Framed and Hung (10 page)

Rachel shrugged and turned aside to deal with the next pile of plates.

‘Come on, girlfriend, give. What happened? I thought you had a hot date last night. I had visions of you lounging in bed this morning with the man of the moment.’

‘Things didn’t work out how I expected. Here we are, right in the middle of — ’

‘I think I get the picture. Don’t fill in the details. You’ll just make me more frustrated than I am right now.’

‘Hey, you want to hear what happened or not?’

‘So get on with it.’ Zoe pulled out a chair and plopped herself down at the table Rachel was working on.

‘As I was saying…’ Rachel cast her a haughty look down her nose, her lips twitching as if about to burst into laughter. ‘Right in the middle of things, my
friend
got called out and I was left high and dry.
Literally
.’

Zoe frowned. ‘You didn’t say what he did for a living. Fireman? Paramedic? Cop?’

Rachel grimaced. ‘You are never going to believe me when I tell you.’

‘Argg… So tell me already,’ Zoe demanded.

‘He’s an undertaker. Well, a funeral employee, anyway. He got called out to pick up a body.’ She shuddered. ‘I wish I’d known before we…you know. Eww, can you imagine where those hands have been?’

Zoe couldn’t help herself. She put her head down on the table and chuckled. Then the chuckles turned into a loud burst of laughter. ‘Oh my God, I don’t believe it. Now there are two of us frustrated as hell.’

Jake paused outside the Garden Room, listening to the women’s banter. He grinned.
Sooo…our Zoe just happens to be a little frustrated, eh? If I have to go through it, it’s only fair she should, too. Now what to do about it?

Pasting an innocent expression on his face, he sauntered into the Garden Room. ‘Morning, ladies. What are…’ He stopped and stared around. ‘Um, okay, I’ll bite. What was wrong with how the room looked last night? I thought it was pretty fantastic.’

Zoe turned a scowl on him. ‘Just tell me you didn’t sneak back here last night and rearrange everything just to screw me over.’

What the —
‘Lady, if I wanted to screw you, it sure as hell wouldn’t be here in the Garden Room. I can’t believe you thought I’d mucked up all your hard work.’ He paused a moment before going on. ‘Although come to think of it, maybe this room would work just fine. All those lovely long tables. Just imagine what we could do. The possibilities are endless.’

Jake’s mind went into overdrive. He was vaguely conscious of Rachel disappearing out the door of the Garden Room and then a plethora of raunchy images spun through his brain, pushing his temperature so high it was a wonder he didn’t spontaneously combust. The blood raced through his veins, converging in his crotch until the front of his jeans strained across the biggest boner he’d had in a long while. Well, maybe not that long a time; he’d been in a constant state of arousal since Zoe turned up.

‘Well, aren’t you just the imaginative one?’ Zoe quipped, waving a handful of dinner knives at him. ‘Let’s face it. Imagination can never outdo the real thing.’

Oh yeah
? ‘Depends how good your imagination is,’ Jake said with a waggle of his eyebrows. ‘Let me set up
my
scenario for you.’

He took a deep breath and moved closer to Zoe. With one hip propped against the table she was setting, he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, pulling the fabric even tighter.

With his gaze fixed on her, he dropped his voice to a soft murmur. ‘I want you…so badly the hunger is eating me from the inside out. I’ve wanted you for hours, ever since you started setting up this room. I want to taste you. Breathe you in. Lick you all over until you cry out my name.’

He grinned when he saw Zoe swallow convulsively. She might pretend to ignore him, but she heard every word.

‘You want me just as much. I can smell your arousal.’ He slid his hand down and cupped his rampant erection. ‘See what you do to me? I’m so hard…and hot. I need to be inside you.’

Zoe’s breath gusted from her lips in a panting moan. Her hands clenched around the cutlery until her knuckles showed white.

Jake pushed the stakes even higher. ‘Feel the moisture pooling between your thighs, Zoe. Your breasts feel swollen and your nipples ache for my touch. We’re both so hungry we can’t hold back.’

Oh crap, I can’t keep this up much longer. I’m too darn hot.
Jake swallowed the lump in his throat and ground his hips against the table edge, trying to find relief from the sexual fever sweeping through his body.

Turning to the table, he braced his hands on the cloth-clad surface and continued. No point stopping now; he had something to prove. ‘I’d have you up here on this table, your legs spread so you’re open to me. But as much as I want you, first I need to taste you. I plunge my tongue deep inside your hot little pussy and you’re writhing on the table, hips raised, struggling to get closer to my mouth.’

Now it was his turn to gulp as he realised that Zoe was leaning forwards over the table, caressing the snow-white tablecloth. As he watched, her fingers curled and she clutched at the fabric, the cutlery and crockery forgotten. Oh yeah, she was definitely taking it all in.

God help him, he wanted those hands on him, clawing at his back, holding him tight, as he brought her to the ultimate in satisfaction. If he closed his eyes, he could see her legs wrapped tight about his hips. Could hear the slap of naked flesh against naked flesh as he buried his cock deep inside her welcoming heat.

‘You tighten around my cock,’ he whispered, ‘milking me of everything I have to give. I — ’

‘Enough,’ she whispered in turn. ‘That’s enough. You’ve proved your point.’

‘Oh, my sweet Zoe, that’s only the start of it. There’s a lot more where that came from.’

She pulled back from the table and glanced down at the front of his jeans. He didn’t think it was possible, but his erection grew even harder. Oh boy, he was in trouble here. He’d started this to tease her, but he was suffering along with her and right now, he had no idea how to bring this interlude to an end. Well, beyond the obvious conclusion, and he couldn’t see that happening right at this moment.

The door to the Garden Room suddenly banged against the wall as someone shoved it open. Both he and Zoe turned towards the entrance as Rachel rushed in, bright red fire extinguisher in her hands.

‘Rachel?’ Zoe shook her head as if coming out of a daze. ‘Rachel, what’s wrong? Oh my God, where’s the fire?’

Jake was dragged out of his erotic imaginings with a jolt.
Fire? Aw, shit!
It was the last thing they needed at this stage of the renovations.

Before either he or Zoe could react, Rachel placed the fire extinguisher on the floor and pointed the hose at them.

‘Well, if there isn’t a fire yet, I figured we soon would have one. There was that much heat in this room, I fully expected you both to burst into flames. Jake, for a staid old banker, you sure ain’t half bad. If Zoe didn’t have the hots for you, I might have been tempted to make a play for you myself.’

Jake let his jaw sag open for a moment. His face heated as embarrassment swept over him. Then the humour of the whole situation caught up with him and he started to chuckle.

Rachel was right. Jake, the staid old banker, and look at him. He’d been so enmeshed in his mind games he’d forgotten there was someone other than Zoe anywhere in the vicinity.

Zoe took one look at him and burst out laughing, too. ‘My God, I can’t believe you did that. Bet your customers don’t know what a vivid imagination you have, Mr Lord.’

That made him laugh even harder. ‘Hey, I have an image to protect,’ he said when he caught his breath.

‘Some of those old fogies out there would be horrified if they knew their banker was such a bad boy.’ Rachel pointed at the portraits hanging alongside the bridal table. ‘I mean, can you imagine old Joshua Lord’s reaction to your little performance today? He looks a total stuffed shirt.’

‘Ah, Rach, I wouldn’t make comments like that if I were you,’ Zoe said.

‘Hell, I hope he’s not floating around here right now,’ Jake muttered.

All of a sudden, Rachel yelped and grabbed her rear end. ‘Damn it, that felt like… I could have sworn someone just pinched me on the ass.’

Jake looked at the portrait then looked at Rachel again before losing it. When he finally got himself under control, he bowed to the gentleman in the painting. ‘Joshua, you old reprobate, you may be a man after my own heart, but you can’t go around pinching women on the rear end. It’s not the done thing, old boy.’

An audible snort sounded in the room, making Jake laugh even louder.

Rachel spun in a circle, peering into every corner of the room. ‘Wh-what the hell’s going on?’

‘Rachel, meet Joshua, Jake’s many-greats grandfather.’ She waved a hand at Joshua’s portrait. ‘This is our resident ghost.’ She frowned at the painted image. ‘And if he doesn’t learn to keep his hands off the nearest female’s posterior, I’ll consign him to the old stables where he can’t do any harm.’

Jake opened his mouth to remind Zoe about Joshua’s penchant for revenge. He wasn’t quick enough. Zoe suddenly stumbled, the breath rushing from her mouth in a loud grunt. Arms flailing, she tilted towards Jake. He opened his arms and grabbed her before she lost her balance and hit the floor.

With Zoe held tight against his chest, he looked down, a grin creeping across his face. Zoe’s grin mirrored his. She nodded at him and together they said, ‘Joshua!’

Zoe looked around Jake and pointed a stern finger at Joshua’s painting. ‘Okay, Pops, you got away with pushing me this time. Don’t try it again or you
will
end up in the stables. Now scoot out of here so Rachel and I can get this room ready.’

For a moment there was dead silence and then the door slammed with a resounding crack. Zoe started laughing again. ‘Oh dear, I don’t think Joshua liked me telling him off.’

Rachel stared from the door back to Zoe and Jake. ‘That…are you for real? A g-ghost?’

She held up one hand when Zoe opened her mouth to speak. ‘No, don’t tell me. It’s probably better for my sanity if I just accept it. If I can handle getting hot and sweaty with an undertaker — sorry, funeral home employee — I’m sure I can get used to the idea of a ghost who likes to grope women when he feels like it.’

She broke off and turned towards the closed door. ‘But, you hear me, Joshua, you grab my ass again and I’ll do worse than Zoe. I’ll use your painting to line my cat’s litter tray.’

There was a loud thump on the timber door as if someone had pounded it with a clenched fist.

Rachel jumped. ‘Well, shit, there really is a ghost.’

Jake set Zoe from him and wiped at his streaming eyes. He hadn’t laughed this hard for years. ‘Sorry, Rachel, but he really does exist. Well, as far as ghosts do, I suppose.’

Zoe gave Rachel a quick hug. ‘Just ignore him, Rach. Joshua is harmless. Just don’t turn your back on him and he won’t go for your butt.’

‘Yeah, right, it’s not like I can see him,’ Rachel retorted.

‘At least we now know who mucked up your nice table settings,’ Jake said. ‘Guess he wanted our attention.’

‘All very well and good, but now we have to redo all the work.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Come on, Rach, let’s get this out of the way.’

All of a sudden, Zoe frowned. ‘Hey, Jake, I just realised the time. Shouldn’t you be at work, as in the bank?’

‘That’s what I came in to tell you. I’ve got to fly to Sydney this afternoon for meetings. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. But in the meantime, I have some free time and I thought maybe we could get some of those portrait photos done. The sooner we get started on that the happier my mother will be.’

Zoe grimaced. ‘That’s a great idea, but I have to get this room sorted. I’ll need — ’

‘Go take your photos,’ Rachel interrupted. ‘I can handle this. Then I have to go do some research to track down more of those crystal door knobs for the dining room.’

‘You sure?’

Rachel didn’t answer. She simply picked up a handful of cutlery with one hand and pointed to the door with the other.

Jake wasn’t about to give Rachel time to change her mind. He grabbed Zoe’s hand and led her to the door. ‘Thanks, Rachel. I appreciate it.’

‘Hey, Jake,’ she called just as he disappeared through the door.

Jake stuck his head back inside. ‘Yes?’

‘You’re wrong, you know.’

Huh
? ‘I am? About what?’

‘Imagination is no substitute for the real thing. Your little game in here this morning might have made you hot, but the real thing? When it’s good, it’s very, very good and that type of heat will burn you from the inside out. You ready for that?’

Jake gulped. His blood heated at the mere thought of the ‘real thing’ with Zoe.

Was he ready for the fire?

Oh, yeah
.
Bring it on.

But was he ready to handle the disappointment if Zoe decided that was all she wanted — a little bit of rough and tumble to spice up her life while she completed this job? Would Zoe ever be ready to brave the fire of a committed relationship? Somehow, he just had to convince her…or the fire may very well burn him up and spit him out, a useless scrap of garbage. Then where would he be?

Chapter Seven

‘How about the old residence? It occurred to me it might be a good background for a painting.’ Jake waved to the wooded area behind the motel units.

Zoe frowned. ‘I didn’t even know there was a residence. Your mum didn’t get time to show us the whole property. Apparently, she had to go off to her gardening club or sewing club or something.’

Jake chuckled. ‘Her gossip club you mean. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my old mum lift a spade or pull a weed in her life. It’s just six old women who like to get together a couple of times a week and pull everyone to pieces. In a nice way, of course.’

Zoe couldn’t help but grin. Jessie Lord was a real treasure and if she wanted to indulge in a little gossip, that was okay with her. Provided the old women weren’t ripping someone a new one in public, it was harmless enough.

Following Jake’s lead, Zoe pushed through the tangled garden filled with ancient lavender bushes, sweet-scented old-fashioned roses, and an abundance of other plants and flowers found in any respectable English cottage garden. Except this was the centre of Australia.