Keely had watched Lachlan ride monstrous waves perched on an impossibly small piece of fibreglass for the last hour, her heart pounding most of the time.
However, it was nothing compared to the way it thundered in her chest as he jogged up the beach towards her.
The water-slicked wetsuit moulded to him like a second skin, delineating every last muscle of his toned body as he carried the surfboard under one arm as if it weighed nothing at all. He’d run a hand through his hair, sending dark spikes in all directions, while the deep blue of his eyes reflected the cloudless Torquay sky.
As he got closer his boyish grin lit a fire within her, its heat licking along every nerve-ending in her body, heightening her awareness till nothing else existed but this man, this moment.
‘So, what do you think?’ He planted the surfboard in the sand and leaned against it, looking like an irresistible advertisement for the sport.
‘I think you’re nuts for balancing on that little board and inviting the sharks to nibble at your toes.’
His smile broadened. ‘Care to try?’
‘The balancing or the nibbling?’ The words popped out before she could stop them and his smile turned to laughter.
‘I didn’t know you had a foot fetish. Lucky I’m a psychologist.’
She rolled her eyes, enjoying the light-hearted banter they’d been trading all day. The drive from Melbourne to Bell’s Beach had taken just over an hour, and her initial nervousness at spending so much time confined in his car had vanished as they’d made small talk.
‘Then colour me crazy.’
He squatted down beside her, effectively blocking out the sun, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Care for an in-depth one-on-one consultation?’
His voice dropped lower, its tone seductively husky, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wasn’t offering her a professional evaluation.
She leaned back on her outstretched arms in an attempt to put some distance between them. If she’d been hot before, having him this close ensured she entered meltdown.
‘Maybe I’m too complicated for you to figure out?’
‘Maybe I like a challenge?’
‘Is that what I am to you?’
He shook his head, showering her in a fine spray of seawater droplets, a welcome relief of cool against her fiery cheeks. Whatever made her think she could match wits with this man, trade quips with him like an experienced flirt?
Though she prided herself on being a savvy city girl, she was still an inexperienced amateur when it came to the male sex.
‘You’re an intriguing woman, Keely Rhodes. One I’d like to get to know a whole lot better.’ He tilted her chin up and brushed his thumb along her bottom lip, his gaze locked on hers.
‘We’re here to work, not socialise,’ she blurted out, eager to say anything to distract herself from the hypnotic intensity of his stare or the way her lips still tingled after his brief contact. ‘Isn’t that what you had in mind when we initially discussed this?’
She expected him to break eye contact, look guilty and lie through his teeth.
Instead, he surprised her.
‘Why can’t we do both? I thought you’d gain valuable knowledge for the website by spending time with me. You know, give it a personal touch.’ He captured her hand in his, intertwining fingers in a possessive gesture that quietly thrilled her. ‘However, I admit to wanting more from the weekend.’
‘I’m not going to sleep with you.’ She pronounced it more as a statement to convince herself rather than a warning to him.
Instead of dropping her hand, he tightened his hold. ‘Wow, some guy really did a number on you, didn’t he?’
To her annoyance, she blushed. Now wasn’t the time or place to talk about her disastrous history with men, her self-esteem problem and the ensuing damage it had caused. If she got started, he’d be compelled to charge her by the hour! Besides, psychologists hadn’t been her favourite people following long and tiresome hours spent in counselling and, though her hormones were clouding her judgement when it came to this guy, she had no intention of losing her wits completely and trusting him.
‘I’d rather not talk about it.’
To her relief, he nodded. ‘Fine, then I’ll talk and you listen. I’m not one of your slick city guys. Sure, I like Melbourne and its vibe, but I’m a country boy at heart. I love the fresh air, the bush, the ocean.’ He gestured to the vista behind him as if reinforcing his words. ‘I’m not into lies or pretence. I value honesty above all else, and when I like something I acknowledge it.’
Rather than soothing her, his words sliced into her heart. Honesty? Great. What would he say if she revealed her secret to him?
Which one? a tiny voice in her head prompted—the fact that you heckled him and slandered his professional character or the one you use to push away every man who tries to get close to you?
‘And I like you. That’s what this is all about.’
She swallowed, buoyed by his refreshing attitude and terrified beyond belief. No man had ever been that up-front with her. And it scared her. A lot.
Searching for the right words to deflect his attention—which she liked way too much—she bumbled along in predictable fashion. ‘I’m flattered, but right now I need to focus on my career. I haven’t got time for anything else in my life. I’m thinking business and you’re—’
‘Thinking pleasure?’ he interrupted, raising her hand to his mouth and nibbling on her fingertips with small, precise nips.
‘Mmm …’ She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, instantly forgetting all the reasons why she shouldn’t be doing this.
‘Stop analysing and just feel,’ he murmured, the soft touch of his mouth against her palm sending bolts of electricity shooting up her arm.
Suddenly her voice of reason gave her a big, loud wake-up call—so much for business—and she pulled her hand away before he could undermine her stance to keep things between them strictly professional any more than he already had. ‘That’s rich coming from you, the king of analysis.’
He shrugged. ‘Work’s work. You and me, that’s something else entirely.’
She took a deep breath, hoping a lungful of sea air would clear her mind, for the longer he stared at her as if she was the only woman in the world for him, the harder it was for her to respond.
‘I’m not sure what you want from me,’ she said, making a lightning-quick decision to tell him exactly how she was feeling. He wanted honesty? She’d give it to him, at least for the moment.
‘I want a website.’ He smiled, obviously trying to lighten the mood.
‘And?’ she persisted, unable to shake the feeling that they’d reached an important crossroad in their brief relationship. Working relationship, that is.
She didn’t have time for mix-ups or games. If he wanted more from her than a fabulous website, now was the time for him to speak up. And for her to run for the hills as she usually did.
His grip on her hand tightened. ‘I want to get to know you better. Nothing more, nothing less. Think you can handle that?’
‘As long as we don’t lose sight of the real reason I’m here. And that’s to work.’
Despite her false bravado, a small part of her was scared out of its wits.
She could listen to her self-talk about He’s work, he’s a means to an end, he’s the best opportunity for that promotion you’ve ever had.
However, what