“That’s so great, Ten. You deserve it.”
They sat for a long while peering out at the ocean, small glints of moonlight lighting the tips of the waves. It may well have been the first quiet moment between them, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact, it felt so right.
A surge of desire pulsed through his veins, throbbing in his stomach, lower. He wanted to fill this silence with something more—not words but intimacy.
He turned to face her and smiled.
She grinned.
Gently, he brushed wind-blown hair behind her ear. She nuzzled against his palm, closed her eyes. The sensation of her soft skin under his fingertips, against his hand, was electric.
He wanted no space between them, only closeness. His face neared hers, so close he could feel her warm breath on his skin. Her eyes closed and his lips met hers, so soft and warm. He wanted to groan at how incredible it felt.
His muscles tightened as need rocketed through him. He parted her lips with his, dipped his tongue against her silky tongue. For the life of him, he couldn’t stop the sigh of pleasure that escaped his mouth.
His hand settled on the back of her head, and he threaded fingers gently through her hair. He palmed her waist, drew her closer and deepened the kiss, giving and taking all he could at this moment. She tasted like sunshine, smelled like the sea.
Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she pushed her chest to his. Flames sparked as their bodies touched. He had never felt anything so powerful before. His caress slipped from her waist down to her thigh. Her skin was so soft yet blazed under his fingertips.
Too soon, the kiss slowed, and Tennessee pulled gently away, resting her forehead to his as she whispered, “If I don’t stop kissing you, I might want to strip your clothes off you right here.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and suppressed a groan. “Do not talk like that or I will have to take you up on that offer.”
The tension arcing between them was so strong. Feverish. His veins were pumping fast, full of desire.
She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I…I better get back inside in case anyone needs me.”
He nodded, drew a deep breath.
When she left, he released that air from his lungs. For a while longer, he remained outside, hoping the sea breeze would help quench this fire or he wasn’t going to find a wink of sleep tonight.
Chapter 9
Tennessee woke later than she would have liked, but between organising and participating in Twelve Dates of Christmas, not to mention the one-too-many glasses of wine last night, by the time she hit her pillow, she could have slept for a thousand years.
On her way to her ensuite to shower, she grabbed her smartphone from her dresser and checked her emails, missed calls and messages. There was no downtime when bookings were coming through for the after-Christmas period, or future guests wanted questions answered, and suppliers were trying to finalise orders before the holiday closures.
The number of messages this morning was beyond her normal level, though. And they were all from friends who lived in Melbourne. Her stomach squirmed and that slight ache behind her eyes.
BINDI: Oh. My. God. Have you seen the news?
MELISSA: He’s at it again.
MARCUS: I’m here for you if you need a chat.
RACHEL: He has no respect.
She shook her head, confusion clouding her thoughts. What were they on about? The next message had a link attached. With a racing heart, she opened the news article.
The headline read: JOHNATHON POWERS, 40, MARRIES 22-YEAR-OLD JOSIE JESSOP IN SECRET CEREMONY.
She gasped and fell back onto her bed. Not even two months after their divorce, Johnathon had already remarried the girl who played Tennessee’s little sister on House of Secrets. A surge of nausea overcame her, and she raced to the toilet, heaving above it, but nothing came up.
After a long moment, she stood up, gulping in deep breaths.
Blistering betrayal had her blood fiery. Yes, they were divorced, and he had had every right to move on, but it still stung like a sharp-toothed bite.
What more could she expect? Johnathon had never valued their marriage—why would he suddenly change once they had separated?
She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks. Her neck was flushed. Sickly mortification. Since discovering all those long months ago that she was the last one to know about Johnathon’s string of affairs, embarrassment had almost become a permanent emotion.
That’s why she ran away—she couldn’t face it. That’s why she tried so hard for anonymity here because it was difficult to hold her head high once people learnt that she had remained married to a man who treated their relationship as a sham by continuously cheating on her.
He had murdered her confidence. Destroyed how she saw herself. Altered her entire perception of the world. Now when she thought about love or marriage or even a kiss under the moonlight by the beach, instead of excitement and joyous anticipation, she was filled with fear. He had conditioned her to be wary, untrusting, resistant.
In this last year, she had made a lot of progress. But with his news, all that dark emotion was storming through her veins again. She was shaking.
Pull yourself together, Ten. You’ve got a house full of people relying on you.
Blessed distraction. Her singles needed her to be positive and fun. So, she swallowed down the pain, drew a deep breath, shook out her hands and got on with it. No other choice.
Once dressed in today’s singlet, which had Twelve Dates of Christmas in yellow glitter across the front, she had barely made it out of her room when she noticed Hayden strolling down the hall towards the dining room.
Her stomach lurched to see him. How she felt about their kiss now was so much different to how she felt about it last night. She touched a finger to her lips, remembering that delicious stamp of sensation. It was the most incredible kiss. That in and of itself had shocked the hell out of her. For a reserved man, he didn’t hold back when it came to intimate expression. The groan that had rumbled from the back of his throat had almost undone her right there. One second longer and she would have been dragging him back to her room.
“Hayden,” she called.
He turned to face her, and a smile grew on his lips. His eyes brightened. The transformation on his face took her breath away. She understood him more then. Yes, he was reserved, but when he was even slightly invested, he gave everything of himself. Her heart wrenched, begging her to seek more of that because it was beautiful. His smile and that way he was looking at her left her believing she was the most special person in his life.
But her barriers had already shot up. She managed a tight smile back as guilt curled in her belly for kissing Hayden when she had no intention of taking it further.
She caught up with him. “How did you sleep?”
“Really well. The bed was super comfy.”
“That’s good to hear.” She bit lightly down on her bottom lip and lowered her gaze to her feet. “Um…about last night.” When she looked back up at his face, he was waiting for her to continue. “I want to apologise for kissing you.”
“So, it was you that kissed me?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
“I thought I kissed you.”
“You could have—”
“—It just happened.”
“One of those things,” she said.
“Exactly.”
“Sorry.”
His brow furrowed. “You can’t seriously be apologising for a kiss like that.”
“I am. I don’t want to…lead you on.”
“I get it, Ten. It was a kiss. Not a marriage contract.”
She flinched at his choice of phrasing.
He noticed, leant closer, brow furrowed. “Everything okay?”
She let out a long sigh. “I’m…I’ll be okay. Just got some frustrating news this morning. My ex got married yesterday in a secret ceremony.”
He winced. “Ah, no. I’m…sorry.”
>
“She’s twenty-two. Played my little sister on the show.”
He frowned. “I’m so sorry, Ten.” He reached for her and rubbed her arm. “You’ll get through all this in time. I promise.”
She blew out a long breath. “Yeah, I know. And thanks for being so understanding about last night. I think this singles event has made me feel things I’ve not allowed myself to feel for a long time. There’s some potent energy flinging around.”
He chuckled.
The door near where they were standing opened and Scott, the man who had his first date with Tennessee yesterday, strolled out into the hall. He had a grin from ear to ear. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Tennessee said.
Then behind him, came Miranda, grinning coyly, unable to offer Tennessee much eye contact. “And good morning to you too, Miranda,” Tennessee said. Her heart leapt with joy that there was at least one confirmed romance success.
Hayden squeezed his lips together but couldn’t suppress his grin as Scott and Miranda side-stepped around them and headed down the hall.
When they were out of sight, Tennessee met Hayden’s gaze and they both laughed.
“Some potent Christmas magic right here,” Hayden said.
“Come on, let’s go have breakfast. We’ve got three more days left of this.”
* * *
After breakfast, each participant went on their allocated three dates. By the afternoon, Tennessee had now had one date with each of the six attending men. Two of the guys she dated today were kind, funny and decent, but the third was a bit of a dickhead.
He was tolerable while they had sailboarding lessons as he was concentrating and occupied. But when lunching at the local café, he spoke over her a lot, was a little too attentive (in a way that felt sleazy), and he expected she kiss him at the end of the date. When she had politely refused, he had the audacity to get a little grumpy. He was one of those guys where you didn’t have to question why they were single.
By dinner that night, the atmosphere was electric. The cuisine was Chinese—baked sticky pork spareribs, fried rice, braised chicken dishes and so much more.
Tennessee sat back, watching all her singles in action. By this stage, their interactions were much more relaxed. Hayden had opened up too. He was the main object of attention and affection—obvious by the way the women brushed against him and spoke to him in kittenish tones.
She couldn’t blame any of these women because Hayden was a great catch—tall, sexy and a fantastic body. What set him apart, though, was that he was a genuinely kind man, had no idea how attractive he was, and he was a fabulous kisser.
Julie stood from her seat and sat on Hayden’s lap, slinging an arm around his shoulder as she whispered into his ear.
Jealousy coursed through Tennessee’s veins.
How courageous these women were. A tight tugging in the pit of Tennessee’s stomach. It pulsed up to her chest and squeezed her heart. She realised then that she envied these women for their bravery.
She rose to her feet and rushed outside, needing a moment in the fresh air to catch her breath. At the edge of her property, just beyond the fence, she stood watching the tumbling moonlit waves. A strong breeze blew her hair around her shoulders.
All day, the news about Johnathon had been bubbling beneath the surface of every thought and action. And all day, she had thought this had everything to do with him. But it wasn’t about him. Not entirely. These dissonant emotions had everything to do with her and Hayden.
Over these past few weeks, she had gotten to know him well. Then, yesterday, on their date at the shelter, it was as though something clicked into place. She liked Hayden. A lot. But she was too damned scared to go after him.
Their kiss last night was a massive leap. But like he had said—it was only a kiss. It wasn’t a commitment. That next leap from kissing to starting a relationship was a cavernous distance apart. She was standing on the edge, frozen in fear, and there was this beautiful man on the other side, but no matter how much she wanted to, there was no jumping over that crevice.
What a coward she had become. How thoroughly Johnathon had shredded her heart. It wasn’t even whole anymore. Tennessee wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to feel whole-hearted again.
After a long moment, she headed back inside.
Hayden caught her eye. “You okay?” he mouthed.
She forced a smile, though it came out all wrong. “I’m fine.”
Taking position at the head of the table, she put a smile in place and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Who wants to play some looove games?”
All the participants cheered.
“Follow me.”
* * *
When Tennessee made it to bed that night, she collapsed onto her mattress with sheer exhaustion. Physically, yes, but mostly emotionally. Holding all this angst back took up so much energy.
She rolled onto her side and allowed herself to shed her first tear since receiving the news this morning. She cried and cried for everything that had been taken from her until she, finally, found fitful sleep.
Chapter 10
Torture. Waiting for Tennessee to realise that she and Hayden could be good together was torture. Hayden climbed out of bed with a throbbing headache. Too much beer last night. He was trying to distract himself. To have spent that amazing date with Tennessee, then experienced the most amazing kiss, only to have her push him away the next morning, had crushed him.
He had been as buoyant as a balloon. Had glimpsed hope and a positive future for the first time in so many months, and all that popped when she said, ‘I don’t want to lead you on’.
He showered, brushed his teeth and dressed in board shorts and today’s singlet: green glitter, but still just as flimsy. Though, with this heat, to wear much more was impractical.
Out in the hall, the door to Scott’s room opened. Again, he was smiling. Out he came, followed by Miranda.
“Good morning,” Scott said.
And then behind Miranda came Julie.
Hayden cleared his throat. “Good morning…all.” He chuckled to himself as he kept on his way. A threesome wasn’t his scene, but it was good to see some people making the most of their time here.
Down the end of the hall, he nearly bumped into Tennessee.
“Sorry,” he said.
“You’re in a rush.”
He moved his eyes in the direction of the threesome following down the hall behind him.
When they had exchanged their morning greetings and were out of earshot, Tennessee’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell? All three of them?”
He nodded.
“In the one room?”
He nodded again.
“What kind of show do they think I’m running here?”
He chuckled and she shuddered.
“I really don’t want to go on my date with Scott today,” she said, lips twisting with distaste.
He shrugged. “Hey, he might invite you to join them tonight.”
She slapped him playfully. “Don’t even joke about it. Believe me, after the marriage I’ve been through, there will only ever be two people in my bedroom.”
“I’m of the same mindset. So, how are you feeling this morning?”
“I’m fine.”
“You looked a little upset last night.” He recalled the sad expression on her face when Julie had sat on his lap. It was all a bit of playful fun. He hadn’t invited her to, and he soon made an excuse of needing the bathroom, so she’d climb off and not feel embarrassed by a harsh rejection in front of the others. “It seemed like maybe you were upset with me.”
She shook her head hard. “Not at all. More upset at myself.”
“How so?”
She waved his question away. “Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
But he did want to know, especially if it was something that was stopping them from getting closer. He reached for her, smoothed the back of his finger down her cheek. “You can t
ell me anything, Ten. I’m a grown man. I’ll cope.”
Her eyelids closed as she sighed. When she looked at him again such sadness was reflected in her blue eyes. It made his heart wrench. “I understand you may have…feelings for me.”
He lowered his hand to his side and remained very still.
“But we exist in two very different worlds. I think it’s best we remain as friends.”
A boot to his stomach. Now he had the full picture.
Why the hell did he always do this? Choose a woman who was too good for him. He had made this mistake with Mandy and spent the whole time trying to be more for her. And here he was again, almost falling for the same bullshit.
Tennessee, at the end of the day, was a soap actress. She was now a successful business owner. She’s from the city, he’s from a small town. She married men who were directors, not small-time carpenters. What the hell had he been thinking?
“Yeah, don’t worry. I totally get it. Friends it is.” And he strode away, despite her calling him back. No way. No bloody way was he going to let this go any further so, in the five years’ time, he would wake up and realise he’d wasted yet more of his life with someone who he could never be good enough for.
When he made it to the dining room, he checked his itinerary and was relieved he didn’t have a date planned with Tennessee today. He couldn’t stomach pretending to be okay. He could happily pack his gear and leave right now if she wouldn’t completely hate him for it.
So, instead, he swallowed his pride and did his best to be good company for the three women he did have dates with. Thankfully, the activities were action-packed, so he didn’t have to talk much. Windsurfing. Minigolf. Then Christmas baking classes in the afternoon.
* * *
Dinner was a traditional baked Christmas meal—turkey, roasted potatoes, gravy and vegetables. He thanked the long-suffering air-conditioning because it was sweltering outdoors and there was no way he could have sat down to eat this meal without melting.
The mood was a little lower than usual—maybe they were all tired. Or, it could just be him. Without a word to anyone, by ten-thirty, he got up and headed to bed.
One Hot Christmas (Mercy Island Series Book 2) Page 6
