Having her stand this close to him, her signature vanilla enveloping him in seductive sweetness, was hard enough to tolerate without her smoky midnight eyes sending him signals he knew were all in his head.

  ‘What did you want to show me?'

  'It's in here.' He all but dragged her through the farmhouse’s back door into the dimly lit kitchen, knowing this was crazy but unable to stop.

  Her soft laughter echoed in the empty room, his favourite in the house. He had a lifetime of family memories here: making ravioli from scratch while his father read the Sunday newspapers, sneaking cannoli fresh from the oven, Britt poking her tongue out at him from across the table as she lobbed a bread roll and feigned innocence.

  Yeah, this room was a definite favourite and he was about to add another treasured memory.

  'Okay, apart from this place needing some light, what's the prob—?’

  Nick covered her mouth with his, cutting her off, while sliding his arms around her waist, marvelling at how right this felt.

  Rather than protest and try to shove him off, Britt groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, opening her lips beneath his, teasing him to pleasure her, to taste her and come back for more.

  More than willing to comply, he deepened the kiss to the point he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't feel anything beyond this incredible woman in this unforgettable moment.

  She hung on tight, her hands stroking his neck, tugging him closer until he could feel the heat of her skin through his dress shirt, the heat urging him to back her up against the table and do what he'd wanted to do for weeks now.

  Make love to his beautiful bride.

  He must've moved a fraction because she groaned and pushed her breasts against his chest. He slid his hands around her ribcage, filling them with her full breasts, caressing them, skimming the peaks with his palms until she murmured incoherently, almost making him explode on the spot.

  Alarm bells clamoured in his head. What happened to just business? What happened to getting her to make the first move this time? Rational thoughts he ignored, allowing himself this one brief taste of pleasure before sanity returned.

  Britt sensed his hesitation and broke the kiss, only to snuggle into his neck and playfully nip the sensitive skin there. 'I can see your problem.'

  'What is it?’ His hands glided over the slinky material of her dress to caress her butt, the heat of her scorching his palms through the thin silk of her dress.

  'You've got the hots for me.' She chuckled, the bold laugh of a confident woman who knew exactly what sort of a schmuck she was dealing with.

  'It's your fault. You're irresistible.'

  He kissed her again, softly, lingering, wondering how he'd ever had the willpower to turn down this amazing woman all those years ago and wondering what the hell he was going to do when she walked out of his life this time around.

  She had his libido firing on all cylinders but it was more than that. They'd reconnected on so many levels, their special friendship a thing to be treasured.

  But nothing had changed. Career-driven Brittany Lloyd would hightail it out of Noosa without a backward glance, leaving him cursing the day he'd been foolish enough to let her back into his heart, a heart he'd deliberately closed off from ever loving any woman too much.

  He might've obliterated memories of his mother but he'd never forgotten the pain of abandonment, the intense loss that had clawed at his insides, the doubts that had plagued him for years that he wasn't good enough to be loved forever.

  'How irresistible?' Her brow arched in pure provocation and Nick stopped second guessing.

  Now wasn't a time for doubts or deliberating or questioning, so he kissed her again, craving intimacy as the parched outback craved water to sustain life.

  The thought of losing her prompted him to do all manner of crazy things, like back her up against the table, wishing he'd had the sense to lock the back door.

  Her hands speared his hair, angling his head for better access to his mouth as she wrapped a leg around his waist, bringing him into delicious contact with her heat. Raging need slammed through him to the point of no return.

  Out of his mind with lust, he wanted her here, now, but he'd be damned if he took her standing up against a kitchen wall after all this time.

  Britt deserved more.

  She deserved the universe and then some.

  Wrenching his mouth from hers with effort, he exhaled on a long, ragged breath as he broke the full-length body contact he'd been relishing so much.

  'Nick?'

  'Not now, not here, not like this,' he said through gritted teeth, desperate to rein in his libido as he tried not to focus on her swollen mouth, on the lips he'd tasted, lips he'd savoured, lips he'd kiss all night long if he had his way.

  'Then when?'

  Confusion clouded her eyes as he balled his hands to stop from hauling her back into his arms, and silently cursed making a hash of this.

  Desire pounded through his veins, untamed and undisciplined and uncontrollable, but he'd subdue his ferocious need for now, bide his time. When they gave into this tempestuous passion he would stop at nothing less than pleasuring Britt all night long.

  With great restraint, he settled for trailing a fingertip down her cheek and along her jaw, enjoying the instant flare of heat in her sparkling eyes, the coy smile playing about her lips.

  He cupped her chin, his gaze not leaving hers. 'Soon, Red. Very soon.'

  Something fierce, wild, and altogether terrifying flashed in her gaze before she nodded.

  ‘Soon can’t come quick enough,’ she whispered on a sigh, setting his heart pumping with wild anticipation as he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the door before he changed his mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Britt hadn't had this much fun in ages.

  Sure, she attended swank parties in London and rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous thanks to her brilliant job, but those events were filled with pretentious flakes who spoke to you depending on which designer dressed you or how many millions you made a year.

  She hated the way money talked, hated the way it divided people into classes and, while she understood Nick's drive to gain acceptance into the privileged world she'd been born into for the sake of his business, she couldn't help but wish he'd wanted to marry her for love all those years ago.

  They'd both changed so much, yet when he touched her, when he kissed her, the last decade vanished on a wistful sigh. They'd been too young back then; she could see it now. She'd romanticised what they had, had mistaken the throes of first love as being something to build a lifetime commitment on. Nick hadn't been ready and while it had hurt how he deliberately sabotaged their relationship at the end, she understood.

  His father had meant everything to him, while she couldn’t wait to escape hers. They had different dreams at the time, different goals.

  So where did that leave them now?

  Could two successful, career-driven people take a chance on love?

  She collapsed onto a portable chair in a corner of the harvesting shed, her gaze homing in on Nick surrounded by a bunch of investors, while images of the scintillating kiss they'd shared in the kitchen a few hours earlier replayed over and over, making her shiver anew.

  That had been some kiss. Passionate and way too intense, the type of kiss to pin hopes on, the type of kiss to give a girl ideas about how he felt. And on the heels of his admission on their wedding night, when he said he cared about her, way too baffling. She'd been trying to tempt him and seduce him ever since, but he had nerves of steel.

  Until tonight.

  That kiss in the kitchen had changed everything.

  He wanted her as much as she wanted him, so why had he stopped?

  Typical Nick. Still infuriating and confusing the heck out of her. Every time he touched her, she lost it. But that didn't mean she had to lose her head completely.

  Having fun and walking away was one thing.

  Having fun and falling for him another.

  This time, she'd be smarter. She'd come too far from the scared, confused teenager who bolted like a fugitive into the night to regress. She didn't need anyone. She'd been doing fine on her own for the last ten years, and getting emotionally involved with Nick would only lead to heartache.

  'Hey, what's with the look?' Frida Rutger, Bram's much younger trophy wife, sat on a chair next to her and fanned her face. 'Is it hot in here or what?'

  'Sure is.' Britt deliberately ignored Frida's first question, glad for the interruption. Anything to distract from her thoughts of Nick.

  However, she should've known the astute young woman who'd hosted parties for world dignitaries wouldn't let her off that easily.

  'So, why the glum look? Has that sexy new husband of yours done something to upset you?'

  'No.' Unless she counted upsetting her equilibrium. ‘I’m just tired.'

  Frida's gaze bordered on jealous as it zeroed in on Nick. 'I'm not surprised, married to someone like that.'

  Uncomfortable with the woman's frank admiration, Britt aimed for distraction. 'Your dress is gorgeous. Local designer?'

  Thankfully, Frida's greedy gaze abandoned Nick and focused on her stunning ochre and crimson layered chiffon dress, the bodice hugging her fake boobs until it reached her waist, where it cascaded in a fiery waterfall of riotous colour to her ankles.

  'I designed it myself.'

  The thought of the wife of Queensland's richest man making her own dress almost shocked Britt as much as Nick's unexpected kiss earlier.

  'Wow, you're a talented designer.'

  To her horror, Frida's bottom lip wobbled as she blinked frantically, on the verge of tears. 'Pity Bram doesn't think so.' She sniffed, and plucked at a chiffon layer in her lap. 'He said it looked like a bottle of orange soda exploded all over me.'

  Britt glared at Bram, paunchy, balding, and florid, as he slapped Nick on the back, while his beautiful wife fought tears. Dumb-ass.

  Searching for a diplomatic answer, Britt finally said, 'Bram's a great businessman but maybe his fashion sense isn't up to par?'

  Frida dashed her tears away with an angry swipe, a smile twitching at her mouth. 'He also said I need liposuction and another facelift.'

  Outraged, Britt abandoned all sense of politeness. 'Guys are jerks.'

  However, when her gaze returned to Nick, drawn by the magnetic power he exuded by being in a room, she knew her statement wasn't entirely true. Not all guys.

  'You can say that again.'

  'Guys are jerks,’ Britt repeated.

  Frida chuckled and she joined in, wondering how an attractive young woman could hook up with an overbearing ass like Bram. It all came down to money and, once again, she thanked her lucky stars she'd escaped that world and all it stood for.

  'Aren't you the lucky one? Here comes your delicious husband.' Frida jumped up and smoothed her dress, tears forgotten as she batted her eyelashes at Nick. 'Nice to see you, Nick.'

  Nick nodded, his gaze fixed on Britt rather than the eye-catching figure sashaying away in a fiery dress, earning him more brownie points than she could count.

  He sat beside her, his aftershave teasing her to lean closer, to fill her senses with it, as she had earlier when she'd lost herself in the wonder of his kiss.

  'I don't like it when women natter in corners. They're usually planning trouble for us mere males.' His frown didn't work when accompanied by a slow, sexy smile that notched up the heat between them in a second.

  'Safety in numbers, I guess.'

  Leaning towards her, he crooked his finger. 'Looks to me like numbers are dwindling and you know what that means?'

  'What?'

  'It means we'll have to spike the band's drinks so we get rid of the rest of the revellers pronto.' He trailed a fingertip down her cheek, making her skin pebble. ‘Soon can’t come quick enough to get you alone.’

  She laughed while her heart stopped leaping and settled with a resounding thud. Because at that moment, she knew.

  Earlier, he’d promised they’d take this all the way soon and by Nick’s loaded stare as locked gazes with her, his promised 'soon' had arrived. With his bow tie askew, his hair rumpled, and eyes blazing with an emotion she dare not analyse, she had as much chance of not falling in love with Nick again as flying solo back to London.

  And the knowledge he still held that kind of power over her scared her beyond belief.

  'How much longer?' She needed him to hold her, to erase her thoughts, to banish the yearning to be with him. Surely they could have sex tonight to assuage the tension strumming between them and that wouldn’t complicate matters?

  Sensing her eagerness, he slid an arm around her waist and cuddled her close.

  'I'll get the band to announce this is the final song. How does that sound?’

  'Perfect.'

  'Don't move. I'll be right back.'

  He feathered a kiss across her lips before striding away, leaving her to deal with her newly awakened feelings and how much they terrified her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Britt paced the kitchen, waiting for Nick to escort the last reveller off the property.

  She shouldn't be this nervous.

  It wasn't as if she'd never had sex with him.

  Though as she watched him stride towards the house, broad shoulders squared, long legs eating up the distance, a full moon casting shadows across his face and glinting in his dark hair, she knew the man he was today was a far cry from the boy he'd been ten years earlier.

  If she'd loved young Nick unreservedly, what hope did she have of holding back her emotions this time around?

  As he neared the door, she quickly sat on the nearest chair and picked up a magazine from a messy stack in the corner, pretending to flip through it without a care in the world.

  When he entered, she peeked over the top of the magazine, confused by his wide grin.

  'Everyone gone?' So much for casual. Her voice came out a high-pitched squeak and she cleared her throat, rustling the magazine, ready to duck behind it.

  'Uh-huh.' He stalked towards her and she gulped, wanting to be in his arms so much it hurt, yet petrified once she was there she'd never want to leave. ‘Doing a bit of light reading?'

  'Mmm.'

  His muffled guffaw implied he hadn't bought her ruse for a second. 'That's interesting. I'd never have pegged you for a girl interested in cattle mating seasons.'

  Heat swept her cheeks as she slapped the pages shut, flung the magazine back on the pile, and folded her arms.

  'Because if you are, you can have those magazines. They were Pa's and I'm in the process of doing a major clean-out before the sale, so be my guest.'

  Seeing the funny side of it, she chuckled. 'Thanks, but I'll pass. Leave the cows and bulls to it.'

  The twinkle in his eyes intensified as he held out a hand to her and when she placed her hand in his he pulled her to her feet. 'You don't have to be nervous around me.'

  'I'm not.' A quick rebuttal belied by her tumbling stomach, wobbly knees, and hands that shook slightly.

  He sent a pointed glance at the magazine and raised an eyebrow. 'Really?'

  She sighed and placed her palms on his chest to anchor her. 'Okay, I'm a tad nervous. Aren't you?'

  ‘No.' He slid his arms around her waist, creating a welcoming cocoon she could happily snuggle in forever. 'We're not strangers. This is you and me, Red.'

  'But—'

  'No buts. Unless it involves this one.' He gave her backside a playful pinch and she laughed, her nerves dissipating as he intended. 'Tonight is about you and me. No second guessing. No overanalysing. No regrets. Okay?'

  It sounded logical when he put it like that, but she knew come morning she'd be analysing every second. She'd always been this way around him, off kilter and out of her depth, and now the moment she'd been anticipating had arrived, she couldn't quell the bundle of nerves knotting her resolve.

  She wanted him. It should be simple. But nothing was simple about her relationship with this dynamic, enigmatic man, and the moment she started underestimating the power of his hold over her was the moment she'd lose control.

  Not a bad thing, but she was scared—terrified in fact—by the depth of emotion for a bad-boy rebel who still cradled her heart in his powerful hands.

  'You're thinking too much.'

  She nodded, her mouth kicking up in a wry grin. He knew her so well, knew she'd be analysing every angle of this momentous step.

  ‘I know I acted like a jackass earlier. That I put a halt to us having sex and didn’t give you an explanation why.’ He screwed up his nose, an adorable quirk he’d had a decade earlier. ‘I guess I didn’t want to rush you into anything you may not be ready for. Because you’re right, I’m nervous too. I don’t want to complicate things between us but I want you so damn badly. I’m over-thinking and second-guessing and waiting and—‘

  ’Ssh.’ She pressed a fingertip to his lips. ‘It’s okay. I want you too.’

  When she lowered her hand, the lips she’d just touched kicked into a bashful smile. ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘In that case, I'm done over-thinking,’ he said, a second before he covered her mouth with his, his commanding kiss obliterating every doubt.

  Nick’s lips teased hers, brushing and crushing, alternating pressure, making her mindless with wanting him. As his tongue duelled with hers, the ever present passion between them ignited, and she was lost to the frantic flurry of eager hands, low moans, and hot, bare skin.

  'I didn't want it to be like this, not here—'

  'Don't stop.’ She panted, arching into him, her pelvis melding to his. 'Please Nick, I want you now.'

  His guttural groan raised goosebumps along her skin as his hands bunched her skirt up around her thighs while he plundered her mouth again.

  Sensation bombarded her, from his mouth ravaging hers with fierce intent to his hands stroking her thighs. Mindless pleasure that built and receded and built again until she could barely stand.