Читать книгу By Request Collection 1 - Jackie Braun - Страница 40

‘I SHOULD’VE bought a new dress.’ Lissa surveyed her reflection, less than satisfied. It was her big night and her little black dress was strapless and short and simple. Everyone else would be blinged to the eyeballs and the party princess was a plain Jane. But she hadn’t had time to wander the boutiques.

‘That is a new dress,’ Blake said, behind her. ‘And that is such a typical male response.’ She glanced at Blake in the mirror to check he was okay after finally opening up to her last night.

He was buttoning his shirt. Covering all that gorgeous bronze skin. He looked amazing. Semi relaxed. She knew he wasn’t looking forward to facing a crowd of people. She stared back at herself. ‘It’s not what I imagined myself wearing tonight. I look so … stark. And boring. Maybe a brighter lip-gl—’

‘Perhaps these will help.’ Blake’s reflection appeared behind her. He lifted his hands above her head and she saw a single strand of cream pearls.

‘Oh …’ She met his eyes in the mirror—warm and incredibly blue, like a tropical day, and for a heart-stopping moment she forgot to breathe.

Then he broke eye contact, as if he’d seen something he wasn’t comfortable with. ‘Lift your hair.’

Unable to speak for the lump in her throat, she did as he asked. He fastened it around her neck, then adjusted its princess length so that the diamond-crusted clasp sat below the line of her collarbones. It sparked like fire in the bedroom light.

‘Oh, my … I don’t know what to say.’ She touched the smooth orbs, cool against her suddenly flushed skin. They must have cost a fortune. ‘They’re beautiful. And absolutely perfect.’

‘They match your complexion.’ His hands drifted over her bare shoulders as he turned her to face him, dropped a kiss on her brow. ‘Good luck for tonight. You deserve it.’

‘Thank you, Blake.’ In turn, she leaned in to press her lips lightly against his neck just above his collar. ‘For everything.’

But as she walked out into the night with him, something shivered down her spine. Hadn’t she read somewhere that when a man gave a woman pearls, tears weren’t far behind?

By eight-thirty the vaulted room where Lissa’s Interior Design was to open for business on Monday morning was a sensory hive. Animated conversation. A fortune in fashion and fragrance and diamonds. Exotically perfumed pine-cone ginger stalks and Singapore orchids among tropical foliage. Colourful canapés, pink champagne. And over it all, the sounds of Vivaldi drifting from a quartet on the mezzanine floor.

Lissa mingled with the guests. Some she knew, others she met for the first time. Gilda, with her rapidly growing baby bump swathed in midnight blue, introduced her around. Blake was working the room from the opposite end.

Suddenly, she was enveloped in a tight warm hug and a familiar voice over her shoulder said, ‘Hello, gorgeous.’

‘Jared!’ She turned in the circle of his arms and hugged him tight. ‘I didn’t know you were back.’

‘We wanted to surprise you.’

‘You did.’ And for a moment she wanted to cling, to breathe in his familiar aftershave and tell him she loved him, how much she appreciated him.

How much family meant to her even though she didn’t always show it.

‘Missed you,’ she said, against his cheek.

‘Same goes. Don’t worry, sis,’ he whispered for her ears only. ‘I’m not going to rain on your parade.’

‘I know. Thanks.’

He let her go and she stepped back, feeling unaccountably emotional. ‘Sophie. You’ve cut your hair. It looks stunning.’

Sophie, gorgeous in a teal-coloured dress, flicked at her new bob with a smile. ‘Easier to manage when travelling.’

‘Crystal.’ Lissa hugged them both. ‘Thanks for coming. And Ian too. You all made it.’ She soaked in the sight with all her senses. Her family loved her and they’d always be there for her, no matter what. They’d always be around to celebrate her successes.

She tried not to think about her business partner but her hand rose to the pearls at her neck. Blake would never be part of her inner circle. He wouldn’t be here with champers when the business turned a profit for the first time. He wouldn’t be here when it came time to decorate the office with Christmas cheer. He wouldn’t be here to share their milestones because he sailed alone.

‘Are you all right, Lissa?’ Sophie asked, with a small frown.

‘Are you kidding? With all this happening?’ Waving an encompassing hand, she shook off the melancholy and smiled. ‘Where are the kids?’

‘Ian’s parents are baby-sitting the lot,’ Crystal said, then grinned. ‘Overnight. So we’re all staying at the Oceans Blue.’ She glanced at Jared as she said, ‘We’re hoping you and Blake will join us for brunch tomorrow morning before we head back.’

‘Love to. I’ll ask Blake when I can catch him.’ She glanced about her. She’d hardly seen her partner in crime since they’d arrived. She saw him among the crowd, conversing with an elderly couple beneath the ‘rings of fire’, which they’d taken to calling the magnificent circles of light above them.

Her heart leapt against her breast at that first glimpse. It always did. It always would. The tanned skin and glossy dark hair, those brilliant blue eyes that she just wanted to drown in. His smile. He was smiling now as he talked, that delicious mouth kicked up at one corner, one hand holding a champagne flute, the other gesticulating as he made a point. Even though she knew he’d prefer to be alone or perhaps with her on some secluded moonlit beach.

But it wasn’t only his physical beauty she saw. She saw the man behind the masculine perfection. A wounded man who’d only just begun to open up to her. His troubled family history.

She also knew him as a man of patience, understanding and integrity. He put up with the chaos she’d turned his house into with her work gear and her seeming inability to leave a room tidy.

He’d drawn out her deepest fears and soothed them with a gentleness she’d never have expected a man of his solitary background to be capable of.

But she kept the knowledge and her feelings deep. They’d agreed that if a more suitable partner came along, he’d be happy to bow out of the whole deal. More than happy, Lissa knew. He’d talked about sailing. He’d found a boat he was interested in. She knew he was leaving, it was only a matter of time.

Would he change his mind and stay if he knew she loved him?

Would it be fair to lay that on him?

No. Because with the emotional baggage he carried, to him they’d be empty words. And what would be the point? He didn’t want to be tied to one place and she wanted this business so badly her eyeballs ached. They could never be together long term.

Jared’s voice sounded over the microphone set up in the middle of the room, jerking her out of her thoughts. The guests quietened and gathered around.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lissa’s Interior Design.’ Her brother smiled her way as the onlookers clapped. Emotion choked her. She lifted a hand in acknowledgement. She glanced at Blake but his attention was focused on Jared. She tried to interpret his expression without success.

When the applause settled down, Jared continued. ‘Gilda’s asked me to say a few words and I’m going to start by telling you about my kid sister …’

A few moments later, he finished by saying, ‘And now with great pleasure and no small amount of pride, I want to introduce the talented woman who’s going to transform your homes into magazine-worthy masterpieces. Lissa Sanderson, ladies and gentlemen.’

He handed her the mike, with a murmured ‘Congratulations, sis,’ and a brotherly pat on the back.

She clenched one hand around the microphone. ‘Thank you, Jared.’ Her voice resounded through the room. She blew him a kiss on a wide smile. ‘That was quite a speech.’ She glanced down at the scrap of paper in her hand.

‘First off, I’d like to thank you all for coming and making the evening such a success …’

Crossing his arms, Blake stood well back from the crowd, out of the spotlight, and watched the exchange of fond smiles between the siblings. And an odd sensation tugged at him. He felt as if he were standing on a ship’s splintering deck watching the rest of the crew cram into the only lifeboat and sail away. He tried to shake it away, but the feeling persisted.

She continued her speech but he wasn’t listening to the words, he was listening to her voice—clear and crisp and calm, like the sound of a church bell over still water at sunset.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The scrawny little redhead now the voluptuous Titian-haired beauty in a short black dress and taking on the world of interior decorating. If she’d left him at sea all those years ago, it was nothing to what she was doing to him now. He could imagine her in ten years. Twenty.

And she’d still be the only woman he wanted to look at.

‘As most of you would already know, the evening’s not just about Lissa’s Interior Design. It’s also about charity. Tonight I want to pay tribute to the men and women in the Armed Forces. Our own Aussie Diggers …’

Then those crystal clear eyes looked right at him. As if she’d known exactly where he was. In some still-functioning corner of his brain he registered her recognition to his line of work, even though he’d barely scratched the surface of that aspect of his life with her. With any woman.

‘For those of you who haven’t heard of it, the ‘Support our Diggers’ campaign provides health care, counselling and legal support for our troops overseas and for returned soldiers.

‘Each and every one of them makes a huge personal sacrifice to protect us here in Australia. They leave their families and loved ones and endure life-threatening situations on a daily basis. Some pay the ultimate price. Others return, changed for ever.’

Changed for ever. The words reverberated in his skull. Lissa had changed him. For the better. She’d shown him a different view of the world. One he liked. One he wanted. He rubbed a fist over his chest. Something was shifting inside him.

‘So we want to champion the very worthy and valuable charity, ‘Support our Diggers’. Make sure you see our charity diva, Gilda, and donate as much as you can before you leave.

‘There’s someone else, someone special, I want to acknowledge. Blake Everett. Most of you will remember Blake’s mother, Rochelle, who worked tirelessly for charity from Surfers to the Sunshine Coast. Blake’s the man responsible for making this dream of mine happen.’

Blake barely heard the resounding applause over the roaring in his ears.

I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.

He didn’t know what to do with the feelings crashing around him. He’d heard her tell Jared what they had was a fling. A wild, crazy no-strings affair with no unrealistic expectations.

He needed to get outside, breathe some fresh air and think, because maybe this was the most important question he was ever going to ask himself, but before he could make his getaway a hand clapped his shoulder. ‘Long time, no see, my friend.’

Blake turned at the voice and curbed his impatience. Jared’s eyes pierced his as Blake extended a hand. ‘Jared. It’s good to see you.’

Jared nodded. ‘Thanks for your phone call. It was reassuring to know Liss really wanted me here that badly.’

‘You mean the world to her. Even if she doesn’t always show it.’

‘Same goes.’ Jared cleared his throat. ‘I want to thank you for helping her out with the boat.’

‘Not a problem.’

‘And with the business. I’d have helped but she’s got that stubborn streak a mile wide.’

Blake felt a smile tug at his mouth. ‘Believe me, I’ve seen it.’

She was also loyal and caring and all-the-way committed to making this venture a success, something he’d not been sure about at the start.

He looked about him, at the amazing job she’d done in transforming the building in such a short time. ‘She’s got talent and a good opportunity here. She’ll do well.’

When he looked back, Big Brother was still watching him. ‘So, what are your plans now?’

Blake heard the question behind the casual tone. And Lissa’s words to Jared: He’ll be gone before you know it. ‘I’ve negotiated the price on a sailing yacht. Thought I’d sail north first and check out the Barrier Reef and the islands up there. Take in some diving. Recreational for a change.’ He heard himself reciting the words as if from a dry school text. Why didn’t he sound more enthusiastic? He’d been thinking about this for over a year, planning it for weeks.

‘And the business?’

Lissa had always known how it would play. They’d both known. ‘If she needs some advice and I’m out of contact—’

‘She’ll be just fine.’ Jared watched him. ‘She’s got her family’s support.’

Family. Yes, Lissa needed family. A house and a husband all the way committed. To settling down, raising her own kids.

‘Blake …’ A female of indeterminate age excused herself for interrupting but she’d known his mother.

Jared left them at some point and Blake was caught up with guests, then Gilda took the mike and proposed a toast. And everyone looked towards the spiral staircase where Lissa stood halfway up with a huge pair of gold scissors with purple foil streamers dangling from them. She cut a ribbon and a rainbow of balloons and foil confetti drifted down from the ceiling.

Cameras flashed, glasses clinked. Everyone cheered and clapped. Except Blake. Forget Helen of Troy, he thought as he watched her. Lissa’s smile could launch a thousand ships ten times over.

As the metallic confetti swirled down around her, she locked eyes with him and it was like being sucked into a whirlpool of wants and needs and hopes, his or hers, he didn’t know whose—just that they pulled him in a direction he’d never had any intention of going.

And all he knew was that he wanted to follow wherever it led. As she descended the steps he made his way towards her, his heart thumping like a piston in his chest. He didn’t want to be a silent partner. He wanted a full partnership. So he didn’t know much about interior decorating but he could learn, couldn’t he? They could learn together. She could be the creative genius and he’d. They’d figure something out. But first he had to know how she felt. How she really felt about the two of them. Together.

She waved and headed straight for him, her smile glowing. ‘I’ve got such exciting news.’ She grabbed his arm. ‘I’ll tell you on the way. there’s a party at Brandy’s house and.’ She trailed off, her brow creasing. ‘You haven’t got a headache, have you? You look pale …’

‘I’m fine, in fact I—’

‘So you’ll come? Please, please, Blake, I want you there with me.’

‘I need to talk to you first.’

‘What about?’

‘Not here.’ He gestured with his chin. ‘Outside.’ Without waiting for a response, he took her elbow, and guided her past the crowd and out to the footpath. The sea air laden with the aromas of Asian stir fry and warm bitumen met them. He turned her towards him. ‘Lissa, I—’

‘Can it wait?’ She all but jiggled on the spot, her beautiful face brimming with delight, clear eyes sparkling. ‘The party’s for—’

‘This is important.’ He grasped her upper arms, suddenly desperate.

‘So is my career. Didn’t you say to focus on my career first? Okay, I can’t wait, I’ll just have to spill it now.’ She clasped her hands together beneath her chin, her eyes sparking with life and energy, bits of foil glinting in her hair. ‘Maddie Jenkins wants in on the business as a full partner! You wouldn’t be aware but she’s got interior design shops all the way down the coast from Cairns to Brisbane and she wants Lissa’s to be a part of it.’

Inside, Blake turned to stone. He loosened his hold. Who the hell was Maddie Jenkins? ‘You haven’t discussed it with me.’ His lips felt numb; he felt as if someone else were pushing out the cool, clipped words. ‘It’s good manners to discuss any changes with your current partner first, don’t you think?’

She stilled. ‘Oh, Blake. I should have, I’m sorry. But it just happened moments ago.’

Her smile faded and the sparks in her eyes changed and he hated himself for being the cause but he couldn’t find it in him to accept her apology.

When he didn’t respond, she continued, ‘You and I … we agreed it was a temporary arrangement until I found another interested party. Maddie’s got years of experience and contacts all over the country. It’ll still be Lissa’s Interior Designs but this arrangement is just. so perfect. For me. and for you.’

Her eyes changed again, shadows stealing the light, but they remained level on his. ‘You never really wanted to be involved in an interior design business. You only did it to help me out, we both know that. Because you knew I wouldn’t accept charity. But you believed in me and I’ll never forget it.’

He tightened his jaw. She was right, all the way right. ‘You’ve got it all figured out.’

‘It makes sense—for both of us. You’re free now. Totally free. You can go off and do what you want, wherever you want. If that’s what you want.’

‘If I asked you to, would you come with me?’ The words spilled out before he could stop them.

‘What?’ For a heartbeat he saw a flash of something like yearning in her eyes and his heart skipped a beat. ‘Where? When?’

‘Anywhere. Everywhere.’ For as long as for ever.

‘Why?’ she asked quietly.

And he knew it wouldn’t work, even if her eyes were telling him something else. Her new business was where she needed to be. She’d regret it for the rest of her life. Because he couldn’t be the man she needed. He couldn’t give her the kind of life she wanted.

So he shrugged as if his gut weren’t tearing him up. A moment of madness. ‘I just wanted to satisfy myself that you really are committed to this venture.’

She nodded, crossed her arms over her chest. ‘And now you know. I can’t believe you’d think I’d give up my career on a whim. You made this chance possible and I’ve worked towards it for so long. I’m going to take Maddie’s offer while it’s still on the table.’ She searched his eyes for the longest time, as if committing them to memory.

He was vaguely aware that a group of younger party-goers stepped onto the footpath, that someone called her name. Still watching him, Lissa backed away towards them. Someone put a glass of champagne in her hand. She didn’t seem to notice. ‘You sure you won’t come with us?’

He shook his head, barely managed a quick smile. ‘Go do your thing, party girl. I’ve got some business of my own to take care of.’

‘Someone’ll drop me off, so I’ll see you back at home, then.’ She lifted her glass in a kind of salute.

Home? She’d never referred to his house as home before and warmth flickered deep inside only to cool instantly as he watched her walk away, his jaw so tight he wondered that he didn’t crack a tooth.

Then she seemed to change her mind. She turned around and ran back, clutched at his shirt and blinked up at him. And for a pulse-pounding second a new dawn beckoned.

‘Thank you, Blake, you’re the best partner I ever had.’ She reached up, pulled his head down and pressed her warm lips to his. The cold bubbly spilled out of her glass and down his shirt.

He pulled her closer, skimming the edge of something that felt eerily like panic. He’d faced enemy fire, unexploded mines and been life-threateningly close to running out of oxygen in the ocean’s depths and always kept his cool. Used reasoning and logic to see him through.

There was nothing cool or reasonable or logical here.

When she broke the kiss and eased her heels back down to the footpath, the feeling didn’t go away. It deepened.

She smiled and stepped back. ‘The cleaning crew’ll lock up when they’re done.’

He jutted his chin towards the group up ahead. ‘Your friends are waiting.’

She nodded. ‘‘Night.’ Don’t wait up. He swore he heard those words on the balmy salt air.