Chapter 2

Chapter Two

N ick muttered a curse and turned away from Britt before he made another blunder and hauled her back into his arms.

She felt good, better than he remembered, and he had a damn good memory when it came to this woman.

She'd been the one for him.

And he'd sent her away.

He'd had no choice, but not a day went by without him replaying memories of the red-haired hellion who'd captured his heart without trying.

So having Britt here, after all this time…he could hardly comprehend it. The kicker? He'd lost control around her all over again.

Ten years ago, the spell she'd cast over him hadn't been a result of her blue eyes, porcelain skin, and waist-length auburn hair that begged a guy to run his fingers through it. Nor did it have anything to do with her lithe body, with enough curves to turn a guy's head.

No, Brittany Lloyd possessed a more elusive charm that he craved more than spicy tomato meatballs.

Class.

Something he'd craved his entire life, something he'd set about gaining the last few years, but she'd been born with, and no amount of mixing in the right circles or business success could buy what she had.

That kiss had been a mistake and gave her the upper hand in whatever ‘business' she'd come here for. He needed to refocus and try to forget the way she'd responded to him, the soft moan she made when his tongue touched hers, her eagerness in pressing against him…

He cleared his throat and turned back to face her, surprised by the vulnerability in her eyes. Hell, it was just a damn kiss, no big deal. Maybe if he kept repeating it in his head, he might start to believe it.

‘So what's this business proposition you have for me?'

‘It's all in there.'

She pointed at the folder in his hand—crumpled considering it had been wedged between their bodies—staring at it like it was a ticking bomb ready to detonate. What the hell was inside? Rather than open the folder, he tapped it against his other palm, taking his time, gauging her reaction.

‘Why don't you just open it?' She yelled, just as she used to in the good old days and he grinned.

'Good to see you've still got that fiery temper beneath all that polish.'

He looked her up and down, admiring the subtle changes to her appearance: the gold streaks in her now shoulder-length hair, the svelte body packed with more curves than a racetrack, the elegant wardrobe. As a teenager she'd been pretty. As a woman, she was stunning.

With a confident toss of that luscious hair, she fixed him with a newly acquired haughty glare.

‘You're the only one who seems to bring it out in me. Now, back to business?'

Curiosity ate at him. This precious business deal must be important to bring her back here, and he needed to be one hundred per cent appraised of the situation before he started discussing anything with her.

He raised an eyebrow, rattled the folder, and gestured at his bare torso. 'I don't do business like this. Where are you staying?'

To his delight, she blushed, her gaze lingering on his chest a few seconds too long. 'The FantaSea in Noosa.'

This got better and better.

'But I don't expect you to drive all that way to meet me. We can do this here—'

'I was heading into town after I'd finished here anyway. Why don't I meet you there around five? We can discuss your business proposal over drinks.'

'That won't be necessary—'

'But it will.'

He leaned closer, her awareness of him evident in the widening of her pupils, the tip of her tongue darting out to moisten her bottom lip, and his gut clenched with how badly he still wanted her.

Maybe he should tell her the truth now and be done with it.

But where was the fun in that?

'Give me some time to clean up, take a look at your proposal, and we can discuss it over a Shirley Temple.'

He scored another direct hit with reference to her favourite drink back then, her lips compressing into an unimpressed line.

'This isn't some trip down memory lane. This is business.'

His glance strayed to her lips, lush and pouting, before sweeping back to her eyes, registering the shock of arousal that made a mockery of their business .

'So you keep saying. Business. Right .'

To his surprise, she laughed. 'You haven't changed a bit. Still the charmer.'

She was wrong, dead wrong. He'd changed and, come five o'clock, she'd discover exactly how much.

Propping on the bonnet, he crossed his ankles. 'Is it working?'

'No. I'm immune to rebel charmers these days.'

'Pity.' His glance slid over her, taking in every delicious curve, earning another blush. 'How long are you in town for?'

'For as long as it takes.'

She tilted her chin up, retreating behind haughtiness, and he looked away, focussing on the distant cane fields he loved so much. The sugar cane was as much a part of him as his Italian heritage, and he wondered what she'd think once she discovered his real business these days.

Would she be impressed? Probably, though in all fairness what he did or where he came from had never been an issue with her. They'd been friends before lovers in the old days, travelling on the same bus to school every day, even though she'd attended the private grammar school and he'd gone to the local high school.

She'd pretended to ignore him at first so he'd done his best to rile her with constant taunts about everything, from her shiny shoes to her long red pigtails. And when her fiery temper sparked her into retaliating by ramming her bike into his one day in town, their friendship had been cemented.

She'd never given a damn about the gap between their social circles: the richest girl in the district hooking up with the Italian working-class farm boy. But other people had. He'd heard the whispers and innuendos about her slumming it with him before she got married to a suitable man.

He'd let it taint what they had, and had ended it before things got out of control. But he'd never forgotten how dating Britt had made him feel.

Like he wanted to be a better man for her.

Ancient history, and as he refocused he knew that impulsive kiss was a stupid move. He didn't do impulsive any more. Every decision he made was carefully weighed, evaluated and executed with the utmost precision. He wasn't at the top of his game these days for nothing.

Pushing off the car, he tapped the bonnet. 'You better get going. Give me a chance to finish up here and meet you later.'

'Fine.'

He opened the driver's door for her and watched as she buckled in. Déjà vu hit and an irresistible impulse came over him in spite of all the resolutions he'd just made.

He leaned in through the open window. 'Hey, Red?'

'Yeah?'

He grinned and tweaked her nose just as he used to. 'You kiss even better than I remember.'

Before she could respond, he straightened, chuckling at the indignation sparking her beautiful eyes as he strode toward the farmhouse.