their third date in as many nights, which was more time than he’d spent with one woman in as long as he could remember. More time than he ever let himself see Meg or Dylan.
A thread of guilt snuck beneath his unusually unguarded defences. He’d kept those he loved most at the greatest distance so as to save them
from being tainted with the hurtful knowledge about his father’s weak character he always carried with him. But something Rosalind had said made him wonder: was keeping them at bay hurting them as much?
If he really wanted to see them he knew where they’d be that weekend, all in the one place at the one time, which was usually an impossible feat.
He ran a hand over his mouth. If he went to his father’s birthday party, he pretty much knew what would happen. Brendan would swagger, Dylan would win money on a bet he had made somewhere about the date of his return home and Meg would squeal, leap into his arms, then try to set him up with a girlfriend. And his mother would probably cry.
His stomach clenched on his mother’s behalf. The clench turned to acid as he thought of how shabbily she’d been treated by the one person who was meant to care for her. The idea of putting on a show at a celebration of that man’s years on earth turned to dust in his throat.
He needed to put it out of his mind for good. He checked his watch. Twelve hours to go before he was due to pick Rosalind up at the planetarium. Not soon enough.
‘Cam?’
He turned to find Hamish standing in the lift, holding the door open.
‘Anything else you want to go over before I do head off?’
Cameron had to think, the usually crisp, clear list in his head squished at the edges, having been pushed aside by other pressing thoughts. ‘If there is, I’ll call you.’
Hamish nodded and stepped back into the lift, where he held the door open. ‘Unless, of course, you need a different kind of advice. I have some moves the likes of which you could not even imagine.’
‘I’ve got it covered,’ Cameron said, his voice gruff.
Hamish nodded. ‘Good to know.’
Cameron stretched his arms over his head and shook out the looseness that invaded his limbs, and the wooliness that infiltrated his head whenever Rosalind Harper was on his mind.
He did have it covered. He just needed to find some perspective. His business was his life. His family his cross to bear. Rosalind Harper was a delightful but temporary distraction. Tonight he would make sure those boundaries were clearly redefined.
