Only that morning when he’d left his bed to get ready for work he’d tripped over clothes lying on the floor. Her shirt and skirt. Unheard of. He recalled the first day he’d gone in to make sure she was all right and get her some food, she’d got up and made her bed, every corner tucked exactly the same, not a wrinkle in sight, the two stacks of pillows up against the headboard identical.
Last night had been the antithesis to that Sienna. There’d been no control whatsoever when she made love with him. She’d touched him sensually and with confidence, equally she’d received his touches and strokes, and when she came it was with abandon. Heat was firing in his veins just recalling last night. He needed something else to concentrate on if he wasn’t going to look stupid when they landed at the hospital.
Harry checked out his patient. ‘The flying’s fun, isn’t it?’
Tommy nodded, his lips pressed firmly together, not saying a word.
Harry grinned. ‘Be better if you could see out, but I don’t want you sitting up. You’ll have to go flying again another day.’ This time he got a bigger nod.
Glancing at his watch, Harry sighed. Four hours before he knocked off, if that happened on time, which often didn’t in this job. All day he’d been counting the minutes, checking the time way too often, which only made the day drag ever slower. Last night after making love with Sienna in the early hours, he’d lain beside her until she fell asleep, only to give himself a lecture about letting her fill his head and waken his body in lasting ways. Finally unable to resist, he’d rolled toward her and tucked against her soft skin and nuzzled into her neck—and stayed with her until the sun came up. A first. On their first night together.
Bad move. Impossible-to-avoid move. Scary.
She’d told him very little about herself.
Oh, and he had given her a long account on his family and past, had he?
But he knew enough to believe her desire to hold sway over everything possible had been brought about by her childhood. Waking up every morning wondering where she’d be when she climbed back into bed at night time would be hard for anyone to cope with, let alone a child without siblings or friends to share the disappointments with. It made his blood boil to think of the young Sienna missing out on friendships and stability because her father liked to gad about the country as the inclination took him. Why hadn’t her mother stood up to him?
‘We’re here,’ Connor told Tommy. ‘Doc Harry will take you inside.’
Good idea. Then he might stop thinking about Sienna for five minutes.
‘You joining the gang at the pub tonight?’ Connor asked after they’d dropped Tommy off.
It was Friday and a few beers at the end of the shift was mandatory. ‘Might give it a miss tonight.’
Connor’s head tipped back. ‘You coming down with something?’
Lust. Needs. A great woman who looked amazing in black lace knickers and bra. Yeah, he liked coming down with her. ‘Just got a couple of things on.’ Such as sharing a meal and going to bed, and not getting up until the sun came up because he liked having Sienna’s legs wrapped around his all night. ‘Oh, forget it. Count me in.’ They weren’t joined at the hip. He didn’t want that kind of relationship. He had to be free to come and go as he pleased, not trying, and no doubt failing, to keep someone else happy all the time. He had to fight this, not give in to the need clawing through him, making him giddy. ‘I’ve got a phone call to make first.’
Back on the ground Harry loaded up with kits and gear and sauntered into the hangar, his phone at his ear. ‘Hi, Sienna. You spend all your hard-earned dosh at the mall?’
‘Had to take out a loan. You finished for the day yet?’
‘Just knocking off and going for a beer with the gang. Not sure what time I’ll be home.’ Damn but if that didn’t sound like a husband tied at the apron strings. ‘We might head into town afterwards.’
‘Sure. Have a good time. Might see you over the weekend.’ If that wasn’t disappointment coming over the airwaves at him then he was a monkey’s cousin.
But he had to go with what he’d started, as they weren’t in a relationship that did the ‘where are you, why aren’t you home with me?’ stuff. ‘Okay.’ At least he’d told her, not just not turned up even when they hadn’t made arrangements to get together.
‘Maybe.’
Ouch. Exactly why he didn’t want to get in too deep. He’d thought—make that hoped—they were on the same page, understanding there was no future together. Had Sienna got too caught up in the shared moments that she’d forgotten they weren’t right for each other outside of a few hours in bed?
Oh, and you’re not feeling the pinch? Not starting to wonder how you’re going to leave without a backward glance come Christmas?
Definitely time for another phone call. One that’d get him out of the hot water swirling at his knees, his gut, his heart. His heart? No way.
Then do something about it—stop procrastinating.
His finger hit Lance on speed dial. Using his shoulder to hold the phone tight against his ear, he packed syringes into the kitbag and listened to the ringing tone, and waited, and waited, until the answering service came on. Tossing the phone aside, he denied the ping of relief that metallic voice had brought him. He needed to get his next job sorted, and the Melbourne position was excellent, would look good on his CV. He could make a life outside the hospital knowing it wasn’t for ever. Face it, he told himself, there still weren’t any other jobs waving at him, unless he made the call to go further offshore. Singapore, Hong Kong even. Or the States. He’d never worked that far afield and wasn’t that keen. He liked Australasia, felt he belonged in either country. But getting away on or before the twenty-fifth was essential. Christmas with Sienna would be going a step too far, cementing another foundation in their relationship that suggested there’d be more foundations to follow.
Christmas was a time for family and close friends. The speed with which he and Sienna were approaching this friendship was frightening and there didn’t seem to be any brakes in sight. It could go further than he wanted. Hurting her was not an option either, though the pressure was lessened knowing she was of the same thought process. Not that it had been put in words exactly, but they both knew.
Damn it all. He was a mixed-up bag of needs. ‘You taking your heap of metal to the pub, Connor?’ he called through the door into the staff kitchen.
‘Yep. You want a lift?’
‘Too right.’ Better to leave his vehicle in the security of the flying rescue base than parked outside the pub all night. ‘I feel a bender coming on.’ Anything to drown out images of Sienna sprawled beneath him, her head tipped back in ecstasy. Her blistering smiles. Then the picture of her laughing over the differences between their Christmas trees. Oh, yeah, he had some serious forgetting to do.
But when Connor offered him the use of his beach house and fishing boat in Coromandel for the weekend he forgot all about forgetting and instead began dreaming of two whole days—and a night—away with Sienna doing things he en
joyed, and hopefully she did too. ‘Thanks, man, I’d like that.’ Fishing was his favourite occupation outside of work, and boats, being a part of the scene, were up there too. But higher on the scale for his excitement was Sienna. When he was meant to be remaining uninvolved, all he could think about was getting closer. He had it bad for her. Not that he was admitting that. No way.
CHAPTER NINE
‘GET UP, LAZYBONES.’
‘Harry?’ Sienna forced her eyelids up.
‘Don’t tell me there’s another man you allow to walk into your bedroom when the mood strikes him.’ Gentle fingers teased at her hair, lifted it off her shoulder, ran strands over his palm.
‘I wasn’t aware I allowed you to do that. You kind of made yourself at home.’ She reached for his hand. ‘Not that I’m complaining.’
‘Good. Now get up, will you?’
‘Where did you come from? I didn’t miss something, did I?’ Like kisses and hands and making love? He hadn’t called in when he returned home last night—at five past ten, and she’d been miffed—but he was here now and she didn’t want to waste time complaining.
‘Maybe.’ His wicked grin sent a shiver down her spine.
‘What time is it?’
‘Five thirty.’ He was dressed in shorts and a tee shirt that did nothing to hide the muscles underneath. His hair was a mess, and stubble highlighted his stubborn chin.
Reaching for him, she growled, ‘I’m not getting up at this hour.’ Not when she’d read an unputdownable book till two in the morning. ‘Climb in here with me.’ It was good she’d never asked for her key back.
He took three steps back. ‘Uh-uh. No can do.’ There wasn’t even any regret in those dark eyes. Make that not much. ‘We’re going away for the weekend, and the sooner we’re on the road the better.’
Now she was fully awake. Did Harry just say they were going away? Tossing the bedcover aside, she sat up. ‘Tell me more.’