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He growls in the back of his throat and I feel his muscles bunch. He drags me across his lap and I tremble in absolute rapture at being in his arms again. I press against him and the kisses deepen. He teases me with his tongue. His hands hold me—hard and secure—and sweep down my body. I’m aching and ecstatic and I just pour it all into kissing him and lose myself in the bliss.
I pay no attention to the voice saying something from far away.
But suddenly Dain tears his mouth from mine. With a muttered swearword he lifts me back into my seat. Dazed, I can only look at him in confusion—and yearning.
‘That was the captain speaking.’ He half laughs, half groans. ‘Seat belt on.’ He fastens my belt before tending to Lukas. ‘We’re landing.’
But I’m still up in the clouds and I really don’t want to return to earth.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dain
IT WASN’T SUPPOSED to happen. I intended to do whatever it took to get her to trust me but also keep my damned distance. But somehow she’s defused my temper and the damned endless lust I have for her has me so distracted I can’t catch my breath. But she wants me just as much. Right back. And I’m all but feral inside.
We land in Brisbane and I dispense with my waiting chauffeur to drive Talia and Lukas to my house myself. I don’t want my off-balance state to be obvious to everyone. Frankly I’ve yet to figure how I’m going to introduce them to my staff, how I’m going to explain their sudden appearance in my life to anyone. But it doesn’t matter, I can delay most of that. Right now I just want to be alone with them both.
‘This is a beautiful area...’ She’s wide-eyed as she looks at the leafy neighbourhood I begin to slow down in. ‘You don’t live in one of your own apartments?’
‘When working in Sydney or Melbourne, sure. But this is my place to escape and I thought it would be a better place to bring Lukas. It offers total privacy.’
‘It’s huge.’ She’s pale as we drive through the massive security gates. ‘How do you manage it?’
‘I have staff.’ I pull up outside the house and pause, not understanding her wariness. ‘You don’t like it?’ That I care so much about her opinion is just weird.
‘Oh, no, it’s amazing. It’s just really huge.’
‘With this space and privacy I can fully relax. Property is work. This isn’t work. This is my paradise.’ I get out of the car and breathe in the perfumed scent of the garden. Then I shrug. ‘Like you, I moved a lot when I was a kid. I was shuttled from apartment to apartment and always being asked to compare them—which was bigger, which was better. I just wanted to stay in the one place and not have to decide and try to placate them. So this is wish fulfilment perhaps.’
‘It’s your home,’ she mutters.
‘Right.’ I feel awkward. ‘A garden and a pool and I can have my friends over to play without worrying World War Three is about to erupt in front of them.’
She smiles at that. ‘You have your friends over often?’
Her smile pulls my own and I start to relax. ‘I’ve been known to have parties.’
‘Debauched dance parties with beautiful women?’
‘That’s what you immediately picture?’ My mood lightens more and I laugh. ‘You see me and think sexy dancing?’
She blushes delightfully. My smile just gets bigger and I’m half tempted to dance towards her right now. Her inexperience and unexplored desire and passionate curiosity intrigue me. Because I also know she’s an extremist—it’s evident in the hours she works, the lengths she goes to—misguidedly sometimes—to look after those she loves. She’s either all in or she’s all out.
In some respects I’m the same. Physically I want all in. But while the chemistry between us crackles I’m wary about dealing with it. Usually sex is uncomplicated. Desire is transient. Once it’s sated I move on and I’ve stayed on good terms with many of the women I’ve slept with. Because emotional boundaries don’t get crossed. I make sure there are no expectations, offer no ‘relationship’—I’ve no interest in that burden. Because it is a burden.
So surely I could sleep with her again and us remain pleasant in parenting Lukas? The problem is she’s untrusting too. She’s been hurt by her past and I can’t be sure she wouldn’t turn and try to block me out once we’re done. I never want Lukas to witness a war like that of my parents.
I think Talia believes in happy families as little as I do. So I’ve got to resist the temptation to touch her. We’ll keep things calm and serene and safe. I’ll never make her some impossible-to-keep promise. Because the only thing I’m certain of is the impermanence of any affair.
I step forward and lift Lukas from the car, carrying him while I take Talia on a quick tour.
‘The parties are purely for business,’ I explain. ‘I need to be engaged with the community—keep the profile up. So there are charity balls, philanthropic events.’ I can’t resist walking near enough for our shoulders to brush. ‘The beautiful and the wealthy attend. Future and current clients.’
To be honest I probably should have one soon. It’s been a while since I have and it would be a way of revealing Talia and Lukas are in my life—at least to those I work most closely with. They’re better off being informed directly by me rather than by the inevitable whisperings and speculation that will begin. But it doesn’t have to happen this weekend or anything. We all need to settle in together first.
I lead her through the atrium and into the first of the living areas—the one with the view over the pool and tennis court.
‘Do you play tennis? Swim?’ I ask. ‘There’s a home gym, yoga room and sauna as well. Use any of them any time.’ I want her to feel comfortable here. ‘There’s a home cinema too—’
