THE DEAL by Marsh, Nicola (electronic reader txt) 📕

“That was incredible.” She blinked as a solitary tear seeped from the corner of her eye, swamped by a tumult of confusing emotion: exaltation, happiness and doubt.

“And that’s only the half of it,” he murmured, wiping away the tear with a gentle sweep of his finger along her cheekbone.

Her heart swelled as she gazed at the man she loved, staring at her as if she’d made his day. “What does that mean?”

Dropping a light kiss on her nose, he smiled. “Wait ’til you see what I can do if I haven’t swum an underwater marathon first.”

She pulled his head down, eager to taste his kiss again. “You’ll have to show me...”

Nine

So much for pretending to be Matt’s girlfriend over the weekend. After their hot session by the pool Kara had slipped into the role with renewed gusto, deliberately ignoring her previous doubts. They had sex the whole night once back in their room, exploring each other bodies until dawn. Several people had remarked on her glow the next day, particularly Jeff. Funny how he’d been the person she’d been most concerned about fooling, thinking he’d discover she was a fake.

Instead, no one needed convincing because she’d fallen into her role only too well. It had been surprisingly easy to ignore her niggling fears when Matt treated her like his queen, constantly touching her as if to reassure himself she was really there. They’d gone horse riding that afternoon, breaking away from the main group to find a sheltered spot among the eucalypts. There, on the shady banks of the river, they’d kissed like a couple of teenagers rarely coming up for air. If it hadn’t been for the untimely approach of a curious wallaby, they would’ve taken their roll in the grass one step further.

Dinner had been a breeze, though his wandering hand under the tablecloth proved distracting when trying to maintain a civilised conversation with other table occupants. His father had smiled indulgently whenever she’d caught his stare across the table and she’d repressed a hint of guilt each tie.

For there could be no doubt that the situation was still wrong. Matt was using her to dupe his father and she was going along with it, all in the name of some stupid deal. And not just for Sally, if she was completely honest with herself. She loved being his girlfriend and their perfect physical compatibility merely emphasised that she loved him. And there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

Last night had been a repeat of the previous, a sensual delight as they made love repeatedly, exploring, touching, tasting. Even now, in the confines of his car with the man in question sitting less than a foot away, she yearned to recapture the magic whenever they laid a hand on each other.

“Doing some serious thinking, huh?”

She glanced across at his profile, her pulse accelerating. “I was thinking about last night.”

“Me too.” He swerved the car to miss an ambling wombat on the side of the road. “See? It’s not good for my health. Too distracting.”

She laughed, reaching over and placing a hand on his thigh. “Is that so? I read somewhere that physical exertion of the indoor variety is extremely beneficial for one’s health, particularly the heart.”

He laid a hand over hers and inched it towards his groin. “And other parts of the anatomy.”

She snatched her hand away and slapped his. “Concentrate on the road.”

“Easy for you to say. I have to contend with the most beautiful woman in the world sitting next to me. How’s a man supposed to concentrate on anything, let alone the road?”

A thrill of delight raced through her at his compliment. “I’m sure you’ll manage. After all, you seemed pretty confident in doing several things at once last night.”

He laughed and they passed the next half-hour in companionable silence, lost in their own thoughts. Too soon, they arrived at her place. She’d dreaded this moment, wondering if the weekend had been a figment of her imagination and their newfound relationship would vanish on their return to Sydney. So much for playing it cool. The weekend had merely entrenched her love for him and she’d fallen, hook, line and sinker. She hoped he wouldn’t take one look at her now and throw her back into the pond.

“Do you have the keys?” He inquired, dropping her bag on the doorstep.

She nodded, fumbling in her handbag. “Just a sec.” She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. The blue of his shirt enhanced their fathomless depths, increasing her nervousness.

“Want me to help?” He reached across and plucked her keys from the side pocket, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He opened the door in a second and deposited her bag inside. “I have to go. Business at the office.”

Her heart plummeted. She’d hoped he would come in and they could discuss what had happened. Instead, he was only too eager to escape by going to the office on a Sunday? Lame, even by his standards.

“Thanks for the weekend. I had a good time.” She almost cringed at the predictable words, unable to meet his eyes.

He tilted her chin up and dropped a light kiss on her lips. “I’ll call you, okay?”

She managed a feeble smile as he whirled around and walked down the path. He didn’t look back. Retrieving the keys and closing the door with a sigh, she heard his car roar away. It was only as she placed the keys on the entrance table did she remember the other key. In the midst of their overwhelming passion, she’d forgotten