Hot Boss, Wicked Nights

‘Shh.’ He put a finger on her mouth to forestall any further protest. ‘You want Rosemary to hear?’ He shook his head when she narrowed her eyes. ‘Didn’t think so. I said no arguments. And no distractions—I promise.’

Kate hadn’t meant to fall asleep. They’d travelled by taxi to pick up Damon’s car at Bryce’s apartment. Ignoring her protests, he’d bypassed the way to her apartment and kept driving. Now as her eyelids fluttered open all she saw were tall scrubby eucalypt stands, trunks pink as the sun lowered behind them. ‘Where are we?’

‘About an hour north of Sydney, near the Hawkesbury River.’

She turned her head and stared at the magnificent house amongst the trees. The structure sat on the edge of a steep rise. Timber and crystal building blocks, windows winking in the late sun. Some might call it austere, yet the wood gleamed like warm honey and blended beautifully with its surroundings.

She stared at it as Damon negotiated a steep driveway and stopped near a short path.

‘What is this place?’

‘Home for the next couple of days. How do you feel?’

‘Okay.’ When the throbbing in her ankle and the vague headache she wasn’t admitting to went away she’d be fine.

‘Yeah, right.’ He didn’t believe her either. ‘Wait there.’

Damon climbed out of the car, rounded the bonnet and opened the door. The clean crisp scent of the Australian bush and a wood fire burning somewhere filled her nostrils. He didn’t give her time to alight, picking her up and carrying her the short distance to the front door, which opened before he knocked.

A round little woman with a cloud of grey hair and lively blue eyes appeared on the doorstep. Behind her Kate could see a tall stooped guy. An old man’s cardigan hung on his bony frame.

‘Hi, Jenny,’ Damon said with easy familiarity, then nodded at the man behind her. ‘Leigh.’

A smiling Jenny turned her attention to Kate. ‘And you must be Kate.’

‘Kate, meet Leigh and Jenny Charlesworth. Friends of mine.’

Kate smiled back, wishing Damon would put her down and stop treating her like an invalid. ‘Nice to meet you. I didn’t mean to impose. Damon—’

‘Impose?’ Jenny’s eyes widened. She started to speak, but trailed off at Damon’s frown.

Kate’s confusion deepened. She wanted to speak with Damon alone, to ask him why they were here, indeed imposing on his friends’ hospitality, but he didn’t give her a chance. He stepped inside as if he owned the place, chatting to Jenny, who followed them across the room.

Kate got a glimpse of a fire burning in an open copper-domed fireplace in the middle of the room, honey-toned wood, snatches of cream and red before she was being carried along a passageway.

Damon stopped at the first room, a few quick steps from the living area. He’d phoned ahead and, thanks to Jenny, the curtains were closed, a bedside lamp already switched on and the snowy white quilt turned down.

He set Kate on the bed, carefully removed the pair of soft shoes he’d managed to find in her bag while he’d waited at the hospital. ‘Climb into bed and I’ll bring your bags in later. Or would you like to get undressed first?’ She stared at him, eyes wary. ‘It’s okay, Kate, I didn’t mean—’

‘Why have you brought me here?’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know these people.’

‘But I do.’ He lifted her legs onto the bed, pulled the quilt over her. ‘We’ll talk about it later; right now you need to rest. I’ll be checking on you through the night. Doctor’s orders.’

‘But—’

He tapped a firm finger to her lips. ‘Later.’ Then he pressed her tense shoulders back into the mattress, dimmed the light to its lowest setting. Because he didn’t intend getting involved in explanations he knew she’d be wanting, he kissed her forehead and forced himself to walk away from her.

Jenny and Leigh were in the kitchen; he followed the sound of their voices and the fragrance of Jenny’s home-baked bread. She was sliding it out of the oven as he entered.

‘Is she settled, then?’ She pulled off her oven mitts and skirted the table for another hug.

‘I don’t know about settled, but she’s in bed where I can listen out and keep an eye on her.’

‘I think it’s both eyes you’re keeping on her,’ Jenny said, leaning back from his embrace to study him a little too intensely for his comfort.

‘Don’t want my employees suing me,’ he said, winking at Leigh to avoid her gaze and reaching out to pinch off a corner of the hot bread.