And then I headed for the windows that would let me spy on them out on the jetty. They stopped halfway to the gate, Lucian holding onto her arm like he was afraid she’d disappear if he let her go. She was talking fast, a panicked, pleading expression on her face.
She might think he didn’t know the full extent of what was going on between her and Josh, but I was sure he knew more than she assumed. He might be a grumpy jerk, but he wasn’t stupid. And he cared deeply about her—it was obvious to anyone with half a brain.
I sighed, flopping back onto the lounge and glaring at the bottle of vodka. Being honest when it came to feelings was a fucking minefield. Liv had reasons for not taking the plunge with Lucian … well, I had reasons for trying to maintain some level of distance from Henry too.
“Meow?”
I turned to find Abernathy pawing at my leg. Sighing, I lifted him up onto the lounge beside me, stroking down his fluffy back as I stared into the distance.
“You want me to stick around, don’t you, Abs?” I asked.
“Yowp!” It sounded almost like ‘yep’.
“It’s too complicated right now, to add another spanner in the works,” I explained as he nuzzled against my knuckles. “Maybe, if your daddy and I can make it through the next two years, we can have a discussion then about whether there’s a future that we can explore.”
Abernathy purred, frantically circling until he was curled in my lap. I didn’t know a great deal about cats, but that seemed like agreement.
But it had to wait. Until my future in Australia was secure, I just couldn’t risk it. Not until I knew I was permanently safe fromhim.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Because it’s Her
HENRY
My eyes refused to behave. They kept straying to Ri’s lithe form in that slinky, low cut one-piece pants thing. It nipped in at her waist, it accentuated the gentle curve of her hips. And her breasts …
I hadn’t been able to think about anything else since she’d waltzed into my bedroom, looking good enough to eat, and smelling like a dessert I’d like to devour.
I swallowed heavily, trying to stare out the window of Lucian’s SUV. But there went my eyes again, straight to her cleavage, dusted with something that subtly shimmered when the sun hit it. Designed to draw the eye—I had no hope of avoiding ogling her.
She was the most exquisite thing I had ever seen.
“Are you sure you didn’t secretly agree to join the runway show?” I rumbled.
She smiled prettily, eyes sparkling. “Why? Does this jumpsuit make me look like a model?”
“It’s not the jumpsuit,” I murmured, dragging my eyes from her chest to meet hers. “It’s justyou, Catnip.”
Good grief, I was mooning over her. I'd promised myself I'd keep my distance after the Icebergs debacle, when I'd been desperate for more of her mouth and aching because she was... well, her.
Her lips parted, tongue darting out to wet them. I swallowed back a groan. Those lips starred in every fantasy I had. This woman was turning me into a raging beast. I'd never wanted anyone the way I wanted Irina—not even Cadence in four years together. But while my feelings ran deeper than physical, I had no indication that hers were anything more than a bit of cheeky flirting.
Not enough to risk confessing anything.
Ri cleared her throat. “Well, let’s not gloss over the fact that you are looking pretty fire yourself, Mr Billionaire!” She lifted her hand, fingers twitching in the direction of my chest.
Touch me! Please, just touch me.
Her hand stilled in mid-air, gesturing in the direction of my sternum. “I mean, the hint of chest? Way to pull focus from the runway!”
I glanced down at the patch of skin that the V-neck of my dark navy T-shirt revealed. I adjusted my glasses self-consciously. “I don’t think that?—”
“Well, I know where I’ll be looking … and it won’t be at River and his models,” Ri insisted, and before I knew it was happening, she pressed a hand to my chest, one finger curling along the exposed curve of my collarbone.
My pants were suddenly far too tight as blood flooded to my groin. At least it wouldn’t be staining my cheeks. Although, one glance down at my lap, and she’d know exactly which direction my blood was flowing.
“Don’t be cheeky,” I rasped, plucking her hand from my chest. Her expression flattened, and I cursed myself for not thinking before I spoke. She probably assumed I was reprimanding her. I wasn’t.
