Page 68 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

‘Perfect.’

Rose fell into step beside him. ‘Actually, I might have a juice too, now you mention it.’

They wandered to the kitchen, and she poured them each a glass. Passing Ty his, she settled herself on the stool beside him and tugged at her aching neck, stretching it from side to side.

Ty placed his glass down. ‘Turn around.’

‘Why?’

He rolled his eyes. ‘Just trust me. Turn around, would you?’

She did as he asked, and felt him place his hands on her shoulders as he started to massage the knots. At first, she was as stiff as a board, but it didn’t take long before she was resting into his touch, telling him how good it felt. With his skilful fingers hitting all the right places, he moved down to her shoulderblades, making her moan in pleasure. And as she gave herself over to his massage, she felt the metaphorical fire they’d built, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, get hotter, brighter, and more intense.

He shifted closer, pressing up against her. ‘I like how you’re still wearing the earrings I got you.’ He gently nudged her earlobe, and she could feel the smile in his voice.

Turning to him, she touched the left one softly. ‘I adore them.’

His heated gaze gripped onto hers. ‘I adore you.’

His brazenness had her sucking in a breath. She didn’t want her hesitation to give him false hope, so she fumbled for words that felt so wrong to say. ‘You know we can’t do this, Ty.’

He took both her hands in his. ‘Please be honest with yourself, and with me. I know you feel what I’m feeling, Rose.’ His eyes searched her face as he waited for her to respond.

Without blatantly lying to his face, she didn’t know what else to say, so she remained tight-lipped. Tugging her hands away, she tucked them beneath her.

But he very clearly wasn’t about to give up, leaning in and touching her face so softly, so intimately, it drew her into him, leaving the rest of the world to fade into the fuzzy distance. ‘Why don’t we take a leap of faith?’

She studied him for a long moment, her eyes filling with tears. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ It was in this very moment she realised just how important he’d become in her life.

Does that mean I’m not falling in love, but I’m already in love with him?

‘But, Rose, you and me … we just fit.’ His eyes assured her that he would never hurt her. ‘Don’t you agree?’ He wiped an escaped tear from her cheek.

‘Yes, Ty, we do.’ She stood and went to move to the window, needing some space, trying to convince herself that walking away was the best thing.

But Ty stood too, stopping her. ‘I’m not going to let you go easily, Rose. I care about you way too much not to fight for you.’ His hands going to her waist, he tugged her to him, hungrily, possessively. ‘I know I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life if I give up on you – on us – without laying everything on the line, and that includes my heart.’

Rose had never heard anything so gallant and beautiful and breathtaking in all her life, so much so she was rendered speechless and found herself frozen to the spot. And she could tell by the look in his eyes, he liked that she was hesitating. With him so close, the heat from his body seeped into hers, melting the last bit of self-control she had left. Desire swirled, shortening her breath. If she didn’t create distance between them right now, she was going to do something reckless, something that could inevitably hurt him, and herself.

‘I don’t want to do this, Ty.’ She placed her hands on his chest, ready to push him away, but then she felt it; his heart, racing as fast as hers.

And that changed everything.

‘Do you mean you don’t want to do this with me, or with guys in general?’ His hands slid seductively to the curve of her lower back and, with a light press, he drew her closer still.

‘I can’t trust myself right now.’ Her voice didn’t sound like her own.

Lengthy moments of silence ticked by as his gaze held hers, strong and steady.

She pressed into him as if pulled by a force that was stronger than her fortitude. In answer, he brought his lips to hers, softly at first, almost teasingly, as if feeling his way with her, but it quickly became as if his life depended upon her kiss. Upon her. Her voice of reason was roaring at her to stop, but her heart, and body, were saying otherwise. Lacing her arms around his neck, she melted into him, wholly and solely. She wanted him, all of him. She had since the second she’d met him, only now, it wasn’t lust doing the enticing; it was unadulterated love.

But then reality struck her.

She was leaving.

He was staying.

She pulled away from him. Her throat was suddenly so tight, she wasn’t sure if she could take a breath, let alone speak another word, so she remained silent, desperately trying to catch her breath. Ty’s blue eyes misted over as long moments passed.