chuckled, as understanding lit his eyes. “Yes. Denver has its strong points—don’t get me wrong—but there’s something about Sydney that’s unique. I’m not saying that just because it’s where I was born.”
“So what’s so nice about it?”
He smiled again and, as if on cue, those sensations in her stomach fluttered and spread through her entire midsection.
“I hate to sound like a travel ad, but Australia is a cosmopolitan place drenched in history and surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. Close your eyes for a moment and envision this, Gemma.”
She closed her eyes and he began talking in a soft tone, describing the beaches in detail. From his description, she could all but feel a spray of ocean water on her lips, a cool breeze caressing her skin.
“There’re Kingscliff Beach, Byron Bay, Newcastle and Lord Howe, just to name a few. Each of them is an aquatic paradise, containing the purest blue-green waters your eyes can behold.”
“Like the color of your eyes?” Her eyes were still closed.
She heard his soft chuckle. “Yes, somewhat. And speaking of eyes, you can open yours now.”
She slowly lifted her lids to find his eyes right there. He had inched his head closer to hers and not only were his eyes right there, so were his lips. The thoughts that suddenly went racing through her mind were crazy, but all she would have to do was to stick out her tongue to taste his lips. That was a temptation she was having a hard time fighting.
Her breathing increased and she could tell by the rise and fall of his masculine chest, that so had his. Was there something significantly dangerous about flying this high in the sky that altered your senses? Zapped them real good and sent them reeling off course? Filled your mind with thoughts you wouldn’t normally entertain?
If the answer to all those questions was a resounding yes, then that explained why her mind was suddenly filled with the thought of engaging in a romantic liaison with the man who was not only her client, but also her oldest brother’s best friend.
“Gemma …” It seemed he had inched his mouth a little closer; so close she could feel his moist breath on her lips as he said her name in that deep Australian accent of his.
Instead of responding, she inched her mouth closer, too, as desire, the intensity of which she’d never felt before, made her entire body shiver with a need she didn’t know she was capable of having. The green eyes locked on hers were successfully quashing any thoughts of pulling her mouth back before it was too late.
“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
