Tangled Vines

Nicole Flockton

Avon, Massachusetts

Copyright © 2015 by Nicole Flockton.

All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by

Crimson Romance

an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.

10151 Carver Road, Suite 200

Blue Ash, OH 45242. U.S.A.

www.crimsonromance.com

ISBN 10: 1-4405-9605-0

ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9605-6

eISBN 10: 1-4405-9606-9

eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9606-3

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author's imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.

Cover art © Wavebreak Media Ltd /123RF.

This book is dedicated to Dr. Chin and the doctors, nurses, and staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Mount Hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Thank you for ensuring my dad gets to see this book published.

Thank you for purchasing a Crimson Romance novel. Please sign up for our weekly newsletter for information on new releases, contests, discounts and more.

Contents

- Title Page

- Copyright Page

- Dedication

- Chapter 1

- Chapter 2

- Chapter 3

- Chapter 4

- Chapter 5

- Chapter 6

- Chapter 7

- Chapter 8

- Chapter 9

- Chapter 10

- Chapter 11

- Chapter 12

- Chapter 13

- Chapter 14

- Chapter 15

- Chapter 16

- Chapter 17

- Acknowledgments

- More from This Author

- Also Available

Chapter 1

Laughter filtered through Kyle Davis’s closed door. He gave the New York stock market one last look, then shut down his computer. He would have to join the crowd.

With precise movements, he put his laptop in his bag and walked the short distance to his door. A loud chorus of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” greeted him as he opened it with a forced smile. Kyle didn’t mind going to any other office party the firm put on. Except this one—the annual Christmas party. If he could sneak out, he would. Unfortunately, his obligation as owner of the company forced him to attend.

“You okay, Kyle?” This voice he recognized. He’d heard it in all forms. Angry. Happy. Sad. Annoyed.

Smiling down at his assistant, he touched her arm briefly before putting his hand in his pants pocket. “Yes, Shey, I’m fine.”

“Thanks for hanging around. I know it’s hard.”

“Yes, you do.” He quirked his eyebrow at her. “Yet you continually arrange for this event to be held on the night I leave.”

Shey placed her hands on her hips. “That’s because this is your firm, Kyle. You have a responsibility to be here.” A waiter passed by carrying a tray full of drinks. She plucked a bottle of beer off the tray and handed it to him. “Now drink and be happy.”

Kyle took the cool bottle and brought it to his lips. He took a couple of swallows, welcoming the bitter taste of the beer. “Why do you always organize the party to be held in the office? Why not at a restaurant or private room at a club?”

“Because if I did that, you wouldn’t turn up. At least here, outside your office, you have no choice but to attend.”

“I might have to arrange for an interior designer to come in next year and change the layout of the office. I’ll make my office as far away as possible from everyone,” he grumbled.

Shey laughed and lightly punched him on his arm. “You wouldn’t. Any other time of the year you like to look out and see everyone working. The king surveying his kingdom.” She paused and took a sip of her own beer. “It’s only this time of year you act like a bear with a sore head.”

“I should fire you.”

“Not the first time you’ve said that. I imagine it won’t be the last. It’s lucky I know and love you.”

Kyle leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I know.” He lowered his voice so only Shey could hear what he had to say next. “Thanks, Shey. For being you.”

Twenty minutes later, after his obligatory thank-you-for-your-hard-work speech, he headed toward the door. The people who had been working with him for a few years knew his habit of cutting out early. They never questioned him. They knew better. His staff liked their jobs too much. He paid them handsomely for their loyalty.

“Kyle, wait.”

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Shey. “Yes?”

“Have a nice holiday.” She winked before she turned and headed back to the party.

The noise from the party faded as he made his way toward the bank of elevators. He glanced at his watch—it was close to ten p.m. The sensible part of him said he should wait until morning to set off for his Margaret River house. He ignored it. The car was packed. At this time of the evening traffic would be light. There would be no snarls slowing down his journey.

Solitude beckoned. He would answer her call.

• • •

Kyle inserted the key into the door that led from the garage into his kitchen. He placed his case on the ground, stretching his arms above his neck to loosen his tight muscles. The silence shrouded him. He welcomed the feeling of calm that always washed over him when he walked into this house.

He’d bought it a year ago from a couple no longer able to maintain the residence plus the ten acres of land surrounding it. He’d managed a few weekend trips during the year to enjoy the house and the Margaret River surf. But he had to admit he hadn’t managed a trip here for the last couple of months. While the house had been renovated in recent times, the vines and fruit trees had been neglected. The garden was a total mess. He’d hired a caretaker to look after the house when he wasn’t there and to do basic maintenance on the trees and vines. He had to make some decisions soon about what he was going to do with the area. Ripping it out and putting in a pool and pool house seemed a good option.

He clamped down on thoughts about property maintenance. He was here to forget it was Christmas. He’d deal with the garden in the New Year when Ted, his caretaker, was back from sick and annual leave and Kyle had his mind firmly focused on the present. Not on the past.

Kyle wandered through the house with the familiarity of someone who always walked through it in the dark.

He stripped off his shirt and made his way to the French doors overlooking the back of his property. The moon cast a bright white glow over the yard. He blinked and then blinked again. He reached over to the wall and flipped the switch. Light flooded the outside of his house.

“What the hell?” Where once slightly overgrown rows of vines resided, now sleek, straight rows greeted him. Vines that looked as neat and organized as the ones on the neighboring property.

Kyle closed his eyes; surely tiredness was causing this hallucination. He opened them and the sight remained unchanged.

Was this why he’d been signing all those checks recently? Who gave permission to tend to the vines? He hadn’t, that’s for sure. What was happening here? What didn’t he know about? But he bet Shey knew. If it weren’t so late, he’d call her and ask what the hell was going on.

A yawn ripped through him. Tomorrow. He would sort it out tomorrow. With one last look, he doused the lights and made his way to his bedroom, shedding his trousers and tossing them into the laundry room as he passed. He should take a shower, but fatigue sank its claws into him.

Fighting off another yawn, he entered his bedroom and made his way to his bed. A thought tugged at the back of his mind, a thought that things weren’t quite right in the house. A thought he should take notice of, but was too tired to try to understand.

Tomorrow everything would make sense.

• • •

Jordan Hastings washed the shampoo out of her hair while listing all the things she needed to do that day. There was nothing more invigorating than getting up as the sun rose out of the sky to begin a brand new day.

She needed to check and make sure the new shoots were growing straight, obtaining maximum sunshine on the budding fruit stock. She also needed to make sure there was no sign of mildew on the vines. After being neglected for so long, she wasn’t expecting much from this year’s harvest. With the grapes she did manage to grow and harvest, she hoped to experiment and come up with new blends, new flavors infused into the wines.

Jordan couldn’t wait for her dad to recover from his broken leg so he could help her when it came to harvesting the grapes. Good thing she happened to be visiting him when he had his accident. She tried not to think his fall was caused by hearing about her broken engagement. Or how her former fiancé had won the Golden Wine award for “Most Innovative Wine” for the wine she’d created. She tried to convince herself none of those things was the reason her father lost his balance on the ladder, fell and broke his leg. But she couldn’t help but feel responsible.

Jordan forcefully shut off the water. She wasn’t going to think about her loser ex. The only important male person in her life was her father, and she planned to keep it that way for a long time. She wasn’t going to be fooled by a handsome face again.

She shoved the shower curtain aside and screamed.

Chapter 2

“Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?”

“Who are you?” Jordan screeched back as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. But she didn’t need to ask the question. She knew the bare-chested man standing in front of her.

Kyle Davis in the flesh.

She never expected the first time she met him she would be standing naked in the shower. She hated surprises and her temporary boss standing in the bathroom was one hell of a surprise.

“I asked you first.” He crossed his arms over his impressively muscled chest and widened his stance.

Jordan bristled at his aggressiveness. It was either that or step forward and lay her head on his chest.

Stop it.

Could she be any more hormonal? He’d scared the crap out of her and she wanted to feel his arms around her? Was she asking for trouble? His good looks weren’t going to keep her from doing what she wanted. No man was going to stop her from pursuing her dreams anymore.

His annoyance she could deal with. If she was truthful, she supposed he had a reason for it. It was his house after all. But it wasn’t like she was trespassing. She’d cleared it with Shey to stay in the main house instead of her dad’s apartment for the time being. However, having a conversation while wearing a towel, with him looking like he wanted to explode wasn’t a priority on her current to-do list.

“What is this? High school?” she fired back, cringing at how juvenile she sounded. She couldn’t help it. The whole situation was making her uncomfortable.

He took a couple of steps toward her, blocking her exit route out of the bathroom.

“No, this is my house and instead of finding it empty, I find you.” Kyle leaned forward fractionally. Her hand reached behind her for the tiled wall to steady herself against the fire sparking out from his eyes. “So I ask again. Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?”

At least this time he asked his questions a bit more politely.

“Do you think we can have this conversation when I’m dressed?”

A small smile broke out on Kyle’s face as his eyes lazily roamed over her towel-clad form. “Now why would I do that? Seems to me this is the perfect time for a chat.”

Great, just remind the sexiest guy you’ve seen in a long time you’re naked. Way to go, Jordan.

No. She wasn’t going to be swayed by his good looks or let the way he looked her up and down affect her. She was off men. Surely after Don she realized her man radar was way off. Her track record in picking a guy who genuinely cared about her was pretty dismal.

“Fine, my name is Jordan Hastings and my father is Ted Hastings, the caretaker of this property.”

“Jordan Hastings?” Confusion laced his voice and he turned his back on her. This was her chance to escape the confines of the small room and get to her room so she could put some clothes on.

Jordan had almost made her escape when a hand landed on her arm, swinging her around. She gripped the towel with one hand and the other landed on Kyle’s warm chest, immediately igniting the nerve endings in her fingers. His chest moved with a sharp intake of breath. Her fingers enjoyed the brief movement.

Before Jordan had time to react, Kyle thrust her away as if he’d just picked up a moldy piece of fruit.

“Go get dressed and then leave. I don’t want you here,” he demanded before storming out of the bathroom.

Jordan stood there not moving until the slamming of a door reverberated through the house.

What the heck is his problem?

Making her way back to her room, she wondered why Shey hadn’t mentioned to her he was coming to visit when they’d spoken yesterday morning.

A little warning would’ve been a big help to shore up her defenses for the arrival of Kyle Davis.

• • •

Kyle strode down the path through some apple trees. He had no idea he even had apple trees on the property. He never wandered the grounds of his property when he visited. He never bothered with venturing farther than the edge of the back deck.

God, it’s too early to be awake on the first day of my vacation.

The sun was slowly rising. Even this early, it possessed enough strength to warm his back. He should just go grab his board and go down to the beach. Catch some waves. Hopefully by the time he returned, his unwanted houseguest would have left.

Jordan Hastings.

He tossed the name around in his mind. The one time he’d spoken to Ted while he was recovering from surgery on his broken leg, Ted had assured him Jordan was doing a good job looking after the property and Kyle had nothing to worry about. Of course, Kyle had assumed Jordan referred to Ted’s son. Not his daughter. Who named their daughter Jordan?

It looked like his assistant had been keeping quite a bit from him. He didn’t like it. Kyle kicked his foot in the sand.

“Fuck,” he bellowed when his big toe connected with a hard piece of granite. He hadn’t bothered to put on any shoes when he walked out of the house. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back toward the sky. Blood pounded in his big toe in time with his heartbeat. He had to get Jordan out of his house. The memory of her naked body flashed in his mind. The water dripping between her lush breasts. The way her legs tempted him when she wrapped the towel around her body.

He swore again. This wasn’t what he needed or wanted in his life right now. He wanted to be alone.

“Do you want something to eat?”

Kyle groaned. Why hadn’t Jordan left already? Now another part of him was beginning to throb. It wasn’t his stubbed toe.

Surely Shey would’ve told her he liked to have the house to himself over Christmas when she discussed Jordan’s employment contract. Well he assumed Shey had arranged an employment contract for Jordan.

Ok, he knew he’d been busy the last few weeks and hadn’t kept a close eye on this property. It could’ve been amongst the documents he signed when dealing with Ted’s accident and ensuing a workers compensation claim to cover the cost of his treatment and hospital stay. Besides, he trusted Shey with his life, not to mention his bank account, even though he suspected Shey was up to something. There was no way she’d cheat him out of his hard-earned money. But she had been making comments about him settling down recently. He’d told her to take a hike on more than one occasion.

Kyle didn’t like where his wayward thoughts were leading him. He didn’t like the lack of information or the way Shey had kept quiet about his temporary caretaker.

“Did you hear me? I asked if you were hungry.”

He allowed himself a small smile at the sassiness coming from Jordan before turning. “No, I’m not hungry. All I want is for you to leave.”

“Yes, I know. You’re starting to sound like a broken record. Look, I’ve made breakfast. You’re welcome to have some.” She turned and walked away from him, her hips swaying as her long legs ate up the distance back to his house.

If he’d met her at any other time of year, he could well imagine he would pursue her and have a short fling. Jordan definitely had a body designed to tempt, and he’d had a good look at it in the bathroom. Meeting her in March would’ve been much better than meeting her in December.

Kyle’s stomach rumbled, reminding him it had been a long time since he’d eaten something. He glanced at the house and sighed. Maybe he could get her to leave after he’d sampled some of the food she’d prepared.

He followed the same path Jordan had taken moments ago. Of course, after succumbing to the call of his stomach and eating her food, getting her to leave would not be an easy task. He hated to admit it, he quite enjoyed sparring with her. It had been a long time since a woman had answered him back—if ever.

The smell of bacon, eggs and toast greeted him in the kitchen.

“Ah, so you decided to join me after all. Isn’t that nice.” Sarcasm dripped from her every word.

He shrugged a shoulder, as if she hadn’t won the battle of wills going on between them. “I’ve never been one to say no to food I haven’t had to cook. It tastes so much sweeter.”

“I bet your mother is really happy to hear you say that after she’s slaved over a meal for you.”

Images of his mum laughing as she cooked the Sunday family meal slashed him like barbs from razor wire. The way she would always drop a kiss on his head before she slapped his hand away from the morsel of food he attempted to steal.

One more chance.

That’s all he wanted.

One more chance to talk to her. To tell her he loved her. Tell her he was sorry.

“Are you okay?” Her fingers touched his back. Kyle shrugged them off. He didn’t want sympathy. Nor pity. He didn’t deserve it.

Words were impossible so he grunted in response and picked up a plate and helped himself to the food set out on the counter.

“No wonder you get on so well with my father. He struggles with conversation, too.”

Kyle ignored her and concentrated on eating. The repetitive motion of putting food in his mouth helped to keep away the thoughts of his last conversation with his mum and dad.

The aroma of rich, freshly brewed coffee teased his senses. He lifted his eyes from the diminishing pile of food and connected with sparkling green ones.

“You look like you need this,” she said quietly as she pushed the steaming mug toward him.

“Thanks.”

“Just be careful you don’t spill it.” Jordan tilted her head toward his bare chest. “You wouldn’t want to burn yourself.”

Kyle rocked back on his chair. “You don’t need to worry about me. All you need to worry about is packing your bags and going back to your house instead of encroaching on mine.”

To his annoyance, Jordan sat down at the table opposite him. A part of him had to give the girl her due for standing up to him.

“Wish I could. But I can’t. I don’t have a house to go back to. I moved back here from South Australia just before Dad’s accident.”

His chair landed with a thump. “What do you mean you don’t have a house? Why aren’t you staying in Ted’s apartment?”

A harsh laugh erupted from her. For the first time since he’d encountered her naked body in the bathroom, bitterness and anger entered her eyes.

Jordan sighed, picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. “I’m sure your assistant Shey explained why I’m living here. She said it was okay when I spoke to her about it on Monday.”

He recalled Shey saying there was an issue down here, but he’d told her to deal with it—just so long as he wasn’t disturbed while he was in residence he didn’t care. Shey assured him she would handle it.

Now he wished he’d questioned her further. He had no plans to let Jordan know he didn’t know everything.

“Remind me.” His words came out as a command.

Jordan’s eyes narrowed at his tone. He waited for the tongue-lashing he was sure she wanted to lay on him.

“The hot water system in Dad’s apartment over the garage broke and flooded the whole place. The apartment now needs to be refurbished, starting with paint and carpet and new appliances. However, with Christmas almost upon us, the job is going to take twice as long to complete. This is why I’m staying here.”

Kyle bit back a groan. Why was this happening to him? All he wanted was to be alone at his house. Only now he had an unwanted visitor.

Hell, he’d pay for her to stay in a hotel. Anything. He’d do anything just to get her to leave.

“Look, Jordan, I need you out. I need my privacy. Go see John at the Margaret River Inn. He will hook you up with a room. Tell him to send me the bill.”

“I don’t need your money to go to a hotel, thank you very much. But bad news, buddy.” As Jordan lifted her cup of coffee again, Kyle knew he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “It’s going to be near impossible to get any accommodation at any of the local hotels. It’s school holidays and it’s Christmas. Everything is going to be booked. Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

Kyle pushed his chair back. “This is unacceptable. This is my house, Jordan. You don’t have any right to be here. Regardless of the arrangement you’ve made with Shey.”

He held up his hand as she went to speak. “In the caretaker arrangement I have with your father, it’s extremely clear that every year your father is to vacate the property from the third Wednesday in December until the second Sunday in January. I appreciate you taking over your father’s position while he recuperates from his broken leg. But you are bound by the same contractual arrangement. Which means you shouldn’t be here.”

Kyle tamped down the annoyance building inside of him at the sight of the smile that broke out over Jordan’s face. He didn’t want to acknowledge the way his heart beat a little faster as the smile lit up her whole face. He needed to remain angry with her. It was the only way. He couldn’t afford any other emotion with her or anyone. He didn’t feel anymore. It was safer not to feel. Safer to go to work and come home to an empty house and no one waiting or relying on him.

“Well, I believe I may have a different employment contract than my father. There’s nothing in mine that mentions I have to vacate the caretaker’s apartment in December and January.”

The anger he fought seconds ago bubbled up inside of him. He grasped it with both hands.

“That’s easily fixed. You’re fired.”

Chapter 3

Two words.

He’d spoken the two words that had the power to shatter the dreams she’d begun to build. The dreams she hoped were the start of gaining back the ground she’d lost in the profession now shunning her because of her loser ex. Well, she had no plans to give up her dreams for anyone. The vines she’d so lovingly coaxed back to life were her chance to make her mark in the wine industry.

Could she make Kyle see how important her job was to her? If she explained everything, would he change his mind? She had nothing to lose by trying.

“You’re firing me? You can’t do that. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Yes, I am. And, yes, I can.”

Jordan couldn’t place the man standing in front of her with the man her father had spoken so highly of. The man Shey had told her worked hard for everything he had. One thing they’d both said: Kyle was the fairest boss they’d ever had. She trusted her father’s opinion the most because he’d worked for a lot of people.

“I have a contract. I know the employment laws. You can’t fire me without a damn good reason or without giving two written warnings. And me being here when you don’t want me to be isn’t a good enough reason.”

Kyle scrubbed his hand down his face, and for a moment she felt sympathy for him. He looked tired and she almost felt bad for fighting so hard.

Almost.

It had been not standing up for herself that had caused her to lose her job. That was the last time she’d ever mixed business with pleasure. She should’ve known better than getting involved with one of the other winemakers at the winery. Let alone the winemaker’s son.

Men, they were so frustrating. Always thinking they knew everything.

“Look.” Kyle pulled her from her man bashing. “I’m tired. I’m going back to my room for a nap. If you can find your contract, I’ll look at it when I wake up.” He rolled out what he probably thought was a charming smile. A smile that probably won over every woman who ever walked into his orbit.

It wasn’t going to work with her. She was immune. But she wasn’t completely heartless.

“Fine. I think you’ll find everything I’ve said about the terms and conditions of my contract is the truth.”

“Oh. I have no doubt.” He stood and stretched, his muscles rippling like small waves rushing up the shore. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

He walked out of the room and Jordan sat down in the nearest chair. It had taken more strength than she’d ever known she possessed to stand up to him and not cower away like a scared little mouse. If she planned to continue in a male-oriented industry, she needed to do more of what she’d just done.

When Shey had emailed her the employment contract for her role as temporary caretaker to the property, Jordan had tried to make changes. The main request she’d asked for when she’d negotiated her contract had been to live in the main house. She was disappointed when Shey had told her that would never happen. Kyle had strict instructions that no one reside in the house. If she wanted the job, she would live in the caretaker’s property.

Her father, as caretaker, had a small apartment above the garage. She hadn’t lived with her father since she was nineteen, and now at twenty-seven, she hadn’t felt comfortable living in the place he had obviously made his own while he recovered in hospital. But having no choice, she’d stayed there until the water heater broke and flooded the place. Waking up to a couple of inches of water hadn’t been fun. She called Shey in a panic; Shey had assured Jordan she would take care of everything and, under the circumstances, she could move into Kyle’s house until the apartment was okay to live in again. But why hadn’t Shey mentioned the departure clause in her father’s contract? It had been the perfect time. Who knew when the apartment would be habitable again? There was so much work that needed to be done to it.

Kyle didn’t have a leg to stand on if he tried to get her to leave the property. She would make it difficult for him if he tried.

The first time Jordan had wandered through the main house, she’d been shocked something so beautiful on the outside could be so impersonal on the inside. A beautiful renovation had been completed on the house to give it a modern yet rustic feel. Only all the changes were cosmetic. No heart or soul existed within the walls. The house looked like no one ever lived there. No artwork of any sort adorned the walls. No family pictures. Nothing to suggest the home was loved by anyone.

Now she knew why. The man who lived here was dark and uninviting. Not in looks, though. In looks he smoldered like hot ashes. Then his personality doused those hot ashes quickly before they had a chance to ignite and chase away the darkness.

Pushing thoughts of Kyle Davis and his bare chest out of her mind, she headed for her room to get her contract. A stipulation like leaving the property for a period of time would’ve stuck in her mind. She knew it wasn’t in there. Jordan couldn’t wait to prove him wrong.

• • •

The bunches of pea-sized grapes looked healthy. Jordan twisted the trellis wire, happy with the direction the vine shoots were growing. She made a quick note on her clipboard with the date and size of the grapes. She moved to the next row to complete the process all over again.

“What are you doing?”

She stilled and took a deep breath before turning to face the man standing a few feet away who hadn’t been very far from her thoughts.

Pasting a smile on her face, she looked up from underneath the brim of her hat. “Looks like you got up on the wrong side of the bed … again.”

Where had that come from?

While reading through her contract, Jordan had decided to approach Kyle with a pleasant demeanor. She held all the cards, and there would be no point in making him angry.

Jordan had left her contract on the kitchen table for him to see. At least she hoped he’d see it. Once Kyle read it, he’d have no choice but to let her stay. Unless he wanted to go to court for an unfair dismissal lawsuit, they would be spending the next few weeks together.

She planned to use the time to convince Kyle to let her experiment with his grapes. Maybe even clear some land and plant more vines.

Would he be interested in financing something like that? He had a well-known reputation for taking risks in business.

As Kyle walked a little closer to her, the totally female part of her, the part she’d attempted to bury after Don’s betrayal, flared to life. The sun glistened off the dark strands of his damp hair. His t-shirt hugged his upper body. The brightly colored board shorts hung low on his hips. He looked more surfer dude than businessman. She hoped he was heading to the beach so he could leave her in peace.

“Jordan, what are you doing?”

“Did you read my contract?”

Once again his arms crossed over his chest, his t-shirt stretching over his biceps. “Yes, I did. Now that I’ve answered your question, can you answer mine?”

Jordan wanted to find out how he felt about it. Find out if he realized he couldn’t fire her. Find out that he knew he had no choice but to let her stay. Instead, she held out her clipboard for him to see.

“I’m measuring the size of the grapes. I’m also making sure the direction they are growing is correct so they’re receiving the maximum amount of sunlight possible. Then there is a column to check for any sign of mildew, which can severely affect their growth.”

Kyle took the clipboard from her and looked at her notations. She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud when his brow furrowed as he tried to understand what she’d written. He flicked the page over before handing it back to her.

“Can I ask why you’re going to all this trouble for table grapes? I didn’t think table grapes could be used as wine.”

Jordan rolled her eyes. Now she knew why the vines had been allowed to grow without anything but basic maintenance over the last few years. All those harvests wasted. Kyle had no idea what was on his property.

“These are not table grapes. They’re Sauvignon Blanc grapes.”

“Right, whatever. Are you finished? We have to talk.”

A sigh rippled through her, like a soft breeze caressing the leaves of the grape vines. “Give me another five minutes to finish this task. I’ll meet you up at the house.”

He gave her a curt nod before turning around and making his way back up to the house. A feeling of dread washed over Jordan. No matter what her contract said, she had a feeling trying to convince Kyle to let her stay was not going to be easy.

Jordan had no plans to walk away from the challenge though. Not this time. She would win this battle.

Chapter 4

Pacing around the kitchen, Kyle picked up Jordan’s employment contract again. He hoped on the fourth read through he’d find something, anything, listed within its contents to say she had to vacate his premises for part of the month of December and half of January. Except there was nothing. Not a damn paragraph. Not a sentence. Not even a punctuation mark he could argue. Nothing.

To make matters worse, his cell phone remained ominously quiet. He’d called Shey the moment after he’d first read Jordan’s contract. Only his call had gone to voicemail, so he’d had to leave a message. He had a sneaky suspicion it was going to be a while before his questions were answered.

He slammed the document back on the table, picked up his bottle of beer, and took a long swallow. He never usually drank beer before lunch, but today he needed it. Just one was all he’d have. Give him a good pale ale over a wine any day. Nothing would ever convince him that wine was a good drink. He’d steered clear of the stuff ever since that night so long ago. A night he’d rather forget. A night that marked the end of everything he’d ever known.

How ironic that he’d purchased a piece of land with grape vines on it. A reminder of what they represented: life and death.

He spun around when the back door opened. Jordan walked in, oblivious to him watching her. Otherwise he doubted she would’ve pulled her t-shirt out of her pants and flapped it around, giving him a glimpse of her lightly tanned, smooth belly. His groin hardened as the vision of her naked, water dripping down her body while she thrust the shower curtain back, filled his mind again.

He didn’t need the complication of Jordan in his life. It had been a while since he’d had any sort of relationship with a woman. Somehow he had a feeling Jordan wasn’t a casual relationship type of girl.

He cleared his throat. Her head whipped up and a flush of red bloomed her cheeks.

“It’s hot out. Isn’t it?” he asked trying, unsuccessfully, to keep the mirth out of his voice. At her raised eyebrow he couldn’t help but laugh. “Can I get you a beer?”

Her nose wrinkled and he had the urge to brush out the fine lines. “Uh, no thanks.”

“Oh, so it’s like that, is it?” Teasing her hadn’t even entered his mind when he’d walked back into the house.

“Like what? Beer is not my favorite drink,” she stated as she moved closer toward him. His eyes trailed to where her t-shirt still hung over the waistband of her cargo pants. Kyle curled his fingers to stop from lifting the fabric to touch her.

Kyle snorted. “Let me guess what your favorite is? Wine?”

Jordan brushed past him, reaching up to get a glass from the cupboard above the sink, then heading to the refrigerator. “Yes, I like wine. But it’s not my favorite.” She filled up her glass from the bottle of cold water and held it up to him. “This is my preferred drink. Especially seeing as it’s not quite midday yet.”

Kyle shook his head and took another swig of his beer. He inclined his head to the table. “Sit.”

“Pardon?”

“I said sit.”

“Ahh, I don’t think so.”

Kyle braced himself when Jordan’s green eyes flicked between the glass in her hand and him. If she did throw the water over him, it wasn’t anything less than he deserved. Not after the way he’d spoken to her. “Jordan, I’m sorry, that was rude of me. Will you please have a seat so we can talk?”

“That’s better.” She sat down and loosely clasped her fingers together around her glass. “You said you’d read my contract.”

He sat opposite her. He kind of wished they were having this discussion in his office, where he had control over his environment. It wasn’t the same in the kitchen of his house. He’d spent too many hours gazing out the windows with memories he couldn’t shake keeping him company. “Yes, I did.”

“So you know there’s nothing in my contract saying I need to vacate the property.”

Kyle reached out and dragged her contract closer to him, his fingers drumming a rhythm out as he thought about what to say next.

“You’re correct. Under the terms of the contract, as it stands, I can’t expect you to leave my personal property. However,” he paused and looked into her eyes, “I’m appealing to your sense of rightness. Will you consider leaving the house for the next few weeks?

• • •

Jordan knew the question he asked wasn’t an easy one. He struck her as a man who never asked for things for himself. He struck her as a man who never asked for things outside of his office.

So why it was so important for him to be alone? And why was she being so difficult about it, anyway? Would it be so hard to move out of the house and leave him alone? Nah, it would be more of an inconvenience, and with more people coming down to Margaret River for the holidays, she didn’t want to get stuck in a hotel with everyone wanting to party all night. Not when she had to start at the crack of dawn every day.

“Are you expecting someone else to come and stay with you?”

“No. I like my solitude.”

Jordan had an inkling there was more to his desire for solitude. However, she knew nothing she said would get him to tell her the real reason for his need to be alone.

“I’ve told you it’s going to be virtually impossible for me to get a hotel room at this late notice. Even if there is one available, it’s going to cost way more than I’m willing to pay.”

“I’ve already said I’ll pay for your hotel room. No matter what it costs.”

“What about the vines?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “What about them?”

Jordan sighed. “It’s important that I keep an eye on them. I have to make sure the growth continues. The soil around the base of the vines needs to remain weed free. Most important, I have to make sure they remain disease free. Come January I’ll have to start measuring the Baume levels in the grapes. I really can’t leave the vines now.”

“Look, Jordan. I don’t care about the grapes. I don’t want to grow them. I don’t want to produce wine. Never have. I’m a stockbroker, not a winemaker. I bought this property so I’d have a place where I could be away from everything and everyone.”

Jordan saw her dreams crashing down around her ears. The grapes were at a vital stage of their development. She couldn’t just throw away all the work she’d done on the vines the past few months. There had to be something they could come up with. A solution that would work for both of them.

“Look, Kyle. I really can’t be too far away from the vines. I have to monitor them. I know you don’t care about them, but I do. I’ve worked hard to get them back to the condition that they’re in now.”

“I can see that, but I didn’t ask you to do it. As far as I’m concerned, the vines are something I got stuck with when I purchased the property. I’m considering pulling them out, replacing them with a pool and pool house.”

Jordan reached out and laid her hands over his, ignoring the flash of fire working its way up her arm and across her shoulders. In her mind she could see the tractor ripping out the precious vines from the ground. “Please, Kyle, you can’t do that. Those vines have been in the ground for years. They’re mature vines. The type that produce the best quality grapes for award-winning wines.”

“But I’m not into making wine, Jordan. I told you that.”

She sat back in her chair, defeat crawling over her. All her dreams and hopes to regain her place in the winemaking world disintegrated with every word he spoke.

She’d never begged for anything in her life. She didn’t want to start now. But she’d worked too hard to let this crop of grapes go to waste. “I’ve put so much work into the vines. Let me stay here, get the grapes ready to harvest. Then, after they’ve been picked, you can do whatever you want with the vines. Just a few more months. That’s all I ask. Please.”

She held her breath, watching Kyle for any sign her words had penetrated the hard case he wore around himself. She could see why he was successful in the world of stockbroking. He had to have nerves of steel to take risks with other people’s money. This house and the nice, sexy sports car she’d spied in the garage were testament to his abilities.

No emotion showed on his face. Had she expected there to be? Had she expected a softening of his gaze when she’d begged in front of him?

“Fine.”

The air whooshed out of her. “What?”

“Fine, you can attend to the vines, but you’re not staying here.”

Any elation she felt died very quickly at his last proclamation. “How am I supposed to look after them if I’m not staying here? Look,”—desperation made her say something she promised herself she never would—“I’ll cook every meal for you. I’ll clean up and stay in my room every night. You won’t even know I’m here. Please, Kyle. I need to stay here.”

Jordan wondered if she’d pushed him too far when his chair scraped loudly across the tile and he started to pace around the kitchen, the beer bottle precariously held between his index finger and middle finger. She had visions of it shattering to the floor.

“I have never met a more stubborn person than you, Jordan Hastings. Why aren’t you working at some other winery? Why aren’t you bothering other people instead of bothering me?”

She didn’t want to answer that question. Kyle didn’t need to know about her past. About how she’d let love—well, what she thought was love—cloud her better judgment.

No more. No man would stop her from achieving her dreams. That was why she was fighting Kyle so much to stay.

“It doesn’t matter why I’m here and not somewhere else. All that matters right now is the answer to my question. Are you prepared to let me stay here? In this house with you?”

Chapter 5

Could his life get any more complicated? Clearly it could, in the shape of a firecracker of a brunette standing in front of him. He shouldn’t be noticing these things. Shouldn’t be noticing how her eyes sparkled when she talked about the vines he cared nothing about.

How could he say no to someone who was putting her heart and soul into a project? The passion she had for those rows of sticks and leaves couldn’t be denied. And, God help him, he couldn’t say no to her. He knew how chasing a dream could consume you. So much so that you ate, breathed and drank it.

“Fine. You win. You can stay at the house. Do what you have to do. But” —he sent her a look, stopping her from interrupting him— “I don’t need to know exactly what you’re doing. My care factor on those vines out there is zero.”

As her eyes dulled fractionally, he knew he needed to watch what he said around her. They might not mean anything to him, but they did to her. He should remember that.

“Thank you. I very much appreciate you giving me the chance to tend the vines.”

He sighed at the formal tone of her response. This was why he didn’t do relationships. Women could be so sensitive. Not that he was thinking of having a relationship with Jordan—not at all. But having to watch whatever he said so he didn’t piss her off would get tiring quickly. He needed to apologize if he didn’t want her poisoning his food.

“Jordan, I’m sorry if I said something to offend you.”

Her shoulders relaxed in front of him. His apology had done what it needed to do.

“It’s fine. You work in an office,” she said condescendingly. “You don’t know what it’s like to nurture something and be rewarded at the end of all that hard work.”

Now this was more like the Jordan he’d become acquainted with—a smart return, which from an employee at his firm would have Kyle sending said employee back to their desk to pack up their personal items and leave.

Kyle smiled softly. “That’s where you’re wrong, Ms. Hastings.” He paused and walked toward her until there wasn’t much space between them. “There is nothing more satisfying than nurturing a client’s account from a zero balance to a seven-figure balance.” He inhaled, and because he was so close to Jordan, sunshine and soil filled his senses. Smells that represented hope and renewal. Things he didn’t want or need to feel. He didn’t deserve to feel those emotions. But part of him wanted to grasp them. Wanted to, even for a little while, feel free from the constant and comforting emotion of guilt.

Kyle moved away from the temptation Jordan’s scent represented. “I’m going to surf. I’ll see you later.”

Not giving her a chance to respond, he walked out the door. He hoped the waves were rolling in. He could do with a punishing workout. Battling Mother Nature and beating her satisfied him deep in his soul. For each victory on the waves, he felt a sense that he was paying her back for the havoc she’d created in his life.

• • •

Jordan swallowed deeply to clear the dryness in her throat. Watching Kyle stride out of the kitchen, she couldn’t help but think he was running away from her. The thought was so absurd she laughed out loud.

She took another swallow of the water she held in her hand. Excitement built inside of her, fermenting like sauvignon blanc grapes not long after they’d been harvested. Kyle was allowing her to stay with him. She didn’t have to leave her vines. The vines she’d started to retrain to grow and flourish, so they would produce a crop of grapes that would be the start of a new chapter in her life. This first harvest might not be spectacular, but it was hers and hers alone to experiment with, to come up with new flavors and blends. Make something that would be the talk of the wine industry. Perhaps get her a job in one of the bigger wineries as a chief winemaker instead of an assistant.

If only Kyle had taken an interest in the vines when he’d first purchased the property. Or her father had talked to him about putting the extra acreage to good use, planting more vines so she had more grapes to work with. If she could prove to Kyle it would be worth his while, would he be open to increasing his stock?

She was getting too excited and too far ahead of herself. The man had only agreed to let her stay at his house under duress. She knew if it weren’t for her work on the vines, he would’ve kicked her out. Why was a man as sexy and good looking as Kyle alone on Christmas? Where was his family?

“Ugh, stop it. It’s none of your business,” she said out loud, hoping by voicing it, she’d stop obsessing about it.

As if the universe were answering her wish, the house telephone started to ring. Before Kyle arrived she wouldn’t have had a problem answering it. Now that he was around should she still answer the call? She could take a message—that wouldn’t be overstepping her boundaries, would it?

Not giving herself any more time to dwell on the right and wrong of it all, she picked up the phone.

“Hello, this is Jordan.”

“Hi, Jordan, it’s Shey. Kyle around?”

Jordan choked back a laugh. The universe really enjoyed playing with her. “Hey, Shey. No, Kyle’s at the beach and I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

Silence stretched across the line and Jordan wondered if their connection had been severed. “Shey, are you still here?”

“Oh yes, sorry. Umm, how was Kyle when he left?”

“He seemed okay. Although he’s not happy that I’m living in his house or even still on the property. Why didn’t you tell me that my dad had to vacate the property? Why wasn’t it in my contract like it apparently is in Dad’s?” Jordan fired the questions off, hoping to finally get some answers.

“Well, umm,” Shey paused and a throat clearing sounded down the line. Jordan had a bad feeling about what was coming next.

“Look,” Shey started again. “I deliberately didn’t put that in your contract.”

“What?” Jordan pulled the phone away from her ear, not believing what she’d just heard. “Why not? Why would you do that, Shey? Surely you’d know Kyle wouldn’t be happy about it. I’m lucky to be here, you know. He was ready to kick me out until I managed to convince him that I had no place to go and that the vines are at a crucial stage of growth and I can’t leave them unattended for that length of time.”

Shey laughed, the sound joyful, in total contrast to the seriousness of the conversation Jordan thought they were having. “I knew you would be perfect for him. I could tell from our phone calls and the way your dad has always spoken about you.”

Had she been transported to an alternate reality? Shey did not just intimate that she set her up with Kyle. No, it couldn’t be possible.

“I don’t think I like what I’m hearing, Shey. Are you playing matchmaker? Because if you are, you’ve got the wrong girl. There is no way I’m getting involved with a man at the moment. Geez, I just broke off my engagement, for goodness’ sake.”

“Yes, but how heartbroken are you really about it?”

Jordan opened her mouth to rant that it was none of Shey’s business but quickly snapped it shut. Was she heartbroken about Don or just pissed off because he took the credit for her wine? If she thought about it, she had to admit she was more cut up about losing the award. However, there was absolutely no way she planned on letting Shey know how close to the truth her words were.

“That’s not really your concern, is it?”

“True, but listen, Jordan. Kyle has been alone for far too long. It’s time he had someone in his life.”

Jordan laughed at the absurdity of Shey’s comments. If she Googled Kyle’s name and clicked on the images tab, pages of pictures of Kyle with various women would fill her screen. “Clearly, you don’t know him that well if you say that. He’s always got a woman on his arm. He’s not alone at all.”

“Appearances are deceiving. Don’t believe everything you see,” Shey responded quietly, as if she was in pain. That pulled Jordan up short—was Shey wanting Kyle for herself? But if that was the case, why was she playing pseudo matchmaker?

“Well, I don’t think Kyle will think of me as anything other than an annoying houseguest, let alone a prospective relationship candidate.”

“It may take him a little to work it out, but he eventually will.”

Shey spoke with such conviction that her idea of Shey wanting Kyle flew out the window.

“Why me, Shey? Why me?”

“Simple, really. You’re a strong, independent woman. You’ve got a voice and you’re not afraid to use it. You convinced Kyle to let you stay, didn’t you? You’re not like the countless airheads he has in those photos you talk about. He needs someone like you. Only he doesn’t know it.”

“You sound pretty confident about this. So I ask again, why?”

A long, heavy sigh sounded down the phone. “Kyle is like a brother to me. I can’t tell you everything I know about him; that’s going to be up to Kyle. But let me just say I’ve seen that boy through a wealth of pain. He needs to let go of the pain, but I don’t think he knows how to. I believe you can help him let go and move forward.”

A voice called out Shey’s name in the background. “Oh, that’s my man. I’ve got to go. Don’t back down, Jordan. You’ve got this.”

Shey hung up before Jordan could say anything else. Slowly, she replaced the receiver and stumbled over to the nearest chair, convinced she’d entered the twilight zone.

Chapter 6

The sun beat down on her back. Jordan wiped a trickle of sweat away from her brow. Kyle hadn’t returned, and for that she was grateful. Even though she wasn’t looking to be attractive to him, she certainly didn’t want him to see her as a limp, wet rag after spending the day working on the vines.

She twisted the wire and sat back on her haunches. Another row completed and the sight of the vines reaching out to grab the sun’s rays filled her with a sense of accomplishment she’d never felt before.

Jordan looked her watch: time for a shower and then a lie down on the couch before she had to start making dinner. She planned to keep up her end of the bargain she’d made with Kyle. She wasn’t the world’s best cook, but she could hold her own in the kitchen and make decent food.

“If you’re not careful, you’ll get sunstroke.”

A shadow descended over her. She enjoyed the brief respite from the sun’s strong rays. Looking up at Kyle as he stood over her, Jordan was convinced that when she closed her eyes to sleep tonight, his bare chest would be the main feature in her mind.

She scrambled to her feet, feeling at a disadvantage with him towering over her. “I’m wearing a hat and sunscreen.” She bent and picked up the plastic bottle she’d laid under the shade of the vines. “And I have a water bottle. So no chance of me getting sunstroke.”

“Still, I think you should come inside. It’s too hot to be outside working.”

He was the one who wanted her out of his hair and now he was worried about her. Talk about a contradiction. Unless, of course, he was worried she’d sue him if she got sick.

“I have to work outside, Kyle. The vines don’t grow indoors, you know. But I don’t mind the heat. And I was about to head inside anyway.”

He crossed his arms, the sunlight glinting off the light sheen of moisture on his bulging biceps. “Right.”

Jordan brushed the sand off her pants. “Well, if it’s okay with you, I am going inside now. I was thinking of taking a shower, but I’m happy to wait if you wanted to go first. I know how the water pressure can drop when both showers are running.”

“No, it’s fine, you take the first shower.”

Their conversation was stilted and polite. If it remained this way, the time they spent together was going to drag.

“Okay, thanks. I was thinking of doing steak and salad for dinner. Will that work for you?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “I plan to go out so you can have whatever you like.”

Jordan bristled at his brusque tone. “Fine, then. I’ll see you in the morning, I guess.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the house. A slight feeling of disappointment tried to make itself known, but she pushed it away. She should be grateful Kyle was going out. It would mean she could heat up the leftover spaghetti instead of going to the trouble of cooking something. That had been her original plan when she’d cooked the pasta dish the previous evening.

“Jordan, wait.”

She stopped but didn’t turn around.

“Do you want to join me for dinner?”

That made her turn around. The last thing she ever expected to hear coming from Kyle was a dinner invitation. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Jordan didn’t want the invitation to be given out of sympathy. She knew Kyle wanted to be alone. Hadn’t he drummed that into her the twenty times he told her to leave?

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked.” Kyle stepped closer to her. She could see the faint trace of sand and salt from his time at the beach. His hair was sexily mussed, and she wanted to reach out and run her hands over it.

The thought made her step back quickly. This was not a man to get involved with. He could be more dangerous to her than Don had ever been. Kyle had a power and strength that drew you in. Made you feel confident he could handle anything and that you’d be safe with him. Those qualities had been sadly missing in her ex-fiancé. Surprising how distance away from a person you were supposed to have loved enough to want to marry made you aware of the things missing in the relationship. Things you hadn’t noticed because you were so desperate to belong. And that was what she had wanted and needed.

“Jordan, do you want to have dinner or not?” Kyle’s voice stopped her thoughts with the immediacy of the pause button on a Blu-ray player.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “Yes. Yes, I would like to have dinner with you, Kyle. Thank you.”

He nodded. “Right. Good.”

A moment of awkward silence descended on them. Jordan rolled her water bottle between her hands.

“Well,” she started. “I’m going to take a shower. Shall I meet you in the kitchen around six-ish? Do you need to make a reservation?”

“Where we’re going it won’t be a problem to get a table, and six is fine.”

With that he walked off in the other direction, leaving her standing there watching his retreating back—again.

Jordan shook her head as she made her way back to the house. When she’d gone to bed last night she’d never imagined her life would become a rollercoaster ride when she woke up. She had a feeling she was only a quarter of the way through the ride. The next three quarters were going to be full of loops and sharp turns.

Was she ready for all the challenges she was about to face on the rollercoaster?

• • •

Kyle downed the glass of water, wishing it were a shot of whiskey or tequila. Something stronger, that would knock some sense into him. What the hell had he been thinking, asking Jordan out for dinner? His plan had been to avoid her as much as possible. Not spend time with her.

He stalked over to the sink and rinsed the glass under the water. He should’ve phoned Shey back. He’d seen the note Jordan had left for him, letting him know Shey had called. But, as much as he loved Shey like an older sister, the way she’d dealt with Jordan’s contract annoyed him. He had a feeling she deliberately left out the clause about vacating the property.

Now all her comments about him needing to re-evaluate what he wanted out of life started to make sense. In all her female wisdom, Shey had decided he needed to think about something other than work. Have a meaningful relationship. She’d always raised her eyebrows when he arranged to send some flowers to his latest lover, when he ended the liaison. Shey had called him cold and callous on more than one occasion. The description never bothered him. He owned the way he acted. Getting close enough to one single person wasn’t something he planned on doing. He’d barely survived losing his family. Kyle couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose his wife or child. In a weird way he was glad his parents and sister had all died together. Being left behind to deal with the consequences of his actions suited him.

It really should’ve been him though. He should’ve been the one to die.

The sound of glass breaking penetrated his thoughts. He looked at the remains of the glass in his hand and the red staining the jagged pieces.

“Shit.” He dropped the pieces in the sink and put his hand under the running water.

“Kyle, what did you do?”

He swiveled his head at the sound of Jordan’s voice. “Nothing, it’s okay.”

“It doesn’t look okay,” she continued as she came to stand beside him. “Let me see it.” She took hold of his hand, touching gently around the cut. His body ignited at the softness of her actions. Her hair floated around her shoulders, like a pool of sweet caramel. An irrational need to lower his head so he could inhale the freshness that epitomized Jordan overwhelmed him.

He didn’t like feeling vulnerable, and Jordan made him feel the uncomfortable emotion.

Kyle snatched his hand away from her grasp on a sharp stab of pain. “It’s fine. Just a scratch.”

“Really?” She took a step back and folded her arms across her chest, emphasizing the swell of her breasts hidden beneath the silky fabric of her blouse. “So that’s not a small piece of glass I see in your hand?”

He gazed down at his hand again. Sure enough, her probing of the wound had encouraged a sliver of glass to work its way to the surface of his cut. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. Now do you want some help?”

He didn’t want to admit it, but his hand throbbed in time with his heartbeat. He couldn’t find the balls to pull the piece out on his own. He knew he could do it if it was someone else’s hand. But his?

Nuh uh. He couldn’t watch as his flesh released its purchase on the piece of melted silica. He would swallow his pride, just this once, and accept someone’s help. “Please.”

Jordan’s mouth stretched into a small smile. Damn her for catching on that he didn’t make concessions—until now. “Okay, let’s do this.”

As Jordan reached past him to grab a roll of paper towel off the bench, her light flowery fragrance wafted toward him. He closed his eyes. Never before had he wanted to stand and just inhale the fragrances of a woman. Jordan woke up the parts of him he thought had died along with his family. She was far more dangerous than the women who blatantly went after him at the various functions he attended.

“You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”

Kyle’s eyes snapped open and meshed with her green ones, eyes filled with worry and concern. Something he’d only ever seen in Shey. No other woman he’d been with had ever been concerned about him or his wellbeing. The thought brought him up short. He had chosen shallow women deliberately. He never wanted them to get close to him. He didn’t need Jordan thinking she was an exception to his type.

“No, I’m not.” He grabbed the paper towel out of her hand and slammed it onto his cut, wincing as he, more than likely, pressed the sliver of glass deeper into his hand.

“Smart move, you’ve—”

“Don’t say it.”

“Men,” she exclaimed and turned on her heel and headed out of the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” She wasn’t going to walk out and leave him to deal with this cut himself. Was she?

“I’m going to get some tweezers,” she threw over her shoulder. “Why don’t you sit down and gently apply pressure to try to stem the bleeding. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Following Jordan’s instructions, Kyle sat at the kitchen table. He wrapped the paper towel around his cut, the white paper quickly becoming stained with red. Who knew so much blood could come from a small cut? He pressed a little firmer, hoping it worked and the bleeding would stop soon.

The click-click of heels echoed around the quiet kitchen. He bit back the groan of disappointment when he saw Jordan reappear. A plain black t-shirt had replaced the cream silky blouse she wore earlier.

“You changed,” he blurted out.

“Uh, yeah, I didn’t fancy getting blood on my shirt. Especially not a two hundred dollar silk blouse.”

Kyle whistled low. “That’s a lot for a bit of fabric.”

Jordan shrugged her shoulders as she placed various items on the table. “The price of fashion. I only own a few expensive pieces. I like to look after them.” She sat and held out her hand. “Let’s get this glass out. Can I have your hand, please?”

“Seeing as you asked so nicely.” Kyle winked as he held out his hand toward her.

“Ever the charmer.”

“I try.”

Jordan laughed and he joined in, enjoying the moment of lightness between them, knowing the next few minutes weren’t going to be pleasant for him. She picked up an antiseptic wipe and ripped the packet open, pulling out the folded, damp square. Giving it a shake until it was completely unfolded, she began to wipe the cut. “This is going to sting,” she murmured as his hand jerked in hers.

“No shit,” he grunted. “How about a little warning next time?”

“Now where would the fun be in that?” Apparently satisfied she’d cleaned the wound sufficiently, she placed the wipe on the table and reached for the tweezers. He turned away to gaze out the window. Anything to take his mind off what was about to happen next.

God, he hoped he didn’t faint.

• • •

“Did you want to be a doctor?”

Jordan whipped her head up from her scrutiny of his hand at the sound of Kyle’s query. Silence had descended around them the moment she’d picked up the tweezers. “No. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. You seem so intense and look like you know what you’re doing.”

Laughing, Jordan gently probed the cut. “Let me just say I’ve had plenty of practice getting splinters out of many a grape picker’s hand.”

“Oh, so you’re a resident first aid specialist.”

“Something like that. Now ssshhh, I need to concentrate.” She looked up and locked eyes with Kyle. As clichéd as it sounded, time stood still. The beating of her heart sounded loud in her ear. The mixture of vulnerability and trust in his eyes held her mesmerized. Unconsciously, her tongue came out and licked her lips. The golden flecks in Kyle’s eyes glowed brightly. He moved his head forward and, as though connected by an invisible thread, hers followed to meet him.

Never in all her time with Don had she been drawn to him like she found herself drawn to Kyle. They’d only met that morning, but she wanted to know more about him. What secrets did he hold in the shadows of his eyes?

Softly, like a feather floating on a spring breeze, his lips brushed hers. They were firm and cool. Angling her head to increase the pressure, she sighed in bliss. As quickly as it started, it finished. Instead of lips touching hers, she had air.

An urge to lay a finger on her lips, to lock the memory of the kiss into them, threatened to overtake her. But she didn’t cave to the temptation.

If she didn’t have hold of Kyle’s hand, he would’ve been up and out of the chair. She could feel him bracing himself to move.

She tightened her hold. “I’m not done yet.”

Focusing her attention back on the weeping wound, she caught the glint of glass and aimed her tweezers at it. Her hands appeared steady. After the kiss they’d just shared, she’d figured her hands would be shaking with enough force to rattle the table. With slow, precise movements Jordan guided the tweezers and on first try gripped the sliver of glass. “Don’t move,” she ordered.

“Not planning to.”

Jordan didn’t know what to make of the comment. Did he mean he enjoyed being with her? Or did he mean he couldn’t move because she had a hold of his hand?

Taking a deep breath, she pulled and the piece of glass slipped out. “There,” she said triumphantly and held the piece up for Kyle to see. “Now, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Kyle’s hand tensed beneath her grasp. “You’re not going to spring a stinging surprise on me again, are you?”

Jordan laughed softly. “Yes, I am. I’m sorry. I have to make sure it’s cleaned. But,” she paused, patting his hand, “if you’re a good boy, you’ll get a lollipop.”

Kyle snorted. “There aren’t any lollipops in the house. Besides,” he angled his head and fixed his gaze on her lips for a moment, “I can think of something sweeter I’d prefer.”

This time Jordan tightened her hand around Kyle’s. The man needed to come with a warning when he started flirting. And she knew he wanted to kiss her again.

She placed Kyle’s hand on the table and picked up another medicated wipe and some antiseptic cream. “Maybe you can get something sweet when we’re out to dinner.”

Kyle gave a non-committal “hmm.” The tension had returned to the room and she had a feeling it was going to be a long dinner.

Chapter 7

Kyle took a sip of his wine, surprised he actually enjoyed the mellow red Jordan had suggested would go well with his steak. Who knew grapes like the ones on his property, with so much care and hard work, could turn into something so smooth and flavorful? He couldn’t fathom the thought of putting in the time needed to achieve this final result.

He flexed his hand, wincing at the dull ache. He had expected Jordan to question him on how the glass had broken. He had no plans to explain to her the thoughts that had been flying through his brain moments before he’d broken the glass, yet he was irrationally disappointed when she didn’t even ask.

“Are you enjoying the wine?”

He glanced over at her. The muted light of the restaurant cast a golden glow around Jordan, accentuating the blonde highlights in her hair. The silky fabric shone softly, inviting him to reach out and touch it.

For a woman who worked outside, she had an unexpected softness about her. She could prove to be dangerous to him. Something about her called deep to him, a calling he’d never experienced before.

He didn’t like it.

“Kyle, I asked if you liked the wine.”

“Actually, yes. I am. It goes well with my meal. Just like you said it would.”

“You sound surprised. Did you doubt me when I suggested the Cabernet?”

An edge in her tone made Kyle look up. He’d unintentionally offended her again.

God, women were complicated.

He almost reached across the table to take her hand. Almost. He held back at the last minute. If he did grasp her hand, rub his finger over the softness, she’d see it as an attempt to placate her and that wasn’t his intention at all. Facing the fact he wanted to touch her again wasn’t something he wanted to accept either.

“More surprised at how much I’m enjoying it.”

Jordan’s shoulders relaxed and her lips lifted a little. “You never know. By the end of my stay, beer won’t be your favorite drink anymore.”

Kyle pushed his glass away. “I don’t think so.”

“Time will tell I guess.”

“I’m pretty certain my tastes won’t change that quickly.”

“As I said, we’ll see because,” she paused and nodded toward the glass. “you’re on your second glass of the night.”

Kyle reached out and picked the glass up again, swirling it, admiring the way the light caught the deep red tones of the wine, before placing it back down on the table. “I will admit it’s very smooth. But wine and I don’t get on.”

If it hadn’t been for wine on that December night, perhaps he wouldn’t have awakened to chaos.

“Why is that?” Jordan laughed and he liked the sound of it. “Too many Saturday nights spent getting hammered drinking cheap cask wine?”

“Something like that,” he muttered. He pointed his fork toward Jordan’s plate. “How’s your food?”

“It’s good.”

He thought he heard disappointment in her tone. Like she wanted to continue their wine conversation. He had to admit that, for the last few moments, words had flowed easily between them. Unfortunately, the moment had passed and he couldn’t retrieve it.

He continued eating. The steak had lost a bit of its flavor and he refused to blame it on the fact he’d stopped drinking the wine or because he’d annoyed Jordan.

“Would you like dessert?” he asked after the waiter had cleared their plates and placed dessert menus in front of them.

“No thanks. I’d rather head back to the house. I’ve got an early start in the morning.”

“Sure I can’t tempt you with some?” Kyle looked at the menu. “Double chocolate cheesecake maybe?”

“I’m more a cheese platter type of girl.”

“With a nice dessert wine to go with it, I’m guessing.”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Care to join me? See if I can’t use it to convince you just how good wine can be?”

A smile broke out over her face again as she spoke, lighting up her green eyes, striking Kyle right in the gut. He liked her smile and wanted to see more of it. He didn’t understand why. Only this morning he’d been wanting her as far away from him as possible.

The peace that filled him seconds ago dissipated quickly. He knew in a few short days the darkness and memories would surface. He would become more of an asshole than he had already been to her. This was why he went away to be alone. No matter how tempting it was to grasp at the lightness Jordan could bring to his soul, he knew he had to resist.

“Actually, on second thought I think I’ll skip dessert.” He glanced at his watch. At nearly ten, it wasn’t late by anyone’s standards. But now, now, he wanted the night to be over.

Another flash of disappointment dulled the spark of fire in her eyes. “Probably a good idea. As I said, I have an early start in the morning.”

Jordan pushed her chair back. Did she plan to walk out on him? “Where are you going?” His question sounded harsher than he had intended.

“I’m going to the bathroom. If that’s okay?”

He nodded and watched her retreating back. Why did the thought of Jordan walking out on him affect him so much?

• • •

Jordan let the cool water run over her wrists. It had been a hell of an evening. She felt like she’d just played a game of tennis. One minute things were easy between them. Light-hearted banter volleying across the table. Then, wham, a comment whizzed pass with the force of an ace, knocking you out of the game.

Turning off the tap, she wiped her hands and reached into her purse to slick on some lip-gloss, although she wasn’t sure why. Did she want to encourage Kyle to give her another kiss?

Yes resounded loudly in her mind. Even though it was complete madness. Giving herself a mental shake, she walked out of the bathroom and back into the dining room. Kyle stood as he saw her approaching, a half-smile on his face, the slight uptick of his lips enticing.

“Did you pay the bill already?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“Is that a problem?” he enquired mildly as he cupped her elbow and led her through the restaurant to the front door. Heat radiated from his hand, through her body, warming her even though she wasn’t cold.

“I wanted to split the bill with you,” she said as they made their way toward the car.

Kyle stopped abruptly. “Let me get this straight. I asked you out to dinner. I pay for said dinner.”

Whoa. She hadn’t meant to offend him at all. She’d just wanted to split the bill. She and Don had done that early on in their relationship. Maybe she should’ve seen that as a sign things weren’t going to work out. Her father told her numerous times a gentleman will always pay for his date.

“Look, I’m sorry, Kyle. It’s just something I’m used to doing.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying that you split the bill with every single date you’ve had?”

“Well,” she dragged the word out. “When my ex-fiancé and I first started dating we would split most of the costs wherever we went.”

“Are you kidding me? What sort of guy does that? And you were engaged?”

Not wanting to get into her disaster of a relationship, she shrugged. “I didn’t mind. Yes, I was engaged. I broke it off before I moved here. I haven’t heard from him since, and that makes me happy.”

Kyle stepped closer to her, his warm, hard chest brushing up against hers. “Well, let me tell you something, sweetheart. I’m a firm believer of the principle ‘I ask, I pay.’ And if your fiancé expected differently, you’re better off without him.”

The endearment slipped off his lips naturally. Seeing the fierceness in his eyes, her heart beat double time. Her eyes flicked back down to his lips. They were so close and the touch they’d shared earlier so fleeting. It made no sense to her, particularly as they had just been discussing Don, but she wanted to taste him again.

Her lips parted of their own accord as she leaned a little closer. He must have had the same idea because in the next instant their lips were fused together. Her hands clutched his chest, scrunching up his shirt between her fingers. Kyle’s arms slipped around her, bringing her lower half flush with his. He was rock hard from the chest her fingers were touching, to where her softness met another solid part of his anatomy. They aligned together in a perfect match.

His lips roved over hers, encouraging her to open beneath the onslaught. And she did. His tongue delved in, dueling with hers. Wanting to feel more of him, she rose up on her tiptoes and moved her hands from where they were clutching his shirt to slipping around his back and up until she was able to sink her fingers into his hair, ensuring the kiss would continue.

Time stood still as they tasted each other. Her body heated as his hands moved to cup her bottom, the thin material of her trousers no barrier against his heat.

A car door slamming, followed quickly by some loud laughter, broke the spell. Kyle pulled his lips from hers and Jordan fully expected him to step away. Instead he rested his forehead against hers and ran his hands up from her bottom until he found her waist.

“I’m not sure that was a good idea.” The words whispered out of her.

“Why?”

“Because.” Jordan dropped her arms from where they were still entwined in his hair and maneuvered out of his embrace, taking a couple of deep breaths to get her equilibrium under control. Why the hell had she thought her relationship with Don would be life sustaining? One kiss from Kyle and she’d experienced more heat than she ever had with Don.

Angry at herself and at Kyle for reinforcing just how shitty her previous taste in men was, she stepped off the curb and headed in the general direction of where they’d parked the car.

She’d not taken two steps when a hand landed on her shoulder, the fingers digging briefly into her.

“Because is not a suitable answer.”

Anger at herself, for once again kissing someone who had control over her employment, flowed to life within her. “You’re my boss, Kyle. Kissing the boss is never a good idea.” She closed her eyes briefly in attempt to get her wayward emotions under control. “It’s never the boss who gets fired, is it? Besides, only a few hours ago you wanted me out of your house.”

Under the bright light illuminating the car park, Kyle looked like the formidable stockbroker she’d read about—tall, strong, unyielding. And moments ago she had held him.

He opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, but then snapped it shut. Good. Nothing he said could make a difference to the situation they were now in. Instead he nodded and Jordan had an idea that, come tomorrow, he would be keeping his distance from her. She would do well to keep her distance from him too.

Tiredness pervaded her soul. It had been a long, emotional day and she just wanted it to end.

“Can you take me home now?”

• • •

The red numbers glowing in the darkened room from the digital clock mocked her as they kept changing. The tiredness that had cloaked her in the restaurant car park had evaporated the moment she lay down on her bed. Restless energy had taken its place. Throwing back the covers, she thought maybe a mug of hot chocolate would relax her and she could manage some sleep before her alarm sounded.

Jordan padded to the apartment kitchen, opened the fridge and groaned. Nothing but empty shelves greeted her. She’d moved all her food to Kyle’s house when she’d moved there. After the kiss they’d shared in the car park, she’d thought it safer to retreat to dad’s apartment for the night, forgetting the apartment had been locked up for a week. Dampness pervaded the air. She’d almost gagged when she’d walked in. But she refused to give in. A few days with the windows open should make it easier to sleep—she hoped.

The entire drive home she’d battled the temptation to reach out and place her hand on Kyle’s leg. It seemed so ridiculous to feel such intense emotions with someone she’d just met. And she’d felt them all, from anger to desire.

Jordan closed the fridge and wandered over to the window overlooking Kyle’s place. Darkness shrouded the big house.

Could she dare? Should she?

She could go in the back door, grab her milk from the fridge, and he’d never know she’d been there.

Not giving herself a second to list all the reasons why that would be a bad idea, Jordan picked up her keys and headed toward the door.

It only took her a few moments before she found herself standing at the back door, the key nestled in the lock. Her fingers grasped it, ready to turn the key, but she hesitated. Pushing aside her nerves she flicked her wrist; the click of the lock releasing sounded loud to her ears in the quiet night.

She quietly closed the door behind her, making her way through the room lit only by moonlight. She yanked on the fridge handle and pulled out the carton. She turned and slammed into a hard wall.

She screamed and dropped the milk.

The light turned on and she blinked rapidly at the sudden brightness. “What the hell?”

“I could ask the same thing. Do you always sneak around in the dark?”

Jordan pulled her dripping wet tank away from her skin. “I didn’t realize you were still awake. Do you always sneak around in the dark?”

She walked past Kyle and picked up the roll of paper towel to start cleaning up the mess.

“It’s my house. I can do what I want.”

They either argued when they were together or they kissed. Not exactly the best way to communicate with each other. Conscious she had on short shorts and a wet tank, she quickly cleaned up the spill and put the carton back in the fridge, all thoughts of making some hot chocolate to help her sleep gone.

She really wanted to take a shower to wash the milk away but also the lingering musty smell from the damp apartment she now smelled on herself. Although this time, the risk of Kyle walking in on her would be slim.

After throwing away the sodden paper, she washed her hands. “While I’ve enjoyed this little chat, I think I’ll go back to my apartment.”

Kyle moved from where he leant against the kitchen table and strolled toward her, sniffing the air. “What is that smell?”

Mortification filled her. Could the earth open up and swallow her now?

“Ahh, that would be from the apartment.”

“And you’re sleeping there now when a few hours ago, I couldn’t pay you to go there? You should stay here in the house tonight and until the apartment is finished being renovated.” He glared at her. “Like you were going to. And you should have a shower.”

“If I have a shower, it would probably wake me up. And it’s not that bad in the apartment.” She paused. “Now that the windows are open.”

It wasn’t the truth. The apartment would smell for a few days and sleep definitely wasn’t going to happen anytime soon since her body was now too aware of Kyle and how close he stood next to her. He’d already caught her in the shower once. This was the second time he’d seen her wet.

His gaze fixed on her wet tank. Her nipples peaked under his scrutiny. Heat suffused her body as she imagined his hands on them. Caressing them. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

This was complete madness.

She held her breath—what would his next move be?

Her lips parted in anticipation as Kyle leaned toward her. Instead of his lips connecting with hers, his thumb lightly brushed her cheek. “Take a shower, Jordan.”

With that he turned and headed down the darkened hallway, leaving her weak kneed and wishing things had ended differently.

Chapter 8

Kyle wished for a swell as he bobbed on his surfboard. Anything, even a two-foot swell, would be better than nothing. Sighing, he laid himself out on his board and started a slow paddle back to the shore.

He’d wanted the ocean to toss up some wild waves so he could test himself against the elements. He’d walked back to his room after his encounter with Jordan in the kitchen, sporting a hard-on that had taken a long while before it disappeared. He called himself every name in the book for turning down what she had been offering.

She wanted him to kiss her. Touch her. In her wet tank and short shorts, it had taken everything in him to walk away and not take her hard and fast on the kitchen table.

He walked through the shallows with his board under his arm. Having Jordan in his house, around him, was the last thing he wanted. What he craved right now was to go back home and get drunk. His usual modus operandi when he came down here at Christmas. What would she think if he did that? If she walked in and found him passed out on the couch?

He sat down on the hot sand and looked out over the ocean. What had it looked like that day almost eleven years ago? Calm and peaceful as it looked now? Or had it been churning, warning everyone of the impending disaster? What had been going through his parents’ and sister’s mind when they heard the rushing water? Had their last thoughts been about him? Wondering where he was and if he was okay? Or had they’d been so terrified they couldn’t think at all, let alone run to higher ground?

Kyle punched the sand. He would never know what they’d gone through. Had they suffered a long, drawn-out death, or had it be quick? It still cut deep that he’d survived the tsunami and they hadn’t.

Some days he wondered why he’d been spared. What had he done to deserve the hall pass? Hell, he’d yelled at his parents on Christmas night. A belligerent nineteen-year-old who didn’t want to do the family thing. Now he’d give anything to have a do-over on that evening again. Maybe if he’d stayed, he could’ve got the family to safety and they’d be getting ready to celebrate another family Christmas. Maybe Emily would be at the top of her university course, ready to take on the world.

God, he missed her so much. He may have found her an annoying little sister, but she always made him laugh. He had really wanted to play big brother. Make sure that the boys she dated were good enough for his sister.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden burst of moisture. He was done crying. He was thirty years old. Men his age didn’t cry.

Sitting at the beach would only bring up more memories. Memories he didn’t want to deal with. He stood and grabbed his board. Facing Jordan and her sexy body at the house seemed a better alternative than reliving a time he couldn’t change. Nothing he did would ever bring back his parents or sister.

• • •

Kyle set his board against the side of the shed and grabbed the hose to wash off the sand and salt.

“Did you have a good surf?”

He whipped around, spraying Jordan with the hose. “Shit. Sorry.”

Jordan laughed. “It’s okay, I was hot but,” she looked down at her wet shirt, “we really do have to stop meeting like this.”

Yeah, like walking in on her in the shower. He’d never touched her breasts, but he felt like he knew them intimately.

Her flirting surprised him. He didn’t expect it from her. Especially not after the way they’d parted the night before. He’d all but left her hanging for a kiss in the kitchen. But his body remembered how it felt to have her in his arms. His lips on hers. Like last night.

Jordan didn’t need to see the tenting in his board shorts. He turned the hose on himself, hoping the water would cool him off. He shook his head, the water spraying around him. With his erection subsiding, he chanced a look at her.

Her eyes were wide and fixed squarely on his bare chest, her tongue running over her lips.

He threw the hose down and strode over to where she stood. Damn the consequences. Their bodies communicated in a way they had yet to work out.

How could this need for her be so strong when he’d only met her the previous day? He’d never believed in lust at first sight, but hell, he believed in it now. He lusted after her and fighting it didn’t make sense. Perhaps losing himself in Jordan’s softness would make his dark memories easier to deal with.

Kyle placed his hands on either side of her face. “Forgive me,” he whispered before tilting her head so he could get maximum access to her lips. Her mouth opened beneath his the moment his lips touched hers.

Heaven.

Having her hands on his flesh could only be described as heaven. He widened his stance and brought her closer to him. The erection he’d doused with cold water flared to life again. He didn’t care if Jordan felt his need for her. He wanted her to. He wanted to lose himself within her softness.

As their tongues dueled and her hands roamed over his chest, he wanted to lay her down on the ground and take her. Drive into her and replace his bad memories with sweet ones.

Kyle wrenched his mouth away from her. He couldn’t do this to Jordan. He couldn’t use her to help him forget. It would be cruel.

She deserved someone who could give her a future. Who cared for her body, mind and soul. Not someone out to slake a guilt because he survived when his family hadn’t. His punishment was to live his life alone.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. He turned and strode down the driveway toward the road. The surf sucked so maybe a walk would help him get his thoughts under control.

• • •

Jordan stood, wet shirt and all by the shed as Kyle disappeared from her view.

She grabbed her arm and pinched it. Yep, she hadn’t dreamt the kiss. Hadn’t dreamt the desperation she’d seen in his eyes before he kissed her. Hadn’t dreamt the desolation replacing the desperation.

She let out a scream of frustration. Kyle Davis had the potential to drive her insane. For the sake of her own sanity she needed to keep herself as far away from him as possible. She would keep her end of the bargain and prepare all the meals. Apart from that she’d spend her time closeted away in her room. She would stay at the house. Today Dad’s apartment smelled even worse than it had the previous evening. How that was possible she had no idea. She’d move the TV from Dad’s place and put it in her room in Kyle’s house. That way she’d have something to occupy her evenings. The Christmas movies were on and she loved to watch them. She needed to put the tree up. Christmas was only a few days away. Dad’s decorations had been sitting at the top of a cupboard so they weren’t damaged. All she had to do was go into town and buy a tree.

But not today. Today she still had rows to attend to and a shirt to change out of. And a kiss to put out of her mind. For a moment she’d wanted to sink to the ground and let Kyle take her.

Turning, she strode toward the house, unbuttoning her shirt as she went and hoping that Kyle stayed away for a few more hours.

Chapter 9

Jordan admired the tree she’d spent the last couple of hours decorating. Hopefully, Kyle liked it whenever he surfaced from wherever he’d hidden himself from her. She’d given up asking what he was doing. He left in the early hours of morning to go surfing and, because she was out working on the vines, she never saw him arrive home.

He hadn’t been around for dinner after their kiss in the garden, and the next morning she woke to a note saying he didn’t require her to cook for him. Part of her was relieved and another disappointed that they wouldn’t spend time together. So she told him it seemed pointless for him to cook a separate meal. He agreed and they sat through two stilted meals before he began to take his food to his study, where he didn’t emerge for hours.

It shouldn’t matter what Kyle did with his time. He was simply the guy she worked for. Getting involved with Kyle would be the world’s worst idea, given her track record with men. Even if he was sexier and made her feel things she’d never felt with other guys before.

She added a final ornament and began to pack up the empty boxes.

“What the fuck is that tree doing in my house?”

Crap, she’d recognize that tone anywhere. Kyle pissed—what else was new?

“It’s Christmas time.”

“I don’t care what time of year it is. Get rid of the tree.”

His fists clenched tightly by his side. His eyes were golden, instead of their normal hazel color, like a fire lit their depths. Jordan had seen Kyle annoyed at her. But this time … this time was like nothing she’d ever seen.

“What’s wrong with having a tree? You can’t have Christmas without a tree.” She hoped by responding lightly it would alleviate some of the anger radiating out of him. As he strode closer toward her, Jordan braced herself for the onslaught she suspected he was about to unleash.

Kyle reached out and pulled an ornament off the tree. She watched as he turned the red ball with gold glitter in his hand. His eyes, moments ago burning with anger, now dulled in pain.

With a closing of his hand, the delicate ornament shattered, the pieces raining down on the floor.

“Kyle,” she cried. “Why did you do that?” She rushed over to take his hand to check to see if he’d injured himself.

He pulled his hand away before she could get to it. “Don’t touch me. I don’t do Christmas trees. I don’t do Christmas. Get that tree and everything on it out of my house. And you can go, too. I don’t care how much it costs, you find a hotel room. Just do it. I’ll foot the bill. I want you out of my house.”

He turned on his heel, leaving Jordan dumbfounded. As the front door slammed shut she let the breath she was holding whoosh out of her.

Never before has she seen someone react so badly to a Christmas tree. What had happened that Kyle disliked Christmas so much? His reaction wasn’t him being a Grinch or a Scrooge. This was an intense, emotional response to Christmas.

Was this why he came to this house for December?

Was this why he expected her father to vacate the property?

Was this why he didn’t want her here?

Jordan walked over to the tree, the broken ornament pieces crunching beneath her feet. She stared holes in it, hoping it could give her an answer to Kyle’s reaction. She sat on the couch and looked around the room. It was still as sparse as she noticed the first time she walked into the room. The coldness of the house. The lack of emotion in the rooms.

During the last few nights, Kyle had disappeared into his study after dinner. One night she approached the door, expecting to hear him on the phone or at least watching something on the television she knew was in the room. Except there was nothing. No sounds at all reached out to her.

Instead of knocking, she returned to her room, respecting his privacy. It was better that she keep herself away from him, concentrate on the job at hand of getting the vines to cultivate and nurture the small bunches of grapes growing, for both their sakes. Her goal was to create wine, not fall for a man who closeted himself away from everyone at the one time of year when you should be surrounded by family.

Well, that’s how she always celebrated her Christmas. She always loved Christmas with her dad even though it had been the two of them for so many years. Her mum had always made the season special, and after she died when Jordan was thirteen, her dad had done everything to make it memorable for her. This year Dad thought she’d be spending the time with Don, so he’d made other plans and now he wasn’t going to let his broken leg stop him from going on his trip.

It would be weird not celebrating the day with him.

Jordan looked back at the tree. The tree she’d spent the last couple of hours decorating. Sighing deeply, she picked up one of the boxes she’d emptied.

She would take the tree down because Kyle’s distress at seeing it was palpable, but she had no plans to leave Kyle’s house. She couldn’t do it. She’d seen the pain lurking beneath the anger. Even though she didn’t want to get involved, she couldn’t walk away from him. No matter how many times he demanded.

• • •

Kyle watched the sun dip lower and lower beneath the horizon. The waves rolled gently to the shore before rushing back out again. He lifted the bottle and took another swig of the scotch he’d taken from the house on his way out.

No amount of alcohol could dim the memory of the shock on Jordan’s face when he reacted to the sight a Christmas tree in his living room. He hated that he had to hurt her, but he couldn’t face seeing a beautifully decorated tree. Too many memories of his childhood Christmases bombarded his brain. His dad lifting him to put the star on the top of the tree. Then years later his dad holding Emily up so she could put the star up. Then his mum would come in with a tray of freshly baked cupcakes and everyone would sit around and watch a Christmas movie.

He squeezed his eyelids shut, in the hope it would keep the tears at bay. He didn’t cry. He hadn’t cried for nearly eleven years. Not since the day he’d buried his family.

He picked up the bottle and took another long swallow. He had a nice buzz going, but he knew he needed to go back to the house. A house he hoped was empty of a Christmas tree and a certain woman.

He had stayed away from her since the kiss in the backyard. He didn’t trust himself not to kiss her again every time he was within reach of her. Just one taste and he forgot the pain and loneliness that had been a constant companion.

Pushing thoughts of Jordan and her sweet body out of his mind, he stood and staggered slightly.

He managed to walk to the car park and was about to get in his late model BMW but had the sense to stop. How the hell was he going to get home now? He couldn’t even see straight let alone be able to drive in a straight line. He slumped down and rested his back against the driver’s door. He was in for a long wait.

Chapter 10

Kyle pulled into his driveway as the first fingers of dawn inched across the horizon, his house looming like a dark, unwelcoming monolith.

He knew Jordan woke early and wondered if she’d be awake when he went inside. He stopped his thoughts, a sense of disappointment filling him. Jordan wouldn’t be there. He’d told her to leave. His house would be empty. Empty like it always had been—until recently. Part of him hoped Jordan’s stubbornness would keep her in his house, compel her to ignore what he said like she’d ignored his demands for her to leave that first morning.

He parked his car and got out, groaning as he stretched, his back clicking in relief after being stuck in the car while he slept off the buzz he’d created at the beach. He reached in and pulled out the bottle. There was an inch left in the bottom. He lifted the Scotch to his lips, ready to swallow the contents, but stopped at the last minute. For so many years he’d used alcohol as a way to dull the pain. If anything, it only intensified his feelings of loss and desolation.

He tipped the bottle upside down and watched the scotch drizzle out onto the ground. When it was empty he strode to the house, the bottle tucked under his arm.

As he walked in the lights flicked on. He blinked rapidly at the sudden brightness, accentuating the pounding in his head. Hell, he needed some painkillers.

“What the—?” he started.

“Where have you been?” Before he had a chance to answer she continued on. “Have you been drinking? Did you drive drunk? Are you insane?”

With each word she spoke her voice rose higher and higher, only increasing the pounding in his head.

“Can you please talk quietly?” he asked.

“Why? Is your head hurting? Oh poor Kyle. Serves you right.”

He wasn’t planning on admitting just how much his head hurt. “I didn’t drive drunk. I spent the night sleeping in my car.”

Skepticism replaced the anger in Jordan’s eyes. “Really?” She leaned in and sniffed, her nose wrinkling in distaste. “You smell like a scotch bottle.”

If he had the energy Kyle would’ve laughed. Instead he placed the bottle on the floor near the back door. He walked over to the kitchen table and, pulling out a chair, he sat down. He rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes. He needed to take a hot shower and sleep the day away.

He could hear Jordan moving around the kitchen, cupboard doors opening and closing. He thought he might have drifted off to sleep for a moment.

“Here you go.”

He cracked open an eyelid and saw Jordan’s hands in front of him, two white pills sitting in the middle of one palm and a glass of water held in the other. Reaching out, he took the pills and popped them in his mouth. He then grabbed the glass and swallowed the contents. He grimaced as the pills stuck in his throat. With a cough he dislodged them.

“I’ve no idea why I’m helping you. I should let you wallow in your misery. After all you seem to be pretty good at doing that.”

“Why are you still here?” he asked tiredly. “I thought I told you to leave.”

“You did. But by the time I took the tree down it was late and I didn’t want to try to find a hotel.”

Kyle looked up at her. “Is that right?”

She shifted from one foot to the other, a clear sign she wasn’t being completely truthful with him. He watched silently.

Jordan huffed out a breath and his lips twitched. “Fine. I decided to ignore your edict to leave.”

“Why?”

“Because kicking me out purely because I put a Christmas tree up is stupid.”

Kyle stood, the chair scraping loudly around the room and in his head. He stalked toward where she leaned against the kitchen counter to place an arm on either side of her, effectively trapping her. What he wanted to do was lean in and kiss her. It might have been only a couple of days since he last kissed her, but he hadn’t forgotten her taste. The way she melted in his arms. The way she moaned softly in the back of her throat. He wanted to make her moan again. Only in ecstasy as he brought her to climax after climax. His body hardened.

“Jordan,” he whispered. “What are you doing to me? It makes no sense.”

Instead of fulfilling his desire, he pushed away from the counter, putting more space between them. “I’m going to take a shower.”

He walked away and out of the kitchen. Away from the temptation Jordan presented.

• • •

Jordan gripped the counter behind her to stop from sliding to the floor. Even hung over Kyle still exuded unbelievable sex appeal. She had wanted him to kiss her. Oh, how she’d wanted him to pull her close.

But that would’ve been all types of wrong. He may desire her, but he didn’t want her. Not for the long term. Kyle wasn’t the type of man who went into relationships looking for permanence. He fought demons on a daily basis. Demons who leeched the very joy out of his life. Demons he seemed to like having as his partner in life. And although she wanted to help him slay them, she sensed he wouldn’t appreciate her interference. No, kissing Kyle would be bad for her.

When she was certain her legs could hold her, she picked up Kyle’s glass and rinsed it out, leaving it to drain on the sink.

She made her way outside, taking a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of earth. The sun had just risen and bathed the vines in pale yellow light. She smiled to herself at seeing how the vines had taken on a lush, healthy look. Soon they would be full and heavy with bunches of plump grapes.

Once she reached the vineyard, she walked between the rows, her hand touching the leaves as she wandered through. She stopped every now and then to pull an errant weed. Everything looked good with them.

She strolled through another block of vines not as lush as the previous section. She stopped to inspect each bunch for telltale white spots of mildew forming on the delicate skin. Although small, the grapes still looked healthy.

“Why do you love these vines so much?”

Kyle in the vineyard was the last thing she expected. Especially after the bender he had gone on the previous evening. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses. She could pretty much guarantee that behind those glasses, his eyes were bloodshot and hurting, being out in the sun.

“What’s not to love about Mother Nature? All the things she does for us, the beautiful things she creates.”

He took a step back, his fists balled tightly, and for a moment she thought he would lash out and swipe at the vines. But he seemed to realize what he was about to do. She watched as his shoulders rose and fell a few times before they visibly relaxed.

“Mother Nature is a cruel bitch. I’m not a fan of hers. Nothing she can do would make me love her.”

Jordan opened her mouth to speak, but Kyle sent her a look that made her snap her mouth shut quickly.

“Don’t. Don’t try to tell me I’m being unreasonable and that I should appreciate all the beautiful things she creates. It’s bullshit. She doesn’t create beautiful things, I know.”

Kyle threaded a hand through his hair, agitation rolling off him. She wanted to reach out and touch him. Let him know he didn’t have to be so agitated. But she stopped herself. Jordan had a feeling that whatever happened next would define them both. Everything he felt for the mythical Mother Nature had molded Kyle into the person standing in front of her.

“What happened, Kyle?”

He laughed harshly. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t want to know.”

“Try me.”

He took a step closer to her, blocking out the sunlight, casting her in shadow. She couldn’t prevent the shiver as it coursed through her. “You look around at the vines, Jordan, and you see growth, life, opportunity. You think Mother Nature is being nice to you. Rewarding you for caring for her little plants. My father cared for her plants and he didn’t get rewarded with anything nice. I did nothing to her either and she took everything, everything that meant so much to me. I was left alone because she was in a shitty mood one day and decided to cast her wrath upon hundreds and thousands of innocent people.”

Jordan didn’t know what to say next. She should leave it alone, not delve into the personal hell that lived inside Kyle. But she couldn’t stop herself. She had to know everything.

“Let’s go inside,” she suggested as she took hold of Kyle’s hand and turned toward the house. Kyle had other ideas though, and he tugged on her hand, bringing her flush up against his hard body.

“I don’t want to go inside. I want to forget. I want to forget about everything that happened to me.”

Damn, if only he’d take off those sunglasses so she could see what his eyes were telling her. Instead she placed her hand on his cheek. “But you can’t, can you? You can’t forget. It lives with you on a daily basis. Burying it isn’t going to make it any better. Perhaps you need to face whatever it is that’s eating you alive.”

“And you think talking is going to help me deal with it.”

“It’s a start. Tell me, Kyle. Tell me everything. I want to know. I want to help you.” Jordan laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him. He remained stiff in her embrace.

Jordan pulled away from him and rose up on her tiptoe. She brushed her lips against his cheek. “Please, Kyle. Let me help you.”

A shudder ripped through him and his arms closed around her, pulling her tightly against him. His cheek rested in the crook of her neck.

They stood for endless moments in the middle of the vines in the early morning sunlight.

His chest heaved up and down beneath her hands, and in that moment she knew Kyle had let go. Let his emotions out. As her neck began to grow damp she squeezed her arms tighter around him. She didn’t murmur words like there there, or it’s going to be okay. She waited it out. Waited until Kyle had spent all his emotions, because she knew what came next. He would want to run in the opposite direction. A man as powerful and successful as Kyle Davis didn’t cry in a woman’s arms. Didn’t show his vulnerable side.

“It was Boxing Day, December 2004, when I woke up to Mother Nature’s hell.” He spoke quietly in her neck.

Jordan wracked her brain trying to remember back that far. She would’ve been sixteen at the time, right in the middle of her rebellious time. Her father would’ve been settling in to watch the Boxing Day Cricket Test. What else had happened that day?

Oh my God, the tsunami that caused havoc all over Asia. Kyle was there? He had survived? But he said he lost everything; what had he lost? Or, more importantly, who had he lost?

So many questions she wanted to ask but out in the hot summer sun wasn’t the place to do it.

“Let’s go inside,” she whispered.

Chapter 11

Without waiting for a response she pulled away from Kyle, trailing her hand down his arm until her hand connected with his. She laced her fingers through his and with a slight tug headed back to the house.

They made the short trip in silence. Jordan left Kyle to his thoughts. She had to make sure she approached the situation with sensitivity. Had he lost a girlfriend? Or maybe even a fiancée? Now she understood why he didn’t want to be around anyone at this time of year. How hard must it be to spend time with people who were ridiculously happy and excited while you suffered a major loss the day after Christmas.

Once inside she relinquished her hold on his hand and went to the fridge. After the night he had, he probably didn’t need any more alcohol so she pulled out some orange juice and poured him a glass. She grabbed a bottle of water for herself.

Jordan turned, drinks in hand, and found the room empty.

“Shit,” she muttered as she put the drinks down.

Would he have gone into the living room? Or maybe his office? If he’d wanted to hide from her, his office would be the most logical place to disappear into. It was what he usually did. Not once had she disturbed him there.

Today she didn’t care about leaving him alone to work. Today she would be pounding on that door, demanding he let her in. Consequences be damned.

Resolve pulsing through her, she headed down the hallway to Kyle’s office. When she reached the open doorway she had her answer—he wasn’t there. Turning, she went to the living and found that empty as well.

“What the hell?” she groaned. “Normally playing hide and seek isn’t my game of choice. But if that’s what it’s going to be, that’s what it’s going to be.”

Talking like someone actually listened to her. She laughed at herself, taking a few moments to think, to eliminate where Kyle could be. Maybe he’d gone to the bathroom? Maybe he hadn’t been running away from her at all.

She scoffed out loud. Of course he was running away. Who wouldn’t? She would too after displaying the type of emotion he’d shown her in the vineyard. The only other place Jordan could think of where Kyle would go was his bedroom. She hadn’t entered the room, only poked her head in when she’d been deciding which room to sleep in. It hadn’t felt right to sleep in Kyle’s room. Thank goodness she hadn’t.

It took her only a few seconds before she stood in front of Kyle’s shut bedroom door. She placed her ear against the wood, straining to hear any sound at all coming from the interior of the room.

Jordan knocked on the door, turning the door handle at the same time. There Kyle sat on his bed, holding a frame in his hand.

“Hey,” she spoke quietly, wanting to let him know he wasn’t alone.

With slow, measured steps she walked to the bed and sat down next to him. She knew she was taking a lot of liberties, acting without Kyle’s consent. She also knew if she didn’t, he would shut down. Close the door on the emotions he’d let out.

She glanced at the frame in his hand. She couldn’t clearly see the photo it contained.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” he said as he made a move to put it back on his bedside table. She reached out and stilled his hand.

“Show me, please.”

“Why?” He turned to face her, his eyes bleak, lacking any sort of emotion. They were still bloodshot, a combination from his previous evening’s alcoholic bender and from the tears he’d shed. “Why should I show you? You don’t mean anything to me.”

She flinched at his harsh words. Someone else may have run from him then. Jordan knew the words were spoken out of anger.

“You’re right.” She shrugged. “You don’t owe me anything and you don’t mean anything to me either. So why don’t I buy you a bottle of bourbon or maybe whiskey, or is vodka your choice of poison? Then you can drink it down and make everything go away.”

“Sounds like a great idea. There’s a bottle of bourbon in the bar. That should suit me quite nicely, thank you.”

“It won’t work, Kyle.”

“What won’t work?”

“Drinking until you pass out. It didn’t help you last night, did it? When you sober up, it’s all still here. Every horrid detail of what happened is still here.”

“Don’t give me some half-assed psycho-babble. You’re no shrink. Go tend to your vines. You can talk to them to your heart’s content. Maybe they’ll appreciate your amateur shrink efforts.” He stood and put the picture back on the table. “I don’t want or need it.”

He walked out of the room.

Anger steamed up inside of her. If he wanted to fight and yell at her, he could. She could fight and yell back with the best of them. Jordan got up, grabbed the photo, and went searching once again for Kyle.

She found him in the living room sitting on the couch about to pour a drink. Jordan raced over and grabbed the bottle out of his hand.

“Shit, Jordan, just leave me alone.”

Placing the photo on the coffee table, she swiped the screw top for the bourbon and put it back on. The temptation to take it to the kitchen and empty it down the sink was strong.

“Sorry, buddy, I’m not going anywhere.”

“What the fuck did I do to deserve a nosy winemaker living in my house when all I want is to be alone?”

“Dumbass luck I guess.”

“Why is this so important to you, Jordan?”

Jordan went back to where Kyle was sitting on the couch. “Because,” she pointed to the picture, “they would hate to see you drinking yourself into the ground.”

“How would you know? You don’t even know them. They’re probably glad I’m doing this shit. It’s what I deserve.”

“Why? What did you do to them?”

“I left them when I shouldn’t have,” he whispered. “It’s my fault they’re dead.”

Every instinct in her screamed to comfort him, only she knew comfort was the last thing he needed or wanted.

“Because you survived? That’s not your fault. I’m sure you did everything you could to save them. I’m sure they don’t blame you.”

He laughed. “Really, what sort of shit is that, Jordan? I’m sure they don’t blame you. You know nothing.”

She’d tried so hard not to get angry, afraid that if she showed any sign of a temper he would shut down. She couldn’t let his mocking pass though.

“Then bloody tell me, Kyle. Tell me what happened that day. Tell me why you blame yourself.”

“Fine, if you really want to know.”

“Oh for God’s sake, yes, I want to know. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. It seems to me you’re the one who doesn’t want to say anything.”

“Why would I? Why would I want to remember the day when I lost my whole family? Do you think it’s a day I celebrate often? Throw a party each year?”

His whole family? Jordan looked down at the photo on the table. Smiling up at her was a very young Kyle along with a younger girl and two adults. She picked it up to take a closer look. They all had their arms around each other. The picture told a thousand stories. Parents whose love and pride in their children showed in their eyes. An older brother who clearly loved his younger sister by the way he had his hand resting protectively on her shoulder.

Jordan had been an only child. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose a sibling, let alone her whole family. It had been bad enough when her mother had died.

“Where were you? Thailand or Indonesia?” she asked as she put the photo back on the table.

“Patong, Thailand.”

For a moment she thought he wasn’t going to say anymore. It was what he’d been doing since she’d attempted to start this conversation.

“We’d never gone away for Christmas before, but Dad decided that year we should have a family vacation before I finished university and got a job and moved on to new adventures in my life. I didn’t want to go; I wanted to stay in town and hang with my mates.” He shook his head. “What nineteen-year-old wants to go on a family vacation? But my sister, Emily, begged me to go.”

“Hard to say no to a little sister?”

He smiled ruefully, the first smile she’d seen all day. “I could never say no to Emily. No matter how busy I was with homework, all she had to do was stick out her bottom lip and I was a goner.” He closed his eyes. “God, I miss her. I miss her so damn much. It’s not fair her life was cut so short. She’d have been in university now.”

Saying sorry to him now would be an empty word. Instead Jordan grabbed his hand and led him to the couch. “I bet you were a great big brother.”

“I don’t know about that. I did tease her mercilessly.”

Jordan laughed. “I have no experience, but I imagine that’s what big brothers are supposed to do.”

“Maybe. I have to admit I was looking forward to tormenting the boys who came around to take her out when she got older. But because I wasn’t there, she never got to go on her first date.”

“How would you being there have helped or saved them? You could be dead too, Kyle.”

“Sometimes I wish I was.”

“You can’t mean that.”

Kyle looked her square in the eye. “Yes, I do. I wish it had been me who died. Not them. They deserved to live, not me.”

Chapter 12

Unable to sit, Kyle got up and paced around the living room, Jordan’s gasp at his declaration echoing in his mind. He wanted to shut down this conversation. Had wanted to since the moment he’d cried in her arms.

Shit, what grown man cried in the arms of a woman he’d known for a handful of days? No one. But he had. In a moment of weakness he’d let the emotions he always kept locked away burst free. Whoever said crying was cathartic couldn’t be more wrong. If anything, crying had made the whole situation worse.

“You can’t mean that, Kyle. Do you honestly think if you had died that your sister would have thought she should’ve died instead of you?”

“Probably not. But then again she hadn’t been a bitch the whole trip, like I’d been a complete asshole to everyone. I went out every night and drank with the people I met surfing. Then I slept half the day away because I was so hung over.”

He held up his hand to stop Jordan from interrupting him. Perhaps she was right. Maybe he did need to talk about it. The only other person who knew the whole story was Shey, and only because she and her husband had been kind enough to be there for a surly nineteen-year-old who’d lost his whole family. But if Jordan stopped him, that would be it, he wouldn’t continue.

“I spent Christmas Day with them. We had a nice lunch and spent a few hours at the beach. Emily and I swam and I dumped her over and over in the water. She laughed so hard. I wish I could hear it now.” He closed his eyes and tried to bring back the memory. He couldn’t though. All he could remember was the destruction the tsunami caused to the beach where they’d swum. He opened his eyes again.

“Anyway, while we were at the beach, the guys I got friendly with invited to me a party a few miles away from the hotel. Of course I said yes. When I went to leave I got into a big argument with my mum and dad. They wanted me to spend the evening with them. It was Christmas Day, after all. I, of course, didn’t want to and hurled all sorts of insults at them. Told them this was the worst holiday and Christmas I’d ever had. I didn’t mean it, but I wanted to lash out. They were the last words I ever spoke to them. I didn’t even say goodbye to Emily. I stormed out and met my friends.”

“Oh Kyle, I’m sure they realized you didn’t really mean what you said.”

“It doesn’t matter if they did or didn’t. The last words they ever heard from me were words of hate. I’m not sure where they were that morning the wave hit. I was passed out at some wooden cabin in the hills after getting so drunk on some cheap-ass wine I couldn’t even pronounce properly. All that matters is they died and I wasn’t there to help them.”

Kyle turned away from Jordan, not wanting to see the pity he knew would be shining in her face. He didn’t deserve pity. He deserved condemnation. He’d been so selfish. Making everything about him. Now he would never be able to tell his mum or dad or Emily that he loved them. They wouldn’t know how successful he’d been with his business. That he’d finished university, even though he hadn’t wanted to. Everything he’d done and achieved since that day almost eleven years ago had been for his family, hoping that somehow they knew and were proud of him.

“Kyle, I know this is probably not what you want to hear.” Jordan’s voice washed over him, cloaking him in warmth. “But I’m going to say it anyway. You can’t blame yourself for what happened. You don’t know that you’d have been able to help them. I said it before and I’ll say it again: you could’ve died as well. Don’t you think one of their last thoughts could’ve been praying that you were somewhere safe? That you could live and achieve your dreams?”

“But they didn’t know I was safe, Jordan. My mum would’ve been frantic with worry about me not returning. I’d never done that before. No,” he shook his head, reinforcing his word, “I have to live with the knowledge that their last thoughts of me would’ve been of panic, not the comfort of knowing I was on higher ground, safe from everything that was happening around them.”

“If you were on higher ground, how did you know what happened? Did you try to get to them?”

Kyle started pacing around again. “I was awakened by people yelling. I couldn’t understand what they were saying. They were speaking so fast. Plus I had the hangover from hell, so all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. But I dragged myself off the couch I’d fallen asleep on and tried to get someone to tell me what the hell was going on.” He paused, fixing his gaze on the window and the tree swaying in the breeze outside; he breathed in and out to hold back the urge to throw up “The moment I heard about the wave I was out the door before anyone could stop me. There I was running into danger, dodging people fleeing from it.”

“I’m surprised they let you into the affected area.”

“There was so much chaos happening. This wasn’t something that Thailand had experienced. I wasn’t thinking. I was just trying to get to my hotel to see if Mum and Dad and Emily were okay. I didn’t want to think that—” His voice broke as emotion overcame him again. “I didn’t want to think that I’d never see them again.”

He turned away from her, hoping against hope that he could keep his emotions in check. Jordan didn’t deserve to see him cry his eyes out again. But he deserved the pain coursing through him. He welcomed the familiar friend. One constant reminder of how his selfishness had cost him the most important people in his life. Never again would he let anyone close to him. He didn’t trust that he wouldn’t hurt them the way he’d hurt his family.

He’d learned one thing from the tsunami. He was better off alone.

Chapter 13

Jordan’s heart hurt as she studied the broken man in front of her, everything falling into place. The reason he wanted her father off the property over Christmas. Why he locked himself away from everyone who cared for him. And she knew people cared. She had only to remember her conversation with Shey to know Kyle was very much a member of her family.

Had he ever had any counseling? Had he ever commemorated his family’s lives?

She wanted to help him through this pain even though it could be the hardest thing she ever did. She couldn’t forget that he controlled her fate when it came to the grapes. He’d already tried to kick her off the property again because of the Christmas tree. If she pushed him too much, it could send him over the edge again. To drink himself into oblivion, only this time he might do something stupid—like drive his car when he shouldn’t.

But she knew she couldn’t stand here, watching him suffer silently. Her heart cried silent tears for him. Everything in her wanted to make him feel better. Give him something to live for. Let him know he had people who cared. And she did care, a lot, for the man standing in front of her. He’d been through so much and had become very successful. Even though that success had come at the expense of his personal happiness.

Fuck the consequences. She approached Kyle, who was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t see her stop in front of him.

His face was pulled tight in grief. Shadows darkened his eyes. His pain was so real. She wanted to take it away from him. Reaching up, she laid her hand on his cheek. The warm skin was rough beneath her palm.

“You’re not alone now, Kyle.”

Jordan went up on her tiptoe, placing her hands on his shoulders. She brushed her lips against his, the touch electrifying her blood and awakening feelings that were better off dormant. Encouraging her to dream for a future she shouldn’t. She couldn’t deny she found him attractive. Had from the moment he’d stood before her all bare-chested and angry.

She tried to move away, but Kyle’s arms closed over her, pulling her closer to him. His mouth moved against hers, encouraging her to open beneath it. It was what she wanted, too. Jordan slid her hands up his neck, burying her fingers in his hair, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss.

Kyle’s fingers trailed down her back, eliciting shivers of desire out of her. When they slipped beneath her t-shirt and lightly touched her back, she sighed in pleasure. Being in his arms felt so right. In the back of her mind she knew Kyle was using her to feel again and she didn’t mind. She wanted to help him heal a little, and if kissing him enabled him to forget his loss and despair, even for a few minutes, then she was okay with that.

His mouth moved from hers and trailed a slow, tantalizing path to her jawline. Wanting to feel his warm flesh, she reached for the hem of his shirt, pushing it up, and ran her hands over his back, the muscles rippling beneath her fingers.

God, he felt so good. She wanted to see him.

“Take it off,” she whispered.

He stilled and Jordan cursed herself for breaking the mood with her demand. But instead of walking out of the room as she expected him to, Kyle took hold of her hand and walked her down the hallway to his room. Her heart beat madly at knowing what was about to happen. Excitement pooled low in her belly at the thought of seeing him naked, looming over her before taking possession of her body.

Kyle stopped at the threshold of his room. He turned and framed her face with his hands, looking deeply into her eyes. She couldn’t hide her need and want for him. She didn’t want to.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.” Jordan had no hesitation in responding. They may have been avoiding each other over the past week, but neither one could deny the attraction brewing between them.

When he laid his forehead against hers, disappointment began to fill her. He was going to stop and tell her he wasn’t sure.

“I want to stop hurting,” he murmured. “I want to forget and I want to feel something other than pain. I want to make it all go away.”

Her heart broke a little at the desperation in his words, at the way he laid himself open for her in that moment. She kissed his mouth. “Let me help, even if only for a little while. I won’t give up on you, Kyle.”

In the next instant she was scooped up in his arms and carried over to the bed. He deposited her on the bedspread then took a step back and pulled his shirt over his head. His skin had taken on a golden glow from the time he’d spent down at the beach surfing, his shoulders broad and strong under the burden she now knew he constantly carried with him. When his hands moved to the button of his shorts, her hand went to the bottom of her shirt, ready to rip it off herself.

“No. Let me,” he commanded and her hands stilled. Her body tightened in anticipation of Kyle’s hands on her.

Once he’d stripped himself of his board shorts, pausing long enough to pull his wallet out and extract a square foil package, he climbed up on the bed next to her wearing only his boxer briefs. He slipped the condom on the bedside table. Her tongue darted out to moisten her dry lips at the sight of a nearly naked Kyle. His arm muscles bunched as he propped himself up on one elbow. His other hand reached out and trailed a path down her front, brushing her breasts as he followed the deep vee of her t-shirt. Her body ached to feel his hands on her. She wriggled closer to him.

“Undress me,” she said as she tried to close the distance between them so she could kiss him again.

Kyle laughed and leaned back so she met air and not his lips. “Impatient, are we?”

Two could play this game. Jordan placed a hand on his chest, mimicking his action, and trailed it down. Without the restriction of clothing her hand slid smoothly down his warm chest, her fingers rising slightly over the ridges of his six pack. She then followed the line of the waistband of his briefs before cupping his erection, squeezing him gently.

“You can’t deny you want this as much as I do.”

He groaned in her ear. “You are one wicked lady.”

“This is only just the beginning.” Jordan slipped her hand beneath his briefs and ran her fingers over his hard cock. Within seconds of her touching him Kyle grabbed her hand and pulled it out.

“Just for that I’m going to torture you.”

A shiver of anticipation ripped through her.

“Show me,” she taunted.

Jordan had never flirted this way with any other person she’d been to bed with. Not even Don. She couldn’t deny it heightened the sexual tension between them and made her more aroused than she’d ever been before. She wanted Kyle’s hands and lips all over her.

His hands moved to the bottom of her shirt and pushed it up. “Never let it be said that I ignore a woman’s wish.”

He pulled it over her head in one quick movement. Before she had a chance to catch her breath, his fingers were at the button and zipper of her jeans. She held her breath, waiting for the moment when there would be nothing between them.

Once Kyle stripped her of her jeans, he pulled her in his arms and rolled so that she lay over him. Their bodies aligned perfectly. His erection rested against her belly and her breasts nestled against his chest.

She brushed her lips against his. “I can’t think of a better place to be.”

“Me either,” he responded before sinking his fingers into her hair, cupping the back of her head to prevent her from moving.

As if she was going anywhere.

Jordan lost herself in his kiss. Her body relaxed into his. She rolled her hips and he groaned at the friction of their bodies grinding against each other. His hand moved from her head to the clasp of her bra. With a quick flick he had it undone. She lifted one arm then the other to allow for the scrap of lace and satin to be tossed away.

She wrenched her mouth from his and arched her back as his hands cupped both her breasts.

“I’ve been wanting to touch you since I saw you in the shower. It’s so much better than I imagined,” He took one nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around before sucking on it.

“Oh, feels so good.”

“I’m just getting started, baby.”

He turned them so they both lay on their sides facing each other. Jordan liked this position as it gave her free rein to run her hands all over Kyle. This time when she reached his briefs she took hold of the fabric and pushed them down, his erection springing out into her hand. She once again gripped the hard flesh. She smoothed her thumb over the tip, enjoying Kyle’s sharp intake of breath. She stroked her hand up and down, cupping his sac before moving back up to his tip.

A sense of feminine triumph coursed through her as Kyle threw his head back and sighed in pleasure. She increased her pace, enjoying knowing he was as lost in the moment as she was.

She released him and his eyes flew open, arousal giving them a slumberous look. “I want you, Kyle.”

He smiled softly. “Me too, baby. Me too.”

Kyle put a hand in the middle of her chest and pushed gently until she lay on her back. Using the same hand, he grabbed the waistband of her panties and tugged. She lifted her hips to allow him to remove them. Then he was, once again, over her, his lips finding hers in another hot, opened mouth kiss.

His fingers dipped between their legs until he found where she was waiting for his touch. This time it was her moaning in pleasure as his fingers parted her silken folds. She knew she was wet for him; she could feel the dampness between her legs.

He surrendered her lips as he inserted one finger in her. Her breath hissed out as he slowly stroked in and out.

Jordan gripped his shoulders, her fingers digging in at the sensations he created within her. Her whole body burned and only his possession could temper the flames.

She reached between them and, gripping his erection, she directed it to where his fingers were still playing her like an electric guitar.

“Now, Kyle. Take me now.”

He pulled out his fingers and nudged her entrance. She lifted her hips, ready to take him, but he cursed before pulling back and reaching over to grab the condom. Before she had a moment to catch her breath he had the packet open and was rolling the latex over his cock.

“Now where were we?” he asked with a smile before sliding effortlessly into her.

She cried out in delight at having him inside her.

“So good. You feel so good.”

He withdrew a fraction. “It’s going to feel much better. Trust me.”

“I do,” she moaned as he slid back inside of her.

Kyle moved in and out of her, quick movements before slowing down to draw out the pleasure. She cried out for more. Jordan ran her hands over his shoulder, lifting her legs higher around his hips to increase the depth of his possession of her.

Her climax built. Her muscles tightened in anticipation of the moment of ultimate completion. Kyle quickened his pace and she moved her hips in perfect harmony with him. Their breathing grew ragged. Her climax was within touching distance. As if sensing that, Kyle reached between them to where they were joined. He found her bundle of nerves and massaged it gently. Her legs shook. Her cries grew louder and louder until she tensed before careening over the edge into her orgasm. Kyle joined her moments later, her name a hoarse cry ripped from deep within him.

Jordan’s legs slipped off Kyle’s hips, having lost all strength to remain gripped snugly around him. Kyle collapsed on top of her for a second before he shifted so that he was on his back and she sprawled over the top of him.

“Thank you,” he sighed in her hair.

She closed her eyes, savoring this moment of closeness between the two of them. She felt safe and secure—hopefully, Kyle felt the same way.

Chapter 14

Kyle woke in the early hours of the morning. Images from his dream teased the recesses of his mind. He closed his eyes in the hope of bringing the dream back to life. His mum had been smiling at him. Telling him she was so proud of him. Telling him to move forward with his life. Telling him to let go of his anger and guilt.

Jordan stirred in his arms and he tightened his hold on her. He liked holding her. Having her in his bed. Something he’d never thought possible, especially not at this house.

“What are you thinking about?” Her sleepy question woke his senses, and his body stirred to life between them.

“About having you here. In this house. In my arms.”

She wiggled her hips against his growing erection. “Seems a certain part of you likes what you’re thinking.”

Kyle slipped a hand over her hip to the juncture at her thighs. He stroked her soft flesh. It would be easy to slip into Jordan. Her body was ready for him. And the way her ass wriggled against his cock, she wanted it as much as he did. He reached over to the open drawer of his nightstand and fumbled around until he found another foil packet. With an ease of practice, he had the condom on and was sliding home.

A sigh whispered out of Jordan as she reached behind her and ran a hand down his leg, digging her fingers in with every stroke he made.

Kyle took his time, enjoying the sensations building up inside of him. Jordan’s breath came faster as her hand clenched his thigh. Her head fell forward as he reached up and played with her nipple.

He couldn’t hold back any longer. He increased his pace and within seconds Jordan was crying out her release and he joined her moments later.

Kyle had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted Jordan. Something about her calmed him. Gave him a reason not to lose himself at the bottom of a scotch bottle.

He slipped out of her and went into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He stopped at the mirror to see if anything had changed after he’d spilled his soul to Jordan. He looked the same. Could it be that simple? Could he move on and start to live his life guilt free? Just like his mum told him to in his dream?

No, he couldn’t forget the role he played in the deaths of his parents and sister.

“Kyle? Are you okay?”

He turned and saw Jordan standing in the doorway; she’d wrapped his shirt around her.

He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands on it before taking her by her elbow and leading her back to his bed. “I’m fine.”

“You didn’t look it a moment ago.”

Kyle adjusted the blankets to cover Jordan, and he laid an arm possessively over her. “I was just thinking.”

A warm hand landed on his.

“About your parents?”

“Yeah.”

“You never did tell me what happened after you ran from the house you slept at. Did you find your parents at all?”

Kyle took a deep breath. “I couldn’t get to the hotel because of the water. No one knew if another wave would hit. No matter how hard I tried to get through to the authorities that my whole family was down there somewhere, they wouldn’t let me pass. I had no choice but to wait. With the amount of people trying to get to higher ground I kept getting pushed further and further away.”

He closed his eyes and continued speaking. “I’d never felt so helpless as I did that day. So many people cut and bruised walking past me. People carrying dead relatives or the severely injured. I’d never been in a war zone, but with the chaos going on all around me, I figured it was what one would look like.”

“How long before you could get to the hotel?”

“It wasn’t until the next day. The water level had receded and people started making their way back to what was left of their homes.”

“I imagine it was pretty devastating for everyone.”

She had no idea the devastation water could cause. Everyone said the exact same thing she did. Everyone underestimated the reality. “I’ve surfed six foot waves and I’ve been dumped by those waves. I knew water could be powerful, but never could I have imagined the absolute devastation the tsunami caused. Trees were pulled from their roots. Cars and trees were twisted together like some modern art creations. Boats rested in a pub I’d spent some nights drinking in. So many businesses lost.”

“Anyway, when I got to the hotel, I expected to see it a mess like a lot of the other buildings I’d seen.”

“And was it?”

“There was a bit of damage, but it was built by a big hotel chain, you know, so it appeared to withstand a lot of force from the water. Maybe it was because it was closer to the beach, and the more the wave collected debris as it moved inland, the more deadly it became.”

“So I bet you were expecting your parents to be safe.”

“I did,” he whispered around the lump in his throat. “I raced through the foyer, past the people trying to stop me, and headed for the stairwell. I climbed the stairs faster than I thought I was capable of. Once I reached our room I realized I didn’t have a key to get in. I pounded on the door, but there was no response. I figured if they were okay they’d probably be looking for me because I hadn’t seen them for two days. I headed back downstairs to reception, hoping they’d left a message or something. Anything to let me know they were okay. I was directed to a table set up by the authorities where you could check in and enquire about relatives.”

God, he hated this walk down memory lane. He’d come so far with the story. He couldn’t back down now. No matter how hard he found it.

“You don’t need to continue if you don’t want to, Kyle. I don’t need to know the whole story.”

He lifted Jordan’s hand and kissed the top of it. “I think I need to continue. It’s been too long to not say anything.”

“Okay, but if you need to stop, I won’t mind.”

“There’s not much more to tell, really. I enquired with the check-in point.” He smiled. “This is where I met Shey and her husband, Nate, manning the desk. I almost collapsed when I found out my parents and Emily were listed amongst the missing. Nate came around the table and caught me. He led me over to a chair and stayed with me until my head stopped spinning. I’ll never forget how he just sat next to me, not saying anything, thank Christ, because placating, empty words were the last thing I needed.”

“Why were Shey and her husband there?”

“They were on holiday, a tenth wedding anniversary trip. They volunteer with the Red Cross here in Perth so they immediately answered the call for help. They were staying in a little bungalow up in the hills,” he smiled wryly. “They wanted their privacy. It ended up saving them.”

“I’ve been to Thailand; it is really beautiful. I can imagine staying in an isolated cabin would be wonderful.”

“They go back every couple of years. Visit the families they helped during that time. They really are an amazing couple. I have so much to thank them for.”

“From my interactions with Shey, it sounds like she’s been there for you when you needed her.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what it was about me, but after that moment, Shey and Nate provided me with support I probably didn’t deserve. It was like they’d worked out that I needed a surrogate family and no one would do as good a job as them. Shey’s only eleven years older than me. She treated me like a kid brother, not like I was one of their sons.”

“I’d like to meet both Shey and her husband. I’ve only spoken to her on the phone.”

“Trust me, I think the feeling is mutual. Anyway, they were with me when I got the news that they’d found some victims who fitted the description I’d given of my parents and Emily. I didn’t want to go identify them. I still held out hope that they were somewhere safe, even though it had been ten days after the disaster. They were unrecognizable. They’d been battered by debris and their bodies were covered with bruises. Emily … oh God, Emily, my sweet little sister.”

Kyle tried to hold back the tears and failed. This was why he never talked about what he’d been through. He wanted to remember her happy, smiling, innocent face. How she’d looked on Christmas Day. All he remembered now were bruises and cuts. So many she was almost unrecognizable.

Jordan held him tightly and rained kisses over his cheeks. He let himself be held.

“I’m sorry, Kyle. So very sorry that you had to go through that.”

“It was my fault. My fault,” he mumbled over and over. “I found out they were headed to the beach to look for me. They didn’t stand a chance when the wave hit. I want to believe they didn’t suffer. But after seeing their bodies, I can’t help but think it would’ve been a violent death for them. Emily would’ve been so scared. I should’ve protected her more. Why wasn’t it me?”

“You weren’t meant to die, Kyle. I don’t mean to trivialize your family’s death. But I believe things happen for a reason, and even though we don’t understand it, it’s pre-destined for us.”

Kyle pulled away from Jordan’s embrace, no longer finding comfort in it. Not after her words.

“So what you’re saying is the whole fight and tsunami were pre-destined and my family had to die and I survived?” He shook his head in denial. “I wouldn’t call living without the people who loved me as a win. I lost so much that day, Jordan. Don’t you see?”

“Yes, I do. But don’t you see you also gained something, too? You gained Shey and Nate. You gained the fire to finish university and build one of the most successful stockbroking businesses in the country.”

“You don’t know that,” he scoffed. “I could’ve have started my own firm and had the same success. All the while my family could’ve been standing next to me. I could’ve provided them with everything they’d ever wanted.”

“I guess you’ll never know.”

“No, I won’t.”

A yawn racked Jordan’s body and Kyle glanced over to his bedside clock. It was getting close to dawn. He knew this was the time she normally got up to tend the vines. Guilt that he’d kept her awake almost consumed him, until she pulled him close and kissed his cheek. “I think it’s time we slept.”

He closed his eyes. His body wrapped up in Jordan’s arms. He gave himself over to a woman for the first time in his adult life. Now she knew the truth about everything. Would she look at him differently when she woke?

Chapter 15

Surrounded by a cocoon of warmth, the last thing Jordan wanted to do was get up, but her body had other ideas. Slipping from beneath Kyle’s arm, she picked up his t-shirt and put it on. She glanced back at the bed as she walked out of the room to use the bathroom. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She worried that the talk of what he’d gone through would cause him nightmares.

After she used the bathroom, she went to her room, stripped off Kyle’s shirt, and pulled on fresh underwear before donning his shirt again with a pair of shorts and shoes.

While Kyle slept she would do another quick walk through the vineyard and then prepare something to eat.

“Where are you going?”

Jordan gave a little yelp of surprise. “God, Kyle you scared me. I thought you were still sleeping.”

“I woke up,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders as he walked into the room.

Jordan’s mouth dried. He’d pulled on some board shorts. His chest was bare and she couldn’t stop herself from walking up to him and placing her hands on said chest. She smoothed her hands up until she clasped them around his neck.

“I was about to check the vines again, then I was going to come back and get something for breakfast.”

“Why don’t I come with you and then maybe we can go out to get some breakfast?”

This was the last thing she ever expected to hear from Kyle. Wanting to go out and walk through the vines. Did it mean he wanted to know more about the grapes and the process of growing them? Did it mean he would consider expanding the amount of vines he had?

Stop it. She was getting ahead of herself. He’d only asked to walk with her.

“Jordan? What are you thinking so hard about?”

Getting her wayward thoughts under control, she unlocked her fingers behind his neck and took a step back. “Just surprised you wanted to walk through the vines.”

“I don’t have to if you don’t want me to. I, uh,” he paused and looked up at the ceiling. “I wanted to spend a little more time with you. Find out what you’re doing with the vines.”

Jordan couldn’t help it. A little bit of hope blossomed to life within her. She’d been working on a business plan to present to Kyle with her expansion ideas. She’d already spoken to a local winery and the winemaker had tentatively agreed to taking her grapes and crushing them for her. He would even let her use his facilities after hours to blend the grapes she wanted. It would cost of course and that was what she wanted to present to Kyle. She’d saved up a bit of money and hoped to see if Kyle would also back her business venture. She still had a bit of work to do on the plan before it was ready to be presented.

“Sure, I’d love to show you the vines.” She glanced down at his feet. “You might want to put some shoes on.”

He laughed and leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Give me five minutes.”

As he walked out the door she called out to him. “A shirt is optional.”

She could hear his laughter as he walked back to his room.

With a spring in her step Jordan headed toward the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a couple of long swallows. She took a moment to think back over everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. From feeling frantic with worry over Kyle to being so angry with him she wanted to hit him. To making love with him. To his opening up and pouring out the tragedy he’d been through. His demeanor seemed lighter today, as if talking to her had helped him.

“You ready?” Kyle asked as he walked into the room. Jordan suppressed a grin when she saw that he’d put a sleeveless shirt on.

“Nice compromise,” she joked.

“Glad you approve. Now dazzle me with your grapes.”

She laughed and took hold of his hand. “Be prepared to be dazzled.”

As they walked down another row she stopped and inspected the leaves of one of the vines. It looked like there were a couple of spots on it. Dread filled her. Surely it wasn’t what she thought it was. She squatted down in front of the bush.

“Is there something wrong?” Kyle asked.

“I’m not sure.”

There would be nothing worse than an outbreak of powdery mildew on the vines now. It would be the death knell for the young grapes.

“What are you seeing, Jordan?”

“I’m can’t tell for sure but it could be an outbreak of powdery mildew.” She cursed her luck. “I’ve been so careful with everything I’ve done to prevent this.”

“Is it possible it could be something else?”

“Fingers crossed it’s nothing.”

She bent closer and sniffed the leaves. If there was a musty odor then she was in deep trouble. There was no odor. She brushed the leaf and the dust came away. Had she dodged a bullet? Was it possible the light spots had come from her kicking up dust as she walked through the vines? She checked the back of the vine and all the leaves were a light green, no signs of anything to suggest she had an outbreak on her hands. To be on the safe side she broke the leaf off. She’d send it to the Agriculture Department and get them to test it. Meanwhile she would be extra vigilant to make sure nothing endangered her vines.

“Tell me what’s happening here, Jordan.”

So engrossed in the grapes she’d forgotten Kyle was with her. “Oh I’m going to send this off to get it tested for powdery mildew.”

“Right and powdery mildew is bad.”

She stood and brushed off her hands. “Yep, it can cause a lot of problems for the vines and harvest. It would be a disaster if we had an outbreak.”

His hand landed on her shoulder. “I hope it’s not bad news. How long will it take to hear?”

She grimaced. “Probably longer than it normally would because of the holidays. I imagine most of the departments are going to be on skeleton staff until after New Year’s.”

“Right. So if the tests come back positive what will that mean to you? To the vines and the grapes?”

“The end of a dream,” Jordan said the words to herself. But then closed down the negative thoughts. There was the possibility that it wasn’t powdery mildew and even if it was, it really wasn’t the end of the world. They would just have to be careful when it came to harvest time. She determined she wasn’t going to let this get her down. She was going to remain positive that everything would be fine.

“Jordan?”

She turned away from Kyle and looked out over the vines. “There’s numerous outcomes. But if it is, well, then we will see if we can contain it. Once it comes to harvest time I’ll have to see if the grapes can be used or not.”

“You’ve never really told me what you plan to do with the grapes.”

Apprehension filled her. How much did she tell him? Would he try and stop her plans? After all, he’d planned to bulldoze all the vines. Would he even care if she wanted to blend them? If he did care, would he try and take away her achievement like Don had? Maybe she could give him a barebones explanation of what she wanted to do.

“I still have to finalize things, but I hope to make some boutique wines.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

A hand reached out and touched her cheek, a finger trailing down under her chin. With a little bit of pressure he lifted her chin so she had to look up at him. “I think there’s more to this than just making some wine. You wouldn’t have been so passionate about staying here when I first arrived. But I can respect the need to be private.” He let go of her chin and stepped back. She missed his warmth. “When you’re ready to tell me everything, I’ll listen.”

He turned and headed back toward the house, leaving her to her vines, and the small seed of hope grew a little more. Maybe, just maybe, Kyle would be open to reviewing her business plan when she’d finished it. Maybe there was a future for them on a business level and, she couldn’t believe she was even entertaining these thoughts, a personal level too.

*

Jordan rubbed her eyes and looked down at the finished business plan. After Kyle had seemed so interested in her plans for the vineyard, she hoped he would be open to her ideas and her business plan.

She checked the figures one last time. Everything looked perfect. Now she had to work out the best time to present it to Kyle and hope like crazy all her work wouldn’t be for nothing.

“Hey, why are you in here?” Kyle asked as he kissed her on the head. His hand came down on her papers. “What this?”

Jordan gathered up the papers, not sure she wanted to discuss it with Kyle right at that moment. She wanted to work herself up to it. “Uh, nothing.”

“It didn’t look like nothing to me. It looked like a business plan or proposal of some sort. What are you working on, Jordan?”

Knowing she had no option, she faced him. “Yes, you’re right—it’s a business plan.”

Kyle hitched his hip against the table, crossed his arms across his chest. “Do you want me to look it over? Who are you planning to present it to?”

She would love for Kyle to look it over. His opinion would be so valuable. That was, if she planned to present it to a banker or lawyer. It was now or never. Her chance to prove she was more than a winemaker, that she was a person who could run a business.

“Well,” she dragged the word out, “you would be the person I’m planning on presenting it to.”

He stood a little straighter. “Me? Why me?”

“How about we move to the living room?” she suggested, needing a few moments to get her mind around what she was about to do.

Without a word, Kyle walked out the door. She had no idea how she was going to keep her focus on the task at hand and not on how it felt to be held in Kyle’s embrace. She had to put their personal relationship to the farthest part of her mind. This was business. Personal relationships had no place in a business relationship.

Jordan scooped up the papers and headed toward the living room. Kyle had seated himself on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

It was anything but a business setting. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.

“Hit me with it.”

Was he making fun of her? Did he think her plan was a joke?

“I’m not playing around here. I’ve been working on this plan for weeks. If you’re not planning on taking me seriously then I’ll make an appointment with Shey to see you at your office when you’re back at work.”

Immediately his feet came off the table. “Sorry, you’re right. Just because we share a bed doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give you the same attention I’d give anyone presenting anything to me.”

“Right, thank you.” She handed him the proposal. “What I’ve given you is a plan to expand your current stock of vines to enable you to create your own wine label. If you turn to page five, you’ll see that a soil analysis has shown your particular parcel of land is perfect to plant a combination of both red and white wine grapes. The types that would flourish the most would be Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes in the red wine varietal. For the white wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes are the best. The vines you currently have are Sauvignon Blanc, so adding the Semillon makes sense as you can end up with three wines: a single blend for each one and then a mixed blend.”

The further she got into her presentation, the more confident she became. “Blending wines is an art, one I’ve been working on and have become very proficient with. My plan would be to create blends that have unique flavors. The opportunity to create a boutique winery here on the property is huge.”

“This is my private property. I don’t want strangers traipsing over my property every weekend.” He flicked through the pages of her presentation. The confidence began ebbing away. “What did you base your assumptions on to get these figures?”

“You don’t have to make it open to the public,” she started. “In answer to your question, I spoke to local winemakers and growers to ascertain the cost of planting new stock. As you can see, it will take a couple of years before the new vines produce decent grapes to use in wine. In the meantime, I asked around at some of the bigger wineries in the region that I know buy grapes from small producers. They would be happy to look at our product, and then if it suits their wines, buy the grapes from us. They would crush the fruit and set aside a certain amount for me to use to produce our own wines. To do that, we’d need to purchase barrels for our use. We can buy secondhand to start off with before buying new oak barrels.”

“That’s an awful lot of outlay for no guaranteed return. What if the grapes are unsuitable? What then? I’ve spent a considerable amount of money and it’s all wasted? This is a high-risk project, Jordan.”

Ok, so Kyle shot holes in her proposal. She had prepared herself for this sort of response. Only a novice would come into a presentation without thinking of all avenues the investors might ask.

“We are about three months from harvesting the current crop of grapes. The vines you currently have on your property are extremely mature. The chance the harvest will be of a low quality is slim. Prior to harvesting I will contact the interested wineries and they will inspect the grapes. It’s not likely the grapes will make their premium wine labels. The best-case scenario is the grapes will be blended with others to make their second tier labels. Either way, it will be a nice injection of cash.”

Jordan reached out her hand. “May I?” she asked, wanting Kyle to hand over her presentation. When he did, she turned the pages until she found what she wanted. She then placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

“If you look here, my proposal for the first two years is to harvest and sell the grapes. We reinvest the cash we receive into purchasing new vines and planting them. While these vines are growing I will work with the portion set aside and make some wine. This wine won’t be ready to be bottled for a couple of years. It may seem that we’d be treading water for a while, but in the long run the projected income could be significant.”

Kyle gave them a cursory look before looking back at her. “Jordan, I can see you’ve done a great deal of work on this presentation. It’s well put together and concise. However, this isn’t what I want for this property. I’m sorry, I still plan on pulling the vines out once you’ve got your grapes.”

Jordan sucked in a breath. If he’d hit her, it wouldn’t have hurt as much. “You’re still going to pull out the vines? Even after all the work I’ve done with them over the last few weeks? You’ve walked those vines with me, Kyle. After everything we’ve shared together, why would you do this to me?”

“Did you think by sleeping with me you could soften me up? Make me change my mind about the vines? You knew that first day in the kitchen those vines didn’t interest me. Nothing has changed. I’m sorry, Jordan, but my answer is no.”

“No, I didn’t think sleeping with you would soften you up. What I thought would happen is that you’d put personal feelings aside and look at this like the businessman you’re acclaimed to being.”

“I am being a businessman, and it’s not practical for me to break out into winemaking. I never wanted to. Sure, my father loved to tend to helpless, almost dead plants and nurture them back to life. But not me. I’m too selfish for that. Those grapes you love so much would die if I showed an ounce of interest in them.”

What was going on here? Why would Kyle think the vines would die? What did his father’s ability to look after dying plants have to do with her business plan?

“I’m not following here, Kyle. This sounds like your decision is an emotional one and not a business one.” She studied him for a moment, trying to delve into his psyche to find an answer. “Those vines represent something to you. What is it?”

Silence descended on them, and Jordan wondered if Kyle would get up and walk out. Leaving her question unanswered.

“When I bought this place they looked dead, a mass of twigs sticking up out of the ground. So like the trees in Thailand after the tsunami. The next time I came, I walked down a row and saw a bit of green on one of them. New life springing up. I knew then they had to go.”

“Why?” Confusion replaced her indignation. How could a bud of hope in new growth signal death to Kyle?

“Because when I look out there I see my father in our back shed, talking to the almost dead plant a neighbor brought to him to resurrect to life. My father would’ve loved those vines, too. He would’ve done all the research necessary to keep them healthy. But because of me and my selfishness he never got the opportunity. So while I know you probably deserve a chance to prove to me that you could bring your plan to life, for me it would be a constant reminder of what I don’t have anymore.”

Desolation landed down hard on her. To know he sort of believed in her but couldn’t let her show him what she could do because he still lived in the past hurt beyond anything she’d ever experienced. This was just like when she’d tried to prove she’d made the wine Don took the credit for. Her words were ignored. Did she look incompetent? Was it because she was a woman?

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kyle reach for her plan. Jordan snatched the papers away before he could touch them. “Not on your life. You’re not taking my hard work. You’ll probably look at it in a few days and think it’s a great idea, but you won’t let me follow through on the plan. You’ll get another person to do it, because Jordan Hastings is a woman and doesn’t have a lick of business sense in her brain. I should’ve known better than to trust you. You men are all the same. Well, not this time. No one is going to take credit for my ideas or wines.”

“What do you mean by that comment?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Jordan.”

“Fine. My fiancé told everyone he made the wine that won an award. But he didn’t. He wouldn’t know how to make a decent wine if it hit him over the head.”

Seeing the pity in Kyle’s eyes only increased her anger. She couldn’t stay here any long. She stormed passed him, pausing at the door. “Thanks for nothing.”

Chapter 16

Kyle slouched back on the couch as the house echoed with the sound of the back door slamming.

Shit. He could’ve handled the situation so differently. He couldn’t fault the research and the numbers Jordan had written in her presentation. He wanted to give her the break she deserved to make her mark in the wine industry, especially after what her loser ex did. He really did. He knew she would make it, too. Her determination fired her soul. But it wouldn’t be with the grapes on his property. He would continue with his plan to remove everything that needed more than just a little fertilizer and water. Seeing the cycle of almost death and life again in the vines would screw his already fucked up mind.

God, it hurt to know he was responsible for crushing Jordan’s dream. She’d walk away from him and take a piece of him with her. He’d shared more with her than he’d ever shared with a woman. She made him laugh and even gave him hope that one day he could love again. It would hurt to see her leave.

He would survive though. He could erase all traces of her when he leveled the garden. He wasn’t sure he could erase her presence inside the house.

Kyle cocked his head to the side when he heard a car start up. His heart sped up. Jordan driving while upset wasn’t safe. She could get hurt. He jumped off the couch and raced toward the back door. He had to stop her from leaving. He had to try and explain his motivations and feelings better than he had.

He opened the door and saw the back of Jordan’s car flying down the driveway.

“Damn.” He couldn’t stop her. Should he go after her or wait it out?

Grabbing his keys off the counter, he stepped out the door toward his car and stopped.

What if Jordan came home while he was out looking for her? He didn’t want her to think he’d deserted her. Especially not after he’d shot down her dreams.

He sat down on a kitchen chair. How could he fix this? How could he help Jordan achieve her dream?

Kyle mentally went through his client list. Did any of his clients have an interest in a winery? Could he somehow help her get a job as a winemaker? What had happened with the award she mentioned? Why didn’t she get the credit?

His head started to hurt with all the questions. He glanced at the clock and saw that only fifteen minutes had passed since Jordan had walked out. If he didn’t do something, he would go insane. A surf would clear his head. He’d be able to think while he battled the waves. Some of his best ideas had come while he’d been riding a wave.

He walked back to his study and grabbed a piece of paper. He’d leave Jordan a note, asking her to wait for him to return.

Kyle left the note in the middle of the kitchen table. He thought about taping it to the door so Jordan wouldn’t miss it, but that might be a bit of an overkill.

He scooped up his keys again and headed toward his car.

The beach was busy. The waves looked a reasonable size. And then he spied Jordan’s car. His heart sped up. Fate appeared to be on his side. Maybe he could catch up with her. They could take a walk along the beach and talk. It would be the perfect location. Neutral ground.

Kyle grabbed his board off the roof of his car and tucked it under his arms. As he made his way toward the beach he heard screaming. He looked up and saw someone carrying a limp body through the shallows.

He broke out into a jog. When he reached the sand he dumped his board and picked up his pace. There was something familiar about the person being carried up the beach.

He heart leapt to his throat. It looked like Jordan.

No.

The word screamed loudly in his mind. He couldn’t lose another person he loved to the ocean. Surely the fates, the same ones who let him see her car, wouldn’t be that cruel to him.

A crowd had started to build. He wanted to muscle everyone out of the way to see if it was Jordan. But the people closed him out. He had to get closer.

He peered through a gap in the mass of arms at the person on the ground. Two people were leaning over the prone body, one doing chest compressions, the other breathing life-saving air into the person.

Kyle wanted to cry out in frustration. He couldn’t see who the person was. His head was telling him that in all likelihood it wasn’t Jordan, but his heart was telling him she was dead too.

If only he could see properly.

• • •

Her walk had calmed her down to a certain degree. But her heart still ached that Kyle could stomp on her dream with the force that he did. Shey’s words about not giving up on Kyle came back to her. She’d walked away from Don and not fought for the recognition she deserved. Was she going to spend her life walking away when things became too difficult?

No!

Dammit, she was going to fight for her dream. Kyle saying no was completely different to what Don had done. If she’d learned nothing about Kyle over the last few days it was that while he might think he was selfish, he was anything but that. Don’s motivation in taking credit for her wine had been because he knew he’d never make it as a winemaker. Her wine was his one chance.

Kyle, though, was coming from a place of pain. A place of where he couldn’t forgive himself for what he’d done. A place where it was better to be alone than to care and risk getting hurt himself.

Yes, she was going to fight not only for her vines but also for Kyle.

A crowd was gathering on the beach. On the outer edge, a tall man who looked like Kyle was trying to get closer to whatever was happening. There was a desperation about his movements that made her quicken her step. Hopefully, no one was seriously hurt.

It was Kyle trying to muscle in. She walked up behind him.

“Hey, what’s happening?” she asked as she touched his back, feeling his tense muscles.

He whirled around at the sound of her voice.

“Thank God.” The words rushed out of him and his arms closed around her, pulling her close. His lips found hers, plundering her mouth with the finesse of a teenager.

He broke the kiss as her mind tried to process the intensity of his kiss. What was happening here? This wasn’t the reaction of man who’d just crushed her dreams. This was the reaction of a man who, dare she hope, wanted her and not just in a sexual way. Did she mean more to him than a person who looked after his property while her father was recovering?

“I thought I’d lost you, Jordan. I thought another person I loved was going to be taken from me by the ocean. If I lost you, I don’t think I would survive.”

She didn’t have time to fully understand what he told her, as Kyle tugged her hand and pulled her away from the crowd. Jordan dug her heels into the sand, but it didn’t do anything to stem Kyle’s determination. She supposed he had a point after the kiss he’d given her.

“Kyle, stop.” They had moved far enough away to gain some privacy from the other beachgoers.

He stopped and once again pulled her close, his hands rubbing up and down her back. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to hurt you.”

She couldn’t deny the sincerity of his apology. It didn’t mean she planned to forgive him so easily. “You did hurt me, Kyle. You know I’m a winemaker. I told you the first day that I want to experiment and make wine. I thought you were coming to appreciate that about me when we walked through the vines and I explained what I was doing. I worked hard on that plan.”

“I didn’t mean to lead you on. And your business plan was one of the best I’ve seen. I want to help you achieve your goal, just not on my property.”

She turned away so he wouldn’t see the tears welling up inside of her. He’d given her a compliment then taken it away.

Kyle’s hand cupped her chin and turned her face back to him. She had no choice but to look at him. “Jordan, so much has happened in the few days we’ve known each other. I’m finally learning I have to let go of the most devastating part of my life and it’s all due to you. You’re an amazing person. I see your dedication to the vines. I don’t know if I’m ready to make another significant change in what was supposed to be my haven. Can you help me do that? Can you help me heal?”

She couldn’t deny the points he made. Perhaps it had been too soon for her to pitch her idea to him. She probably should stick with her original plan, which was to create a good wine … another winery. It would mean she’d be parted from Kyle, although she was assuming they were in some sort of long-term relationship. They’d never discussed the future so she probably couldn’t make assumptions about where they were headed.

But hadn’t he’d told her he loved her? Or had she dreamt him saying that to her in the middle of the crowd?

He’d just asked her for her help? Her big, arrogant man had asked for help. And probably for the first in his life.

“Yes, Kyle, I can help. I’ll go with you if you want to go to counseling to talk about what happened in Thailand. I’ll do anything, but you have to understand I’m not going to give up on my dreams either. You said I could finish out this harvest. Please don’t make any rash decisions about the vines until after. Let me show you what I can do. Give me a chance, please.”

“I came down to the beach to clear my mind. Instead what I saw was someone being pulled from the ocean who looked a bit like you and my world started falling apart. All I could think was you were being taken away from me. I didn’t want to live if you weren’t standing beside me.”

He framed her face and her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of emotion shining in his eyes. Her heart leapt. She hadn’t dreamt what he’d said.

“Yes, I’ll give you a chance. I love you, Jordan. When I arrived at my house that late Friday night I never expected my life would change so much the next day. From that first encounter in the bathroom, you have pushed and prodded me. You’ve given me the courage to seek help to let go of the guilt that had been eating me up for so long. You’re giving me a peace I never thought I’d ever possess. You also taught me to love again. I can’t let you go. No, I won’t let you go.”

She needed confirmation even though he’d told her twice how he felt about her. “You love me?”

“Yes, honey. Yes I do. I love you with my whole heart. And it’s becoming whole now because of your belief in me.”

Jordan couldn’t doubt his words. Kyle had laid himself bare to her over and over again. No man who didn’t have feelings for her could lie that well. She knew she could trust him with her heart and her life. This was one risk she could take.

“Oh Kyle, I love you too. You’ve shown me what true love is. I don’t want to go through my life without you standing next to me.”

She made the move this time and captured his lips. In the background she could hear sirens. It seemed wrong to be so happy and kissing the man she loved when someone was fighting for her life a few feet away. She broke the kiss.

Only a few people from the crowd remained, and she could see the person who they’d been working on was sitting up. Jordan smiled at the sight. No one was going to experience a tragedy today. Only life and new beginnings.

“I think we should go home now.”

“There’s one more thing I need to do.” He dropped down on one knee and Jordan wrapped her arms around herself. “Jordan Hastings, I want to walk through the rest of my life with you by my side. Will you consider marrying me in the future?”

Jordan never imagined when she arrived to see her father with her life in turmoil that a couple months later she’d be on a beach with a man on bended knee. Now she couldn’t imagine not having Kyle in her life.

“Yes, Kyle. Yes, I will consider marrying you in the future.”

He stood and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her high. “I love you, Jordan Hastings and I can’t wait to make it official.” He set her down on the ground. “Thank you for pushing me to try again. I love you.”

“I’m sure there will be a time when you’ll be pushing me. I love you too, Kyle. Now can we go home?”

“Absolutely.”

Chapter 17

One year later – Boxing Day

Jordan stood on the beach and watched as Kyle waded into the shallows, a wreath in his hands. He was surrounded by a number of people doing the same thing. She couldn’t be prouder of Kyle.

He’d surprised her when he agreed to her suggestion to come to Thailand for Christmas and participate in a memorial service for the victims of the tsunami.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she turned quickly to see Shey standing behind her. “Thanks for coming, Shey. I know it means a lot to Kyle to have you and Nate here, considering all you’ve done for him over the years.”

“Oh sweetie, it’s me who should be thanking you. You’re the one who worked your magic on Kyle. If you hadn’t, he’d be holed up in that house of his in a drunken stupor.”

Jordan laughed. “Well that’s your fault too. You neglected to put a clause in my contract.”

Shey eyed Jordan’s swelling belly. “I somehow don’t think you mind my matchmaking skills.”

Jordan wrapped her hands over her baby belly and rubbed gently. “Nope. I can’t deny everything has worked out well.” Jordan touched Shey on the shoulder. “Thanks for everything, Shey.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.”

They stood shoulder to shoulder and watched as Kyle let the wreath go. Jordan walked down to the shallows and waited. It wasn’t long before Kyle turned and headed toward her. He stopped in front of her and Jordan wiped away the lone tear rolling down his cheek with her thumb.

“I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” she whispered. “I know how hard it was for you to come here.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for making me come.” Kyle gathered her close and she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. They stood there, the water washing over their feet, holding each other, Jordan passing her strength to Kyle.

After their declaration of love on the beach last year, they’d spent Christmas Day (complete with a Christmas tree) and Boxing Day together. They’d also gone to counseling and she’d watched Kyle begin to heal. He was finally able to visit his parents’ and Emily’s graves and say what he hadn’t been able to before.

Then they had got married in a quiet ceremony at the Margaret River property, the vineyard a backdrop to their happy day. And now they were starting their own family. Kyle had also come around to part of her business plan and with a baby on the way, she had to say she was happy with what they’d planned.

She thought back to those couple of weeks after their reunion on the beach. The powdery mildew test came back negative. The grapes grew beautifully over January and February and come harvest time they ended up with a good crop that they sold to a well-known winery and received a nice sum of money. On that principal, Kyle had agreed to her plan of growing and selling the grapes. They had started to investigate the possibility of obtaining the necessary tanks and barrels and equipment for Jordan to make her own wine. Then she’d found out she was pregnant and becoming a mother became the most important thing she wanted to do in her life. Winemaking would always be there. It wasn’t going to go away. When she was ready she’d go back to it—something she’d never thought she do. For so long making wines had been so important to her. Now spending time with Kyle and growing their family had become her priority for the time being.

In the meantime they split their time between the house in Perth and the Margaret River house. Her dad was still the caretaker and he tended to the vines with the same care as Jordan did. Life couldn’t be better.

Suddenly the baby kicked and Kyle chuckled. “I think our Emily is telling me she’s had enough of being squashed.”

“Or she’s telling her daddy she loves him.” When a scan had shown she was carrying a baby girl, she’d known exactly what they should name her—Emily, after Kyle’s sister. Kyle had smiled so big when she’d suggested it.

Kyle kissed her softly on the lips. “I like that idea much better. You always have the best ideas.”

Jordan laughed. “Everyone’s waiting. Are you ready to go have some lunch?”

Beneath her cheek Kyle’s chest rose as he took a deep breath. “With you by my side I can do anything. Let’s go join our family.”

Arm in arm they walked up the beach to where Shey, Nate, their two kids and her father and his lady friend stood waiting for them.

She’d been wrong that day on the beach when Kyle declared his love to her. Life could get much better.

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank Cameron Shephard for answering my “blast from the past” email with my questions about the workings of vine management so I could have a credible reason for Jordan to hang around at Christmas. I have great memories of visiting your family property in Yallingup. It was the inspiration for this story.

Thank you to Tara, Julie, and the team at Crimson Romance for seeing the potential with this story and giving me the opportunity to share it with my readers.

My web designer, Katrina of Kika Web Designs, is amazing. She revamped my website, and it is fantastic. Thank you again for answering my call of “I want to do something to my website, but I don’t know what” and making it even better than I imagined.

Paula Jeffrey, thanks for taking the time out of your extremely busy job to visit my dad for me. Much appreciated.

Shey, I hope I did your name proud. Miss our lunches together.

A huge thank you to Jennifer Greeff of More Than Words Promotions for helping me with all things PR. Looking forward to sharing many more book releases with you.

To my readers, well, this is book 13 and a lucky one it will be. Thanks for reading every one of my books and for supporting me. To my new readers who have just found me—welcome to my world.

Princess and Sports Dude – I love you. That is all.

Finally, to my husband, Jason, who put aside his work to come home when he knew I needed him. Thank you. Love you, babe.

More from This Author

Daniel’s Decision

Nicole Flockton

Daniel Whitman swirled the glass tumbler, watching the amber liquid circle and cling to the outer edges of the glass, the ice clinking against the sides in musical accompaniment. It did little to drown out the noise coming from the party going on behind him.

He should have been celebrating with the rest of his family. He was happy his little brother had found contentment and happiness in his life. Jen, his brother’s fiancée, had made remarkable changes in Chad’s wayward, fun-loving personality. Seems everyone around him was finding love—including his father. He took another gulp and welcomed the burn trickling down his throat.

What he felt like doing was buying a bottle of the twenty-year-old malt whiskey he was drinking and having his own private little party. Instead, he lifted his near-empty glass in a signal to the barman that he wanted a top-up.

“Everything all right, son?” his father asked as he slipped onto the empty barstool next to him.

Daniel raised his glass in a mock salute. “Absolutely, just having a quiet drink.”

“You might want to go easy on that,” Richard Whitman said as he inclined his head at the glass in Daniel’s hand.

He let out a harsh laugh and downed the rest of the contents. “It’s my first drink, Dad.”

He felt rather than heard the heavy sigh his father let out. “Look, you’re not still upset about the meeting this afternoon, are you? You know Adam and I thought long and hard about your expansion plans for the resort. We agree they have merit and will be a good idea in the future, but with the new microbrewery, we can’t justify another large capital outlay.”

Daniel loved his older brother, Adam. He had missed him while Adam was away carving out his own career in Los Angeles. But during that time, Daniel thought he and his father had grown close while they discussed ideas like streamlining some of the business practices and accounting procedures at Emerald Tea Farm, which had increased profits and productivity. Now with Adam back, it was like Dad had disregarded all those conversations and listened only to his firstborn. He knew it bothered Chad, too, but Chad had eventually talked the family into expanding the diner into a modern microbrewery. Maybe he could use this opportunity to plant the seed in Dad’s mind that proceeding now with the plans for Emerald Paradise Resort was the way to go.

“You do realize, Dad, we are missing out on a niche market? When we had Michael Williams, the actor, staying at the resort, he loved the privacy. It was the first time in years he and his wife had been able to vacation where no paparazzi bothered them. Where they didn’t have to worry about embarrassing pictures appearing in the press.” As Daniel warmed to his topic, his earlier melancholy mood drifted away on the breeze. “If we add a few high-class facilities to the ones we already have and increase the services we offer in the spa, get something that makes our resort stand out from the rest of the resorts in the United States, I believe we’d be running at nearly full capacity year-round. Not to mention if we made a few other changes to our processes—heck, we could be totally eco and environmentally friendly. Those types of features appeal to the rich and famous.”

“Son, these changes you’re proposing don’t sound cheap. How can you guarantee that if we lay out all this money, we will run at capacity? It’s a big risk, and at present it’s one I’m not prepared to take, especially with the new microbrewery expansion.” Dad paused and picked up the drink the bartender had placed in front of him. “Besides, how do you propose we attract these high-class guests to the resort? If we publicize our products and services, we effectively neutralize our anonymity, which according to you, is the main drawing card for these guests.”

“Word of mouth, Dad. I told Michael we were looking at making changes, and he said to let him know when we did. He’d come back and let all his friends know.”

“I wish you’d waited a little longer before saying anything, Dan. I know you have control of the resort, but the final decision is still mine. I just think we need to take a little time and sort through all it will take to achieve this.”

Daniel bit back the groan of frustration that threatened to burst out of him. Why couldn’t his father see what a great business decision this was? He’d drawn up a business plan, worked out the costs of the few changes necessary to make the resort one hundred percent eco-friendly. And with Adam’s knowledge, it would be so easy. The main backbone of his father’s business had been organic—sheesh, Chad’s microbrewery was going to be organic. The resort had been one of the first in Washington State to use the latest green technology. They treated him like he didn’t know how to do anything. He was the one who had an MBA in business, for heaven’s sake.

“Dad, we already have a good reputation as a resort that uses green energy, but we’re getting a little tired. We need to freshen things up, offer new and innovative spa techniques. I can’t say it enough; I want to draw a different crowd to the resort.” Then Daniel plunged ahead with an idea he hadn’t presented that afternoon to his father and brothers. “In addition to trying to find something new and innovative for the resort, I’m also looking at introducing holistic massages and therapies to help with the treatment of cancer. Mom would’ve loved this. She’d have been helping me do the research.”

Damn straight she’d help. No doubt she’d have dug up information he’d never even consider looking for. Even after five years, he still missed her like crazy. He must have been the only kid in his school whose mom had been his best friend. Sheila Whitman had always had time for him—no matter how busy she was she’d sit with him. Listen to him. Encourage him. She always believed in him, always thought his ideas were fantastic. She had been his biggest champion.

God, he wished she was here right now. She’d be able to convince his father that Daniel’s plans were exactly what the resort needed.

“Yes, I’m sure she would’ve loved that. She always believed that eating the organic fruit from our farm slowed her illness.” His father’s words were quiet and filled with admiration for the woman who’d tried with all her might to fight the insidious disease that had taken hold of her and had never let go.

Daniel nodded and took another sip of the whiskey, not needing the numbing sensation he had craved a half an hour ago. “There have been great leaps in using holistic treatments to help cancer patients recover from chemotherapy and radiation sessions. Doctors are adding everything from massages to herbal teas to acupuncture to diet changes, including eating totally organic produce, to cancer treatment plans. We have a chance to reach that market, too. We already know how eating organic can help cancer patients. We’ve got all of that at our fingertips with the orchards. But imagine if we introduced a technique or concept so unique no other resort in North America has ever seen the likes of it. It would really set us apart from everyone else. The possibilities are endless, Dad. Surely you can see that.”

“Dan, I can’t argue with anything you’re saying. Of all my sons, you’ve been the one with the business acumen. You have ensured that Emerald Paradise Resort has always been profitable, and I couldn’t be prouder of you. However, we just can’t do it at the moment. Maybe in a year’s time.”

“In a year’s time it will be too late. Other resorts are already starting to make these changes. I’ve been trying to speak to the marketing manager at a resort in far north Queensland in Australia but haven’t had any luck yet. According to their website, they’re an eco-friendly resort and their spa is the best in the country. I thought about taking a trip down there to check it out.”

“That’s a long way to go. I’m sure there are other resorts in the United States that will give you everything you need.”

“You’ve seen the research I presented to you earlier, we’re on par with the resorts here in the States. But I don’t want to be the same as the others. I want Emerald Paradise to be the best, and this Australian resort is an award-winning, world-class operation; we could learn a lot from them.”

“Richard, darling, are you ready to go?” A light feminine voice interrupted their conversation.

Daniel gripped his glass a little tighter. He still found it hard to believe his father and their housekeeper, Patty, were now an item. His father loving another woman. A woman who wasn’t his mother. The idea seemed so foreign to him.

He kept his eyes focused on his hands and not on what he was sure would be Patty touching his father’s arm.

“Give me a couple more minutes, sweetheart, then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Okay, I’ll go wait with Zoe. Bye Daniel.”

Daniel tried not to flinch when he heard the sound of lips meeting in a quick kiss. He needed to get out of there. There was no point continuing with the conversation. It was a dead end. He placed his glass back on the bar, pulled a couple of bills out of his wallet, and threw them down.

“It’s okay, Dad, I’m leaving now anyway.” He couldn’t deny the happiness shining on his father’s face. It didn’t mean he had to like it, though. “I’ll see you both later.”

He turned and walked away, not bothering to say goodbye to his brothers. He was sure they’d give him hell over it later, but at the moment he didn’t care. He just needed to get away.

The cool night air hit him and he welcomed its freshness. He’d walked to the restaurant, as he knew it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to drive home after a few drinks. He used the time to clear his head and work out what his next move would be.

There were so many changes going on around him. Both of his brothers were now engaged. His father was in love with his housekeeper. Even Colleen, the daughter of his father’s former business partner, had fallen in love and was expecting a baby. She’d been the last person he, and everyone else in town, had expected to succumb to Cupid’s clutches. It appeared there was something in the water in Emerald Springs, and he planned to stay as far away from it as possible. The very idea of falling in love and getting married was anathema to him.

Footsteps sounded behind him, but he didn’t bother turning to see who was there. Lots of people walked the streets at night. Emerald Springs was a safe place; he had no need to worry about anything bad happening. But he did up his pace a fraction, surprised when the person behind him also sped up.

His immediate response was to turn and check out who was following him. He would’ve if he wasn’t a short distance away from his house. An uneasy feeling settled over him. He jogged at night and had never experienced any problems. Why was he worried about the walk home? To see what would happen, he again increased his pace. The person behind him did the same.

This was definitely unusual.

He reached the front door of his house as his phone rang. Over the tone, he heard a muffled curse. He turned quickly to see someone darting across the street.

What the hell?

Shaking his head in disbelief, he pulled his cell out of his pocket along with his keys, and glanced at the caller ID as he unlocked the door.

Adam.

The last thing he wanted was to talk to his older brother. What he really wanted to do was catch up with the suspicious person, demand to know what the hell he wanted and why he felt the need to follow him. But Daniel knew if he didn’t answer, both his brothers would be camped on his doorstep first thing in the morning.

“Hey Adam, what’s up?”

“You tell me, Daniel. You left Chad and Jen’s engagement celebration without saying goodbye. That’s not like you; so what gives?”

Daniel sighed; it was never good when Adam called him Daniel. He closed his door and walked down the hallway, his footsteps echoing around him. His house seemed quiet and lonely.

“Nothing, man, I’m just tired.”

Even to his own ears he didn’t sound convincing, and there was no way Adam was going to let him get away with it.

“I saw you talking to Dad. Tell me you’re not still annoyed about the resort plans. It’s just not—”

“I know, I know, it’s just not good timing,” he interrupted his brother. “I heard it from Dad again tonight. The fact you guys can’t see how this will improve the overall profit margin of the organization baffles me. You’ve both made your decision, but it doesn’t mean I have to agree with it or like it or even follow it.”

“What have you got planned, little brother?” Suspicion laced Adam’s every word.

“Nothing.” Daniel ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted off the phone. “Nothing at all. Look I need to go. I’ll speak to you later. Bye.”

Adam’s goodbye faded as Daniel pulled the phone away from his ear. He tossed it and his keys onto the coffee table, right on top of the plans he’d shown to his family this afternoon. He sat down on the couch and picked them up. Every time he looked at them, he got excited. The possibilities were endless.

His phone buzzed for a second time, and he knew who it would be without having to check caller ID. He picked it up and connected the call.

“Hey, Chad, I’m fine.”

His younger brother’s chuckle drifted down the line. “I should be mad at you for slinking out on me. I had so much more fun planned for you. One of Jen’s friends was eyeing you earlier. Seems she likes the brooding, silent business-suit type. Guess there’s no accounting for taste.”

“Bro, I don’t need you to do any matchmaking, thanks. I can find my own dates; I’ve never had to rely on you or Adam to set me up.”

“What about Becky and her sister, Trina?”

Daniel burst out laughing. He could always count on Chad to lighten his mood. “Man, that was the date from hell, and besides, you tricked me into going with you.”

“Who knew Trina was an octopus in disguise?”

Daniel recalled how Trina’s hands seemed to have a life of their own—all over his body. “Well I don’t plan on falling into the trap you and Adam did. I’ve got my life planned out and getting married isn’t even listed on the pages at present.”

“Famous last words, bro, famous last words. It’s contagious you know. Even the old man got hit.”

Just like that, Daniel’s good mood evaporated. He didn’t need any reminders about his father and Patty. “Yeah, well, not happening here. I’ve got too much to do before I’d even consider entering into a serious relationship with someone.”

Daniel reached out and woke up the laptop sitting on his coffee table. A picture of a stunning wooden structure surrounded by lush green trees filled his screen. An idea quickly flared to life. He wanted to get away, and what better place to do that than at the resort he wanted Emerald Paradise Resort to emulate? Since Kulang Resort was on the other side of the world, it was the perfect getaway from all the sickening happiness surrounding him lately. Without a solid plan in place, without doing all the research necessary, Daniel acted solely on his need to disappear for a while and made a decision. “Listen, Chad, I’m going to take a trip. I’ll probably be gone for a couple of weeks. When I get there I’ll call you.”

“Whoa, man, what?”

If anyone could understand his frustrations, it would be Chad. Chad had fought tooth and nail for his business expansion plans. The fact that the microbrewery had put Daniel’s resort on the back burner should have annoyed him, but he was proud of his little brother, and he couldn’t hold it against him.

“I need to get away, bro. I need some space to deal with everything that’s happening around here. I just can’t deal with seeing—”

“Okay, I get it,” Chad interrupted. “Look, just let me know when you get to wherever you’re going, and I’ll break the news to Dad and Adam that you’ve done a runner.”

“I’m not doing a runner; I’m going on a scouting trip.”

“I don’t want to know. The less information I have, the less trouble I’ll get into. I hope,” Chad said on a laugh. “I got your back, Dan.”

“Thanks, Chad, I owe you.”

“Yeah you do, big time, bro. Take care.”

As Chad disconnected the call, Daniel opened Google and typed in Travelocity. Half an hour later, he had his flights and accommodation booked. In two days, he’d be in Australia inspecting Kulang Resort. He would make the changes to his resort even if he had to take out a second mortgage on his house to complete them. He believed in his vision, and he would do whatever it took to bring it to life.

• • •

Rochelle Harris rearranged the flowers on the reception desk, removing some blooms that were wilting. The perfume from the lilies was subtle but refreshing. She straightened a magazine and gave a slight nod, satisfied that the area looked neat but welcoming.

She loved her job. There was nothing more fulfilling than seeing people enter the resort tired and in desperate need of relaxation and then checking out with an abundance of energy and eager to book their next visit. Knowing she played a little part in making their stay enjoyable and that her innovative marketing techniques drew guests to the resort made all her hard work and the sacrifices she’d made along the way to get into the management position she now held, all worthwhile.

It wasn’t hard to relax, not when surrounded by the healthy rainforest and treatments meant to restore a weary soul. Even she made sure to book a weekly hot stone massage to ensure her energy levels were constantly on an even keel.

As Rochelle gave the reception area another once over, she noticed a man walking into the resort. He strode confidently through the doors; she pegged him for a successful businessman. He probably had a glossy, perfectly made-up woman following behind.

Except he didn’t. He didn’t waver in his strides, as if he was waiting for someone to catch up with him.

She made her way a bit closer to the reception desk. It wasn’t unusual but it definitely wasn’t common for a single man to come to the resort. She moved behind the counter, smiling at one of the staff as she did so.

“Good morning, sir, and welcome to Kulang Resort.”

Rochelle smiled as she heard the front desk clerk greet the mystery guest. She had no idea why she was so interested in him, but he’d piqued her curiosity. She risked a glance at him then looked quickly away. Up close, he was even more magnetic. She tried to ignore the increase in her heart rate. She wasn’t normally one to like a five o’clock shadow on a man, but on this guest it was extremely sexy.

She pushed the thought away. It was her personal policy not to get involved with any guest. The owners of Kulang had no hard and fast rule about guests and staff. But for her, getting involved with a guest could be detrimental to her career. She’d made that mistake once, and she wasn’t going to do it again.

“Good morning, my name’s Daniel Whitman and I have a reservation.”

Daniel Whitman.

Why did that name ring a bell? She racked her brain, trying to see if there was something that would trigger her memory. He was American; she got that from his accent.

Was he a returning guest? No, she didn’t think he was. But then again, it wasn’t like she knew all the guests who had ever stayed at the resort.

Daniel Whitman.

She knew that name, she was sure of it, and it was bugging her that she couldn’t remember how she knew him.

“I see you haven’t booked in for any of the treatments the resort offers, Mr. Whitman. Is there something in particular you’d like to experience?”

“I haven’t made up my mind, but when I do, I’ll let you know. Your resort has so much to offer; it’s almost too hard to choose.”

There was nothing in what he said that should have unlocked her memory, but she suddenly knew who Daniel Whitman was. He was the person who had been emailing her to get information about the resort. She’d not responded because she wasn’t sure if his claim as a resort owner was legitimate. She had been too caught up with the new marketing and expansion plans she’d been working on to take time to do proper research on the resort he said he was from, and until she’d looked more carefully into his background, she wasn’t going to respond to his queries.

Now was the perfect opportunity to find out why he was here and what he wanted from her. If he wanted anything. She took a step forward and held out her hand toward him.

“Good morning, Mr. Whitman, I’m Rochelle Harris, marketing manager at Kulang Resort. You’ve been emailing me, right?”

Rochelle wasn’t prepared for the sensations that shot through her the moment Daniel grasped her hand. It took everything in her to shake his hand professionally and not pull away and tuck her own hand behind her back.

“Ms. Harris, finally we connect.” His voice had lowered fractionally and the hint of a smile he sent her way did nothing to quell the feelings that were starting to override her good sense.

He sounded so calm, as if their hands touching didn’t affect him in any way. It probably didn’t; it was probably nothing new to him. She was sensitive to the reasons why he had been emailing her, not because of her earlier admiration of him when he’d entered the resort.

Rochelle extracted her hand from his hold. “I wouldn’t say connect, Mr. Whitman, but welcome to the resort. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

He looked her up and down, and she worked hard to control the slow rise of heat she could feel building inside of her.

“Everything I’ve seen so far leads me to believe I’m going to enjoy my time here very much.”

“Excellent. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact any of our staff. We’ll be more than happy to help you decide on any of the services we offer. We do have a range of treatments especially designed for our male guests. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Whitman.”

Rochelle moved away from the desk and from the man who had screwed up her equilibrium.

She reached the safety of her office and closed the door. Leaning against the solid wood, she took a few deep breaths. Never before had a guest rattled her like Daniel Whitman had. But he wasn’t a guest in the true sense of the word. She’d been caught out once before by thinking someone was a guest when in fact they’d been there to use her and her knowledge. She wasn’t getting caught out this time though. She knew from the emails Daniel Whitman was from a rival resort. He wasn’t there to relax. He was visiting to scope out Kulang’s facilities. She would make sure she kept out of his way for the duration of his stay. If he had any questions, she would refer them to her assistant, Melanie. It probably wasn’t the most professional thing to do, but it was the only way she knew she could handle the situation.

For the sake of her career, and to keep her focus on her goal to learn everything she could about running a resort so she could be appointed General Manager and run it one day, she had to be sensible. She could not get distracted by an attraction to someone who could ruin it all. Avoiding Daniel Whitman was a top priority now.

To purchase this ebook and learn more about the author, click here.

Praise for Daniel’s Decision:

“This was a wonderful book of two people both following their dreams to the ends of the earth, and learning a valuable lesson along the way. I loved the character of Daniel so very much that the man had me in tears on a regular basis. Tears of frustration, joy, anger and hope . . . I am taking away a message of when we find love, we should not let our goals or perfect sea of life get in the way - sometimes you need to bend the rules a little to get what you want.” -- 5 stars, Contemporary Romance Reviews

“Once again, Nicole Flockton has created a couple with a wonderful and immediate chemistry - one you can believe in. Another winner from the pen of Ms Flockton!”—My Written Romance

“If you want a fun and entertaining read, don’t miss Daniel’s Decision by Nicole Flockton”— 4 stars, Harlequin Junkie

Also check out:

Masquerade

Rescuing Dawn

Seducing Phoebe

Praise for the Lovers Unmasked series:

“I just loved this story . . . If you like a good, fun and oh so sexy read, make sure you don’t miss Seducing Phoebe.” —Harlequin Junkie

“A fun and ultimately satisfactory read, this is the last of the series but can be read as a stand-alone book, and is certain to become a favorite of many.”—I Am, Indeed

“I loved this book! There was angst and the return of an ex-boyfriend on the eve of the heroine’s wedding to a man whose ‘been there’ for her all along.”—Caribbean Accent Book Reviews

“This was my first time reading a book by Nicole Flockton and it will not be my last. If you enjoy a true romance book then this is the one for you!” —Tiffany Talks Books

“Flockton does a fabulous job of making Dawn's pain real and developing her as a multi-dimensional character. I felt horrible for Dawn, but I didn't pity her. I respected her for coming through such a devastating experience. There's often a fine line between writing a character that annoys readers and a character readers feel for. Flockton does a fabulous job here.”—Shana Galen, RITA finalist and author of If You Give a Rake a Ruby

“An extremely emotional and sweet romance that will break your heart, make you cry and make you smile, don’t miss Rescuing Dawn by Nicole Flockton.”—Harlequin Junkie

In the mood for more Crimson Romance?

Check out The December Deal by Dana Volney at CrimsonRomance.com.

OJW Conversion -

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Acknowledgments

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