Two Passionate Proposals (14 page)

Was that when his obsession about her had started? All those
years ago?

“It got bad for a while,” Sean added, “around the time she
broke up with Cody. She told you about that in Prague, didn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

So Sean definitely knew they’d met up the Christmas before.
For the first time in his life Dion thought he might be blushing. Not banging
your best mate’s sister was rule number one. No wonder Sean had been cool when
he got in the car.

“But she’s worked at it,” Sean continued. “She has
counselling, and they’ve taught her breathing techniques, that sort of thing.
She copes.”

“That’s good to know. I’m looking forward to seeing her
again.”

That was the understatement of the year. Their coming
together in Prague had been brief but momentous—like a once-in-a-thousand-years
alignment of two planets. He’d tried not to dwell on her too much after they
parted, but he’d spent more nights than he cared to remember lying awake
thinking about that night before Christmas. He couldn’t deny to himself that
he’d chosen to recuperate in New Zealand with the hope of seeing her again.

“She’s at the house,” Sean said. “We’re nearly there.”

Dion’s heart rate sped up at the thought of seeing her
again. For the first time since he left the UK, real pleasure surged through
him that he’d made the decision to go away. All the worries and stress of the
past few months faded. He had two whole weeks here to unwind, to catch up with
his mates and rediscover the friendships he hadn’t realised he’d missed until
he needed them. Two whole weeks to spend with Megan, maybe to explore that
relationship a little more.

Sean signalled at the turnoff for the marina, drove about
ten yards and then turned left into a tiny drive. The road led steeply upward,
and then the car crested the top of the rise.

Dion gasped. The long wooden house below them lay at the top
of a small bay. The hills surrounding the bay were encrusted with palms, manuka
trees and bush. A pair of brightly coloured rosella parrots flew in front of
the car, and when Sean pulled up outside and Dion got out, he heard the tuis up
high in the trees, their distinctive call sounding as if they were saying
George!
George!

“Wow.” He stared at the house. “You built this?”

“Yep.” Sean practically burst with pride. “You like?”

“It’s fantastic.” He hadn’t realised the building business
paid so well. “How much land do you have?”

“A couple of hectares. Not much.”

Not much? Dion tried not to exclaim out loud. He considered
himself fairly well off, but he’d only been able to afford a small apartment in
London. Although situated in Islington, one of the newly transformed parts of
the city, it had only a few rooms and no view to speak of. It didn’t come close
to what Sean had.

The front door opened and out came the dark-haired woman
he’d seen with Sean on Facebook. She looked less glamorous than in her wedding
photos, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her face free of makeup, but she
was a pretty girl, with eyes creased into laughter lines.

“You must be Gaby,” he said. Used to years of meeting and
greeting through the business, he smiled, walked up and extended his hand. “I’m
Dion.”

“Hey, Dion! I’m so glad you came.” She ignored his hand and
gave him a hug. Taken by surprise—how English had he become?— he stood there
awkwardly for a moment before putting his arms around her and giving her a
quick hug back. “It’s lovely to have you here,” she continued. “Sean’s been so
looking forward to it, and he’s told me so much about you.”

“All good things I hope,” he said.

“Of course.” She grinned, then flicked Sean a quick look.
“Everything okay?”

“Yep. Lead on.” He gave a mysterious nod.

Was it his imagination, or did they both look nervous?

She went into the house and Dion followed, puzzling over
their secret communication. But he forgot it instantly as he found himself in a
huge, open plan kitchen and living area with high ceilings and shiny, kauri
wood floors, the far wall completely made of large windows that looked out over
the small bay. “Wow!”

“I know.” Gaby laughed. “It took my breath away when I first
walked in. Sean wouldn’t let me see it until he’d finished it.”

 “It’s fantastic.” He opened his mouth to ask her to show
him around, but the words failed to come as his attention focused on the person
standing on the deck outside, overlooking the bay.

She hadn’t noticed him come in. He could hear her singing,
and it made him smile. She’d always been the same, her brain like an iPod on
shuffle. Now she was singing an old Dylan song,
I’ll be your baby tonight
.
Her husky voice sent a shiver down his spine. He remembered that voice in his
ear whispering erotic things he’d never have dreamed she’d be brave enough to
say to him.

He walked across the floor to the open sliding doors. As he
approached, she turned around, obviously hearing his shoes on the wood.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in an almost comical
expression of shock and surprise. Obviously, she hadn’t expected him. Sean
hadn’t told her he was coming.

Fuck.
Why?

He stopped walking and stared at her, his heart hammering.
She hadn’t changed much over the past year. Her hair shone the light chestnut
colour it had always been, and she’d pinned it up in an elegant clip, leaving
curly strands to frame her face.

She’d lost a little weight. She wore denim cut-offs and a
pink vest that clung to her breasts, and sparkly flip-flops, or jandals as the
Kiwis called them. She looked pretty and sexy, and an image shot through his
head of her that moment he’d spotted her Prague, stunning in the scarlet coat,
with the saddest look on her face he’d ever seen on anyone.

No, she didn’t look any different.

What
was
different was the baby she held in her arms.

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