Читать книгу Australia: Bundles of Joy: Impossibly Pregnant / Top-Notch Surgeon, Pregnant Nurse / Caring For His Babies - Lilian Darcy - Страница 14

‘It’s not the size of the wand that’s important, it’s the way the magician wields it.’

Chrystal, an expert on wands.

KEELY had tried to switch off her thoughts as she soaked in the bath. She’d imagined floating on an endless blue ocean, sitting beside a tinkling waterfall and swimming with playful dolphins. However, her relaxation techniques had had the same effect as they usually did when she tried them at home to drop off to sleep: nothing.

Instead, every time she’d closed her eyes Lachlan’s image had popped up in front of her—his smile, the way his eyes crinkled in the corners when he laughed, how his eyes glowed after he’d just kissed her. Endless images that flitted across her mind, reminding her of how much she wanted him.

And how much she wanted to let go of her reservations and love him.

Yes, she’d finally admitted it. Despite being a realist with both feet firmly planted on the ground, despite all her silent protestations, and despite the fact that falling for a man like Lachlan would only end in heartache for them both, she was inches away from falling in love.

Women in love did stupid things. She’d seen it time and time again with her friends and office colleagues, not to mention first hand. Though, strangely enough, what she was about to do couldn’t be termed stupid. In fact, the tension between Lachlan and her had been building towards this since they’d first met. If she believed half the cosmic stuff Tahlia was into, she would almost say it was fated.

Taking a deep breath and tying her robe together, she ventured out of the bathroom. This was it. No backing down, no chickening out. No doubts about what he’d think of her body and whether she’d turn him on or not.

She wanted him and was determined to show him exactly how much. And if he was half the man she thought he was, despite his occasional insensitive comments, he’d accept her just the way she was.

‘Lachlan?’

The house seemed strangely silent. Dusk had fallen while she’d been soaking in the tub and no lights had been switched on yet.

‘In here.’ She heard a muffled reply and followed it into what she’d assumed was a third bedroom.

‘What are you up to now …?’ She trailed off as she opened the door and stepped into another fantasy.

‘Thought you might like a massage after your bath,’ he said, gesturing to the table set up in the middle of the room, covered in thick towels.

She stepped into the room, shaking her head in amazement. If she’d thought the bathroom had been impressive, it had nothing on this—a slow-burning fire, champagne on ice, lavender permeating the air from an oil-burner and soulful sax playing in the background. All in all, she could’ve spent a month in this room, as long as the man standing in the centre of it, with a proud grin on his handsome face, came with it.

‘If you’re trying to seduce me, you’re doing a good job.’ She smiled and crossed the room, standing on the opposite side of the massage table.

He shook his head. ‘This isn’t about seduction.’

‘Then what’s it about?’ Her heart thudded as he walked around the table and traced her cheek with the back of a finger.

‘I wanted to do something nice for you, to make you feel half as good as you’ve made me feel since I met you.’

‘But I haven’t done anything.’ She shook her head slightly, wondering if the prolonged soak had fogged up her brain as well as the bathroom mirrors.

‘You don’t need to.’ His hand dropped to her shoulder, where his fingers toyed with the collar of her robe, lightly skimming her heated skin beneath it. ‘You’ve made me happy just by being you. I haven’t dated in a while and have forgotten how special it can be with the right person.’

She stared at him, speechless. In all the years when her self-esteem had taken a beating, where had a guy like this been?

Correction, where had this guy been?

She’d been through the wringer with her weight issues, the accompanying hang-ups, the brush with an eating disorder that had ruined her chance at having children and the subsequent ramifications on her relationships with men since. Not to mention the hours of counselling that had left her questioning her own belief system rather than helping her overcome her problems.

And here, now, with just a few words, he’d made her feel whole again.

She blinked back the tears that had sprung into her eyes and reached up to twine her arms around his neck. ‘You know what I said earlier, about taking things slow?’

He slid his arms around her, the heat radiating off him warming her better than the slow-burning fire. ‘Yeah?’

‘I’ve changed my mind.’

And she set about showing him exactly how.

Keely floated into the office on Monday morning. She’d had the barest minimum of sleep for the entire weekend and didn’t care. She’d never felt so alive, so animated, as if she could take on the world and still have enough energy left over to tackle the solar system.

She had a pile of work to get through this week and, as she dumped her satchel and booted up her computer, all she could think about was Lachlan.

She would have to add one more criteria to her checklist for the perfect man: incredible lover.

If she’d thought his skill at kissing was impressive, it had nothing on his performance in the bedroom. And the lounge room. And the kitchen.

And if she’d thought massage was mainly used as a relaxation technique, she’d had to think again.

Scanning her e-mails quickly, she ignored the inter-office ones and opened Emma’s.

To: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com

From: EmmaR@WWWDesigns.com

Subject: D&M

Hi Sweetie,

Got time for a D&M in the conference room?

Need a few details for Flirt website (and a few from your weekend away?)

C U in 10?

Em

Keely grinned. She knew her friends would be dying to hear the gossip from her weekend away with Lachlan and, despite the urge to keep them guessing, she fired off a quick reply.

To: EmmaR@WWWDesigns.com

From: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com

Subject: Only 10?

Em,

Surprised you can wait 10 minutes.

Ideas for Flirt website coming along nicely.

Will bring my revamped work.

Have doughnuts and Macchiato at the ready.

C U soon.

K

Gathering up the Flirt file, she heard two beeps from her PC. The first e-mail was from Tahlia, reiterating what Emma had said and wanting ‘all the gory details’, the next from Lucy.

To: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com

From: Lucy-PA@WWWDesigns.com

Subject: PM sucks!

K,

Took your advice, asked Aidan out for coffee.

Put the PM quiz to the test and he bombed, big time.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing doesn’t come close to describing him. How about ravenous wolf who devours his prey?

Dating is the pits.

How many men does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Three: one creep to screw in the bulb and two to listen to him brag about the screwing part. That sums up Aidan—Yeuk!

Luce (reformed dater)

Aidan a sleaze? Keely shook her head, hoping her lousy judgement in men didn’t extend to all facets of life. She could’ve sworn Aidan seemed like a nice guy, though appearances weren’t everything.

Feeling more than a tad responsible for urging Lucy to ask Aidan out, she typed a quick reply.

To: Lucy-PA@WWWDesigns.com

From: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com

Subject: Forgetaboutit!

Luce,

Sorry Aidan the Ass turned out to be just that.

The solution? Get back out there. Your PM could be just around the corner.

Drinks, this Friday after work. Be there.

Let the search recommence …

K

Hoping that Lucy wasn’t too devastated about the Aidan fiasco, Keely headed out of her office, ready to face the music with her friends.

Several hours later, Keely sat in front of her PC and brought up the newest account that had just landed in her lap. Bountiful Babes promised to be a one-stop website for parents who needed the low-down on the joys of having children. Initially, she’d been reluctant to take it on—the fact that she loved kids and couldn’t have any rubbed in her face wasn’t good—but with the Rottie breathing down her neck she’d had no choice.

Besides, she’d sensed something else behind the Rottie’s urgency, almost as if they needed these new accounts to survive. Which was silly really, considering WWW Designs was one of the largest firms of its kind in the country.

However, she’d never juggled three prestigious accounts at once before, and this, plus the Brant assignment, added to her suspicions that something wasn’t quite right. The Rottie had been snapping at everyone’s heels for the last few weeks, raving on about deadlines and efficiency, and though she’d held her tongue because of the promotion she coveted, Keely had almost told her to shove it several times.

She’d managed to placate the Rottie with a pat on the head—figuratively speaking—and news that her assignment with Lachlan was proceeding extremely well. She’d just left out the part where her shadowing him had turned from business to pleasure.

As the preliminary work she’d done for the site flashed across the screen, she swallowed the lump of emotion that inevitably rose when she saw anything to do with babies. The motif she’d designed as a border for the web page—a chubby, chuckling baby in various poses—brought a smile to her face. From his ten perfect fingers and toes to his rosy cheeks and dimpled skin, he was adorable, and a stark reminder of what she could never have.

Sighing, she made an angry swipe at a tear escaping from the corner of her eye and turned away as someone knocked on her door.

She sat up straighter and fixed a smile on her face. Just her luck for the Rottie to come bounding in here and catch her sniffling. ‘Come in.’

‘How’s my favourite graphic designer?’ Lachlan strolled into the room and handed her a bag. ‘I come bearing gifts. Thought you could use something to boost your energy levels.’

She opened the bag and inhaled deeply, the seductive aroma of fresh cinnamon doughnuts making her salivate, before casting him a coy look from beneath her lashes. ‘I’m fine and there’s nothing wrong with my energy levels. In fact, I haven’t been this energised in ages.’

He laughed and chose one of the doughnuts from the bag she proffered. ‘Glad to hear it.’ He rolled his neck around as if trying to work out a kink. ‘I’m in dire need of another massage.’

Heat crept into her cheeks at his emphasis on the word ‘massage’. She’d done all that and more to him on the weekend away, displaying a brazen side she hadn’t known existed.

As Tahlia had laughingly pointed out after she’d given the girls a very brief version of events, she was working in the right place: WWW Designs could stand for Wickedly Wanton Woman or Wonderful Wowsing Witch. Both labels seemed appropriate at this stage!

She interlocked fingers and stretched forward, as if limbering up. ‘For you, any time.’

As desire arced between them and he crouched down beside her chair, she placed both hands on his chest and held him back. ‘However, right now I need to do some work.’

He captured her hands and held them against his chest till she itched to slide her fingers between the buttons of his ivory business shirt and caress the firm skin underneath.

‘I thought my website was nearly finished?’

She nodded, trying to think ‘work’ while this close to the man who had rocked her world repeatedly over the weekend. ‘It is.’

‘So what’s this you’re working on?’

He peered over her shoulder, ignoring her muttered, ‘A client’s work is confidential’, his face breaking into a huge smile.

‘That’s one cute baby,’ he said, his eyes glowing with a tenderness she’d never seen before.

She pulled away and swivelled her chair towards the screen, rattled by his reaction.

‘You like kids?’ she asked, trying to instil the right amount of casualness into her voice while hanging on his answer.

‘What’s not to like? They’re amazing, taking over your life and wreaking more devastation than a cyclone. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I helped raise my younger brothers and sisters and, though challenging, it was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.’

His words drove tiny daggers of pain into her heart, opening up wounds she’d thought healed. She had to ask the next question, knowing his answer would seal the fate of their relationship, one way or the other.

‘Do you want kids of your own?’

‘Absolutely. If the right woman came along, I reckon I’d like at least half a dozen of the little tykes.’

And, just like that, reality crashed in, leaving Keely struggling for air.

She’d known that dating Lachlan could prove disastrous but she’d gone ahead and done it anyway. Despite her feeble protestations, he was business; she’d fallen for him, and labelling their relationship ‘dating’ had been a lie on her part.

She loved him, had probably loved him before she knew what had hit her, and therefore had ignored every warning that she shouldn’t get in too deep. When relationships went too far, certain expectations came into play, and now she’d heard it for herself.

He wanted the one thing she could never give him.

And it would ruin them in the end.

Struggling to keep her voice steady, she said, ‘Why settle for half a dozen?’ She managed a brittle laugh before shuffling the paperwork on her desk. ‘Now, it’s nice of you to drop by, but I really have to get back to this.’

He frowned and stood up. ‘Is something wrong?’

She shook her head and tried not to blurt out Everything is wrong.

‘No, just the usual jitters that deadlines bring.’ She looked away, only to be confronted by the computer screen and the evidence of what she couldn’t give him, the pain ravaging her anew. ‘Raquel wants this done ASAP.’

He didn’t budge. ‘Are you sure this is about work?’

She had to meet his gaze, if only to convince him that she needed to be left alone before she burst into tears. ‘Of course.’

His direct gaze bored into hers, as if trying to see into the windows of her soul and read the secrets there. For now, she sure hoped the shutters were down.

‘I’ll leave you to it, then. Call me when you have a minute?’

She nodded and faked a breezy wave as she focused on the screen again, hoping he’d been fooled.

By the dubious look he cast her on the way out, she doubted it.

Lachlan slipped the headphones off and leaned back, grateful for the four-minute break a song from some boy band offered. He needed time to think and hadn’t had much opportunity lately, what with the new TV show, the publicity demands and continuing with his radio talkback show, which had reached the number one ratings spot over the last few weeks.

Professionally, he had the world at his feet. Then why did he feel like a tightrope walker teetering on the brink of a big fall?

He rubbed his eyes and took a sip of the disgusting brew the station labelled coffee, knowing exactly why he felt so out of control these days.

Keely.

He’d thought he’d been dating the woman of his dreams. So how had their relationship turned into a nightmare?

Ever since their weekend in Hepburn Springs, which had been incredible, she’d withdrawn from him slowly but surely. Back then, she’d reciprocated his passion and they’d connected on many levels, so what had gone wrong?

She’d cited work pressures as being the cause of their sporadic contact, but he knew better. The secrets Keely harboured seemed to grow bigger with every passing day. He’d glimpsed sadness tinged with something more akin to despondency in her eyes on the few occasions they’d caught up, and despite gentle prodding she hadn’t opened up.

Either that or she was snapping his head off for the smallest thing, and he’d had a gutful. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she had some self-esteem issues and he’d been careful not to make any references to her body since the first few outbursts which had put him on the outer. He’d been patient with her, yet she’d pushed him away at every opportunity anyway.

And it annoyed him. Hell, it had him so riled he could hardly think straight. Here he was, a psychologist at the top of his profession, offering help to thousands over the airwaves, yet he couldn’t breach the emotional walls of the one person he wanted to.

He’d reached out to her repeatedly over the last ten weeks, persisting when he could’ve given up. He’d grown to like her a lot, and she made him happy like no woman ever had. However, she’d eroded his patience. Being stuck in a one-way relationship when the other person’s interest had cooled wasn’t his style. He’d seen what that did to a man firsthand with his dad and, dammit, he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy, let alone himself.

Unfortunately, as hard as he tried not to compare Keely to his erratic mother, her behaviour drew frightening parallels that had him ready to call it quits.

Just yesterday she’d flared up over an innocent question he’d asked about how her websites for other clients were coming along, mentioning the cute work she’d done for that baby site. He’d been trying to show his interest in her career, she’d taken offence, and when he’d retaliated with a rather abrupt ‘Calm down’, she’d stormed out of the café, leaving him gobsmacked.

Another nasty similarity to his mother; she had run at the first sign of trouble. If an inconsequential spat that hinted at the rumbling volcano about to blow their relationship sky-high could make her walk, imagine what would happen if things got really serious between them. She’d flee quicker than he could say, ‘It’s over.’

When she’d run out of the café, he’d been ready to chase after her and end it right there and then, before an incoming call on his mobile from the producers of his new TV show had distracted him long enough to cool off.

‘Lachlan, twenty seconds.’

He looked up at the station manager and nodded, reaching for the headphones.

He needed to focus on work for now, but come Friday night at her friend’s party Keely owed him some answers. He’d tired of her games and was more than ready to pick up his bat and ball and head home. Alone.

Keely clutched her belly and groaned. ‘This bout of food poisoning is lingering too long. That’s the second time in the last few days I’ve been sick.’

Emma handed her a glass of water. ‘Here, drink this. You’ll feel better.’

Keely took several sips before her stomach rolled again and nausea washed over her in sickening waves.

‘Oh-oh, here we go again.’ She made a mad dash for the toilet, vowing to avoid Peking duck for ever. She’d never been this sick and, added to her lethargy, it made her want to crawl into bed for a week. Work had been manic, explaining her tiredness, but she’d eaten the Chinese food days ago and should be over it by now.

Bracing herself for the meeting with Emma and Tahlia to discuss her final presentation for Flirt, she staggered back into the conference room and fell into the nearest chair.

‘Feeling better?’ Emma had refilled the glass with water and handed it to her.

Keely nodded, wondering if she could beg off the meeting and head home. However, the Rottie had insisted they present her with the work done on the magazine’s website—like yesterday—so she’d been up till all hours putting the finishing touches on the design stuff and needed to run it by her colleagues before the presentation.

Emma reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘It’ll be over soon and then you can go home, okay?’

‘Sure,’ Keely said as her stomach somersaulted for an encore.

Tahlia breezed into the room at that moment, looking fabulous in a new trouser suit. ‘I wouldn’t sit in that chair if I was you.’

‘Why?’ If Keely hadn’t already been a pale shade of green she would’ve turned it anyway. Her friend wasn’t just dressed to impress, she had the perfect hair and make-up to match. Little wonder the Rottie rarely picked on Tahlia; her professional look would intimidate the scariest of bosses.

Tahlia sniggered as she grabbed a coffee and sat opposite. ‘Because that’s the preggers chair.’

‘Huh?’

‘Every woman who sits in that chair falls pregnant.’ Tahlia counted the list off on her fingers. ‘Nadia was the latest, then there was Shelby before her, Annie from Accounts, Maggie in Animation and Sue from Marketing.’

Tahlia paused, smug grin in place. ‘So you see, it must be the chair. And, seeing as you’re now engaging in activities that would make that chair a danger to you, I’d be very careful if I was you.’

Keely managed a weak laugh as her mind started jumping to all sorts of impossible conclusions.

‘Leave her alone; she isn’t feeling well.’ Emma placed a jug of water in front of her before taking a seat.

‘See? It’s worked already.’ Tahlia laughed at what Keely knew must be the bemused expression on her face.

Her friends didn’t know about her past; she’d been too ashamed, and, though they would understand, she’d rather relegate that sad time in her life to past memories where they belonged.

Therefore, Tahlia had no idea that the one thing she teased her about could never happen. Then why did she keep thinking that there could be more to this bout of food poisoning?

She’d skipped a period but that was nothing new. Her periods had never been regular and she’d put it down to work stress. It had happened in the past, thanks to her erratic hormones. But now, combined with the other symptoms she’d been having, a tiny seed of hope had been planted in her brain.

Could the doctor have been wrong all those years ago?

Sure, Lachlan used protection, but that method had never been foolproof. Just ask Nadia, her immediate superior and career woman, who had sworn to never have kids. She’d threatened to blow up the local rubber factory that produced condoms when she’d first found out the news.

Despite her stomach continuing to dance the Macarena, Keely managed a small smile. If there was even the slightest chance she was pregnant, she wouldn’t blow up the factory—she’d personally kiss each and every employee who worked there.

‘What are you grinning at?’ Tahlia asked, holding her hand out for the Flirt file.

‘Nothing,’ Keely said, trying to ignore the urge to leap out of her chair and rush to the nearest pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test.

Emma stared at Keely. She’d always been the more perceptive of her two friends and Keely knew that her confusion must show on her face, besides the fact that she’d gone from puking her guts up to grinning like a madwoman in less than a minute.

‘Are we still on for drinks this Friday night?’

Keely met Tahlia’s gaze for an instant before looking away. Otherwise she’d probably burst out laughing and give the game away. They’d planned Emma’s surprise birthday party for the end of this week and had everything arranged. Now all they had to do was get her there.

‘Well?’ Emma looked at Tahlia, obviously giving up on Keely.

Tahlia nodded. ‘Yep. Are you still interested in that makeover before your birthday next week?’

Emma wrinkled her nose. ‘Don’t mention the B word. This year I’m not interested in celebrating.’

‘Is it the age thing? After all, twenty-four is ancient,’ Tahlia teased, and though Emma laughed, Keely knew there was more to it than that.

With every year that passed Emma continued to pine for Harry Buchanan, and the fact that he wouldn’t be around this year was probably the cause of her friend’s reluctance to celebrate.

‘I don’t care what you say, you’re getting that makeover on Thursday night.’ Tahlia rubbed her hands together in glee. ‘Leave everything to me.’

‘What do you think?’ Emma glanced across at Keely and she gave her a thumbs up.

‘It’s a great idea. A change is as good as a holiday, some wise person once said.’ And, if that was the case, she’d be in for the equivalent of an around the world trip if her wild suspicions were confirmed.

‘Okay,’ Emma said, running her hands through her long blonde hair as if already ruing the fact that it would probably be the first to go. ‘Now, can we get down to business?’

Keely nodded and clutched her stomach under the conference table, silently praying for a tiny miracle.