Читать книгу The Little Shop of Afternoon Delights: 6 Book Romance Collection - Jane Linfoot, Zara Stoneley - Страница 15

“What’s the verdict? Are congratulations in order?”

Maggie blanked out Alex’s question. She didn’t want to answer because she still hadn’t done the pregnancy test.

She’d been up since stupid o’clock. They’d driven down from Boston to a beach on Cape Cod. The location was fab. There was a lighthouse and they were using a clap-board, picket-fenced seaside vacation cottage as their base.

The weather had turned horrible. Grey-black storm clouds were gathering with appalling speed. The pressure was on. Because of the heavy sky the light was poor and the forecast was for rain. Hannah wanted to get the pictures and wrap it up as quickly as possible.

Maggie threw herself into the job. It was up to her to be eagle-eyed. She had to make sure that everything was spot-on for the photographer.

“Come on. Maggie. Don’t keep me in suspense.”

She was checking Alex’s clothes, making sure he was perfect. He was devastating. “I can’t talk about this now,” she whispered. She was deliberately side-stepping the issue. “We’re working. And we need to hurry.”

The image she had in mind was one of her typical mash-ups. She’d styled the brothers in leather biker jackets with slicked-back hair à la fifties. The goal was to combine their retro look with an ethereal quality in her girls. She had two lovely models: one brunette, one blonde. With Alex being dark and Nick fair, they complemented the brothers beautifully. She and Hannah had high hopes for the outcome. To complete the look they’d borrowed a super sexy Harley-Davidson.

Natalie was working on Nick’s make-up. “How’s it going?” she asked.

“Nearly done. Do you like it? I’m thinking echo-of-vampire-alter-egos. The-living-dead-go-to-the-beach – not so much …”

Maggie giggled. “Love it!”

She was on edge. There was no shelter at the beach. If it rained and the clothes got drenched, she’d be responsible. She had four big umbrellas on stand-by just in case.

She needn’t have worried. The morning rolled along like a dream, even though the tension in the air between Alex and Nick was tangible. They were barely on grunting terms with each other, but since the vibe they were aiming for was mean and moody, it didn’t matter. And since the rain stayed off long enough for Hannah to get the photos she wanted, it was all good. She was a happy pixie again.

A seagull swooped and shrieked above their heads. “Thanks guys and girls, you were all awesome,” she said. She directed a conspiring wink at Maggie. “Let’s get back to the cottage before the heavens open.” The sky had darkened some more and foaming surf was crashing onto the shore.

In some of the last shots taken Maggie had used a long, hand-painted silk scarf for one of the models. A diaphanous swirl of rainbow colors, Hannah loved the effect against the stormy back-drop. As the team prepared to head for the cottage, Maggie looked around for the scarf. To her horror it was rolling across the sand, carried on the wind like colorful tumble-weed. Each gust of wind off the sea blew it further up the beach.

“Oh …!”

“Quick.” Alex cut her off in mid-expletive. He threw a leg over the Harley and jerked his head, indicating that she should get on behind. “Hop on.”

Maggie’s brows knitted. “Is this okay?”

Alex shot a glance at Hannah. He was already revving the engine, tweaking the throttle so that it let out a tiger growl. “Go for it …” Alex sped off across the sand with Maggie clinging on limpet-like behind. “Only, if you write off the bike don’t come running to me about health and safety and insurance and … stuff,” she shouted after them. “On your own heads be it.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t trash the bike.” Nick slung a friendly arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “He’s good for a Harley – or two.”

The wind and salt on her face, the revs of the bike’s engine, her arms banded around Alex’s rock-hard muscular body, his scent of new leather and spiced man, sent a whoosh of joy rushing through her senses. Alex stopped the bike and Maggie jumped off. She ran across the sand, feeling a sense of exhilaration as the wind whipped at her hair. Laughing, she grabbed the runaway scarf, amazed that they’d got to it before it took a dip in the sea. When she turned around Alex’s eyes were trained on hers. “Thanks. If it had gone in the sea the salt water would have ruined it.”

“Let me see.” Alex took the bunched-up scarf from her hands. She couldn’t hide her tremble when his fingers touched hers. He shook out the long swathe of rainbow fabric. A little sand gathered in the folds fell away. “No harm done.”

He reached out his leather-clad arms and pushed her hair behind her ears with his thumbs. The brush of his skin on her temples hypnotized her senses. Sweet sensation swirled at her core. She stepped away from him, hugging her arms across her body, instantly super-aware of her breasts, nipples hard beneath her shirt. “Brrr,” she said crisply. “I need a sweater.”

He stretched out, drew her back to him, and draped the soft silk over her head, looping the ends around her neck. “Turn.” Maggie did as she was told. With her back to him, a frisson shimmied up and down her spine as he tied the scarf firmly behind her head. Disguised like an incognito movie star, all she needed was the dark glasses. She turned to face Alex. “That suits you,” he said. “You should keep it. It matches your nails. Blue one day. Yellow the next. Today?” He lifted her hand and looked at her fingers. “Purple! Tomorrow … who knows?”

Maggie laughed. He’d be so easy to be with, if he wasn’t so flipping sexy. “It’s my perfect accessory,” she agreed. A split second later she shrugged the idea off. “Except I don’t really do color. Just the nails.”

“And the …” Alex stopped abruptly. His jaw clenched. A cheek muscle flickered. They looked at each other for a long, hesitant moment, neither of them capable of movement. Maggie broke eye contact and Alex stared out to sea. Whatever he’d been thinking, he’d thought better of it and said nothing.

He broke the silence. “Let’s go for a burn.”

“We ought to get back.”

“It’s just you, me, a bike and a beach,” he coaxed. “What’s not to like?”

Maggie’s heart skipped a beat. Hannah had said something earlier about arranging a special one-off over-sand permit for the bike, so she guessed it would be okay. It was hard to say no to a dose of Alex; muscled, lean, in leather, on a motorbike. She climbed on and wrapped her arms around his middle. He felt warm beneath the smooth biker jacket, his firm abs divine. She’d heard that Cape Cod was a little piece of heaven. Speeding across the sand, wrapped in designer silk, clinging on to Alex like she’d never have to let go – it truly was.

Holding on to him, like he’d always be there, realization as transparent as a sheet of glass hit her. She’d told Alex that she didn’t believe in The One. Not because she didn’t think she could love one man forever. What she didn’t believe was that one man could love her forever. It felt good that she’d got the AI off her chest, although his reaction had been weirdly nitpicky. Why should he care? She pressed in tighter to his body and flattened her face against his back. He felt sensational and she was going to relax and enjoy the moment.

Far along the beach, and far from the curious eyes of Nick and their colleagues, Alex pulled up and cut the engine.

He sat astride the bike looking at the ocean in silence. Maggie hopped off, bent down and picked up a shell. She held it in the palm of one hand and dusted the grains of sand away with the purple nail of her index finger. Amongst clumps of dry seaweed and mermaid’s purses, she spotted a flash of green sea glass tumbled opaque in the waves. She went to pick it up and suddenly Alex was right there. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. She inhaled sea salt and sexy man.

“I’m going to have to kiss you. You know that, don’t you?”

Um – no. Where did that come from? “I’m not your leading lady,” she joked.

“Oh yes you are.” Now that the photos were done he was smiling his big relaxed smile as if he’d reserved it for her and her alone. “Thanks for your message.”

What message? “Oh, I see.” She got where he was coming from. He’d put the clock back. He was talking about the message she’d left with Nick ten years ago wishing him luck and love. “You can’t turn back time.”

“I wish I could.”

“That’s crazy.”

He tightened his arms around her and her bones dissolved. There was no way they could close the gap, but she went with the flow. Her hands flew up and linked about his neck pulling his head down until his lips met hers in a perfect kiss. Awed by the strength of his body holding hers and the sweet magic of his mouth, Maggie’s heart soared and a flame of longing uncurled inside her. She tangled her fingers in his hair, loving the soft warmth of his clean-shaven jaw against her skin, exploring his soft mouth, craving with each moment just a little bit more heat. Tasting, touching, taking their time, they lost themselves in each other’s spell.

Slowly, oh so languorously, they broke from the kiss.

Still reeling from Alex’s heat, Maggie shivered incongruously. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. “Here,” he said. “You wear this.” She shrugged her arms into the sleeves, luxuriating in the leather, imbued with Alex’s warmth.

Kisses like that are all in a day’s work for Alex! He was an actor, for heaven’s sake. He could produce kisses to order like he could weep buckets on cue, or do his own stunt work.

Back inside the temporary base at the cottage, after their blast across the beach, a reality check kicked in. He was a temporary fixture in her work life. Still, she couldn’t wait to see Layla’s face when she told her all about Hot Vampire Guy on a Harley. On second thoughts, maybe she’d keep it to herself. It had been a moment when she’d taken leave of her senses. Why in the world had she kissed him? So much for figuring that she and Alex could be just friends again. That was a giant fail. What was she playing at? One thing was certain. He might be too sexy to resist but she’d fallen for him once before and she wouldn’t be doing it again anytime soon. Scratch that. She wouldn’t be falling in love again – ever.

No matter how great the chemistry, what they’d had before was gone. They had new lives.

Maggie busied herself checking all the clothes. They were mainly press samples and she wanted to return them in good condition. She ignored Alex, tried to appear absorbed in her work, but it was obvious that he could tell she was avoiding him.

His eyes burned the back of her neck. Uncomfortable. They’d agreed to wipe the slate clean. It should be easy. Only he’d gone and kissed her, and she’d kissed him back, and now she was all over the place.

The atmosphere was dynamite. It was crystal clear to everyone that Alex and Nick weren't speaking. They had cooperated with each other during the shoot, just about. As soon it was over, a car had come to collect Nick and he’d left after a luvvy-fest of team hugs, but without a word of goodbye to Alex.

Maggie sighed. Since she’d kissed Alex on the beach she’d been like a cat on a hot tin roof. He was a distraction she didn’t need right now. She wanted to know if her AI procedure had worked. A baby would make her life complete. The perfect man she could live without. A family of her own she could not.

The day her mum ran off, she collected Maggie from school, gave her a big hug and a fancy art kit full of paints and pencils in every color under the sun, and left. Maggie drew pictures until it was time for tea, designing clothes that she thought her mum would like. Only teatime came and went and she didn’t come back. From age eight Maggie had lived with her grandmother. When she’d died the only strong branch on the family tree had gone.

She hadn’t been able to bring herself to do the pregnancy test. She lacked the courage. Something was wrong here. She couldn’t face making this very personal discovery so far from home, and in the midst of a bunch of strangers.

And Alex.

This was a one-woman project. Maybe she should have kept it that way. The best thing would be to wait until she got back to London to do the test. Or better still, go to her cottage in Cornwall and do the test with Layla there for moral support. She’d prefer not to find out alone in a faceless hotel room.

She was desperate to know, but she wasn’t ready to find out. It didn’t make any sense. She needed to relax. There’d be no harm in waiting a couple of days. She’d go on her whale-watch, then she’d fly home and find out if she was pregnant. She still had a feeling it was going to be a yes. Only the doctor at the clinic had advised her not to get her hopes up. She’d said it might take more than one attempt. It was something to do with sperm motility.

“Frozen sperm get lazy.” Like a madwoman she whispered the words aloud to herself as she carefully folded a butter-soft leather biker jacket around some tissue paper.

“Pardon?”

“Oh my giddy aunt. Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes. You did.” Alex’s eyes glittered. They reminded her of sun on snow under a blue sky. They had a charm all of their own. “It’s alright.” His tone was husky and mockingly conspiratorial. “I think I’m the only one that heard.”

“Sorry. I was just thinking.” The clothes that the models had worn for the shoot were piled up around the place. Maggie folded and hung and organized methodically, ticking each item off on her check-list as she did so.

“Does this mean you’re not?”

“Good grief.” Maggie made no effort to hide the fact that she was rattled. Alex had made his feelings about her trying for a donor-sperm baby clear, but she’d thought they’d got past that. “It doesn’t mean anything of the sort. If you must know, I didn’t do the pregnancy test.”

“Maggie? Don’t tell me you’re procrastinating!”

“Of course not,” she lied, laughing as if it was some tiny insignificant detail, rather than the heart-swelling course of her future. “I’m just putting it off.”

“Very funny.”

She was out of sorts. Alex had no right to pry. Anybody would think it was his baby the way he kept going on about it.

“Have dinner with me tonight? We can celebrate or commiserate – whichever.”

“I’m not doing the test. I’m waiting until I get back to London.”

“Have dinner with me.” His deep drawl gave her tingles and wore down her resistance. They could go back to Boston right now and never see each other again. She didn’t want that. On all sane levels she knew that kissing Alex had been a mistake. In theory. In reality? Oh. My. Gosh! That kiss was dreamy.

She needed to focus. She wanted to say goodbye to Alex properly this time, and having dinner with him seemed like a good way to do that. Anyway, she didn’t fancy another meal on a tray in her room with one eye on her laptop.

“Okay.” Heart-stopping kisses aside, styling the Wells twins had been amazing; and it wasn’t going to do her CV any harm.

The more time she spent with Alex, the more Hot Vampire Guy and the friend she’d been close to merged into the same man. Her heart told her not to let that happen. Too late. It had happened. For years he’d vanished into thin air, replaced by an impostor who inhabited television screens and newspapers. She’d begun to see through that, and she liked what she saw. Dinner couldn’t hurt, but it was high time they stopped messing about. “We’d better lay down some ground rules.”

“It’s dinner. Not a space mission.”

She was determined to nail this friends thing. That’s where they’d started out a decade ago and that’s where she wanted them to finish. “I need to make something clear,” she insisted.

“Shoot.” A lazy smile curved across his lips. Darn it. There’d been a sticking plaster on the crack in her heart from his half a seduction and desertion, but she’d been over him for a very long time. She’d flirted with him, and it had been lovely. She might be star-struck and hormonal, but her heart was rock solid. She needed to set out some conditions, because so far her resolve to Alex-proof herself hadn’t really worked.

“No cheesy lines and no dodgy vampire moves.” Alex laughed and his smile grew impossibly wider. “It’s not like it’s a date. Just friends?”

“Cheese is off the menu,” he promised. “But I can’t make any promises on the vampire moves.” He quirked an eyebrow. “After ten years of Jago they’re part of my DNA.”