her hair.
‘You know something,’ he said a moment later, ‘I could fit all my worldly possessions in the back of a station wagon and I do okay.’
She looked up to see if he was joking. How did a person cram their life into the back of a car? Unbelievable. It wasn’t normal. She let her forehead fall back onto his chest. ‘You have this house. This mansion.’
‘True.’
Closing her damp eyes, she gave up the fight and leaned into his musky warmth. And all she could think was if he hadn’t been here, if he hadn’t insisted she sleep in the house despite her vigorous objections, she might be at the bottom of the river now.
He drew back, still holding her upper arms. ‘Guess we won’t need the plumber’s services after all.’
She opened her eyes and saw a dark splotch on his T-shirt where her waterlogged bra had been trapped between them. She lifted her gaze to his and, just for once, allowed herself the comfort of having someone to lean on. ‘What happens now?’
AT HIS insistence, Blake made the necessary calls and organised to have the houseboat refloated and towed away. Lissa was grateful to Blake for his cool, calm and sensitive handling of the whole situation. A man to lean on in a crisis. It gave her time to regroup. Most of her artwork was gone. Photos, jewellery, books.
She sat on her bed and looked about her. She also needed time to absorb the fact that until she was making an income, this was her bedroom. She needed to pull herself together and decide that she could still be that independent woman she wanted to be but there was nothing wrong with accepting help now and then.
But did it have to be Blake’s help?
She stared at herself in the full-length mirror on the bedroom wall. The boat disaster had briefly obliterated the excitement of the new business agreement she’d made … and that kiss. Oh, that kiss … and more. Her whole body burned and churned with the memory and she saw its instant effect in her reflection.
She shook it away and concentrated on applying make-up to mask her distress. She needed to forget that momentary indulgence. And to accept Blake’s insistence that she remain in his home.
‘Here?’ She’d glared at Blake through narrowed eyes, fighting it all the way. Nuh-uh. Not going to happen. Not after that kiss and a half.
‘You have somewhere else in mind?’ He’d waited for a response but she hadn’t had a ready one. Not one of any sort.
Returning to Surfers and facing Jared with her failures was not an option after the regrettably immature way she’d walked out eighteen months ago. And in an hour she’d be signing papers and making Blake her business partner. She had to remain in Mooloolaba. Rental accommodation was high in Mooloolaba.
Sharing with a guy was something she’d sworn she’d never do again. Living with Todd had been the most harrowing time of her life. Not only the physical abuse but the lies and degradation. Made worse because she’d kept it a secret from those who would have helped her. She’d been so naïve, so ashamed, and, for a while, so broken.
‘What are you afraid of, Lissa?’
She’d stared up at Blake and into those beautiful blue eyes. Blake wasn’t Todd—was nothing like Todd—but she no longer trusted herself when it came to choosing the right kind of man.
‘Nothing. Why would I be afraid? I’m certainly not afraid of you,’ she’d told him when he’d scrutinised her face more closely. As if he knew her secret. He couldn’t know. ‘Thank you. I accept.’
She’d arranged to meet Blake in the living room before leaving for their rescheduled appointment with the solicitor. In her jeans and faded T-shirt. She groaned inwardly. The T-shirt with the two faintly creased circles on her chest. Now there’d have to be an additional clause with the expenses incurred to replace her belongings.
She descended the stairs at the arranged time. Blake had changed into smart casual clothes and her thoughts scattered like confetti. The white button-through shirt, open at the neck, enhanced his tanned skin and accentuated his broad shoulders and muscular frame, the trousers were slim-fitting, showcasing well-defined thighs and.
She swung her gaze to the wood-panelled wall, embarrassed at being caught checking out his masculine shape, and said the first thing that came to mind. ‘Definitely the deeper turquoise. And a modern painting here that encapsulates the essence of Mooloolaba.’
‘You’re the expert.’
His eyes glinted and she knew that he knew what she was really thinking about. His hot, toned body against hers.
‘Let’s get the documentation over with first,’ he said. ‘Then we’ll pay a visit to the bank and then you can go shopping.’
What could she say? She needed clothes. ‘I’m. I’ll pay you back. Every cent. You can take it off my fee when the room’s done.’
‘Don’t worry about that now. But I’ve got some matters to attend to back here so I’ll arrange to meet you at this address later.’ He handed her a card and a key. ‘It’s a building I own. It was used as a prestige car showroom but it’s been vacant a while. I was going to sell it, but it might be a good location for an interior design business. Maybe you could take a look, come up with some ideas and tell me what you think. Don’t forget to key in the security code. Panel’s on the right of the door.’
Her spirits lifted a little. ‘Thanks.’ She tucked the card in her bag.
‘What about Jared?’ He paused. ‘I assume you’re in contact while he’s overseas. Shouldn’t you let him know what’s going on?’
Yes, but she had more than enough stress to deal with right now. Besides … ‘I don’t want to spoil his holiday.’
‘He’s your brother.’
She didn’t look at him as she slung her bag over her shoulder but she felt a vague criticism aimed her way and shrugged off the prickly sensation. What was between her and her brother was none of Blake’s business.
‘I’ll get around to it, okay?’ Tonight. It would be morning in Milan then. She’d make herself comfortable and alone and phone him tonight. Maybe in a few hours she wouldn’t be so likely to dissolve into tears in the retelling of it.
‘What do you want to do about your belongings?’ He sounded as if he was finding his way barefoot around broken glass.
‘Of course I want to save what I can. But it’s probably already ruined with salt and river grime and heaven only knows what else.’ She bit her lip to stifle the sob. It made her want to throw herself into his arms and weep.
And perhaps, she thought, as she moved directly to the door without waiting, that was his intention.
Deanna Mayfield was just the sort of woman Lissa imagined Blake would find attractive. Any man would find attractive, actually. As tall as him, silver-blonde hair, trim figure. Even in her grey pin-striped business suit she exuded a sultry kind of glamour.
If you went for that kind of thing.
‘Blake!’ Her smile was pure toothpaste advertisement. She ushered them into her office. ‘What a pleasant surprise to get your call.’
Ms Mayfield and smartly dressed Blake looked like an ideal couple as they reminisced about a past Lissa had no part in. Had they ever been lovers? She couldn’t help thinking of the bad-boy reputation. Yep, she thought, Ms Mayfield would definitely go for bad boys.
Even when they eventually got down to business it was there. That … something. While Lissa sat within arm’s reach feeling out of the loop, uninvolved and insignificant.
‘We’ll need a signature here.’ Leaning over the desk,