wasn’t going to be able to stop this, Nick thought as those slim fingers skated over his stomach. She was on fire for him. He could feel her ragged breathing in his ear, the way her fingers convulsively dug into his skin, the arch of her back.
Nick felt her fingers tug at the waistband of his trousers, felt her fingers slide behind the band … damn it, that was cold! And sharp. Nick lifted his head and pulled back and lifted her left hand. Her ring sparkled coldly up at him, mocking him in the moonlight as his thumb rested on the big diamond.
‘Nick—’
He stepped back and heaved in a much needed breath. Damn it, why did it feel as if the air held no oxygen? ‘I can’t do this.’
Clem nodded. ‘It’s—’
‘It’s a whacking diamond, still on your ring finger. Something you’re obviously attached to, which makes me wonder how much you are still attached to the person who gave you that ring.’ Nick raked his hair back.
‘I’m not—’
Sleeping with her would be a mistake. He knew this as well as he knew the Two-B land. Unlike the women who’d ambled in and out of his life before, Clem was wiggling her way into places in his heart and mind that had been long closed up. If he slept with her he might as well just open the damn stable door and let the horse bolt away with his heart.
Not an experience he was keen to repeat.
Clem gnawed her bottom lip. ‘I’m not married, Nick. I can do this.’
Nick shook his head. ‘There are more types of marriage than ones signed by a judge or priest, Red. If I have you, then I don’t want anyone else in the room with us …’
‘He’s not … You don’t understand.’
‘If that was true, then you sure as hell wouldn’t be wearing his ring.’ Nick ignored her outburst. ‘I was married so I know what it’s like trying to move on when a part of you wants to stay there. But the thing is, Red, I was a third wheel in my own marriage. I’m not into threesomes, sexually or emotionally.’
Well, hell, where had that come from? He’d had no intention of telling her that he’d once been hitched.
And there was another reason why he should keep his distance from her, Nick thought as he walked to his own room. Her eyes were like atruth drug … She just looked at him and the words bubbled out.
Well, hell. Again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Luella Dawson’s blog:
It’s official, I’m in love. In love with Nick, in love with his stunning Lodge—no, they aren’t allowed to film it but I did look at his website—in love with his land!
And weirdly, sort of in love with this new Clem. Oh, she’s useless but you’ve got to admit that she’s working her tail off.
AFTER promising to visit Gina and her family again before they left Two-B, Clem gave them all a last hug and climbed back into the game viewing vehicle with Nick and his sick ranger. Clem sent the man a worried look; his face was grey-black and he was shaking with fever.
Summer flu, Clem thought; there was nothing worse.
Oh wait, there was something worse … Nick giving her the silent treatment. He’d barely exchanged more than a couple of words with herall morning, not even to argue with her. Clem lifted her hand up and instinctively clutched the locket around her neck. She’d slipped it on this morning, as she always did when she was feeling a little lost and a lot alone. It always gave her a sense of connection to her mum, one she’d never felt when she was alive.
Clem looked down at her now ringless hand and sighed. Cai had given her the diamond for her twenty-first birthday and it was such a part of her that she’d genuinely forgotten about it. She’d never, in a million years, thought than Nick would associate it with marriage or think that she could still be attached to that … cretin.
She’d just assumed that he knew that she was very over Cai.
Clem looked at Nick’s hard face, his eyes covered by his sunglasses. ‘Cai means nothing to me … you’ve got to believe that.’
Nick
Nick felt her fingers tug at the waistband of his trousers, felt her fingers slide behind the band … damn it, that was cold! And sharp. Nick lifted his head and pulled back and lifted her left hand. Her ring sparkled coldly up at him, mocking him in the moonlight as his thumb rested on the big diamond.
‘Nick—’
He stepped back and heaved in a much needed breath. Damn it, why did it feel as if the air held no oxygen? ‘I can’t do this.’
Clem nodded. ‘It’s—’
‘It’s a whacking diamond, still on your ring finger. Something you’re obviously attached to, which makes me wonder how much you are still attached to the person who gave you that ring.’ Nick raked his hair back.
‘I’m not—’
Sleeping with her would be a mistake. He knew this as well as he knew the Two-B land. Unlike the women who’d ambled in and out of his life before, Clem was wiggling her way into places in his heart and mind that had been long closed up. If he slept with her he might as well just open the damn stable door and let the horse bolt away with his heart.
Not an experience he was keen to repeat.
Clem gnawed her bottom lip. ‘I’m not married, Nick. I can do this.’
Nick shook his head. ‘There are more types of marriage than ones signed by a judge or priest, Red. If I have you, then I don’t want anyone else in the room with us …’
‘He’s not … You don’t understand.’
‘If that was true, then you sure as hell wouldn’t be wearing his ring.’ Nick ignored her outburst. ‘I was married so I know what it’s like trying to move on when a part of you wants to stay there. But the thing is, Red, I was a third wheel in my own marriage. I’m not into threesomes, sexually or emotionally.’
Well, hell, where had that come from? He’d had no intention of telling her that he’d once been hitched.
And there was another reason why he should keep his distance from her, Nick thought as he walked to his own room. Her eyes were like atruth drug … She just looked at him and the words bubbled out.
Well, hell. Again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Luella Dawson’s blog:
It’s official, I’m in love. In love with Nick, in love with his stunning Lodge—no, they aren’t allowed to film it but I did look at his website—in love with his land!
And weirdly, sort of in love with this new Clem. Oh, she’s useless but you’ve got to admit that she’s working her tail off.
AFTER promising to visit Gina and her family again before they left Two-B, Clem gave them all a last hug and climbed back into the game viewing vehicle with Nick and his sick ranger. Clem sent the man a worried look; his face was grey-black and he was shaking with fever.
Summer flu, Clem thought; there was nothing worse.
Oh wait, there was something worse … Nick giving her the silent treatment. He’d barely exchanged more than a couple of words with herall morning, not even to argue with her. Clem lifted her hand up and instinctively clutched the locket around her neck. She’d slipped it on this morning, as she always did when she was feeling a little lost and a lot alone. It always gave her a sense of connection to her mum, one she’d never felt when she was alive.
Clem looked down at her now ringless hand and sighed. Cai had given her the diamond for her twenty-first birthday and it was such a part of her that she’d genuinely forgotten about it. She’d never, in a million years, thought than Nick would associate it with marriage or think that she could still be attached to that … cretin.
She’d just assumed that he knew that she was very over Cai.
Clem looked at Nick’s hard face, his eyes covered by his sunglasses. ‘Cai means nothing to me … you’ve got to believe that.’
Nick
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