He hadn’t realised how he felt about her enjoying herself until he heard the sarcastic edge to his voice.
‘If you didn’t go, you’ll never know.’ She passed him a tumbler of water. ‘Seems like you need this more than I do.’
He gulped half of it down, returned the glass to her. ‘Thanks.’
Obviously in no hurry to go upstairs, she curled her feet beneath her and sipped at the water. ‘Something horrible happened to bring you back to Oz after all this time. I’ve been wondering what.’
Right now he wondered the same thing about his choice of location to recuperate. He could have gone to Acapulco or Hawaii. Found some warm and willing local girl to recuperate with. But for some reason he’d yet to fathom, because it certainly wasn’t for the love of family, he’d decided to return to Australia.
Bad things happened but he didn’t want to talk about it. Not with the party girl who saw the world through a rainbow prism. What the hell would she know about real life? How could she ever understand what he did or why he did it? Nor did he want her to know. God knew, he wanted to protect her from all that.
And yet … he’d never had someone like Lissa interested enough in his life to ask. Maybe becausehe’d never been around a woman long enough. A strange warm sensation settled somewhere in the region of his heart.
‘I’m not going to pretend I didn’t hear you in your sleep. Post-traumatic stress isn’t something to be ashamed of. Perhaps I could help,’ she finished softly.
‘Post-traumatic stress?’
A rough laugh rasped up his throat. ‘You don’t know what the
hell
you’re talking about. I get the occasional migraine, so what?’ He pushed off the couch and headed for the stairs.
‘Maybe you should let others do some looking out for you for a change,’ she said behind him.
He reached the first step, didn’t stop. ‘With you around why would I need to?’
CHAPTER EIGHT
L ISSA barely paused to breathe in the front garden’s tropical scents as she stepped outside. The warm Mooloolaba morning wrapped around her but she barely noticed. A gazillion thoughts were running through her mind—
not
Blake and that kiss that had turned her inside out last night.
Although she did spare more than a passing thought for his nightmares. His haunted groans in the dark of night had chilled her to the bone. But unless and until he was willing to talk, what could she do? She shook her head. And he’d called her stubborn?
So for now Blake’s living room was top priority. The living room was her
focus.
She had furniture and soft furnishings to select and order, paint to choose.
But she glanced down at the unfamiliar sharp staccato on the paved garden path and slowed to admire her sassy red sling-backs. Nice. They brought a smile to her lips. She’d not bought a thing for over three months. Even if they wereonly bargain basement, they were shiny and brand spanking new.
‘Lissa.’
She heard her name spoken in that deep sexy drawl and saw Blake coming through the front gate. No sign of last night’s terrors in those azure eyes. As he jogged across the lawn towards her every other thought flew out of her mind.
She came to a halt, her pulse doing a blip at the blinding sight of all that exposed bronzed skin. His upper arms gleamed with sweat, his navy blue vest-top was dark and damp. Short shorts revealed tanned, toned muscular thighs peppered with dark masculine hair.
Last night he’d pressed those thighs against hers.
She forgot she was on a mission. Forgot she had no time to waste, no time to linger over mere distractions. Even if the distraction was Blake Everett, with his musky scent wafting towards her. He looked like some sort of divine being sent from above. She blew out a heartfelt breath. Her shoes weren’t the only things worth a second look around here.
‘Wait up, I’m coming with you.’ He was watching her as he approached and she knew by the way his eyes suddenly darkened that
‘If you didn’t go, you’ll never know.’ She passed him a tumbler of water. ‘Seems like you need this more than I do.’
He gulped half of it down, returned the glass to her. ‘Thanks.’
Obviously in no hurry to go upstairs, she curled her feet beneath her and sipped at the water. ‘Something horrible happened to bring you back to Oz after all this time. I’ve been wondering what.’
Right now he wondered the same thing about his choice of location to recuperate. He could have gone to Acapulco or Hawaii. Found some warm and willing local girl to recuperate with. But for some reason he’d yet to fathom, because it certainly wasn’t for the love of family, he’d decided to return to Australia.
Bad things happened but he didn’t want to talk about it. Not with the party girl who saw the world through a rainbow prism. What the hell would she know about real life? How could she ever understand what he did or why he did it? Nor did he want her to know. God knew, he wanted to protect her from all that.
And yet … he’d never had someone like Lissa interested enough in his life to ask. Maybe becausehe’d never been around a woman long enough. A strange warm sensation settled somewhere in the region of his heart.
‘I’m not going to pretend I didn’t hear you in your sleep. Post-traumatic stress isn’t something to be ashamed of. Perhaps I could help,’ she finished softly.
‘Post-traumatic stress?’
A rough laugh rasped up his throat. ‘You don’t know what the
hell
you’re talking about. I get the occasional migraine, so what?’ He pushed off the couch and headed for the stairs.
‘Maybe you should let others do some looking out for you for a change,’ she said behind him.
He reached the first step, didn’t stop. ‘With you around why would I need to?’
CHAPTER EIGHT
L ISSA barely paused to breathe in the front garden’s tropical scents as she stepped outside. The warm Mooloolaba morning wrapped around her but she barely noticed. A gazillion thoughts were running through her mind—
not
Blake and that kiss that had turned her inside out last night.
Although she did spare more than a passing thought for his nightmares. His haunted groans in the dark of night had chilled her to the bone. But unless and until he was willing to talk, what could she do? She shook her head. And he’d called her stubborn?
So for now Blake’s living room was top priority. The living room was her
focus.
She had furniture and soft furnishings to select and order, paint to choose.
But she glanced down at the unfamiliar sharp staccato on the paved garden path and slowed to admire her sassy red sling-backs. Nice. They brought a smile to her lips. She’d not bought a thing for over three months. Even if they wereonly bargain basement, they were shiny and brand spanking new.
‘Lissa.’
She heard her name spoken in that deep sexy drawl and saw Blake coming through the front gate. No sign of last night’s terrors in those azure eyes. As he jogged across the lawn towards her every other thought flew out of her mind.
She came to a halt, her pulse doing a blip at the blinding sight of all that exposed bronzed skin. His upper arms gleamed with sweat, his navy blue vest-top was dark and damp. Short shorts revealed tanned, toned muscular thighs peppered with dark masculine hair.
Last night he’d pressed those thighs against hers.
She forgot she was on a mission. Forgot she had no time to waste, no time to linger over mere distractions. Even if the distraction was Blake Everett, with his musky scent wafting towards her. He looked like some sort of divine being sent from above. She blew out a heartfelt breath. Her shoes weren’t the only things worth a second look around here.
‘Wait up, I’m coming with you.’ He was watching her as he approached and she knew by the way his eyes suddenly darkened that
Similar Books
