Читать книгу His Little Miracle: The Billionaire's Baby - Nicola Marsh - Страница 12

CAMRYN sank onto the threadbare rug, tucked her feet under her, and cradled a mug of hot chocolate, staring out into the inky darkness, hearing the waves crashing on the shore but unable to see anything beyond the few low-wattage street lights dotting the foreshore.

This place might be a ramshackle cottage, with its loopy wood letting in the blustery wind through tiny cracks, and its mismatched furniture and broken-spring sofa, but it held a certain appeal. Namely the man walking towards her with a plate piled high with small, symmetrical squares of caramel slice, her favourite.

‘You certainly know how to spoil a gal.’

She selected a large piece, biting into the gooey caramel and coconut biscuit base and sighing. ‘Mmm…good.’

She flicked her tongue out to catch a stray crumb, unwilling to let the tiniest morsel escape her lips, when her gaze collided with his, the heat she glimpsed enough to send a thrill of excitement through her.

Considering the hash she’d made over dinner, bringing up her confusion about their relationship, she was surprised Blane felt anything other than compassion for her.

But there was no mistaking the hunger in his eyes, the smouldering glow of desire she’d seen many times before and had shrugged off with a witty quip or light flirtation.

However, this time was different.

This time they were spending quality time together, more than a snatched coffee as they ran out of his penthouse in the morning or a brief greeting as they passed in the hallway heading to their respective bedrooms at night.

Here, there was no hiding behind her busy schedule, and, while he’d made it clear he didn’t expect anything from this weekend beyond a bit of R&R, she knew all it would take to send them both up in flames was a little oxygen to the sparks already flying between them.

‘More?’

He held out the plate towards her, his steamy gaze stoking the fire between them, and she knew he wasn’t just talking about the caramel slice. Playing the nice guy, he was giving her the choice of how far she wanted to take this getting reacquainted business.

But she didn’t have a choice, not really.

The second she’d lowered her defences and let this incredible man back into her life was the exact moment any choice had flown out the window, for there was nothing surer than once the two of them started spending time together again they’d end up in each other’s arms. It had been a highlight of their brief relationship in Rainbow Creek, and it was still a feature now, with the constant underlying attraction between them.

Blane had been her first lover, her only lover, and it had been six long years since she’d known his exquisite touch.

The decision was a simple one as she laid a hand on his forearm, deliberately pushing the plate away as she leaned forward and breathed, ‘Yes, please.’

In what seemed like an eternity, but in reality couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, they shoved mugs and slice out of the way, made a frantic grab at one another and tumbled onto the rug in a flurry of tangled limbs and laughter.

‘Are you sure this is what you want?’

She silenced him with a kiss, pouring all her heart and soul into it, the type of kiss which expressed more than words ever could, the type of kiss welcoming him back into her life with a resounding yes!

Lips melded, fused, clung. He tasted of chocolate and coffee, sweet, strong, addictive, and she savoured the heady rush, bunching the soft cotton of his T-shirt beneath her hands, clutching at him, needing to anchor herself in a world gone deliciously, intoxicatingly mad.

‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he murmured, his lips nibbling the sensitive skin behind her earlobe while his hands spanned her waist, his calloused fingertips gently rasping against her skin and sending pure, blinding desire exploding through her.

‘Just take all of me.’

She could sense rather than see his smile as his lips trailed down her neck, nuzzling the soft hollow above her collarbone.

‘I like the fact my wife knows what she wants.’

His hands slid slowly upwards, grazing the underside of her breasts, and she gasped as his head suddenly dipped and he placed a hot, open-mouthed kiss on the exposed skin of her cleavage.

‘Oh, I know what I want all right,’ she whispered, leaning back on her hands, thrusting her breasts upwards, offering herself to him, craving more of the same all over her hypersensitised body.

He stilled, his hands cupping her breasts while he raised his head to look at her.

‘Tell me.’ His eyes, pewter with passion, never left hers, the heat arcing between them sending her body into meltdown. ‘Tell me exactly what you want.’

Placing her palms against his rock-hard chest, she slid her hands upwards, savouring every muscular contour, relishing his matured body, her breathing coming in soft, short pants as he mimicked her action, before resting on his shoulders and giving him a gentle tug forwards.

There’d be no turning back from this.

She didn’t care.

This felt right, was right.

‘Cam?’

‘I want you,’ she murmured, a second before their lips touched and obliterated everything but this moment, this night, with this amazing man.

‘I’ve got a surprise for you.’

Camryn raised an eyebrow, leaving him in little doubt she’d already loved the one he’d had for her last night. ‘Another one? My, my, when you set out to impress a girl you really go all out.’

Blane laughed, the rich, mellow timbre of his chuckles raising the hair on the nape of her neck. Or maybe that had more to do with the smouldering look he gave her, the look that said he remembered exactly the mutual surprises they’d rediscovered last night, over and over.

‘You’re going to love this one, too.’

He ran a finger across the back of her hand as it lay on the table, the softest of caresses but enough to send heat flowing through her body. He’d touched her exactly like that all over her body last night, slow, leisurely caresses designed to tease and excite and titillate.

However, it was the way he’d emotionally touched her that had her walking around all morning with a dreamy smile on her face.

They’d made love last night, their actions far surpassing the physical act, renewing a soul-deep bond that could only exist between two people destined to be together. With every whispered endearment, with every soft embrace, he’d reawakened her love for him till she’d had no option but to recognise the truth.

She loved him. Had never stopped loving him despite steeling her heart and moving on with her life. And that truth would set her free from the mistrust and the reservations she still had. Time to move forward. Time to give them a chance, for real.

‘Have you finished your sundae? We can hit the road if you have. Check out this surprise.’

She nodded, pushing away her half-eaten banana split with extra choc fudge.

Entering this small café had been like stepping back in time. Her parents’ coffee shop could have been its twin. From the faded Vegemite posters on the wood-panelled walls to the blue-and-white gingham curtains, the frilly-edged threadbare cream voile tablecloths to the limited selection of hot drinks, it resembled her folks’ place so much it sent a pang of nostalgia through her.

She’d even ordered her favourite childhood dessert in a pique of nostalgia, though it hadn’t tasted half as good as it had back then, only serving to ram home how much she’d changed.

‘I’m ready.’

She pushed away from the table and grabbed her bag, suddenly eager to escape the confines of the café. Having a sundae for old time’s sake reeked of sentiment, and she didn’t have time for it, not where her parents were concerned.

She’d loved them, trusted them, and they’d betrayed her. She’d wanted to believe it had all been some nasty mistake, but her mum had blurted the truth in anger and it couldn’t be taken back.

She’d put all her faith in them as a good kid should. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. And she sure as hell wouldn’t let thinking about them ruin this day for her.

Today was a day for celebrating how she’d reconnected with Blane last night, how making love had cemented what she’d already known.

That despite her resolve to keep this thing casual, it had evolved into more, so much more.

He wanted a real marriage? It looked like he was about to get his wish.

How many times had she dreamed about happily ever after as a teenager but only in the vague, wishful fantasy sense, envisaging the perfect guy to make all her wishes come true? Lucky for her, her fantasy had come to life and stepped into her reality—twice!—leaving her breathless and amazed and slightly shell-shocked.

It was almost too good to be true. But she was through being super-cautious. She deserved this, deserved him. Being the best café operator in Melbourne might get her noticed in the hospitality industry, but it wouldn’t keep her warm at night.

Shrugging into her striped hooded top, she headed for the car, eager to see what her playful husband had in store. He was like a kid at Christmas with this grand surprise, and she had to admit he had her revved up, too.

She propped on the front of the ute, waiting for him as he chatted to some old guy leaning against the café’s striped post, using the time to absorb every impressive inch of her man.

That had a nice ring to it, her man, and with a smug smile she watched him rub the back of his neck in a habit of a lifetime, the simple action pulling his polo shirt up and revealing a tantalising sliver of tanned washboard abs above faded denim.

She’d explored every delicious muscular plane of his body last night, catapulted back to the past by the familiarity of it all, delightfully surprised by the newness of his adult maleness.

He’d been lean and scruffy and scrumptiously ruffled as a young man. Now her husband was an absolute dish.

After bidding the old guy goodbye with a snappy half-salute, he strode towards her, all long denim-clad legs and confidence. Her man. Oh, yeah, she loved the sound of that.

Swooping in for a swift kiss, he murmured against the side of her mouth, ‘That sundae must’ve been something else. You’re practically drooling just thinking about it.’

‘Who said I’m thinking about the sundae?’

Her hand slid over his hip and rested for a leisurely moment on the most tempting butt she’d ever seen, leaving him in little doubt what had put the dreamy look on her face.

He chuckled as he slung an arm over her shoulder. ‘I’m flattered. But I think you’re just buttering me up in an attempt to get a clue or two out of me.’

With a not-too-gentle pinch on his inspiring butt, she pulled away with mock indignation. ‘I wouldn’t resort to such underhandedness.’

‘Yeah, you would.’

He slanted his lips over hers again as she registered she’d probably do anything to have him kiss her like this.

‘Mmm…as much as I love that, I have to admit the suspense is killing me. When do I get to see this surprise?’

‘Right now.’

He held the passenger door open, and she smiled her thanks, thrilled by his impeccable manners. He’d always held doors open for her, but back then she’d thought he’d been trying to schmooze her. She hadn’t had time to appreciate what she had before she’d lost it, and this time she had no intention of making the same mistake.

After climbing in and revving the engine, he pulled out onto the quiet main street, and she settled back, trying to act nonchalant while she wanted to squirm with excitement.

‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Sure.’

He shot a quick glance at her, the concern in his eyes troubling. ‘You had a funny look on your face for a while back there. Did that place remind you of your folks?’

She could have bluffed her way out of it, but being so close to him, the faintest waft of cedar tickling her nose and a palpable heat radiating off him, she could barely think straight let alone come up with a half-plausible excuse.

Crinkling her nose, she said, ‘Yeah, it did.’

Before she could blink, he’d pulled over and turned to her and cupped her cheek, his touch instantly soothing. ‘Want to talk about it?’

‘You mean my parents or their time warp coffee house?’

Her forced jocularity fell flat as he drew her closer and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips, a kiss of understanding, of support, and she slid her hands up his chest, gripping his T-shirt, feeling more anchored and safe in that moment than she ever had before.

‘You said you left Rainbow Creek not long after I did. From what they told me before I left, once I was out of the picture everything would be fine with you guys. What happened?’

Sighing, she reached for the end of her ponytail and twisted it till she couldn’t twist anymore.

She didn’t want to dredge this up, not today, the first day of the rest of their lives, but he’d asked. Besides, she had no hope of denying him anything when he cradled her close like this, making her feel more cherished and secure than she’d ever been.

‘You name it, they did it. Lying. Manipulating. Controlling.’

Swallowing down the bitterness that arose whenever she thought about their final showdown, she forced herself to continue.

‘My nan died when I was sixteen. She and Mum never got on, so Nan left me everything. I never really asked how much it was all worth, but I knew it had to be hefty. Apparently, once her assets were sold, all the cash would be tied up in a trust fund I couldn’t access till I was twenty-one.’

‘Wow, so you’re loaded. Good to know you’re not just with me for my money.’

With a tender grin, he brushed a strand of hair off her face, and she leaned into his palm, relishing his support, finding the need to keep talking surprising. She hated rehashing old stuff, painful stuff, but this was strangely cathartic.

‘My folks knew how much I wanted to move to Melbourne. It was all I talked about as a teenager, and I made it pretty clear that once I came into Nan’s money I was out of there. Not because I didn’t love them or Rainbow Creek, it was just my dream, you know?’

‘I know, sweetheart.’

He did, considering the reason he’d left all those years ago was to let her pursue it. Crazy, infuriating man.

‘After you left we had this huge fight, a real monster blowout. They tried to tell me how stupid I’d been in marrying you, how I’d regret it for the rest of my life, and that it just proved I wasn’t ready to take control of Nan’s money.’

Realisation dawned in his eyes, and she nodded. ‘Yeah, that’s right. Nan’s will stipulated I could have the money at eighteen, but Mum and Dad lied to me. They knew how much moving to Melbourne meant to me, but they manipulated the situation for God only knows what reason.’

Even now, she couldn’t comprehend why they’d done it, apart from the fact they’d wanted to keep her chained to their sides like a little kid.

Resting his hands on her shoulders, he gave her a gentle squeeze. ‘They must have loved you a lot to go to those lengths to get a few more years with you.’

‘That’s not love, that’s being controlling!’ Though a tiny seed of doubt unfurled amidst her residual bitterness as she absorbed what he’d said. What if he was right?

She’d never considered the fact they might have acted out of love, that they might have wanted more time with her before she left town.

Instead, she’d been so focused on the betrayal, of them lying to her, of how they’d blurted the truth in anger and would never have told her otherwise, that she’d shut herself off to their possible motivations.

Smoothing back her hair, he said, ‘What they did was wrong, and I’m not trying to tell you what to do here, but I saw the pain on your face back there. Maybe you need to sort things out with them?’

The mere thought congealed the ice cream in her tummy, and she surreptitiously rubbed it, wishing he wasn’t so damned intuitive, knowing it was part of his charm.

‘Maybe.’ She slid her hands up his chest to cup his face. ‘In the meantime, thanks for being such an amazing, caring man.’

‘I try.’

His self-deprecating shrug and exaggerated modest expression had her chuckling, and she planted a quick kiss on his lips before giving him a gentle shove towards the steering wheel.

‘As a distraction technique, that was pretty lousy. Now, drive and take me to this great surprise.’

‘Right. We’ll be there in two minutes.’

‘Any hints?’

She turned to face him, taking any opportunity to look at him. He hadn’t shaved this morning—after much badgering on her part, when she’d pleaded with him to leave the sexy stubble alone—and with his dark hair ruffled by the wind, what appeared to be his oldest polo shirt, bearing a faded athletic logo, and a pair of charcoal cargo shorts, he could have been a poster boy for a weekend by the sea.

‘I won’t give you any hints if you keep staring at me like that.’

Her gaze lifted to his, her breath catching at the blatant desire there.

Would it always be like this between them, the instant flare of fire deep within, the breathless feeling, the drop-away tummy?

Surely something this powerful, this intense, this physical, should fade? But it hadn’t, not in the six long years they’d been apart, and it never would if she had any say in it.

Reaching out to run a fingertip over his stubbled jaw, she murmured, ‘I was just admiring this.’

‘I could tell.’

His eyes darkened to molten silver an instant before he ducked across the seat and hauled her against him, crushing her breasts to his rock-hard chest, plastering his lips to hers in the type of scintillating, breath-stealing kiss only he could deliver.

Like a torch touched to tinder-dry kindling, she combusted, heat exploding in a chemical reaction which left her gasping as he broke the kiss.

The sounds of ragged breathing filled the car as she flopped back into the passenger seat and he ran a hand through his hair, his shocked expression mirroring hers.

‘If you want to make it back to Melbourne and your café by nightfall, you better stop staring at me like that.’

‘Melbourne? Where’s that?’

Smiling, she raised a hand to her sensitised lips, touching them, savouring the residual tingle, wishing she’d had the sense to get Anna to cover for her tonight, too.

‘You’re a bad girl.’

He turned the ignition till the diesel engine rumbled to life and, with a pat on the dashboard, steered the lumbering ute into the deserted street.

‘And you love it.’

‘I do,’ he said, so softly she barely caught it, and a thrill—part exultation, part fear—shot through her.

She’d realised she still loved him last night, but what about him? He’d wanted to get reacquainted, but did that mean he felt the same way?

Yes, he’d found her and, yes, he wanted to reunite, but he hadn’t exactly said those magical three little words yet, no matter how much he hinted at it.

‘You don’t have anything to worry about.’

‘Who said I’m worried?’

She shot a glance at him, and, while he hadn’t taken his eyes off the road, the corners of his mouth were twitching with amusement.

‘You’re playing with your hair. You always do that when you’re worried about something.’

Eyes narrowed, she shot him a mock-exasperated glare. ‘Mind reading again?’

‘Just observant.’

Tossing her ponytail over her shoulder, and clasping her hands in her lap to stop fiddling, she said, ‘What would I have to be worried about, anyway?’

Apart from the fact they were moving so fast and she was willing to risk everything and take a chance on their marriage despite what had happened last time round?

‘You’re scared.’

He indicated and turned left, pulling onto a dirt track with fine white sand along the edges, indicating they weren’t far from the beach.

‘About us,’ he added, as if he needed to! ‘You’re worried I’ll let you down, maybe even leave again.’

‘Is that your professional opinion?’

He darted a quick glance at her, smiling when he saw her tongue firmly planted in her cheek.

‘From a construction CEO moonlighting as a shrink, yes, it is. But you’ve got nothing to be concerned about. I’m not going to hurt you.’

She hoped not, for it had left her heartbroken six years ago; this time it would devastate her.

Determined not to spoil the mood for his surprise, she touched his arm. ‘Okay. Are we nearly there yet?’

Apparently satisfied with her change of topic, he waved his hand towards the left.

‘Just around this next bend.’

‘So what is this place…’

She trailed off as he negotiated the tight hairpin bend, her mouth dropping open. ‘Oh, wow.’

Smiling at her shock, he slowed the ute to a crawl to give her time to appreciate the full impact of the view. ‘Not bad, huh?’

‘It’s beautiful.’

She’d never been an ocean girl, spending all her life in dusty, dry Rainbow Creek before falling for the big-city lights of Melbourne, but with this incredible vista before her—deep indigo ocean dotted with whitecaps crashing onto pristine sand, the occasional dolphin flipping through the waves and an endless expanse of bright blue sky—she definitely understood the attraction.

Pulling over to the side of the road, he turned to face her. ‘This isn’t the surprise.’

Her eyebrows shot up. ‘It isn’t?’

‘Uh-uh. That’s around the next bend.’

‘You’re such a tease.’

She sent him a coy glance from beneath lowered lashes which said he could tease her any time, any where.

Chuckling, he indicated, did a quick check over his shoulder and pulled back onto the track, the ute doing a little sideways skid that had her laughing along with him.

‘What is it with boys and their big toys?’

He shrugged, his attention fixed on negotiating another hairpin bend. ‘Don’t you know? We never grow up.’

That wasn’t entirely true. While Blane’s blundering red-and-white ute with its fancy chrome bull bar might be a big boy’s toy, he’d grown up in all the ways it counted, namely into a strong, capable man not afraid to revisit the past and come clean as to why he’d done what he did.

It must have taken a lot of courage for him to walk into her café that first day, not knowing how she’d react, ready to bare his soul to her.

Then again, maybe he had known how she’d react for she’d always been his, from the first minute he’d smiled that sunny, lopsided smile at her six years earlier.

‘You’re plenty grown up for me,’ she purred, laughing as he growled, gripping onto the dashboard and holding her breath as he rounded the bend, the anticipation buzzing through her body an absolute rush.

‘What do you think?’

Swivelling her head to the left, she couldn’t believe her eyes. If the ocean view on the right was something else, the enormous mansions lining the track were out of this world.

‘Those are some houses,’ she said, admiring the clean, crisp lines of the beautiful houses and the way they blended into the environment.

‘Here’s the one I really want you to see.’

He swung into a gravel drive, the ute bumping on a potholed, deeply riveted driveway which wound its way slowly upward. She craned her neck, a little confused as to why he’d drive her out here to see some house.

Snapping her fingers, she said, ‘You’re building a place out here. Is that the surprise? You want to show off your work?’

‘Something like that.’

He sent her an enigmatic smile, his eyes crinkling into those adorable lines she’d personally kissed each and every one, last night, as the ute crested the drive and the land plateaued to reveal a house.

Not just any house.

The most exquisite house she’d ever seen.

A house she knew intimately.

A house she’d envisioned so clearly many years before.

‘I can’t believe it,’ she breathed out on a sigh, gobsmacked by what she was seeing, her head computing it, her heart aching with the poignancy of what this meant.

Perched on an outcrop, her dream house—the one she’d imagined them living in one day and told him about when they’d first married—saluted the cloudless sky with its sharp triangular lines, classic two-storey design and enough glass to redo the Louvre.

Pale blues, dove greys and pristine whites highlighted the light, breezy feel of it, instantly bringing to mind images of soft spring days, fluffy white clouds and a man with incredible grey eyes.

Her dream house. He’d brought her to an exact replica of the house she’d wanted for the two of them.

‘You built this?’

He nodded, pride tinged with a hint of bashfulness flashing across his face. ‘With a little help from the odd plumber, electrician and carpenter or two. So you like it, huh?’

‘Like it? I love it!’

She opened the door and jumped down, landing with both feet squarely in a mound of muddy clay, grimacing as her new tan leather ankle boots sank into the gooey mess.

‘Guess I should’ve warned you city shoes and country living don’t mix,’ he drawled, the crinkles around his eyes a dead giveaway he was fighting a grin.

Sending him a mock glare, she picked one foot up at a time, the horrible slurping sound making her see the funny side and, with much laughter, she shook each foot and set off for the house.

‘Don’t forget I’m a country girl at heart. You coming?’ she tossed over her shoulder, a flush of pleasure spreading through her body when she caught him ogling her butt, her two-hundred-dollar boots forgotten, his grin forgiven.

‘Oh, yeah.’

He fell into step beside her, taking hold of her hand and swinging it between them. ‘Want to take a look inside?’

‘Will the owner mind?’

They stopped at the front door, an elaborate double-door with frosted glass, so she couldn’t see inside no matter how hard she tried.

‘Why don’t you ask him?’

Realisation dawned as he squeezed her hand, a tiny thrill of anticipation racing through her.

‘This is yours?’

‘Ours.’

Pulling her flush against him, he slid his arms around her waist, anchoring her nice and tight.

‘I started building this the moment I located you. I wanted to prove how much you mean to me, how much I believe in our future together.’

Tears filled her eyes, brimming over and trickling down her cheeks. ‘So you did remember?’

‘That this is your dream house for us? Yeah, I remembered.’

He brushed her tears away with his thumbs, following their trail with his lips. ‘How could I forget? How could I forget anything about you when you’re the only woman in the world for me? Always have been, always will be.’

‘Stop it,’ she sobbed, burying her face in his chest, comforted by his cedar smell, her heart overflowing with so much love for this incredible man she thought it would burst.

Pulling away, he brushed her mouth with his in a slow, sensual kiss that reached all the way down to her very soul. ‘What, stop loving you? Never.’

‘I love you, too,’ she said, sniffling and laughing and crying all at the same time, her last lingering doubts fading away under the intensity of his love and the lengths he’d gone to in proving it.

With the smile of a man who’d just won the lottery, he slipped an arm around her waist, drew her close, and gestured towards the soaring glass-enclosed atrium entrance.

‘Come on. Why don’t I show you around our place?’