The sun was streaming through the window and, as reluctant as she was to wake him, she knew there was no way he’d want to miss his meeting.
His eyes flashed open and an expression of shock shot into the vivid blue depths.
‘Hell, I fell asleep.’ He rubbed a hand over his face. ‘I really fell asleep.
She nodded and sat up, reluctantly taking her hand off his chest. ‘We need to get going if we’re going to get back to town in time…’
‘Yeah.’ He frowned and pulled himself up into a sitting position beside her. He rubbed his face again. ‘Thanks.’
Stephanie slipped from the bed. ‘I’ll just take a shower.’
‘Sure.’ He didn’t demur, didn’t try to pull her back into an embrace, didn’t try to follow her.
From the distracted look on his face she knew he’d mentally checked out of their fling already. It was all over. Time to get home and get on with it.
But her heart was struggling to catch up with that concept. It ached to be back in bed with Jack.
For so many reasons that couldn’t happen.
She stood under a cold shower and tried to snap herself out of it. It was just sex. Nothing more. Last night had been a one-off. He’d needed contact. She’d given him everything she had.
But she realised now that honesty was super-important to him. And she hadn’t been honest. It wasn’t that she’d lied. She just hadn’t told him everything.
Just as his parents hadn’t for all those years.
But Stephanie’s omission didn’t matter, right? Dan wasn’t relevant to the blog deal—to what Jack needed to know about her in the next few hours. And it was nothing on the intensely personal information he was seeking now. Not for him at least.
It didn’t matter.
She had to remember that any connection she felt for him was just temporary. Just physical. An interlude.
She dressed quickly so he could have the bathroom.
Ten minutes later she looked up from her contemplation of the trees as he walked out to the deck. He was back in his suit. Like her green dress, it had been attended to by the invisible hotel fairies. His shirt was pressed and spotless, his trousers immaculate. He’d shaved—lost that sexy two-day relaxed traveller stubble.
It was like winding the clock back to the moment she’d first seen him. He was all imposing, intimidating businessman. And so out of her league.
‘Let’s go,’ he said starkly.
She just nodded.
On the long drive back to Melbourne he was silent, his thoughts no doubt consumed with his upcoming meeting. There was nothing she could do to ease that stress for him. Coming over all ‘Steffi Leigh’ chirpy wasn’t going to help. Her own anxiety was rising anyway. There’d been no message from Tara this morning, and still nothing at all from Dan.
She felt terrible for going two days without talking to her brother. She’d always promised herself that she wouldn’t be like her mum. Wouldn’t let her feelings for a guy get in the way of what was really important. She would never forget her family.
But hadn’t she done just that? Walking out with no warning for two days? For a decadent sexual tryst?
She had to get back to Dan. She had to know he was okay. She tried not to let Jack see her agitation. He had enough to worry about.
‘Still with the phone?’ He finally broke his silence with a weak tease. ‘It hasn’t left your hand since we left the Green Veranda.’
‘Playing catch-up.’ She shrugged. ‘You know how it is.’
‘Yeah,’ he sighed. ‘Damn it, I can’t believe I slept so late.’ He glanced at his watch again. ‘Is it okay with you if we go to the meeting first? Then I’ll drop you home. I can get a taxi from your place and leave the car with you—I know you don’t really want to drive it.’
‘I’ll be fine driving it in town. Go to the meeting, then we can go straight to the hotel. I’m in no hurry to get home,’ she lied.
‘Okay. Sure.’ He paused. ‘Do you mind waiting for me?’
‘Not at all.’
She was too close to admitting she’d wait for him for ever if he asked.
Too lame. Too much like her mother. The sooner she got away from him the better.
Jack couldn’t believe he’d slept in—that he’d been able to get into such a relaxed state before today of all days.
It was a miracle. And she was sitting right beside him. But she was texting again—furiously. There was no hiding her furtiveness as she checked for messages. Suspicion shot cold arrows into his gut. He had the feeling she wasn’t being entirely open with him again, but he didn’t have time to talk with her now.