Wasn’t there always a Catch?
Blake studied the wary eyes, the slight lift of her upper lip, the flared nostrils. Damned if she didn’t expect him to suggest a wild, no-strings affair. And damned if he wasn’t tempted. But this was his money he was putting on the line.
‘I want to see how you work, so I’d like you to redecorate the living room here. It’s been more than ten years and it’s looking tired. I’ll pay you, of course.’
Her posture straightened and a renewed spark lit her eyes. ‘You’d let me have free rein?’
‘Absolutely. And if we’re both happy with how things progress—’
‘But hang on, you said you’re here temporarily.’
‘Not a problem these days with email and the Internet.’
‘So apart from the financial end, you’ll keep out of it?’
‘Unless you ask for my help, which I’m more than happy to give. Ah. One proviso, party girl. The business comes first. No coming home at dawn.’ Unless I’m coming home with you. The thought popped into his head and he frowned. Where the hell had that come from?
She turned, reciprocated his frown with one of her own. ‘Just because I was the Gold Coast’s number one party fan, doesn’t mean the legend continues here. I’m not eighteen any more, I’ve more important things on my mind. So I go to the occasional party—doesn’t everyone?’ Still watching him, she shook her head. ‘No, I guess they don’t.’
Damn right, they didn’t. ‘Say the word and I can have the money in an account this afternoon.’
She leaned back against the sink, fingers tense on the edge, and nodded slowly. Cautiously. ‘Okay. But I don’t want Jared to know. Not yet, anyway.’
‘So we’ll keep it between the two of us.’ A sudden awareness—or was it wariness?—crept into her gaze and he knew she was thinking of the way he’d linked the two of them. ‘It’s just a business arrangement, Lissa. A temporary one until you find someone else.’
She nodded, blew out a breath. ‘Okay, we have a deal.’
‘OH … WOW!’ Lissa’s whole being seemed to light up.
‘We’ll need it in writing,’ Blake said, sharper than he intended, remembering the boat fiasco, which still needed discussing. After his father’s betrayal, never again would he trust another as easily. No matter who it was. No matter how attracted he was.
‘Of course.’ Linking her fingers above her head, she laughed with surprising abandon, spinning a circle in the middle of the kitchen. ‘I’ll get right on it.’
She all but danced across the kitchen, reached up on tiptoe and flung her arms around his neck. ‘Thank you.’ Her breasts, firm and full and not constrained by a bra, grazed his torso, sending a spurt of lust straight to his groin.
Before he could respond in any way, she came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes widened, her cheeks coloured and she backed away fast. ‘I … I’m going to go take a look at the room now and write up some ideas before you change your mind.’ Then she turned and hurried from the room.
Lissa clutched her neck with both hands and willed the hot rush of heat to subside as she raced upstairs to her room. She’d got carried away and practically climbed up his chest. Oh, God. And he’d looked positively shocked. She went straight to the en-suite, splashed herself with cool water. She did not look at her reflection.
Sucking in calming breaths, she sat on her bed and took a few minutes to take stock and absorb the conversation. His generous offer. The offer that was conditional on whether or not he liked her work.
When she could breathe normally again, she walked downstairs to the living room and straight to her supplies stacked against one wall. To her relief, Blake was nowhere around.
She flipped her sketch pad open to a new page and sketched the room’s layout. This was a tropical coastal town, so a beach or watery theme. Elegance. Simplicity. The furniture had to go. She glanced up. The exploding crystal orb of light stayed.
‘Ideas?’
She heard Blake behind her but didn’t turn. No distractions. ‘Blues. Ocean theme. I’m thinking dull turquoise. It has both warm and cool undertones so it’s compatible with almost any colour. It works well with charcoal—that slate wall’s ideal. A lift with lime green or even red. Or if we go with a darker version of the turquoise, gold can look very dramatic, which could lend itself well to the honeyed wood …’ She pulled out her big blue paint samples, chose two. She glanced over to him. ‘Can you visualise your walls this shade, or is it too dark for you?’
‘I’m leaving it up to your professional judgement.’
‘But can you live with that colour?’ She walked to the wall and held both samples up high, against the slate.
‘I won’t be here.’
Blake wasn’t looking at the samples. He was looking at the strip of enticing flesh between her jeans and T-shirt. And all he could think of was how she’d felt pressed against him for those few seconds in the kitchen.
All he knew was he wanted that feeling again. He found himself standing behind her, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. His pulse drummed in his ears. ‘The darker one. More full-toned.’
He heard her surprised intake of breath as he studied her neat little fingernails against the colour card. When she didn’t pull away, his hands closed around her waist, his fingers straddling the ridge between her T-shirt and smooth warm skin.
Her hands drifted down the wall; the colour cards fluttered to the floor. He turned her around slowly, looked down at her. ‘I’m going to kiss you. God knows I shouldn’t. You’re Jared’s little sister.’
Her eyes grew huge and glassy; her pupils seemed to swallow the green. ‘I won’t tell him if you don’t,’ she whispered.
He leaned nearer, felt her breath against his face. Felt the heat of her body against his chest. He pulled her closer. ‘Ah, but I’m not going to lie to him, he’s my mate. It’s a matter of honour. But then I’m not feeling particularly honourable right now.’ He dipped his head.
‘After all this time …’ she murmured against his mouth.
‘After all this time … what?’
‘Never mind.’
The breathless sound spilling from those luscious-looking lips, her fragrance shimmering on her skin, the sensation of two tight nipples pushing against the middle of his chest … No, he agreed silently, never mind … whatever it was.
His erection surged hotly against his jeans. Barely smothering an involuntary groan, he slid one hand to the small of her back and encouraged her body into closer alignment to ease the pressure down there.
It didn’t. It only made him hotter and harder. And a whole lot hornier.
