it.’
‘It’ll go when you accept that her not being the mother you needed was her failing and not yours.’
‘Oh, Gee, you always know exactly the right thing to say.’ Clem placed her head on her godmother’s shoulder. Her eyes drifted to Nick, to find him looking at her, a concerned look on his face.
‘Are you OK?’ he mouthed.
Clem nodded.
Gina patted her thigh. ‘I hope you’ve never doubted how much I love you.’
‘No, I’ve never doubted that. You’ve been a rock throughout my life. I’m sorry I didn’t make a bigger effort to see you.’
‘I expect you to do better in the future. I do like that young man,’ she commented as Nick stood up to walk over to them.
‘Me too,’ Clem sighed.
Nick joined them and Clem looked at her watch. ‘We must go, Gina.’
‘So early!’
Nick took Gina’s hand and she stood up.
‘Thank you for a fabulous evening. I understand that you are scheduled to take a game drive in the morning,’ he said, holding her hand in his.
‘With Siya. Such a nice, knowledgeable young man.’
‘I’m glad to hear it, but would you settle for an older, slightly more knowledgeable man? One of my rangers in the anti-poaching unit is coming down with flu. I need to replace him with somebody else.’
Nick jammed his hands in his pockets. ‘So, if you’d like to come with Clem and me, I’ll show you a bit of the reserve that’s off the beaten track.’
He was met with a chorus of excited Italian babbling. Nick held up his hand. ‘We’ll have the camera crew along and, I have to warn you, it’s a pretty early start.’
Clem sighed and yawned. ‘Is there any other type of start with you?’
Nick opened the door and gestured Clem inside. Walking inside the house, he heard the rumble of thunder and saw Clem stiffen. ‘It’s miles away, Red.’
Clem pushed her hair off her face and managed a smile. ‘I’m sorry if you were bored to tears tonight; nothing is worse than sitting through hours of family memories.’
‘Wasn’t bored,’ Nick replied, leaning against the wall, watching her. Clem toed the tiled floor with the tip of her shoe and recognized the look on his face, sure that hers was exactly the same. She wanted—no, needed—to feel those arms around her, her lips under his.
They’d been watching each other all night, and sitting next to each other at dinner had been exquisite torture. A brush of his shoulder against hers, his hand resting along the back of her chair, fingers occasionally and lightly brushing her back. The flash of citrusy aftershave when he’d said something in her ear, his foot hooked behind hers …
She hadn’t been much better. They’d danced around each other all night with hot glances, secret smiles and brief touches until she felt like the lead in a romantic comedy.
‘So, are you coming to me or am I coming to you?’ Nick quietly asked.
Her eyes slammed into his and they both moved. Nick’s hard mouth dropped over hers and his tall, muscular frame held hers against the wall as his mouth dominated hers.
Clem whimpered in his mouth, hooked her hands around his neck and boosted herself up, her legs anchored around his waist. Nick held her easily and Clem felt his corresponding flash of lust shoot through him as she angled her head to allow him deeper access. It was different from the kiss they’d shared previously; it was … more. Harder, deeper, hotter. As he moved to sit her on the dining room table, she wasn’t sure where she started and he ended, they were such a knot of need, passion and sheer frustration. Hands travelled and touched, silently seeking and demanding, slidingand drifting. His lips explored, nuzzled, nipped, tasted, creating a hyper-awareness of her body.
It was as if he’d plugged her into a bolt of lightning and she thought that maybe here was a storm she could handle.
‘Nick …’ Clem wasn’t sure if she begged him to stop the torture or to increase the pleasure as he ravished her.
He
‘It’ll go when you accept that her not being the mother you needed was her failing and not yours.’
‘Oh, Gee, you always know exactly the right thing to say.’ Clem placed her head on her godmother’s shoulder. Her eyes drifted to Nick, to find him looking at her, a concerned look on his face.
‘Are you OK?’ he mouthed.
Clem nodded.
Gina patted her thigh. ‘I hope you’ve never doubted how much I love you.’
‘No, I’ve never doubted that. You’ve been a rock throughout my life. I’m sorry I didn’t make a bigger effort to see you.’
‘I expect you to do better in the future. I do like that young man,’ she commented as Nick stood up to walk over to them.
‘Me too,’ Clem sighed.
Nick joined them and Clem looked at her watch. ‘We must go, Gina.’
‘So early!’
Nick took Gina’s hand and she stood up.
‘Thank you for a fabulous evening. I understand that you are scheduled to take a game drive in the morning,’ he said, holding her hand in his.
‘With Siya. Such a nice, knowledgeable young man.’
‘I’m glad to hear it, but would you settle for an older, slightly more knowledgeable man? One of my rangers in the anti-poaching unit is coming down with flu. I need to replace him with somebody else.’
Nick jammed his hands in his pockets. ‘So, if you’d like to come with Clem and me, I’ll show you a bit of the reserve that’s off the beaten track.’
He was met with a chorus of excited Italian babbling. Nick held up his hand. ‘We’ll have the camera crew along and, I have to warn you, it’s a pretty early start.’
Clem sighed and yawned. ‘Is there any other type of start with you?’
Nick opened the door and gestured Clem inside. Walking inside the house, he heard the rumble of thunder and saw Clem stiffen. ‘It’s miles away, Red.’
Clem pushed her hair off her face and managed a smile. ‘I’m sorry if you were bored to tears tonight; nothing is worse than sitting through hours of family memories.’
‘Wasn’t bored,’ Nick replied, leaning against the wall, watching her. Clem toed the tiled floor with the tip of her shoe and recognized the look on his face, sure that hers was exactly the same. She wanted—no, needed—to feel those arms around her, her lips under his.
They’d been watching each other all night, and sitting next to each other at dinner had been exquisite torture. A brush of his shoulder against hers, his hand resting along the back of her chair, fingers occasionally and lightly brushing her back. The flash of citrusy aftershave when he’d said something in her ear, his foot hooked behind hers …
She hadn’t been much better. They’d danced around each other all night with hot glances, secret smiles and brief touches until she felt like the lead in a romantic comedy.
‘So, are you coming to me or am I coming to you?’ Nick quietly asked.
Her eyes slammed into his and they both moved. Nick’s hard mouth dropped over hers and his tall, muscular frame held hers against the wall as his mouth dominated hers.
Clem whimpered in his mouth, hooked her hands around his neck and boosted herself up, her legs anchored around his waist. Nick held her easily and Clem felt his corresponding flash of lust shoot through him as she angled her head to allow him deeper access. It was different from the kiss they’d shared previously; it was … more. Harder, deeper, hotter. As he moved to sit her on the dining room table, she wasn’t sure where she started and he ended, they were such a knot of need, passion and sheer frustration. Hands travelled and touched, silently seeking and demanding, slidingand drifting. His lips explored, nuzzled, nipped, tasted, creating a hyper-awareness of her body.
It was as if he’d plugged her into a bolt of lightning and she thought that maybe here was a storm she could handle.
‘Nick …’ Clem wasn’t sure if she begged him to stop the torture or to increase the pleasure as he ravished her.
He
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