Lifestyle by Design 1 Will to Love

Will To Love

(Lifestyle By Design Book 1)

By Miranda P. Charles

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the

copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for

commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your

friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other

works by this author. Thank you for your support.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, organisations and events

described in this novel are either products of the author's imagination, fictitious or are used

fictitiously. Any resemblance to any event, locale or person, living or dead, is purely

coincidental.

Other Books by Miranda P. Charles

http://www.mirandapcharles.com

Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2)

Ray of Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 3)

Secret Words (Secret Dreams Book 1)

Secret Designs (Secret Dreams Book 2)

Secret Moves (Secret Dreams Book 3)

CHAPTER ONE

Victor will be there with me, looking like his usual gorgeous self. He assured me he'd be very

attentive. Everyone will see how mad we are for each other. Well, hopefully, that's what

they'll see. Surely this will work. It should stop my dear sister from going ahead with her

matchmaking plans. If it doesn't, well, plan B is to die from embarrassment. It will work,

Clarise Carson thought confidently before taking a deep sigh and returning her focus to her

last piece of work before she ended the working day.

After a final review, she was done with her latest article for Lifestyle by Design, the

popular monthly magazine read by those with loads of disposable income keen to know

which restaurants and bars were worth going to, which exotic destinations they could holiday

in next and which new gadgets they must own to make their busy lives easier.

She was still salivating at the memory of the glorious food she had at Stillwaters, the

newest restaurant in Sydney, owned by an upcoming Australian chef, and the latest

establishment she had researched and reviewed.

Yes, she nodded. They definitely deserve this glowing article. She knew the new

restaurant would soon have a very long waiting list of patrons wanting to dine there once next

month's issue became available.

Satisfied with her day's accomplishments, she shut off her laptop, grabbed her

handbag and walked into the office of Victor Michaels, the magazine's very good-looking

head graphic designer.

"I'm done for today, darling. Are you ready to go? I'm starving," she said to Victor.

"I'd also like to talk to you again about Megan's engagement party this Saturday night.

Seriously, if you can't go with me, I don't know who else to ask," she said, voicing her worry.

"Just give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go. And of course, I'm going with you

to your sister's party," Victor replied with a grin. "I'm really excited about it. I'm already

looking forward to meeting your family and showing them just how much I want you," he

said in a low, sexy voice.

If it hadn't been Victor who made the comment, she would have blushed. Instead she

laughed and settled herself on a chair and waited for him to finish.

Renewed hope flowed through her. Having Victor for her date should stop Megan's

plan to introduce her to single men at her and Rick's engagement party. Who knew how many

of them they had invited? And it was supposed to be a small affair only! She shuddered at the

thought of being introduced to a line-up of bachelors, with everyone there knowing what was

going on. That would be way too embarrassing!

I wouldn't make a spectacle of myself, even though Megan thinks she's only doing me

a favour.

She had wondered why Megan was so intent on playing matchmaker. She wouldn't be

surprised if their mum was in on it, too. Both of them must have felt sorry for her when she

broke up with Daniel, especially when she'd asked if she'd ever meet 'The One'. She winced.

She could still remember her conversation with her mother.

"Don't worry, darling, maybe Daniel's not really meant for you."

"Do you really think I'll ever find 'the one', Mum? You know, like you have Dad and

Megan has Rick?"

"Of course, you will! You are gorgeous and you are beautiful on the inside, too.

Somewhere out there, there's a man just for you. And I'm not saying that because I'm your

mother. But you won't find this person if you don't go out enough! Most of your contacts are

work-related and you have such strict rules about not dating anyone connected to your work.

You should socialise more, Clarise."

Her mother hadn't hidden the fact that she was worried she would end up a spinster and

would have no one to share her life with. With her track record of hardly going out on dates

and her past relationships not lasting more than two and a half months—her time with Daniel

being the longest—she shared her mum's concerns.

Ruefully, she remembered the time when she and Daniel took her parents out to

dinner. At twenty-nine years of age, she had finally introduced a boyfriend to her parents.

Her mother had been so excited it was like she herself was going out on her first date.

Three weeks after that, she was single again. She felt she had failed at something

significant and swallowed the pain and guilt that attacked her at disappointing her parents—

and herself.

"Are you okay, Clarise?" Victor's voice brought her back into the present.

"Yes, I was just thinking of Megan's plan to foist single men on me. I don't want to

look desperate! How mortifying would that be?"

She smiled at the man in front of her. She couldn't help but think that it was, indeed,

very unfortunate for the female population that Victor was gay. He was really hot-looking

and a decent guy to boot.

"I'm so looking forward to your sister's engagement party but I seriously hope there

are no handsome, muscular hunks there or I won't be able to keep up our pretence."

They laughed out loud.

CHAPTER TWO

Victor got out of the car, looking gorgeous in his light grey, long-sleeved, collared shirt and

black pants. He went to the passenger side to open Clarise's door. With her in a chic, blue silk

dress that hugged her figure in all the right places, the two of them were a picture of a

beautiful couple.

"Thank you, darling," she murmured to Victor as she gracefully got out of the vehicle.

Her eyes danced with controlled laughter as she watched him act out their game. "What is

your mantra again tonight?" she teased him.

"I'm a sexy, handsome, straight man who's crazy about you," he whispered with a

snicker. "Don't make me laugh or we'll give the game away. Your parents are watching us."

Clarise waved to her parents. They, too, had just arrived and were patiently waiting

for them, trying not to stare at Victor.

She knew Megan would have told their mum straight away about her 'new boyfriend'

after she had called a couple of days ago. She'd informed Megan she was bringing a date to

her party after all.

"Is this your new boyfriend?" her sister had asked with open interest.

"I work with Victor, and we, umm, get along really well and we really like each

other," she had answered. "There's the complication of working together but we seem to be

managing it quite well. I'm really looking forward to introducing him to you guys."

She wasn't good at lying and had tried to sound mysterious. She wanted Megan to

believe there was something romantic between her and Victor without actually saying the

words. She must have succeeded because right now, as she and Victor walked hand in hand

towards her parents, she could tell her mum was trying to hide a huge, pleased grin.

She made the necessary introductions before they proceeded towards Rick's parents'

house, where the engagement party was being held. Before they walked in, her mum pulled

her aside.

"Well, he's better looking than Daniel, Clarise. And he seems like such a gentleman."

She smiled with relief.

~~~~~~~

The Smithson's house was in full party mode. There was a large marquee in their manicured

backyard, which was decked out with gold, silver and light pink balloons with a small dance

floor on one side and a sumptuous buffet and round tables on the other.

Clarise marvelled at the number of expected guests. For what was supposed to be a

small party for family and close friends only, there were still around fifty place settings. But

she knew Megan worried about their other friends she couldn't invite, as she and Rick had to

be ruthless with their guest list.

She nervously thought of the single men Megan had invited. Not many, she hoped,

feeling guilty. She should have thought of the charade with Victor much earlier.

She caught sight of her sister, looking radiant and beautiful with Rick beside her. She

felt a warm glow in her heart with seeing her younger sister so happy. With only fifteen

months separating them, they shared a very close bond.

"Meg!" she called.

Her sister ran to her and hugged her tightly before turning to Victor.

"Hi, you must be Victor," Megan said, discreetly checking him out from head to toe.

"Yes, how are you Megan?"

"I'm wonderful, thank you. I'm glad to meet you."

"Likewise," Victor responded.

"I'll leave you in the capable hands of Clarise, Victor. My boss just arrived and he's

by himself. I better introduce him to some people."

"Don't worry about us," Clarise said. "Go attend to your guests."

Megan gave her another hug and whispered in her ear, "He's hot, sis."

"I know," she whispered back.

Megan winked at Victor before walking away.

This little charade seemed to be working and Clarise allowed herself to relax.

~~~~~~~

"Lilly!" Clarise heard Megan call out as an adorable and cute as a button three-year-old girl

walked in with her parents, Mark—Rick's older brother—and his wife Bella. With them was

Bella's brother Evan.

She felt Victor tense by her side. "What's wrong, Victor?"

"That's Evan," Victor responded a little nervously. "I know him. And he certainly

knows me!"

"What do you mean 'he certainly knows you'?"

"Well, I met him at this speed dating thing two weeks ago, and we've been out on a

couple of dates. He's really cute, isn't he?"

"Oh, no, Victor! You're supposed to be my boyfriend tonight!"

"Don't worry, darling. I'll tell him of our little secret and ask him to go along with it.

I'll just go talk to him and we'll pretend we're talking about work or something." With that,

Victor sauntered to Evan, his eyes shining.

She rolled her eyes upwards and prayed that Victor—and Evan, for that matter—

could keep the charade up for her, just for tonight. How highly embarrassing would it be if

the others noticed that Victor was gay when they'd already assumed he was her boyfriend?

Geez, I might as well have 'loser in love' stamped on my forehead. Please Victor,

you're a straight man tonight.

"I didn't know Victor knew Evan," Megan said from behind her, making her jump.

"Oh, they met at an industry function, you know, for work and I think Victor wanted

to talk to Evan about an article in the latest issue of Lifestyle," she babbled.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to bring a date tonight until you told me about him two

days ago," Megan said with a grin. "It's a shame. There is a very eligible man here and Rick

and I were excited to introduce him to you."

"Megan," she said with a warning in her voice.

"Yes, I know, I know. No matchmaking for me tonight," Megan said with a laugh.

"Well, that's a relief!"

"You know, we did invite this guy for the purpose of introducing him to you," Megan

commented. "We'll just have to explain the situation to him."

"Are you saying there's only one of them here tonight? You certainly gave me the

impression that you were going to invite all the single men you and Rick know. I'm glad you

didn't, though."

Megan chuckled, "Yes, that was my original plan. But Rick and I decided that wasn't

a good idea. One at a time would be better, we thought. More personal."

Megan's look became serious, her eyes narrowing. "Is there a possibility that Victor is

'The One'?"

"I couldn't be happier he's here with me tonight," she answered cryptically. It was the

truth, although it wasn't an accurate answer to the question.

Megan, however, seemed satisfied with her response. Her sister patted her arm and

walked off with a smile.

She said a silent 'thank you' to the heavens.

~~~~~~~

By the time dinner was served, Clarise had slipped into a carefree mode. She chatted

cheerfully with Bella and Mark about their business.

The couple owned two popular restaurants that served food and beverages that were

made of chocolate or had it as a main ingredient. The concept had been a huge success and

they would soon be opening a third location.

Mark and Bella's story was an inspiring one and she recently had the pleasure of

writing an article about their journey for Lifestyle by Design.

That was what she loved most about her job. She got paid to write about some of the

best restaurants, hotels and professional services, which meant she got to sample their

offerings and interview some very interesting, influential and successful people.

"Hey Mark," Bella said to her husband. "Didn't you say Will wanted to talk to Clarise

about an article for his business?"

"Oh yeah, Clarise," Mark said. "My friend Will runs a boutique travel service that's

very specialised. He caters to the well-to-do and his company organises high-end type trips

for those whose tastes are very discerning. He'd seen the article you wrote for us and he was

wondering if your magazine would consider doing one for his business."

"High-end travel? Sure, it's something we can have a look at," she responded readily.

Because of the magazine's immense popularity, they had been receiving plenty of

requests from businesses and establishment owners for write-ups on their products and

services. Those savvy entrepreneurs knew that exposure through Lifestyle by Design ensured

a deluge of new clients.

"Great!" Mark replied. "He'd be pleased to hear that. He's actually here so I'll

introduce you to him. I was meaning to do it before dinner started but he arrived a little late."

Bella pursed her lips and mused, "You know, I've been wondering why Rick invited

Will to tonight's party but didn't invite his other tennis buddies."

Mark chuckled. "Rick mentioned he invited Will because he's single and available. He

didn't want to elaborate when I prodded him but it looks like the engaged lovebirds are

playing matchmaker for Will and someone else. I wonder if it's with that girl sitting next to

him. I'll have to quiz Will about her when I get the chance."

Clarise and Bella followed Mark's line of sight and Bella pointed Will out to her.

Her breath hitched as she caught sight of the handsome in a rugged kind of way man

with slightly wavy, dark brown hair talking to Mary Jane, Megan's best friend. She didn't

recognise the other person sitting on the other side of him, but it was another male.

Well, Mary Jane is not single, she thought to herself. Her husband is currently in

Brisbane for work.

With a heart-flutter, it hit her that this good-looking eye candy was the single man her

sister had meant to set her up with.

Geez, if I had only known about hunky Single Will tonight, I wouldn't have plotted

that charade with Victor.

She was surprised at the turn of her thoughts. She composed herself and tried to look

cool, calm and collected.

"So, Clarise, I'll introduce you to Will later, okay? He's really keen to see how he can

be in your magazine," Mark said innocently.

"Yeah, sure," she said a little too brightly, trying to hide her discomfiture.

They don't know, she assured herself.

*******

Will became more relaxed as the dinner progressed. There were no unattached women at his

table and no one had been introduced to him so far. He knew that Rick invited him to this

party to set him up with some single woman. Apparently it was all Megan's idea but Rick was

happy to go along with it.

He had been single for nine months now and, seeing how devoted he was to his

parents, he was a favourite among his friends to be matched up with nice single girls they

knew. They all thought he was a decent guy—and very eligible.

But after Karen, he was not after a serious relationship. No strings attached, casual

sex worked just fine for him and that was all he was after right now. If Rick wanted to play

matchmaker for one of Megan's family or friends, he was not going to entertain it. It could

destroy his friendship with both Rick and his brother Mark.

He knew that Rick hadn't grasped how determined he was to keep his status as 'not in

a relationship'. He hadn't talked to anyone about the reason why. As far as he was concerned,

it was no one else's business but his.

No, he wasn't interested in meeting a potential love interest but he was keen to meet a

particular woman—Rick's future sister-in-law—for business reasons. He wanted to have an

article on Lifestyle by Design. He would be opening another branch in Melbourne and the

magazine would give him the exposure he needed for his expansion goals. Clarise Carson's

article for Mark and Bella's restaurants had done wonders for their business and he would

jump through hoops to have the same opportunity.

Dinner was mostly finished, apart from a handful of people going back to the buffet table to

load their plates again. The DJ announced that it was time to start dancing and played a slow,

romantic song.

Will scanned the room, looking for Mark, who promised to introduce him to Clarise.

He spotted him on the dance floor with his wife Bella in his arms. He also saw the engaged

couple, who were busy looking at each other with lovestruck eyes while dancing intimately

together.

I might as well look for her and introduce myself.

He hadn't meant to arrive late but he got held up with some urgent work. People were

already getting food when he arrived. Mark did point Clarise out to him and he registered the

fact she was in a blue dress, although he didn't get to see her face well from where they were

standing. He only noticed her long, silky, beautiful dark hair that fell straight down past her

shoulders.

His eyes roamed and he spied Rick's Aunt Bonnie talking to a stunningly beautiful

woman in a blue dress. He couldn't help but stare. His heart beat faster and he knew it was

Clarise. Something warm flowed through him and he recognised it for what it was—

attraction.

Easy, you're here for business, not pleasure. And Clarise is a no-go. She's your

friends' family.

He took a deep breath. In any case, this was his chance to be introduced to the lovely

lady. Rick's Aunt Bonnie and her husband were his clients.

He strolled to where the two women were standing.

"William!" Bonnie Smithson cried as she saw him approach. "How wonderful to see

you here!"

"Hello, Bonnie, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm great, thank you, but I can't wait until May when we go to that wonderful

holiday in Europe that the lovely Leila in your office is organising for us. She is doing a

wonderful job, by the way."

"That's good to know. So everything is to your satisfaction?"

"Oh, yes, definitely. You certainly know how to give your clients a wonderful

experience even before they start their actual holiday," Bonnie said sincerely.

"Thank you. That's our goal," he answered with a slight bow of his head and a

grateful smile.

"Do you know Clarise, William?" Bonnie asked, putting her hand on Clarise's arm.

"We haven't been introduced but I've heard of her," he said to Bonnie, his gaze

already settling on Clarise.

Something caught Bonnie's attention in the far corner and she hastily introduced them

to each other. "Clarise, this is William Matthews, his office is organising our next European

holiday. William, this is Clarise Carson, Megan's sister. Now if you'd both excuse me, I see

my chance to play with Lilly. Oh, such an adorable, pretty, little girl." Bonnie hurriedly left

them with a wave of her hand.

Will gestured for a handshake as he stared at the attractive woman standing in front of him.

Her gorgeous brown eyes were wide, as if she was surprised by something. Then she blinked

and took his proffered hand.

"Hi, William, it's good to meet you," she said, her lips curling into a shy but

devastatingly beautiful smile.

"Call me Will, please," he replied, in somewhat of a daze and desperately trying to

regain equilibrium. He only realised he was still holding her hand when she gently extricated

it from his grip.

"Uh, I've been looking forward to meeting you tonight, Clarise. I've been promised an

introduction but the man who was going to do it is too busy dancing, so I thought I'd seek you

out myself."

Her face flushed and she looked uncomfortable. It occurred to him she might not want

to talk about work during a family party. He hastily tried to explain himself.

"Mark must have already mentioned to you that I'm interested in having your

magazine do an article for my business. I know this isn't work time for you and we don't have

to discuss it right now. I just want to introduce myself so we can talk about it some other

time," he said apologetically.

"Oh, I see. I'm certainly happy to talk about your business tonight," she said. She

seemed relieved.

"Thanks, but really, let's talk about it some other time. Maybe I can call you at work

and discuss it?"

"Yes. Sure. You can call reception and talk to Elena. She can organise a meeting time

for us."

"Great," he responded. He was aware he was being rude by continuing to stare at

Clarise, but he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Would you like to dance?" He found himself holding out his hand as an invitation for

this enchanting creature to go with him to the dance floor. Huh? Since when do you dance,

Will Matthews? You have two left feet!

"Sure," Clarise answered with a smile as she placed her hand on his.

Too late. Damn me.

Some sappy love song that he vaguely recognised was playing. Hell, he wasn't much

of a dancer.

"Um, I think this is a good time to tell you I can't dance," he said to Clarise, his mouth

quirking upwards, both embarrassed by and amused at himself.

Clarise chuckled, "So what are we doing here then?"

"Shuffling our feet. Well, I am anyway. I don't know about you."

"You're not doing too badly with the feet shuffle. I can shuffle too, you know. You're

not the only one who's good at it," she teased.

They grinned at each other.

He held Clarise with an arm around her waist, his hand flat on her lower back, as they

swayed with the music. Her hair smelled like flowers and he caught a whiff of her delicate

perfume. She smelled lovely. She felt lovely.

His arm around her tightened involuntarily and he held her closer, acutely aware of an

electric current in the air around them. He felt her sink into their embrace. He wondered if

she had noticed that magnetic force, too. He could feel it slowly enveloping them with a

power he could neither explain nor resist.

They danced, hardly moving to the music, their bodies pressed like they'd always

belonged together.

His thoughts went to Rick and Megan's matchmaking plan and he wondered if there

was a chance it could be Clarise they wanted to set him up with. The idea greatly interested

him, and he forgot for a moment his determination not to get involved with anyone Rick

might introduce to him tonight.

"Now, how about you twirl me?" Clarise said suddenly, pulling away, putting some

distance between them.

"Pardon?" he asked, feeling bereft that she was no longer in his arms.

"Twirl. You know, like this." She proceeded to hold up their hands that were clasped

together and twirled around.

"Oh, okay." He twirled her, his lips curving in an amused but perplexed smile.

The sappy love song ended and fast dance music started playing.

"Sorry, Twirly, my shuffling feet can only do slow, not this," he said with an abashed

grin.

"Okay. Well, thanks for the dance, Shuffles."

They smiled at each other and stood there, looking into each other's eyes for a long

moment while other partygoers danced around them. Then Clarise turned and left the dance

floor.

He followed, not caring where she was going, only knowing he wanted to talk to her

some more.

"Darling, there you are!"

Will glanced sharply at the man who called out to Clarise. He bristled as the intruder

possessively put his left arm around her shoulders while openly regarding him with a

questioning look.

"Hi, I'm Victor Michaels." The other man extended a hand and it took him a second to

"William Matthews," he responded, shaking Victor's hand as his eyes narrowed

imperceptibly at Clarise who had an unreadable expression on her face.

Mark approached them at that moment. "Oh, good, Will. You've obviously met

Clarise. And Victor, too. Just the two people you want to meet. Have you mentioned the

article you want from them?"

"Victor, too?"

Will was sure he would have preferred not to have met Victor. He was somewhat

antagonistic towards the man. Especially when he had his arm around Clarise like that.

Especially when he looked like the possessive boyfriend.

He tried to mentally shake his irrational feelings and looked at Mark quizzically.

"Yeah, he works for the magazine too."

"Yup, I'm the head graphic designer there," Victor confirmed. "Clarise is the one who

writes the articles, along with Jessa Allen, if an article is what you're interested in."

"Yes, Clarise and I discussed that briefly." Looking at Clarise, he said, "So I'll be

meeting with you sometime this week, then?"

"Yes, just talk to Elena. You'll find our phone number on our website."

He nodded, thinking he'd accomplished what he came here to do—to meet Clarise

Carson for business purposes—and now he could leave. He said his goodbyes and went to

look for the engaged couple.

~~~~~~~

Will tapped Rick and Megan on their shoulders. "May I interrupt your marathon dancing

session?" he said with a grin. "I just want to say thank you for inviting me tonight. I've really

enjoyed myself but I'm afraid I have to go. There's still some urgent work I need to finish this

weekend."

Megan pulled them towards a more quiet area before giving him a hug. "Will, thanks

so much for coming. We really appreciate it. I know Rick mentioned introducing you to

someone tonight but it turns out she's already going out with someone else," Megan said

sheepishly.

"No worries about that, Meg," he said with a chuckle. "Quite frankly, I wasn't really

looking forward to your matchmaking so that's a relief. Apart from wanting to be here to help

celebrate your engagement, I really just wanted to meet your sister."

Megan and Rick exchanged a startled glance. "Why?" Megan asked.

"I wanted to talk to her about a possible article for my business in Lifestyle."

"Oh, okay. Good luck with that."

"Thanks, and thanks again for inviting me. Rick, I'll see you at tennis in a few days."

"Yep, see you then, Will."

~~~~~~~

Will got into his car and let out a long sigh. He was still reeling from the strong attraction he

felt for Clarise.

"Don't forget you're just looking for playmates, Will, not a girlfriend. She is one of

your close friend's sister-in-law," he chided himself loudly, his voice filling the car. "And

besides, she's already taken," he said in a sour tone, surprised at the jealousy that coursed

through his body.

He frowned, not at all pleased with himself about what he was feeling.

CHAPTER THREE

"I really don't know how to untangle myself quickly from the situation I created. Besides, I

might not see him again anyway," Clarise said as she recounted the whole Will Story to her

best friend, Faye Summers.

"What's so hard about it?" Faye asked. "You could just say you and Victor have

decided it wasn't working out so you've both agreed to break up and remain friends. Then

you're free to go out with him."

"If he even thinks of asking me out after seeing I'm not available. Besides, it could

just be my imagination that he was interested, you know."

"Well, if you're really keen on him you should do something about it and not just wait

around. Honestly, Clarise, get out of your fear of rejection issues already! It's bad enough that

you keep your head buried in your work most of the time. You have to take big steps for what

you really want instead of just wishing for it to happen. I don't know how you can be so

straight and upfront when it comes to work but such a coward when it comes to men."

She groaned in frustration, knowing her best friend was right.

She was reminded of how different the two of them were. Faye was an extroverted,

pretty, social butterfly with a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. Because of her

gregarious, tell-it-like-it-is personality, she had intimidated plenty of men who were

interested in her, but that did not trouble Faye. She went for whom she wanted.

Steve, Faye's boyfriend of almost one year, would not consider himself shy by usual

standards but he was tongue-tied and bumbling when he first met Faye at a club. After one

week of meeting him and when it looked like he didn't have the nerve to ask her out, Faye

had waited outside his office one afternoon with a single red gerbera. When Steve walked out

of the building, she had boldly approached him, handed him the flower with a sweet smile on

her face and asked if he would like to have dinner with her.

She couldn't have done what Faye had done with Steve. Not only did she prefer

reading, writing and spending time alone much more than socialising, but she was also a

scaredy-cat when it came to matters of the heart. She just couldn't bring herself to flirt openly

or show her interest in a man until she was convinced he was indeed interested in her and that

he was not someone just after a one night stand.

"Clarise, are you there? I said if you're interested in him, you should do something

about it."

"Well, if he gives me a little sign, perhaps."

"A little sign? From what you've told me, what happened at the party was already a

sign!" Faye said in obvious frustration. "Honestly, Clarise, you are much too serious. Lighten

up already! Just go out and date him without any expectations. Just get to know him without

thinking he might hurt you. It's really time you stop seeing that idiot Nick in every guy you

meet."

She knew that Faye was right. Nick had been her first love. She had fallen hard and

fast and she thought he had too.

It was pouring rain the day they met. She had been keen to get home after a tiring day

at work and, not having an umbrella, she had decided to brave the rain when a blond-haired

guy offered to share his with her. He was attractive and very sweet, so she accepted.

They had laughed when a wind gust almost tore the umbrella from Nick's hold. She'd

grasped the handle with both hands to help him hold it in place and one of his arms had gone

around her shoulders so they could huddle together under the not-big-enough-for-two

umbrella.

Six weeks after that rainy day, while walking arm in arm in the mall, Nick had

stopped outside a jewellery store, right in front of the diamond rings display. He'd asked her,

if she had a choice, which ring she would prefer. She had wanted to do the happy dance, but

she'd kept her cool and had answered him with a flippant, "I'll let my man surprise me."

She had been so sure Nick planned to propose to her. Why else had he asked which

ring she liked? And they were definitely engagement rings!

So when he came back from a work-related trip to Perth and announced, without any

warning whatsoever, that he was getting married to someone else, she could only stare at him

in shock. She didn't know he still worked with his ex-girlfriend and that she'd gone with him

to Perth. While there, they had reconciled and gotten engaged. She was totally dumbfounded

and devastated. She'd cried and cried for weeks.

Her first experience of being in love was painful, and for the last seven years, she had

been looking at each possible relationship, and each guy she dated, through those pain-

caused-by-Nick-coloured glasses. She had blamed herself for being gullible and naive and

had vowed she wouldn't be that kind of girl again.

She dragged her mind back to her conversation with Faye.

"I'm certainly not expecting Will to be serious with me straight away. That would be

an insane expectation. But I'm looking for someone who would be interested in a

relationship. What if he isn't looking for something serious?"

"There's that word again. You should have 'Serious' as your middle name. What's

wrong with just having fun while you date? You know fun, right? F-U-N? Just relax and get

to know each other first, for fuck's sake. And I mean that literally. For. Fuck's. Sake."

"Faye!" She had to laugh at her friend's descriptive language.

"You know what I mean, Clarise. You haven't had bedroom action in years. Years!

And doing it solo doesn't count. It's seriously time to loosen up."

"I guess you're right."

"Are you really getting this, Clarise?" Faye asked insistently. "When Daniel broke up

with you two months ago, do you remember what he said?"

She swallowed, discomfort filling her at the memory. "He said he couldn't seem to get

through to me. That I was such a closed book."

"Why did he say that?" Faye prodded in a much gentler voice.

"Because I wouldn't sleep with him."

"So Daniel took you out on dates like a lovesick puppy for almost three months, sent

you flowers almost every week and was ecstatic to meet your parents. All he had wanted was

for you to open up to him."

"I know," she whined. "I just didn't feel ready. Perhaps if he'd given me more time

…"

"Clarise, you know I love you but even I would lose all patience with your 'I need

more time' excuse! If you were in Daniel's shoes, could you really blame him for losing

patience when you wouldn't open up your heart and your legs for him after all the

perseverance and care he'd shown for you?" Faye asked.

Her eyes widened at Faye's choice of words. But she was used to Faye telling it as she

saw it; that was one of the things she loved about her. She understood it was Faye's way of

making her see reality and knew that her friend had her best interest at heart.

"It's been seven years since Nick hurt you, Clarise," Faye said. "It's about freaking

time you moved on. You're far too afraid of getting hurt again and you hold back too much

on life."

"You're right, Faye. When you say it like that, it makes a lot of sense. What took you

so long saying it?" she added in jest, hoping to lighten up her dear friend's mood towards her.

"Phew! I'm glad you're not mad at me," Faye said. "I do know how sensitive this issue

is for you but I'm done allowing you to wallow in it. You've been wallowing now for far too

long."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. As she took a deep breath, a clear intention formed.

"Well, Faye, I think you're right. So with you as my witness, I promise that I'm going to try

real hard to lighten up and have some fun with the next guy I choose to date."

"And this next guy would be…?"

"Will, I guess. If he'll go out with me."

"Good! And if you like what you see, do get to know him well, really well, for fuck's

sake, okay?" Faye giggled.

An unbidden image of Will, way too hot and handsome as he held her on the dance

floor, flashed in her mind.

With blinding, clarity, she knew what she wanted. It would be hard to get over her

fears, yes, but she would try. She was sick of feeling lonely and ignoring her womanly needs.

She wanted to open her heart again to a man, and yes, her legs too. And not necessarily in

that order.

*******

Clarise listened patiently as Victor regaled her with the wonderful Sunday he and Evan spent

together.

"It was really heavenly," he said for about the fifth time. "Anyway, darling, enough

about me and my new man. What about you and me and what your family thinks about us?"

She grinned and put her sandwich down before putting on a fake concerned look.

"Well, Victor, I've been meaning to talk to you about us. I really don't know how to say this

but … I think we should just remain friends," she said gravely.

"Oh, my heart." Victor clutched his chest, feigning pain. "It's broken. You just broke

it!" He pretended to slump and she laughed at his antics.

"Does this have something to do with that super handsome devil named William

Matthews?" he asked wickedly.

"What makes you think this is about him?"

"Oh, come on, Clarise. When you two were dancing, you looked like you were in

your own bubble. I could see the sparks flying from where I was sitting."

"Well, if I'd known beforehand that he was the single guy Megan and Rick wanted to

fix me up with, I would have gladly gone to the party as a single girl and you would have

been free to be with Evan all night."

"Oh my God. He was the one? How come you didn't tell me about this on Saturday

night?"

She laughed. "Have you forgotten Evan was in the car with us? You offered to give

him a lift."

"Right. Sorry."

"No need to be. But what was with the possessive embrace after we left the dance

floor, Victor? Now he probably thinks I'm unavailable."

"My, my, you're obviously attracted," Victor grinned. "But I saw Megan staring at the

two of you and I thought you'd still want your family to believe our little charade. I didn't

think you'd want any embarrassing questions from them about you or me, or some other love

interest for that matter."

She gasped. "I did see Megan looking our way. It was when I realised we were

dancing too close together so I asked Will to twirl me around. Imagine my sister thinking I

came to the party with you only to melt in another man's arms."

"Melt!" Victor exclaimed. "That was exactly what the two of you were doing on that

dance floor—melting in each other's arms." He gushed out a swooning sigh.

She blushed. "Okay, okay. But getting back to the topic of you and me, I am

concerned about what my family would think if I tell them we've 'broken up'. They've been

really worried after Daniel dumped me. Then they were really happy for me when I took you

to the party. With my track record, they'll be fussing over me again and I won't hear the end

of it."

"Oh, Clarise, you really worry too much! But don't you see? It's actually perfect.

When they think we're not together anymore, Megan can continue whatever matchmaking

scheme she has for you and William."

"Will," she said absently, following Victor's train of thought and seeing that things

might not be so complicated after all. Why hadn't she thought of that?

"Will what?"

"Huh?"

"You said 'Will'."

"Oh! I think he likes to be called Will."

Victor snorted. "Not by me, he doesn't. He said 'William Matthews' with a look of

hostility. I'd bet he was jealous of me."

"How could he be jealous of you? He only just met me."

"How could you be so taken by him? You only just met him."

Victor had a point. Their attraction to each other during the party was undeniable.

"I wonder if he'll call about the article he wants for his business," she wondered aloud,

then frowned. "You know what that means, Victor. If I have to work with him, I can't go out

with him! That could be seen as compromising my objectivity, and I can't have that."

"Firstly, Clarise, no one who knows you could accuse you of not being truthful and

objective with what you write. Secondly, who says you can't go out with him? There are no

official rules on that; they're just your own rules. And thirdly, if it would really bother you

that much, just give the work to Jessa. Then you won't have that problem," Victor said

emphatically as he finished his lunch.

"Hmm, that's an option." She was now starting to feel that there really were no

barriers to seeing Will. Why could her friends see the open road when she could only see the

roadblocks? She realised she might just be worrying too much, after all.

She turned back to Victor, remembering Evan. "By the way, are you and Evan

approaching serious territory? Should I brace myself for some announcement that my 'ex-

boyfriend' turned gay and fell for my sister's brother-in-law?" She scrunched her face at the

thought of the reaction that would get from her family.

Victor laughed. "No need to shudder at the thought yet, darling. Evan and I are far

from introducing ourselves to each other's families. Who knows where our relationship will

end up but we're far from that. We're just enjoying being with each other at the moment."

She smiled at Victor, envious of his attitude towards his relationship with Evan. She

could tell he really liked him, was probably falling for him even, but he didn't seem bothered

about what the future might hold.

That's the kind of attitude I need to take, instead of worrying that my heart will be

broken at every turn. Plus she had already made the promise to have fun, hadn't she?

CHAPTER FOUR

Will wanted to see Clarise again. Ever since Saturday night, he found himself thinking about

her a lot, remembering their dance, the electricity that crackled between them, the way he felt

as he held her, their mesmerising eye contact.

He felt another hardening of his groin, something that had been happening a lot in the

last two days whenever he thought of Clarise. Judging by the way she moulded with him

during their dance, he knew their bodies fitted perfectly together.

He shook his head in frustration. Damn it! Just forget about her already. She has a

boyfriend. And even if she was single, she might not appreciate a casual relationship, he

chided himself for what seemed to be the hundredth time since Saturday night.

The office phone on the corner of his tidy office desk rang, startling him out of his

rumination. "Liz," he barked at his personal assistant. Realising his rather harsh tone, he

added softly, "Who is it?"

"It's your mother on the line, Will."

He frowned with concern. His mother hardly called him at work unless it was some

sort of an emergency.

Taking the call, he asked cautiously, "Hi Mum, what's wrong?"

"Hello, darling, what do you mean what's wrong?" Ruth Matthews asked.

"Well … you hardly ever call me at work unless it's something really important."

"Nothing's wrong, Will. Just because I hardly call you at work doesn't mean there's

something wrong when I do, does it?"

"I guess not," he smiled in relief. "So what's up, Mum?"

Ever since the terrible car accident fifteen months ago that left his father paralysed

from the waist down and unable to work, he had been the worried and responsible son,

looking after his parents in whatever way he could and supporting them financially. Things

had improved a lot now that some time had passed. His dad, after a bout of depression, was

slowly but surely on the mend. He had taken up painting and got inspiration from it.

His mum was still the wonder woman, taking care of her husband with devotion and

an irrepressible belief that there was a reason for everything.

"Are you doing anything this Saturday?" his mum asked. "Celia is inviting us for her

sixtieth birthday party."

He groaned silently. Celia was his parents' neighbour. She had a daughter, Sarah, who

had been interested in him for years. Now that he was single again, the two mothers had been

intent on getting their adult children together. If it's not my friends, it's my mother, he thought

agonisingly about another matchmaking plan that involved him.

"Sorry Mum, I'm busy that day," he lied.

He knew his mum worried about him working so hard and being alone. It had been

nine months since Karen broke off their engagement and left him. His mum thought he hadn't

been out on a date with anyone since then. Well, he had been. But his casual liaisons were not

something that warranted an explanation or even a mention to his parents. He didn't want

them questioning or judging him about that. Or trying to fix him up with women who were

after a committed relationship.

"Well, what have you got on then, Will?" his mum asked.

"I've got some work to do relating to the Melbourne branch opening."

"Will, you're always working," his mum said, concern evident in her voice. "You're

only thirty-two. You need to also be enjoying yourself."

"Don't worry, Mum. I'm fine," he assured her.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"Mum? Are you still there?"

"Yes, darling," she said softly. "I just can't help but worry about you. Your business is

doing really well now. We're financially stable, thanks to you. You don't need to work as

hard as you do anymore. You know your dad and I will be fine. Please don't work so hard

that you're not looking after yourself."

"Mum, please. You know I enjoy my work. How's Dad?" He was desperate to change

the subject. He didn't like it when his parents felt guilty about what he was doing for them.

He was their only child. Who else would be there for them but him?

"Oh, he's fine. When you come visit you'll see the new painting he just finished."

"Good, I'll see you on Wednesday night."

"You can come on Saturday instead, and go with us to the party."

He laughed. "Mum, I'll see you guys on Wednesday night. But you won't see me on

Saturday."

A light on his office phone flashed, indicating another incoming call. "I've gotta go,

Mum. I have another call coming."

"Okay," his mum sighed resignedly. "We'll see you soon. Take care, okay?"

"You and Dad, too. Bye, Mum."

~~~~~~~

Will was delighted that his dad had finished his second painting. This one was of a pumpkin,

a banana and an apple on a dining table. It wasn't bad. Not bad at all from someone who just

took up the hobby a mere six months ago.

Six months ago, Bill Matthews was starting to recover from depression. He had come

a long way since then.

He followed his dad as he wheeled himself from his studio, a spare bedroom where he

now painted, to the lounge room. His mum insisted they enjoy their beer and watch TV while

she prepared dinner.

He studied his dad surreptitiously. His face softened at the sight of his father's relaxed

look while watching the evening news. For a while there, he and his mum worried that he

was not going to get out of the deep depression that plagued him after the accident.

He settled back in his chair, his eyes on the TV but his mind elsewhere. That accident

changed their lives and he still didn't know how much of it was for the worse, and how much

of it was for the better.

Before the accident, his dad was a self-employed electrician and his mum worked as a

bank teller. One night, as his parents were driving home from a rare short break in the

country, the driver of an oncoming car lost control of his vehicle on a bend and slammed into

the driver's side of his parents' car. His dad was lucky to be alive. His mum suffered a

concussion and bruised ribs.

They had to sell his dad's business, giving his parents some much-needed funds for

their medical needs and living expenses. Being self-employed and rather naive when it came

to income protection, his dad didn't have the proper insurance that would have financially

protected them after the accident.

But the proceeds from the business sale were small. It was never enough for them to

live comfortably, especially since a bad investment decision with a Ponzi scheme meant they

had lost their nest egg as well as racked up substantial business and personal loans. As his

dad no longer worked and his mum had to quit her job to look after her husband, they had

been in danger of losing their house, which was the security for the loan they couldn't have

repaid if he hadn't helped them. Plus they had their medical needs to think about.

His travel agency business was less than two years old then. It had been doing well

enough to meet his personal needs and those of Karen, his fiancée at the time. But supporting

his parents and making sure they didn't lose their house meant cutting down or forgoing some

of the luxuries he and Karen had become accustomed to.

With pangs of guilt, it had dawned on him that his parents had worked hard to give

him a good life. He'd realised it was his turn not only to support them in their immediate

needs, but also to give them a better lifestyle than they had. He saw how he had already been

living a very comfortable life with Karen, travelling at least once a year and enjoying simple

luxuries regularly. Yet his parents had never been on an overseas holiday, nor had they

indulged much in fine dining or other simple pleasures he had taken for granted.

Something had shifted in him after that accident. His love and gratitude for his parents

had surfaced and his motivation to make his business not only financially stable but also very

successful had flared brightly with the intention of giving the two people who gave him life

the life they deserved.

Within a year, he had transformed a regular travel agency into a boutique travel

service for clients who expected nothing short of exceptional and who didn't bat an eyelid at

five-to-seven-star travel prices.

That was exactly what his company gave its clients—exceptional service and

exceptional experiences. And his clients didn't mind paying his exceptional fees.

In just over a year, he was at a point where he could also take care of his parents'

immediate financial worries. But he also wanted to ensure that they would be as comfortable

as they could possibly be for the rest of their lives. That depended on the continued growth of

his business.

But success in that area came at a price. He could only feel numbness now as he

remembered Karen.

She had been his on-again, off-again girlfriend for four years until that time when her

two best friends got engaged within a week of each other. He had felt the pressure from her

and their mutual friends to propose.

Their first few months of being engaged had been good. It seemed to have suited

Karen really well and they'd hardly fought. What was more, her stunning good looks and vast

network of friends had helped attract some clients for his growing business.

They had been engaged for two months when his parents had the accident. After that,

Karen had turned from a fun, sweet partner to a clingy, needy woman who had demanded to

be the centre of his world, to the exclusion of all else. He still couldn't understand it. She had

said she loved him so much that she was jealous of the time, love and care he gave to his

parents. She had repeatedly said, 'What about us and our dreams?'

He still remembered the massive argument they had when he cancelled their

European holiday. His parents would have been fine without him for four weeks but he hadn't

wanted to leave them by themselves while his dad was still recovering from depression.

Karen had accused him of not loving her anymore, of not focusing on their relationship

anymore, of not having time for her anymore. He could see why she had said those things.

But his parents and his business had come first.

Two days after that argument, Karen had walked out on him.

That was when he had made the commitment to himself not to even consider being in

a relationship until he had achieved every one of his lofty business goals. He just didn't

believe, especially after Karen, that a serious relationship suited him.

But above all, he didn't want to be in a relationship that would give a woman the right

to expect and demand to be his priority when more important things were at stake. Oh, he still

craved an attractive woman's company every now and again, but only for his physical needs.

So far he hadn't had problems meeting women who were happy with no strings attached sex.

And it suited him just fine.

"Will, can you help set the table, please?"

He mentally shook himself out of his reverie and stood up to help his mum.

At the dining table, Bill asked him, "So are you dating anyone, Will? I hope you're

out meeting nice girls instead of just working too hard."

"Dad, you too? I thought only mum was nagging me with that," he complained.

Secretly though, he felt pleased his dad no longer seemed to brood within himself.

Everything appeared to be getting better where his parents' mental and physical health were

concerned.

"Well?"

"Well, no, I'm not seeing anyone at the moment."

"You know Celia's daughter Sarah is still single too," his mum said, casting a

watchful glance at him. "She'll be at Celia's party this Saturday, of course."

"Mum, I'm not interested in Sarah. I wasn't a few years ago; I still am not."

"Forget I mentioned Sarah, then. Your dad and I are more worried about you being all

work and no play. Why don't you come to the party, Will? Just to relax and have fun. You

haven't been to a party for a long time."

"That's not true, mum. I was just at a party last Saturday. And you know I play tennis

regularly with a group of friends."

"Oh, that's good then, eh? Whose party was it?" his dad asked casually.

"It was an engagement party for one of my tennis buddies."

"An engagement party? Did you meet lots of new people?" His mum looked very

pleased with the thought.

"Yes, mum, I met lots of new people." And a very attractive woman whom I want to

see again. He made a mental note to call the magazine tomorrow to arrange a meeting with

Clarise as soon as possible. Just for business purposes, he again reminded himself. And yeah,

okay, to satisfy my eye-lust and feed my fantasies. He was convinced she was still off-limits

beyond that.

"And?" Ruth prodded.

"And that's it, Mum," he shrugged.

Ruth pursed her lips but didn't continue with her line of questioning.

"So, how's the business going?" Bill asked.

Ah, back to a comfortable topic, he thought with relief.

CHAPTER FIVE

Clarise's heart skipped a beat. There it was on her online diary. A meeting with Will

Matthews on Friday at 11:30 am.

That's tomorrow!

She stared at her laptop screen, chewing the end of her pen. She would definitely be

seeing him again. She sighed, thinking about her next steps with a mix of trepidation and

excitement. They would be the boldest moves that she, Clarise Carson, had ever made when

it came to men. She knew her plans were nothing to women like Faye, but for her, they were

big.

First, she would talk to her boss about working with her other best friend and

colleague, Jessa Allen, regarding Will's business. Since Will was a very good friend of her

future brother-in-law, she would suggest that any article for Will should be written by Jessa

instead of her. This excuse to get out of a business relationship with him was thin considering

it wasn't a review they would be publishing but a showcase-type article. But she didn't want

any business matters getting in the way of her personal plans involving him.

She would love to get to know Will much better. This time around, she would lighten

up and take big leaps.

She swallowed the self-doubts that threatened to rear their ugly heads.

*******

Will arrived at Lifestyle by Design's office five minutes early. He was greeted by Delia, the

pretty, voluptuous receptionist who informed him she was there on work experience. She

took him to a sleek and modern meeting room where he was to meet with Clarise.

Delia apparently only needed one minute to decide she wouldn't mind flirting with

him.

"Mr. Matthews—William—may I call you William?" Delia asked with a flutter of her

eyelids.

He tried to hide his amusement, a little intrigued by the not-so-subtle come-on by

Delia. "Sure."

"Well, William, my name is Delia. Would you like some coffee, tea, water or …

something?" Delia purred at him, the last word sounding decidedly inviting, her body posed

in a flirtatious way.

He couldn't help but smile at Delia's transparency. He recognised her as someone who

wanted to play—just the type who would be comfortable with the casual tumble in bed.

He let his gaze rake over Delia from head to toe, lingering briefly on her breasts. He

waited for his body to have a lusty reaction to her, but was surprised that he didn't feel

anything. Funny that, considering he hadn't been with a woman for four months. Delia had a

hot body and he was a man with a healthy sexual appetite. He frowned slightly, thinking

about what he wanted to do with her unspoken but obvious offer.

"I think I'll just have water for now, thank you, Delia," he answered with a smile that

was both apologetic and cheeky.

Delia's smile faltered a bit. But it only took a second before her flirtatious grin came

back.

He saw Clarise approach the room from the corner of his eyes. He straightened and

turned fully towards the doors. There she was, walking with confident grace in her glamorous

high heels and elegant dress that showed off her beautiful curves and sexy, long legs. His

heart beat faster and he felt the telltale tightening in his pants—the reaction he was expecting

earlier, but didn't feel, towards Delia.

Clarise stepped into the room, smiled at him and looked coolly at the receptionist.

Pouting slightly, Delia walked towards the doors then, as if remembering her work

duties, asked Clarise with a touch of frost in her tone, "Would you like water, tea or coffee,

Clarise?"

"Just water, thanks, Delia."

Delia sauntered off without another word.

"Hi, Will," Clarise said with a lovely smile, extending her hand to him. "It's great to

see you again."

He took her hand, shook it, and held it a fraction longer than normal. "It is great to see

you again, Clarise," he said with a broad smile that usually made women gape.

He was pleased that Clarise did gape at him. That was good because he was busy

gawking back at her.

A loud conversation outside the meeting room broke the spell and Clarise looked

away, licking her lips in what seemed like a nervous gesture. The action didn't escape him

and his attention focused on her lips, lush and soft, and again he stared. He had this sudden

urge to kiss her senseless.

The electricity that crackled around them when they danced at Megan and Rick's

party was back with a vengeance.

Clarise sat on the chair nearest her and glanced up at him expectantly. He gazed back

at her beautiful eyes.

"Would you like to sit down, Will?"

He gave himself a mental shake to clear his mind. What's happening to you, idiot?

You're making a fool of yourself.

He walked to the opposite side of the large, mahogany boardroom table from where

she sat. He needed to have some distance between them to keep his head focused on the

business at hand.

Delia re-entered the room with a glass of water for each of them. It didn't escape his

attention that Delia didn't acknowledge Clarise when she thanked her for her water but smiled

beguilingly at him when he thanked her. He also saw Clarise narrow her eyes fleetingly at

Delia, but a second later she brought the conversation to business and for the time being, they

were able to maintain professionalism.

He told Clarise what he wanted from the magazine and his hoped-for results. Clarise

explained to him how they would go about completing the article for his business. She made

it clear that anything they produced would be honest and objective, regardless of what he

wanted them to write.

He was comfortable with this. He was confident about his team. He knew they gave

exceptional service and experience to their clients and any research should uncover that.

He was surprised when Clarise explained that while she would be working with him

initially to gather information, it would be Jessa Allen who would do the bulk of the work.

"I was expecting to work with you the whole time," he said to her. "Is there any

reason why Jessa Allen would soon take over?"

"Conflict of interest," Clarise said with an enigmatic smile. At his questioning look,

she said, "Well, you are a good friend of my family. And who knows how many more parties

we would be attending together?" The words were hardly out of her mouth when she blushed

furiously. She looked down on her notepad and shuffled some paper. She was obviously quite

embarrassed.

His face broke into an amused smile before it registered a frown. Her mention of her

family poured cold water on an otherwise enchanting realisation. He remembered that he

considered Clarise off-limits. Sure, she was quite clearly interested and there was an

undeniable attraction between them, but judging by her apparent embarrassment at her

flirtatious remark, he was positive she was not the type who looked for physical-only

encounters. She was definitely not like Delia.

Definitely 'no-go', he said to himself. Plus there was her boyfriend. Her boyfriend! He

almost forgot about him. He had to know what was going on there.

"I seem to remember your boyfriend also works here," he said, trying to look and

sound nonchalant.

"Victor? He's just a friend now."

He felt joy leap in his heart, startling himself. Not for the first time, the kind of

feelings this woman stirred in him surprised him. He refused to analyse it further and put it

down to lust—lust he didn't think he'd have the opportunity to satisfy. What a shame.

"Will, do you have any more questions about how we would go about doing research

and interviews for the article?"

He roused himself from his thoughts. "Ahh, yeah." He dragged his thoughts back to

the business at hand. "I only have one other question. Timing is quite important to me, as I

would like the article to come out close to the time I'll be opening the Melbourne branch.

That's about four months from now. Would that be possible?"

"I don't see why that would be a problem. I'll speak with Jessa. The sooner we get

organised, the better, of course. We'd like to have copies of your marketing materials. I'll sort

through them and let Jessa do the rest. Just let me know when we can meet again so we can

go through your brochures."

"No problem. I'll get them organised for you and let you know when they're ready."

"Great. Well, if there's nothing else …"

He realised their meeting had ended. He looked at his watch and noticed half an hour

had gone by. It felt like it had only been ten minutes and he wasn't quite ready to end the

meeting yet.

"Are you doing anything for lunch, Clarise? It's almost twelve o'clock and if you have

nothing planned, maybe you'd like to join me?" What? Will, didn't you just decide she's a no-

go? Why are you asking her out?

"Sure. That would be good. Just let me grab my bag and we'll go." She smiled at him

in that lovely, guileless way that affected the way his heart beat.

He raked his hand through his hair. Too late, damn me.

*******

It was a few minutes before twelve when they got to the restaurant a couple of blocks away

from Clarise's office. Will suggested a table for two tucked in a corner and put his hand on

Clarise's back as he led her to the table.

Clarise felt a warm glow travel all over her body at the gesture. She liked it. A lot. All

of a sudden, she wanted him to put his arm around her and hold her close, just like he did on

the dance floor. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, putting a stop to her wayward

thoughts. Never before had a simple touch from a man affected her equilibrium.

Will noticed. "Anything wrong, Clarise?"

"No." She smiled at him reassuringly.

Lunch proceeded with easy, enjoyable chatter as they talked about various topics,

including his tennis games with her future brothers-in-law.

She was surprised to know that the back way Will usually took to get to the tennis

courts from his place passed through her street. When she described to him what her

apartment block looked like, he knew which one she was talking about.

"So tell me, how are Rick and Mark at tennis? Rick seems to take it pretty seriously,"

she asked.

"Well, they're both pretty good, although Rick is definitely the more competitive of

the two. He's my main rival among the group," Will said with a laugh.

"So I take it you're pretty competitive as well?"

"Yes, I tend to be. I usually throw everything I have after something I really want, and

beating those guys in tennis is something at the top of my list of hobbies."

An hour and a half later, she reluctantly announced she had to go back to work for

another client meeting.

Will insisted on paying and refused her offer to halve the bill.

As they walked out of the cafe, she knew she didn't want their day together to end yet.

But she had a meeting to go to. She decided to take a small step forward.

"Will, how about I give you my mobile number? That way you can call me when you

have those brochures organised or … if there's something else you want." To her dismay, she

felt herself redden again. Worse, she thought she delivered her line too innocently, not

knowing how to flirt well due to lack of practice. But she hoped Will got the message.

"Yes, that's a great idea." He smiled at her with that gape-inducing smile. He pulled

out his phone from his pocket and tapped her number as she recited it.

"Why don't you have mine too?" he asked in a low voice, looking at her with his

piercing eyes.

That electricity was crackling all around them again.

She hoped he hadn't noticed the slight tremor of her hands as she fumbled with her

phone to tap his number on it.

For the rest of the day, she thought she was floating on a cloud.

For the rest of the day, Will fought with himself, wondering if he should stick with his

decision that she was a no-go or act on their mutual attraction.

*******

Will had finished collating all the travel books, brochures and marketing materials he had

available and put them in a box to deliver to Clarise's office first thing on Monday morning.

He didn't plan to call her. He'd just drop it off at reception and maybe that woman Delia

would be there.

He had decided when he woke up that morning that Clarise would remain off limits.

He wouldn't be able to look his friends Rick and Mark in the eyes, especially Rick, if he hurt

Clarise. Much as he was attracted to her and much as she seemed like a really nice girl, he did

not want a relationship. He knew it would create too much complication and distraction that

he neither needed nor wanted.

He thought about her attempts to let him know she was interested in him. He smiled at

the thought, liking her shyness and admiring her courage when it was apparent she wasn't

used to being too forward with men.

Warmth spread through him, not from lust, but from something else that he refused to

acknowledge. He just wouldn't do for her. She deserved someone who'd treat her well.

~~~~~~~

Today was a big day. Will was on his way to his tennis game with the boys. He and Rick

would be playing the doubles finals against two other friends. They took their tennis games

seriously and hated losing.

He was approaching Clarise's street and without realising it, he started to drive

slowly. He recognised her apartment building from a few metres away and idly wondered if

she would happen to be walking outside. He saw a car pull out from a street parking space

right in front of her building. With a split-second decision, he pulled in to that now-available

parking space.

He did have that box of travel books at the back of the car to hand to her, he reasoned.

And since he was here, he might as well save himself some time on Monday morning. And

since this parking space right in front of her building miraculously became available just at

the right time …

He nodded, comfortable with his decision.

CHAPTER SIX

Clarise was in a panic. She bunched up the top she was wearing over her breasts so she could

put on a strapless bra. She had already buzzed Will into the building so he'd be outside her

door in a minute.

Maybe I should also put on a jacket or something. But seeing it was quite hot in her

apartment, she discarded the idea.

She looked at the pink sleeveless top that moulded to her body and the short pair of

shorts she was wearing and tried to stamp down her nervousness. She was so inappropriately

dressed for a business meeting. Well, not that this was a business meeting; he was only going

to drop off a box of brochures, and then he'd be off.

Why didn't he give me any advance warning? And why didn't I tell him to wait five

minutes?

She heard the knock on the front door of her apartment. She could still tell him to

wait.

You're fine, Clarise, she heard a voice inside her head. Play it cool. He's just

dropping a box and you're not naked. No one would expect you to be in a business suit on a

Sunday afternoon.

She hastened to the door before she could overthink the situation any further.

She opened the door and there was Will, handsome as ever, carrying what looked to

be a rather heavy box.

"Hi," she said with a shy smile.

Will stared at her with frank admiration before giving her a swoon-inspiring smile.

"Hi, Clarise."

"Do you want me to take that?" she asked softly, holding out her arms to take the box

from him.

"It's rather heavy, so how about I put it on a table for you?"

"Okay, thanks." She opened the door wider to let him in.

She was debating whether to apologise for her attire when he spoke. "Nice place." He

was looking around her apartment as he deposited the box on her coffee table. The moment

for an apology seemed to have passed so she didn't mention it. Besides, she wasn't really sure

she should be apologising.

*******

Will looked around approvingly at Clarise's place, thinking how cosy and homey it felt, while

at the same time having understated elegance. She had great taste in furniture. It was modern

and inviting, not like some showroom-type pieces that were nice to look at but too

uncomfortable to relax in after a stressful day at work. She had two tall bookshelves

chockfull of books. Picture frames were scattered about strategically. Then he saw her

balcony off to the left of her living room and headed there.

"So you love plants," he said, stating a fact. She had about ten or so pots of plants of

different colours and sizes.

"Yes, I do, but don't be fooled. I don't have a green thumb. I just love looking at them

and being surrounded by them. I've already had a few plants die on me," Clarise answered

with a little laugh.

He asked her about the names of the plants she had. He didn't really want to know, he

just wanted her to continue talking. He didn't want to leave yet.

He pretended to be interested in what Clarise was saying but his attention was glued

to how utterly sexy she looked in her tight-fitting top and short shorts that exposed her lovely,

long legs. She obviously wasn't expecting company, dressed like that.

He could tell she was flustered. Well, it didn't cross his mind that she would be in her

'home alone' clothes when he surprised her with his presence. Should he have given her some

advance warning? That would have been polite, but somehow, he didn't feel at all sorry for

his spontaneity.

His gaze lingered on the swell of her breasts and continued on to look appreciatively

at the rest of her body. He forced himself to behave and his eyes went back to her beautiful

face. She was still inspecting her plants and was talking about some drip-feed system that

watered them so she didn't have to remember to do it. But he couldn't focus on what she was

saying. He could only focus on the movement of her lips.

He suddenly had the urge to draw her to him and kiss those luscious lips. He felt

himself grow hard. If he didn't distract himself, it would be very, very awkward for the two of

them and very, very uncomfortable for him.

He turned away from her and pretended to inspect a pot behind him, willing himself

to cool down. He didn't come here to jump her; he merely wanted to drop the box of travel

brochures so she could start with whatever she had to do for that article. For business, he

stressed to himself.

And she's no-go, remember, Will? So what the hell are you doing standing in her

apartment with a hard-on?

"Will?" He heard Clarise call him. "Sorry, I think I'm boring you with my plant talk,"

she said with a wry smile.

"No," he said, then chuckled. "The first minute was interesting, and then, well …"

They both laughed, releasing some of the tension in the room.

"Do you want to show me what's in your box before you go or do you have to leave

straight away?"

He looked at his watch. He really must go. He was already running late for the tennis

game as it was.

"Sure, I have a few minutes. I can quickly go through the materials with you," he

heard himself blurt out. Huh? He gave himself a mental shake. His mouth seemed to have a

brain of its own when he was around Clarise.

'Dickhead' really applies to you right this minute, he said to himself, bemused.

"Okay, great. Would you like something cold to drink while you show me your

goodies? I have iced tea, orange juice or water," Clarise offered.

Show her my goodies? Surely she couldn't mean …? Then realisation dawned a

second later. She meant his travel books. He gave himself another mental shake. Will, you're

a real dickhead, you know that? You must leave now!

The part of him that wanted to stay said, "Iced tea for me, thanks."

*******

They sat on the couch and Clarise inspected the contents of Will's box as he gave her an

overview of the materials. He had what he called travel books that covered every aspect of a

particular luxury holiday. He had a number of those relating to different places and different

types of experiences. No wonder the box was slightly heavy. The paper they were printed on

was thick and glossy. They really screamed expensive and exceptional. She was impressed.

As she inspected the different titles, she wondered how many of these holidays Will

had actually been on. She turned to ask him, only to find him staring at her with a

smouldering look that took her breath away.

"Will?" she said in a whisper, his hot look igniting a primal response in her.

"Clarise," he breathed. He shifted and leaned towards her, his face inches from hers,

making his intentions transparent and clearly asking for permission. She tilted her head

towards his, bringing their lips closer but not yet meeting, clearly giving her permission.

In the next moment, his mouth was on hers, kissing her thoroughly like she'd been

wanting him to do since she first met him. She was stunned for a moment at the passion in his

kiss, then without another thought, she was kissing him back with equal fervour, travel books

dropped and forgotten.

Their tongues danced as they tasted and explored each other's hungry mouths. She

didn't know how it happened, but she suddenly found herself lying on her back on the couch.

Will was leaning on her from his sitting position, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, while

his hand stroked her upper thigh. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, pulling him

deeper into their kiss with a soft moan.

Will let out a groan and moved his burning hand from her thigh to underneath her top.

He cupped her breast as his mouth moved to her neck, giving it a trail of hot kisses and gentle

sucks. She arched her back and tilted her head backwards, giving him greater access. His

hands moved to her back and unclasped her bra. She was mindless with desire and helped

him pull her bra out of the way. Will bunched up her top to expose her beautiful breasts. He

gasped at the sight and bent his head to lick and tease one already pebbled nipple with his

tongue while his thumb flicked the other. She moaned as electric currents of desire zipped

through her body, congregating on the apex between her legs. She grabbed his hair and

brought her breasts closer to him.

Just then Will's phone rang loudly and vibrated from his jeans pocket, making them

both jump.

He swore softly at the intrusion, dug out his phone and checked who the caller was.

He sighed raggedly and gave her a quick, soft kiss on the lips. "I better get this, baby. It's

Rick," he said while swiping his thumb on her cheek.

Baby! A warm glow travelled all over her at Will's term of endearment and tender

gesture. She nodded and tried to calm down her heavy breathing and galloping heart.

She couldn't believe what just happened. This wasn't like her at all.

Will got up from the couch and barked, "Rick!" He raked his free hand through his

hair. "Yeah, I'm on my way. I'm just running a little late. Sorry. There was an unexpected

matter that held me up. I'll be there soon."

As Will spoke on the phone, she stood up and fixed her top back in place, sans bra.

Suddenly, she felt really shy. Her face burned as she licked her lips, which had gone dry.

Will had hung up. He stepped towards her and cradled her cheeks with his hands as he

ran his thumb along her lower lip. "I have to go, baby. Call you tomorrow?" he asked huskily.

She nodded, and smiled at him sweetly.

At the door, he gave her another quick, soft kiss.

"Good luck with your game," she murmured.

"Thank you. Although I have a feeling I'll be too distracted and Rick will not be a

very happy man. They're already annoyed that I'm late," he smirked.

He turned to go and had his hand on the door knob when, to her surprise, he turned to

her again and gave her another kiss. Not a quick, soft one but a hot, probing one that made

her heart pound like mad again.

Her knees grew weak from Will's searing kiss. It was over far too quickly for her

liking. When he pulled away he didn't leave immediately. He looked at her searchingly with

those blazing hazel eyes before he went out the door.

She stood with her back against her closed door for a long minute after Will had left.

She had never reacted that way to a man before. She was shocked at how wantonly she acted.

Goodness, she hardly knew him! But she couldn't get rid of the big, idiotic grin plastered on

her face.

She realised just how much she was looking forward to his call tomorrow, to seeing

him again. She missed him already and it had only been two minutes since he left.

*******

Inside his car, Will ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. He'd never lost his self-

control like that before. The feeling of wanting Clarise was just … intense. And she'd wanted

him as much as he'd wanted her. He had no doubt that if the interruption from Rick didn't

come, he would still be in her apartment, more specifically, in her bedroom and they would

have gone all the way. And he would have been in big trouble.

With another shake of his head, he started the car and drove. His biggest problem was

that he wanted her. Badly. And fuck, she was so hot and responsive. He groaned out loud at

the memory of Clarise moaning as he was licking and flicking her nipples and felt himself go

hard again.

Focus on your driving, Will, or you might have an accident and have your dick cut

off.

At the thought of him being in a car accident, his parents' wreck came to mind, with

the effect of pouring ice-cold water all over him. He was grim for a moment from that

memory, and then realised he could now think straight, without lust muddling his brain.

He'd noticed Clarise's doe-eyed look just before he left her apartment. Sure there was

lust there but he also recognised that tender, mushy look that women have when they become

all romantic over a man. She'd be wanting a serious relationship eventually, not just the sex-

with-no-strings-attached experience. A serious relationship. Just what he wanted to avoid at

all cost. He had other priorities and he didn't want the complication.

So why was it that when Clarise looked at him with those shining brown eyes—

tenderly, mushily, romantically—his heart skipped a beat and it took all his effort not to hold

her again and kiss her some more?

Lust. That's all it was. Strong, powerful, lust.

He'd handle himself better next time. Better yet, he'd avoid a situation where there

could be a next time. He couldn't give her what she would eventually want. And instinctively,

he knew she deserved better.

*******

Clarise kept checking the time. It was now 5:17pm and Will still hadn't called. Working

hours had officially ended so he could take a break and call her now, couldn't he? He did say

he would call, didn't he? Or was it just a figment of her fevered imagination?

Stop acting like a lovesick teenager, Clarise!

Her phone rang and her heart raced. She looked at the caller ID and felt the heaviness

of disappointment.

"Hi, Faye," she said a little unenthusiastically.

"Hi. What's wrong? You sound … off."

"Off?"

"Yeah, you sound a little down."

"I was just …" She tried to think of a good lie but decided to tell her best friend the

truth. "I was hoping it was Will."

"Oh? You're expecting his call?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he said he would call me today."

"How come?"

She sighed. She knew Faye wouldn't let up until she was satisfied she had been told

the full story to her satisfaction. "Well, we got interrupted when we were making out in my

apartment yesterday," she whispered, as if someone in the office might be eavesdropping on

her conversation. "He had to go without finishing what we started and he asked if he could

call me today and I said yes."

"Oh. My. God," Faye said, sounding shocked and pleased at the same time. "Why,

Miss Carson, you can certainly move fast when you've made up your mind about something

—or someone. Good for you!"

She chuckled, then her blasted doubts surfaced. "But why hasn't he called yet? It's

after five already."

"If he doesn't end up calling you today, until you know for sure what the reason is,

don't jump to any conclusions," Faye advised.

"Okay, I won't," she promised. She wanted to hang on to the hope.

"Anyway," Faye continued, "Steve will definitely be interstate for work tomorrow. He

won't be back until Wednesday so we can have a girls' night out. That is, if you don't have a

date."

"Sounds great."

"Liar," Faye said with good humour. "You probably would prefer to be with this Will

guy. But knowing you, I really can't believe you have made out with him already. So how far

did he get?"

"Faye! I can't tell you all the details!"

"Okay, okay. So when do I get to meet him?"

"I don't know. I still don't know where we stand."

"Yes, it's probably too early to tell. But I'm glad you've decided to put fun before

serious, Clarise."

"Yeah, me too."

Deep inside, Clarise hoped she had made the right decision. She had this niggling

feeling her heart was already becoming too involved, even if she didn't want it to just yet.

The last time her heart got involved this easily, it also got broken just as easily.

She pushed away her fears, remembering she was finally moving on from the past.

*******

Will checked his watch. 5:40pm.

Is she expecting my call?

For some reason, he didn't want Clarise to think badly of him. He'd been avoiding

calling her all day because he didn't really know what to say.

What am I supposed to say? He practiced a speech in his head. Clarise, I'm sorry

about yesterday. I shouldn't have let it happen. I apologise. I promise it won't happen again.

He thought that was exactly what he should say, but hearing it in his head, it didn't

sound right. It sounded wrong because while he did think what they did yesterday was a

mistake, he very much wanted it to happen again. And damn it, he wanted to go further than

where they got to yesterday. Much further. So that stubborn part of him didn't want to make a

promise he didn't want to keep.

He sat up straight on his chair. With a jolt, he had clarity on what was bothering him.

While he knew he only wanted sex with no strings attached, he had always related it

to one-night stands with maybe one or two more encounters and that was it. He felt guilty at

the thought of having a one-night stand with Clarise. But could it be that with her, he was

willing to consider something more?

He thought deeply for a moment. Yes, he wouldn't mind having an on-going

relationship with her as long as it didn't involve hearts and expectations and shit like that.

One thing he was sure of was that he wouldn't put a relationship at the top of his priorities.

And as long as she understood that …

It dawned on him. He had to date Clarise to find out if that would work for the both of

them. He would need to see if they could have a relationship where they could enjoy each

other's company without getting in each other's way. Wasn't that why people dated? To figure

these things out?

And while he determined if that arrangement would work, he wouldn't have sex with

her. She deserved at least that consideration. And if he discovered she was after a full-on,

committed, romantic relationship, he'd be out the door. That just wouldn't work for him.

Now that his intentions had changed from 'I want to have casual sex with you' to 'I

want to date you', there was no reason to avoid calling her anymore. The guilt had gone. In

fact, he was looking forward to speaking with her again. With a light heart, he picked up his

phone and dialled her number.

Maybe she's free tonight.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Clarise was about to walk out of her office when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID

and her heart skipped a beat before galloping.

Swallowing her nerves, she answered the phone. "Hi, Will," she said cheerily, like she

was greeting an old friend.

"Hi, Clarise. Finished for the day?"

"Yeah. I'm just about to go home. You?"

"Well, work's kind of never done for me but, yeah, I'm ready to call it a day."

There was a moment's pause and she was looking for words to say when Will spoke

again. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight. That is, if you

don't have any other plans."

"Umm, no, not really. I mean I don't have any plans and yes, dinner sounds great."

She couldn't stop the grin that spread to her face.

"Great! I'll pick you up from your place. I'll book us a table somewhere. What time do

you want me there?"

"Let me see." She checked her watch and did some quick calculations. "How about

seven o'clock?"

"Perfect. I'll see you then."

Clarise glided all the way home.

Will thought about how he could keep his greedy hands off her.

~~~~~~~

Clarise heard the buzz of the security intercom. Will was right on time. She wondered if she

should invite him to come up first before they went out or if she should meet him downstairs.

She decided it was better to meet him downstairs. After what happened last time, they might

not make it out to dinner.

She pressed the button to speak with him. "Hi Will, I'll be right down."

"Okay."

When she got downstairs, Will gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Hi, beautiful," he

said a little breathlessly.

"Hi, beautiful, yourself," she said to him shyly.

Will smiled and motioned for her to follow him to his car.

As he opened the passenger door, Will put his hand on her lower back, just like he did

when he led her to their table at the restaurant the other day. Electricity hissed around them at

that small touch.

"Where are we going?" she asked as Will started to drive.

"I thought we'd go to that new restaurant, Stillwaters. Apparently, their food is really

good. Have you been there before?"

"Yes, I have," she chuckled. "I just finished my article on them. It's coming out in the

next issue. And yes, the food there is excellent. Good choice."

"Well, I guess it's a good time to be going there tonight, then. After the magazine

comes out, they'll be so busy it would be hard to get a table at the last minute," he said,

amused.

They spent the rest of the short trip to the restaurant in companionable silence.

*******

Will kept both hands in his pockets as they were guided to their table, remembering his

promise not to sleep with Clarise during this discovery period. But even a little touch like

putting his hand on her back was proving to be too much of a temptation so he decided to

avoid touching her like that, too.

Why did he feel like he'd cheated himself of something good?

Time flew by without him noticing it. He was having such a great time. Before he

knew it, dessert was being served in front them.

"Do you have brothers or sisters, Will?" Clarise asked as she took a mouthful of her

delectable-looking dessert.

"No, I'm an —"

"Mmmm," she moaned. "This is delicious."

It was an innocent moan due to the sweet food, but he felt his cock stir upon hearing

it. He couldn't even remember what he was saying.

Pathetic, Will, pathetic.

"Sorry, Will, I didn't mean to interrupt you, but you just have to try this."

Clarise spooned a portion of her chocolate tart and lifted it close to his mouth.

His lips curved in amusement then he opened them wide so he could take what she

offered. It was indeed delicious. But the thought that the spoon that just went into his mouth

had been in hers was even more delectable.

"You're right. Yummy," he murmured.

Clarise smiled triumphantly at his confirmation and happily resumed eating. "How's

yours?" she asked, casting a longing eye on his plate.

He smiled at her delightedly. So she was a dessert person. She must have a sweet

tooth.

"Let me see," he responded, spooning a mouthful of his crème brulee. He let it melt in

his mouth and pretended to consider his judgement on it, all the while staring into her eyes.

Clarise gazed at him expectantly.

"Hmm, nice," he said. "Just as delicious as yours, I think." He licked his spoon as if

cleaning it off before spooning a mouthful for her. "Here."

He fed her a spoonful of his brulee, watching intently as her lips closed on the spoon

and sucked the food off it.

"Mmmmm," she moaned again, stirring his loins even more. "You're right, it's just as

delicious."

He beamed and sat back to watch her eat. He was quite disappointed she didn't moan

again.

"You like mine better than yours?" she asked him, arching her eyebrows. "We could

swap if you want. Although I'm almost finished with mine and you've hardly touched yours,"

she smiled impishly.

He grinned at her. "I'm watching you eat, Clarise. I'm not eyeing your dessert."

"Oh," she flushed. She was so alluring. He found himself wanting to do things that

pleased her.

"You can have mine too, if you want. I don't mind," he offered.

"No! You have to eat yours," she said insistently, eyes wide, with a big emphasis on

'have'.

"Why?" he asked with a chuckle, her expression entertaining him.

"Because if you don't, I'll end up eating it and that'll be way too many calories for

me."

"Oh. So what?" He didn't think he'd care if Clarise put on a few extra kilos.

She gave him a mocking frown that said 'you know why'. He laughed and continued

to eat his dessert more slowly than she was eating hers.

When she'd cleaned her plate, he lifted a spoonful of his to her mouth, silently urging

her to take it. She shook her head. He gave her a "take it" look and wiggled the spoon a little

bit.

She looked at the offering that was inches from her mouth, looked at him warily, and

looked at the spoon again. She sighed, then opened her mouth for him. He sent a victorious

smile her way.

"That's it, no more for me," she announced, delicately wiping her lips with the napkin.

He just smiled as he poised to feed her some more.

"Will, please don't tempt me," she begged in that cute way of hers.

Wicked thoughts exploded in his mind with her words. Suddenly, it became of utmost

importance to him for Clarise to accept this next spoonful.

"You know you want it," he said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing.

"No," she whispered and pressed her lips together.

"Yes, you do," he said encouragingly, his mouth curving into a naughty smile.

"No."

"Of course, you do." He smiled his gape-inducing smile and wiggled the spoon close

to her mouth.

She pouted prettily then opened up.

His smile widened as Clarise smiled gratefully back at him.

"My turn," she said, snatching the utensil off his hand. She scooped a large portion

and held it up. "Say ahh."

"That's too much!" he protested with mirth.

"Please?" she said imploringly, fluttering her eyelids at him.

He found he couldn't say no to her so he obediently opened wide.

Clarise gave him the sweetest smile, then ate what was remaining on the plate.

"Mmmmm. That was so satisfying," she said with an expression that confirmed her

gratification.

Oh, my Lord. He wondered if she had any idea how hot she made him feel right at

that moment. He sipped some ice cold water to cool himself down.

"Clarise!" a good-looking man wearing a chef's uniform cried warmly, startling him.

"Hugo, hi!"

"I'm glad to see you back here so soon, my darling," the pest named Hugo said. "It

must mean you really like me!"

Will didn't appreciate the intrusion and he didn't like Hugo's over-friendly hand on

Clarise's shoulder. And he was leaning far too closely towards Clarise.

"Oh, I didn't know we were coming here tonight," Clarise said to the chef. "It was

Will's choice. But I'm glad we're here. Hugo, this is Will Matthews. Will, this is Hugo

Ballentyne, the owner of this place."

Out of politeness, he stood up and shook Hugo's hand. The other man smiled at him,

but his expression was cold.

Well, the feeling is mutual.

"Is there anything else I can get you both?" Hugo asked but looking only at Clarise.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm stuffed. That was great food, Hugo. Will?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine," he responded with as much courtesy as he could muster. Much

as he liked the food, he didn't like the chef.

"Well, if there's nothing else then I better go back to the kitchen," Hugo announced, to

his relief.

But the pest didn't leave straight away. He stared at Clarise as if he wasn't there.

"I would really love to see you again, Clarise. Back here," Hugo said to her

provocatively.

Will forced himself to smother his anger towards this man who dared to flirt openly

with Clarise. She's with me, idiot!

Then as an obvious afterthought, Hugo added, "You too, ah, Will." The man hardly

glanced at him as he walked back to his kitchen.

After that, he was ready to go.

*******

The earlier fun and flirty mood had dissipated. Noticing how it was Hugo's presence that

changed it, Clarise wondered if it was because Will got annoyed that he was rudely ignored

by Hugo or if it was because he was jealous of Hugo's too-familiar treatment of her. She was

thrilled at the thought that Will might be jealous but conceded that the first option was just as

possible. In any case, she wasn't happy at Hugo for spoiling their mood.

As they walked back to his car, Will had his hands shoved in his pockets. Wishing for

the mood to lighten up again, she held on to his arm, almost hugging it to her chest. It was a

little bold on her part but it felt right to her.

Will looked at her with a tender smile, put the arm she was hugging around her

shoulders and kissed her temple. She looped an arm around his waist and sighed softly with

contentment, a warm glow travelling all over her body.

They drove back to her place in silence. Anticipation built up within her and she

wondered if Will was also thinking of the hot make-out session they had the last time he was

in her apartment.

By the time they walked to the front door of her building, she was already dying for

his touch. She fumbled for her keys.

Will he ask to come up with me, or will he wait until I invite him?

She knew she wanted Will. Tonight. Was she ready for this?

Yes.

She glanced up at him, her eyes revealing her desire. "Would you like to come up?"

she asked.

Will stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "No, I better go home."

He brushed his knuckle against her cheek and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

She was stunned. 'No' was the last thing she expected. Confusion and the pain of

rejection stabbed at her chest. Well, she might have promised she would take big leaps but

she was not about to plead and beg. She still had her pride.

"Okay," she said, planting a smile on her face. "Goodnight, then. And thanks for

tonight. I had a great time." She turned to unlock the door.

Will stilled her movements and captured her chin with his hand. He tilted her head so

their lips were only inches apart. Then he gave her a deep, desperate kiss that seemed to reach

for her soul. They were both breathless when he pulled away.

"Goodnight, baby. Now get in so I know you're safe inside," he said huskily as he

gently pushed her through the door.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she walked to her apartment.

Ooohh, what a sweet, confusing, frustrating man!

*******

Will looked at his alarm clock and groaned. 2:42am, it read. He'd been trying to sleep for

hours but the turmoil in his head and heart wasn't letting him rest.

On their way back from the restaurant, the silence in the car had given him the chance

to explore the feelings he felt that night. That he wanted Clarise badly wasn't a surprise. But

he had been shocked to discover that he'd also started to care deeply about her. His reaction

to Hugo and the overwhelming tenderness he felt for her confirmed it for him.

That scared the hell out of him and had him retreating. His feelings were one step

closer to falling in love and he didn't want that with anyone anytime soon. A serious

relationship held significant drawbacks for what he wanted out of life.

I'm sorry, Clarise. I'll only hurt you more. You'll eventually want something I'm not

prepared to give. You deserve better.

He forced himself to ignore the aching pain in his heart. He thought it ridiculous that

he could feel so strongly about someone he'd only just met over a week ago, but he couldn't

deny it just the same. He convinced himself it was from pure lust.

Pathetic, Will, pathetic.

Finally, from exhaustion, he fell asleep.

*******

It had been three days since she last saw Will, and Clarise was beside herself.

Is he just super busy? Does he have some rule on not calling for a few days after the

last date? Maybe he's just not interested in me, after all.

Her insecurities were playing havoc with her mind. She had felt so sure that Will

liked her—desired her, even—but now she was afraid she had just misread the whole thing.

She'd had enough of her internalising and wallowing and decided to call Faye.

"Do you have time for lunch? I could come to you. I don't have meetings this

afternoon so I could take my time."

Her office in the CBD was about a fifteen minute walk from Faye's. She wanted to

have a full hour with her best friend, and the walk to and from Faye's vicinity would do her

good.

"Yeah, sure. Meet me at that Japanese place next door to my office at 12:30."

"Great. Thanks."

"What's wrong, Clarise?"

"It's about Will. I'll tell you over lunch."

~~~~~~~

Clarise was about ready to go to meet Faye for lunch when her other best friend, Jessa Allen,

poked her pretty head inside her office.

"You didn't tell me he was gorgeous," Jessa said, hand on hip.

She gave Jessa a questioning look while admiring Jessa's new designer outfit. It suited

Jessa's petite figure and made her look sultry, yet chic.

"Who?"

"Will Matthews. I went to his office this morning to interview him and a couple of his

staff," Jessa answered as she planted herself on one of her visitor's chairs.

"Oh, you did?" She felt a pang of jealousy and hurt. She wasn't expecting Jessa to let

her know of her schedule but for some reason, it hurt that Will hadn't told her.

Normally, Jessa would have known all about her and Will by now, but her friend had

been so busy catching up with work after her one-month holiday that they hadn't had the time

to get together.

"Yes. He's a very interesting man," Jessa replied. "I take it he's not going out with

anyone at the moment?"

Clarise couldn't help the blush that crept to her cheeks, nor did she successfully hide

the hurt that reached her eyes. "I—I don't know. Didn't you gather anything from your

interview?"

"Well, sort of. Did you know that his parents had been in a car accident over a year

ago?"

"Oh, really? I didn't know that," she said curiously.

"Yeah. That was the catalyst for his business success in a rather short time frame. His

parents' circumstances motivate him to reach his goals. He's got a pretty clear vision for his

future," Jessa said with a trace of admiration in her voice.

"Anyway," she continued, "I gathered he works very long hours. He's obviously very

driven. When I asked how he manages his personal time, he said doesn't have much of it to

manage. When I said that couldn't be good for his love life, he just gave this self-deprecating

laugh and said he didn't think anyone would want him for a boyfriend. He doesn't think

anyone would want to put up with the work schedule he had set for himself. And then …"

Jessa paused, "…and then he asked about you."

"What do you mean?" Clarise asked breathlessly.

Jessa shrugged. "He said 'how's Clarise?'"

"And you said …?" she prodded.

"I said 'she's fine'."

"And?"

"And then, just like that, he ended our meeting and called in his customer service

manager so I could start my interview with her."

Clarise stared at Jessa in silence.

"You know, Clarise, I thought it was a bit funny that you handed the bulk of this job

over to me and gave your reason as conflict of interest. Knowing your tendency to be ultra-

professional, I didn't think much of it. But now that I've interviewed Will and," Jessa waved

her hand across her face, "seeing this reaction …"

She blinked at her friend.

Jessa continued, "I thought he was really cute but he was just all professional with

me. Distant, even. And then I saw his mask slip when he mentioned you. His eyes went soft

and tender, I thought."

"Really?" She couldn't hide her hopeful reaction.

Jessa laughed. "I knew it! So what's going on? Tell me, please! What happened when

I was away?"

She sighed. "I really don't know, Jess. I thought there was something there between us

but I'm not so sure anymore. I thought he liked me but now I don't know if he's avoiding me

or what."

"What does Rick think? Or Megan?"

"They don't know anything about us yet."

"Hmm. Well, maybe Will's scared you wouldn't be able to put up with his work

schedule. It looked to me like he works all hours."

"It can't be that bad that it's unworkable! I'm not unreasonable and I know how hard

running a business can be from interviewing so many business owners," she contended, as if

Jessa needed convincing.

"Don't tell me, tell him!"

She smiled her first genuine smile in three days. "Thank you, Jess." She got up from

her chair and gave her friend a mighty big hug. "Are you sure you can't join me and Faye for

lunch?"

"I'd love to but I have that much work to catch up on. We'll arrange to have dinner

together very soon."

*******

Jessa watched Clarise as she walked out the door. Her heart swelled for her friend. She was

happy that Clarise found someone she felt so strongly for and fervently hoped they would

have a happy ending. She also felt a stab of envy in her heart. She'd dreamt of romance, of

love, for herself. But she was still waiting to feel it for someone. She'd love to fall in love, to

know what it felt like. One day soon, she hoped.

*******

Faye stared at her friend with wonder. She couldn't believe this was the same Clarise she had

known for more than ten years.

"Clarise, could you believe that this time around, your man trouble is not about you

hesitating to sleep with a man, but a man hesitating to sleep with you?"

Clarise laughed despite her distress. "Faye, come on! What do I do?"

"Well, my dear, I think seduction is the way to go."

Clarise came back from her lunch with Faye and went straight to Jessa's office.

"Jess, could you do me a favour?"

CHAPTER EIGHT

Will finished the email he was composing and hit 'send'. He checked his watch and noted it

was almost time for his five-thirty meeting with Jessa Allen. He was surprised that she would

schedule such a late meeting on a Friday but since they officially closed at six on weeknights,

he didn't mind. In fact, he was pleased that the magazine was so accommodating of his need

for urgency. He didn't expect to have another meeting with Jessa so soon after their interview

yesterday morning but was glad things were moving at a quick pace.

But he couldn't help wishing it was Clarise he was working with instead of Jessa. He

knew it was better if there was no contact between him and Clarise but he wanted to see her

again, even if it was just for professional reasons. He really enjoyed her company.

His office phone buzzed. "Yes, Liz?"

"Will, Clarise Carson is here to see you for your five-thirty appointment."

His heart skipped a beat. Clarise? "Who's here to see me, Liz?" he asked a little

incredulously.

"Clarise Carson. She said Jessa Allen couldn't make it."

He took a deep breath. Wishes did come true after all. "Okay, send her in."

A few seconds later, his office door opened and in walked a vision of beauty that

haunted his dreams. She took his breath away, and just like before, all he could do was gape,

heart pounding hard and fast.

*******

Clarise wasn't oblivious to Will's response to her presence. It gave her much-needed

confidence to carry out her plans. She was a bundle of nerves—hopeful, but also fearful.

Eventually, she walked farther into the room and that seemed to snap him out of his

gawking.

"Clarise." He said her name like a caress.

"Hi, Will."

"I wasn't expecting you."

"Sorry. Jessa had an unexpected matter to attend to."

"Well, I'm glad. I mean, I hope everything's okay with her?"

"Oh, yes. I understand it's nothing serious, just urgent."

Will's assistant came in with a pot of chamomile tea for her, a flat white coffee for

Will, a tall bottle of cold sparkling mineral water, two empty glasses and six individually

wrapped chocolate balls.

Yes, the chocolates, Clarise thought with approval. Jessa told her she was served the

chocolate balls when she was there. With that knowledge, they became part of her plan.

Will motioned for her to sit on a comfortable lounge chair by the window as he settled

himself across from her. A low, all-glass coffee table separated them.

She sat down, aware that her skirt would bunch up to show off more of her thighs.

The skirt was short, but not short enough that it made her look slutty when standing up. But it

was tight enough to make it ride up a lot when she sat, especially on a low chair such as the

one she was on. She crossed her legs, not making an effort to pull down her skirt. She had

been told numerous times she had great legs and she hoped Will thought so, too.

Will gulped visibly. He looked away and she noticed how his hand shook slightly as

he poured them some cold mineral water.

Good, she thought of the effect she was having on Will. She was getting less nervous

by the minute. But first, there were some business matters to get out of the way.

She opened her portfolio and took out some notes. She enumerated to Will the

different topics she wanted to discuss with him and the gaps she wanted to fill. There was

really no need for a face-to-face meeting for what they had to talk about—a phone call would

have sufficed—but Will didn't have to know that.

She gave Will a draft fact sheet that she'd put together from the travel books he gave

her. As he was perusing it, he glanced up and caught her staring at him. She looked away,

smiling shyly. When she peered back at Will, she thought he had a rather sad look.

They tackled the first items on the agenda, keeping the conversation professional. She

was again pleasantly reminded how much she enjoyed talking to Will about his business. He

asked her intelligent questions that showed he respected her opinion on things.

When Will recounted his parents' accident and how it motivated him to focus on his

business for their welfare, she felt so moved that she had to blink to keep the tears from

falling. His love for them was obvious and her heart expanded for this wonderful, beautiful,

giving man in front of her. How could she not love him?

I love him! She sat up straight at this potent realisation. So soon? How? She had

guessed she was falling for him, but she couldn't believe how quickly her feelings had

developed into something much deeper. She took a sip of her tea to steady herself. Her

planned seduction took on a new meaning.

*******

"So what's next on the agenda?" Will asked Clarise after a short lull.

"These!" Clarise held up a chocolate ball, grinning. "Time for a bit of a break,

wouldn't you say?"

Will's face broke into a wide smile, remembering how much Clarise loved sweets. He

wondered if she would moan while eating those chocolates and hoped she wouldn't, no

matter how much fun that would be. There wasn't much between them that would cover his

arousal should he again have one.

"You know that's all yours, right?" he teased her.

"No way! Three for you, three for me."

Clarise sat back and concentrated on a chocolate. He watched as she unwrapped it,

then poked her tongue out to lick it before biting into it.

Fuck. That tongue.

Clarise didn't moan but he felt his cock stir from its slumber at the sight of her

running her sexy tongue on that ball. How does she do it?

Clarise must have noticed he hadn't taken a chocolate, for she grabbed one and held it

out to him. He reached out to take it then simply continued to look at her, mesmerised.

"Will, do you like to lick and suck?" Clarise asked softly, peering at him through her

long lashes.

"I beg your pardon?" What the…?

"Do you like to lick and suck? Your chocolates, I mean. Some people prefer biting

straight away."

"Uhh." Lost your capacity for speech, Will?

"I like sucking more," Clarise elucidated. "I find that sucking makes the taste last in

my mouth. And when I suck, I like it that it melts on my tongue. Delicious." The last word

came out seductively.

He was gaping again. Does she know what she's doing to me?

"That chocolate in your hand has melted, Will." He looked at the flattened ball in his

hand.

Clarise unwrapped another one, walked to him slowly and sat on the arm of his

lounge chair. "Say ahh," she said.

"Clarise!" he said with a chuckle. "I told you they're all for you." Her proximity made

him hot and bothered.

"I like sharing. Now, come on." She put a thumb on his lower lip and gently tugged it

down, encouraging him to open his mouth.

He couldn't help but grin and obey her. She pushed the chocolate ball in, letting her

finger touch the tip of his tongue. His cock loved it and stood taller.

Clarise walked back to her chair. Just as she was turning around to sit back down, he

caught that she had placed her finger that touched his tongue into her mouth, as if to taste it.

Oh, my fuck. Why is she so damned hot?

Desperate to hide his growing erection, he picked up the fact sheet she gave him

earlier and held it strategically so it looked like he was reading it, all the while hiding the

bulge in his pants.

How am I going to handle this?

*******

Clarise watched Will struggle for composure, feeling heady and, quite frankly, amazed at the

response she elicited from him. But not only that, she was also amazed at her own response.

She was moist. Very. She had never been this responsive to a man before, not even Nick.

It was time to move on to the next phase of her plan. But she felt nervous all of a

sudden. After his rejection a few days ago, self-doubts were not far away.

What if he doesn't get jealous? She pushed the thought aside and forced herself to

stick to her plan.

She pretended to check the time. "Oh," she said and put on a thoughtful look.

"Something wrong, Clarise?"

"I was supposed to call …" she began but stopped when discomfort rushed through

her.

With a split-second decision, she decided she didn't want to complicate things any

more than necessary. She'd try the direct route first and keep her fingers crossed. It was

obvious he was attracted to her, anyway, so how could he say no to a mere dinner?

"No, nothing's wrong. Say, Will, do you have plans for dinner tonight? I thought

maybe we could grab a bite to eat after we wrap up here."

Will gazed at her for a long moment, looking absolutely torn. "Ah, I'm afraid I do

have other plans for tonight, Clarise."

"Okay. Some other time then?"

He gave her a tight smile that was almost a grimace. Avoiding her eyes, he said, "It

may not be for a very long while."

Oh. Ouch. That means never. He doesn't want me. Lancing pain attacked her heart. It

hurt like hell.

"Did you say you were supposed to call someone?" Will asked quickly, evidently

trying to change the subject.

Suddenly, she felt angry at herself for being in a position to get hurt—again—and

angry at Will for daring to be attracted and then rejecting her—again! Yes, she was angry and

that conjured up her pride.

"Yes, I was supposed to call Victor to let him know if I was going with him tonight,"

she said, standing up from her chair and smoothing her skirt down. She didn't look at him.

"Victor?" Will sprang up from his chair.

"Yes. Victor. He found out I might be here until about six-thirty and offered to pick

me up."

"Are you—is he—wanting to get back together with you?" he asked.

Something in Will's voice alerted her.

She gave him an 'I don't know' shrug. "Victor's just a naturally sweet guy and, like I

said, we're good friends." It was true that Victor had offered to pick her up so she could have

dinner with him and his mum. It was a back-up plan if she didn't go out with Will tonight.

"So … what do you plan to do?"

She looked at him with a challenge in her eyes and said rather coldly, "Well, it looks

like I'm free after all and it would be nice to be in the company of someone who would love

to be with me tonight."

"I would love to be with you tonight, Clarise." Will's eyes grew wide, as if he himself

was surprised at what he just said.

"But … but you said you had other plans, and … and you said, it would be a long

while before you become … free." She was flustered all of a sudden. Flustered and confused

and elated.

"Well, I just realised I'm the boss and I could change my plans if I wanted to. It is

Friday night."

She just stared at him, not knowing what to make of his sudden about-face.

"So," Will continued nervously, "can I take back what I said earlier and answer your

question again? I really would love to have dinner with you tonight, Clarise."

"You don't need to feel obligated or pressured, Will," she said coolly.

Will closed the distance between them and cupped her chin with one hand. "Clarise, I

would really love to be with you tonight …" he said insistently.

"But?" she asked, sensing some hesitation on his part.

He sighed deeply. "But I wouldn't be able to give you what you need, expect,

deserve," he explained sombrely.

"What do you mean?"

"You deserve to be treated right, Clarise. I wouldn't be able to give what you would

eventually expect, such as enough time with you, or … commitment. My time frame for my

business expansion is tight. Very tight. My business goals are my number one priority and I

cannot let anything get in the way of that." His voice was soft but certain.

"It's part of your vision, isn't it? For your parents?"

"Yes."

"So, would going out with me tonight mess up your schedule too much?"

"No," he said tentatively.

"Why don't we just take it one date at a time, then? We could go out together when it

suits both our schedules." She was surprised at what she'd just said. But all she wanted was to

spend time with him.

Will's eyes widened with astonishment and hope. "That would be okay with you?"

Anything for the chance to be with you, no matter what the future brings. "Why

wouldn't it be? I don't even know if I'd want to go out with you again after tonight," she

teased as she demurely placed her hands on his chest.

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that," Will murmured as he pulled her close and lowered

his head to kiss her.

Soft moans escaped her as their lips touched. She melted in his arms as she let their

kiss convey the desire she felt for him.

Someone rapped at the door. They pulled apart and quickly composed themselves.

"Come in," Will called out loudly.

It was Liz, his personal assistant.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt, Will, Clarise," she said with an apologetic smile. "Will, I

just need to discuss something urgent with you before I head home, if that's okay?"

"Sure, Liz." He started following his assistant. "Clarise, I'll be back in a sec."

"Take your time. I need to give Victor a call anyway," she said absently.

Will stopped in his tracks and scowled at her.

"To let him know he doesn't need to pick me up," she explained, as if to a child.

"Okay, then," Will responded grudgingly and walked out the door.

She wouldn't have been able stop the happy grin that spread to her face even if she

tried with all her might.

*******

They walked hand in hand to Clarise's building. Dinner had been quick, both of them

seeming to want to get it out of the way.

Clarise unlocked the building's front door, and without a word, took Will's hand to

lead him inside. He went with her willingly, a small smile playing on his lips. They were both

silent as they rode the elevator up to her apartment on the third floor.

As she opened her front door, her palms started to sweat. After seven years, she

couldn't believe she'd be having sex with a man again. But this was not just any man. This

was Will. And she loved him. The thought filled her with warmth.

"Umm, so Will, do you want something to drink, or, umm …"

How do I start with the sex part again? Do I just go and start kissing him or do I start

getting undressed?

Will smiled and gathered her in his arms. "I'll take the 'umm', please," he said huskily

as he captured her lips with his. What started out as a soft, gentle kiss quickly turned into

something hot and heavy and a craving for something more—much more as their tongues

tasted each other.

"Where's your bedroom?" Will asked hoarsely.

She pointed to where her bedroom was but kept kissing Will, who angled his head

just enough so he could see where she was pointing without relinquishing contact with her

lips. Before she knew what was happening, Will had scooped her up in his arms and was

carrying her to her bedroom.

She was panting as Will laid her on the bed. The room was dark, the only light

coming from the open doorway. Will reached out and fumbled with the switch of her bedside

lamp.

With the room bathed in soft light, she could clearly see Will's face. He was kneeling

on the bed beside her. His blazing eyes, looking deeply into hers, revealed naked desire and

tenderness. Her heart swelled and she reached out to touch his face. He smiled his swoon-

inducing smile and kissed her palm.

He leaned and showered her face with passionate, butterfly kisses. He ran his lips

over her eyes, her cheeks, her ears, before going back to nibble at her lips as he ran his hand

underneath her blouse.

Wanting to feel him, she ran her hands over his back and up his neck to clutch a

fistful of hair as she held him to deepen their passion.

Will moved to kiss and gently suck her neck while lifting her off the bed so she was

straddling him as they both sat up face to face, her short skirt bunched up around her waist.

He started unbuttoning her blouse, one little button at a time. He looked so hot, so aroused,

yet his movements were slow and deliberate. It made her pant just watching this gorgeous,

sexy man undress her.

Her blouse gone, Will cupped her breasts, and ran his thumbs over her already

sensitised nipples over her lacy bra. She gasped, feeling the sensation all the way to her moist

centre. In the next moment, her bra was on the floor.

Will kissed the valley of her breasts before taking one nipple in his mouth. She

moaned as desire spiked within her. He continued to kiss, lick and suck one nipple, then the

other. The sensations that washed over her were exquisite, heightened by watching Will's

obvious enthusiasm at what he was doing to her breasts. It was so erotic.

She was desperate to touch his bare skin. Fumbling, she helped him take off his shirt.

Will laid her back on the bed, and trailed kisses on her lips, her neck, down to her

breasts, ribs and abdomen. He made circular movements of his tongue against her navel and

then moved on to kiss her thighs. She gasped as he kissed her mound over her lacy panties,

before he unzipped her skirt and took it off.

He stretched beside her on the bed, his burning hand moving inside her panties. His

fingers explored and reached their intended destination—her wet centre. She let out another

moan.

"Oh God, you're so wet, baby. You make me so hot."

His fingers found her swollen clit and rubbed it gently as he kissed her mouth

passionately, absorbing her soft cries of pleasure. He pulled up to look at her but continued

his ministrations on her clit, spreading her wetness on it to increase the sensation. He watched

her reaction as he pleasured her, and she could tell her lustful response to him excited him

further.

He pushed her panties down, wanting to get rid of that barrier. She helped by lifting

her hips as he swiftly slid the garment down her legs. Panties gone, he trailed soft kisses on

her legs. He pushed them apart and settled between her thighs.

He groaned before licking her wet entrance and flicking her swollen nub with his

tongue.

"You taste so good," he whispered. She gasped at the sensation and his words and

moaned out loud as Will slowly pushed a finger inside her and moved it in and out.

She clutched the sheets, her body ablaze from what he was doing to her. Then he

inserted another finger as he kissed and licked her clit, tongue flicking fast, then slow, then

closing his mouth on the sensitive nub to tenderly suck, over and over, as his fingers moved

in and out of her. She panted loudly, tensed, then cried out as she came hard. She felt herself

squeeze his fingers like a vise over and over. He stayed with her until she relaxed.

Oh God, that was so quick!

"Oh, Will, that was …" she was lost for words.

Will sat up with a self-satisfied smile on his face. She noticed that he still had his

pants on. Well, she would just have to do something about that!

She sat up and undid his belt just as slowly and deliberately as he had undressed her

earlier. His breathing became more laboured. He captured her mouth as she pulled his zipper

down, and she tasted herself on his lips. She moaned softly. That was so erotic.

With his help, she took off his pants, then her gaze lingered on his erection, now only

covered by his boxer briefs. He was so … big. She gently cupped it and Will moaned softly.

"Oh, fuck."

She took off his boxers, and without a word pushed him down on the bed. She looked

in his eyes that were looking back at her with wild need. She gripped his erection and ran her

hand up and down his length a few times. Then, leaning down, she licked the moisture that

beaded at the tip and swirled her tongue around the head.

"Clarise!" Will ground out as if pained and plopped fully on the bed, squeezing his

eyes shut, mouth agape. She closed her mouth on his length and sucked and licked as she

caressed his balls gently with her hand.

"Ahhh, Clarise!"

Will lifted his head and their eyes met as she continued to pleasure him.

"You look so beautiful doing that," he whispered in awe. Gently, he pushed her away.

"I won't last too long if you don't stop, baby," he croaked.

With quick movements, he sat up, gave her a quick kiss, and went to dig out a

condom packet from his pants pocket.

He had the condom in place in no time. He came back to her and they exchanged

more scorching kisses. He kissed her feverishly from head to toe, paying special attention to

her nipples and then back to her clit. Oh, how she loved his tongue on that part of her body!

She was fully aroused once again. "Will," she breathed.

With a groan, Will positioned himself between her legs and inserted the head of his

thick, throbbing cock into her waiting core. He moved slowly, inch by inch, letting her adjust

to him.

She moaned at the incredible sensation of being filled by Will. He moved in and out

of her slowly, and when he was fully sheathed, he pulled almost all the way out then thrust all

the way in, slowly, again and again until she wriggled underneath him, encouraging him to

increase the pace of their coupling. He leaned and covered her with his body and moved

faster, their kisses absorbing their groans and moans.

Faster and faster he thrust into her, their need mounting higher and higher as they

both strived for release. She couldn't contain her sounds of pleasure as she neared her climax.

Then, with a loud cry, she came hard and fast around him, squeezing his shaft. Will groaned

loudly as he tensed and emptied himself inside her.

"Am I crushing you, sweetheart?" Will asked throatily as he planted a gentle kiss on her hair.

He had collapsed on top of her.

"No," she replied languidly, loving the way Will called her 'sweetheart'.

"Good, because I don't want to move yet." He did shift their position a little so she

wasn't absorbing his full weight, but remained inside her.

"That was incredible. You were incredible," he whispered in her ear.

"I think you were just as responsible for that," she said with a smile.

After a quiet moment, he kissed her forehead and got up to go to the bathroom.

She laughed when she saw him turn the wrong way in the hall, then head back the

other way in the right direction.

As she waited for Will, she wondered if he would stay the night. She wanted him to.

Very much. But she wouldn't ask. She didn't want to be the demanding, clingy girlfriend she

instinctively knew he wanted to avoid. He didn't say that in so many words but that was what

it appeared to be when he agreed to her one-date-at-a-time suggestion.

For the first time since she propositioned him, she thought about the meaning of her

words. Did taking it one date at a time mean there were no expectations or commitments

beyond the date they were on? If so, could she even call him her boyfriend? Or was she just

someone he slept with every now and again? Did that mean she couldn't ask that they see

each other exclusively?

She had only just started realising the possible consequences of the arrangement she

made with Will. Could she handle them?

Pain and panic threatened to surface but she pushed them away. Tonight, she would

refuse to think about what it really meant to be on a one-date-at-a-time arrangement with

him. She wouldn't let anything mar this special moment they just shared.

Besides, it was her fault for not thinking things through before she suggested it. She

had no choice at this time but to make the most of what she could have with him. And hope

that her worst thoughts would not eventuate.

Will came back to the bedroom, still naked, looking so virile. He had a body to die

for.

He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to give her a chaste kiss.

"Are you playing tennis with Rick and Mark this Sunday?" she asked as she stroked

his cheek.

"No. We're having a two month break. We just finished our finals. Rick and I lost the

doubles, by the way. No prizes for guessing why," he grinned.

She chuckled. "Will you be seeing them anytime soon?"

"I don't think so. I don't see them a lot when we don't play. I don't have much time for

socialising," he said with a wry smile. "What about you? Will you be seeing them anytime

soon?"

"I'll be seeing Megan and Rick tomorrow when we get together at my parents' place."

She wondered what he thought about letting her family know about the two of them.

Her future brothers-in-law were his friends, after all.

"Will you say anything to them about us?" Will asked.

Here was her chance to find out. "Do you think we're in that kind of a relationship that

we tell our families about?"

Will mistook her query for a mock question rather than a serious one and sighed with

relief. "I'm glad you think that, too. I agree we just keep 'us' to ourselves for now." He kissed

her again before getting up to get dressed.

Well, there are my answers. No, he doesn't think we're in a kind of relationship you

tell your family about and, no, he's not staying for the night. She couldn't help but feel

disappointed and sad.

She got up and put on her robe. "Would you like some coffee before you go?" She

wanted him to stay longer. She didn't want him to leave yet.

"No, I better go. I have to go through some job applications for the management

position in Melbourne."

"On a Friday night?"

"Yes. I work when there's work, and right now, there's a lot of work." He looked at

her intently. "Like I said, my time frame for what I want to achieve is very tight."

She nodded and put on a smile as she followed him to the door.

"Goodnight, baby. I'll call you," he said as he kissed her before opening the door.

When? she wanted to ask but all she said was, "Goodnight."

Just as she was about to close the door, she called after him. "Will, can I call you?"

He stared at her for a second, as if the thought had never occurred to him. "Sure," he

answered and waved goodbye.

She wondered if he really meant it.

CHAPTER NINE

"Martin, are you about done barbecuing?" Clara called to her husband. "Clarise has arrived!"

"Yes, everything's ready," Martin responded as he wiped the sweat off his brow from

the heat of the barbecue.

It was early March, the beginning of autumn, and the weather was perfect for a

backyard barbie.

Clarise walked out and waved hello to her dad, Megan and Rick. "Hi, Dad. How's it

going?" she asked as she gave her father a peck on the cheek and a one-armed hug, carrying

her homemade tiramisu with her other arm.

"Good, Clarise. How are you?"

"I'm good, Dad." She turned to her sister and her fiancée. "Hey, guys," she said and

gave them kisses and hugs.

"We're glad you're finally here. We're starving!" Megan declared.

"Sorry, the tiramisu took me longer than I expected. And I got up a little late."

She couldn't sleep until the early hours of the morning, too consumed with thoughts

of Will. Her mind had kept replaying the sweet memory of their lovemaking and had kept

asking whether they were heading anywhere as a couple.

"You should have started without me," she admonished them.

"Oh, don't worry, we've been having little bites here and there."

Clara came out with some garden salad and everyone settled for lunch.

She loved this time with her family. She, Megan and Rick usually went to their

parents' place every two to three weeks. The last time she had seen them all was during the

engagement party two weeks ago.

"So, Clarise," her mother said while helping herself to some garden salad, "how is

Victor going?"

She looked up in surprise. She had forgotten that her family still thought she was

going out with Victor.

"Umm, he's fine." She mentally rehearsed how she was going to tell her family that

she and Victor were no longer 'together'.

"Why didn't you bring him here today? Or are you not ready to do that yet?" Megan

asked.

"You do know he's welcome here, right, Clarise?" her dad added.

Geez, my love life is the centre of attention again, she thought uncomfortably. She

glanced at Rick, who was the only quiet one. He grinned and winked at her as if to say, 'I'm

on your side'. He knew how her family always brought up the subject of her love life—or the

lack of it—and how uncomfortable it made her feel. She smiled at him warmly.

She realised everyone was expecting her to answer their questions about Victor.

Okay, then. Telling the truth is always the easiest.

"Well, I have a confession to make," she started. Everyone stopped what they were

doing and waited for her next words. "Victor and I were never an item. He's actually gay."

"What?" they all exclaimed at the same time. Their surprise—or was it shock?—was

evident in their expressions. They seemed frozen in time as they stared at her: her dad

holding a fork with a piece of sausage midway through his mouth, her mum cutting up the

meat on her plate, Megan about to drink from her glass and Rick about to bite on a chicken

leg. It was really quite comical.

She looked at Megan and continued with laughter in her voice. "You really scared me

with your matchmaking plans. I thought the whole thing would have been too embarrassing

and the only way I could have saved myself from the shame of it all was to pretend I already

had a boyfriend."

No one said anything. They just continued to stare at her.

"Oh, come on, guys. It was actually kind of fun. And I'm really sorry I ruined your

plans but …" she shrugged.

Finally, everyone moved again.

"Well, well, well," Megan said, looking at her intently. "What a damn shame. You

certainly acted to the hilt."

"I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me. I didn't ruin your party, though, did I?"

"No, of course not," Megan conceded.

Rick piped in. "Well, it was a good thing the guy we were going to set you up with

was relieved it didn't happen, either."

"Oh really?" she asked, knowing full well who Rick was talking about.

"Yeah. He said he wasn't interested in being introduced to anyone, anyway. He's

really not looking for a relationship at the moment, by the looks of it. Too busy with his

business."

A certain sadness enveloped her. He doesn't want to be with me like I want to be with

him. But I already knew that.

"So who was this guy? Did I meet him at your party?" Carla asked Rick curiously.

Clarise squirmed with discomfort. She didn't want a discussion about Will. She

remembered his words from last night: 'Let's keep 'us' to ourselves for now'.

Megan came to the rescue. "Oh, Mum, it doesn't matter now. We won't mention

names. It's obvious both Clarise and our friend aren't into matchmaking."

She breathed out a quiet sigh of relief.

"So, Clarise, does that mean you're not going out with anyone at the moment?" Clara

prodded.

She thought of Will and their confusing status. "No, Mum, I'm not," she answered, not

realising she said it with a tinge of sadness that was obvious to her family.

*******

"I'll bring out more drinks and some water," Megan offered after everyone finished their

lunch. They were now ready to dig into Clarise's tiramisu. "Would you like to help me,

darling?" she asked her fiancé.

Rick nodded and followed Megan into the house.

"You know we can still continue with our matchmaking plans for Clarise," Megan

said

"Why?"

"Darling, you saw her sad look when she said she wasn't with anyone. You know

she's not much of a party girl or anything like that. And you've got some single friends. I'd

love for her to find that special someone like I found you."

Rick laughed. "Babe, you're such a romantic."

"Okay, so who else can we introduce her to? Is Will definitely out?"

"I think so. He said he didn't want a relationship with anyone when I prodded him

about it last Sunday. He assured me he was very relieved we didn't go ahead with our plans."

Rick paused before continuing. "I think Jared Brigden would be a good candidate."

"Jared?" Megan frowned as she tried to remember who he was.

"Yeah, from Brigden Sports Merchandise, remember? He gave Clarise some tennis

lessons last year after she won them from Mum's charity fund raiser. I seem to remember he

was keen on Clarise back then but he knew he was moving to Brisbane, so he didn't pursue

it."

"Oh, yes, I remember," Megan said excitedly as she pulled out bottles of dessert wine

and mineral water from the fridge. She handed them to Rick and reached in for a beer for her

dad. "Is he back here in Sydney?"

"Yes, he's been back for a couple of months. He's managing their branch here after his

dad decided to take an early retirement. Will and I played against him and Mark last Sunday."

"Great!" Megan cried gleefully. "Hmm. Maybe we can organise something for all

your sports buddies as an excuse. That way it's not too obvious to Clarise or she'll run for the

hills," she cautioned.

"Okay, Miss Cupid. I'll leave all the planning to you. That's your thing," Rick said

fondly as they walked back out with the drinks.

*******

Clarise sat in front of the TV as she ate some leftovers from her parents' barbecue. She

thought of calling one of her friends but she still felt like wallowing.

Will hadn't called all day. It was Saturday! Surely he would have had some time to at

least say 'hi' and 'hello'? She was aware she was being a bit unreasonable with her

expectations but she couldn't help compare him with Daniel, her last boyfriend. Daniel used

to call her every day, even if it was just to see how she was or how her day went. And she

didn't even sleep with him!

Deep down, she knew she was really nervous about her relationship status with Will

and was looking for some reassurance.

'Why don't we just take it one date at a time?' she remembered saying to him.

'You'll be okay with that?' he had asked. And she had let him believe she was.

Am I really okay with that?

She tried to understand her emotions as she stared unseeingly at the TV.

Her phone rang, startling her out of her rumination.

Will! Her heart pounded rapidly.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Hi, baby."

Baby still! And he called! Her face broke into a grin.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No. I'm just watching TV."

"What are you watching?"

"Umm," Clarise focused on the TV screen to see what was showing. She wasn't really

paying attention. Unfortunately, commercials were on. "I'm still flicking the channels. I

haven't decided what to watch yet. What are you doing?"

"Talking to you." She could sense the grin on his face.

"I meant, apart from the obvious?"

He chuckled. "I was working."

She looked at the clock. It was 7:45pm. On a Saturday night. "Wow, you really do

work all hours."

"Yes, all hours," he agreed. "Some of my business contacts are overseas. And the

tourist trade is 24/7. In fact, I never turn my mobile phone off."

"What? You mean to say you can take business calls at two o'clock in the morning?

Don't they call your office landline?"

He laughed. "There was a time when I gave out my mobile phone number to business

prospects instead of the office number. So some of them still call me direct on my mobile.

Fortunately, my overseas business partners are considerate enough to check the time

difference before they call. But I'm just the kind of person who doesn't want to miss

opportunities, I guess. When I first started, someone from the US did call me at around

midnight. For some reason he thought I was in Austria and not in Australia. Well, that phone

call led to a very profitable business partnership."

"Wow. So when you answered the phone for that guy from the US, did you sound like

you just woke up from sleep?" she asked humorously.

"No, I was still awake. Just. I usually go to bed around midnight or thereabouts."

"Oh." She wanted to ask what time he usually woke up but he spoke before she could

ask.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to have lunch with me tomorrow?"

"Oh, you don't have anything more important to do?" she asked. She sounded teasing

but she really wanted him to say seeing her was more important than anything else he could

do on a Sunday.

"No, not during mid-day," he responded. "I think I should be able to do most of what I

need to do tomorrow morning. Besides, I really want to see you."

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was enough to melt her. She really

missed him. "Yes, I'm free tomorrow."

"Great. I'll pick you up at twelve?"

"Sounds good," she said, grinning like an idiot.

"Goodnight, Clarise."

"Goodnight, Will."

~~~~~~~

It was another beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining outside and Clarise was feeling as

bright as the day was. She was seeing Will again.

The buzzer sounded. "Hi, Will. I'll be downstairs in a sec."

"Can I come up first?"

"Yeah, sure." She buzzed him in. She felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach so

she looked around her apartment to double-check its state of tidiness to distract herself.

There was a knock on the door and her heart skipped.

"Hi," she said to the handsome face before her as she opened the door. God, how

could she have missed him so? How could she have fallen for him so fast?

"Hi." Will gazed at her warmly as he closed the door behind him. "There was

something I wanted to do first, before we go."

Before she could ask him what it was, he took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly,

sweetly. She let out a little sigh and put her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Will held

her tightly against him and within seconds, the nature of the kiss changed. He kissed her like

he hadn't seen her for months instead of mere hours.

Oh, Will. She was all feelings as Will ravished her mouth. Her body heated and she

felt desire unfurl within her. Within moments, she was as hungry for him as he was for her

and was returning his kiss with equal fervour.

Her response seemed to spur Will on. He roamed his hands on her back feverishly as

he trailed hot kisses on her jaw, her chin, her neck and back to her face. She couldn't help but

press her body against his.

"Oh, baby," he croaked, "I only meant to kiss you. Now I can't stop. I want you.

Now." His hands went to her thighs under her dress and moved up higher to knead her

buttocks as he pressed his erection against her belly.

"Oh, really? Now?" she purred teasingly, emboldened by desire and revelling in

Will's reaction to her.

"Yes, really. Can't you tell?" he murmured as he kissed her neck.

"Hmm. Maybe I need more proof."

Will gave a low throaty laugh and lifted her so her legs wrapped around his waist. She

hung on to him as he carried her to her bedroom. He put her down on her feet near the bed

and proceeded to divest her of her dress. His eyes raked her body. "You're so beautiful,

Clarise," he said.

He trailed kisses on her as he took off her bra, and then her panties, before laying her

on the bed. "See? I told you I can't stop," he said playfully, his voice heavy with desire.

She was breathing hard as she shook her head. "I still don't believe you. You're still

fully dressed," she said breathlessly, playing with him.

Will stood up by the side of the bed and with a look of intense desire mixed with

humour, he took off his shirt unhurriedly and started to treat her to his version of a hot,

masculine strip-tease.

She sat up on the bed as she watched him, eyes wide and mouth gaping. She was

already panting for him like crazy.

Will unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped them in a hot, sexy way and pulled his pants

down together with his boxers. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. Her gaze

fixed on his erect member and her eyes opened wider, her mouth dry. Was it that big last

Friday night?

"Now do you believe me?" he rasped. His cock jerked involuntarily.

She shook her head again. "Not yet," she whispered and licked her lips.

Will leaned towards her and teased her nipple with his tongue, circling it before

tugging it with his lips. Then he moved to its twin to give it the same treatment. She moaned

and clutched his hair.

He pushed her back to lie on the bed. Slowly but hungrily, his lips lavished kisses on

her face, her breasts, her abdomen, her hips, her thighs. She writhed with need. He pushed

her legs apart and perched himself in between. He flicked his tongue on her swollen clit,

making her buck her hips and moan lustily. He stilled her with his arm as he continued his

delicious assault, his eyes avidly watching her reaction as his expert mouth and tongue drove

her crazy.

She was close to the edge when Will abruptly stopped and got out of the bed. She

whimpered. He smiled at her placatingly.

She watched as he put on a condom, then opened her arms to him as he went back to

lie on top of her. Carrying his weight on his elbows and arms on either side of her, he kissed

her mouth hungrily as he settled himself between her thighs.

"Will," she moaned his name as she lifted her hips to grind against his, telling him

with her body what she wanted.

Will groaned. "What do you want, baby? Tell me," he ordered against her mouth.

"I want you. Now," she responded huskily.

He smiled. "Looks like you're now as horny as I am. Can't wait, can't stop," he

hummed, still playing their little game.

"How can I believe you when you're not inside me yet?" she said imploringly,

grinding her hips against his again to make her point.

"Hmmm. You're right," he acknowledged with a guttural sound, then filled her with

his fully aroused cock.

They moved together with a steady rhythm, eyes locking as they watched each other's

face reflect rapture and desire. Their pleasure built and built and built. Will thrust into her

faster and harder, faster and harder, as they filled the room with their sounds of passion. They

rode the crest together until she cried out his name and convulsed and tightened all around

him.

At that moment, Will stilled and came hard inside her. "Oh, Clarise, baby," he cried

softly.

Will rested on top of her like he did the first time, both of them catching their breaths,

sated and satisfied.

A stomach growled and they laughed.

"Was that yours or mine?" Will asked.

"Mine, I think. I'm starving."

"Me too. It looks like we have to get moving." He gave her a quick kiss and pulled

out of her.

~~~~~~~

They decided to have lunch at one of Clarise's favourite cafes a couple of blocks from her

place. It unsettled her a tad that Will didn't hold her hand as they walked. She thought about

the time he had put his arm around her shoulders after they had dinner at Stillwaters and

realised she had instigated that. She wondered if he was just the type of guy who wasn't

comfortable with showing affection in public.

The place was packed with the Sunday lunchtime crowd but luckily, a couple had just

finished their lunch so they didn't have to wait long for a table. She settled for a pasta salad

and Will for a teriyaki chicken dish.

"What do you have on this week, work-wise?" she casually asked as they enjoyed

their food.

"I'll be in Melbourne this week. I'll be interviewing candidates for the management

position there, and I still have to finalise the lease for the office space." His mouth pressed

into a thin line as he stared into the distance, as if he remembered something that troubled

him.

"Oh." She wondered if he would have told her that if she hadn't asked him. "How long

will you be there?"

"I leave tomorrow afternoon and I'm due back next Sunday afternoon." At her

surprised look, he continued impassively. "There's this guy I went to school with who's now

living in Melbourne. He has his own marketing firm and I'm having dinner with him on

Saturday night. Probably Friday night, too. He said he's organising for me to meet some new

contacts."

"That'll be good for you," she responded lightly. But in reality, his news depressed

her. She wouldn't see him at all for one whole week. Would he want to see her next Sunday

night when he got back? He didn't mention anything and she got despondent.

They grew silent as they ate their lunch. She wondered where the hot, attentive and

sweet Will of less than an hour ago went.

"How are your parents doing?" she asked, hoping to have some easy, light

conversation with him.

"They're good, thanks."

He lapsed into silence again, appearing distracted. She noticed his far-away look, a

frown on his handsome face.

Frustration built within her as the silence stretched. Hello, I'm still here! she wanted

to scream. She didn't like that he was being uncommunicative when just under an hour ago,

they were making passionate love.

Sighing, she decided to ask him about business matters, putting her interviewer's hat

on. She wanted him to talk and not shut her out.

Will became conversational as the topic turned to something he was apparently

comfortable with. He seemed happy enough to talk about his business.

She was stimulated by their discussion but she couldn't help but feel disappointed that

they weren't talking about more personal things.

Her disquiet increased when Will again had his hands in his pockets on the walk back

to her place.

Stuff this! She slid her hand on the crook of his arm. She wasn't going to walk next to

him like they were just friends.

Will gave a quick smiling glance at her gesture but that was all.

"Do you like living around here?" he asked her.

Finally, he starts a conversation! She mentally rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I love it here and it's very convenient." It occurred to her she didn't even know

where he lived. "Where do you live, Will?"

"Not far from here. In Mosman."

"Oh, yes, not far at all. Do you live alone?"

"Yes." His lips lifted a little, amused at her question.

He didn't say anything about inviting her over sometime to his place. She wondered,

with the low mood she found herself in, if she would ever set foot in his home.

She was befuddled. It was hard for her to figure out where she stood with him, where

they stood as a couple.

She continued her interrogation, determined to get to know him a little bit more

outside of sex and his business. "What about your parents? Where do they live?"

"In Roseville."

"Is that where you grew up?"

"I grew up in the Roseville/Chatswood area but not in the house they're living in now.

What about you?"

"I was born in San Francisco. We moved here to Sydney when I was seven when my

dad was transferred here to head up the IT department of the company he worked for. We

lived in Parramatta when we first arrived. Now Mum and Dad live in Summer Hill."

Will's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know you were born in the US. You certainly don't

have any trace of American accent. Do you have any other relatives here?"

"No. Just the four of us—Mum, Dad, Megan and me. All our other relatives are in the

States.

"Do you get to visit them often?"

"Unfortunately, no. The last time I visited was five years ago. What about you? Do

you have brothers or sisters?"

Will chuckled. "I remember I started to answer that question and then you distracted

me with dessert," he said with a sensual undertone. She remembered too and smiled, feeling

slightly mollified that he seemed to have relaxed again.

"No, I'm an only child," he continued. "My mum has one sister who lives in Canberra

and a brother who lives in Port Stephens. I have five cousins on my mother's side; three are

married with kids. We usually have a big family gathering every Christmas and we alternate

with the venue. We had last Christmas in Canberra so later this year it will be at my parents'.

As for my dad's side, he was also an only child and only has distant relatives he really doesn't

see much of."

Wow, he's forthcoming all of a sudden. It must have been the dessert memory that

brought that out.

When they got back to her apartment, she fully expected Will to follow her inside, but

he didn't enter.

"I need to go home and prepare for my week in Melbourne," he said softly.

Disappointment coursed through her. It was Sunday and it was only mid-afternoon.

"Can't you stay for coffee?" Or at least give me a good, long kiss? I won't see you for at least

a week!

He gave her an apologetic smile. "I better not. I have to pack and make sure I'm well

prepared for my interviews."

She forced a smile, not wanting him to see her disappointment. "Okay. I hope you

have a good trip."

"Thank you. Have a good week." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left.

She watched him leave then rushed to her place. Once inside her apartment, she let

the tears flow.

*******

Will walked away from Clarise with a resolve born from a deep-seated fear. Although his

heart was heavy, he ignored it, focusing instead on the irritation he felt with himself.

The Melbourne branch of his business was due to open in less than four months. The

lease wasn't signed, the office refurbishment plans hadn't been finalised, and he was nowhere

near picking a suitable person to manage the office. Apart from that, there was the never-

ending marketing and promotional work.

Normally, he would have pulled out all stops to make sure these important things

were progressing at an acceptable pace. But this weekend, he let himself slip. He could have

done a heck of a lot of work. Instead, he had spent the bulk of it thinking about Clarise.

While he was supposedly working, he was daydreaming about her. This had to be the most

unproductive weekend he'd had in a long time, and he wasn't happy with himself. There was

so much to do, and time was not on his side.

It hit him just how little control he had over his physical attraction for Clarise. He

didn't like losing control. He had already achieved much success because he exercised

discipline. Emotions didn't play a part in his game plan. His tight rein on his feelings was

what allowed him to grow and manage his business to where it was now. And he was still a

long way away from where he wanted to be.

He couldn't see any other choice but to cool it when it came to Clarise. He doubted

that he could give her up altogether—he was too attracted to her to do that—but he had to be

able to slow things down.

They were meant to enjoy each other's company only when their schedules permitted.

He had momentarily forgotten his priorities and blamed it on his incredibly strong physical

attraction to her. He needed to fix that.

He drove home, striving to bring his focus back to the work he needed to do. He was

glad he would be away from her for a week. He needed that time to get back his bearings.

And he was glad Clarise was fine with taking it one date at a time. No expectations.

At least there was nothing for him to feel guilty about when it came to her.

CHAPTER TEN

Clarise plopped a spoonful of chocolate fudge ice cream in her mouth as she spent another

night staring unseeingly at the TV. She hardly ate dinner, not feeling like eating something

wholesome.

But even with her comfort food, she still hadn't been able to shake the sadness she felt

since Will went home earlier today. It disturbed her, feeling the way she did. She wasn't used

to being the one who wanted more. In the last seven years she had been the one to hold back,

to put someone at an arm's length, to be the one to cool things down. But with Will, her life

had turned upside down.

She just felt so frustrated, helpless even, that she didn't know what tomorrow held for

them as a couple.

She hated not knowing. She couldn't stand uncertainty, especially when she wanted

something so much. And Will made her feel very uncertain—and scared for her heart.

Her phone rang, making her heart stop. It was just Faye.

"Hi, Faye," she said with fake cheerfulness.

"Hi, Clarise. What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing. Just watching TV. Why?" What exactly am I watching? She tried to focus

on the screen. It was a re-run of Bones.

"Nothing. I'm just feeling lonely already. Steve has to go to Cairns for work

tomorrow. He's packing at the moment," Faye said dolefully.

Her friend's melancholy made her smile. At least she wasn't the only one. She felt a

bit better.

"When's he coming back?"

"Not 'til Wednesday," Faye sniffed. "He loves his new job and it's much more money

than the last one but this is the trade off. I told him to tell his boss to give him longer notice

the next time he has to go somewhere so I could take some time off work and go with him. I

just hate it when he's away," she sighed.

"Well, at least that's only three days and two nights. Will's going to Melbourne

tomorrow and he won't be back 'til next Sunday."

"Oh, really?" Faye suddenly sounded more animated and interested. "So how did your

meeting go last Friday?" She emphasised the word meeting.

"Oh, it went well."

"And?"

"And we did go out to dinner."

"Great stuff, Clarise! And?"

"And … I did open my legs." She blushed at her words—well, Faye's words that she

borrowed.

"Oh. My. God! Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" Faye said

with shock and amazement. "I seriously didn't think you'd go ahead with the seduction plan

but obviously, you did. And succeeded. So, my dear, how was it? Was he good to you?"

"Faye!" Her blush deepened and she was grateful she was alone in her apartment. But

as she remembered her first time with Will, she grinned. "It was great, and yes, he was very

good to me."

"Heavens above! Finally, my best friend has given up her celibacy. Did you see him

at all this weekend?"

"Yes. We had lunch together today." She still felt shy telling Faye all about her sexual

activities with Will.

"That's it? Just lunch?"

"No," she whispered.

"Clarise, you're driving me nuts. Stop being so coy! This is so not you that I just have

to hear about it."

"Okay, okay! Yes, we slept together today, too. Before lunch. Can you call it sleeping

together when you do it in the middle of the day?"

There was a brief silence on the other line and she could imagine Faye grinning

madly.

"This is looking very promising. And it doesn't matter what you call it. The fact is you

did it," Faye commented gleefully.

She sighed despondently.

"Clarise, what is it?"

"Oh, Faye, I don't know. When we went to lunch after we—you know—made love,

he was very quiet. I think he was distracted with work but still... And he didn't really say

anything about seeing me again when he comes back next Sunday." She felt her earlier

sadness and frustration come back.

"Clarise, it's early days still. And you were the one who told me he's a very busy man

with a very demanding work schedule who isn't really looking for a relationship. You need to

give him time to adjust."

"And if he decides he doesn't want to adjust to it? That he's too busy?"

"Well, it seems to me that there's still a lot of the old Clarise there. You're looking for

certainty, aren't you? Clarise, sometimes, you just can't know until you have given it some

time to sort itself out."

"I'm just thinking it will hurt a lot more later if he decides he doesn't really want this."

"Letting your fears run you again, Clarise?" Faye asked softly. "There are no

guarantees in life but if you run, you will never know for sure. And what's more, if you're not

proactive, you are not giving yourself the chance to make things happen the way you want it

to happen."

"Oh, Faye, you are so wise. I'm so grateful to you," she said sincerely.

Faye laughed. "No guts, no glory. I know I'll hate it more if I didn't go for something I

really wanted. And I just happen to think everyone should feel the same," she said teasingly.

"Hmm. Yes, I think you're right. I think I —" she was interrupted by Faye gasping

and trying to repress a giggle.

"Faye?"

She heard Faye's muffled tone as her friend tried to cover her phone so she wouldn't

hear. "Shhh, I'm talking to Clarise." Faye was talking to Steve and from her breathless and

giggly sound, Steve was obviously doing something to her that she liked.

Then Steve was on the line. "Hi, Clarise. Would you mind if Faye calls you back

tomorrow? It's just that I'm going away and …"

She chuckled, knowing exactly what they'd be doing. "Of course not, Steve. I'll talk to

her tomorrow. Good night. Enjoy yourselves," she added with a snort.

"Good night, Clarise. And don't worry. We'll more than enjoy ourselves," Steve said

suggestively. In the background she heard Faye shout "Good night" as they hung up.

Clarise felt envious. Why can't we be like that tonight, Will?

She sensed the spectre of a broken heart just around the corner. But unlike before,

when she would run away and hide from the source of pain, she promised herself that this

time she wouldn't. Even if she got hurt in the end, she didn't want any regrets that she didn't

do all she could. She didn't want to be that kind of person anymore.

As she mulled over her conversation with Faye, she formulated some sort of plan. She

needed to let Will know that a casual relationship was not for her. Her feelings were too deep

to be able to handle it. But how could she let him know without scaring the crap out of him?

One step at a time, she decided. She wanted them to see each other exclusively.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be running for the hills when she asked that of him.

It would be a deal-breaker for her if he didn't want exclusivity. Not that she thought

he had much time for other women, but it was the commitment to their relationship that she

was looking for. She wanted the right to be jealous and to demand that he not flirt with

someone else. And she wanted the right to fend off other women who wanted him—like

Delia who worked in the office.

Telling him she loved him could happen much later, when she felt sure he was ready

to hear it. She knew holding back on saying it would be very hard. And it would hurt, too.

But for now, she'd settle for showing him instead of telling him.

*******

Will was walking into his hotel room in Melbourne when he received the text message from

Clarise. He put his bags down and checked his phone.

*Hi W. Hope your flight was pleasant and you got there okay. :-). C xxx*

A warm, joyful glow travelled through his body. He started tapping his response, smiling.

*Hi C. Flying was boring as usual. But I feel better now that I heard from you. :-). W*

Just as he was about to hit 'send', he felt anxious that this texting could get out of hand and

leave him unfocused from his work for that week. He couldn't afford to act like a teenager

with a big crush when he had very important things to attend to. He deleted his message and

tapped a new one.

*Hi C. Thank you. Flight was okay. Got to the hotel okay. W*

He hit 'send', and there was that feeling again that he cheated himself of something good.

*******

Clarise heard the 'ting-ting' of the incoming message and snatched her phone from her desk.

She felt a pang of disappointment at the tone of Will's text.

What was I expecting? Okay, she was hoping for something warmer, flirtier, with a

smiley face just like she sent him. And she didn't get it.

His response was impersonal, like he was responding to his PA. Now she worried that

for him their relationship was indeed just as she had started to fear—casual, uncommitted.

Damn you, Will, for making me fall in love with you. And damn me for doing and

saying things that would hurt me.

She had to distract herself from the fear and pain gnawing at her chest, so she went to

Victor's office. He was fully concentrated on what he was doing but looked up when he

noticed her by the door.

"Hey, Clarise. What's up?" he asked with concern.

"Hi, Victor. I was wondering if you have time for a quick coffee?"

"Sure. Do you want to make them in the kitchen or do you want to get them from next

door?"

"Next door. The fresh air and walk would do me good."

"Okay, spill," Victor commanded as they walked towards the take-away coffee shop.

She took a deep breath and asked him, "If someone said to you they'll go out with you

on a date-by-date basis whenever your schedules would allow, what would you think the

intention of that person is?"

Victor frowned at her. "Is that what Will said to you?"

"No, it's what I said to him."

"What?!" Victor exclaimed, shock evident in his voice. "Clarise, I didn't know you

went for casual relationships. I thought you only ever wanted something more committed

than that!"

She flushed. They ordered their coffee and as they waited, she looked worriedly at

Victor.

"Well, you see, it just kind of came out of my mouth. I just so wanted to be with him.

I didn't realise how hard it would be for me to take it," she said with a touch of

embarrassment.

"And you think you shouldn't have said it?"

"I'm not sorry we hooked up," she said with wide, pained eyes. "But I think I've fallen

for him and I'm afraid all he wants is a casual relationship. I don't think he's ready for more.

But I want more."

"Oh, Clarise," Victor said sympathetically. "What are you going to do?"

"The thing is, I know I couldn't continue with our current arrangement. It's just not for

me. I need to know I'm the only one he's seeing and I need him to commit to that. Otherwise,

I'll just keep getting hurt every day. And he wouldn't even know it."

Victor nodded his support.

"There were times when he was really sweet and attentive, like he cared a little bit

about me, so maybe there's hope that he may be open to exclusivity."

Yeah, sure, he was sweet and attentive only when he was horny. She pushed away that

nasty little voice inside her head.

She continued telling Victor her plan. "Maybe I'll warm him up by taking the sweet

and flirtatious route, then tell him we need to commit to being exclusive or we stop seeing

each other altogether."

Victor smiled at her encouragingly as they took their coffee and walked back to their

office. "That's the way. Go for what you want. At least you know you tried."

She smiled gratefully at Victor, feeling validated and more courageous.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Clarise flopped on her bed, wearing her pyjamas and all ready to curl up and sleep. But first,

she wanted to send Will a short and sweet text message.

She was grateful that her day at work had been very hectic. It helped made her day

bearable. But now that she was alone in her apartment, she acutely felt the aching

disappointment that she had not heard one word from him. She hated that she was hoping he

would call or email or text her. Her rational part told her that was too much to expect from

him considering their arrangement, but her heart kept hoping. She glanced at her alarm clock.

It said 10:18pm.

Well, if he was going to contact me at all today, he would have done it by now.

She looked at her phone that she took to bed with her, feeling nervous, her palms

sweating. Just freaking do it, Clarise!

She started tapping her message.

*Hi Will. Hope your day went well. Mine was busy but I found it hard to concentrate. I know

I'll find it hard to sleep too, because I'm missing you a lot. C xxx*

She sent the message, her heart galloping. She tensely waited for his reply, not knowing

when it would arrive. She picked up her iPad to distract herself. Half an hour later, there was

still no reply from Will. She reasoned that he may have turned his phone off but knew it was

unlikely. She remembered him saying he never turned it off and that he slept around

midnight.

By midnight, she had cried herself to sleep.

Clarise woke up, the alarm clock startling her out of an unpleasant dream. She pressed the

'off' button but didn't get up. Her head felt heavy. Her heart, too. Then she remembered her

text to Will the night before and sat up quickly, grabbing her phone from the bedside table.

She blinked. Still no messages. He doesn't care about me like that.

Once again she felt her heart constrict and a tear escaped her eye. She thought about

calling in sick for work. She really didn't feel very well. But it would be worse if she stayed

at home with nothing else to do but think about him all day. At least work would distract her

from thoughts of him.

*******

Victor and Jessa came into her office at noon. "Hello, darling. We're here to drag you out to

lunch," Victor said.

Clarise smiled warmly at her friends. "Great! I'm ready."

Jessa peered at her closely, noticing her still slightly puffed eyes. "You don't look too

well. Are you okay?"

She gave her a small smile and a shrug. "I'll be fine. At least now I know how he

really feels."

Victor raised his eyebrows. "You do? Did you talk to him last night?"

Jessa gazed at them quizzically.

"Let's go to lunch and I'll tell you."

Clarise brought her friends up to date with what had happened with her and Will so far.

"So, I sent him a text last night. I'll show you." She opened her messages and showed

them her text. "He didn't respond to that at all."

Jessa's eyes were wide, looking at her differently. She could guess what her friend

was thinking. When it came to relationships, the old Clarise was either running away, hiding

or waiting—never initiating. But it when it came to Will, she'd taken steps that were big and

bold for her.

"Are you sure he got it?"

"How could he not get it? It's not like he's in the middle of nowhere with no coverage.

He's in Melbourne!"

Jessa and Victor looked at each other, crestfallen.

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry, darling. I don't know what to say," Victor said with

compassion as Jessa reached out to squeeze her hand.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll get over him soon," she said with fake bravado.

Victor stood up and motioned for the two girls to stand up as well. "Group hug," he

said.

She felt tears prick her eyes as she hugged them back fiercely. "Thank you, darlings.

Now let's go back to the office and let me bury myself in work," she managed to say jokingly

as she tried to maintain control of her emotions.

*******

Will sat on a couch in the lobby of his hotel, getting very impatient with his friend Rob

Granger. He may have developed a brilliant marketing mind and vastly increased his social

network since school but when it came to being on time, he was still the old Rob he

remembered. He was running late again. Rob was supposed to be there at one in the

afternoon; it was now one-fifteen. He had an important one-thirty phone meeting coming up

with a corporate client and he needed his phone. He tried to keep calm.

He went to dinner last night with Rob and his girlfriend Andrea. He enjoyed their

company but when they invited him to join them to go to a late-night party of a friend of

theirs who was celebrating something important, he pleaded tiredness and went back to his

hotel. Why would anyone want to organise a big party on a week night? It was only when he

got back to the hotel that he realised Andrea still had his phone. She had borrowed it, as both

hers and Rob's had run out of battery.

Andrea had gone out of the quiet restaurant last night to have a loud conversation with

her friend who was holding the weeknight party. Maybe it was the wine, the different

environment, the somewhat rambunctious company or the fact that he was tired, but whatever

the reason, he forgot to get his phone back from Andrea. And Andrea forgot to return it to

him.

He'd tried to call his phone all night from the hotel but no one picked up. He'd tried to

call Rob but got his voicemail. He'd called again a few times that morning in between

meetings. Finally, Rob picked up at around ten and apologised profusely. Apparently, they

had a really late night and were suffering from some serious hangover.

It seemed to him that Rob hadn't grown out of his partying habits. He acted as if he

was still eighteen years old. He was surprised that he was somewhat successful in his

marketing consultancy business with all his partying. It must be Rob's charismatic and

likeable personality that helped him garner the necessary connections and support he needed.

Finally, he saw Rob arrive. He had to hand it to him, even with a supposedly serious

hangover, he still managed to turn the heads of the two good-looking females that were

walking out the door.

When they were in high school, the two of them were always competing for the same

girls. From memory, the score was a tie. Some girls preferred Rob's tall, dark and handsome

look, and some preferred him.

Once they were both approached by a man who said he was a scout for a modelling

agency and asked if they were interested in modelling. They laughed their asses off at the

offer right there in the middle of Pitt Street Mall and the man left, pissed off with their

rudeness. His annoyance lessened as he remembered those fun times he shared with his

friend.

"Will, I am so sorry. Here's your phone and let me make it up to you by buying you

lunch."

"Thanks, Rob, but I really have to go back to my room. I have a phone meeting at

one-thirty and I better head back. Sorry to leave you like this. I will see you Friday night,

though?"

"I'm the one who's sorry. And yes, Friday night at seven."

They shook hands and patted each other on the back, then he headed back to his

room.

In the elevator, he checked his phone. He had four messages. One from his PA, two

from his mother and one from Clarise. He opened Clarise's first and gaped in surprise as he

read her message. His heart beat wildly and he couldn't help but be aware of that telltale

warmth that was spreading all over him again. The elevator reached his floor and he hurried

to his room.

He sat on the chair by the study table and read her message again. He felt like a

schoolboy who couldn't get enough of a short text message. He noticed the time she sent it

and frowned. Of course, he hadn't had a chance to reply yet.

But what exactly did she mean? Did she miss him for their very satisfactory sex

encounters or did she mean something of a more emotional nature? He didn't have time to

analyse it. He had a phone meeting in a few minutes.

He tapped a reply.

*Hi C. Just saw your text from last night. Sorry for late response. Left my phone with a friend

overnight and just got it back. Talk later. Have a meeting in 1 minute. W*

He hit 'send' then his phone rang and it was time for his meeting.

*******

Clarise heard the 'ting-ting' of an incoming message. Her fingers stilled on her keyboard and

she looked at her phone on the edge of her desk. She sighed as she moved to pick it up. For

all she knew, it could just be from Faye or Megan or her mum.

It's from Will!

Her heart started pounding as she read his message. Then she read it again, frowning.

She tried to read the tone of his text, wanting to know if he was happy or annoyed at what she

sent. It certainly didn't have any emotional tone to it except for the 'sorry' for replying late.

With her emotions already frayed from his non-response until now, she didn't want to think

about it too much until he contacted her again. Surely, he'd meant it when he said they'd talk

later.

She went back to work, resolutely pushing aside thoughts of Will and what he might

be thinking and feeling. It was exhausting having to guess and not really knowing.

~~~~~~~

'Ting-ting!'

Clarise ran from her kitchen to her coffee table, where her phone was. So Will finally

made contact again. It was now 8pm and she'd been waiting for hours for his call. She was

more than disappointed that it was only a text and not a phone call but she decided it was

better than nothing.

*Hi. How's your day been? Mine was very busy. Had non-stop meetings since 1:30pm. My

throat is sore—maybe from talking all day.*

She felt her mood lift. This text wasn't as impersonal as his previous ones. She thought for a

bit about what she'd text back to him.

*Hi. Been very busy, too—and distracted with thoughts of… ;-). Hope you're not coming

down with something.*

*Distracted with what? I'd love to know ;-). Can't afford to get sick so I also hope I'm not

coming down with something.*

Aha, he's flirting with me, too.

*Distracted with … I'll tell you later. If I was there with you, I'd give you warm cuddles to

make you feel better. x*

*Thanks. Gotta go and get some rest now. Good night.*

She frowned. Was it just her imagination or did Will shut down all of a sudden? Or was he

really coming down with something and not feeling too well? She didn't know what to think.

She didn't want to think. She tapped him a short response:

*Good night.*

*******

Will cursed himself after reading Clarise's last text. He knew he was blowing hot and cold

but he was just so confused. He enjoyed text flirting with her. Damn it, he enjoyed anything

to do with Clarise. Even when he was distracted as hell during his meetings because thoughts

of her kept creeping into his consciousness, he enjoyed those uninvited thoughts.

But he didn't enjoy the consequences of being preoccupied with her. His meetings

weren't as successful as he had hoped. In fact, he had more work to do now because he wasn't

as mentally prepared as he needed to be. Now, he'd have to get his PA, Liz, to do a few things

for him that he would have normally done himself. He had no choice. He had deadlines to

meet. He just hoped that Liz would be up to the task.

He scrolled back to the series of texts he exchanged with Clarise. He missed her. He

wanted to call her and hear her voice. But he reminded himself he had to slow it down or his

business dreams could fall in a heap all around him. He had invested a lot of time and money

into his Melbourne branch. If he didn't meet his deadlines, he would be putting at risk what

he had already built—and the future financial security and lifestyle of his parents.

No, there's no need to hurry when it comes to relationships. I can't afford it right

now.

It was too hard to keep seeing Clarise and keep it casual. She affected him too much.

He would have to stop seeing her altogether. There was so much at stake that he couldn't

afford to indulge himself.

He pushed away the gnawing ache in his heart and instead called to mind the

memories of his dad deep in depression, his mum full of fear for their future and his

screaming fights with Karen when she demanded she should be his number one priority or

else.

~~~~~~~

Will was startled by his ringing phone. He'd deliberately avoided contacting Clarise for the

last couple of days and instead kept himself busy with work. And now, here she was, ringing

him. His heart started to beat wildly and he convinced himself it was from surprise that she

was calling.

Keep it cool, Will. If you're going to stop seeing her, you might as well start giving

her hints now.

"Hello?" he answered with an impersonal tone.

*******

Clarise frowned at Will's greeting. It was as if he didn't know who was calling. Surely he

could tell from the caller ID it was her.

"Hi, Will. It's me, Clarise."

"Oh, hi, Clarise. What's up?"

Pain clutched at her heart at his detached response but she pushed on.

"How are you feeling? The last time I heard from you, you said you had a sore throat.

Are you well?"

"Yeah. It was nothing. Just too much talking that day. I feel fine, thanks." His tone

was dismissive and indifferent.

"That's good. I've been worried about you. How has work been?"

"Good! The first few days were disruptive but the last couple of days have gone very

smoothly, thank God."

She didn't miss the fact that the last couple of days were when they didn't have any

communication. She swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat and fought to stop the

sob that threatened to escape her.

Will continued, "I'm actually going to a birthday party. I was just about to walk out

the door."

She forced herself to speak, her pride not wanting him to know she was hurt. "Oh,

whose birthday is it?"

"The sister of my friend Rob's girlfriend. It's her thirtieth. Those sisters are so

outgoing, not to mention very attractive, and they are so well connected with so many people.

I'm a little late but I can't miss it."

Jealousy stabbed her. Outgoing? Very attractive? Fuck! So he's having fun with some

other woman there?

There was silence for a long moment.

"Clarise, we need to talk when I get back to Sydney tomorrow," Will said in a much

subdued, serious voice.

She sensed the meaning behind his words and it put cold fear in her heart. She knew

he was going to end things with her. She clenched her fist, digging her nails into her palm to

control the tears that started to fall.

"Okay. Hope everything there is going according to your plans." She tried to keep her

tone light but wavered. "Goodbye, Will."

She didn't wait for him to respond and simply hung up.

She stared at her phone and let her tears fall unrestrained.

"Okay. I get it," she whispered as she fell on her bed and sobbed until sleep came

from exhaustion.

*******

Will had heard the wobble in Clarise's voice and knew she was tearful. He squeezed his eyes

shut as unexpected pain razed through him at the fact that she was hurting.

What have I done?

He put his head on his hands, taking deep breaths as he tried to contain his emotions.

He'd been very insensitive. Cruel, even. He'd hurt Clarise.

A new wave of pain washed over him. His heart broke at the thought of not seeing her

again, of not making love to her again, of simply not being with her again.

What were all these feelings? He certainly hadn't felt them before. The pain was just

… intense.

Like a bolt of lightning, it hit him. He was already in love with her.

He still didn't understand how he fell in love so fast—and so deep. Could he fall out

of it? Did he really want to?

At that moment, he felt lost. So lost. He didn't know what to do.

His phone rang and for a fraction of a second, hope flared that it could be Clarise

again. But it was Rob.

"Where are you, Matthews? The party's in full swing and there are already people

here asking to meet you."

"Who?"

"Potential clients of yours who love to travel in luxury. I told you I know the fun way

for you to meet new clients. Just keep partying with us and you'll find them," Rob said with a

laugh.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Thanks, Rob."

"Don't mention it. See you soon."

He dragged himself out of his hotel room. His heart was heavy and for the first time

since he established his business, he didn't get excited at the possibility of acquiring new

clients.

CHAPTER TWELVE

"So will you be available that day to help me?" Megan asked.

"Sure, I'd love to help. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Megan was thrilled that Clarise could give her a hand with the preparations for her

mini fund-raising event for the Rehab Through Sports Foundation, a charitable organisation

helping teenagers get their lives back together through sports after their drug addiction. Her

future parents-in-law were long-time patrons of the charity and she also wanted to become

actively involved in supporting it.

"Well, if you could write the invitation for it, and maybe ask Victor to help you out

with the design, that would be great. Also, I'll need some help with planning some of the

activities for the day and sourcing donations that we could auction. We only have three

weeks to put it together, as that is the day we could use Rick's parents' place for the event.

We'll only be inviting around thirty to forty people. It's my first time to do this so it'll be like

a test run for me."

Megan was indeed serious about raising money for the charity and was keen to test

her fund-raising abilities with a small and low-key event. But what she didn't tell Clarise was

that she also meant to put in place her matchmaking plans for her and Jared Brigden. She

hoped to be killing two birds with one stone.

"I'm more than happy to help. And I'll ask Victor. I'm sure he'll say yes, too," Clarise

assured her.

*******

Clarise was keen to start working on Megan's invitation straight away. She was glad for a

worthwhile activity that would take her mind off Will. He was due to come back from

Melbourne that afternoon and she was desperate for a distraction. She didn't know if, or

when, he would contact her to 'formalise' their break-up—if she could even call it that, as she

wasn't even sure he was ever her boyfriend. But until then, she had to focus on something

else or she'd fall apart.

Victor was eager to help out. They agreed to get together at her place that afternoon to

work on it together. When she told Megan about their plans, Megan decided to join them.

The three of them were busy discussing their various ideas for the invitation when she

heard her phone ring from her bedroom. She went to check who the caller was, and as she

guessed, it was Will.

Okay, just get it over and done with.

She steeled herself, knowing she needed to be strong and unwavering in this

conversation. It was cowardly, she knew, but she'd rather do it over the phone than face him.

She picked up the call.

"Hi, Will." Her tone was polite but distant. At least I don't pretend I don't know who

the caller is.

"Hi, Clarise," Will said softly.

She closed her eyes and tried to push away the jumble of emotions she felt at hearing

his voice. She took a deep breath to steady herself before she said quietly, "I can't talk for

long, Will. I'm in the middle of something. But … I just want to let you know I understand

what you want."

She heard him take a sharp intake of breath.

Her heart ached but she continued, "And our … relationship is not working for me

either. So, it's —"

"Clarise, no, no, please." Will interrupted hastily. "Can we talk about this in person?

Can I come over now, please?" he pleaded.

Her own emotions shrouded the meaning of Will's supplication. She thought he

sounded distressed but decided she was wrong. He couldn't be. He wanted to end things with

her. It's probably guilt.

"No, sorry, Will. Now's not really a good time. Megan and Victor are here. We're

working on —"

"Victor?" Will interrupted again, his tone sharp.

"Yes, Victor. And Megan. We're helping Megan with a very urgent project, so I can't

really see you today."

"What project is that?"

She sighed, just wanting this conversation to be over. She didn't know how much

more her heart could take.

"Megan is putting together a fund-raising event for a charity in three weeks."

"Clarise? Where are you, darling?" Victor called loudly and clearly from outside her

bedroom.

"I'm on the phone, Victor. I'll be out in a tick."

"I have to go, Will. Maybe we can talk la —"

"Fine," he interrupted again, brusquely this time, and hung up.

She scowled at her phone. He had the nerve! Well, 'fine' to you, too!

"Who was that?" Megan asked as she walked back out to the dining area where they were

working.

"Someone who wanted me to write an article for his business."

"On a Sunday afternoon? No wonder you looked pissed off."

She shrugged. "Some of them run a seven-day a week business and forget that other

people do have weekends off."

"I think that's rude," Megan declared.

"Yeah."

*******

Will's heart twisted in agony and jealousy at the thought of Clarise spending her weekend

with her ex-boyfriend—a guy she used to have feelings for, a guy she saw every day at work.

Why does he still call her 'darling'? And why is he even there today of all days?

His anger turned to remorse when he remembered his own hurtful words the night

before. Did she turn to her ex-boyfriend for comfort?

It's my own fucking fault, then. My own fucking fault.

He buried his face in his hands, not knowing what to do.

*******

Megan's fund-raising invitation was finished and ready to be emailed to the invitees.

"Guys, thank you so very much for your help. You are both fantastic," Megan said as

she hugged and kissed them goodbye. "Now, Victor, don't forget to come and join us at our

parents' place for lunch on Saturday, okay? And Clarise, don't forget to invite Jessa and Faye.

I'll ask Mary Jane, too. I really need all the help I can get with the short lead time I stupidly

gave myself."

"Yes, I'll ask them. I'm sure they'd love to help. And don't worry. Everything will turn

out well."

"Yes, thank you. You guys enjoy your pizza. I'm now going home to my fiancé and

have dinner with him."

The pizza delivery guy arrived just as Megan was leaving.

"So, Clarise, who was that caller who wanted to talk business with you on a Sunday

afternoon?" Victor asked as he started to devour his pizza.

"Will." She tried but failed to hide the hurt look on her face.

"Oh! What happened, darling?" Victor asked.

She told him the whole story, including how she thought Will had the nerve to sound

angry and hung up on her. "Well, I'm not at his beck and call when he wants sex. I'm not

putting up with it anymore!" She felt the tears rise up to the surface again.

"So let me get this straight," Victor said calmly. "First, he was pleading to see you

today."

"Well, he said 'please', so I guess you could say he was pleading," she said

sarcastically.

Victor rolled his eyes. "Then he said 'fine' angrily and hung up on you when you said

you were busy doing something with me and Megan."

"Yes. I mean, seriously, how dare he think I'll just drop everything to see him?"

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"I said to him I had to go because I was working with you and Megan on this fund-

raising invitation."

"Were you still on the phone when I called for you?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."

"Hmm, what, Victor?"

"Have you told him I was never your boyfriend? That I'm gay?"

She stared at Victor. "What are you saying?"

"Well, sounds to me like he might have gotten upset that your 'ex-boyfriend' was here.

He obviously wanted to come and see you, then he discovered I was here and you refused to

see him. I'd be jealous and downright angry, too, if I was him. I wonder if he heard me call

you 'darling'?"

She gasped. "No. That can't be why he got angry."

"Why not, Clarise? What other explanation could there be?"

"He wanted to break up with me. Why would he care that you were here, even if he

thought you were my ex? Unless, of course, it was his ego that got hurt."

"Look, it's not that I want to give you false hope, but if you were agreeing to break up

with him over the phone, why was he insisting on seeing you and talking things through in

person? If he was keen on ending things, I would have thought he'd be relieved that you were

making it so easy. But he wanted to see you and talk—not listen to your break-up speech."

She felt a little stirring of hope. Could Victor be right? Did she dare hope? Well, it

was a possibility …

"So what do I do now?"

Victor shrugged and smiled at her. "I guess you'll need to talk to him. Find out what

he really wants."

"Okay, I'll do that. I'll call him tonight," she said, feeling fearful and determined at the

same time.

"You know, right now, I'm so proud of you. You're not hiding or running like you

used to do," Victor said fondly.

She gave him a tight smile. "I still want to just run and hide. I'm not used to going

where there could be pain. But … there's a little part of me that still hopes." Her eyes misted

as she whispered, "I love him. I've never felt like this before."

That was true. Her feelings for Nick felt like puppy love compared to what she felt for

Will.

Victor walked towards her and gave her a comforting embrace. "Oh, Clarise,

everything will be fine. And whatever happens, you know I'll be there for you."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Clarise waited for Will to answer his phone. She was a bundle of nerves, her palms sweaty,

but she was eager to talk to him. Looking back, she thought he did sound pleading when he

said he wanted the two of them to talk. She entertained the thought that maybe she jumped to

conclusions about him wanting to break up.

Maybe I did. Hopefully I did.

Then she heard his voice and her heart dropped to the floor with a thud. It was his

recorded message. He didn't pick up and it went to voicemail.

Did he do that on purpose?

She stammered her message after the beep. "Hi, Will, it's Clarise. Umm, I'm sorry I

… I didn't mean to … I mean … I really want to talk to you, too. Please call me?" The last

three words came out almost as a whisper, beseeching.

There was nothing else for her to do but wait. And hope some more.

*******

Will heard his phone ring from the bathroom as he was brushing his teeth. It was probably

Rob, he thought. Rob and Andrea were planning to visit Sydney in a couple of weeks or so.

But he didn't want to talk to him or to anyone. All he wanted was …

He looked at himself in the mirror and pained eyes stared back at him. What exactly

did he want? He felt empty inside—apart from the gnawing ache in his heart.

I want Clarise. Just Clarise.

There. He'd acknowledged it to himself. So what should he do now? What could he

do? Somehow he had to win her back. Damned if he'd let Victor have his way with her. He

would fight for her.

He walked back to his bedroom, deep in thought. Absently, he checked his phone to

ascertain who had called him earlier. Clarise! And she left a message.

He nervously checked his voicemail, cursing himself for not running for the phone

when it rang. His heart thundered in his chest as he listened to her words and tried to read

between the lines. He called her back straight away.

"Will?" Was that relief he heard in her voice?

"Hi, baby," he said softly.

"Hi," she responded after a beat. He thought he heard a smile there, too.

Imploringly, he asked, "Can we talk tonight, Clarise? Can I please come over?"

"Yes, please."

There was something in her voice that made the tension in his body dissipate along

with his sigh of relief.

"I'm leaving now. I'll see you soon." His voice was husky.

"Okay. See you soon," she answered softly.

*******

Clarise's heart jumped at the sound of the buzzer. He's here!

"Will?" She asked as she pressed the intercom.

"That's me!"

She smiled at his surprisingly playful tone and let him in the building.

Upon his knock, she opened her door and smiled at him shyly, unsure of what was to

transpire.

As he walked in and closed the door behind him, she stared at the handsome face of

the man she had fallen in love with, drinking him in. I missed you!

Will stood still in front of her. He still affected her powerfully. And from the way he

was gaping at her, she had the same effect on him.

Her heart swelled as he walked towards her. His eyes searched hers and seemed to

have found what he was looking for, the raw tenderness in his look touching the very core of

her heart.

"Clarise," he whispered as he cupped her face with his hands, his thumbs caressing

her cheeks.

She sighed at his touch and gave him a heart-stopping smile as she looked up at him

with naked emotion.

Will groaned softly, and in the next instant, their mouths met hungrily. Her hand

raked his hair as her body pressed closer to his, wanting to feel more of him. Will moved his

hands to her back, feeling her, caressing her and trapping her within his fervent embrace.

Their kiss spoke eloquently the longing, the passion and the relief she was feeling at

that special moment. A short while later, they came up for air, breathing heavily. Will pressed

his forehead against hers, her heart unconsciously mending from their sweet reunion.

"I missed you so much," she whispered.

"Oh, baby, I missed you, too."

They held each other for a blissful moment, then she gave Will a quick kiss and

pulled away. "Do you want something to eat or drink? I have leftover pizza."

"Is that what you had for dinner tonight?"

"Yep. What did you have for dinner?"

"Nothing. I wasn't really hungry."

"Oh, you should eat. Do you want the pizza, then? It's Super Supreme. It's good." She

took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

"I'd rather have Super Clarise. That's much, much better."

"Will!" She turned to him with a laugh. The hungry look in his eyes made her breath

quicken.

I'm hungry for you, too!

She was sorely tempted to launch herself at him. But they had to talk first. She still

needed to clarify the status of their relationship—and let him know she didn't want to be just

a casual sex partner. Yes, he obviously wanted her and missed being with her, but she needed

more from him. She needed his commitment.

The thought of their impending discussion doused some of her ardour and a feeling of

apprehension crept in.

"I think we need to talk first, Will, while you eat some dinner. I'll heat up some pizza

for you."

Will lightly ran his hand up and down her back as she put some pizza on a plate.

"Did you only eat one slice?" he asked, noticing that the box was still full apart from

one slice missing.

"No, we finished another box."

Will's caressing hand stilled. "Oh, you mean you and Megan and Victor?"

"Just me and Victor," she replied as she popped his dinner in the microwave. "Megan

went home to have dinner with Rick."

He dropped his hand to his side.

She spun around to face him. "I want to talk to you about Victor, and about something

else," she said softly as she placed her hand on his arm.

He didn't say anything. His face was impassive and his eyes were bleak.

She put her palm on his cheek. He pulled her hand down, squeezing it tightly.

"Clarise, right now, I'm wracked with jealousy. Why do you have to invite him here?

And why do you allow him to call you 'darling'? It's bad enough you work together."

He is jealous! Joyous warmth flowed through her at that confirmation. There was

definitely something different about Will tonight. He was acting like a real boyfriend. A

jealous, possessive boyfriend. And she liked it.

"I promise you'll like what I have to tell you about Victor," she said, smiling up at him

placatingly as she put her arms around his waist.

He took a deep breath and rested his hands on her hips, looking slightly mollified.

"You said there was something else you also wanted to talk about. Would I like that, too?"

She drew back. "I don't know. I hope so. We'll talk after you eat." She gave him a

small smile as she went back to the microwave.

*******

Will wolfed down his pizza as they sat on the couch. He knew Clarise wouldn't talk until he'd

finished eating.

"You're really hungry. Why didn't you have dinner earlier?" Clarise asked with

humour.

He looked at her as if she should know why. "You better make good on your promise

that I'd like what you'll say about Victor. I know what I want to hear."

She nodded and smiled at him indulgently.

"There, finished. Thank you for dinner." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and

kissed her forehead as he stood up. "Let me put this on the sink and wash my hands first, then

we can talk."

When he came back a minute later, he sat with a leg folded in front of him so he was

facing her and rested an arm on the back of the couch. "So, where do we start?" he queried.

"Okay. About Victor," Clarise began. "First, you said you know what you want to

hear. What do you want to hear?"

He stared at her, wondering where she was leading. Then, with an earnest gaze, he

told her, "I want to hear you say that he doesn't mean anything whatsoever to you, that all the

interactions you have with him are strictly work-related and he is not allowed, I repeat, not

allowed to call you 'darling'," he said, impassioned, as he leaned closer to her. "I should be

the only one allowed to call you that," he added softly.

Clarise gaped at him with a surprised expression.

"So, what do you have to say?" he asked quietly with a small, anxious smile on his

face as he caressed her cheek with his knuckles.

She smiled enigmatically. "Look, Victor's a very good, very dear friend of mine so it

would be impossible to limit our interactions to work-related matters only. And I don't think I

can stop him from calling me 'darling'."

He saw the look of affection, the fond smile, on Clarise's face as she talked about

Victor. That she had feelings for him—current and strong—were obvious.

She's still in love with him?

He involuntarily took a sharp intake of breath as he felt stabbing pain attack his heart

and ripple throughout his whole body. Once again, he was taken aback by the strength of his

feelings for her. How could he feel so much pain with the simple thought of her still being in

love with her ex?

Clarise shifted so she was kneeling on the couch, fully facing him. She put a hand on

his upper thigh, leaning slightly on him as she cupped his cheek with her other hand.

He didn't move. He kept his face impassive as squeezing pain kneaded his heart,

choking him, preventing him from talking. You still love him?

Clarise continued softly, contritely. "But you shouldn't worry about Victor. You see,

he's gay."

He stared at her for long seconds, not instantly comprehending what she just said.

"He's what?" His voice was disbelieving.

"He's gay."

"Gay?"

"Yes, gay," Clarise answered with amusement.

"Gay," he repeated. "As in he-prefers-men-kind-of-gay?"

"Yes."

Understanding dawned and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You little minx," he

growled. "Do you know what you just put me through?"

He lunged at her, pushing her down the couch and shifting them so she ended up flat

on her back with him on top of her. Clarise giggled happily.

He buried his face in her neck. "Clarise, that was mean," he admonished her, his voice

full of emotion. He'd never been this emotional before. And he couldn't stop it.

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean it. I'm just …" She kissed his hair and caressed the

nape of his neck and his back. He lifted his head and kissed her briefly on the lips before he

started to get up.

Clarise pulled his head down for a much deeper kiss. He willingly obliged.

Their tongues tasted and teased as they gave way to their passion. He sucked her

bottom lip and ran his tongue on its softness, making her moan softly. She clutched him

tighter and arched her body towards his. His desire rapidly escalated. He let out a low growl

as he ground his hips against hers, letting her feel his burgeoning need.

"Baby, we're not done talking and you're distracting the hell out of me," he croaked as

he raised his head to look at her.

"I can't help it," she said bashfully, stroking the side of his face.

He gave her a wide grin before pushing himself up to a sitting position, lifting her up

with him and tucking her under his arm. "Now let's continue our conversation. So, Victor is

gay."

Clarise laughed. "Yes, honey, for the umpteenth time, he is gay."

"I like it when you call me 'honey'."

"And I like it when you call me 'baby'." She captured his mouth for another kiss.

He softly moaned as he responded but broke the kiss quickly. "Behave," he said

throatily. "We have a conversation to finish."

"Okay," she acquiesced as she settled back in his embrace.

"So this is what I don't understand. I could have sworn you two acted like girlfriend-

boyfriend at Rick and Megan's party."

Clarise's cheeks pinked. "Well, we pretended to be a couple at the party because I was

trying to avoid Megan's matchmaking plans," she said in a small voice.

For the second time in this conversation, he stared at her, not instantly comprehending

what she just said. Then he laughed out loud and shook his head in disbelief.

"So you were the single girl I was supposed to get introduced to."

"Yes."

"Did you know I was the single guy in their plan?"

"Not until Mark and Bella talked about why you were there and not your other

partnered friends."

"And what about those other times when you made me believe you and Victor were

an item? Like during our first meeting in your office, and when you turned up in my office in

place of Jessa."

Clarise bit her bottom lip, hiding a somewhat embarrassed smile. "They were done on

purpose. That time in my office was so you'd know I was available, and that time at your

office was so you'd want to go out with me again."

"And earlier today? When you invited him here?"

"I'd forgotten that I hadn't told you he was gay—that we were never an item. In fact, it

was Victor that reminded me of that. He was here because I needed a distraction from

thoughts of you." Clarise's lovely features reflected her remembered anguish. "I thought you

wanted to break up with me."

"Oh, baby." His eyes showed remorse. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It's just a

bit difficult for me to adjust to us being together. But I'll get there." He cradled her head in

his hands and kissed her fervently, imploringly, wanting to erase the memories of hurt he

caused her.

She answered his kiss with equal passion.

"Clarise, I need you," he rasped as he lifted her top over her head and flung it to the

floor. Her bra quickly followed. He placed her on her back again on the couch. Then his

mouth was on her, trailing searing kisses on her neck as his hands cupped her full and heavy

breasts. He took a nipple in his mouth, tugging it and laving it with his avid tongue as he

thumbed the other.

"Ohhh!" she moaned out loud.

His erection grew bigger and harder at Clarise's libidinous response. Hurriedly, he

discarded his shirt and stood up to take off his pants.

"Wait." Clarise was flushed and panting as she put her hands on his to stop him from

fully undressing. "We haven't finished our conversation yet."

He regarded her with surprise and consternation. She looked utterly beautiful and

irresistible but he forced himself to sit back down on the couch. He couldn't help but ogle her

with unbridled lust, his breathing ragged. He ran his tongue against his upper teeth, itching to

continue kissing her delectable body. But he made no move to touch her.

Clarise stared at him, her expression hungry, needy, lusty.

"Baby, if you want to finish our conversation, don't look at me like that." He leaned

down and picked up her top from the floor. "And put this back on so I don't get distracted by

your beautiful breasts."

Clarise complied and settled back on the couch.

"Okay," she started with a sigh. "Will, I realised I don't want just a casual

relationship. I want us to commit to not seeing other people while we're together. And while I

don't intend to make unreasonable demands on your time, I also don't want to be someone

you ignore when you're busy, and only turn to when you're, err, horny. I would like to have

more importance in your life than just being a casual sex partner."

He flushed. Did he really give her that impression? That he only came to her when he

felt horny?

He looked away, frowning, as he gathered his thoughts.

Yes, he could see why she would think that. He didn't really give her any reason to

believe otherwise. And he thought she was okay with that arrangement.

But clearly, now, she wanted commitment. Frankly, he was very glad she did.

Realising he was in love with her, he didn't want anything less. He wasn't quite ready to tell

her exactly how he felt yet—it was all too new for him—but he wanted to give her some

certainty and comfort.

When he realised the depths of his feelings for her, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He

really hadn't had the chance to figure out how he would manage his schedule now that she

had clearly implied she wanted to be one of his priorities.

He loved Clarise. He wanted to be with her and make her happy. But how could he do

that and still meet the extraordinary demands of his business?

Finally, he cast his gaze back at her and saw the troubled look in her eyes. He took

her hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm.

"Clarise, I want to be in a committed relationship with you, too. But the truth is, I

haven't thought about how I'm going to keep up with my tight schedule and still spend the

amount of time I want to spend with you.

"I already know there'll be times when I'll disappoint you. I don't intend to give up on

my current business goals, but I sure as hell don't want to lose you, either. Would you be

patient with me while I work it all out?"

*******

Will's honest entreaty touched Clarise's heart powerfully. She didn't want him to give up on

his dreams, either. She threw her arms around his neck and smiled. "Yes. We'll work it out,"

she promised.

She lifted her lips to meet his. As they kissed, their desire flared again in an instant,

burning hotter, fuelled by their confessions and compounded by their week-long separation.

This time it could not be contained. It was consuming them, making them frantic.

"We're done talking, right?" Will asked hopefully as he swiftly lifted her top over her

head again for the second time that night, kissing her feverishly as he did so.

"Yes, for now," she answered breathlessly as she lifted her arms to help him with her

top. When she was free of that piece of clothing, she grabbed his head between her hands and

zoned in on his mouth. Ravenously, she took everything he offered.

"Too many clothes," Will whispered urgently as he reached for her jeans. With her

help, he undressed her with indecent haste.

"You!" she demanded as she reached out to divest him of his jeans while he removed

his shirt.

Now naked, Will knelt in front of her, between her legs, as she sat on the couch. With

the look of a starving man, he devoured her mouth as he cupped her breasts and flicked her

nipples with his thumbs. She moaned and arched her breasts closer to him.

"God, baby, you turn me on so much," he huffed as his mouth started travelling south.

She burned with want and panted hard as Will sucked and licked her nipples, first

one, then the other. Little whimpers of pleasure escaped her.

He pushed her legs farther apart as his mouth explored farther down. He stroked her

upper thighs as his lips got closer and closer to her hot, wet centre. Then his tongue was on

her clit, licking and flicking enthusiastically and, oh, so expertly.

"Ahhh!" She cried as her body lifted from the couch at the sheer sensation invoked by

his wicked tongue. His hand crept up to tease and tweak her nipple as his mouth and tongue

continued to pleasure her swollen nub and lap her wet sex.

Oh God, it's so good … so good …

Abruptly, Will stopped.

What? No! She watched impatiently as he grabbed his pants to pull out a condom,

which he hurriedly put on.

"I can't wait any longer, baby," he said breathlessly as he sat back on the couch and

reached for her. "Sit on my cock," he ordered.

Eagerly, she straddled him and gingerly guided him inside her. They both moaned in

ecstasy as he filled her with his exquisite hardness. She moved up and down … up and down

… as Will lifted his pelvis in sync with her movements. It wasn't long before she was close to

tumbling over the edge. She tried to hang on by slowing her movements, wanting to prolong

their lovemaking. But when Will closed his mouth over her nipple and flicked it with his

tongue as he thrust hot and hard inside her, she lost control. Her pace quickened

uncontrollably and soon her muscles tensed. She came loudly, crying out his name, as she

contracted repeatedly all around his shaft.

"Ahhh, Clarise," Will groaned through gritted teeth as he bucked into her twice more

before spilling himself in her.

They sat entwined for minutes, sated and catching their breaths on the couch.

"I don't want to move," he said against her hair.

"Then don't move," she said, tightening her arms around him as she straddled him. I

love you was on the tip of her tongue.

"I've got to get rid of the condom," he said, crumpling his face in annoyance.

"Oh." Then, she said speculatively, more to herself than to him, "Maybe I can go on

the pill."

"Really?" Will tilted her head up, his expression hopeful and eager.

She laughed. "You really want me to, don't you?"

"If you don't mind," he said as he kissed her nose. "I trust you and I can assure you,

you can trust me too. I'm prepared to prove it if you want. I really prefer to feel you skin on

skin."

Her cheeks heated. "Okay." She wanted that, too.

Will grinned and kissed her softly on her lips. "Thank you."

They held each other again.

"Can I stay here tonight?" he whispered as he languidly stroked her smooth back with

his fingertips.

She lifted her head from his shoulder, beaming. "Yes."

"But I have to wake up really early tomorrow. I have a phone meeting at seven in the

morning with someone in the US and I have to be in the office for that."

"Okay. I guess we better have an early night, then."

"Yes, bed. But no sleeping yet," he murmured seductively as he nuzzled her neck.

"We're not done for the night."

~~~~~~~

A strange beeping sound woke up Clarise. What the hell is that?

She groaned, still far too sleepy to open her eyes. She felt movement next to her and

mercifully, the annoying noise stopped.

"Good morning, beautiful," a drowsy, heart-warmingly familiar voice said as a

masculine arm draped around her waist and soft lips grazed her cheek.

A lazy grin appeared on her face and she shifted to her side, facing the owner of that

beloved voice. She opened her eyes and could just make out the pair of captivating hazel ones

staring back at her in the dark. The sun wasn't up yet.

"Hi." She caressed his jaw and felt his day-old stubble tickle her palm. Will gave her a

sweet, gentle kiss on the lips.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"It's only five-thirty. Sorry the alarm woke you up so early. You should go back to

sleep."

"Are you getting up already?"

"Uh-huh. Remember I have a phone meeting at seven? I have to go home first, have a

shower and get ready for work." He kissed her again as he lightly caressed her hip.

"Mmm," she responded sleepily. "Do you want coffee before you go?"

"No, baby. I'll have it in the office. I'm getting dressed then I'm leaving."

"Okay," she said, but she didn't want him to leave yet. She snuggled closer to his

body, wrapping an arm and a leg around him. It felt good waking up next to him.

He chuckled softly as he copied her actions, gathering her close. "Hmmm. You feel

good, sweetheart." He planted feathery kisses on her eyes, nose, cheek. She angled her face

so he could kiss her fully on the mouth. Will's lips tugged her bottom lip and gently nibbled

on it. She moaned faintly and captured his upper lip between hers and sucked lightly.

Will groaned and pulled back. "What are you doing to me?"

"Kissing you?" she said huskily.

"You know what I mean," he growled. "I have to get up and you're making it very

difficult."

"If I recall correctly, I didn't start the kissing, you did."

"Well, you're irresistible. But I really have to get up." He gave her a quick kiss and

got out of bed.

No more than ten minutes later, Will was ready to go. She was falling asleep again

when she felt Will sit on the side of the bed. "Bye, baby. I'll talk to you later," he murmured,

kissing her on the cheek.

She forced her eyes open. "When will I see you again?" She felt odd asking him that

question after their blissful night/early morning. But the truth was, she really didn't know

when he would have the time. They hadn't quite resolved how she would fit in his super-busy

schedule yet.

He pursed his lips. "I have a ton of work that I have to finalise this week. I'll have to

work long hours to get it done. But I should be okay on …" He tapped his lips with his

forefinger as he stared into space, obviously thinking. "Wednesday night," he said.

She smiled. "Okay."

"And I'll call you later today," he promised. "Go back to sleep. I'll let myself out."

Clarise was still very tired, but she found it hard to fall back to sleep after Will left. Her mind

replayed their lovemaking. After they left the couch, they went to bed and Will worked his

magic on her body again. It was hot. Very hot. And heavenly. Then, in the middle of the

night, she awoke from Will gently fondling her breasts and subtly nudging his hard-on on her

hip. Oh, she didn't mind being woken up. Not at all. They made slow, sweet love in the dark.

She groaned frustratedly, aroused from her erotic memories and knowing she

wouldn't see Will again until Wednesday night. She forced herself to think of the work she

had to do that day. It would be a long, tiring day after only a few hours of sleep. But it

worked. Soon enough, she was dozing again.

*******

"How are you going, Clarise?" Victor asked with concern as he followed her into her office.

She was ten minutes late for work, which was very unusual. Ordinarily, she got to work at

least fifteen minutes before the official start time.

She smiled at Victor brightly. "I'm good, thanks, darling. And you?"

"I'm good," Victor answered distractedly. He watched her put her handbag in her

drawer and her laptop on her desk.

"I take it everything went well with your conversation with Mr. William Matthews?"

he drawled.

She gave him a small frown but wasn't able to suppress her smile. "How do you

know?"

Victor laughed. "It's written all over your face, Clarise. You look like the cat that ate

the canary."

Her cheeks turned pink and her grin said it all.

"A-ha!" Victor exclaimed smugly. "So he came over then."

"Yes."

"So I was right!" Victor said, looking very pleased with himself.

"Now, who looks like the cat that ate the canary?" she said with a giggle. "Yes, you

were right, darling. And I don't know how to thank you," she added quietly.

"Well, you can have lunch with me today. One o'clock. In fact, why don't we see if

Jessa and Faye can join us? We'll have fun extracting all the juicy details from you."

"Victor! You know I won't tell you all the details!"

"We'll see. There'll be three of us breaking you down," he warned. "I'll call them."

She shook her head fondly at Victor's retreating figure and settled herself on her chair.

~~~~~~~

Phew! I'm glad that's over.

Clarise finished interviewing a client who owned a chain of popular hairdressing

salons. She was a lovely woman in her sixties but boy, could she talk! She had to steer their

conversation back to the topic many times, and the forty-five minutes she allocated for the

meeting turned into an hour.

She fished out her phone to call her friends and let them know she was on her way to

lunch. It was 12:55pm and it would take her at least ten minutes to get there if she walked

fast. She was always on time for meetings, and her friends knew this. Well, she'd only be five

minutes late this once.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a missed call message. Will called me! She

quickly rang Faye and told her how long she'd be. Then, excitedly, she checked her

voicemail.

'Hi, baby. Thought I'd call you before I head off to a lunch meeting. I'll be available until

one. Call me before then if you can.'

She checked her watch in panic. She only had three minutes left. She quickly called his

number.

"Hi, baby," he greeted warmly.

"Hi, honey," she said with a big smile on her face. "Are you in your meeting

already?"

"Not yet. I'm just about to walk in the restaurant, so you caught me in the nick of

time. You sound breathless."

She was power walking. She hated being late. Luckily, she had changed to her flats.

"I'm meeting Faye, Victor and Jessa for lunch. I'm late. I just came out of a meeting.

That's why I only just called you now."

"Well, I'm glad you were able to catch me. It's good to hear your voice," he said

softly.

"Yours, too, hon."

"Hmmm. All panting and breathless. You remind me of how you sounded last night

on the couch and in bed." His tone was salacious and although his voice was low, it was a

little too loud for her comfort.

"Will, you're in a restaurant!"

He laughed, delighted at her shocked response. "Not yet. I'm still standing outside. I

still have … two minutes to talk to you."

She felt a burst of happiness. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"I'm afraid so. I need to bury myself in work, uninterrupted, for the next couple of

days if I want to spend Wednesday night with you. Can I stay over then?"

"Of course."

"Speaking of Wednesday night, I'm supposed to go over to my parents' for dinner. I'd

like to take you there with me before we go back to your place."

Clarise's heart rate spiked. He wants me to meet his parents? Already? "Okay. I'd love

to meet them."

"Great. I gotta go, baby. I think my new clients are already inside."

"Okay. Have a good meeting."

"I will. You enjoy your lunch. And say 'hello' to your friends for me."

"I will. See you soon."

"Bye, babe."

She floated all the way to her friends with a mighty huge grin on her face.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Fantastic! That all sounds really good, doesn't it, Deb?" Eric Armstrong asked his wife,

whose face was flushed with excitement.

"Oh, yes. I really can't wait, Will. I've been thinking about this for five months and

have even inquired at other travel agencies but they just offer off-the-shelf stuff that they

piece together. I want our five-year anniversary trip to be extra special. I'm so excited," Debra

Armstrong gushed, beaming at Will. "And I can't wait to tell our friends. They'll be green

with envy. I'm positive you'll have more new clients coming your way soon from our

network."

As owners of a successful property development company, the Armstrongs were

multi-millionaires who were willing to pay a premium as long as they got what they wanted.

And what they wanted was a perfect, two-month-long holiday as a five-year anniversary gift

to each other, with their twin two-year-old sons—and nannies—in tow.

"Thank you," Will said graciously. "I'm glad you're both looking forward to your trip.

We'll make sure everything goes smoothly for you. Samantha Jones, your personal travel

manager, will be in touch with you tomorrow to introduce herself. Any questions you have or

anything else you want done in relation to your trip, just let her know. She'll look after you

very well."

"We're looking forward to her call," Debra responded. "Now, tell me, Will," she

continued conspiratorially, leaning closer to him as if to talk about a secret. "Has Karen

called you yet?"

"Karen?" He had no idea who she was talking about.

"Yes, Karen Childs, your former fiancée."

His eyebrows shot up as he looked at his new client in complete bafflement. He hadn't

spoken nor heard from Karen since she walked out ten months ago.

"Err, no. I don't see any reason why she would." He frowned. "You know Karen?"

"Yes. We met at the gym and we've become very good friends. In fact," Debra said

with a mysterious smile, "she was the one who referred you to us."

He was stunned, lost for words. "I thought you found our website on the Internet," he

said when he recovered.

"Well, that's what I originally said only because Karen didn't want me to tell you then.

Anyway, I've convinced her that she should call you. You know, for old times' sake. She's

been wanting to for a while now. She hasn't found the courage yet, by the looks of it."

He didn't know what to say so he stayed silent and tried to hide his discomfort.

"Sweetheart, you're making Will feel uncomfortable," Eric gently scolded his wife.

"Oh, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Will. But seriously," Debra persisted,

"it couldn't hurt if you guys caught up for old times' sake, could it?"

"Uh, I guess not," he answered. There was no other satisfactory answer he could think

of for the woman who just added thousands to his bank account.

"Excellent," Debra uttered delightedly. She patted his hand then turned to her

husband. "I think we're ready to go now."

~~~~~~~

Will journeyed back to his office, feeling disconcerted. What was that all about?

He was surprised that his ex-fiancée referred new clients to him without wanting him

to know about it. He was even more surprised that Debra Armstrong seemed to be

determined for him and Karen to catch up. But what for? He felt no need or desire for that to

happen.

He pushed it to the back of his mind. He had more important things to think about—

like Clarise. He smiled and shook his head in amazement.

Damn, I have it bad for her.

It occurred to him that he was head over heels in love for the first time in his life. He

didn't feel anything like this for Karen. He didn't have the same kind of intense longing and

tenderness for Karen that he now felt for Clarise. And he didn't feel anywhere near as

devastated when Karen walked out on him as he did when he thought he and Clarise were

over.

He sighed contentedly, his heart swelling. He would have to tell Clarise soon how he

felt about her. It would drive him mad if he continued to keep it to himself.

~~~~~~~

Will allowed himself to relax as another important task got done. He was pleasantly surprised

that Liz, his very efficient PA, was able to finalise the lease negotiations for the Melbourne

office without him having to be in the meeting. Perhaps he wasn't fully recognising the

abilities of his staff? He decided it was time to let go of some control and give his promising

employees more responsibilities, especially Liz. He would promote her. That would give him

more time to spend with Clarise.

While handing control of his work over to someone else had been abhorrent to him in

the past, he was welcoming it now with open arms. His values had shifted. Without knowing

exactly how it happened, Clarise was high up there on his list of priorities. And he didn't

mind it one bit.

An internal call broke through his thoughts.

"Yes, Liz."

"Will, Karen is at reception to see you. Are you available for her?"

"Karen? Karen Childs?" he responded with shock.

"Yes. I can tell her you're on an important phone call or something, if you like."

He was silent for a moment. "No, send her in. Thanks, Liz."

He had a feeling his new client Debra would be a pain in the neck if he didn't see

Karen. Besides, he was kind of curious as to the reason why she came.

Karen walked through the door wearing a tight-fitting designer dress and fashionable

high heels. She looked expensive and glamorous, just like the Karen he used to know. He

stood up to greet her.

"Hi, Karen. This is a surprise."

"Hi, Will," Karen replied with an uncertain smile on her face. She seemed a little

nervous.

He motioned for her to take the comfortable lounge chair near the window and sat

opposite her.

"Wow, this is definitely a step up from your old office," she said appraisingly. "You

have done really well in the last few months, Will. When did you move here?"

"About six months ago."

Karen nodded.

He waited for her to state the reason for her visit.

"Debra told me they met with you today. She was really impressed and couldn't

contain her excitement."

"Yes. Thank you for the referral, by the way. It was a … Well, I wasn't expecting it,

but thank you," he said genuinely.

Karen beamed at him. "It was my pleasure." She looked down at her hands in her lap

and looked back up at him. "I've been sort of following your success and I know you've now

established your reputation as servicing the high-end clientele. I'm really proud of you, Will,"

she said in a quiet voice.

"Thank you."

There was silence for a long moment while Karen stared at him with a look close to

adoration that made him feel uncomfortable.

"Karen, is there any particular reason why you're here today?"

"Oh, um, well, I just really wanted to see you again. And also to say don't be surprised

if my name gets mentioned by some of your new clients. I've mentioned you to a few people

already."

"Karen, I appreciate it but you don't have to do that."

"Will, I want to," she said emphatically. "And, it's my way of saying I'm sorry for

being a bitch to you back when we … when I …" she sighed. "I really want us to be friends

again," she smiled at him hopefully.

He gave her a stunned look.

"Don't look so shocked," she chuckled. "I know people who need and want your

services. You know me, I'm Little Miss Networker. I love introducing people to each other,

so you can't stop me from doing this."

"Karen … I …" He was lost for words. He didn't want to have anything to do with her

anymore. Even as just a friend, he knew how high-maintenance Karen could be. She would

be expecting him to attend events she organised or participate in some sort of social gathering

or something. He couldn't be bothered about her anymore, even on a friendly basis.

Just then, Liz came in with drinks. It was the usual set-up, with whatever hot drink

they preferred, a bottle of mineral water, two empty glasses and six chocolate balls.

"Wow. Do you do this for all your visitors?"

"Yes."

"I'm impressed. Definitely more special than just plain coffee or tea."

When Liz left the room, he had gathered his thoughts. "Karen, I appreciate that you

hold my business in high enough esteem to mention it to your friends but there really is no

need for you to do that. You don't need to feel guilty about the past. We've both moved on. I

don't see any reason why we need to have anything more to do with each other."

Seeing her wince at his words, he continued, "I didn't mean to sound harsh. I meant

that in a nice way."

"Come on, Will. Surely, there's no reason we couldn't be friends again. It's not as if

we need to hang out together. I just want us to be civil and not avoid each other when our

paths cross."

He took in Karen's words. If that was all she wanted, then there was no good reason

for him to say they couldn't be friends. He didn't hate her or anything. In fact, he was glad she

walked out on him. If she hadn't, he could have gone with the flow and ended up married to

her. He would have missed out on being with Clarise. That realisation made him shudder and

softened his view of Karen.

"You're right. There's no reason we couldn't be friends," he said with a smile. He

knew there was little chance of them crossing paths, anyway. Their only remaining mutual

friends were Chris, his tennis buddy, and Gina, Chris's wife. And Gina hardly ever went to

the tennis matches or hung around with the boys.

"Good! Well, I better leave you to it." Karen said as she got ready to go.

He stood up from his seat, glad that she was leaving.

Karen gave him a light peck on the lips and sashayed out the door.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Clarise paced her living room as she waited for Will to pick her up. She was meeting his

parents tonight and she was nervous. She hoped they'd like the tiramisu she made for dessert.

It was a dish she had perfected and the only one she felt confident enough to bring to dinner.

She heard the buzzer and told Will she'd meet him downstairs. She prayed she

wouldn't bump into anyone on her way out. She was wearing a short-sleeved dress that

zipped all the way down the front and exposed a great deal of her cleavage. It was all for

Will's benefit, of course.

Will gawked at her as she exited the building.

"Hi, honey," she said and kissed his lips. From their close proximity, she knew he had

the best view of her breasts covered by a pink, lacy bra.

"Baby …" Will said hoarsely. His breathing had quickened. "Baby …" he said again,

swallowing hard and still looking down her chest.

"Yes?"

"I think my parents will have the shock of their lives when they see you in that dress,"

he croaked. He lifted his hand and slowly ran a knuckle over the exposed swell of her breast.

Her breath hitched and her skin tingled where he touched her.

A car drove past, breaking the spell. They were out on the street! Fortunately, no one

was around apart from some passing cars.

"Oh, this is just for you. Now that I've greeted you, I can make myself look more

modest," she explained as she tugged the zipper up to cover herself. "Did you like that?" she

couldn't help whispering to him sensuously.

Will's eyes darkened and a seductive smile touched his lips. "So you mean this zipper

can go all the way up and … all the way down?" he asked lasciviously.

"Yes, all the way down," she whispered.

He licked his lips. "I'm sure my parents won't mind if we get there an hour late."

She chuckled even as she felt herself go wet. Oh, she was tempted to take him up on

that offer, but she'd prefer delayed gratification. She didn't want Will's parents to have a bad

first impression of her if they turned up late.

"No, I think we have to go there now, honey. And my arm is getting tired from

carrying this tiramisu."

It was only then that Will noticed the dish she was holding up with one arm. He

seemed to have gotten too distracted by the sight of her breasts.

"Sorry, my sweet," he said as he took the dish from her. Then he bent down to capture

her mouth.

"Let's go," he said after a passionate but all too brief kiss that left her wanting more.

~~~~~~~

"My parents like you," Will declared as they walked back to his car hand-in-hand.

Clarise smiled. "Maybe it was the tiramisu."

Will laughed. "You have to make another one for me, baby. I didn't have enough. Dad

was just too greedy."

She peered at him. "Did you really like it that much?" It was very important to her

that Will liked it.

"Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't like it? If I wasn't so pleased to see my dad eat

so much, I would have fought him for the half he ate."

She beamed at him.

His parents had fussed over her all night. They were nice, genuine people. It was clear

they were very glad that Will had brought a girl home. It reminded her of how her mum had

made a big deal when she introduced Daniel to her parents.

She wondered if Will had ever taken a girlfriend home to his parents before. It

occurred to her neither of them knew anything about each other's past relationships. She'd ask

him about that later.

She gazed at her man as he opened the car door for her. Tonight, she saw the

attentive, loving son. His care and concern for his parents were obvious and it humbled her to

witness it. Her heart swelled with love for him.

They stood beside the car, staring into each other's eyes. Simply because she couldn't

stop herself, she whispered, "I love you, Will."

Will's face broke into a blinding smile. He cupped her face and touched her forehead

with his. "I love you, too, Clarise." He gathered her in his arms and gave her a sweet,

lingering kiss.

*******

Will's parents watched the tender scene from their window. They didn't hear the words that

were spoken, but they didn't have to. They looked at each other and grinned. They were

happy for their son. They'd been desperate for him to be happy. He deserved it.

*******

"Baby, now that we're on our way home, I think you can pull your zipper down a bit again,"

Will said.

"Oh, you mean down to here?"

He glanced at her and saw how far down she was unzipped. "Fuck me," he mumbled.

His cock started to jerk up.

"I would love to, honey. When we get home."

With those words, his cock got hard. "Baby!" he said, half growling, half-laughing.

"You're so damn arousing. I'm driving here."

Clarise glanced at his crotch and pulled her zipper back up.

"Hey, I didn't say to zip yourself back up," he protested.

"Not until we get home. As you pointed out, you're driving."

"Maybe you can touch me a little bit." He grabbed her hand and placed it on his upper

thigh, very close to his erection.

"Will!" Clarise pulled her hand away, chuckling.

"No? Well, maybe I can touch you a little bit." He placed his hand on her knee and

slowly moved it up her thigh.

She swatted his hand away playfully. "Will, pay attention to the road, please."

"Okay, okay," he conceded. "But don't forget your promise."

"What promise?"

"The one you just made. That you'll fuck me when we get home," he said wickedly.

"As many times as you want, baby. I can't wait. I'm wet already," she responded

naughtily.

"Clarise!" he groaned. "Damn, woman. Maybe I can pull over somewhere dark and

we can do it in the car."

"What? Not in the car!" she giggled.

When they got to her apartment, Clarise's dress was completely unzipped in three seconds

and was dropped to the floor as soon as the front door closed.

She was true to her word twice that night. The next day, she arrived at work fifteen

minutes later than she usually did. She made a promise to the man she loved, after all, and

she gladly fulfilled it for the third time after they woke up. Will made sure fulfilling it was

worth her while. He made her come a total of five times.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Karen made her way up the path leading to the front door of Bill and Ruth Matthews. Her

unexpected phone call just a few minutes ago came as a big shock to the couple. Fortunately,

they accepted her excuse that she was simply in the neighbourhood and wanted to see how

they were.

This was part of her plan. She knew how devoted to his parents Will had become after

their accident. She needed to be back on their good side if she was to be successful in

winning him back.

She thought about her conversation with Will in his office. He said he had moved on,

but from what Gina had told her, he wasn't seeing anyone and had put his full focus on his

business. She had no reason to believe Gina was wrong. Chris had told Gina about Rick and

his fiancée's matchmaking plans that Will rejected, saying he wasn't looking for a relationship

because he was too busy. So, armed with that information, she had decided to make her move

to get back in Will's life again.

His business was now stable and successful and, from what she had heard, his parents

had recovered well. So the major reasons that made him ignore her before—the reasons that

made her walk out on him—were gone.

She hadn't moved on and she wanted him back. She made a very big mistake when

she broke off their engagement, and she intended to do everything in her power to fix what

she had broken. As far as she was concerned, he had wanted to marry her and she had wanted

to marry him.

She rang the doorbell, feeling composed and confident. She wasn't very sure of

herself earlier in the week, before she went to Will's office. She had expected him to refuse to

see her. But his demeanour was a surprise. While he didn't initially want to be friends again,

something in him seemed to be accepting of her. She took that as a very good sign.

"Karen, hi. This is indeed a surprise," Ruth said pleasantly as she opened the door

wide to let her in.

"Hello, Ruth. Hi, Bill. It's good to see you again." She gave them a peck on the cheek.

"I brought this for you." She handed Ruth a bottle of wine that she knew they both liked.

"Thank you. That's very thoughtful of you. Please have a seat. Would you care for a

drink?"

"Something cold would be great, thank you. Orange juice, perhaps?"

Ruth nodded as she went to the kitchen, leaving Bill with her.

"Bill," she said with a soft smile. "How are you?"

"Good, thank you. And you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

Uncomfortable silence descended as they waited for Ruth.

*******

"You've been well, Karen?" Ruth asked as she handed their visitor her drink.

Even though Will had been with Karen for a few years, neither she nor Bill had grown

close to her. Karen didn't make a big effort to develop a relationship with them back then.

Ruth was dying to know why she had turned up at their doorstep now.

"Yes, I've been well, thank you," Karen replied. "How are you both doing?"

"Oh, we're both fine, thank you," she answered. "Things were rough for a time there,

but we're over the hump. Things are very good now, aren't they, Bill?"

"Yes, definitely," Bill agreed.

"That's good to know," Karen replied. "You must be wondering why I'm here. Well,

aside from wanting to know if you're okay, I really want to apologise to you. When I broke

up with Will, I know it must have affected you badly, too. I know how much you love your

son and I'm really sorry I messed everything up back then."

Ruth glanced at her husband. She had guessed Karen's visit had something to do with

Will, but she had never expected her to apologise to them.

"I'm really hoping you'd forgive me for being so selfish and demanding," Karen said,

looking at them expectantly.

"Oh, Karen, this is so unexpected," she said, bewildered. "I don't really think you

need to apologise to us."

"I know that if there's anyone I need to apologise to, it's Will. I saw him earlier this

week, and we've decided to be friends again. I was hoping I could be friends with you, as

well. I really want to mend what I broke."

Bill cleared his throat. "That's a good sentiment, Karen. But may I ask, and I mean

this in a nice way, why do we need to be friends?"

"Will was a very important part of my life, Bill. That's not something I could easily

discard or forget. And I'm back to referring people to his business. We've talked about that. In

fact, a couple of his new clients are friends of mine, so I know our paths will cross often

again in the future. I just wanted you guys to be comfortable with that, too."

Ruth nodded her head almost imperceptibly, while Bill frowned a little. She was now

fully suspecting that Karen wanted Will back and that the purpose of her visit was to get them

on her side. She wondered if Karen knew about Clarise. She and Bill only met Clarise two

days ago but both of them knew she was good for their son. And it was clear to them the two

were in love. Should she let Karen know? Was it her place to do so? She wasn't sure.

"Karen," she said softly, "whatever Will decides regarding his life is fine with us. So

if he is happy with your business arrangement, then, of course, we don't have a problem with

it."

"That's great. Thank you, Ruth," Karen replied. "Of course, it's more of a friendly

arrangement. It's not like we have a contract or anything. By the way, does Will still come to

visit you three times a week?"

"Oh, no." she chuckled. "Only once a week now, usually. He's very busy and we've

made it very clear to him he doesn't need to baby us."

"What day does he come here? Maybe I'll visit you again when he's here."

Ruth and Bill looked at each other. She decided she needed to mention Clarise. It

could be a disaster if Karen turned up when Clarise was also there.

"He usually comes every Wednesday night, so he was here with Clarise last

Wednesday."

"Clarise?" Karen asked in surprise.

"Yes, his new girlfriend. Did he not mention her to you when you saw him?"

"Ah, no. The topic didn't come up."

"She's a lovely girl. Very bright, too. She writes for that popular magazine, Lifestyle

by Design, I think it's called," she added with pride in her voice. She wanted Karen to know

they approved of Clarise. They really liked her.

Karen's eyes widened. "You mean Clarise Carson?"

"Yes, that's her."

"Oh, yes, I've heard of her," Karen replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Will plays tennis with Clarise's future brother-in-law."

Ruth nodded in confirmation.

"Well, I better get going," Karen announced. "Thank you for seeing me. I hope to see

you both again in the near future."

*******

Karen mulled over the troubling news as she drove back to her office. Clarise was probably a

very new girlfriend. It was less than a month ago that Gina had told her about Will not

wanting to be set up with anyone because he was too busy with work.

She found it strange that Will had introduced Clarise to his parents already. It took

him a whole year of them dating before he got around to introducing her to Bill and Ruth.

Maybe it was more for his parents' benefit that Will was in such a hurry with the

introductions? If so, Clarise must be some sort of a girlfriend of convenience. It just wasn't

like Will to jump into this whole meet-the-parents thing so quickly, especially when barely a

month ago, he was rejecting any form of relationship.

Her initial worry about Will and Clarise's relationship lessened considerably with her

newly-formed beliefs. But she knew she had to act fast, before Clarise fully ensnared Will.

And somehow, she needed to make this bitch Clarise see that between the two of them, she

had more meaning in Will's life.

Will is mine.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Megan and Rick arrived at her parents' place an hour early to help prepare for their family

lunch. Today wasn't the usual get-together; it was almost a party. As Megan had requested,

some of their friends were coming to help put together her first charity fund-raising event.

"Oh, this is fun, isn't it, kids?" her mum, Clara, said excitedly.

"Sure is, mum," she responded.

Her mum loved having people over at her place. She loved entertaining. They were

having the lunch in the backyard again. It was another sunny, early-autumn day.

"We need to bring out four more chairs," Clara said. "Rick, we have some of those

folding ones in the shed. Could you take them out, please?"

"Four? Do you mean two, Mum? There's only gonna be ten of us, right?"

"No, there will be twelve of us in total."

"Who are the other two?" Megan inquired.

"Well, I asked Faye to bring her boyfriend with her since we haven't met him yet. And

Clarise said she was bringing someone else. A guy."

"A guy?" she asked in disbelief.

"I know. I didn't dare ask if he's a new boyfriend or not. We'll find out soon enough, I

guess."

"I hope this is not another pretend boyfriend to get out of my new matchmaking

plan," Megan commented. "Although I'm pretty sure she doesn't know anything about that."

"You're still planning, darling?" Clara asked. "Well, good. Do you think she got wind

of it and is making sure you don't go ahead with it?"

She looked at Rick, who shrugged at her. "Don't know, babe. You were with her last

Sunday. Did you say anything about inviting Jared to your fund-raising?"

"No, definitely not. I knew if I mentioned Jared she might suspect something. And

she didn't say anything about a new boyfriend, either. Hmm. I'll definitely keep a close eye

on her and this guy today. She wouldn't fool me this time."

*******

"Ready, honey?"

"Ready, baby," Will answered Clarise with a big grin. "I can't wait to see Rick's and

Megan's expressions when they see me."

"Me neither," Clarise replied with a giggle as she reached out to open the car door. He

stopped her.

"Come here and give me a kiss before we go in there," he said gruffly.

He had missed her so much in the last couple of days. He'd been so busy he only had

time for a five-minute phone call before she went to bed. When he picked her up from her

place earlier, they didn't have time to properly kiss and cuddle, much less make love.

Clarise smiled lovingly at him and leaned over. They kissed softly but passionately

and hesitantly pulled apart after a long moment. God, he'd love to kiss her for hours, but now

wasn't the time.

Nervousness and excitement swirled within him as they walked to Clarise's parents'

front door. He was looking forward to meeting them and hoped they'd like him just as much

as his parents liked Clarise.

He couldn't believe how fast things had been progressing between him and Clarise,

but he was loving it.

They were just about to ring the doorbell when Clarise spotted Steve and Faye

arriving.

"Hi guys!" Clarise greeted them as they approached. After giving them a peck on the

cheek, Clarise introduced him to her friends.

"Well, I'm very glad to have finally met you, Will," Faye declared. "You do know I

already know everything about you, right? Clarise and I don't keep secrets."

"Faye! Not everything! You know I'm not as good as you at disclosing juicy details,"

Clarise teased her friend back.

Faye scrunched her face cutely. "That's true, I'm afraid."

"Baby, you tell Clarise all the juicy things we do?" Steve asked with mock alarm.

Faye grinned and just patted Steve's arm.

"Well, Faye, I'm assuming that whatever you already know about me is all good since

you're very glad to meet me," Will joked.

"Smart, Matthews. Smart. There's still some details I want to know and your

girlfriend's holding out on me. I'll dig it out of her eventually."

Steve looked at him with a this-is-what-I-have-to-put-up-with expression then

chuckled.

He could tell he'd get along well with Clarise's friends.

*******

"I'll get it," Megan announced when she heard the doorbell ring. She was sure it would be

Clarise and her date. She couldn't wait to meet this guy to check him out.

She opened the door to find Faye standing next to Clarise. Behind them were two

men, one she hadn't met before and the other was … "Will?" she exclaimed with incredulity.

Faye spoke first. "Hi, Meg. Yes, this is Will, my new friend. He did say he already

knows you and Rick." Faye yanked Will to her side as she spoke.

"Hi, Meg," Will said with a grin as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Will," she replied with confusion.

Whoa! Is Will here with Faye? Then the other guy must be Clarise's date.

"Hi," she said tentatively to the other man.

Clarise took Steve's left arm and dragged him to her side. "This is Steve, Meg. Steve,

this is my sister, Megan."

"Good to meet you, Steve," she said, looking at him appraisingly. She noticed how

Clarise held on to Steve as he shook hands with her. Her glance moved again to Will when

she saw him exchange a knowing look with Faye.

Will and Faye?

Rick appeared. "Will?!" he said with the same disbelief she had expressed a little

earlier.

The four new arrivals grinned broadly.

"Hey, Rick. How's it going?" Will exchanged a high-five-height hand clasp with his

friend as they patted each other on the back—their usual greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked Will.

"Will came with Faye, darling," Megan advised him. "And this is Steve. He came

with Clarise. Steve, this is my fiancé, Rick."

"Oh, we all arrived together," Clarise said lightly as Rick shook Steve's hand.

"Well, come on in, everyone. We're having lunch in the backyard. You can bring your

dishes out there."

Megan held Rick back to let the others go ahead without them. She whispered to him.

"I can't believe Will is Faye's new boyfriend! How did that happen?"

Rick shrugged and looked as astounded as her. "Maybe they met through Clarise. Isn't

Clarise working on an article for Will?"

"Hmm. You're right. Maybe Clarise introduced them to each other."

"What do you think of Steve?"

"He looks all right."

They exchanged a few more comments alone in the living room, their surprise still not

wearing off.

*******

"Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad," Clarise said as she greeted her parents with a kiss.

"Hi, darling, how are you?" Clara responded, her eyes already going to the man who

was right behind her.

"Good, thanks, Mum. This is Will," she said, turning to Will. "Will, these are my

parents, Clara and Martin."

"It's great to meet you both," Will said with a bright, sincere smile.

"These flowers are from Will for you, Mum," she said, handing her mother the

bouquet she was holding.

"Oh, thank you, Will. They're absolutely beautiful."

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Carson. And these are Clarise's tiramisu," Will said, indicating

to the covered dishes he was carrying. "She made two of them. I'll put them on the table."

"Thank you, Will. And please call me Clara and call him Martin." Martin smiled and

nodded his head in assent. Then Clara turned to Faye.

"Hello, Faye. It has been a very, very long time since we last saw you!"

"I know, Aunt Clara. Life has been busy." Faye took Steve's arm and introduced him

to her parents.

"What can we do to help?" Clarise asked.

"Oh, everything's pretty much done. I just have some pies baking in the oven. They

should be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you kids just relax and have a drink while we

wait for the others to arrive? The drink cooler is over there."

"What would you like, baby?" Will asked as he checked out what was available.

Clarise caught the knowing look exchanged by her parents at Will's term of

endearment. No doubt they would be thinking Will was her boyfriend. They seemed very

pleased. Her mum was trying to smother a big smile.

Just then, Megan and Rick came out with Victor and Jessa.

"Hey, guys," she cried delightedly.

*******

"Everyone, Mary Jane and Joseph are running late. They're having car problems so they said

to start lunch without them," Megan announced as her eyes searched for Steve and Clarise.

She wanted to see how they interacted with each other.

Clarise was chatting with Will, Jessa and Rick. Steve was with Faye, Victor and her

parents, who were laughing at something.

She went over to Rick and put her arm around his waist. Rick did likewise as he

continued to listen to Jessa talk about the article she was completing for Will. They're

discussing work. Boring.

She extricated herself from Rick and went to the other group. They were talking about

her engagement party and Victor being gay. Now, that was more interesting, and she joined

in. Clara and Martin were intrigued to learn that Will was at the party, too, and that he played

tennis with Rick regularly.

Then her mum remembered her pies in the oven and went to get them.

"Lunch is ready!" Clara announced as she put the pies on the table.

Everyone settled on a seat. Megan was surprised that Clarise ended up sitting in

between Will and Jessa. Steve sat next to Faye with Will on his other side. She leaned over to

Rick and whispered to him. "I think Will and Steve should switch seats. They're sitting next

to the wrong girls."

Rick chuckled and whispered back. "Babe, I'm sure they know what they're doing.

You're not going to tell them to switch. Maybe they're wanting to make sure they network

with other people, or something."

She was suspicious. "Maybe Clarise meant for that to happen so we wouldn't notice

that Steve is another pretend boyfriend."

Rick laughed out loud. "What are you going to do about it?"

She was thinking when her mum spoke.

"So, Will, what do you do?"

"I run a travel agency business, Clara."

"Oh, how is that going?"

"It's going all right, thanks. Keeps me very busy."

"Will's opening up a Melbourne branch soon, Mum," Rick advised. Then to Will he

said, "You've been so busy the last few months I'm surprised you were able to make time to

come here. I'm very pleased, of course, but surprised."

"Well, it's good he's here with us today, then, isn't it, Clarise?" Clara said with a

beaming smile at her daughter.

Clarise, having just taken a mouthful of bread, nodded her head and smiled as she

chewed.

Megan gave her mum a wide-eyed look of warning. Did she get confused about who

was with whom? She glanced at Rick, who obviously had the same thought.

Clarise smiled broadly at them. Then Faye started to giggle and Clarise followed suit.

"What's so funny?" Megan asked.

The two best friends looked at each other. That appeared to trigger their mirth even

more.

Faye's giggle turned to full-on howls of laughter. She leaned over to Steve as she tried

to contain herself.

Clarise seemed to be trying as hard as she could to swallow her food which, of course,

was a difficult task to do when laughing. She coughed and reached for a glass of water.

Will rubbed her sister's back tenderly as she drank the liquid.

Megan was thoroughly disconcerted. She stared at Faye clutching Steve, then at Will

rubbing Clarise's back. "What's wrong with this picture?" she said out loud.

She was bemused when Clarise and Faye laughed even harder and Will and Steve

both grinned like monkeys.

Finally, the two women managed to compose themselves.

"Sorry," Clarise said to her as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

"What was that all about? What was so funny?" she demanded.

"You! And Rick. You should have seen your faces," Clarise said. "Oh, Meg, I'm

sorry. We were just teasing you. It's all Faye's fault. She started it."

"And you gladly went along with it," Faye retorted good-naturedly at her friend.

"What do you mean?" she asked impatiently.

Clarise took deep breaths, holding her stomach. "Well …"

"Well?"

"Just give me a minute. My tummy still hurts from laughing."

"Serves you right."

To her shock, Will put his arm around Clarise's shoulder and kissed her temple.

Megan's eyes and mouth opened wide. Rick looked just as stunned.

She recovered first and narrowed her eyes at Will and Clarise. "You two?" she asked

as she pointed her forefinger at Clarise then Will.

"What do you mean, Meg?" Will said teasingly.

"You're with Clarise and Faye is with Steve."

"Yes," Will confirmed.

It was Clara's turn to look confused. "But didn't you know that, Meg?"

"No, that's not what they said when they arrived."

Faye butted in with a big smile. "That's what you assumed. We actually didn't say it."

Megan squinted at Faye, then her lips tugged up into a smile as she got the true

picture. She looked at Jessa and Victor, who were also grinning. "So you guys already know

about them, as well?"

Jessa and Victor nodded.

"How come I'm the last to know?" she complained.

"And me?" Rick interjected. "You're supposed to be my friend," he accused Will.

"Sorry, guys. The timing just hadn't been right until now," Clarise said apologetically.

"If it makes you feel any better, we did meet during your engagement party."

"You two," Megan pointed to Clarise and Will, "will need to tell me how it all

happened." Then she smiled fondly at her sister. "Actually, I don't care how you ended up

together, I'm just glad you did." She looked at her fiancé. "Aren't we great matchmakers,

darling?"

"We certainly are, babe," Rick agreed and gave her a swift kiss on the lips.

*******

Jessa watched the couples around her. Everyone around the table had someone to love, even

Victor who, even though he came alone, had Evan in his life. She felt happy for all of them

but she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness for herself. At twenty-eight, she was still

waiting for a man to capture her heart. It wasn't for want of trying. She didn't have any hang-

ups about dating. She just hadn't met that special someone who made her heart beat faster and

made her feel warm and gooey all over even if he annoyed the hell out of her sometimes, like

Faye had described to her. She crossed her fingers under the table and prayed she would meet

The One for her soon.

Megan calling out pulled her out of her reverie. "Okay, guys, is it okay if we start

discussing the fund-raising event?"

The afternoon proceeded with everyone contributing to the planning, even Mary Jane

and Joseph, who made it eventually. When they finished, Megan was very grateful that

everything was in order for her first charity event. All that was needed was the execution of

the plans and the event should go smoothly.

*******

It was four-thirty in the afternoon when Clarise and Will left her parents' place. Their friends

had left earlier but the sisters had wanted to stay behind to help clean up.

"My parents like you," Clarise said as Will started the car and drove.

"That's good. Maybe it was the flowers," he grinned.

She laughed. "No, I'm sure it was you."

Will grabbed her hand and put it on his lips. "I had a great time today with your

family and friends. Thank you."

She sighed with contentment as she kissed his hand that was clasping hers. It had

been a wonderful day and it wasn't over yet. The best part was yet to come. Will was

spending the night with her.

"Baby," he said, "would you like to stay at my place tonight? You haven't been there

yet."

"Oh, I'd love to." She was super delighted. "Can we pass by my apartment so I can

pack an overnight bag?"

"Sure."

She found out that making love with Will in his bed was just as hot and wonderful as

making love with him in her bed.

*******

Will was saying goodbye and all Clarise wanted to do was put her arms around his neck and

weep. But she resolved to remain strong. She'd try not to cry. He had warned her of this, but

now that the time had come, it hit her how difficult it was going to be.

She wouldn't see him at all for three whole weeks, and because of the time difference

between Australia and Europe and his heavy workload, she wouldn't even be able to talk to

him much at all for those three weeks.

She felt silly feeling the way she did. It wasn't as if he would be gone for months. But

she couldn't help it. She missed him like crazy when they didn't see each other for two days,

so she knew three weeks would be sheer torture, especially with limited communication.

Earlier, he had shown her his schedule. For the next two days, he'd be in Melbourne

to personally attend to some important matters over there. Then on Wednesday, he would be

flying from Melbourne to Europe to attend tourism expos and meet with important business

partners in London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Budapest and Prague for two and a half weeks.

He'd also miss Megan's charity fund-raising event but had given a trip for two to

Tasmania as a gift that Megan could auction off. And he said he'd pass an invitation to the

event along to his friend Rob and his girlfriend Andrea, who'd be in Sydney that weekend.

God, I'll miss him so.

*******

"I really have to go, baby. I still have to pack," Will said as he held Clarise tightly while she

sat on his lap on the couch. He continued to rain kisses on her hair, forehead and temple.

"I should have helped you pack before we left your apartment."

"It's okay. I've got packing down pat now after all the travelling I have to do."

"I'll miss you," Clarise said to him with a doleful look on her face.

"I'll miss you too, my sweet. Badly," he answered.

He knew he was going to suffer without seeing Clarise for three weeks. He was glad

his schedule was so fully packed it would help divert his attention from thoughts of her. But

at the same time, he was far from happy that he was so busy he had to be away from her for

that long.

He thought about asking her to go with him. But she also had her work, plus he

wouldn't have much time to give her anyway, even if she was there. He would be in meetings

and expos during the days, and functions and more networking during the night.

He used to thrive on being busy, on having a fully-packed schedule. It used to give

him a buzz and a sense of focus. But now, that kind of business schedule just made him feel

like a soulless machine and it wasn't exciting him as much as it used to. Without Clarise next

to him, it didn't mean much anymore.

It still amazed him how he could feel so much for her in the short time that he'd

known her. She felt like home. She felt like his reason for living. She felt like his one true

goal.

He cupped her face and looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you, baby."

Clarise's eyes welled up. "I love you, too. Very much," she whispered.

They kissed for a very long moment until he pulled away. "Clarise, if I don't leave

now, I'll have a harder time leaving later."

"Hey, maybe I can drive you to the airport tomorrow."

He groaned. "Sweetheart, please don't make it any harder than it already is."

She pouted. "Okay. I'm sure we'll get used to this being apart thing eventually."

"Well, I hope we don't have to be apart too often. We'll work something out," he

promised. "Now, up you go," he said as he helped her to her feet. "You can walk me to the

door."

"Why, thank you, sir. What an honour."

He swatted her behind playfully.

"Oww!"

"I'll miss your cute butt."

"Just my butt?"

"No, I'll miss your whole fucking body."

His words conjured up an image that made him instantly hot and bothered. He stood

still, staring at her for a long moment, before he grabbed her and kissed her hard. In a second,

their hands were all over each other.

He backed Clarise up against the wall and pinned her with his body. He adjusted his

stance and ground his erection against her sensitive flesh again and again as he nibbled her

earlobe and kissed her neck.

Mewling sounds escaped Clarise. Feverishly, she tugged on his shirt and put her

hands underneath it, feeling his back.

He shuddered with desire. "I need you, baby. Now," he whispered gutturally.

"Yes."

He placed her arms around his neck and instructed her to put her legs around his

waist. She did so and he carried her to her bedroom.

He laid her on the bed, lifted her skirt and took off her panties. He opened her bedside

drawer to get a condom, then quickly undid his belt, unzipped his pants and pulled them

down to his knees. As he prepared himself with the condom, he said, "I can't wait until I get

back when we don't have to use these things anymore."

"Me neither, baby," she murmured as she spread her legs wide open for him, inviting

him to enter her.

His cock got painfully hard at the sight of her. "Baby, you're so fucking hot," he

groaned.

He positioned himself between her thighs. In one swift movement, he was inside her.

He drove in and out of her, hard and fast. He watched avidly as she writhed underneath him,

lifting her hips to match his rhythm, gasping loudly. It was pushing him close to the edge.

"Oh, fuck, Clarise … fuck …"

Clarise's breathing became faster and her gasps became loud moans. "Oh God,

baby…ohh … ahhh … Will!" she cried as her body convulsed in orgasm.

"Huhhh, baby … aahhh!" he followed shortly and collapsed on top of her, breathing

hard.

After a long, quiet moment, he stirred. He braced himself on his elbows and tenderly

pushed strands of hair away from her face.

"It will be a long, gruelling three weeks without you, sweetheart."

"I know. I love you, Will."

He smiled at her. "I love you, Clarise."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Karen got more and more excited as the time to fly to Europe came close. She would be

meeting Will in Vienna in a couple of days, and she'd arranged it so she could see him in

Budapest, as well.

It was easy to get to Will through his business. Her friend Debra Armstrong, Will's

new client, had been a great help in finding out Will's schedule. It took a bit of planning, but

she managed to squeeze in a last-minute, one-week trip to Europe.

One big task for her was to let Clarise Carson know she existed, and that Will had

asked her to marry him. Sure, they were no longer together, but she had been the one to break

off their engagement. If she hadn't walked out on him, she'd be Mrs. William Matthews now.

She looked at the diamond ring she wore on her right ring finger. She tried to give it

back to Will after they broke up but he wanted her to keep it. That meant something, didn't it?

If Clarise needed any proof that she was previously engaged to her boyfriend, she had it.

*******

"Hi, Clarise. I have Gina Blakely at reception for you."

"Thanks, Elena. I'll be right out."

Megan had given her the heads up that Gina Blakely, wife of one of Rick's tennis

buddies, was handing her a six-course massage therapy voucher that Megan could auction at

her charity fund-raising. Apparently, Gina was just around the corner from her office and

wanted to hand the voucher now instead of later.

She walked out to reception and saw two good-looking women in the sitting area. She

glanced at Elena, who confirmed with a nod that one of them was Gina Blakely.

"Hi, I'm Clarise," she said to the two women who looked up when they saw her

approach.

They both stood up, and the one with shorter hair extended her hand. "Hi, Clarise. I'm

Gina. Thanks for coming out. I just thought it would help Megan plan the auction better if she

had our donations early. Here's the massage therapy voucher, and Karen has something to

donate too."

The more stunning-looking of the two gestured for a handshake. "Hi, Clarise. I'm

Karen Childs. I'm donating a six-month gym membership to Megan's event." Karen was

polite but was a little cold, which she felt acutely.

"These are great, girls. Thanks so much. Megan will really appreciate them." She

turned to Karen with a warm smile. "And I'm sure Megan will be pleasantly surprised by this

additional donation, Karen. She wasn't expecting this."

"No problem," Karen replied coolly. "Gina mentioned Megan's event to me. Megan

and I don't really know each other but since Chris and Will play tennis with her fiancé, I'm

more than happy to support her."

Clarise's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Will's name. "You know Will

Matthews?"

Karen chuckled dispassionately and looked at Gina, who smiled smugly. "Oh, yes.

Will and I go way back. He and I were … engaged. We were together for four and a half

years."

Clarise was too shocked to notice the glint in Karen's eyes as the other woman

observed her astonishment.

Gina interjected, "So, Karen, you haven't told me where you and Will are catching up.

Is it in London? Paris? Rome?"

Karen smiled mysteriously. "In Vienna in a few days, then I'll see him again in

Budapest."

"Well, I still don't know what possessed you to break up with the man in the first

place," Gina replied.

Karen looked down on her hands and said softly, "I made a mistake."

"Obviously," Gina concurred. "That's why you're still wearing his ring."

Clarise followed their gazes and saw the large diamond ring Karen was wearing on

her right ring finger.

"Hey," Karen said with a small laugh. "I did try to hand it back to him but he wouldn't

take it back."

She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her. Was it from shock or pain? She couldn't

say. Maybe it was from both.

"Oh, Clarise," Karen said smoothly, ignoring the distressed look on her face. "I'm

sorry we got carried away with our conversation. I haven't seen Gina for so long and both of

us are big gossips. Anyway, we better go. I still have to pack. I'm flying for Europe

tomorrow." Karen turned to Gina. "Ready?"

"Yes, let's go. Clarise, say hello to Megan and Rick for me."

She gave them a small nod, which was all the response she could manage. She stood

there, long after the two women had gone, unable to move.

"Clarise?" Elena called to her concernedly. When she didn't answer, Elena stood up

from behind the reception desk and went to her. "Clarise?" Elena asked again as she touched

her on the shoulder.

She looked at Elena.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked.

She nodded and walked quickly back to her office. She closed her door and sat in her

chair. Her heart was aching and disbelief was still coursing through her body. She knew what

she had heard, but she was having a hard time taking it in.

In her mind's eye, she watched a scene from seven years ago when Nick told her he

was getting married to his ex-girlfriend—right after he came back from a trip to Perth, where

he reconciled with his ex.

She squeezed her eyes shut. No, please, no. Not again! All the doubts and fears that

she thought she had managed to push away when she met Will threatened to overpower her.

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold. She needed to get out of there.

She wanted to escape the overwhelming pain she saw barrelling towards her like an

uncontrollable steam train.

She packed her laptop and told her boss she needed to go home early.

One look at her told him there was something wrong and he sat her down before he

would let her go.

"What's wrong, Clarise?"

"I just received some distressing news, Ray. It's personal."

"Are you going home to your family?"

"No," she smiled tightly. "I just need to be alone for a while."

Ray Thackery stared at her with concern. "Okay. But if you need anything, promise

you'll let me know?"

She gave him a grateful smile. "I'll be fine, Ray, thank you."

~~~~~~~

Clarise was curled up in her bed when she heard her mobile phone ring. She glanced at her

clock and knew it would be Will. This was a pre-determined time for his call. She ignored it.

She just couldn't deal with this—with him—right now.

They had spoken almost every day for the last week and a half since he left Sydney

and not once did he mention catching up with his ex-fiancée. In Vienna and Budapest,

nonetheless! She thought that if they were meeting in Europe, it was reasonable to assume

they also got together in Sydney. How many times had they seen each other since she'd been

with Will? Her heart felt like it was being squeezed hard by strong, merciless hands.

She heard the phone ring again five minutes later, then heard the sound of an

incoming message. She didn't move from her bed.

A few minutes had passed and someone was calling again. All the ringing was

making her headache grow worse. She dragged herself up and turned her phone off.

Not more than five minutes later, her home telephone buzzed, startling her. She

groaned and hoped it wasn't Will. The answering machine picked up and she heard Megan's

clearly worried voice. Oh, no.

'Clarise, are you there? Please pick up if you are. We're getting really worried about you.

Where are you? Please call me as soon as you get this message.'

She ran for the phone before Megan could hang up. She didn't want her family to worry. She

made it on time.

"Meg, I'm here," she said.

"Clarise!" Megan exclaimed. "Are you sick? You don't sound well."

"No, I'm okay, Meg."

"Are you crying, then?"

She didn't answer her.

"Clarise, what happened? Have you had a fight with Will? Is that why you didn't pick

up his calls?"

"He called you guys?" she asked with surprise.

"Yes. He called Rick's phone when he couldn't reach you. He was frantic with worry.

He was scared something might have happened to you."

"Yeah, right," she said sarcastically.

"Clarise, what happened?" Megan asked more insistently.

She relayed what transpired that afternoon as best as she could. She heard her sister's

gasps of shock as she repeated Gina and Karen's conversation. She continued babbling, "He

didn't tell me anything about her, Meg. He didn't say he was meeting her in Europe. She was

the one who broke up with him. And she's still wearing the engagement ring he gave her. She

wants him back!"

"Clarise, I'm a little confused," Megan said, sounding baffled. "I saw the two of you

together last Saturday at Mum and Dad's. I saw the way he looked at you. He couldn't take

his eyes off you. I saw those sweet little touches and gentle caresses he gave you all

afternoon."

"So? Karen said she made a mistake of breaking up with him. Now she's going to

Europe to see him," she replied with panic, hurt and anger all rolled into one. Her chest felt

so tight she thought she might explode. The thought that she was losing Will was ripping her

apart and she couldn't think straight. Tears started to fall again, profusely.

"Clarise," Megan said gently. "At this moment, you are Will's girlfriend. Karen is still

an ex. Sure, Karen might want him back. But the important question is, does Will want her

back?"

She stilled at Megan's question. It broke through the dense fog of her fears and tears,

making her realise that what Karen wanted wasn't the real issue here; it was what Will

wanted. She made an assumption that Will would take Karen back when she came calling.

Why did she assume that? She realised she had let her past experience with Nick dictate her

reactions again.

"Has he told you how he feels about you?" Megan asked.

"Yes," she replied as her sobs quietened. "He said he loves me."

She remembered her weekend with Will before he left Sydney. She saw the sincerity

in his eyes when he told her how he felt about her. Surely that wasn't a lie? Her pain started

to ease as hope flared up in her heart.

"Well, then, don't you think you should talk to Will about this? At least give him a

chance to explain?" Megan asked her kindly.

"Yes, I think I should."

"Good. Call him right now or he'll just call us back again in a couple of minutes to ask

if we've heard from you."

"Okay, thank you, Meg."

"I love you, sis. And please update me after you talk to Will. I'll worry otherwise."

"I will. I love you, too."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"Baby, are you okay? I've been worried about you," Will said as he answered his phone on

the first ring.

"I'm all right."

"Are you sick? You don't sound well."

"No, I'm not sick."

"Then what's wrong, sweetheart? What happened? Are you crying?" he asked,

concern evident in his tone.

Clarise almost laughed out loud. That was exactly what Megan had asked. But she

didn't really feel like laughing.

"Why didn't you tell me about Karen Childs?" she asked him in a quiet voice.

There was a pause before Will responded, his voice low. "What do you mean, baby?"

"Exactly what I asked, Will."

"I didn't tell you about her because she isn't an important enough subject to bring up

out of the blue. There hasn't been a good enough reason to talk about her," he answered

softly.

"So catching up with your ex-fiancée in Vienna and Budapest is not an important

enough reason to tell me about her?"

"What? No! I'm not catching up with her. She sent me an email telling me she

planned to be there the same time I was there and that maybe we could have coffee. I said I'll

be very busy and wouldn't have the time. I don't plan to catch up with her."

"So you have been communicating with her recently, Will? You knew she'd be in

Europe the same time as you? I still don't see why you haven't told me about her."

"I told you, baby. She's not important enough to discuss."

She couldn't grasp that. Karen was someone he was with for four and a half years.

How could she be so unimportant?

"Maybe the real truth is that your girlfriend of only a few weeks is not important

enough to disclose these things to," she said in a hurt voice.

"Clarise! How could you say that? I love you!" he said forcefully.

"Do you?" Her voice was cold.

"Yes, damn it! I love you. I'm madly in love with you. I love you more than I've ever

loved anyone in my life!"

She was dumbfounded at the vehemence of his declaration.

"Really?" she asked squeakily when she recovered her voice.

Will sighed audibly and spoke with quiet sincerity. "Yes, baby. I really love you. I'll

do anything to prove it to you. Anything. What do you want me to do?"

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, her eyes filling again with tears. But this time,

they weren't tears of pain, they were tears of relief and love for the man on the other end of

the line. But something still niggled her.

"Will, she said she was the one who broke up with you."

"Yes. I was very relieved when she did. She was my on-again, off-again girlfriend for

four years. Then her friends started getting engaged and I had this huge pressure to propose to

her. I was ambivalent about getting engaged. But I did have a great social life because of her,

so I thought that was a good enough reason."

"But you must have been in love with her," she insisted.

"I thought I was a little in love with her. But feeling the way I feel about you, I know

now that wasn't love. What I felt for her was nothing compared to what I feel for you. Please

believe that, baby," he implored.

"She's still wearing your ring."

"What?" he said incredulously.

"She said she tried to give it back to you but you wanted her to keep it."

"When she tried to give it back to me, it was with accusations that I didn't appreciate

what she had done for my business. She was a great networker and did introduce some people

to me during our time together. She tried to make me feel guilty. I told her to keep it as

payment for all the referrals she gave me. I fully expected her to sell it. The ring and all the

furniture and household stuff she took more than made up for whatever help she gave me for

my business. I didn't want to feel beholden to her. I wanted a clean slate."

"Oh," was all she could say.

"Is there anything else you want to know about her?"

"She wants you back, you know."

Will snorted. "I should have known she was scheming something when she turned up

in my office unannounced a couple of weeks ago. She said she wanted to refer more friends

of hers to me. Now I have to make sure I don't accept any more of her referrals. I'm sure she

only wants me back because I'll be good for her image. But I'm not interested in getting back

with her in any way, shape or form. I don't care about her anymore. But you … you, I'm so

fucking in love with."

She silently cried happy tears. She was so choked up she couldn't speak.

"Baby? Are you okay?"

"Yes," she sniffed loudly. "I'm okay."

"Are we okay?" he asked, his voice breaking.

"Yes," she whispered.

Will let out a huge sigh of relief. "Now can you tell me what happened? Karen

obviously spoke to you and got you upset."

She told him about Gina and Karen's visit to her office earlier that day.

*******

Will couldn't believe the bitchiness and gall of both Karen and Gina. What they did was

juvenile. He didn't know how his friend Chris put up with his wife.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, baby," he said. He ached for Clarise. All he

wanted to do at that moment was hold her close, comfort her and show her how much he

loved her. But he was on the other side of the world.

"It's okay. I'm okay now."

"I love you, Clarise," he repeated earnestly.

"I know," she assured him. "I love you, too."

*******

Clarise was putting on her earrings when the buzz of the intercom startled her. It was seven

fifty-five on a Friday morning and she wasn't expecting any deliveries. Who could it be? She

picked up the intercom phone. "Hello?" she said warily.

"Hi, baby. It's me."

"Will!" she shrieked in disbelief and elation. She pressed the button to let him in and

ran to the door. She stood there, holding the door open, waiting for him to round the corner to

her corridor. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the 'ping' of the elevator, then he

appeared, pulling his big luggage behind him with a wide, happy grin plastered on his face.

Just as wide and happy as the one on hers.

She would have run to him but she still had the presence of mind to hold the door

open or they would be locked out. The key was in the apartment.

But he was in front of her in no time. He swept her up into his arms and gave her a

hungry kiss, which she returned eagerly. When they pulled away, he dragged his luggage and

they went inside.

"Why are you back so early, honey? You're not due back 'til next Friday."

"I couldn't wait until then to see you again after our conversation a few days ago," he

said as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

She caressed the handsome face she loved so much. "Oh, baby. I'm fine. I felt a lot

better after you explained."

"Well, I'm not. I need to hold you, kiss you," he said as he showered her face with soft

kisses, "make love to you and show you just how much I love you."

She melted in his arms as she surrendered herself to the bliss of being loved by Will.

"Can you take the day off today?" he asked as he started to unbutton her top.

She had already forgotten she was supposed to go to work. "Yes," she answered

without hesitation. "I better call Ray now, before we both forget about it. He might send a

search party and interrupt us."

Will laughed and released her.

"I'm glad you caught me. I was just about ready to leave for work when you arrived," Clarise

said to Will after she finished her call with Ray, who was glad she was taking some time off

for herself.

"I was worried I'd miss you. But I really wanted to surprise you, so I just kept my

fingers crossed that I would make it here before you left at eight. Fortunately, the traffic on

the M5 and the tunnel wasn't so bad."

Will took her hand and led her to the bedroom, where he continued to unbutton her

top slowly. "I do have to return to Europe on Monday, sweetheart. My meeting in Prague is a

very important one."

She was touched that he came home for her even when he was busy with work. He

really loves me!

"What about the ones you miss because you're here?" she asked him.

"They're mostly relationship development. You're more important."

"Oh, but the meeting in Prague is more important than me?" she asked teasingly.

"Of course, not. You want me to cancel that too?" he asked as he nuzzled her neck. "I

will if you want me to."

"No!" She leaned back to look at him with a serious expression. "Will, I want you to

fulfil your business dreams. I want you to achieve all of your goals. We just need to plan our

schedules better so we can be together as much as we can when you or I have to travel. I've

been thinking about it, and I know that Ray would allow me to work offsite when I'm writing

or editing, so I could go with you sometimes when you go away. We can work it out."

Will smiled at her lovingly. "Okay, baby." And he kissed her again with such

tenderness and reverence that it brought tears to her eyes.

*******

Will started exploring Clarise's neck with his lips and his desire intensified. He kissed, licked

and sucked her throat as he cupped her breasts with his hands and ran his thumbs over and

over her sensitive nipples. She whimpered.

He undressed her slowly, skimming his lips along newly exposed skin. Her panties

came off last. Then he knelt in front of her fully naked body. He grasped her hips and

unleashed his tongue on her clit. He licked her slow, then fast, teasing the sensitive bud. He

was rewarded with a lusty moan that he loved hearing. She ground her hips closer to his

mouth, telling him with her body she wanted more.

It surprised him when she tugged at his arms to make him release his hold on her hips

as she stepped back from him. He looked up at her questioningly.

"I need you naked, too."

He licked his lips and smiled wickedly. "Then undress me," he commanded as he

stood up.

Clarise bit her bottom lip and smiled seductively at him. She unbuttoned his shirt,

kissing his chest as she went along. He helped her with his cuffs and shrugged out of his shirt

impatiently, letting it fall to the floor. Her hand went to his belt and she quickly undid it.

When she unzipped him, her hand grazed the bulge in his pants, making him hiss. She pushed

his pants down and he eagerly stepped out of them. The only garment left was his boxer

briefs. She knelt in front of him and placed kisses on his large erection over the material,

making him groan.

"Baby, naked, please," he rasped.

She pulled his boxers down and nudged him to a sitting position on the edge of the

bed. She knelt between his legs and he held his breath in anticipation.

Looking into his eyes, Clarise gripped his hard cock with her hand and stroked it. He

started to pant.

"You're so hard, baby," she whispered.

"Only for you, my love," he responded breathlessly.

She bent down to lick his balls as she continued to stroke him. "Aaahh, Clarise." She

licked his length in one long, slow movement from the base to the head, then flicked her

tongue on the tip of his cock, tasting the dew that formed there. His breathing grew more

ragged as he buckled his hips towards her mouth.

She closed her lips around him and took in all she could. When she pulled back, she

flicked her tongue on the sensitive tip. She did this again and again until he knew he would

explode in her mouth if she didn't stop. He didn't want to come like this. He wanted to come

inside her. This time around, it would be skin to skin.

The thought almost undid him. He pushed her away gently and lifted her to the bed.

He fell on top of her and they kissed each other ravenously. He moved down to take a nipple

into his mouth, earning him another moan that made him hotter. His hand travelled down and

reached her hot centre. He parted her folds and rubbed her clit. He groaned at her wetness.

So hot, so fucking wet. For me.

"Baby," Clarise whimpered, "please."

He knew what she wanted and positioned himself so the tip of his cock touched her

wet pussy lips. "Is this what you want, sweetheart?"

"Yes!" she cried as she shifted her hips to try and make him penetrate her.

He thrust into her and they both cried out with sheer pleasure. He could feel her

wetness, her heat, around his erection, and it was driving him wild. "Oh, fuck, baby … you

feel so good … so good," he cried as he drove into her over and over.

He was close, so close, and he wasn't going to last long. He gathered her in his arms

and in one movement, he was on his back and she was on top. "Ride me, baby," he growled.

He knew this was one of Clarise's favourite positions and she could come quickly

when she was on top, especially when he also licked and sucked on her nipples as he moved

in and out of her. He captured a hard nipple between his lips and laved it with his tongue.

"Ohh, ohh," Clarise cried as she moved faster. "Oh God, baby." Her cries came out

louder and faster as she rode him, reaching for her climax. He lost all control and groaned

loudly as he spilled himself into her.

Simultaneously, Clarise reached her heaven. "Aahhh, Will!" She gripped him over

and over as she climaxed hard.

"Will I ever get enough of you, baby?" Will whispered to her as they started to make love

again for the fourth time that day. The way they were going, he wondered if he would have

any energy left for tonight, but his body just couldn't stop wanting Clarise. Oh, hell, he wasn't

complaining. He just hoped he wasn't tiring her out too much.

Clarise giggled. "I hope not," she said as she reached down to stroke his hardening

member.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The Smithson's place was abuzz as the final preparations were made for Megan's charity

fund-raising event. The marquee was up in the backyard, the tables were set up and the

decorations were hanged. The only thing missing was the food. The caterers hadn't arrived

yet, and Megan was panicking.

"They're not far away, babe. I just called them," Rick said soothingly to Megan.

"The guests will start arriving in fifteen minutes!"

"Well, the caterers should be here by then so don't worry."

"Meg, we'll make sure we entertain your guests when they arrive. Don't worry too

much," Clarise said to her sister. She and Will had arrived two hours ago to help set

everything up.

They heard the doorbell ring and Megan ran to answer it, hoping it was the caterers.

"I'm going to wring the neck of those damn caterers for being late," Rick said with

irritation. "It's stressing Megan out big-time. She's trying not to show it, but she's so wound

up. I don't like seeing her like this."

Clarise smiled fondly at her future brother-in-law. She knew that if it was at all

possible, he would make Megan just put her feet up and relax and he'd do everything himself.

After four years together, he was still very much smitten with his fiancée. "Well, Rick, I

guess as her maid of honour, I better make sure she doesn't get this stressed out on your

wedding day."

Rick's eyes went wide with horror at the thought of anything going wrong during their

wedding. "Clarise, promise me!"

She laughed. "I'll try my best. That's the only promise I can make."

"What do you think can go wrong?"

*******

Will watched in amusement as Clarise teased Rick about all the things that could go wrong

during his big day.

Just then, a vision of him and Clarise standing in front of the altar, exchanging

wedding vows, flashed in his mind. His heart swelled and a smile tugged at his lips. Yes, he

had met the woman he truly wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He decided that when

he came back from Europe, he would devote some time to finding her the perfect engagement

ring and planning the perfect proposal.

~~~~~~~

Megan walked back into the kitchen with a good-looking man neither Rick nor Clarise had

met before.

"Rob!" Will exclaimed in shock. "You're early. I can't fucking believe it!"

"Will! I thought you wouldn't be here tonight. I thought you'd still be in Europe."

"My plans changed. I couldn't stay away from my girl for too long," Will replied,

taking Clarise's hand and introducing her to Rob. Then he introduced Rob to Rick.

"So where's Andrea?" Will asked.

"She's not with me."

"I can see that. She couldn't make it?

"No, she's not with me anymore."

"You guys broke up? Why?"

Rob shrugged. "She was moving too fast for me. Gave me an ultimatum to get

engaged or break up, so we broke up. Jesus, we've only been dating for five months and she

wants to get hitched. That wasn't part of our arrangement."

"She probably just wanted to see how serious you were with her, knowing your past

reputation."

"Well, I'm not ready to give up my bachelorhood yet. It's much more fun being on the

playing field than off it," Rob said with a mischievous grin.

Will shook his head at his friend, smirking. "Grow up, Rob."

"No, thanks. Not yet," Rob replied with a chuckle.

"They're here! They're here!" they heard Megan shout with relief at the sight of the

caterer's van approaching.

"Thank God," Rick said as he rolled his eyes upwards. "I don't have to kill them after

all."

*******

Megan's guests started arriving. Clarise got busy directing the caterers and left Will and Rick

to help Megan with the new arrivals.

"So you're Megan's older sister?" Tom, the catering manager, said.

"Yes," she answered tersely.

Tom was starting to annoy her. He kept on staring and touching her arm when he

spoke to her. If she wasn't in a hurry for them to get everything set up, she'd tell him off.

"You don't look older than her. You actually look younger. And prettier."

Oh my God. She rolled her eyes mentally. Did this guy have to flirt with her when

they already got here late? How unprofessional. She would have to tell Megan not to consider

them again in the future.

She felt a strong, familiar arm slide around her waist. She smiled as she looked up at

Will.

"How's everything going, baby?" he said in a voice loud enough for Tom to hear.

"Getting there, hon," she said as she leaned into his embrace.

Will glared at Tom and the man visibly shrunk.

Megan broke away from a group of new arrivals. "I'll take it from here, Clarise.

Thanks. Everything's almost done anyway." She gave Will a wink and a smile.

Clarise and Will were saying hello to Faye and Steve when Clarise heard someone call her

name. She whirled around to see Jared Brigden approach her with a wide smile.

"Jared!"

Jared gave her a big hug, lifting her off the ground. "How's my favourite student?"

She chuckled. "Still as bad in tennis as I was before you gave me lessons."

"Ouch. So you're saying I'm not a very good teacher."

"Well, I was going to say I'm not a very good student, but okay, I'll take that. You're

not a very good teacher."

Jared laughed, hugging her tighter before releasing her. He turned to the others.

"Will! Good to see you here," Jared said as he shook hands with Will who looked

bemused.

Oops.

She moved closer to Will and put both her arms around his waist, resting her head on

his shoulder.

He looked at her with a surprised smile and slid his arm around her, kissing her

forehead. She felt him relax.

Jared looked like he swallowed something unpleasant. "Uh, I didn't know you guys

were together."

"We are," Will said simply.

Jared nodded and turned to Faye and Steve, introducing himself to them.

She glanced up at Will with an adoring smile. He grinned back at her and held her

closer, kissing her forehead once more.

She sighed contentedly, then gasped out loud as she recognised the woman who had

just arrived.

Will followed her gaze and saw Gina with her husband Chris.

"Don't worry about her, okay?" he said to her. "Once she sees you and me together

—"

"Will," Rick called, "could you just help me move a table, please?"

"Sure, Rick." Turning back to her, he asked, "You okay, baby?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She gave him a bright smile that convinced him she was.

Will squeezed her to him before he went to help Rick.

She glanced at Gina and decided to take the offensive. She strode towards her.

"Hi, Gina," she said pleasantly.

Gina's eyes went wide with surprise, although why she would be surprised to see her

there, she didn't know. They were at her sister's event, after all. Perhaps Gina was surprised

that she was talking to her.

"Oh, hi, Clarise. How are you?"

"Good, thanks. And you?"

"Yes, fine, thanks."

The man beside Gina extended his hand towards her. "Hi, I'm Chris, Gina's husband."

"Hi, Chris. I'm Clarise. Megan's sister." And Will's girlfriend.

"Oh, right. Good to meet you, Clarise. I didn't know you and Gina had already met."

Ah, so Chris wasn't in on the two witches' connivance.

"Yes, we met in my office."

"I handed Clarise my donation for tonight's auction," Gina added hastily. She didn't

mention Karen. She obviously wanted to hide that from her husband.

Megan turned up at her side. Uh-oh.

"Hello, Gina," her sister said coolly. "Hi, Chris."

"Megan!" Chris exclaimed. "It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has been, Chris," she said politely. "Gina, thank you for your donation,

although you didn't have to hand it to Clarise earlier. You could have handed it to me

tonight."

Chris piped in. "That's what I thought we were going to do, Gina. I didn't know you've

already given it to them. And I wanted to do the honours!" Chris said, oblivious to the tension

around him.

"Oh, I thought it was a good idea to hand it in earlier," Gina said weakly, feeling the

heat of Megan's glare.

Will and Rick approached and greeted Chris with a man-hug.

"Will!" Gina gasped in surprise. "I thought you were in Europe until next Friday."

Chris frowned at his wife. "Have you been seeing Will behind my back? How come

you know about this Europe thing and I don't?" he asked jokingly.

"No, Chris. Gina hasn't been seeing me behind your back. She has been seeing my

girlfriend behind our backs."

Gina reddened and looked horrified.

"What does that mean?" Chris asked in confusion as he saw the embarrassment on his

wife's face.

Clarise felt sorry for Chris, and for Gina too, for some reason. "Baby, don't tease

them," she said as she gave Will a playful tap on the arm.

Will's arm went around her shoulders protectively and he pulled her close.

"Oh," Chris said, understanding dawning in his eyes. "I didn't know you and Clarise

were together, Will," he said good-naturedly. "Yes, my wife sneaks around to hand Clarise

our donation without me knowing," he growled at Gina playfully.

Gina smiled thinly.

"To answer your question, Gina," Will said, "I was supposed to be in Europe but there

were some unexpected developments and I decided to come home for a few days to be with

my girl," he said as he looked at Clarise lovingly and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips in

front of everyone.

Clarise blushed.

"Aww, since when did you become mushy, Matthews?" Chris said. "You two should

get a room. I'm sure there's one available in this house."

"Chris!" Clarise gasped and blushed even deeper.

"Great idea, Chris," Will replied cheekily. "Rick, which one can we use?"

Clarise pinched his arm and glared at him as everyone around them laughed, even

Gina. Will hugged her tighter with both arms, grinning madly.

"Stop it, you guys. We have a fund-raising event to conduct," Megan interjected.

"You can get a room afterwards."

"Megan!" Clarise cried as Will kept her in the circle of his arms, laughing softly. She

sighed with contentment despite her embarrassment, knowing she was loved back by the

wonderful man she loved so much.

~~~~~~~

The event was a success and Megan was one mighty relieved woman.

As the night drew to a close, Clarise noticed two people talking intently in a dark

corner, and her mouth opened in surprise.

Jessa was smiling sweetly at Rob, staring up at him with an enamoured look.

"Yes, they've been inseparable all night," Faye whispered in her ear as she walked

past her to go inside the house.

Oh, no. Why Rob, of all people?

She prayed that her dear friend wouldn't fall for Will's playboy friend. She would

need to talk to Jessa later.

She looked around for her man. She spotted him laughing with the boys but he broke

from them when he saw her. She watched him walk towards her, his eyes shining with an

unmistakable look of love.

A vision flashed in her mind. In the vision, it was she who was walking towards him

as he waited for her at the altar.

She said a silent prayer of thanks for having finally found 'The One'.

###

HEART ROBBER (LIFESTYLE BY DESIGN BOOK 2) EXTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

Jessa Allen was vaguely aware she was staring with undisguised interest at the most

attractive man she had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. But it was just that—vague. If

someone shoved a mirror in front of her so she could see her dreamy eyes, dilated pupils and

slightly open, almost drooling mouth, she would have blushed darker than beetroot red.

She wasn't the type to openly gawk at handsome men. She was more subtle and

reserved than that. But this hunk with jet black hair and mischievous gray eyes that exuded

masculinity affected her with unexpected potency. She hadn't even noticed that she'd stopped

mingling with the other guests who attended Megan Carson's charity fund-raising event.

From the moment they were introduced to each other by the host after dinner, she had been

stuck to his side, unable to move a single step away from his magnetic force.

"In so many respects, I just got really lucky," Rob Granger said with a self-

deprecating smile that pulled her attention to his lips. "I still remember the moment when I

realised how quickly my business had grown. I got a big jolt. So I decided I better treat it

more seriously. Anyway, enough about my business." Rob changed the subject. "It must be

fun writing for a magazine as popular as Lifestyle by Design."

"Oh, it is," she answered distractedly. For the umpteenth time, she wondered what it

would be like to be kissed by those full, sexy lips.

"If I wasn't running a marketing consultancy firm, you know what kind of work I'd

love to have?" Rob asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"What?" She gave herself a mental shake and tried to focus on what was coming out

of Rob's mouth instead of what it would feel like against hers.

"I was thinking it would be great to have a job where not only do I get to interview

owners of top restaurants, tourism businesses and high-end professional services in Australia

but I also get to sample their offerings so I could write about them. Imagine getting paid to do

that." Rob paused as if he remembered something. "Oh, that's right. That's what you do," he

teased.

She laughed. "I must admit I do have a great job. That's why when the opportunity

arose I didn't hesitate to move from Melbourne here to Sydney."

"I read your article on David's on this month's edition of Lifestyle. Sounds like a great

restaurant to try out."

"Yes, you really should go there one time. Their food's great."

"Maybe you and I can go."

Huh? Jessa was momentarily speechless, unable to believe what she'd just heard.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, maybe you and I can go have dinner at David's. Are you free, say, Tuesday?"

"Uh, yes, that would be great." She was thankful she was able to respond without

showing the astonishment she felt. Men like Rob didn't look twice at someone like her.

She came to Megan's charity event to support a good cause, not to get a date, but she

was definitely not complaining! To think that before tonight, she was feeling melancholy that

she was still single, while her three closest friends had all found someone special. Then, the

most gorgeous man at the function asked her out to dinner. Who would have thought?

"Rob! There you are!"

They both looked to see Megan approach them with a lady who looked to be in her

early sixties.

"Sorry, are we interrupting something?" Megan asked.

"No, of course not," Jessa answered.

"I just want to introduce Rob to the lady from whom he bought the box of wine,"

Megan said with a big grin. "Rob, this is my future aunt-in-law, Bonnie Smithson. She

donated that box of wine you won at the auction."

"It's great to meet you, Bonnie. Thank you for donating the wine. They're one of my

favourites.

"Well, thank you for bidding for them, Rob. Just make sure you don't drink them all

in one sitting," Bonnie said with a hearty laugh. "Now, I heard you run a successful business.

How old are you?"

"Thirty-two."

Bonnie shook her head in awe. "So young." She proceeded to tell them the story of

how she and her husband George almost went bankrupt twice while trying to build their

business, just as Jessa's attention was caught by her friends Clarise and Faye motioning for

her to come over to them.

She dragged her feet away from Rob to walk towards her friends.

"Hey, girls, what's up?"

When Jessa moved to Sydney to take up a senior writing and editing role at Lifestyle

by Design magazine four years ago, she instantly bonded with her work colleague Clarise

Carson and Faye Summers, Clarise's best friend. These two women plus Victor Michaels, the

head graphic designer at the magazine, were now her best and dearest friends.

"You tell us, Jess," Faye said teasingly. "You seem to be busy with a certain someone

tonight."

Her eyes lit up with wonder. "You wouldn't believe this, girls. I don't believe it

myself. But that sexy man, Rob Granger, asked me out to dinner."

"Okay, before I say what I have to say, why are you so surprised?" Clarise asked with

a hint of challenge in her voice.

"Clarise, I know you only have eyes for Will, but have you seen Rob?"

"Yes, and?"

"He's gorgeous!"

"Sure, and?" Clarise's impatience was obvious.

Jessa turned to Faye, who was looking at her with a censuring look. She shook her

head at them fondly. "You know what I mean. Men like Rob, who look like they belong on

the pages of a magazine, don't usually go for someone average like me."

Faye put her hands on her hips and Clarise folded her arms across her chest. Both

glared at her.

"Okay, granted I'm not unpleasant to look at—maybe I'm even pretty to some people

—but you have to admit I'm still quite average. In the looks department, I'm not in the league

of women such as you two." She smiled at her stunning friends with a tinge of envy. They

were truly hot. And so were their boyfriends.

Clarise and Faye stared at her like she was growing horns.

"Jessa Allen, are you kidding me? We obviously still have a lot of work to do with

your self-esteem issue!" Faye said incredulously.

"Hey, I'm just stating a fact. The last two guys I went out with were blind dates

introduced by Aunt Evelyn. I hardly ever get asked out. So when a seriously gorgeous guy

asks me out, I'm shocked. Thrilled, but shocked."

Clarise shook her head in disbelief and exchanged a look with Faye. "We need to do

the JAB again. I'll get Victor." Faye nodded gravely.

Jessa sighed, resigned to what was about to happen. She watched as Clarise walked

towards the bar area where Victor was chatting with a group of people. Before Clarise got to

Victor, her boyfriend, Will Matthews, stopped her for a quick kiss and a hug. His reluctance

at letting her go was obvious. He watched her longingly until she reached Victor before going

back to his friends.

Jessa felt a certain sadness mixed with envy envelop her. She wanted that, too—

wanted someone to love and look at her like that, like she was the only woman in the world.

At twenty-eight she had had two boyfriends. They were nice enough, but the

relationships she had with them didn't have much passion. It didn't take long for the little

spark that was there to die down. There was nothing to fan it to flames.

When Clarise came back with Victor, Faye dragged them all inside the house and into the

quiet living room, away from the party going on outside in the manicured gardens of Megan's

future parents-in-law.

Jessa's palms started to sweat. She knew her friends meant well. It got irritating

sometimes but she loved them for it. But they hadn't been and wouldn't be able to convince

her that she was as much of a man-magnet as they were.

Her life story had proven that to her. She was always surrounded by people more

attractive and vibrant than she was. She had learnt to accept she would never command

attention like her younger sister did, or her school friend Iris, or her previous flatmate Anna,

or her three best friends, who were now ready to put her through another round of JAB—the

Jessa Allen Booster. They believed she had low self-esteem issues when it came to men and

relationships. Well, sure, she probably did. But for good reasons.

"Won't Megan mind that we're in here when she has a function going on outside?" she

worried.

"I could call my sister right now and she would be happy to join us for the JAB,"

Clarise said, knowing Megan wouldn't mind at all. "The charity auction is finished.

Everyone's in party mode now."

Jessa took a deep breath. "Okay, then."

"Why don't we do it differently this time? I'd like to try something different." Faye

had a determined look about her that she often had when she was ready to whip someone's

ass with her words.

"Sure," Clarise and Victor responded readily, while Jessa winced.

Faye was a lovely person with a sharp tongue that could cut you with its honesty. She

would tell you what you needed to know, not what you wanted to hear. As a senior career

consultant at one of Australia's leading career consulting firms, this trait had been very

effective and beneficial to her clients.

"Don't worry, Jess. I'm not going to bite you. I just want you to answer me this," Faye

said in a quiet voice that demanded a no-bullshit answer. "Why do you think you're so

average that it was such a surprise to you Rob asked you out to dinner?"

"Why?" Jessa repeated with a surprised look. This wasn't the usual Jessa Allen

Booster. The JAB typically had her friends taking turns telling her where they thought she

was beautiful and attractive to the point that she got embarrassed enough she would pretend

to agree with them so they would stop. Now Faye wanted her to talk about the ugly truth?

Okay, not so ugly but definitely not so beautiful, either.

"Yes. Why, Jessa?"

"Well … because men as good-looking as Rob tend to be attracted to women who are

as attractive as they are. You know—the model types."

"And apart from your height, which is admittedly a little too short for the runway,

why do you think you're not attractive enough to be a model?"

She snorted at Faye's reference to her height. Whichever way you looked at it—five

foot three or one hundred sixty centimetres—she undeniably didn't have a model's height.

"I need an answer, Jess."

"I don't look like one."

"And why is that?"

"Why don't I look like a model?"

"Yeah."

"What do you mean? I just don't look like one."

"So tell me exactly why you don't look like a model, Jessa."

Jessa turned to Clarise and Victor for a bit of help but they appeared riveted at the

conversation going on between her and Faye. They were content to let Faye run this the way

she wanted. She couldn't blame them. Faye had helped them work on some of their issues just

by being blunt, direct and relentless.

She squirmed in her seat. What did Faye want to hear? What else could she say? She

was simply not attractive enough.

"My face is not that pretty," she said.

"Really, now? Do you remember the magazine we were looking at the other day? The

one where this girl had a make-over? Wasn't it you who said she went from drab and daggy

to hot and sexy?"

"But that's different! She had some professional help. And who knows? Maybe they

airbrushed her picture or something."

"Haven't we encouraged you to have a make-over, Jess? We're more than ready to bet

you'd be surprised at the result."

"What good would that do?" she scowled. Every once in a while she would dress up,

especially when she went to important client meetings and special occasions, like tonight. But

she didn't see the point in having a make-over. It would be a waste of time, money and effort.

"See, this is the problem," Faye said with an exasperated sigh and a sweep of her arm

at her.

"What?" Jessa whined.

"You don't make an effort because you don't believe it's worth it, right?"

"Hmm," she replied cautiously in a non-committal way.

"Why isn't it worth the effort?" Faye asked in a demanding tone.

"Who'd notice, anyway?"

"Ah! So how come Rob asked you out, huh?"

"That's why I'm so surprised by it!"

She couldn't believe they were having this conversation. Rob asking her out was a big

surprise. It wasn't something that happened all the time. She wasn't like Faye or Clarise, who

never lacked male admirers.

A thought occurred to her. "Hey, I think I know why Rob asked me out. It seems I'm

the only single girl here tonight."

Loud groans came out from all three of her friends.

"Look, guys, that's just the way it is," she said with a shrug. She wasn't very pretty

and there was nothing she could do about that. It certainly wasn't a crime. She couldn't

understand why her friends wouldn't accept it.

"Jess, the only reason why we're always at you about this is because we want you to

see what we see," Faye said, as if reading her mind. "Quite frankly, it's annoying when you

mope around and say you want to find 'The One' but you hold yourself back with your lack of

self-confidence about your looks. You're not just brains. You're beauty and brains. You are

attractive. We have eyes, you know, so we know what we're talking about. We just don't

know what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror."

Tears sprang to her eyes. She was lucky to have friends who see her as beautiful. But

there was nothing special about her straight, long black hair, hazel eyes and petite frame. She

was simply plainer than what they said she was. Wasn't that the reason Jasmine, her pretty

younger sister, attracted four guys she had huge crushes on and that Jasmine even ended up

dating all of them? Or why her big infatuation Michael chose to go out with her previous best

friend even though she was the one who had the guts to approach him at the bar? All Michael

could say to her was 'your friend's really beautiful'. That said it all. She wasn't. She had

known it since she was a kid.

She stood up and threw her arms wide open. "Group hug."

"Oh, Jess!" her three friends cried at the same time as they gave her big bear hugs.

"Are you okay?" Victor asked.

"Of course, I'm okay. Listen, there are only a very few people in this world who are

truly gorgeous inside and out. For some bizarre reason, I'm lucky enough to be best friends

with three of them. Equally bizarre is the fact that one of the hottest men I've ever seen asked

me out. I'm not going to question that and ruin my fun. I'm just going to enjoy the fact that it

happened. I certainly don't get that every day."

Clarise and Faye looked at each other.

"Jess," Clarise said gently, "just thought I'd let you know Rob recently broke up with

his girlfriend. He's not looking for a serious relationship at this point, just some fun. He said

as much to Will earlier today."

"Oh." She was surprised at the pang of disappointment that hit her. She had learnt

long ago not to get her hopes up with any first dates, but she felt a connection with Rob she

couldn't quite put a finger on. It's my attraction to his face and body. He's too good-looking,

she thought to herself.

"Yeah," Clarise continued. "I mean, you can still go out with him and enjoy being

taken out to dinner. He seems like a nice enough guy as long as you don't expect anything

more than just to have fun with him."

"Well, it's not an issue with me. I wasn't expecting someone like him to fall for me,

anyway. It'll just be great to have dinner with someone seriously gorgeous."

~~~~~~~

"When do you go back to Melbourne, Rob?"

"Next Saturday," Rob answered Will Matthews, his long-time friend. They'd known

each other since their early teens, having gone to school together. When he moved to

Melbourne five years ago, they kept in touch and remained close friends. "But I'll be back

here again pretty soon, probably in three weeks' time or so," he continued. "I'd really like to

establish a strong client base here. I'd like to target some of the larger Sydney-based

corporate firms."

"Well, let me know what I can do to help you," Will replied. "You've been a big help

to me for my Melbourne branch. I already have some high profile clients lined up to use my

company's travel services because of your marketing strategy."

"Thanks … I'll definitely … let you know," he responded in a distracted tone, his

attention shifting elsewhere.

"Granger!"

He was startled by Will's call. "Huh?"

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"You better not be staring at Clarise."

He chuckled. "C'mon, Will. Would I do that to you?"

Will narrowed his eyes at him. "It's Jessa then. You do know Jessa is one of Clarise's

best friends, so I hope you don't have her on your list of potential playmates. I don't think

she's that kind of girl."

"Hey, I just find her work fascinating. Maybe I can have an article written on my

business in Lifestyle."

"Oh, right. That's a great idea. A good article there can attract loads of new clients for

you. Mine's coming out in a couple of months."

"I've asked her out to dinner," Rob blurted out.

"Oh? To butter her up so she'll do a good write-up for you? They don't work like that,

you know. They don't do any favours when it comes to their work. They're pretty objective."

"And Clarise is being objective with you?" he ribbed Will. "When it's so obvious the

two of you are so hopelessly in love it's gag-worthy?"

Will grinned, clearly enjoying the thought of Clarise being hopelessly in love with

him. There was no denying he was hopelessly in love with her. "Clarise isn't writing the

article for me, Jessa is. And both of them have warned me several times they're not going to

treat me differently from anyone else. It's their careers and reputations on the line, after all."

"I'm not looking for favours."

"So, then, you want to go out with her because …?"

Rob shrugged. He asked Jessa out because he found her attractive. She wasn't the type

he usually dated but there was something alluring about her. From the way she looked at him

earlier, it was clear the attraction was mutual.

It just occurred to him that there could be complications because of her friendship

with Clarise. He didn't think about that. But that shouldn't matter if Jessa also found him

attractive, should it? And it was only going to be one dinner—and maybe some fooling

around in bed if she was okay with it. If she wasn't up for that, then no problem. There'd be

other takers.

"I'm sure she can look after herself, Will. She can suss me out and make her own

decision. I won't deliberately mislead her."

After Andrea, his last girlfriend, Rob had made a decision to be upfront with the

women he asked out. He thought Andrea knew the score perfectly well so it came as a shock

to him when she demanded they get engaged. He only agreed to be exclusive with her

because it served them both. Theirs was a relationship of convenience tied with sexual

compatibility, not commitment. That was the only kind of relationship he was interested in. It

was a pity Andrea forgot that.

"How exactly are you not going to deliberately mislead her?" Will quizzed.

"How? Well, before I end up in bed with her—with any woman, for that matter—I'm

going to let her know I'm not looking for a serious relationship."

"Okay, that could work, although you'll only be with women who only want casual

sex."

"Yeah, so?"

"What about finding a nice girl you could potentially be in a serious relationship

with?"

Rob's roaring laughter startled some of the people standing nearby. "You are fucking

kidding me, right?" he said in a lower voice only Will could hear.

"What? Why?" Will asked in bemusement.

"Just because you're blinded by love doesn't mean you have to drag me down that

path with you," he replied with an upward roll of his eyes.

"Drag you down? You don't know what you're missing!"

"Will, come on. You know all this love shit isn't for me."

While he was happy for his friend, Rob didn't believe everyone found the kind of love

Will and Clarise had found with each other. Relationships like that were the exception rather

than the rule. Besides, he couldn't see himself wanting to be tied down in a serious

relationship with any woman. That would be way too constricting. He valued his freedom,

first and foremost.

"Okay, okay. Whatever you think suits you," Will acquiesced. "As long as you're

frank and straightforward with Jessa about your intentions, Rob. Before you end up in bed

with her," his friend warned him.

"Don't worry about that."

Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2)

available now

Thank you so much for reading!

If you would like to be the first to learn about new book releases and updates, please

click

here

Other Books by Miranda P. Charles

Lifestyle by Design Series

Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2)

The love story of Jessa Allen and Rob Granger.

Ray of Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 3)

The love story of Faye Summers and Ray Thackery.

Secret Dreams Series

Secret Words (Secret Dreams Book 1)

The love story of Jasmine Allen and Kane Summers.

Secret Designs (Secret Dreams Book 2)

The love story of Ari Mitchell and Dylan Summers.

Secret Moves (Secret Dreams Book 3)

The love story of Kris McCann and Trey Andrews.

Be the first to know about new book releases and updates:

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