night he’d pressed those thighs against hers.
She forgot she was on a mission. Forgot she had no time to waste, no time to linger over mere distractions. Even if the distraction was Blake Everett, with his musky scent wafting towards her. He looked like some sort of divine being sent from above. She blew out a heartfelt breath. Her shoes weren’t the only things worth a second look around here.
‘Wait up, I’m coming with you.’ He was watching her as he approached and she knew by the way his eyes suddenly darkened that he was thinking about last night too. You ‘re not ready for what I’d like to do to you.
Until he’d walked off.
Dragging her gaze away, she lifted her chin. His loss. ‘No time,’ she told him. She didn’t want him with her, reminding her of whatever shared delights he’d decided she wasn’t ready for and taking her mind off what she needed to buy. She keyed the remote to raise the roller door, then unlocked her car and tossed her bag on the front passenger seat.
‘Are you sure that’s all?’ He studied her far too astutely while he lifted a bottle of water to his lips.
‘What else would it—?’
‘Blake?’
Lissa turned at the interruption to see Gilda from next door slipping through the front gate.
‘Blake?’ she called again. ‘It is you!’
‘Gilda Matilda!’ His face broke into a broad relaxed smile, something he hadn’t bestowed on Lissa, she noted with a curious feeling in the pit of her stomach as he changed direction and jogged towards the woman.
Flawlessly made-up, their neighbour wore a stunning white sundress that no doubt came from some exclusive European collection. Lissa, in her new off-the-rack red skirt and cream jacket, instantly felt outclassed.
Blake leaned down, dropped a kiss on her cheek. ‘You’re still living here, I see.’
‘Yes. And about time you came home, you long-lost sailor, you.’ The dark-haired woman returned the kiss and gave him a heartfelt hug, the clutch of rings on the third finger of her left hand sparkling in the light. She turned and smiled Lissa’s way. ‘Hello, Lissa. How are you? I didn’t realise you two knew each other.’
‘Hi, Gilda. Yes, we knew each other in Surfers. It was a long time ago.’ She glanced at Blake and saw something flicker in his gaze before he turned his attention back to their neighbour.
Lissa wandered towards them. She wanted to watch their interaction and see if it was just herself he didn’t let in on his life’s details.
Gilda beamed up at him. ‘Well, what extraordinary activities have you been up to all this time?’
‘I can see what you’ve been up to.’
Neatly diverting attention away from himself. Again.
His gaze dropped to the woman’s gently rounded belly. ‘Congratulations. Or have you popped out a couple of others since I last saw you?’
She laughed, breathless and happy. ‘No. This is our first.’ Her gaze softened and turned inwards and her voice grew almost reverent. ‘It’s a miracle. Fifteen years of trying and now I’m six months along. I still can’t believe it.’
‘You’ve waited a long time, Gil. Enjoy it.’
‘Oh, I am. Every minute.’ Her smile flashed wider. ‘I’m in the throes of preparing the nursery. It’s a girl and I can’t decide whether to go with traditional pink or something completely unexpected. Whatever we decide, it’s got to be something spectacular. But I guess you men are all the same.’ She flapped a hand and smiled knowingly at Lissa. ‘Put off by women’s talk of nurseries.’
‘Maybe your neighbour can help you out.’
‘Oh?’
‘Lissa’s an interior designer and, believe me, you’ll want to see her ideas.’ He cast a conspiratorial smile Lissa’s way. ‘She’s working on my living room at present, but I’m sure she’ll find time to fit you into her schedule.’
‘Really?’ Gilda’s eyes lit up. ‘I had no idea, Lissa. What a timely surprise. And I’d love your input.’
Lissa’s spirits soared and she cast Blake a grateful glance. What better opportunity would come her way than the chance to impress this wealthy suburban socialite with her expertise?
‘I’d be happy to give you some options to consider, Gilda. Would this afternoon be a convenient time for me to look at the room?’
‘Oh, that’d be wonderful. Shall we say 2:00 p.m.?’
‘That’ll be fine. I’ll see you then.’
Gilda paused, her eyes darting between both of them as if deciding whether they were an item or not. ‘Are you two doing anything tomorrow evening? I’m having a little party and I’d love it if you could both come.’
‘We’d be delighted,’ Blake answered for both of them.
‘Can we bring something?’ Lissa offered and immediately wished she’d kept her naive mouth shut. Gilda didn’t do anything so simple as pot-luck dinners.
‘Just your wallets,’ she said with a grin. ‘It’s a fundraiser for childhood cancer awareness, so it’s gold tie or gold ribbon for you, Blake, and a gold dress, Lissa.’
Oh. Not even a semi-formal occasion then, but one of her famous extravaganzas. Obviously Gilda assumed everyone had a gold gown hanging in the closet. Her society friends probably did. Lissa wanted to go. It was an exciting, timely opportunity, but who’d give her a second glance in her chain store’s little black dress?
But Blake … he wasn’t a party kind of guy. She could see it in his stance, in the set of his jaw. He’d accepted because he knew it was a chance for her to make some contacts.
‘About tomorrow night …’ she began as they waved Gilda goodbye and walked towards the car. ‘I—’
‘I suspect this type of party’s not exactly your thing but—’
‘That’s not what I was going to say.’ At the car door, she swung round to look at him. ‘If you’d rather not attend, I can go alone.’
He stared her down. ‘Not a chance.’ His fingers curved over the door frame as he held it open for her. ‘Now hop in. You’ve got shopping to do.’
She wanted to thank him but she knew now that it would make him uncomfortable.
‘Why couldn’t it be a simple black tie dinner?’ she moaned, climbing in. ‘I don’t have a suitable dress and I’m so busy today.’ She slid the key into the ignition. ‘I have an appointment to look at office furniture …’ she glanced at her watch ‘… in half an hour.’
‘Not much point looking at outfitting the shop if you don’t have clients. You’ve got two days. Plenty of time to look at dresses.’
‘What
