The Turnaround Treasure Shop (15 page)

He smiled instantly, but Lily carried on. ‘You were dealt all the right man genes.'

‘I'm covered in scars, Lily. You're going to have to look at them. I'm more worried than you are.'

‘But you're not worried, that's the thing. I've got scars too, Nick. Life scars.'

‘I can't wait to see them.' He rose from the sofa and pulled her to stand, taking her into his arms. ‘Stay with me.'

Lily rested her forehead on his chest and wound her arms around his iron-hard body.

‘Is that a yes?'

Lily nodded.

‘Thank you.' Still holding her, he pulled the pencil from her hair. ‘I'm nervous too,' he said, running his fingers through her hair, from her scalp to the tips now swinging at her waist.

‘Impossible,' Lily told him. ‘Your heart isn't going boom boom like mine is.'

He didn't say anything, and electricity hummed between them. She looked up and smiled at him.

‘There.' He cradled her face in his hands. ‘Now I'm not so nervous.'

Any remaining nerves inside Lily seemed to dissipate as bursts of sensual fervour took over.

‘Much better,' he said, lowering his mouth to hers.

He kissed her for minutes, holding her, running his hand up her spine, cupping her head gently. ‘I want you, Lily,' he murmured, his kisses now trailing across her cheek and up to the hairline above her ear. ‘I want to kiss you all over. Come with me.'

Holding her hand firmly, he led her out of the dining room and into the hallway. Lily stayed at his side as they journeyed up the staircase. He squeezed her fingers as they entered his bedroom.

The room was plainly furnished and decorated but a reassuring retreat too, with its dark blue walls, black oak furniture and simple white lamp and shade on a bedside table.

‘It's lovely.'

‘It's lovelier with you in it.'

‘That's an amazing bed.' A four-poster no less. Black oak columns standing guard at each corner and a canopy shading the pillow end of the frame.

‘It'll be more amazing when you're in it. With me.'

Lily bit her lip, hesitated for only a second and stepped closer until she was pressed against his body. His arms came around her.

‘Would you mind if we switched the light off?' she murmured.

He didn't hesitate. He reached behind him and the room plunged into darkness.

‘Thank you.'

‘That's okay.' He pulled her with him as he walked backwards. Keeping one arm around her, he yanked open the curtains, the wooden rungs clattering. ‘Don't need electricity. I've got the moon.'

Moonlight, softer than the lamplight, suffused the room, turning its austerity instantly into romance.

‘Didn't think you'd get away with being naked in my bedroom and not letting me see, did you?'

‘You're teasing me.' And flirting. Could she get him to flirt more? Before they had sex, or made love, or whatever it would be. But flirting would only stall what she wanted. And if they did this right together tonight, there'd be flirting galore tomorrow. And the next day.

A sigh she hadn't known she was holding in escaped her.

‘The teasing's going to stop. Right now.' He let her go and peeled off his jumper, then his T-shirt. His skin appeared darker in the moonlight. ‘Take a look.'

She ran her gaze over the width of his chest. Dark marks peppered his left shoulder, like shingle on a flat stretch of sand. But she couldn't halt the intake of breath as her eyes hit a long, darkened slash across his left pectoral muscle.

‘Not pretty, is it?'

Lily lifted her face and met his gaze. ‘It's handsome.'

He laughed gently. ‘That's the first time it's been called that.'

‘It's part of you. Part of who you are. I don't mind it.' She ran her fingertips over the grooves of the scar. ‘How did you get it?'

‘That's a story for another time.' He bent and undid the laces on his boots then toed them off. He undid the button and the fly on his trousers and took them off, throwing them casually over a wooden chair before turning to stand before her.

Lily couldn't call him handsome a second time but the only other description that came to mind was,
Man
. In the form he was made to be. Fit. Tough. Strength both ingrained and worked for.

A smile hovered on her lips. She didn't know whether to call him mean for not holding her as they undressed together, or totally wonderful for understanding how shy she was feeling and for undressing for her, so she could look at him. So she could prepare herself.

Naked, unashamed, standing before her. All his muscles — more than she'd anticipated, this man was huge! — were still taut though he stood in a relaxed manner, feet apart, hands at his sides.

‘Now it's your turn,' he said.

Lily stripped, taking her time with each piece of clothing. She kicked her shoes off. She unbuttoned her blouse and threw it onto the chair with his clothing. Unzipping her black skirt then letting it fall to the floor. She unhooked her white day-bra — nothing fancy — and she let the straps slip off her shoulders. She threw it on top of her blouse.

He let his breath out in a low whoosh. ‘Perfection,' he said softly. ‘All of you.' He bridged the gap between them and kissed her, his tongue playing with hers. Lily's skin tingled. He ran his hands down her arms, from her shoulders to her wrists which he held a moment, then broke the kiss and his hold of her and looked down at her body.

All she was left standing in was her black G-string. She almost laughed with relief that she
wore
G-strings and not the cover-all knickers that would probably be more comfortable beneath her work skirt. She hooked her fingers in the G-string, now willing to take it off and stand naked in front of him.

He reached out and took hold of her hand. ‘Let me do that. Please.'

Lily quivered, her insides at scorching level and her skin dampening with the heat of desire shooting through her.

He pulled the G-string from her hips and drew it down her thighs with tantalising slowness until he was almost kneeling. Immediate, an almost unbearable need for him seemed to burst through every pore in her body.

She stepped out of the G-string and took hold of his shoulders as she lost her balance in the haze of anticipation.

His hands cupped her bottom. He kissed her hip. He kissed her thigh. He trailed kisses and gentle licks up her body until he was standing and looking down at her.

‘Nick,' she gasped, ‘I can't tell you what I'm feeling.'

‘You don't have to.' He took her with his mouth, pressing kisses on her lips. ‘But you need to hear something from me.'

Some secret, some deeper, more sensual flirtatious remark? Oh, yes. Lily wanted to hear it.

He lifted her chin with his finger, his gaze serious. ‘I don't want to scare you, Lily but my undying attraction has taken a big swing north. I'm very much in love with you.'

Love
?

‘I can't do this without you knowing,' he said, ‘and I figure once I start, you'd guess anyway.' He paused, waiting for her to answer. ‘All right?'

Lily nodded, disbelief at this extraordinary declaration making her speechless.

‘I'm not asking anything of you, Lily.'

‘Okay.'
Love
?

‘I just had to tell you.'

She took hold of his arms and she pressed her fingers into them, wanting to thank him. For the simplicity of the happiness he gave her. For being so bloody handsome. For the sensual way he'd slid her G-string down her legs. For making her tremble with desire when he'd looked at her, naked. She'd think about love later. Right this moment she was the luckiest woman alive.

She took hold of his face in both her hands and pulled him down to her, her mouth open. She kissed him using everything within her.

They were both gasping when their mouths parted.

‘This isn't about sex, is it?' she asked him, shaking her head a little as the wondrousness of being with him almost sent her speechless again. ‘We'll be making love, won't we?'

‘You can bet on it.'

‘Together.'

‘You and me.' His smile deepened. ‘Although I might be a little forward and try a few moves on you first.'

‘Like what?' she asked, chin dipped, eyes tilted up at him and a faint smile on her mouth.

He drew her closer, holding her with one arm, hooking her to his chest, the passion and the play in his eyes echoing hers.

He nudged her inner thigh with his hand. ‘Like this.' He made his first move.

Pleasure sent Lily into a delirious state. She sank against his chest and into an abyss of ecstasy.

Love.
Love
, for God's sake!

Lily had no doubts about the possibility that she was falling in love with Nick but this was 6:57 a.m. Saturday morning and although she'd prefer to spend the hours of the day going over every wonderful feeling, sensation and stroke of pleasure she'd received in Nick's arms all through the night — she didn't have time.

What a crazy week. She'd begun it on an ordinary level last Sunday serving Nick his breakfast and was about to end it where it had begun: Kookaburra's. Except that this Saturday, Nick wouldn't be coming in for breakfast. He'd served breakfast to Lily. In bed.
In bed
! Scrambled egg on toast had never tasted so mouth-wateringly divine. Come to think of it, Lily had never eaten breakfast naked either. Or been hand-fed toast soldiers dripping in butter from the strong, sturdy hand of a Navy clearance diver.

Gosh, she had her own military man, and she'd had him where she'd wanted him all night. About four times, if she counted this morning's bout in rumpled sheets.

She drove the Orange Bullet into town as fast as she dared, did a swift U-turn at the stock feeders' and parked on the other side of the road, outside Kookaburra's, facing the direction she should have faced if she'd entered town from her home, not Nick's.

The quietness of Kookaburra's lobby made Lily want to tip-toe through. Three guests were already in the dining room, up early and no doubt on their way out. Probably to Mount Kosciusko to check out the alpine national park before winter set in and the weather got too cold for fishing or cycling.

Lily normally envied the tourists their freedom to explore, but not today. She didn't need to tramp the expanse of a dry, rugged wilderness to find adventure. She didn't need to travel to the lower Snowy River to get an adrenaline charge. She had excitement enough four-wheel-driving over the paddocks behind her house with Nick. Or kissing with him. And in bed… Oh, in bed he was simply magnificent. And so was she. Truly, a sexual goddess awoken.

The memory of his thoroughness in making her happy, of the strength and warmth of his body as he lay over her, beside her or looking up at her had been more than anything she'd expected from anyone. Ever. Making love
with
Nick, being made love to
by
Nick were two different experiences and both a pleasure every woman should have.

Not that she'd share him. Or even loan him out. Not even to the most desperate of best friends. Her body still hummed with desire and her mind was swirling, unable to comprehend the depths of fulfilment she felt.

She smothered a laugh as she made her way past reception. She didn't need the kissing books now to describe a sublime state of ecstasy; she'd been taken there. Furthermore, she wasn't wearing her G-string. Racy, or what? She hadn't been able to find it. Nick had chuckled as he accompanied her out of his house, in bare feet and still half-naked in that dreamy sexual languor a muscle-packed guy on a winning streak portrayed. Good job nobody had been around to see him. They'd have known for sure that the ex-Navy captain had just spent an entire night battened down with a woman. ‘Don't bend over at any time,' he'd said, kissing her one last time. ‘And don't climb any ladders.' She'd had to push him off in order to get into her car with only five minutes to make it to work.

She crashed through the door to the kitchen. ‘I'm late. I know.' She threw her handbag beneath the counter, yanked her cardigan off and straightened the white blouse she hadn't been able to change because she hadn't been home. ‘What's up first? Restaurant seems practically empty this morning.' She had a spare work blouse in her locker. She'd change it just as soon as she could slip out of the kitchen without being noticed.

She turned when she didn't receive an answer and found Charlotte, Dan and two young waitresses staring at her.

‘What happened?' Charlotte asked.

‘Um. I slept in. Couldn't get out of bed.'

‘Wow. Wish I'd slept in the way you obviously slept in. Unfortunately, Olivia had other plans.'

Lily flushed. Probably raspberry red. She went to the sink and started washing her hands, vigorously scrubbing the soap up her arms. The cold water cooled her skin as it splashed, and unbelievably — she wanted to laugh.

***

Lily took her lunch break at the reception desk, covering for Jessica Tillman who had been summoned by Ted to give him a quick hand counting balloons. It gave Lily the opportunity to commandeer the hotel computer while it was free.

‘Making a list for the shop?' Dan asked her as he passed.

‘And checking it twice,' Lily told him, eyes still glued to the screen. ‘I'm glad to have the chance. The PC at home is so slow.' Even with the higher internet plan. She'd have to put some money towards a new PC — since her savings were going on a field trip. And if Lily was getting something wonderful — the shop — the kids should too. A new computer for Andy and maybe something pretty for Janie-Louise. An outfit. Lily paused in her thoughts. She was going to be a shopkeeper, she'd need to look smart yet casual, and somehow retain the charm of a country woman. How was she going to do that without a whole new wardrobe? She shrugged mentally. Maybe she'd wear her Kookaburra's uniform and dress it up a little with some cheap scarves.