consummate professional. While she’d been talking, his gaze had been fixated on her mouth. He couldn’t recall a woman who could look both sexy and sweet at the same time, as well as hot and cool when the mood suited her. He loved all the different facets of Gemma, and he planned on being a vital part of each one of them. How could any man not want to?
Minutes later, after taking a shower and getting dressed, he left his hotel room to walk a few doors down to where Gemma had spent the night. Just the thought that she had been sleeping so close had done something to him. He wondered if she had gotten a good night’s sleep. Or had she tossed and turned most of the night, as he had? Probably not. He figured she had no idea what sexual frustration was all about. And if she did, he didn’t want to know about it, especially if some other man ruled her thoughts.
The possibility of that didn’t sit well with him, since he couldn’t handle the thought of Gemma with any other man but him. He pulled in a deep breath before lifting his hand to knock on her door.
“Who is it?”
“Callum.”
“Just a moment.”
While waiting, he turned to study the design of the wallpaper that covered the expanse of the wall that led to the elevator. It was a busy design, but he had to admit that it matched the carpet perfectly, pulling in colors he would not have normally paid attention to.
He shook his head, remembering that Gemma had gone on and on about different colors and how her job would be to coordinate them to play off each other. He was surprised that he could recall any of her words when the only thoughts going through his mind had been what he’d like doing to her physically.
“Come on in, Callum. I just need to grab a jacket,” she said upon opening the door.
He turned around and immediately sucked in a deep breath. He had to lean against the doorframe to keep from falling. His Gemma wasn’t wearing jeans and a top today. Instead, she was dressed in a tan-colored skirt that flowed to her ankles, a pair of chocolate-suede, medium-heeled shoes and a printed blouse. Seeing her did something to every muscle, every cell and every pore of his body. And his gut twisted in a knot. She looked absolutely stunning. Even her hair was different. Rather than wearing it in a ponytail she had styled it to hang down to her shoulders.
He’d only seen her a few other times dressed like this, and that had been when they’d run into each other at church. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, feeling a gigantic tug in his chest as he watched her move around the room. He became enmeshed in her movements and how graceful and fluid they were.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep, Callum?”
He blinked when he noticed that she stood staring at him, smiling. Was he imagining things or did he see amusement curving her lips? “I’m sorry, what did you ask?”
“I wanted to know if you got a good night’s sleep. I’m sure it felt good being back home.”
He thought about what she said and although he could agree that it was good being back home, it felt even better having her here with him. He’d thought about this a number of times, dreamed that he would share his homeland with her. He had six weeks and he intended to make every second, minute and hour count.
Apparently, she was waiting for his response. “Sleep didn’t come easy. I guess I’m suffering from jet lag. And, yes, I’m glad to be home,” he said, checking his watch. “Ready to go down for breakfast?”
“Yes, I’m starving.”
“I can imagine. You didn’t eat a whole lot on the plane.”
She chuckled. “Only because I wasn’t sure I could keep it down. There was a lot of turbulence.”
And he’d known how much that bothered her. He was glad when she’d finally been able to sleep through it. He had watched her most of the time while she’d done so.
“I’m ready now, Callum.”
He was tempted to reach out and take her hand in his, but he knew that doing such a thing would not be a smart move right now. He needed her to get to know him, not as her brother’s best friend, but as the man who would always be a part of her life.
* * *
“Hey, don’t look at my plate like that. I told you I was hungry,” Gemma said, laughing. Her stack of pancakes was just as high as Callum’s. He had told her this particular hotel, located in downtown Sydney, was known to serve the best pancakes. They not only served the residents of the hotel but locals who dropped in on their way to work. From where Gemma sat, she could see the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance. It was a beautiful sight.
“Trust me, I understand. I remember my mom bringing me here as a kid when I did something good in school,” he said while pouring syrup onto his pancakes.
“Wow, you mean this hotel is that old?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
He glanced over at her as amusement flickered in his gaze. “Old? Just what are you trying to say, Gemma?”
“Umm, nothing. Sorry. I have to remember that you’re my client and I have to watch what I say. The last thing I want to do is offend you.”
“And be careful that you don’t,” he warned, chuckling. “Or all that information you provided yesterday on colors and designs would have been for naught. How you can keep that stuff straight in your head is beyond me.”
He paused a moment. “And I talked to Ramsey last night. Everything is fine back in Denver and I assured him all was well here.”
Gemma smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. “Did you tell him we were on the flight from hell getting here?”
“Not quite in those words, but I think he got the idea. He asked me if you fainted when the plane hit the first pocket of turbulence.”
She made a face. “Funny. Did he mention how Chloe is doing?”
“Yes, she’s fine, just can’t wait for November to roll around.” He smiled. “She has two more months to go.”
“I started to call them last night when we got in, but after I took a shower and went to bed that did it for me. I hadn’t thought I’d be able to sleep so soundly, but I did.”
During the rest of their meal, Gemma explained to him how they managed to pull off a surprise baby shower for Chloe last month right under her sister-in-law’s nose, and how, although Ramsey and Chloe didn’t want to know the sex of the baby before it was born, Megan, Bailey and she were hoping for a girl, while Zane, Derringer and the twins were anticipating a boy.
Sipping coffee and sharing breakfast with Callum seemed so natural. She hadn’t ever shared breakfast with him before...at least not when it had been just the two of them. Occasionally, they would arrive at Ramsey’s place for breakfast at about the same time, but there had always been other family members around. She found him fun to talk to and felt good knowing he had noticed her outfit and even complimented her on how she looked. She had caught him staring at her a few times, which meant he couldn’t ignore her so easily after all.
They had finished breakfast and were heading back toward the elevators when suddenly someone called out.
“Callum,
