Chapter Two
Outside, the night air was chilly and April was thankful she’d brought a coat. As they walked down the street towards the coffee shop on the corner they didn’t speak, but April was aware of Lachlan frequently glancing in her direction, and she clenched her fists to suppress the excitement he generated within her. Standing beside him emphasised the height difference between them. He was taller than her, but not overly so. Just enough that she could comfortably lay her head on his shoulder. She wanted to, she realised. She wondered what it would feel like to rest her head against him and press her lips into his neck.
She shook off the mental image and chided herself for being silly. No doubt half the women on this planet had had the same fantasy about Lachlan Kennedy. Although they weren’t walking next to him right now, and she was. A small smile curved her lips at the thought.
When they reached the coffee shop, Lachlan chose a table away from the front window, presumably so he wouldn’t be on display to anyone passing by. “What can I get you?” He asked as he helped her into her seat.
“Flat white, two sugars, thanks.” When he didn’t leave, she looked up at him. He was staring at her with is mouth open and then, as if realising this, he quickly snapped it shut.
“Seriously? You just want a flat white? No mocha chia vanilla soy whipped cinnamon whatever?”
April chuckled, “No, I want a coffee. Not some herb garden in my cup that’s supposed to cleanse my liver or enrich my senses or balance my chi or any other absurd quality given to a horrible tasting addition to a simple cup of coffee. I just want a cup of coffee.”
“Your wish is my command,” Lachlan said as he sauntered off to the counter with a grin.
Sitting back in her chair, April inhaled the heavy scent of coffee beans. Ten years ago, she never would have imagined leaving Peters Junction, let alone making a business trip to Sydney. She only wished she could have brought Marie with her, but her sixteen-year-old sister was at a school camp. She made a promise to herself that if she could close this deal, then she would take Marie on holiday. Their first real holiday.
April had been ten when Marie was born and sixteen when their parents were brutally murdered. It had just been the two of them ever since. Now that Marie was getting older, she was demanding more and more freedom, and April was losing her ability to shelter her beloved sister.
“Why the frown?” Lachlan placed their coffees on the table and sat beside her. His knee bumped against her leg under the table and she reflexively moved it away, then promptly wished she hadn’t.
“Just thinking of home.”
“Homesick? I know what you mean. I love my job, and I love all the travel—every time I leave home I’m really excited about going—but then I’m away for a few days or weeks and all I can think about is how much I want to go back. Weird huh?”
April felt tears prick the back of her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away. She pressed her hands on the table in front of her and took a deep breath to steady her emotions.
“Actually, I was thinking more of my sister, Marie. We’ve never been apart and I really miss her.”
“You two close?” As he spoke, he reached out and grasped one of her hands. This time she didn’t pull away and he began gently rubbing his thumb across her knuckles, causing every hair on her forearm to stand at attention. She nodded her head, staring down at their interlaced fingers.
“Like me and my brother Ben. He’s one of my best friends, even though he can be a pain in the arse sometimes. We always find time to hang out when I’m at home.” Ben Kennedy, almost as famous as his big brother, was the star of Clayton Downs, an Australian drama set in the Victorian outback and which just happened to be Marie’s favourite show.
“Do you get home often?” she asked.
“A fair bit. But nowhere near as often as I’d like and anyway, if I stay away too long my mum starts badgering me about when I’m coming home and then I have no hope of staying away.” April forced a smile in response, but the action felt hollow and a small pang of longing made itself known in the pit of her stomach.
“And your parents?” Lachlan asked, oblivious to her lack of enthusiasm for the topic. “What do they do?” She met his eyes across the table, kind eyes, gentle eyes.
“They died.” She cleared her throat and dropped her gaze to the table. “Ten years ago. I was sixteen, Marie was six. It’s been just us ever since.”
Silence stretched between them for a long moment before she could summon the courage to meet his eyes again. Sympathy.
Then he blinked and cleared his throat. “That must have been hard for you.”
“It was.”
She wanted to move on from this topic. She didn’t know why she’d even mentioned anything about her family; it wasn’t usually something she talked about. Maybe it was just because she really missed Marie, and Lachlan just happened to be there in a moment when she was feeling vulnerable and lonely.
Then another thought brought her up short. “Lachlan, can I ask you to do something for me? Can you not mention that A.D. Pope is a female or tell anyone what the A and D stand for, please? It’s just that I’ve worked really hard to keep my life private for Marie’s sake, and I’d like to keep it that way until she’s finished school.”
“No problem. As far as I’m concerned A.D. Pope is a bald man in his forties who lives in the middle of the Australian desert somewhere.” He smiled, and she couldn’t help smiling back, the pressure of the last hour lifting off her chest. Ever since she’d let slip her identity, it had been bugging her. She was normally so cautious about these things, even her publisher and the producers she was meeting with were asked not to reveal the real identity of A.D. Pope. It was even in her contracts.
Just then a waiter came up and placed a slice of mud cake on the table in front of Lachlan. “Compliments of the manager, she’s a real fan.”
“Uh, thank you,” Lachlan said and waived to the woman behind the counter. She smiled provocatively back at him, her blouse unbuttoned unprofessionally low to reveal her ample cleavage moulded between black lace. April didn’t know whether to laugh or be insulted.
“Sorry about that,” Lachlan muttered, a deep flush colouring his cheeks. He looked uncomfortable and embarrassed by her slutty display, so April chose to laugh it off.
“At least we get free cake.” She grabbed the fork and gouged out a nice chunk of cake. It was delicious and she took a moment to savour the flavour. She couldn’t resist throwing an appreciative smile at the manager who stood glaring daggers in her direction. Clearly the cake was meant for Lachlan only.
Catching on to her little game, Lachlan grabbed the dainty fork out of her hand and dug in for another chunk of cake. “Here, let me.” As she closed her mouth over the delicate morsel he presented to her, her eyes met his across the table and she watched as all amusement drained from his face, replaced instead with an intensity that caused her ribs to contract and made breathing impossible. The manager was forgotten, the coffee shop faded and all she could focus on were the two sapphire eyes staring at her, feeding her cake.
Oh my god! Lachlan Kennedy is feeding me cake! Panic seized her. What the hell was she supposed to do? She’d never been in a situation like this before, and not just because it was Lachlan Kennedy either. No man had fed her cake before. No man had spoon fed her anything before. This sort of intimacy was completely uncharted territory for her.
Where did she go from here? She had no idea of how to be sexy and alluring, and she was pretty sure that right now she just looked like a greedy chick swallowing cake. And yet, his eyes held hers as if mesmerised. As if she was sexy. As if suddenly she was the most exotic thing he’d ever seen. It made her feel powerful and confident, and that feeling was the best damn aphrodisiac in existence.
Lachlan’s eyes dropped to her lips as he slowly pulled the fork away from her mouth. Automatically, she licked the lingering icing off her lips, and her heart stuttered and then took off at high spe
ed when his gaze darkened. Every nerve in her body thrummed with anticipation and her lips tingled in anticipation. He was going to kiss her. She knew it. She wanted it.
A loud thump on Lachlan’s back shattered the moment and he dropped the fork back onto the plate where it clattered loudly.
“Lachlan! I wondered where you’d got to. Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving the club?” A good looking blond with his crimson shirt unbuttoned halfway, exposing his tanned, muscular chest—it was the middle of winter for god’s sake—grabbed an empty chair from the table beside theirs and sat down. April recognised him but couldn’t place where she’d seen him before.
Lachlan cleared his throat, not bothering to hide his annoyance. “I wasn’t aware I had to report to you. Now if you’ll excuse us, this is a private conversation.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce me? Or don’t you even know her name?” The guy turned to April. “I’m Craig.”
His sleazy tone made her skin crawl. “Goodbye Craig.”
“Oh honey, there’s no need to be so harsh.” He tilted his head towards her as if he wanted to confide some secret, but he didn’t bother lowering his voice. “You know Lachlan here doesn’t really go for this sort of thing. So if you’re thinking he’s going to sleep with you, so you can scratch that notch off your bedpost, you’re probably mistaken.” He raked his eyes suggestively over her body and shot her a lewd grin. “But I could be a notch if you’d like.”
Was this guy for real? Suddenly she remembered where she’d seen him. He’d had a supporting role in a TV miniseries where he played a sleazy pimp. It would appear art really could imitate life. “I think I’m going to be sick.” April rolled her eyes and looked at Lachlan, “Excuse me, I need to use the ladies room.” She stood up and grabbed her purse. Lachlan was on his feet immediately.
“Make sure you take a breath mint?” Craig smirked.
April couldn’t help herself, anger flared. “What?”
“Listen love, I applaud any means a woman takes to gain her ideal weight,” his eyes scanned her body in frank scrutiny as he spoke, “and let’s face it, you are a little on the heavy side. So if you need to throw up your cake in the toilet, go for it. Just don’t expect a guy to want to kiss you unless you’ve had a mint or something after.” Craig leaned back nonchalantly, reached out for the fork and proceeded to help himself to the remaining cake.
April was speechless. She had never come across a more arrogant, rude, pigheaded person in all her life. She wasn’t overweight. Sure, she had a few curves, but they were exactly where they were supposed to be. There weren’t any extra lumps and bumps in places they shouldn’t be and even if there was, how was that any of his business? Not knowing what else to do, she turned and began walking towards the bathroom. Lachlan quickly caught up and grabbed her elbow to stop her. Despite her anger, her skin tingled in response to his touch.
“Hey, you okay? Don’t let him bother you. He’s just a jackass who likes to use his mediocre fame in any way he can. Please don’t leave.” There was an edge of panic in his voice.
“Lachlan, I’m not leaving. I really am just going to the bathroom, although not for the reason he seems to think.” She jerked her head towards Craig, who had demolished what was left of the cake. “But if he’s still here when I get back, I really will leave.”
“Okay.” He seemed reluctant as he let her go. “I’ll get rid of him.”
In the bathroom, April splashed water on her face. She didn’t like makeup so all she had on was some mascara and lipstick, both of which she quickly refreshed. Then she ruined the effort by splashing more water on her face. For some reason Lachlan had her feeling giddy, like a school girl with her first crush. He was attractive, charming and surprisingly easy to talk to, and apart from the last couple of minutes, she had really been enjoying herself. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and held it for a heartbeat before letting it go.
When April came out of the restroom, Lachlan was sitting at their table, alone, and looking anxious. He glanced towards the toilet doors and when his eyes landed on her, he grinned his relief and visibly let out a deep breath, his chest dropping a couple of inches in the process and sending ripples through his shirt.
“I thought maybe you’d duck out the back or something.” Although he tried to keep his tone light, he seemed genuinely nervous.
“Well I thought about it,” she teased, “but then I thought about the notch that I wouldn’t be able to carve into my bedpost, and I thought I’d better come and give it another go.”
He laughed more genuinely and pulled back a chair for her.
“So, was that guy a friend of yours?” she asked when he’d seated himself.
“No, I’m friends with his brother Ryan, who believe it or not, is actually a really nice guy and nothing like Craig. But unfortunately, they’re good mates and Craig often comes out with us. Usually I try to stay away from him.”
She nodded her relief and when he reached out to grab her hand across the table again she returned his grip, relishing the feel of the butterflies he’d released in her stomach.
Conversation flowed easily between them after that and April was surprised when the manager appeared at their table. Ignoring April completely, she informed Lachlan that she was very sorry, but she was closing.
Lachlan held April’s hand as they left, his touch spreading warmth up her arm. They had already discovered they were both staying at the same hotel, only a couple of blocks from the coffee shop, and had decided to walk.
“So when is your flight home?” Lachlan asked as they strolled beneath a streetlight.
“Saturday morning.”
“That’s great.” Lachlan cleared his throat and shifted his grip on her hand. “There’s a charity ball on Friday night that I’m going to, and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.” A shiver ran up April’s back that had nothing to do with the cool night air. He was asking her out. Lachlan Kennedy was asking her out. Excitement bubbled up within her and it was on the tip of her tongue to accept when an image of Marie popped into her head.
Shit. April’s chest constricted and her excitement drained out of her. If Lachlan Kennedy was going, then no doubt a whole bunch of other famous people were going, and famous people meant photographers and reporters. And of course, being Lachlan Kennedy, he would be the focus of their attentions, so if he turned up with a nobody on his arm, every one of them would be falling over themselves trying to discover everything they could about her. She couldn’t let that happen.
“I can’t.” The words were barely a whisper, telling herself as much as him.
“Why not?” He’d stopped walking, halting her in the process.
“I haven’t got anything to wear.” It was the first excuse she could think of.
A victorious grin spread across his face. “No problem, my friend David will hook you up.” They started walking again.
“David?”
“David Anderson. He’s a relatively new designer who’s making a name for himself. I’ll call him tomorrow to set something up, then you can arrange to meet him and choose what you want.” It all sounded so easy. Could she really just relax and enjoy herself for one night? No! The answer resounded loudly in her mind, but she wasn’t quite sure how to explain herself to him without going into detail. She decided to simply repeat what she’d said before.
“I’m sorry, Lachlan, but I’ve already told you. I like my anonymity, and if I went with you, we’d be photographed together and my picture would appear in all the tabloids. Everyone will want to know who I am and Marie doesn’t need the attention.”
“You don’t want to be seen with me?” His voice was incredulous. “I’ll be honest, that’s a new one. Most women I meet are falling over themselves to get their picture taken with me, and you’re turning me down to avoid it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s kind of refreshing.” At the smile on his face, she relaxed a little, but not enoug
h to release the pressure on her chest. She bit her lip before she could blurt out that she’d changed her mind.
“If that’s the only problem though, we don’t have to go in the front entrance, we could slip in the side and bypass the photographers altogether.”
“But wouldn’t there be cameras inside?” she asked, not daring to believe she could get away with her identity concealed.
He looked down at her, his eyes twinkling in the light of the streetlamp. “Sure, but only the official photographers for the charity and we could easily avoid them in the crowd. Come on, say yes, it’ll be fun.”
April could feel herself relenting. Wanting to ignore what she had been so focused on for the past decade.
“Please, say yes.” His confidence of a few moments ago seemed to have left him.
Still April hesitated. She’d spent ten years hiding in the dark, ten years avoiding anything that would draw attention to herself and Marie. Could she really just put her worries aside for one night? It had been a decade after all. Besides, who would really be taking that much notice? If she avoided the cameras and didn’t give her name…
“No.” Her voice was surprisingly firm. “I’m sorry, I just can’t do it.”
His shoulders visibly dropped, and April felt her resolve weakening.
“Okay,” he finally said, taking in a deep breath. “How about we spend tomorrow night together then? We can have a private dinner at the hotel where no one will see us.”
She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face, and she was nodding even before he’d finished speaking.
By the time they arrived at the hotel, Lachlan was telling her about a photo shoot he had later in the week. It took them both by surprise, then, to be standing in the lobby of their hotel.
Lachlan cleared his throat. “Uh, I don’t want this to sound weird or creepy, but do you want to walk some more, around the block?”
April raised her eyebrows. It was after one in the morning.
“It’s just that I’ve really enjoyed talking to you and I don’t want to say goodnight,” Lachlan quickly added.
Her stomach tightened pleasurably at his words and she forced herself to tramp down the giddy feelings threatening to explode into a happy dance. Nobody wanted to see that.
“Lachlan, it’s late and, to be honest, my feet are killing me, I can’t imagine walking another step.” His face fell at her words so she rushed to finish, “But if you promise not to get the wrong idea, you can come up to my room for a bit. We can order hot chocolate from room service or something.”
Instantly his face lit up. “I’ll be on my best behaviour. I promise.”