The Ex Factor. Anne Oliver

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СКАЧАТЬ against hers as he took them from her with that almost-smile on his lips. Oh, that familiar heat, that slow burn snaked its way through skin and bone to wrap cunningly around her heart’s memory.

       ‘You never did ask where that was,’ he murmured.

       No, but it was already too much that she knew where he’d been last night.

       He leaned close so only she could hear, his breath hot against her cheek, eyes smouldering with a lambent heat that burned her from the inside out. ‘The sex was great though, wasn’t it?’

       She gasped inwardly at his words, not mocking but sincere, brutally honest in fact. And gulped as the old familiar ache clenched deep in her belly.

       His gaze lingered on her lips a moment and she swore she felt his touch. Then he straightened, waved a casual farewell to Adam. ‘See you later.’

       Rubbing her arms against the rawness of newly awakened emotions, Mel watched the door close behind him. Until Adam’s whistle between his teeth startled the wits out of her.

       ‘Is there an electrical storm in here or what? I could literally see the sparks. Sorry if I overstepped the line with the bed. I didn’t think you’d be back so early.’ His eyes narrowed and she fought the urge to look away. ‘Nor did I expect you to be so…uptight—if that’s the right word. You okay?’

       Mel poured herself another fortifying coffee. ‘I’m fine, and anyway it’s too late now, the damage is done.’

       ‘What damage?’

       She rolled her eyes heavenward. ‘The sheets, Adam.’

       ‘The sheets?’ He ran a hand through bed-spiked hair. ‘I was going to make sure the bed was tidy so you didn’t notice.’

       ‘You didn’t think I’d notice a man had slept in my bed?’

       ‘To be honest, no.’ A grin tilted the corner of his mouth. ‘Luke’s okay, Mel.’ Adam sprawled out on the sofa and dipped a spoon into last night’s Chinese. ‘And he’s made a fortune overseas.’ He pointed his spoon at her. ‘Most women would find that a plus.’

       Overseas? What about the job in Queensland? she wanted to ask—but, of course, she couldn’t. Not without going into the sordid details of their history and she really couldn’t face that right now. Easier to pretend she’d never met him. ‘Doing…what?’ she prompted, keeping her tone casual.

       ‘He’s an engineering geologist,’ he said between spoonfuls. ‘Working alongside civil engineers, designing bridges et cetera et cetera. He’s been involved in a huge development in Dubai.’ A mischievous glint winked in his blue eyes. ‘Ah…that auction you girls are planning…’

      Huh? The silent auction where everyone was paired off with a member of the opposite sex for the evening? ‘No!’ With her luck she’d draw his number. Oh, no. No way.

       ‘I can vouch for him, Mel. He’s single, no risk and good company. The guy could use some female companionship while he’s here. It’s for charity and he’s got money to burn.’

      While he’s here? Temporarily, then. Thank God. She shrugged, picked up a DVD cover and pretended to check out the blurb. ‘He may look—’ like every woman’s fantasy ‘—okay, but, from a female perspective, he needs more than just a honed body and a sexy smile.’

       But they could have used the money. Unlike the others, her prize didn’t include her—it was strictly a BYO partner deal. So why was she so against Adam’s idea? Because she didn’t want to think of Luke paired off with any of her colleagues. She’d hear about it and even after all this time she didn’t know if she could deal with that.

       ‘It’s too late,’ she said, rubbing her arms with the chill that had suddenly wrapped around her. ‘The bids closed yesterday.’

       But Adam merely grinned as he stacked the empty containers. She frowned as apprehension shivered over her skin. When Adam grinned that way and didn’t offer up some comeback line, it usually meant he knew something she didn’t. Anyway you looked at it, it spelled trouble.

      CHAPTER TWO

      THAT night Melanie couldn’t sleep. Probably because she hadn’t been able to bring herself to change the sheets. Stupid. Even worse, she’d left off her night-shirt and slipped naked into bed.

       She breathed in the lingering scent of Luke’s hair on her pillow. Luke had slept here; his hot skin had rubbed over this very spot. Had he been restless too? Had he tossed and turned, maybe subconsciously remembering her scent?

       The sheet’s texture abraded the sensitive parts of her body. The suddenly overly sensitive parts of her body. She felt like a ripe peach—one fingertip on the right spot and she’d explode right out of her over-tight skin.

       Sighing, she moved to a cooler patch of the bed in an effort to ease the aching fullness and tried to concentrate on the soothing patter of light rain against the window. Luke had always been able to turn her on with just a look.

       It took a very good man to make that happen, in her opinion, even if she’d only ever had two other men before him to make a comparison. And Luke had been very good at his work. Dear Lord, she huffed, plumping her pillow for the umpteenth time. He’d woken the dormant nymphomaniac in her.

       She hadn’t been with a man since Luke. She’d come close on more than one occasion—after all, she’d told herself she needed to move on with her life, but in those three short months Luke had changed her. In so many ways.

       But then she’d never been involved with anyone like Luke, who was older and more worldly…and rich. What did she know about wealth? Even now she couldn’t balance her own cheque book.

       He’d wanted her for sex. Hadn’t he all but told her that this morning? And she wasn’t ashamed to admit she’d been only too willing to oblige. But when it came to anything more serious, he’d made no secret about wanting a family. On the other hand, Melanie felt too young to settle down and wanted so much more than to settle in the suburbs with a couple of kids and play at being a rich man’s wife.

       Not that he’d have ever asked her. She knew the kind of women Luke preferred for that role. As a functions waitress, she’d seen him with elegant females in formal classic attire before he’d ever noticed her. Well-bred women who’d give him equally well-bred children.

       She’d told herself it didn’t hurt, it didn’t matter, that their lives were never going to mesh, why not just enjoy the ride for as long as it lasted? But it did hurt, she’d discovered on that final night.

       It had been hot, she remembered, with the window open and the air alive with summer sounds and scents. Luke had rolled off her, leaving her sweat-damp skin cooling in the night air.

       He’d blown out a satisfied breath. ‘That was—’

       ‘Yes. It was.’ She closed her eyes a moment to savour the last time she’d feel his body against hers. ‘But now I guess it’s over, huh?’ Words she’d thought would be easy caught in her throat, which suddenly seemed unbearably tight.

       She felt him tense beside her. ‘Over? Why?’

       ‘No promises СКАЧАТЬ