Holiday Affair (11 page)

“Night, girls,” she muttered putting her head on the lovely warm, soft shoulder that was beneath her head.

She recognized the familiar smell of spicy aftershave and snuggled in closer. She was vaguely aware of being bundled into a cold car and having her skirt tucked in around her.

She slipped into the realms of a very drunken sleep.

The screeching birds outside the window woke her at dawn.

Opening one eye, she tried to ignore the little hammers that were tapping in her head. Her mouth was so dry it felt as though her tongue was sticking to its roof. Looking around, she recognized her room and squinted, trying to figure out why it was facing the wrong way—the window was in the wrong place and the door was facing east. The colors were right, but her furniture was gone. It was like a parallel universe. The bed moved and she reached out her hand to stop the head spin, and pulled her hand back as she unexpectedly encountered a warm, bare chest.

She opened her other eye and grimaced as the bright winter sun streaming in the window bathed the tanned body next to her in sunlight. Nick was flat on his back, a sheet covering him from the waist down. She closed her eyes, hoping it was a hallucination caused by her hangover.

Opening her eyes again, she looked down at herself and groaned–she was wearing an unfamiliar shirt and her underwear. Sexy, red lace underwear that she had put on under her gypsy skirt last night. She groaned again, and tried to sit up but fell back down to the pillow as the room began to spin. The bed shook as Nick’s deep laugh made her head ache even more.

“What are you doing in my bed?” she croaked. Her voice sounded like dry sandpaper rasping on a board.

“No, Lissy, what are
you
doing in
my
bed?” He saw realization dawn as she looked around.

“Nick,” she groaned, “what have you done?” She sat up, clutching the shirt across her breasts and tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed. His shoulders shook with laughter. She could not hold her head, keep her balance and clutch his shirt together at the same time.

“Lissy,” he laughed. “I haven’t done anything. You did it all by yourself.”

She managed to sit up and leaned back against the pillows, both hands over her eyes.

“How did I get home?”

“I carried you.”

“What, from the restaurant?”

“No, to my car. Unfortunately, you were sick on the way home and when you couldn’t find your key, it was easier to bring you in here, rather than wake Mrs. Mac up for the spare key.” She moaned again through her hands, but he wasn’t sure if it was the distress of finding herself in his bed, or the hangover.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” he asked. He managed to contain his laughter as he saw how distressed and ill she was.

“Yes, please, and aspirin,” she said, rolling over, pulling the sheet up over her head, and went back to sleep.

Lissy woke up the second time to an empty cottage, and a cold cup of tea on the bedside table. She sat up and gulped down the aspirin Nick had left her. Lying back down, she thought about the night before, and dread washed over her as she remembered some of the evening.

She thought about the double-dealing, cheating Richards brothers.

A family function indeed, Tom
. She thought about the two stunning women who had been with Nick and Tom last night. With black cascading curls down their backs and dressed in elegant clothes, they both could have been models. Something Nick had said last night tugged at her memory, but she couldn’t hold on to the thought as her head spun.

And what am I to Tom, or to Nick?

At least Nick was honest in his dealing with her. He was now, even if he hadn’t been to start with it. As the thoughts ran through her aching head, she put both hands over her face and groaned.

Nature called, and she swung her legs over the side of the bed. At least Nick had the decency to leave her alone in his bed. When she stood, the room spun; she squinted at the bedside clock and was shocked to see it was after noon. She stumbled into Nick’s bathroom and tripped over her skirt and top on the floor. She almost passed out with embarrassment. There was no way she could ever look him in the eye again.

Let alone work with the man.

But you have to
, reminded her ambitious side,
if you
want that associate professorship.

She looked into the mirror in Nick’s bathroom and sighed. Her mascara had run down one cheek, surrounded by the worst case of bedhead she had ever seen. Her clean cheek was a map of pillow wrinkles and she hoped Nick had not looked too closely when he had left her the tea and the aspirin. Scrubbing her face and loosely tying back her hair, she repaired the damage as best she could.

Gathering her clothes from the floor, she turned her nose up at the smell of vomit. The next problem was finding her keys and getting into her side of the cottage without being seen. She sat down on the bed and pulled her cell phone out of her bag. At least that was still there. She dialed Mrs.

Mac’s number. It was going to be difficult explaining why she needed the spare key. The phone rang, but there wasn’t an answer. She felt relieved; no explanations needed as to why she was semi-naked in Nick’s cottage without a key.

She had no idea where Nick had gone or how long he would be. She had to get out of here, and into her own cottage before he got back. Looking around, she spotted her shoes underneath the table. Gathering her clothes, shoes and bag under one arm, she crept over to the door.

If I go around the back, I can get into the laundry window.

Lissy looked down to make sure she was half-decent, and decided that the long, white shirt covered enough.

Opening the front door, she stepped out and peered around the corner. Nick’s car was in the driveway, but there was no sign of him. She pulled the front door shut behind her and then realized she shouldn’t have, in case she couldn’t get in her window. She tiptoed around the veranda, keeping an eye out for neighbors, but there was not a soul in sight. The veranda tiles were cold under her bare feet and she walked around the corner toward her back door. As she crept around to the back of the house, she was horrified to hear another car pull up in the driveway. Doors slammed, and she looked around in vain, knowing there was nowhere to hide on her porch.

Footsteps crunched on the gravel around the side of the house, and she prayed for the ground to open up as not only Nick, but Tom, as well, walked around to the back steps.

She watched as the blood drained from Tom’s face.

“Melissa, I er…I’m here to pick you up for the barbeque.”

She looked angrily from one to the other. Nick held up a shopping bag innocently. “I was walking back from the shops, and Tom stopped and picked me up. Chips and coke… good hangover food.” He had a smug grin on his face.

Tom looked from one to the other in confusion, and then his face changed as he realized Lissy was wearing Nick’s shirt and not a lot under it.

“What’s going on here, Melissa?” He turned to his brother, confusion and dismay written all over his face.

“Nick?”

“Why don’t you tell me, Tom?” Lissy snapped back.

“Who were those women you were out with last night?”

“They were family, Lissy,” Nick said. “Mama asked Tom and me to take two cousins visiting from Italy out for dinner since she and my father had a function to attend.

Isabella and Talia were most amused that some little hussy thought we were their boyfriends.”

Lissy looked at him open-mouthed. “You set this whole thing up, didn’t you?”

“Set what up?” Tom asked again, stepping forward.

“Help me get into my cottage please,” she said stonily.

“Nick can explain it all to you later. The laundry window should be open. If you push it right up, you should be able to climb in, Nick, and open the door for me.” She sat down on the chair at her back door, and folded her arms. Tom looked at her with a strange look on his face, but didn’t speak. Nick handed her the bag of groceries as he strolled past. He pushed up the laundry window with some difficulty, and climbed through the small space. Tom had regained some of his color, but still looked as though he was in shock.

“Am I right in thinking that you’re not coming out to the farm for lunch?” asked Tom.

She responded by crossing her arms tightly and trying to look dignified—as dignified as one could look in a man’s shirt, with bedhead and bare feet.

“No, thank you, Tom. I will not be coming to lunch.”

“Right then,” he said, pulling himself together. “I’ll call you later.” He looked so sad for a moment that she felt sorry for him, but she was feeling too sick and frustrated to explain everything to him.
Nick can do it later.

Tom disappeared down the stairs and she heard his car start up and drive out the driveway.

Well, that was a close escape,
she thought.
He’s even
boring and controlled when he’s angry and upset. If it had
been me, I would have spun the wheels and sprayed gravel
everywhere
. Her back door opened and Nick came out and stood in front of her. He held out his hand to help her up. Ignoring it, she leaned down and picked up her clothes and shoes from the floor, leaving the bag of groceries behind. She stood up and walked into her cottage.

“Thank you for bringing me home safely last night, and thank you for the bed and the aspirin.” She turned to close the door, but looked down as a large booted foot stopped it from closing.

“Wait, Lissy. We have some talking to do.” Nick pushed his way past her, groceries in hand and the door behind him.

He went over to the table and pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning back in the chair, his boots crossed casually in front of him. He looked settled in for a long chat.

She dropped her clothes and shoes, and groaned with her hands over her face. “Why has my life turned upside down since I met you, Nick?” She looked down at him, tears welling in her eyes.

Nick pushed the chair back and rose to his feet, her genuine distress tugging at him. He had deliberately taken their cousins to Ivy Cottage last night, knowing that Lissy would be at the birthday party. It had been the talk of the faculty staff room the whole week. He had hoped that she would see Tom with the girls and think the worst. His plan had worked, but he couldn’t understand why he felt so bad this morning. The sight of Lissy in his shirt, her legs barely covered by the shirttail, hands over her face, was the last straw. He had watched her sleep in the early hours this morning, before she had woken up the first time, and had felt an incredible pull at his heartstrings. He couldn’t resist the effect she was having on his emotions. He was going crazy thinking about her. He reached out and took her by the shoulders.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked coldly.

He took her hands in his and raised one to his mouth, running his lips over the inside of her palm, as he looked down into her eyes. She closed her eyes and swayed, and he reached out and caught her before she fell.

“Lissy, you’re going to be the death of me. God help me, this is all I think about.”

He put his hands up under her shirt, knowing that she only had a pair of red panties underneath. She leaned into him, as he placed his hands on her bare back. He rested his head on top of hers and took comfort from the warmth of her body leaning into his.

“I need a shower and I need to brush my teeth. Don’t go.” She was almost begging. He lifted her and carried her into the bathroom. Lowering her gently onto the tiles, he turned on the shower taps and hot steam billowed out. He reached for her and pulled the shirt over her head. She looked proudly back at him and stepped out of the red panties.

He quickly shed his clothes and stepped under the jets of hot water with her. He reached for the sponge and the soap, and she almost sobbed as he washed her from her shoulders to her feet, in slow sensuous circles. When he finished, he put the soap down and followed the same path with his mouth. She was trembling so much he braced himself against the tiled wall to support her.

Reaching for the shampoo and without breaking eye contact, he gently washed her hair. When he was finished, he reached over, turned the taps off and wrapped her in a large fluffy towel before gently drying her. When she was dry, he towelled her hair. She had never felt anything so arousing. He finished and, lifting her, carried her into her bedroom and placed her on top of the bed. He stood looking down at her and saw the naked desire in her face.

Lissy looked back at him for a long moment, lay back, and reached her hands out to him. With a muffled groan, he reached for her and pulled her into a close embrace. The feel of her warm bare legs tipped him over the edge and he lowered his mouth to possess hers.

She murmured against his mouth. “I didn’t get to brush my teeth.”

“I can cope.”

He pulled her roughly to him and groaned as those bare legs pressed against him and he tangled his fingers in her hair. He slowly traced his tongue down her neck, inhaling the fragrance of her wet hair.

Lissy sighed as he braced himself beside her on one elbow and traced lazy circles around her small breasts. He moved across to place soft kisses along the dark shadows under her eyes.

“Late nights don’t agree with you, Lis,” he said softly.

“It’s you that doesn’t agree with me, Nick,” she murmured reaching up to run her lips along his jawline.

Nick closed his eyes and enjoyed the attention, and groaned as her hands moved lower and brushed lightly across his chest. Her fingers tiptoed down to the V of dark hair beginning at his waist. Her hands reached up to his shoulders and pushed him flat on his back, and his groan deepened as Lissy straddled him.

She looked down at him and crossed her arms over her bare breasts.

“Okay, Nick. Time to talk. Why did you set me up last night?”

Nick’s groan this time was for a far different reason.

“This isn’t the best time to talk, Lissy.” He reached up and placed his hands underneath her breasts and was pleased to see the flush rise on her cheeks. She was about as interested in talking as he was. “Later, okay?”