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Authors: Natalie Anderson

Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Contemporary Romance

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BOOK: Blame It on the Bikini
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She’d fed from the scholarship fund long enough. All her secondary schooling, now half her university degree. No more. She was making her own way in the world—and paying her own way. Nothing mattered more than gaining financial independence, by getting a good job. And if it meant it took longer for her to finish her degree working part-time, so she could live, then that was just the way it had to be.

‘What have you learned?’ Brad asked.

She turned and looked at him directly. ‘That I can’t let
anything or anyone get in the way of my studies again. Definitely no man, no relationship.

‘That’s why you don’t want to get involved with anyone? That’s why it’s inconvenient?’

‘That’s right.’ She nodded, denying the other reason even to herself. ‘I’m busy. I’m working at the bar every night and at the café on the weekends. I’ve got lectures midweek and assignments and reading to do in and around that. I just don’t have time for anyone or anything else.’

‘You can’t let one bad experience put you off for ever.’

‘Not for ever. Just the next couple of years.’

He frowned. ‘But you get time off over Christmas, right?’

‘From lectures but I have assignments and I have shifts right the way through.’ The public holidays paid good money, and patrons were more generous tippers too. ‘I’m not interested in anything.’

‘Not a great quality of life for you, though, is it? All work and no play.’

‘It’s not for ever,’ she said again.

‘No? How many years are you off finishing your degree?’

‘Part-time it’s going to take me three. That’s with taking summer papers as well.’

‘So no nookie for you for another three years?’ He shook his head, looking appalled. ‘That’s more than a little tragic.’

‘Sex isn’t the be-all and end-all,’ she said with more confidence than she felt.

‘It’s up there. Without sex there can be no life.’

‘We’re not talking biology here.’

‘You’re going to be miserable,’ he warned.

‘I’m not. I’m going to achieve what I want to achieve.’

‘With no help from anybody.’

‘You understand, right?’

‘No, I don’t.’

Startled, she looked at him.

‘I don’t see why it has to be that miserable.’ He turned and met her eyes. ‘No such thing as balance with you, is there?’

‘I have to do what I have to do. And I’m not into the casual-sex scene.’ She cleared her throat, trying to hold the blush at bay as she remembered that mortifying morning. ‘I learned that too. I don’t want a fling. But nor do I want a relationship right now. I have too much else to do.’

‘All or nothing,’ he murmured.

‘Right now it’s nothing,’ she confirmed.

He looked at her, brown eyes serious. ‘Okay.’ He held her gaze. ‘Message received loud and clear.’

She said nothing. He turned back to the computer and pulled the list of cases nearer. Mya watched his fingers fly over the keyboard. Serious, focused.

That was it? She’d told him as explicitly as she could that she didn’t want an affair and he just accepted it?

Because here was the thing—she was still totally hot for the guy. How could he be so focused when she was dying of desire? She’d gone for honesty and he’d taken it. He’d backed right off. But instead of feeling any kind of relief, she felt
more
wound up. She’d been so sure he’d make some kind of move. She’d been so sure she’d say no. Only there were no moves from him, and only
yeses
and
pleases
circling in her head.

She couldn’t believe her madness. Her brain had been lost somewhere between here and the bar.

He stood and picked up the pages as they came out of the printer and put highlighters and sticky notes in
front of her. She almost laughed. It seemed the guy was as much of a stationery addict as she was.

‘It’s all vital for doing an assignment.’ He winked. ‘I’m off to make you some coffee while you get started.’

He’d left the documents open on screen so she could cut and paste quotes as necessary. Hell, he’d even opened up a documents file, named for her, and saved the other cases he’d downloaded. She stared at them, not taking in a word, just waiting.

Five minutes later he put the steaming mug in front of her and stayed on the other side of the desk.

‘I’m turning in now. There’s more coffee in the machine in the kitchen, fruit in the bowl, chocolate on hand too. Stay as late as you like. Don’t go walking out there at some stupid hour of the morning.’

‘I can’t stay the whole night.’ There was just no way.

‘It’ll probably take you all night to get the assignment done anyway. No point in taking unnecessary risks.’ He walked back to the doorway in jeans and tee—she noticed his feet were now bare.

‘Thanks,’ she said rustily. ‘Really appreciate this.’ And was so disappointed when he disappeared down the hallway.

She stared at the screen. All this info was at her fingertips. All she had to do was read, assimilate, process, write. It wasn’t that hard. She’d done enough essays to know what her lecturers wanted and what it was she needed to get that extra half grade.

But the house was silent.

Acutely aware of his presence under the roof, she sat stupidly still, listening for sounds of him. Imagining going to find him—imagining sliding into that mountainous cloud of a bed and …

She’d pushed him away and it had worked. For
him.
She still wanted what she couldn’t have and with that she’d lost her ability to concentrate. That was a first. She glanced at the big printer on the table behind her. Half a tree’s worth of paper and twenty minutes later she was ready to leave.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked just as she’d tiptoed to the front door.

She whirled around. What was she doing? What was
he
doing standing there almost completely bare? Only a pair of boxer shorts preserved his modesty and even then they were that knit-cotton variety that clung rather than hung loose. And speaking of things being
hung …

She burned. ‘I can’t work here.’ It was a pathetic whisper.

‘You’re sneaking out.’ He crossed his arms. It only emphasised his biceps. It was so unfair of him to have such a fit body.

‘I didn’t want to wake you.’

‘How are you planning on getting home?’

‘I can walk.’

‘It’s after two in the morning.’

‘I walk home from the bar all the time. I have a safety alarm. I walk along well-lit streets. I’m not stupid.’

His jaw clenched. ‘Take my car.’

Could he make it worse for her? ‘No, that’s okay. I’m fine walking.’

‘It’s not fine for anyone to walk home alone this time of night. Take my car.’

She sighed. ‘That’s very kind of you, but I can’t.’

‘You have a real issue accepting help, don’t you?’ he growled.

Possibly. Okay, yes, particularly from him. His whole ‘friendly’ act was confusing her hormones more. ‘I can’t
drive,’ she admitted in a low voice. ‘I’ve never got my licence. I’ve never learned to drive.’

For a second his mouth hung open. ‘Everyone learns to drive. It’s a life skill. Didn’t your dad teach you?’

Her dad didn’t drive either. That was because the accident at the factory years ago had left him with a limp and unable to use his right arm. He’d been a sickness beneficiary ever since. Living in a house that was damp, in a hideous part of town that was getting rougher by the day. She was determined to get her parents out of there. She owed it to them. ‘You’re assuming we had a car,’ she said bluntly. They couldn’t afford many things most people would consider basic necessities, like a car and petrol or even their power bill most of the time.

‘Okay.’ He turned and strode back to his bedroom. ‘I’ll drive you.’

‘You don’t have to do that,’ she called after him, beyond frustrated and embarrassed and frankly miserable.

‘Yes, I do.’

‘I didn’t want to disturb you.’

‘It’s way too late for that.’ He returned, jeans on, tee in hand. ‘I’ll drop you home.’

She needed him to put the tee on, and she really needed him too. She’d had such sensual thoughts in the past hour she was almost insane with it.

But he read her fierce expression wrong. ‘Don’t you dare argue with me any more.’

He opened the front door and waited for her.

To her horror her eyes filled and she quickly walked out. She was too strung out to argue. She’d not admitted to anyone the struggle she’d been having. Not even to Lauren. But she was so tired. The relentless shifts, the constant pressure of squeezing in assignment after assignment, of fitting in lectures around work, of desperately
trying to get the highest of grades every time, of never, ever getting enough sleep. But it was something she alone had to deal with. And she certainly couldn’t lose more time or sleep fantasising about him.

CHAPTER SIX

B
RAD

S
tension didn’t ease as he unlocked the car and opened the passenger door in the middle of the night for her. For someone so independent, her inability to drive threw him. They lived in New Zealand. Everyone drove here. And she shouldn’t be walking home alone night after night after work at the bar. She was so pale; the amount of work she had on bothered him. It didn’t help that he’d lumbered her with this party as well. He was thoughtless. And, yes, selfish.

Because all it had been about was him stealing time with her. He’d wanted her—and any excuse would do to get that time. But now? Now he really was concerned.

‘I’ll teach you to drive,’ he said, putting his car in gear and pulling out into the quiet, dark street.

‘Thanks all the same but it’s not necessary. I live centrally. I walk to work. I use public transport—it’s better for the environment.’

‘You’re happy to learn bar tricks from Jonny,’ he pointed out, annoyance biting at her refusal.

‘I wouldn’t want to damage your car.’

His body tautened to a ridiculous degree, urging him to pull over and kiss her into silence. Into saying yes—to this, to anything, to everything. He wanted her more
than he’d ever wanted a woman. Who’d have thought that a picture could have affected him like this?

No. It wasn’t just the picture. It was every time she opened her mouth and shot him down while eating him up with her eyes. If they ever got it on, it would be mind-blowing. He knew it. But that wasn’t happening. She wasn’t into flings and he wasn’t into anything else and he was man enough to back off. He’d drop her home now and go out tomorrow night and find a new friend to play with.

But the idea left him cold. Instead, he went back to thinking about her.

‘About Lauren’s party.’ He revved the engine while waiting at another infernal red light. The ten-minute drive seemed to be taking for ever. ‘If it’s too much for you—’

‘It’s not too much.’ She interrupted him and he heard the attempted smile in her voice. ‘I just got behind on this one assignment and I’ll get that done tonight. At home. I want to help. I can do it. Just to the left here is fine.’ She pointed out her apartment.

‘I haven’t thought much more about it.’ He hadn’t thought about the party at all. He’d spent all his spare moments imagining the delicious things he’d do to Mya the minute she let him.

She turned to face him as he cut the engine. ‘The cocktails will be fun. Just get in a good band and a DJ and good food. It’ll be fine.’

He flicked on the interior light so he could see her properly. ‘You wouldn’t be lowering your standards for me, would you?’

The colour ran under her skin but she kept on her smile as she shook her head. ‘I’d never do that. I still expect the best.’

Brad grinned despite his disappointment. She’d have got the best. Her automatic, instant refusals of anything he offered? They pricked his pride. He wished she’d come to him, wished she’d be as unable to resist their chemistry as much as he seemed unable to.

‘I really don’t know how to thank you.’ She clutched the door handle, her eyes wide and filled with something he really wished was desire.

‘I can think of a couple of ways.’ He couldn’t help one last little tease.

‘You’ve a one-track mind, haven’t you?’ she teased right back, but she looked away from him, drawing a veil over that spark.

The devil in him urged to press her for a date, but he already knew her answer. She was either working or studying, every waking minute. So he let her go and drove home in the darkness. But once there he remained wide-awake and restless and
hot
. Nothing was going to happen between them, but that hadn’t diminished the ache and the hunger. Lust. He’d get over it. But as he sat in front of his computer, the sky lightened and he got to wondering whether she’d finished her assignment. Whether she was working her shift. Whether she was okay. And then he realised he wasn’t going to be able to rest until he knew for sure that she was.

Mya knew that if she could survive tonight, she could survive anything. She showered to refresh her system but it was a bad idea. The warm water made muscles melt and her mind wander into dangerous territory. She flicked the jets to cold. Then she dragged herself to her desk and pulled out the piles of paper and opened her ancient laptop. She had four hours. She didn’t have time to lust after anyone.

Finally she got in the zone. She read—fortunately she was fast at it—assimilated, analysed and wrote, fingers thumping the keyboard. Her phone alarm beeped at seven forty-five just as she was finalising the formatting. She packed up and sprinted to the café. There was Internet access there. She grabbed a coffee and hit Send on the email. Her assignment was safely en route to her lecturer’s inbox. She straightened and stretched out the kinks in her back from hunching over her keyboard. Exhaustion hit her like a freight train. Only now she had to put on an apron and start making everyone else’s coffees.

Two hours later she switched her phone to mute and put it in the cubby so she’d no longer be bothered by the zillion messages she was receiving. Brad had sent the invites to everyone about the same time she’d sent the assignment to her lecturer. She’d never expected he’d follow through so quickly or with such impact. She should have known better. Brad Davenport was all about impact.

BOOK: Blame It on the Bikini
8.9Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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