‘You’re way early...’ I’ve missed you. ‘There’s a bit of a mess...’ I’ve missed you more than I should have.
The first thing Jett noticed as the door opened was the way his heart stumbled over itself at his first glimpse of red hair and blue-lagoon eyes. The second thing was the glop of something on her freckled cheek. The third was the fishy smell that wafted out with her.
‘I got an earlier flight.’ Because there’d been an inexplicable urgency to see her again. To watch her face light up in surprise—at least he’d hoped it would. But she looked more horrified than surprised. He reached out and flicked at the goop, sniffed.
‘Oh, no.’ Her cheeks turned a matching colour and she blinked at his thumb in disbelief. ‘I was making salmon mousse.’ She stared down at herself. ‘I had an accident. Sort of.’
He licked the goop from his thumb and his gaze followed hers. ‘I see. Sort of.’ And it occurred to him—something that filled him with a warm, satisfied glow. ‘Were you making dinner for me?’
‘No big deal, is it?’ She stepped back. Still her eyes didn’t leave his. ‘I’ll go take a shower and change out of these stinky...’ Her hands flapped about her. ‘I’ll just clean this kitchen up first... Your blender, I’m sorry...’
‘Easy. It’s okay. I’ll get you another one.’
‘Please don’t.’
He laughed. He wanted to kiss her full on those passion-pink lips and drink her in, salmon smell and all. Hell, he wanted to help her out of those clothes and dive beneath that spray with her.
But the few days apart had changed the easy camaraderie they’d built between them in Melbourne and there was that awkwardness between them again. It was like starting over. ‘Why don’t you take that shower while I clean up here?’
‘Right. Thanks. The casserole’s—’
‘Fine. I know.’
‘Ah...yes, of course you do.’ She turned and bolted.
He stared at the empty doorway. He’d never seen Olivia so flustered. It almost felt as if they were on a first date and she’d invited him for dinner but he’d turned up early. He glanced through the arch, saw the dining table covered in a lace cloth that hadn’t been there before. Silverware. Miniature roses he recognised from the front garden. Five tall white candles in a bronze candelabra.
Dating. Now there was a word he hadn’t associated with himself in for ever. And none of those ‘dates’ had ever been of the wholesome domestic home-grown variety.
Perhaps being apart wasn’t so bad after all because coming back sure felt good.
Didn’t mean anything, he assured himself. He was staying awhile longer and helping her out as they’d already talked about. He’d leave when things were moving along. As they’d already talked about.
A flicker of heat skimmed through his veins as he scooped up the blender, put it in the packaging it had come in to toss out later. What other surprises did she have planned for this evening? Filling the sink with soapy water, he sloshed the dishcloth over the benches.
He’d had women cook extravagant and sophisticated meals to impress, to please, to seduce him into their bed. And many had succeeded. Because he’d wanted to be impressed and seduced.
But Olivia didn’t hang on his every word. In fact, she argued with him—long and hard. Her meal looked basic and she’d stuffed up with the salmon.
She was gorgeous, sexy, intelligent and brave.
Glad to have something useful to do while he waited, he wiped up the floor with kitchen paper towel, found a mop and bucket to finish the job.
With the kitchen restored, he set his bag in the bedroom she’d been using then sat on the edge of her bed and listened to the shower running in the en suite. He imagined her head tipped back as water splashed over her neck and darkened her hair to burgundy. Thought about that warm water sluicing over her breasts, rivulets flowing down her abdomen, collecting in her navel. And down...
The fragrance of her shower gel seeped out to flirt and lure. And before he knew it, he was tapping on the door. ‘I’m going to open the door a fraction.’ He yelled over the sound of the spray. ‘I want you to listen to me. Okay?’
He heard nothing but water splashing on tiles and for a moment he thought she hadn’t heard but then her muffled ‘Okay.’
He cracked the door open and was greeted with a cloud of steam. ‘Olivia.’
‘When you use my name all serious like that I get worried. Is someth—?’
‘Nothing’s wrong. Do you trust me?’
Silence. He could hear his heart beating, the water splashing.