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She understood what he was talking about. ‘Tomorrow at dinner.’
Less than twenty-four hours to change her mind. ‘Give me a chance. Come and hear me out.’
‘I already listened once, didn’t like what I heard.’ Kelli stopped one stair below and stared up at him as though wondering how she was going to get it across to him. ‘You aren’t ready for what I want, Mac. Might never be. Best you spend your energy sorting yourself out.’ That steady gaze seemed stuck on him. As though she couldn’t look away.
He winced. ‘You didn’t used to be so hard hitting.’
‘I’ve finally learned to protect myself.’ Now she turned away. Slowly but oh-so deliberately. ‘See you Monday, Mac.’ There wasn’t a shred of sarcasm in her voice. Just deep sadness.
‘Don’t do it, Kelli,’ he called after her. ‘We’re right together.’
Her foot missed the next step and she pitched forward.
Mac reached her as she grabbed at the rail to stop from falling. His heart was going crazy as fear of her hurting herself hit him. He grasped her upper arm, held her tight, close to his body, but not so close as to crowd her. ‘Kelli. You crazy girl, not looking where you’re going.’
‘Don’t call me crazy.’ She was trembling. Which didn’t stop her tugging free and stepping away. ‘Though it is a new one for me.’
Mac sat down, held her eye. ‘Join me.’
If only he knew how to banish that load of caution darkening the cobalt in his favourite eyes.
‘So you can go on and on about why we should remain engaged after telling me there was no future for us? No, Mac. I heard your message, loud and clear. I am not setting myself up to be dropped when the use-by date rocks around.’
She hadn’t moved away. Good sign? Or wishful thinking on his part? ‘I know you’ve been hurt in the past.’
‘Yep. We both have.’ Her eyes slowly lowered to stare down the stairwell. ‘Goodnight, Mac.’ That sounded, felt, like goodbye. He watched her take a step down, and another, another. On the next landing she looked up, her eyes bleak. ‘Enjoy your weekend. Get out and do something rash, like go fishing, or play a round of golf. Get involved with people.’
In other words, get a life.
‘What do you want, Kelli? A fling? A wedding? The whole nine yards with kids and a home? Or are you serious about calling this quits?’ When she said nothing he continued. ‘When we started out I got the feeling you weren’t willing to take a chance on any of the happy-ever-after stuff. That you believed everyone was out to hurt you one way or another. So come on. Tell me.’
‘It doesn’t matter any more.’
‘Yes, it does, sweetheart. I know this now. I have been an ass, afraid to step outside my comfort zone, scared to give you my heart. I have been hiding behind Cherie’s death for so long it was easier to stay there. Do you feel like that?’
Kelli lifted her gaze back onto him. A bleak gaze that had him fighting not to leap up and hold her tight. Do that and they’d be no further ahead. ‘Don’t turn everything back on me, Mac. You have issues from here to Africa and I don’t hear you talking about them.’
Don’t give this woman a laser gun. Her aim was phenomenal. ‘Cherie’s gone. It wasn’t her fault she died, any more than I could’ve saved her had I known what was happening. It’s taken you to wake me up from the guilt. Because I want to be with you. I want us. She’ll always be a part of me, but my future is mine. Yours and mine, Kelli.’
The mixture of sorrow and disbelief that stared out at him angered him. He didn’t need sympathy or understanding. No, he just wanted to love and be loved. Simple as. Complex as. Hard to do.
‘If only it was that easy.’ She sank down to sit on the stairs. ‘The weekend was unbelievable. For the first time in a long time I have found someone I can trust not to deliberately hurt me. But you’re not really ready for involvement, and I get that. It took me long enough to come around. But we only signed up for the weekend, not for ever.’ Sadness rolled off her in waves.
Then suddenly she was on her feet again, heading down to her car.
‘Kelli, I want to be there when you tell your family our engagement’s off.’
‘What? You want to be whipped?’
‘I want them to know the truth.’
* * *
Kelli felt her mouth dry up as she stared at Mac. Did she even know him? Really know him?
I trust him. I love him. What more do I want?
‘And what would that be?’ she squeaked. ‘What’s your truth, Mac?’ Why was there a knitting needle attacking her stomach? Stab, stab.
‘Kelli.’ Sweet heaven. Two large, firm hands, familiar hands, on her shoulders, holding her ever so gently. ‘Kelli, sweetheart.’ Sex in two words. Say her name like that and the man could have anything.
Dragging her eyes upward, she finally locked onto his steady gaze. ‘Mac?’
‘I don’t want to call our engagement off. I want to make it real.’
‘I don’t understand.’ But she might be beginning to. Her stomach was quivering and her head spun, but her heart was strangely steady as a rock.
‘I’ve been a fool, a slow learner. I tried to hold you away when all the time I wanted to drag you so close you could never leave me. Every day I stare at that painting and see what I’m missing out on. I love you, Kelli Barnett. Simple and as complicated as that.’ No doubt in his eyes. Not a drop.
She sank a bit under his hands, her knees not as strong as they were meant to be. ‘Y-you love me?’ Mac loved her. ‘You love me,’ she shouted, and then heard her words echo up the stairwell.
‘Tell t
he world, why don’t you?’ A glimmer of a smile appeared, wound through her. ‘Is this your way of saying you might reciprocate my feelings?’
‘I do. I love you so much it hurts.’ Her fist banged between her breasts. ‘In here. This week has been hell watching you, hearing you, remembering how well we fit together.’ She took a step up, and another to stand beside him. Reached up on her tiptoes. ‘Yes, Mac Taylor, I love you.’ Her lips sought his, touched lightly.
Mac’s arms wound round her, brought her up against that hard, soft, warm body.
She deepened the kiss, lips pressed to lips, her tongue plunging into his mouth, tasting. Her knees weakened some more, so she was forced to lean further into him.
This was what kissing the man she loved felt like. What being kissed by the man who loved her back was all about.
She couldn’t get enough.
* * *
Eight days later Mac lifted Kelli’s case off the luggage carousel at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport and groaned. ‘What didn’t you leave behind?’
‘Last week’s laundry and a bag of stale crisps.’ Her case was stuffed full with toys and cute little dresses for Gabriella that would take at least a year for her to grow into. Kelli pinched those straining arm muscles and grinned. ‘Not going all soft on me?’
‘Soft?’ he chortled. ‘Complaining about the goods already?’
Maybe it was their happiness but they were shooed through Immigration so fast they were outside and climbing into a taxi before they’d caught their breaths.
‘Darling Harbour, please,’ Mac directed the driver, adding the name of the hotel they’d stayed at for Tamara and Conor’s wedding.
Kelli felt a knot of excitement unfurling in her tummy. They were going to unload their bags before heading across the city to see Tamara, Conor, and wee Gabriella. Then tonight—anything could happen. So much to be excited about. Her hand sought Mac’s.
His fingers wound around hers, giving her a gentle squeeze. ‘Welcome back to our special place.’
Her lips found his, and this kiss was no sweet, soft one but a hungry, love-filled one. Bringing everything together for them. When Kelli thought about it she felt her whole life had been heading for this day, this man. Then Mac’s tongue slid into her mouth and danced across her tongue. And she couldn’t think any more.
