AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She pulled back before she did something stupid, like stand there and let him twist her around his finger, and not only by the hair.
'You don't know me at all.' Ignoring the glint in his eyes, a richer, deeper, toffee-brown than she remembered, she glanced at her watch, hoping he'd get the hint. 'Is your father here? I need to discuss business with him.'
His eyes clouded and darkened as pain twisted his mouth. 'Pa died. I guess the news didn't make it all the way to London.'
'I'm sorry,' she said, ashamed she hadn't kept in touch with news from home.
Not that the thought hadn't crossed her mind, but Nick hadn't been the only reason she'd fled Jacaranda.
'Are you really?' Angry lines fanned from the corner of his mouth and the disapproving indentation between his brows deepened, ageing him beyond his twenty-eight years.
He'd never looked at her like this back then. He might’ve been a rebel but he'd never been brooding or angry, far from it. A decade ago, he'd only ever looked at her with adoration and desire, and for a brief moment she wished she could turn back time.
'Of course I'm sorry. Everyone around here loved Pa.'
Sorrow twisted his mouth and he looked away, taking a deep breath before refocussing on her. 'You're right, Pa was a popular guy.’ Swiping a hand across his face, he erased the tenseness. 'Though I'm surprised your old man didn't say something about him passing away. You can't ride a new motorbike in this town without people lining the roads for a parade.'
His gaze flicked over her and she clenched her hands to stop from smoothing her expensive suit. His eyes glowed with appreciation, but she didn't miss the slight compression of his lips, as if her favourite designer suit didn't impress him one iota.
'Despite your fancy new clothes, surely you remember how it is around here?'
He was trying to bait her as always, and she’d be damned if she gave him the satisfaction of knowing exactly how much she remembered; most of her memories centred on him.
'I've been busy the last ten years, so forgive me if taking a stroll down memory lane hasn't been high on my list of priorities.'
One of his eyebrows arched. ‘Busy, huh?'
She expected him to ask about her career, wanted to show him how far she'd come, how far they could've made it as a couple if he'd accompanied her.
Instead, he stood there, a semi-naked god totally at ease with his surroundings, the sheen of sweat and dust adding to his rugged appeal rather than diminishing it.
Clamping down on the urge to run her hands over that glorious bare chest, she cleared her throat. 'I work twenty-four-seven. Being a senior executive at London's top advertising firm takes up most of my time.'
‘No time for play?'
His teasing smile slammed into her, the familiarity of it making her gasp. She didn't play, not anymore. Her play days had stopped when she'd hightailed it out of this town and never looked back.
Work helped her forget…everything.
Work proved how far she'd come.
Work gave her the hard-fought independence she'd clawed her way to the top for, an independence that guaranteed she'd never have to look back.
Biting back a pithy retort, she ducked into the car and grabbed the folder from the passenger seat. 'What I do in my spare time isn't your concern. I'm here on business.'
'Whatever this business proposition of yours is about, you'll be dealing with me.' His probing stare bore into her, a potent stare that sent a ripple of unease through her. 'And just so you know, I'm nothing like my father. I drive a hard bargain.'
She almost banged her head on the doorjamb as his silky voice slid over her. So much for a quick, clean presentation to Pa Mancini. The thought of doing business with Nick, let alone considering whatever bargain he might demand, had her flustered.
And she never got flustered, not anymore. Some of the gang at work called her the Ice Princess behind her back and she liked it. Emotions got her nowhere and she'd learned to control her fiery temper, along with the rest of her wayward emotions during the long, hard hours in the big city.
As she handed him the folder their fingertips touched and despite the length of time they'd been apart, her heart jackknifed. A stupid, irrational response. She shouldn't feel anything for Nick, especially not this strange déjà vu that had her dreaming of stepping closer and running a palm down his bare chest to see if it felt half as good as she remembered.
She took a steadying breath, ignoring the host of unwelcome feelings this man resurrected. 'There's a lot we need to discuss. Why don't we head inside so you can put on some clothes and we can do business?'
She'd made a fatal error in judgement, knew it the second his lips kicked into a sexy, familiar grin that never failed to take her breath away.
She shouldn't have mentioned his state of undress, shouldn't have drawn attention to it, and as if of their own volition her eyes drifted south, riveted to that muscular expanse of temptation less than two feet away.
