Christmas Holiday Husband (16 page)

She snuggled back against him as he thrust and retreated. Soon he had her way past caring if anyone else in the house heard her husky moans and eventual small sharp screams. He moved faster then, driving himself hard and deep until he too was incoherent, gasping her name as he came, and burying his face in her fragrant hair.

Slowly he released his grip around her and relaxed as the peace of possession washed over him. He cradled Ellie’s breast in his hand, and felt her heart hammering through her warm flesh. “Good?” he asked.

xxx

Way better than good,
she thought.

“Not bad,” she whispered, twisting to glance over her shoulder at him. Trying to be flippant and put some distance between them.

“Must try harder? That’s what the teachers used to write beside maths in my school reports.”

She chuckled, and nestled back against him as he wrapped his arms around her. “I heard some gossip from Alfie last night,” she said a minute later. “She’s being a bridesmaid at your old friend Matthew’s second wedding next month.”

Behind her, Tony tensed. “Matt McLeod? Are you sure?”

“You should check with her, but I reckon. It’s a distinctive name, and the wedding’s in Queenstown.”

He levered himself up onto one elbow and pinned her with his dark eyes. “How the hell does Alfie fit into the picture?”

Ellie shrugged. “He’s marrying one of her cousins. Someone called Kate. She was teasing Caro and Ants about being flower girls to keep her company.”

Tony’s eyebrows rose and he shook his head. “Jesus. So he got his courage up again? She must be some girl.”

“From Auckland, but she’s living down there with him now.”

He settled against her again and drew a deep breath. “Hopefully not a gold-digger like his first.”

Ellie nudged her elbow into his ribs. “We’re not all gold-diggers. I’m not after your gold in the least.”

He laughed, and tweaked her nipple. “More’s the pity. You need spoiling.”

“But not by you. I’m doing fine on my own, thanks.” She bit her lip, hoping he’d believe her, knowing the state of her clothes and her car told a different story. “You should contact him. He might need another groomsman, and the girls would
love
to be flower girls.”

“God no—I might blight his second attempt as well.” His hand strayed up to her shoulder, and down to her breast again. “The twins would love it of course,” he added, “but Matt and his Kate will have it all arranged by now.”

“You could always ask?”

They drowsed together. No other noises disturbed the big house. Even Ginny, early riser that she was, seemed to be having a Sunday sleep-in.

“Your maths obviously didn’t hold you back,” Ellie said a little later. “Wharemoana must be an accounting nightmare.”

“Millions of numbers. But as Dad said, when you translate them into stock feed, and meat and wool production, and metres of timber, and money, it gets intensely exciting.”

More minutes ticked by. The leafy shadows crept higher up the wall.

“Where do your parents live now?”

“South of France. They bought a house in Provence a few years back. Just for holidays at first. But Mum loves it, so they’re more-or-less based there now they’ve retired. Back for holidays, of course. You’ll meet them soon.”

“I’ll be going home for Christmas,” Ellie said. And because she was desperate to put some space between Tony and herself, she added “How long will it take me to get back to town? I lost track of the time when I drove here last Sunday because I took the wrong road for a while.”

He nipped her ear. “A couple of hours in that old banger you call a car. Thinking of deserting me?”

“Not for long. But I’d love to see my mum for a while. If I went now I could start back again early tomorrow morning—be here by nine? Do I get Sundays off?”

“You
will
be back?”

She heard suspicion in his tone. “Absolutely. But I have some house stuff to attend to. Odds and ends of Christmas shopping.” She hoped Ginny and the twins wouldn’t mention her son while she was gone.

He tightened his grip on her. “Can’t prevent you from doing that, I suppose, but I’ll be pleased to see you back again. Nine o’clock tomorrow...can I last that long?”

“You’ll manage without.”

“I got pretty good at managing without.”

Her heart constricted, and she dared to ask, “With Julia being so ill?”

“With her being so discontented, and then ill, yeah.” He drew away, and twitched the sheet off her. “Go on then—before I change my mind.”

“Yes, Boss.” She grabbed her dress and panties, and headed for the gallery. Surely no-one would spot her racing nude the short distance to her room?

xxx

“Mum!” Cal’s eyes glowed as he pulled the door open.

Ellie gathered him into a huge bear hug. “I’m missing you
so much
!” she exclaimed. “How are you and Grandma getting along together?”

“Ellie? You should have rung,” he mother said, bustling out of the tiny kitchen and untying her apron.

“Surprise visit,” Ellie grinned. “Couldn’t stay away any longer from this lovely boy.” She ruffled his hair, and thought of Tony’s close crop. “Do you think you could manage one night on the sofa, Cal? Then I can have the other bed in Grandma’s room and not go back until early tomorrow.”

“Cool, Mum.” He was so nonchalant. Untroubled by sudden arrangements like this. She’d dragged him through several changes of rental accommodation over the years, then the fire had burned many of his belongings, and now he was stuck in his grandmother’s small flat for weeks on end. Her son deserved so much more. But at least better times were finally in sight.

Ellie watched him, fascinated, throughout the day. All she saw now was Tony—nothing of her. They visited the almost finished house after church, and found it more habitable than last time. Cal skipped through the interior, paced around his future bedroom, and showed his grandmother the corner of the living room where the TV and longed-for PlayStation would be installed. Ellie sighed. There’d be no PlayStation for ages unless a miracle turned up.

Later, they watched a man flying a swooping blue kite while they ate ice-cream in the local park, and then encouraged Cal as he practiced football with several friends.

When it came time to leave next morning, Ellie could hardly bear it. She crept out of bed at six o’clock, pressed a warm kiss onto sleepy Cal’s brow, stuffed her bag behind the front seat of her car, and drove off with tears trickling down her face.

xxx

This time, as she approached Wharemoana, she appreciated Tony’s inheritance with new eyes. To be responsible for so much! His land stretched as far as she could see—the whole distance between the thrashing ocean and the far hills.

She parked the car in her designated garage and took her overnight bag inside. Tony appeared out of nowhere, claimed her mouth in a deep kiss and released her, smiling, when he heard the girls tumbling down the stairs.

“Okay?” he asked.

Okay going home, or okay coming back?
she wondered. “The road was a lot better today. Less dust.”

“It rained a bit last night.”

“Good for the land?”

“Yep—we needed it.”

Why on earth was she holding this polite conversation when all she wanted was to be wrapped in his arms, dragged to his bed, and possessed by his fantastic body?

She gave him a wry smile. “And you survived?” she asked.

“Just about. Missed you. I’ll take the bag.”

The twins grabbed her hands and escorted her up the curving staircase, chattering about their day visiting friends on a neighbouring farm, and Alfie’s trip to the wedding in Queenstown, and names for the foal her mare would soon drop.

Ellie followed Tony’s long legs and trim backside. Last time she’d seen him wearing those old blue jeans, his chest had been bare and he’d sat in front of her, holding her legs captive between his thighs. Only Cal’s giveaway photo beside her bed had stopped her from allowing him to take things further.

“The Blue Room?” he enquired from the top gallery.

“Of course,” she called primly, and he sent her a slashing smile over the banister rail.

She hurried the girls to the schoolroom. Later that afternoon, she unpacked, gathered some laundry, and took it downstairs. Ginny looked up from icing cupcakes, and before Ellie even had to ask, said, “Put it in with ours if you like. Just sort the light from the dark, can you please?”

Ellie dropped her black top, a grey polo shirt, the olive green T-shirt, and a patterned blouse into the first bin, and tossed her yellow and white T-shirt and most of her underwear into the other.

She came back to admire the squiggly frosting, and offered to help arrange chocolate chips and flower shapes on top.

Ginny pushed the little jars across to her. “All well back in town?”

“Mmmm. The house is almost complete. And I bought some pretty mugs for my mother for Christmas.”

“And your son? He’ll be finishing school for the year soon, won’t he? Perhaps you can bring him back here with you next time?”

Ellie nodded. “Yes, sometime soon...” She looked away, wondering if it was wiser to let things stay as they were, or to ask Ginny if anyone had mentioned Cal to Tony. No, she decided—let sleeping dogs lie and arouse no suspicions.

She sprawled on one of the terrace chairs to enjoy the sun before dinner, determined to go for a walk by the sea next day as soon as she concluded lessons.

xxx

Tony watched her from his study, one floor above. Her beautiful long legs stretched out over the pavers, and her hair cascaded down the chair-back from under Ginny’s old straw hat. The rustic rose covered pergola framed her exactly. She looked at home—relaxed and right.

He was relieved and thankful she was back. Deserting her for the Melbourne conference had been bad enough, but at least she’d been safely tucked out of sight in the countryside then. During the day she’d been in town he’d half convinced himself she was with the other man. Allowing him to take the same liberties with her body that he had himself.

He’d lain awake for endless hours the night before, worrying she’d be making a polite phone call next morning to terminate her job at Wharemoana.

Finding her again after all these years—reigniting their intense passion and warm intimacy—had jolted all his emotions alive.

He’d not realised how far on the cold lonely edge of life he’d been stranded. Running his vast estate was hugely involving. He’d been grateful to lose himself in the challenging complexity of it during Julia’s ever-growing dissatisfaction.

But was this living? No—living was having someone to play with and talk to...retreating to a private place and creating physical pleasure that exhilarated and astounded.

Living was watching his girls respond as someone took a lively interest in them once more.

Living was having Ellie back in his life.

He wondered how serious the other man was. Ellie had responded warmly to his own kiss of welcome before the girls arrived downstairs. Was she duplicitous enough to string two men along? He thought not. He fervently hoped not.

So how much did his rival really count? When he’d asked her on the balcony if the other relationship was serious, she’d said ‘I think so’. Tony remembered teasing her about that ‘think’. He’d taken enough courage from it to kiss her, and he’d broken down her defences until she clung to him.

Sure, she’d turned him away that first night, and he’d retreated to let her think he could take her or leave her, even though he’d been burning almost out of control.

At the river next day they’d both been so hot to make love that it had been physically painful to stay apart. And when he’d dragged her into the suite after the emergency dash to hospital, they’d been in each other’s arms so fast the air had started to hum with strange intense energy.

They’d turned each other on as easily as they used to. The old magic was strong. With this sensual power between them, he must surely be the victor if a rival tried to intrude?

But still...

He decided to move fast to ensure the advantage remained his. That Ellie was his. Because the prospect of losing her again was too dreadful to contemplate. One night away from her had him writhing with uncertainty and mad with hunger.

Alien sensations until now.

He knew he had plenty to offer—a home that was historic, luxurious, special beyond most women’s dreams. A position with status in the community.

Julia had craved those things. But had she ever really wanted
him?
Tony wanted to be wanted for himself, not the trappings that came with him. Ellie wanted him, of that he was sure. So he needed to claim her as his.

He turned away from the window and sat just long enough to save his current work and close the file. He rose, took a deep breath and headed for the stairs.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN