‘Are you OK?’
‘I—I’m fine…’ She tried to ease herself out of his hold but he countered it with a subtle tightening of his fingers.
She had no choice but to meet his eyes. ‘You can let me go now, Jake.’
Tiny beads of perspiration were peppered over his upper lip, a dark smudge of soil slashed across the lean line of his jaw giving him an almost primitive look. Gone was the highpowered architect who had offices in several major cities of the world; in his place was a man who smelt of hard physical work and fitness, his chest so slick with sweat she wanted to press her mouth to his skin and taste his saltiness.
His hands dropped away from her and he stepped backwards. ‘I’ve made you dirty,’ he said without apology.
She glanced at each of her arms, her stomach doing a funny little tumble turn when she saw the full set of his earthy fingerprints on the creamy skin of her bare upper arms.
‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘At least I wasn’t wearing the jacket. I left it inside it was so…so hot…’
His eyes ran over her neat skirt and matching camisole and she wished she hadn’t spoken. She could feel the weight of his gaze as it took in her shadowed cleavage, a cleavage she hadn’t had four and a half years ago.
‘I’d better get back to work…’ she said, waving a hand at the house behind her, her feet searching blindly for the steps. ‘There’s still so…so much to do and I need to leave on time.’
‘If you want to leave early, that’s fine,’ he said, narrowing his eyes against the sun as he looked back over the garden. ‘I’m just about finished for the day myself.’
Ashleigh hovered on the first step. ‘What are you going to plant in that garden bed you’re digging?’
It seemed an age before his gaze turned back to meet hers, his eyes so dark and intense she felt the breath trip somewhere in the middle of her throat.
‘I’m not going to plant anything.’
A nervous hand fluttered up to her neck, her fingers holding the fine silver chain hanging there, her expression clouded with confusion. ‘Then what are you digging for?’
His mouth tilted into one of his humourless smiles.
‘Memories, Ashleigh,’ he said, his tone deep and husky. ‘I’m digging for memories.’
Ashleigh watched him, her eyes taking in the angles and planes of his face, wondering what was going on behind the screen of his inscrutable gaze.
He’d always been so adept at concealing his true feelings; it had both frustrated and fascinated her in the past. She knew his aloofness was part of what fed her lingering attraction for him. She felt ashamed of how she felt, especially given her commitment to Howard, but every time she was in Jake’s presence she felt the pull of something indefinable, as if he had set up a special radar to keep her tuned in to him, only him. She felt the waves of connection each time his gaze meshed with hers, the full charge zapping her whenever he touched her. His kiss had burnt her so much she was sure if it were to be repeated she would never have the strength to pull away. It wouldn’t matter how committed she was elsewhere, when Jake Marriott’s mouth came down on hers everyone else ceased to exist.
‘You’re breaking rule number three,’ Jake’s voice cut through her private rumination. ‘No looks, remember?’
She dragged her eyes away from the amused line of his mouth and met his eyes, her cheeks heating from the inside like a stoked furnace.
‘I wasn’t looking, I was thinking,’ she insisted.
‘One wonders what was going on in that pretty little head of yours to make you blush so delightfully,’ he mused.
‘I’m not blushing!’ She flung her hair back with a defiant toss of one hand. ‘It’s hot.You know how I can’t stand the heat. You always said I…’ She stopped speaking before she trawled up too many dangerous memories. She didn’t want him thinking she had stored away every single word he’d ever spoken to her.
‘I always said what?’
‘Nothing; I can’t remember.’ She carefully avoided his eyes. ‘It was all such a long time ago.’
‘Four years is not such a long time.’
‘Four and a half,’ she said, meeting his eyes with gritty determination. ‘Time to move on, don’t you think?’
‘That’s why we’re here,’ he said. ‘So we can both move on.’
‘Then let’s get on with it,’ she suggested and turned towards the house.
‘Ashleigh.’
She sent her eyes heavenward with a silent prayer for strength as she turned to look back at him. Because she was on the top step he was now at eye level. This close she could see the curling fringe of his sooty lashes, could even feel the movement of air against her lips when he let out a small breath. Her stomach muscles tightened, her legs going to water at his physical proximity. She had only to tilt her body a mere fraction and she would be touching him.