Flirting With Danger (13 page)

“I have. Best birthday ever. Thank you.”

He hesitated, then took a step closer, and something shifted in the atmosphere. She
could almost see the emotional static sparking in the air between them. He wanted
to kiss her, she knew…and he had no idea how she’d react if he did. No wonder he was
holding back. She hadn’t exactly made it easy for him up until now.

So this time…

This time
she
had to do it.

Moving closer, she reached up a hand, curled it around the back of his neck, and lifted
herself up on tiptoe. Her mouth brushed his, and a shot of electricity sizzled through
her body.

He groaned and pulled her against him as her lips parted. His hands splayed against
her back, hot through the cotton fabric of her shirt. Her head pounding with his name,
she let her tongue flick over his.

Oh God
.

And then they were kissing for real, and her insides were turning to liquid, her arms
tightening around his neck, her senses swimming.

He released her mouth. “Are we really going to do this?”

He stood an inch from her, which made thinking impossible. Her heart was still thumping
in her ears, and her face hot. “No.”

Aaron’s face fell and he stepped back.

“I mean…how can we?”

He shook his head. “We can’t. You’re right.”

“Unless…”

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?”

“That we could keep it secret.”

He frowned. “For how long?”

“Well, that’s the thing. It could only be short-term, couldn’t it? Anything else is
out of the question. We both know that.”

Chapter Fourteen

Jasmine held the phone away from her ear until Sasha had stopped squealing. Then she
said, “Calm down. It��s not that exciting.” Even if her stomach gave a flip every
time she thought about it.

“This is a date, isn’t it? You’re really going on a date with Aaron?”

“Sort of,” Jasmine said. “We’re having dinner tomorrow night.”

“Where are you going?”

“Bistro Dom. I’ve Googled it, and apparently it’s
the
place to be seen in Adelaide right now. The review said it’s the sort of place that
makes you stylish just by being there.”

“I’ve heard the food is fantastic. Expensive too. He clearly thinks you’re worth it.”

“Which brings me to the reason for my call. I want to go shopping for a dress today.”

There was a slight pause, then Sasha said, “Okay.”

“Is it too short notice? I’ll go on my own if you can’t get the day off, but it would
be more fun to go together.”

“Wow. You’re serious.”

“I want him to see me in something nice. Apart from my bridesmaid dress at Leanne’s
wedding and your top at the party, I’ve only ever worn clothes around him that most
women wouldn’t be seen dead in.” She took a breath. “Mind you, anything would have
to be better than camo-printed overalls and a full-face black rubber mask.”

Sasha laughed. “If he still fancies you after that, it doesn’t matter what you wear.”

Jasmine laughed too. She felt light-headed. She knew very well that Aaron fancied
her, and that fact still blew her mind. “I was also thinking that I’d like to go to
a day spa tomorrow. Get a facial, a manicure, and well, you know…the works.”

“Ooh, ooh. I know one in the city where we can have everything done. I’m seeing Kane
tomorrow night too, so it’s perfect.” Sasha hesitated, then said, “So, is all this
effort just for dinner, or are you planning on…um…sleeping with him?”

Jasmine’s cheeks heated even though Sasha couldn’t see her. Not
planning
exactly. It wasn’t even a fully formed idea. It was just a need swirling around inside
her, demanding attention, and instinctively she knew that given the opportunity, she
would satisfy it. So yes, there was kind of a plan, but nothing she could put into
words. Her silence, however, told Sasha what she wanted to know.

“Oh my God. Are you in love with Aaron?”

Sighing, she sat on the nearest chair and took a moment before answering. “I like
him. A lot more than I used to think I ever could. I know him better now and there’s
more to him than I thought, but he’s not someone I can afford to fall in love with.
And I won’t.”

If she were going to fall in love with anyone, it wouldn’t be a man who was a serial
dater with a fear of commitment, even if she did understand the reasons for his behavior.

She cleared her throat. “You know how long it’s been since Craig, and I think I’ve
been frozen since then. Well, now it’s time to thaw out—physically, at least—because
being around Aaron is making me crazy.”

Sasha was silent for a long moment. “It’s lust, then? Lust is good. Gives us something
to aim for when we’re shopping for clothes. We can go all out to make you look irresistible.”
She paused. “So this is just going to be a fling, is it?”

Jasmine swallowed. “Yes.”

“What about work?”

“Oh, God, we can’t let anybody know about this. Please don’t say anything to Kane.
I’d die if any of the shift crew knew about it.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to hide it?”

“We’ll have to. Once it’s in the past, it will be easier to handle.” She’d talked
herself into a decision and it felt like the right one. Grinning, she said, “Now I
just have to bring him to his knees with desire. Do you think it’s possible?”

“Piece of cake. I have no doubt at all, but are you sure it’s a good idea?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I’m worried about you. Just…don’t go and get your heart broken again.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” She sounded more confident than she felt, but she was working
on it.

She knew what Aaron was; she hadn’t been deceived at all. This wasn’t the same as
the Craig situation. The difference was that she knew all about Aaron and she didn’t
care. This time, she was going after what she wanted with her eyes wide open.

She met Sasha at Rundle Mall a little while later. The shopping experience was way
more enjoyable than she’d expected it to be. The more dresses she tried on, the more
comfortable she became twirling, posing, and scrutinizing herself in the mirror.

It was obvious when she found the right dress. She knew as soon as she smoothed it
over her hips that it was the one. Even
she
had to admit that she looked amazing. The elegant eggplant-colored dress with its
sweetheart neckline and neat little cap sleeves was sexier for being classy and not
too revealing. The fitted midriff cinched in her waist, and the above-the-knee pencil
skirt was so tight it should have been impossible to walk, but between the stretchy
fabric and the cute kick pleat, she had no trouble at all.

Sasha let out a soft whistle. “If he’s a leg man, he’ll think he’s in heaven. I bet
he’s never seen your legs before, has he?”

“Have you forgotten he helped me take off my jeans after the paintball incident?”

“Oh, yes. Still, it’s different with heels. High heels make legs look way sexier than
normal.”

“That’s what we need to find next: Shoes. And I want stilettos.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

When she discovered the purple peep-toe shoes with four-inch heels and a tiny bow
on the back, she fell for them, literally. She was trying on a different pair, and
in her hurry to reach the shelf where she’d seen the little beauties, she tripped
herself up.

The shop assistant told her the shoes’ designer had won awards. She wasn’t surprised.
He deserved a Nobel Prize at the very least.

Next they bought lingerie, perfume, and accessories, and Jasmine finally understood
the buzz to be had from buying products like these. She was even looking forward to
the spa the next day and being worked on till she looked like a real woman.

She realized now that she’d been so obsessed with not being like her mother that she’d
hidden her real self away, suppressing her femininity. Her mother was at one end of
a spectrum, and she’d ensured that she lived her life at the other end. But it didn’t
have to be this way. She knew that now.

No one was going to judge her because she had a feminine side, least of all Aaron.
With him she could be the strong, capable person he’d always known—and apparently,
admired—and she could also reveal her femininity too. He certainly wouldn’t think
any less of her for it. Knowing this was freeing in a way she couldn’t begin to explain
to anyone else, but inside, the fear she’d carried around for such a long time had
begun to fade.

Her life was going to be very different from now on. And it was thanks to Aaron, because
he’d made her want more out of it.

…

On Saturday evening, as Aaron showered, he wondered what Jasmine was doing right now.
She wasn’t the type to faff around, taking ages to get ready, putting clothes on and
taking them off again while flip-flopping from one decision to another. She’d probably
work on the house till the last minute, then jump into the shower and dress quickly
in an understated outfit.

He liked that about her.

Actually, there wasn’t much he
didn’t
like about her. All he’d been able to think about all day was tonight.

And Jasmine.

And seeing Jasmine tonight.

Hell, this was serious. He couldn’t remember the last time a simple dinner had taken
on such importance, and what’s more, she had no idea what was going on with him. And
he wasn’t sure he wanted her to find out.

He’d locked the door on his emotions years ago, and acting the part of the flirtatious
playboy, avoiding any form of emotional involvement, had become second nature. He’d
never lied to any of the women he’d dated. He’d never represented their time together
as anything other than what it was. He might have earned himself a reputation along
the way, but at least he’d been honest.

Now Jasmine had unlocked the door, and it was like being let out to play in the sun
after a long time confined in a cold, dark room. It was a fantastic feeling. It was
startling, and kind of frightening, and worst of all, he couldn’t be honest with her
about the way he felt. It was an impossible position to be in. He’d finally found
a woman he wanted more than a short-term fling with, and because of the job he loved—the
job she loved too—he couldn’t have more.

…

After spending the
whole
day at the spa, getting ready for this moment, Jasmine had expected a certain amount
of reaction from Aaron. Her stomach had been quivering in anticipation when she’d
opened the front door. But…nothing. Because he had his back to her, checking the fence
posts for solidity.

At least this way, she could see how well his suit jacket fitted, and she knew that
when he turned around, the fluttering in her stomach would intensify.

She picked up her sleek satin clutch purse from the hall table and pulled the door
shut behind her with a
click
. Aaron looked around then, and she hid her smile of satisfaction at his arrested
expression. This was more like it. This was what all the effort had been in aid of—well,
it was a start.

She stayed where she was on the veranda, letting him get a good long gawk at her legs,
which, like Sasha had predicted, looked drop-dead sexy in her peep-toe shoes.

He raised his eyes slowly to her face, and those eyes told her what she needed to
know—that he wanted her.

“So…will I do?”

“Huh?” He held out a hand to help her step down from the veranda and at the same time,
shook his head. “Jasmine, you would
do
if you wore a garbage bag.”

“I do have one of those if you’d like me to change?”

His hand tightened on hers. “No way. You look fantastic, but you don’t need to change
for me, you know. All I want is for you to be yourself.”

“Well, this
is
still me. I wanted to wear this dress because I like it. I haven’t changed just because
I’m wearing different clothes.”

He didn’t release her as they walked to the waiting taxi, and his fingers tangling
with hers felt warm and wonderful. His aftershave smelled even better than normal,
which hardly seemed possible, but it was true.

As she got into the rear seat of the vehicle, he stared at her shoes. “I’m amazed
you can walk in those.”

She’d practiced for ages. She hadn’t taken them off until she could walk with a wiggle
instead of a wobble, because she wanted everything to be perfect. And it was. As she
settled back, she smiled with satisfaction. This was going to be the most amazing
night she’d ever known.

Chapter Fifteen

Bistro Dom seemed an odd sort of place at first. If she’d blinked, she’d have missed
the entrance, and inside it was little more than a corridor. A long, narrow room,
it could easily have come from a Parisian backstreet. Gilt-framed mirrors ran the
length of one wall and below them, wooden banquette seating. Tables stretched side
by side the length of the narrow restaurant, with classic bentwood chairs facing the
wall. The walls on the other side of the room were full of paintings and blackboards
listing wines by the glass.

“Have you been here before?” she asked Aaron as they were shown to their table.

“Yes, and trust me, the food is brilliant. No pretentious menu either. You’ll love
it. Shall we have a drink before we eat?”

“Just water for me,” she said quickly. She preferred to hang on to her faculties.
Whatever happened tonight, she wanted it to be a conscious decision, and not because
she’d been drinking.

“Hey, the whole point of catching a taxi here was so that we could both relax, have
a few drinks, and enjoy ourselves.”

“Fine. All right, I’ll have one drink.”

Aaron was right about the food. If the seared scallops starter was anything to go
by, she was going to love it all. She liked the cozy vibe as well. She could see what
the reviewer meant about it being the place for stylish people, but it didn’t have
that sterile ambience that fashionable places often had. She didn’t feel out of place
either, but then, that wasn’t all due to the venue. Just a few short weeks ago, she
would have been uncomfortable eating somewhere like this. She would have been especially
uncomfortable wearing sexy clothes…and particularly with a dangerous man like Aaron.

She’d changed.

“So, when were you last here?”

Aaron thought about it. “A few months ago. I’m not exactly sure when it was.” He picked
up his glass and swirled his wine. “I was here with an old mate. Someone I used to
play football with, and I hadn’t seen him for years. He lives in the bush now and
was only in town for a couple of days. For medical tests. He needed a distraction
so he called me.”

“Oh.”

“See? You thought I’d say I was here with a woman, didn’t you? Like I told you, some
of my reputation is just assumption on the part of other people. You included.”

She relaxed into her chair, took a drink of the wine he’d ordered, and smiled.

“God, you’re beautiful. You said you wanted to wear this because you like it.” He
gestured at her dress, his eyes warm. “Have you come to terms with your resemblance
to your mother, then?”

“I’ve been doing some thinking lately.” She rolled the stem of her wineglass between
her thumb and forefinger. “I think my mother had a serious problem…maybe even a genuine
addiction. And if that were the case, then she couldn’t help herself, could she?”

“No, not at all.”

“I’ve been angry with her for a long time. Most of my life.” She took a deep breath.
“But what I feel now isn’t anger so much as pity. She couldn’t have been happy. That
constant need for attention…it prevented her from having a happy family life. She
missed out on the relationship she could have had with my father. And then, to die
so young…” She shrugged.

“It sounds like you’ve forgiven her for all the pain she put you through.”

“Yes. It does, doesn’t it?” Thoughtfully, she took a sip of wine, then put her glass
down. “Let’s talk about something else now. Something more pleasant.”

Aaron reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for telling me.”

She nodded, unable to speak for a moment, but Aaron moved seamlessly on to another
subject, and they only stopped talking when the table had been cleared for the final
time.

Aaron checked his watch as the waiter left them alone again. “It seems a shame to
call it a night already. Would you like to go on somewhere else? Or do you have to
rush home?”

“I’m not in a hurry to go home.”

He gave her a smile that knocked the air from her lungs. “I was hoping you’d say that.
So, what would you like to do? Dancing? Or a quiet drink? I don’t mind either way.
Whatever you want to do.”

When she didn’t answer, he said, “What about the casino? Are you a gambler?”

She grimaced. “What do you think?”

“I’d say you weren’t.”

“There are bars at the marina.”

“Sure. I like the Sunset Bar.”

“That sounds good.” She gave him a smile that, she hoped, was flirtatious. “And I’d
like to see the view from your apartment at night.”

“There’s nothing to see but black. There are no lights between the apartment and the
horizon.” Aaron looked wary, but hopeful at the same time.

“I’d still like to see it.” She used the tip of her tongue to moisten her lips. “I
wouldn’t mind a coffee as well. If you’re offering, that is.”

“Whatever you want.” He looked deep into her eyes. “You are so beautiful, it terrifies
me.”

“Why? Why does it terrify you?”

He made a strangled sound, and just for an instant she reveled in the power she had
to make him lose his composure. He wasn’t the self-assured playboy with all the moves
now, was he?

“Because I know what I want, but I don’t know about you. You’re not like any woman
I’ve dated before. I knew exactly what they wanted within five seconds. I don’t know
what you’re thinking.”

She shrugged, but her lips trembled as she said, “I’m thinking we could sleep together
tonight. Does that sound okay?”

His face twisted, almost as if he were in pain.

He groaned, then dropped his head into his hands.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

When she got out of the taxi after a twenty-minute drive to the marina, Aaron placed
a hand in the center of her back to guide her out of the car park and onto the pier…only
she sensed that the gesture wasn’t so much for her sake, but to let everyone within
range know that she was with him. She could feel the heat of his hand through the
fabric of her dress, and she couldn’t breathe properly as a result.

He stopped at the entrance door to the apartments. When she gave him a questioning
glance, he leaned in and kissed her lips. Softly. So tenderly she quivered inside.

He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “I think we should have a drink before
we go up,” he said, indicating the nearest bar.

Jasmine had regrouped by the time Aaron handed her a drink in a wide, shallow glass.
“Pity we missed the sun going down,” she said, eyeing the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Aaron shrugged. “You get a bit blasé about sunsets after a while, living here.”

“That’s a shame.” She paused, taking a sip from the cocktail she’d chosen—totally
out of character, but then everything about tonight was out of character, and that
was the way she wanted it.

“This band’s not bad,” Aaron said. “I’ve heard them here before.”

“Oh, right.” She tried to listen, but her pulse was beating so hard, she could hear
nothing but her own blood in her ears. After a while, the sweet cocktail became overwhelming
and she grimaced before putting the glass down on the small table and pushing it away.

“Had enough? Ready to go?”

She nodded. She could feel the air between them buzzing like it had the day before
as they walked side by side to his apartment building. He reached for her hand while
they waited for the lift, giving it a squeeze, and she smiled up at him. He probably
thought she was unsure about this, but he was wrong. She’d made her decision.

When he’d unlocked the apartment door, she entered ahead of him. “I’ll just use the
bathroom, if you don’t mind.”

“Help yourself.”

She smiled at her reflection in the bathroom mirror while she washed her hands. Her
makeup was still in place, her hair still sleek and shiny, and there would never be
a better time for the giant step out of her comfort zone she was about to take. As
she opened the door, she heard voices and froze.

Aaron’s voice, and that of a woman.

She stepped cautiously through the door, but no one was there. She walked the length
of the hallway before she realized that Aaron was talking to someone at the front
door. She backed up until she was out of sight around the corner.

“Why haven’t you called me?”

Jasmine recognized Cindy’s voice.

“I’ve left loads of messages.”

“I’ve been busy,” Aaron said.

He’d been busy? So, he was planning to call her when he had some free time? Jasmine’s
heart sank. Was he leaving his options open, so he could pick up with Cindy as soon
as he’d finished with
her
? Or worse,
at the same time
?

“Are you busy now? What are you doing?”

“I’m…” He paused. “Nothing important.”

“Oh, good, because I need my pink shoe. I think it fell out of my bag when I drove
your car back here.”

“That’s yours?”

“So, you did see it? You could have told me.”

“I’m sorry. Look, let’s go down to the basement and I’ll get it for you.”

Hearing them move toward the hallway, Jasmine stepped sideways into a room. It was
Aaron’s bedroom, she realized with a wince. Once she heard the front door click shut,
she drew herself up, her chin high, and counted to sixty to give them time to be on
their way to the basement. Then, forcing her feet to move, she left the apartment.

As soon as she was outside the building, she sagged.
Nothing important
, he’d said.

Just like Craig, Aaron hadn’t considered her important enough to acknowledge.

She was cold and nauseous and as her stomach lurched, the sickly sweet cocktail suddenly
seemed like a very bad idea. She knew where to find a taxi, and she wouldn’t give
in to the desperate urge to weep. That would have to wait.

Safe at home, Jasmine sat on her bed and kicked off the beautiful purple shoes that
she would never wear again; she’d be unable to bear the reminder of the night she’d
almost
slept with Aaron.

He had women queuing up for him, didn’t he?

She let that thought sink in, then sighed. How could she have gotten things so wrong?

She’d been so close, so very close, to joining his long list of conquests, to letting
him tick her name off his to-do list. What had she been thinking? That it would be
different with her? That he’d change?

Not even that. She didn’t have the excuse of believing she could reform him. She’d
had no expectations. She’d simply got herself caught up in a web of desire, and the
more she’d fought against it, the more tangled up she’d become, until she hadn’t known
which way was up.

But what he’d said to Cindy had acted like a bucket of cold water on her. She wasn’t
so desperate that she’d take a number and wait her turn as if she was at the deli
counter in the supermarket.

Aaron had told her he didn’t date more than one woman at a time. He’d convinced her
that he wasn’t like Craig, and she’d been gullible enough to believe him instead of
relying on the evidence.

She’d known that she was embarking on a fling, not a long-term relationship, but she’d
been kidding herself that she was interesting enough to have captured his undivided
attention. Wrong. She was no more important to him than Cindy or Melinda or anybody
else.

Pain sliced through her chest, much worse than any pain from a physical cause, and
she wrapped her arms around herself as the intensity of it rocked her.

She’d been kidding herself too that all she felt for him was lust. She
loved
him.

Breathe
, she told herself.
Just breathe
. It might hurt, but it was safer this way in the long run. Surely this was a thousand
times less hurtful than the agony she’d just avoided, of knowing what it was like
to feel his skin sliding against hers but then discovering that she wasn’t the only
woman sharing his bed. She’d had a narrow escape from a sorrow so deep she might never
have recovered from it.

She’d survive this night. Her life would go on as it had before, and after tonight
she would be immunized against the risk of ever becoming one of those women she despised—one
of Aaron’s many women.

Because she
was
important.