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“So I heard.”
“And I liked her.”
“I heard that, too. I understand that your entire family did. But then that goes to show.”
She looked over at him. “What?”
“Men aren’t the only ones who can be heartbreakers.”
Surprise swept across her face at his remark. Gemma leaned back against her seat and released her breath in a slow sigh. “I never said they were.”
“You didn’t?” he asked smiling.
“No, of course not.”
Callum decided not to argue with her about it. Instead, he just smiled. “It’s time for that nap. You’re beginning to sound a bit grouchy.”
* * *
To Callum’s surprise, she took one, which gave him the opportunity to watch her while she slept. As he gazed at her, he experienced the same intense desire that he’d always felt whenever he was close to her. At the moment, he was close, but not close enough. He couldn’t help but study her features and thought her moments of peaceful bliss had transformed her already beautiful face into one that was even more striking.
He would be the first to admit that she no longer looked like the young girl he’d seen that first day. In three years, her features had changed from that of a girl to a woman and it all started with the shape of her mouth, which was nothing short of sensuous. How could lips be that full and inviting, he wondered, as his gaze moved from one corner of her mouth to the other.
Callum’s gaze drifted upward from her mouth to her closed eyes and the long lashes covering them. His gaze then moved to her cheekbones and he was tempted to take the back of his hand and caress them, or better yet, trace their beautiful curves with the tip of his tongue, branding her as his. And she was his, whether she knew it or not, whether she accepted it or not. She belonged to him.
He then noticed how even her breathing was, and how every breath drew his attention to the swell of her breasts that were alluringly hidden inside a light blue blouse. He’d always found her sexy, too sexy, and it had been hard not to want her, so he hadn’t even bothered fighting the temptation. He had lusted after her from afar, which was something he couldn’t help, since he hadn’t touched another woman in almost three years. Once her place in his life had become crystal clear, his body had gone into a disciplined mode, knowing she would be the one and only woman he would make love to for the rest of his life. Now, the thought of that made his body go hard. He breathed in her scent, he closed the book he had been reading and adjusted his pillow. He closed his eyes and allowed his fantasies of her to do what they always did, take over his mind and do in his dreams what he couldn’t yet do in reality.
* * *
Gemma slowly opened her eyes at the same moment she shifted in her seat. She glanced over at Callum and saw that he had fallen asleep. His head was tilted close to hers.
She would have to admit that at first his close proximity had bothered her because she assumed they would have to make a lot of unnecessary conversation during the flight. She wasn’t very good at small talk or flirting. She’d dated before, but rarely, because most men had a tendency to bore her. She’d discovered that most liked talking about themselves, tooting their own horn and figured they were God’s gift to women.
She pushed all thoughts of other men aside and decided to concentrate on this one. He was sitting so close that she could inhale his masculine scent. She had enough brothers and male cousins to know that just as no two women carried the same scent, the same held true for men. Each person’s fragrance was unique and the one floating through her nostrils now was making funny feelings flutter around in her stomach.
Gemma found it odd that nothing like this had ever happened to her before, but then she couldn’t recall Callum ever being this close to her. Usually they were surrounded by other family members. Granted, they weren’t exactly alone now, but, still, there was a sense of intimacy with him sitting beside her. She could just make out the soft sounds of his even breathing.
She had been ready to go when he had arrived at her place. When she opened the door and he had walked in, her breath had gotten caught in her throat. She’d seen him in jeans more times than not, but there was something about the pair he was wearing now that had caused her to do a double take. When he’d leaned down to pick up her luggage, his masculine thighs flexed beneath starched denim. Then there were those muscled arms beneath the Western shirt. Her gaze had lingered longer than it should have on his body. She had followed him out the door while getting an eyeful of his make-you-want-to-drool tush.
She studied him now, fascinated by just what a good-looking man he was and how he’d managed to keep women at bay for so long. A part of her knew it hadn’t just been the story Zane had fabricated about a woman waiting for him back in Australia. That tale might have kept some women like Jackie away, but it would not have done anything to hold back the bolder ones. It was primarily the way he’d carried himself. Just like Ramsey. In his pre-Chloe days, most women would have thought twice before approaching her brother. He radiated that kind of “I’m not in the mood” aura whenever it suited him.
But for some reason, she’d never considered Callum as unapproachable as Ramsey. Whenever they had exchanged words, he’d been friendly enough with her. A part of her was curious about why if he wasn’t already taken; he’d held himself back from engaging in a serious relationship with a woman. Perhaps he wanted a wife who was from his homeland. That wouldn’t be surprising, although it was ironic that his mother was American.
“Oh.” The word slipped through her lips in a frantic tone when the plane shook from the force of strong turbulence. She quickly caught her breath.
“You okay?”
She glanced over at Callum. He was awake. “Yes. I hadn’t expected that just then. Sorry if I woke you up.”
“No problem,” he said, straightening up in his seat. “We’ve been in the air about four hours now, so we were bound to hit an air pocket sooner or later.”
She swallowed when the airplane hit a smaller, less forceful pocket of turbulence. “And they don’t bother you?”
“Not as much as they used to. When I was younger, my siblings and I would fly with Mom back to the States to visit our grandparents. I used to consider turbulence as exciting as a roller-coaster ride. I thought it was fun.”
Gemma rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing fun about the feel of an airplane shaking all over the place like it’s about to come apart.”
He released a soft chuckle. “You’re safe, but let me check your seat belt to be sure.”
Before she could pull in her next breath, he reached out to her waist and touched her seat belt. She felt his fingers brush against her stomach in the process. At that precise moment, sensations rushed all through her belly and right up her arms.
She glanced over at Callum and found her gaze ensnared by the deep green of his eyes and those sensations intensified. She knew at that moment that something was happening between them, and whatever it was, she wasn’t quite prepared for it.
She’d heard about sexual awareness, but why would it affect her now, and why with someone who was almost a total stranger to her? It wasn’t as if this was the first time she and Callum had been around each other. But then...as she’d acknowledged to herself earlier, this was the first time they had been alone to this degree. She wondered if her new feelings were one-sided, or if he’d felt it, as well.
“You’re belted tight,” he said, and to her his voice seemed a bit huskier...or perhaps she was just imagining things.
“Thanks for checking.”
“No problem.”
Since they were both wide awake now, Gemma decided it was probably a good idea to engage in conversation. That would be safer than just sitting here and letting all kinds of crazy thoughts race through her mind, like what would happen if she were to check on his seat belt as he’d checked on hers. She felt heat infuse her face and her heart rate suddenly shot up.
Then her anxiety level moved up a notch when she thought his gaze lingered on her lips a little longer than necessary. Had that really been the case? “Tell me about Australia,” she said quickly.
Evidently talking about his homeland was something he enjoyed doing if the smile tilting his lips was anything to go by. And they were a gorgeous pair. She’d noticed them before, but this was the first time she’d given those lips more than a passing thought.
Why all of a sudden was there something so compelling about Callum? Why did the thought of his lips, eyes and other facial features, as well as his hands and fingers, suddenly make her feel hot?
“You’re going to love Australia,” he said, speaking in that deep accent she loved hearing. “Especially Sydney. There’s no place in the world quite like it.”
She lifted a brow and folded her arms across her chest. She didn’t want to get into a debate, but she thought Denver was rather nice, as well. “Nicer than Denver?”
He chuckled, as understanding lit his eyes. “Yes. Denver has its strong points—don’t get me wrong—but there’s something about Sydney that’s unique. I’m not saying that just because it’s where I was born.”
“So what’s so nice about it?”
He smiled again and, as if on cue, those sensations in her stomach fluttered and spread through her entire midsection.
“I hate to sound like a travel ad, but Australia is a cosmopolitan place drenched in history and surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. Close your eyes for a moment and envision this, Gemma.”
She closed her eyes and he began talking in a soft tone, describing the beaches in detail. From his description, she could all but feel a spray of ocean water on her lips, a cool breeze caressing her skin.
“There’re Kingscliff Beach, Byron Bay, Newcastle and Lord Howe, just to name a few. Each of them is an aquatic paradise, containing the purest blue-green waters your eyes can behold.”
“Like the color of your eyes?” Her eyes were still closed.
She heard his soft chuckle. “Yes, somewhat. And speaking of eyes, you can open yours now.”
She slowly lifted her lids to find his eyes right there. He had inched his head closer to hers and not only were his eyes right there, so were his lips. The thoughts that suddenly went racing through her mind were crazy, but all she would have to do was to stick out her tongue to taste his lips. That was a temptation she was having a hard time fighting.
Her breathing increased and she could tell by the rise and fall of his masculine chest, that so had his. Was there something significantly dangerous about flying this high in the sky that altered your senses? Zapped them real good and sent them reeling off course? Filled your mind with thoughts you wouldn’t normally entertain?
If the answer to all those questions was a resounding yes, then that explained why her mind was suddenly filled with the thought of engaging in a romantic liaison with the man who was not only her client, but also her oldest brother’s best friend.
“Gemma...” It seemed he had inched his mouth a little closer; so close she could feel his moist breath on her lips as he said her name in that deep Australian accent of his.
Instead of responding, she inched her mouth closer, too, as desire, the intensity of which she’d never felt before, made her entire body shiver with a need she didn’t know she was capable of having. The green eyes locked on hers were successfully quashing any thoughts of pulling her mouth back before it was too late.
* * *
“Would either of you like some more snacks?”
Callum jumped and then quickly turned his face away from Gemma to glance up at the smiling flight attendant. He drew in a deep breath before responding. “No, thanks. I don’t want anything.”
He knew that was a lie the moment he’d said it. He did want something, but what he wanted only the woman sitting beside him could give.
The flight attendant then glanced over at Gemma and she responded in a shaky voice. “No, I’m fine.”
It was only after the attendant had moved on that Callum glanced at Gemma. Her back was to him while she looked out the window. He suspected that she was going to pretend nothing had happened between them a few moments ago. There was no doubt in his mind that they would have kissed if the flight attendant hadn’t interrupted them.
“Gemma?”
It took her longer than he felt was necessary to turn around and when she did, she immediately began talking about something that he couldn’t have cared less about. “I was able to pack my color samples, Callum, so that you’ll get an idea of what will best suit your home. I’ll give you my suggestions, but of course the final decision will be yours. How do you like earth-tone colors? I’m thinking they will work best.”
He fought the urge to say that what would work best would be to pick up where they’d left off, but instead he nodded and decided to follow her lead for now. In a way he felt good knowing that at least something had been accomplished today. She had finally become aware of him as a man. And he was giving her time to deal with that. He wouldn’t push her, nor would he rush things for now. He would let nature take its course and with the degree of passion they exhibited a short while ago, he had no reason to think that it wouldn’t.
“I happen to like earth-tone colors, so they will probably work for me,” he said, although he truly didn’t give a royal damn. The bottom line was whatever she liked would work for him because he had every intention of her sharing that house with him.
“That’s good, but I intend to provide you with a selection of vibrant colors, as well. Reds, greens, yellows and blues are the fashionable hues now. And we can always mix them up to create several bold splashes. Many people are doing that now.”
She continued talking, and he would nod on occasion to pretend he was listening. If she needed to feel she was back in control of things, then so be it. He relaxed in his seat, tilted his head and watched ardently as her mouth moved while thinking what he would love doing to that mouth if given the chance. He decided to think positive and concentrated on what he would do with that mouth when he got the chance.
* * *
A few moments after Callum closed his eyes, Gemma stopped talking, satisfied that she had talked him to sleep. She had discussed some of everything with him regarding the decorating of his home to make sure they stayed on topic. The last thing she wanted was for him to bring up what almost happened between them. Just the thought of how close they’d come to sharing a kiss, right here on this airplane, had her pulse racing something awful.
She had never behaved inappropriately with a client before and wasn’t sure exactly what had brought it on today. She would chalk it up as a weak moment when she’d almost yielded to temptation. When she had noticed just how close their mouths were, it had seemed a perfectly natural thing to want to taste his lips. Evidently, he’d felt the same way about hers, because his mouth had been inching toward hers with as much enthusiasm as hers had moved toward his. She was grateful for the flight attendant’s timely interruption.
Had the woman suspected what they had been about to do? The thought had made Gemma’s head heat up with embarrassment. Her heart was racing and the palms of her hands felt damp just thinking about it. She readjusted the pillow behind her head, knowing she would have to regain control of senses jolted by too much turbulence. Callum was just a man. He was a client. A friend of her family. He was not someone she should start thinking about in a sexual way.
She had gone twenty-four years without giving any man a second thought and going another twenty-four the same way suited her just fine.
Chapter 4
Gemma glanced around the spacious hotel where she and Callum would be staying for the night—in separate rooms, of course. Once their plane had landed, she had given herself a mental shake to make sure all her senses were back under control. Fortunately, the rest of the flight had been uneventful. Callum had kept his lips to himself and she had kept hers where they belonged. After a while, she had begun feeling comfortable around him again.
They’d taken a taxi from the airport. Callum had informed her that a private car service would arrive the next morning to take them to his parents’ home. Gemma assumed they would be staying with his parents for the duration of the trip.
She thought this hotel was beautiful and would rival any of the major chains back home. The suite was spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto Sydney, which at this hour was dotted with bright lights.
Because she had slept a lot on the plane, she wasn’t sleepy now. In fact, she was wide awake, although the clock on the nightstand by the bed indicated that it was after midnight. It was hard to believe that on the other side of the world in Denver they were trailing a day behind and it was eight in the morning.
She strolled to the window and looked out. She missed Denver already, but she couldn’t help being fascinated by all the things she’d already seen. Although their plane had landed during the night hours, the taxi had taken them through many beautiful sections of the city that were lit up, and showed just how truthful Callum had been when he’d said that there was no place in the world quite like Sydney.
Gemma drew in a deep breath and tried to ignore a vague feeling of disappointment. Even though she was glad Callum hadn’t mentioned their interrupted kiss, she hadn’t expected him to completely ignore her. Although they’d shared conversation since, most of it had been with him providing details about Sydney and with her going over information about the decorating of his home. The thought that he could control his emotions around her so easily meant that, although he had been drawn to her for that one quick instant, he didn’t think she was worth pursuing. If those were his thoughts, she should be grateful, instead of feeling teed off. Her disappointment and irritation just didn’t make any sense.
She left the window and crossed the hotel room to the decorative mirror on the wall to study her features. Okay, so she hadn’t looked her best after the eighteen-hour plane flight, but she had taken a shower and had freshened up since then. Too bad he couldn’t see her now. But overall, she hadn’t looked awful.
Gemma couldn’t help wondering what kind of woman would interest Callum. She was totally clueless. She’d never seen him with a woman before. She knew the types Zane and Derringer preferred dating—women who were all legs, beautiful, sophisticated, shallow, but easy to get into bed. For some reason she couldn’t see Callum attracted to that type of woman.
There were times she wished she had a lot of experience with men and was not still a twenty-four-year-old virgin. There had been a number of times during her college days when guys had tried, although unsuccessfully, to get her into bed. When they had failed, they’d dubbed her “Ice Princess Gemma.” That title hadn’t bothered her in the least. She’d rather be known as an ice princess than an easy lay. She smiled, thinking that more than one frustrated stud had given up on seducing her. Giving up on her because she refused to put out was one thing, but ignoring her altogether was another.
A part of her knew the best thing to do was to relegate such thoughts to the back of her mind. It was better that he hadn’t followed up on what had almost happened between them. But another part of her—the one that was a woman with as much vanity as any other female—hadn’t liked it one bit and couldn’t let it go.
A smile swept across her lips. Callum had suggested that they meet in the morning for breakfast before the car arrived to take them to his parents’ home. That was fine with her, because she would be meeting his parents and she wanted to look her best. The last thing she wanted was for them to think he’d hired someone who didn’t know how to dress professionally. So tomorrow she would get rid of her usual attire of jeans and a casual top and wear something a little more becoming.
She would see just how much Callum could ignore her then.
* * *
Callum got up the next morning feeling as tired as he’d been when he went to bed past midnight. He had tossed and turned most of the night, frustrated that he hadn’t taken the opportunity to taste Gemma’s lips when the chance to do so had been presented to him.
Every part of his body hardened with the memory of a pair of luscious lips that had been barely a breath away from his. And when she had tilted her head even more to him, placing her lips within a tongue reach, he had felt the lower part of his body throb.
The desire that had flowed between them had been anything but one-sided. Charged sensations as strong as any electrical current had surged through both their bodies and he had fought back the urge to unsnap her seat belt and pull her into his lap while lapping her mouth with everything he had.
He remembered the conversations they’d shared and how she’d tried staying on course by being the consummate professional. While she’d been talking, his gaze had been fixated on her mouth. He couldn’t recall a woman who could look both sexy and sweet at the same time, as well as hot and cool when the mood suited her. He loved all the different facets of Gemma, and he planned on being a vital part of each one of them. How could any man not want to?
Minutes later, after taking a shower and getting dressed, he left his hotel room to walk a few doors down to where Gemma had spent the night. Just the thought that she had been sleeping so close had done something to him. He wondered if she had gotten a good night’s sleep. Or had she tossed and turned most of the night, as he had? Probably not. He figured she had no idea what sexual frustration was all about. And if she did, he didn’t want to know about it, especially if some other man ruled her thoughts.
The possibility of that didn’t sit well with him, since he couldn’t handle the thought of Gemma with any other man but him. He pulled in a deep breath before lifting his hand to knock on her door.
“Who is it?”
“Callum.”
“Just a moment.”
While waiting, he turned to study the design of the wallpaper that covered the expanse of the wall that led to the elevator. It was a busy design, but he had to admit that it matched the carpet perfectly, pulling in colors he would not have normally paid attention to.
He shook his head, remembering that Gemma had gone on and on about different colors and how her job would be to coordinate them to play off each other. He was surprised that he could recall any of her words when the only thoughts going through his mind had been what he’d like doing to her physically.
“Come on in, Callum. I just need to grab a jacket,” she said upon opening the door.
He turned around and immediately sucked in a deep breath. He had to lean against the doorframe to keep from falling. His Gemma wasn’t wearing jeans and a top today. Instead, she was dressed in a tan-colored skirt that flowed to her ankles, a pair of chocolate-suede, medium-heeled shoes and a printed blouse. Seeing her did something to every muscle, every cell and every pore of his body. And his gut twisted in a knot. She looked absolutely stunning. Even her hair was different. Rather than wearing it in a ponytail she had styled it to hang down to her shoulders.
He’d only seen her a few other times dressed like this, and that had been when they’d run into each other at church. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, feeling a gigantic tug in his chest as he watched her move around the room. He became enmeshed in her movements and how graceful and fluid they were.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep, Callum?”
He blinked when he noticed that she stood staring at him, smiling. Was he imagining things or did he see amusement curving her lips? “I’m sorry, what did you ask?”