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All for Love: What a Westmoreland Wants
Brenda Jackson
Two classic Westmoreland novels from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson WHAT A WESTMORELAND WANTSHe's been biding his time, and now the perfect opportunity has arrived for Callum Austell to pursue the ultimate object of his affections. Offering Gemma a job to decorate his new home means she has to come to him. And on his territory, the Aussie knows he can easily woo her into his bed. But this Westmoreland woman is no pushover. If Callum is to get what he wants–as always–the millionaire just might have to utter those three little words first.A WIFE FOR A WESTMORELANDA Night to Remember… For weeks, Derringer Westmoreland is haunted by memories of a woman whose face he cannot recall. But he wants and needs to share their intense passion again. When he finally tracks down his mystery woman, he is blown away by surprise. Lucia Conyers is his sister-in-law's best friend and his fantastic one-night stand! And she refuses to become one of Derringer's women. For the first time in his charmed life, the rancher has some persuading to do. And if he wants to win Lucia's heart, he must be ready to risk his own….


Two classic Westmoreland novels from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson
WHAT A WESTMORELAND WANTS
He’s been biding his time, and now the perfect opportunity has arrived for Callum Austell to pursue the ultimate object of his affections. Offering Gemma a job to decorate his new home means she has to come to him. And on his territory, the Aussie knows he can easily woo her into his bed. But this Westmoreland woman is no pushover. If Callum is to get what he wants—as always—the millionaire just might have to utter those three little words first.
A WIFE FOR A WESTMORELAND
A Night to Remember…
For weeks, Derringer Westmoreland is haunted by memories of a woman whose face he cannot recall. But he wants and needs to share their intense passion again. When he finally tracks down his mystery woman, he is blown away by surprise. Lucia Conyers is his sister-in-law’s best friend and his fantastic one-night stand! And she refuses to become one of Derringer’s women. For the first time in his charmed life, the rancher has some persuading to do. And if he wants to win Lucia’s heart, he must be ready to risk his own.…
NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLING AUTHOR
All for Love
Brenda Jackson
A Westmoreland Novel

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




Dear Reader,
When I first introduced the Westmoreland family, little did I know they would become hugely popular with readers. Originally, the Westmoreland family series was intended to be just six books, Delaney and her five brothers—Dare, Thorn, Stone, Storm and Chase. Later, I wanted my readers to meet their cousins—Jared, Spencer, Durango, Ian, Quade and Reggie. Finally, there were Uncle Corey’s triplets—Clint, Cole and Casey.
What began as a six-book series blossomed into a thirty-book series when I included the Denver Westmorelands. I was very happy when Harlequin Kimani Arabesque responded to my readers’ requests that the earlier books be reprinted. And I’m even happier that the reissues are in a great two-books-in-one format.
All for Love contains What a Westmoreland Wants and A Wife for a Westmoreland. These are two Westmoreland classics and are books number eighteen and nineteen in the Westmoreland series. In What a Westmoreland Wants I leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that Callum wants Gemma Westmoreland, and in this very special story he plans to get what he wants. And in A Wife for a Westmoreland Derringer is just as determined to get what he wants…and he’s decided that’s Lucia Conyers. So just what does this Westmoreland man have to do to win her heart? I think you’re going to enjoy the results.
I hope you enjoy reading these special stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Happy reading!
Brenda Jackson
To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
To everyone who enjoys reading about the
Westmorelands. This one is for you.
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is
far above rubies.
—Proverbs 31:10
Table of Contents
What a Westmoreland Wants (#u20ae24b6-398b-5726-b28b-dd043c14ad79)
A Wife for a Westmoreland (#litres_trial_promo)
What a
Westmoreland Wants
Contents
Prologue (#ud527eba9-f2d0-58f4-b541-ffcbe9b02278)
Chapter 1 (#ueb96bffc-185c-54a8-bd90-f629d67ce7d4)
Chapter 2 (#u51fce3af-cfdc-5380-9a18-cad58d81d8ec)
Chapter 3 (#ua2613939-dfa1-5dc3-8e6e-17365662c46e)
Chapter 4 (#ub1a1e66a-410b-5a13-a231-76beda9dbdc4)
Chapter 5 (#ub209e5c2-db41-5c3b-a46c-2c9dae23a490)
Chapter 6 (#u4bb3125e-5aa3-5e5e-9337-f1178c9179fa)
Chapter 7 (#u6c8eae68-3ce8-5c7c-b87b-a6dbd04fe219)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
Callum Austell sat in the chair with his legs stretched out in front of him as he stared at the man sitting behind the huge oak desk. He and Ramsey Westmoreland had become friends from the first, and now he had convinced Ramsey that he was the man who would give his sister Gemma the happiness she deserved.
But Callum knew there was one minor flaw in his plans. One that would come back to haunt him if Gemma Westmoreland ever discovered that the trip to Australia he would offer her would be orchestrated for the sole purpose of getting her off familiar turf so that she would finally come to realize just how much he cared for her.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Ramsey said, interrupting Callum’s thoughts. “Gemma will give you hell when she finds out the truth.”
“I’ll tell her before then, but not before she falls in love with me,” Callum replied.
Ramsey lifted a brow. “And if she doesn’t?”
To any other woman Callum’s intense pursuit might seem like a romantic move, but Ramsey was convinced his sister, who didn’t have a romantic bone in her body, wouldn’t see things that way.
Callum’s expression was determined. “She will fall in love with me.” And then the look in his eyes almost became one of desperation. “Damn, Ram, she has to. I knew the first moment I saw her that she was the one and only woman for me.”
Ramsey took a deep breath. He wished he’d had the same thoughts the first time he set eyes on his wife, Chloe. Then he would not have encountered the problems he had. However, his first thoughts when he’d seen Chloe weren’t the least bit honorable.
“You’re my friend, Callum, but if you hurt my sister in any way, then you’ll have one hell of an angry Westmoreland to deal with. Your intentions toward Gemma better be nothing but honorable.”
Callum leaned forward in his chair. “I’m going to marry her.”
“She has to agree to that first.”
Callum stood. “She will. You just concentrate on becoming a father to the baby you and Chloe are expecting in a couple of months, and let me worry about Gemma.”
Chapter 1
Gem, I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me one day.
—Niecee
Gemma Westmoreland lifted a brow after reading the note that appeared on her computer after she’d booted it up. Immediately, two questions sailed through her mind. Where was Niecee when she should have been at work over an hour ago and what was Niecee apologizing for?
The hairs on the back of Gemma’s neck began standing up and she didn’t like the feeling. She had hired Niecee Carter six months ago when Designs by Gem began picking up business, thanks to the huge contract she’d gotten with the city of Denver to redecorate several of its libraries. Then Gayla Mason had wanted her mansion redone. And, last but not least, her sister-in-law, Chloe, hired Gemma for a makeover of the Denver branch of her successful magazine, Simply Irresistible.
Gemma had been badly in need of help and Niecee had possessed more clerical skills than the other candidates she’d interviewed. She had given the woman the job without fully checking out her references—something her oldest brother, Ramsey, had warned her against doing. But she hadn’t listened. She’d figured that she and the bubbly Niecee would gel well. They had, but now, as Gemma quickly logged into her bank account, she couldn’t help wondering if perhaps she should have taken Ramsey’s advice.
Gemma had been eleven when Ramsey and her cousin Dillon had taken over the responsibility of raising their thirteen siblings after both sets of parents had been killed in a plane crash. During that time Ramsey had been her rock, the brother who’d been her protector. And now, it seemed, the brother she should have listened to when he’d handed out advice on how to run her business.
She pulled in a sharp breath when she glanced at the balance in her checking account. It was down by $20,000. Nervously, she clicked on the transaction button and saw that a $20,000 check had cleared her bank—a check that she hadn’t written. Now she knew what Niecee’s apology was all about.
Gemma dropped her face in her hands and felt the need to weep. But she refused to go there. She had to come up with a plan to replace that money. She was expecting invoices to come rolling in any day now from the fabric shops, arts and craft stores and her light fixtures suppliers, just to name a few. Clearly, she wouldn’t have enough funds to pay all her debts. She needed to replace those funds.
She stood and began pacing the floor as anger consumed her. How could Niecee have done this to her? If she needed the money, all she had to do was ask. Although Gemma might not have been able to part with that much from her personal account, she could have borrowed the money from one of her brothers or cousins.
Gemma pulled in a deep frustrated breath. She had to file a police report. Her friendship and loyalty to Niecee ended the minute her former worker had stolen from her. She should have suspected something. Niecee hadn’t been her usual bubbly self the last few days. Gemma figured it had to do with her trifling live-in boyfriend who barely worked. Had he put Niecee up to this? It didn’t matter because Niecee should know right from wrong, and embezzling from your employer was wrong.
Sitting back down at her desk, Gemma reached for the phone and then pulled her hand back. Dang! If she called Sheriff Bart Harper—who had gone to school with both Ramsey and Dillon—and filed a report, there was no doubt in her mind that both Ram and Dillon would hear about it. Those were the last two people she wanted in her business. Especially since they’d tried talking her out of opening her interior design shop in the first place.
For the past year, things had worked out fairly well with her being just a one-woman show with her sisters, Megan and Bailey, helping out if needed. She had even pulled in her brothers, Zane and Derringer, on occasion, when heavy lifting had been involved. But when the big jobs began coming in, she had advertised in the newspapers and online for an administrative assistant.
She stood and began pacing again. Bailey was still taking classes at the university and wouldn’t have that much money readily available, and Megan had mentioned just the other week that she was saving for a much-needed vacation. Megan was contemplating visiting their cousin, Delaney, who lived in the Middle East with her husband and two children, so there was no way she could hit her up for a loan.
Zane and Derringer were generous and because they were bachelors they might have that kind of ready dough. But they had recently pooled all their funds to buy into a horse-breeding and -training franchise, together with their cousin, Jason. She couldn’t look in their direction now, due to that business venture. And all her other siblings and cousins were either in school or into their own businesses and investments.
So where was she going to get $20,000?
Gemma stood staring at the phone for a moment before it hit her that the thing was ringing. She quickly picked it up, hoping it was Niecee letting her know she was returning the money to her or, better yet, that the whole thing was a joke.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Gemma, this is Callum.”
She wondered why the man who managed Ramsey’s sheep farm would be calling her. “Yes, Callum?”
“I was wondering if I could meet with you sometime today to discuss a business proposition.”
She lifted a brow. “A business proposition?”
“Yes.”
The first thought that crossed her mind was that engaging in a business meeting was the last thing she was in the mood for today. But then she quickly realized that she couldn’t let what Niecee did keep her from handling things with her company. She still had a business to run.
“When would you like to meet, Callum?”
“How about today for lunch.”
“Lunch?”
“Yes, at McKay’s.”
She wondered if he knew that McKay’s was her favorite lunch spot. “Okay, that’ll work. I’ll see you there at noon,” she said.
“Great. See you then.”
Gemma held the phone in her hand, thinking how much she enjoyed listening to Callum’s deep Australian accent. He always sounded so ultrasexy. But then he was definitely a sexy man. That was something she tried not to notice too much, mainly because he was a close friend of Ramsey’s. Also, according to Jackie Barnes, a nurse who worked at the hospital with Megan and who’d had a bad case of the hots for Callum when he first arrived in Denver, Callum had a girl waiting for him back in Australia and it was a very serious relationship.
But what if he no longer had that girl waiting for him back in Australia? What if he was as available as he was hot? What if she could forget that he was her oldest brother’s close friend? What if...
Dismissing all such thoughts with a wave of her hand, she sat back down at her computer to figure out a way to rob Peter to pay Paul.
* * *
Callum Austell leaned back in his chair as he glanced around the restaurant. The first time he’d eaten here had been with Ramsey when he first came to Denver. He liked it then and now this would be the place where he would put into motion a plan some would think was way past due being executed. He would have to admit they were probably right.
He wasn’t sure exactly when he decided that Gemma Westmoreland was destined to be his woman. Probably the day he had helped Ramsey build that barn and Gemma had arrived from college right after graduation. The moment she got out of her car and raced over to her older brother’s arms for a huge hug. Callum had felt like he’d gotten hit over the head with a two-by-four, not once but twice. And when Ramsey had introduced them and she’d turned that wondergirl smile on him, he hadn’t been the same since. His father and his two older brothers had warned him that it would be that way when he found the woman destined to be his, but he hadn’t believed them.
That had been almost three years ago and she’d been just twenty-two years old. So he’d waited patiently for her to get older and had watched over her from afar. And each passing day she’d staked a deeper claim to his heart. Knowing how protective Ramsey was of his siblings, especially his three sisters, Callum had finally gotten up the nerve to confront Ramsey and tell him how he felt about Gemma.
At first Ramsey hadn’t liked the idea of his best friend lusting after one of his sisters. But then Callum had convinced Ramsey it was more than lust and that he knew in his heart that Gemma was “the one” for him.
For six months, Ramsey had lived with Callum’s family back in Australia on the Austell sheep ranch to learn everything he could so he could start his own operations in Denver. He had hung around Callum’s parents and brothers enough to know how dedicated the Austell men were once they fell in love.
His father had given up on falling in love and was on his way back to Australia from a business meeting in the United States to marry an Australian woman when he’d met Callum’s mother. She was one of the flight attendants on the plane.
Somehow the already engaged Todd Austell had convinced the Detroit-born Le’Claire Richards that breaking off with his fiancée and marrying her instead was the right thing to do. Evidently it was. Thirty-seven years later the two were still married, remained very much in love and had three sons and a daughter to show for it. Callum was the youngest of the four and the only one who was still single.
His thoughts shifted back to Gemma. Ramsey claimed that of his three sisters, Gemma was the one with the fiery temper. The one a man would least be able to handle. He’d suggested that Callum pray long and hard about making the right decision.
In the end, Callum had convinced Ramsey that he had made the right decision and that a hard-to-handle woman with a fiery temper was the kind he liked. He was more than certain that Gemma was the woman for him.
Now he had to convince Gemma... He’d have to be stealthy about his pursuit. He knew Gemma had no intention of engaging in a serious relationship after she had witnessed how two of her brothers, and several of her womanizing cousins, had operated with women over the years, breaking hearts in their wake. According to Ramsey, Gemma Westmoreland was determined never to let a man break her heart.
Callum straightened up in his seat when he saw Gemma enter the restaurant. Immediately, the same feeling suffused his heart that always settled there whenever he saw her. He loved the woman. He no longer tried to rationalize why. It really didn’t matter at this point.
As she walked toward him, he stood. She was probably 5­8", but just the right height for his 6­3" frame. And he’d always thought she had a rather nice figure. Her dark brown, shoulder-length hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He thought she had dazzling tawny-brown eyes, which were almost covered by her bangs.
Callum had worked hard not to give his feelings away. Because he’d always been on his best behavior around her, he knew she didn’t have a clue. It hadn’t been easy keeping her in the dark. She saw him as nothing more than her brother’s best friend from Australia. The Aussie who didn’t have a lot to say and was basically a loner.
He studied her expression as she got closer. She seemed anxious, as if she had a lot on her mind.
“Callum,” she said and smiled.
“Gemma. Thanks for agreeing to see me,” he said as he took her oustretched hand.
“No problem,” she said, sitting down once he released her hand. “You said something about meeting to discuss a business proposition.”
“Yes, but first how about us grabbing something to eat. I’m starving.”
“Sure.”
As if on cue, a waitress strolled over with menus and placed glasses of water in front of them. “I hope this place is acceptable,” Callum said, moments later after taking a sip of his water.
“Trust me, it is,” Gemma said smiling. “It’s one of my favorites. The salads here are fabulous.”
He chuckled. “Are they?”
“Yes.”
“That might very well be, but I’m not a salad man. I prefer something a lot heavier. Like a steak and the French fries I hear this place is famous for.”
“No wonder you and Ramsey get along. Now that he’s married to Chloe, I’ll bet he’s in hog heaven with all those different meals she likes to prepare.”
“I’m sure he is. It’s hard to believe he’s married,” Callum said.
“Yes, four months tomorrow and I don’t recall my brother ever being happier.”
“And his men are happy, too, now that Nellie’s been replaced as cook,” he said. “She never could get her act together and it worked out well for everyone when she decided to move closer to her sister when her marriage fell apart.”
Gemma nodded. “I hear the new cook is working out wonderfully, although most of the guys still prefer Chloe’s cooking. But she is happy just being Ramsey’s wife and a mother-in-waiting. She doesn’t have long now and I’m excited about becoming an aunt.
“Are you an uncle yet?”
It was his turn to smile. “Yes. My two older brothers and one sister are married with a child each. I’m used to being around kids. And I also have a goddaughter who will be celebrating her first birthday soon.”
At that moment the waitress returned. Callum resented the interruption.
* * *
Gemma appreciated the interruption. Although she had been around Callum plenty of times, she’d never noticed just how powerfully built he was. Her brothers and male cousins were all big men, but Callum was so much more manly.
And she had to listen carefully to what he said and stop paying so much attention to how he said it. His thick Australian accent did things to her. It sent a warm, sensual caress across her skin every time he opened his mouth to speak. Then there were his looks, which made her understand perfectly why Jackie Barnes and quite a number of other women had gone bonkers over him. In addition to being tall, with a raw, masculine build, he had thick chestnut-brown hair that fell to his shoulders. Most days he wore it pulled back into a ponytail. He’d made today an exception and it cascaded around his shoulders.
Gemma had once overheard him mention to her sister, Megan, that his full lips and dark hair came from his African-American mother and his green eyes and his square jaw from his father. She’d also heard him say that his parents had met on an airplane. His mother had been a flight attendant on his father’s flight from the United States back to Australia. He’d told Megan it had been love at first sight, which made her wonder if he believed in such nonsense. She knew there was no such thing.
“So what do you think of Dillon and Pamela’s news?”
Callum’s question cut into her thoughts and she glanced up to meet his green eyes. She swallowed. Was there a hint of blue in their depths? And then there was his dimpled smile that took her breath away.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said, suddenly feeling the need to take a sip of cold water. “There haven’t been babies in our family in a long time. With Chloe expecting and now Pamela, that’s two babies to spoil and I can’t wait.”
“You like children?”
She chuckled. “Yes, unfortunately, I’m one of those people who take to the precious darlings a little too much. That’s why my friends call on me more often than not to babysit for them.”
“You could always marry and have your own.”
She made a face. “Thanks, but no thanks. At least no time soon, if ever. I’m sure you’ve heard the family joke about me never wanting to get serious about a man. Well, it’s not a joke—it’s the truth.”
“Because of what you witnessed with your brothers while growing up?”
So he had heard. Any one of her brothers could have mentioned it, especially because she denounced their behavior every chance she got. “I guess you can say I saw and heard too much. My brothers and cousins had a reputation for fast cars and fast women. They thought nothing about breaking hearts. Ramsey usually had a steady girl, but Zane and Derringer were two of the worst when it came to playing women. As far as I’m concerned, they still are.” Unfortunately, she’d overheard one of Zane’s phone calls that very morning when she had stopped by to borrow some milk.
“I can clearly recall the times when Megan and I, and sometimes even Bailey, who was still young enough to be playing with her dolls, would be the ones to get the phone calls from love-stricken girls in tears after being mercilessly dumped by one of my brothers or cousins.”
And they were females determined to share their teary-eyed, heart-wrenching stories with anyone willing to listen. Megan and Bailey would get them off the phone really quickly, but Gemma had been the bleeding heart. She would ease into a chair and take the time to listen to their sob stories, absorbing every heartbreaking detail like a sponge. Even to the point at which she would end up crying a river of tears right along with them.
She’d decided by the time she had begun dating that no man alive would make her one of those weeping women. And then there was this inner fear she’d shared with no one, the fear of falling in love and having the person abandon her one day...the way she felt whenever she thought about her parents. She knew she had no logical reason for feeling abandoned by them because she was certain if they’d had a choice they would have survived that plane crash. But still, as illogical as it might be, the fear was there for her and it was real. She was convinced there was no man worth a single Gemma Westmoreland tear or her fears, and intended to make sure she never shed one by never giving her heart to anyone. She would be celebrating her twenty-fifth birthday in a few months and so far she’d managed to keep both her heart and her virginity intact.
“And because of that you don’t ever plan to get seriously involved with a man?”
She drew in a deep breath. She and her sisters had had this conversation many times and she was wondering why she was sitting here having it with Callum now. Why was he interested? It dawned on her that he probably wasn’t; he was just asking to fill the time. “As far as I’m concerned that’s a good enough reason. Those girls were in love with my brothers and cousins and assumed they loved them back. Just look what that wrong assumption did to them.”
Callum took a sip of his water, deciding not to respond by saying that as far as he was concerned her brothers’ behavior was normal for most men, and in some cases women. Granted, he hadn’t been around Zane and Derringer while they had been in their teens and could just imagine some of the things they had gotten in to. Now, as grown men, he knew they enjoyed women, but then most hot-blooded men did. And just because a man might be considered a “player” somewhat before finally settling down with one woman—the one he chose to spend the rest of his life with—that didn’t necessarily mean he was a man who totally disrespected women. In fairness to Zane and Derringer, they treated women with respect.
He wondered what she would think if she knew how his behavior had been before he’d met her. He hadn’t considered himself a womanizer, although he’d dated a slew of woman. He merely thought of himself as a man who enjoyed life and wanted to have a good time with the opposite sex while waiting for the girl destined to share his life to come along. Once she had, he’d had no trouble bringing his fun-loving, footloose and fancy-free bachelor lifestyle to an end. Eventually, the same thing would happen to her brothers and cousins.
No wonder her brothers thought she was a lost cause, but he refused to accept that. He was determined to show her how things could be if she were to fall in love with a man committed to making her happy.
In a way, he felt he knew Gemma. He believed that beneath her rough and tough “I’ll never fall in love” exterior was the heart of a woman who not only loved children but loved life in general. He also believed that she was a passionate woman. And that she was unknowingly reserving that passion for the one man capable of tapping into it. The same man destined to spend the rest of his life with her. Him.
The waitress delivered their food, and they engaged in chitchat while they ate their meal.
After they had finished eating and the waitress removed their plates, Gemma leaned back in her chair and smiled at Callum. “Lunch was wonderful. Now, about that business proposition?”
He chuckled, reached over and picked up the folder he had placed on an empty chair. He handed it to her. “This is information on the home I purchased last year. I would love you to decorate it for me.”
Callum saw how her eyes lit up. She loved her work and it showed in her face. She opened the folder and carefully studied every feature, every detail of the house. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was giving her 9,200 feet of house to do with as she pleased. It was an interior designer’s dream.
She lifted her gaze with a look of awe on her face. “This place is beautiful. And it’s huge. I didn’t know you had purchased a house.”
“Yes, but it’s still empty and I want to turn it into a home. I like what you did with Ramsey’s place and thought you would be the ideal person for the job. I’m aware that because of the size of the house it will take up a lot of your time. I’m willing to pay you well. As you can see I haven’t picked out any furniture or anything. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Now that much was true, Callum thought. What he didn’t tell her was that other designers had volunteered to decorate his new house, but he had bought it with her in mind.
She glanced back down at the papers in front of her. “Umm, eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, a huge kitchen, living room, dining room, family room, theater, recreation room and sauna. That’s quite a lot of space for a single man.”
He laughed. “Yeah, but I don’t plan on staying single forever.”
Gemma nodded, thinking that evidently Callum had decided to settle down and send for that girl back home. She glanced down at the papers again. She would love taking on this project, and he was right in thinking it would take up a lot of her time. But then she definitely needed the money.
“So, what do you think, Gemma?”
She glanced back up at him and smiled. “I think you just hired yourself an interior designer.”
The smile that touched his face sent a tingling sensation flowing through her stomach. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“No problem. When can you get away?”
She pulled out her cell phone to check her calendar and her schedule for this week. Once she saw the place and gave him an official estimate, she could ask for a deposit, which would make up some of what Niecee had taken from her. “What about tomorrow around one?”
“That might be a bit of a problem.”
“Oh.” She figured he would probably be tied up at Ram’s ranch doing something at that time, so without looking up she advanced her calendar another day. “What about Wednesday around noon.”
He chuckled. “Twelve noon on Monday would be the earliest availability for me.”
She nodded when she saw that time was free for her, although she wished she could see it sooner. “Monday at noon will be fine.”
“Great, I’ll make the necessary flight arrangements.”
She put her phone back into her purse and glanced over at him. “Excuse me?”
“I said that I will make the necessary flight arrangements if we want to see the house Monday at noon. That means we’ll need to fly out no later than Thursday morning.”
Gemma frowned. “Thursday morning? What are you talking about? Just where is this house located?”
Callum leaned back in his chair and gave her a one kilowatt smile. “Sydney, Australia.”
Chapter 2
Gemma didn’t have to look in the mirror to know there was a shocked look on her face. And her throat felt tight, as if sound would barely pass through it if she tried to speak. To prove the point, she tried to utter a word and couldn’t. So she just sat there and stared across the table at Callum like he had lost his ever-loving mind.
“Now that that’s all settled, let’s order some dessert,” Callum said, picking up the menu.
She reached out, touched his hand and shook her head. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “You don’t want dessert?”
She drew in a deep breath, made an attempt to speak once more and was glad when sound came out. But to be absolutely sure he understood, she held up her hands in the shape of a T. “Time out.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Time out?”
She nodded. “Yes, time out. You lost me between the flight on Thursday and Sydney, Australia. Are you saying this house that you want me to decorate is in Sydney, Australia?”
“Of course. Where else would it be?”
She fought hard not to glare at him; after all, he was a potential client. “I thought possibly in the Denver area,” she said in what she hoped was a neutral tone.
“Why would you think that?”
She couldn’t hold back her glare any longer. “Well, you’ve been in this country for almost three years now.”
“Yes, but I’ve never said or insinuated to anyone that I wouldn’t return home. I was here helping Ramsey out and now that he has the hang of things, I’m no longer needed. Now I can get back home and—”
“Get married,” Gemma supplied.
He chuckled. “As I said earlier, I don’t plan on staying single forever.”
“And when do you plan on marrying her?”
“Her who?”
Gemma wondered why some men suddenly went daft when their girlfriends were mentioned. “The woman waiting for you back in Australia.”
“Umm, I didn’t know there was such a creature.”
Gemma stared at him in disbelief. “Are you saying you don’t have a fiancée or a sweetheart back in Australia?”
He smiled. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Where did you hear something like that?”
Normally Gemma wouldn’t divulge her sources, but typically, Jackie knew what she was talking about, and that wouldn’t be anything the woman would have made up. “Jackie Barnes. And everyone figured she got the information from you.”
Callum shook his head. “She didn’t get that from me, but I have an idea where it came from. Your brother, Zane. I complained about Jackie making a nuisance of herself and he figured the best way to get rid of a woman like Jackie was just to let her believe I was already taken.”
“Oh.” She could see Zane doing something like that. If for no other reason than to shift Jackie’s interest from Callum to him. Her brother was a womanizer to the nth degree. And Derringer wasn’t any better. It was a blessing that the twins, Adrian and Aidan, were away at college, where the only thing on their minds was making the grade. “I assume Zane’s plan worked.”
“It did.”
“In that case you were lucky,” Gemma decided to say. “Some women would not have cared that you were spoken for. They would have taken it as a challenge to swing your interest their way.”
Callum couldn’t help but think of just where his interest had been for the past three years and knew no one could have succeeded in doing that. The woman sitting across the table was the one he intended to marry.
“And you actually assumed I have someone of interest back home?”
She shrugged. “Hey, that’s what we all heard and I had no reason to assume differently. As far as I knew, you weren’t dating anyone and whenever we had events you always came alone.”
And tried hanging around you every chance I got, he thought.
“You were almost as much of a loner as Ramsey,” Gemma added. “If your goal was to keep the women away, then it evidently worked for you.”
He took a sip of his drink, wondering if the reason she had yet to pick up on his interest in her was because she figured he was already taken.
“Callum, about this trip to Australia?”
He knew where she was about to take the discussion and was prepared with a spiel to reel her in. “What about it? If you’re having second thoughts, I understand. No sweat. I’ve already contacted a backup in case you couldn’t do it. Jeri Holliday at Jeri’s Fashion Designs has indicated she would love the job and will have her bags packed for Australia before I can blink an eye.”
Over my dead body, Gemma thought as she sat up straight in her chair. Jeri Holliday had been trying to steal clients from her for years.
“I think she liked the fact that I’m offering $50,000, and half of that upfront.”
His words froze her thoughts. “Come again?”
He smiled. “I said, considering that I’m asking the decorator to give up at least six weeks, I’m offering $50,000, just as a starting price.”
Gemma could only stare at him once again in disbelief. She leaned closer to the table and spoke in a hushed tone, as if anyone sitting in close range could overhear their top-secret conversation. “Are you saying that you’re paying $25,000 on acceptance of the job and the other half on completion; and that $50,000 does not include any of the materials? That’s just for labor?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
Gemma began nibbling on her bottom lip. The $25,000 would definitely boost her bank account, replacing what Niecee had stolen. And then to think there would be another $25,000 waiting when she completed everything. However, as good as it sounded there were a few possible conflicts.
“What do you see as the time line for this project, Callum?” she decided to ask him.
He shrugged wide shoulders. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Jeri. I think it will take a month to six weeks to take down all the measurements and get things ordered. I’d also like that person there to coordinate the selection of all the furniture. However, there’s no rush on that.”
Gemma began nibbling on her lips again. “The reason I asked is because there are two babies who will be born within a few months of each other and I’d like to be here for both births. If I can’t make it back at the time of delivery then at least within a few days.”
“No problem. In fact, I’ll spring for the flight.”
Gemma couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so generous and decided to ask him.
“I’ve always believed in being fair when it came to those who worked for me,” he said.
“In any case, I’m going to need to return myself to help out because Ramsey will be busy with Chloe and the baby,” he continued. “I don’t want him to worry about the ranch during that time, so I’ve already promised him that I would return. And although Dillon probably won’t need me to do anything, he and Pamela are like family and I want to be here for their baby’s arrival, too.”
Gemma felt relieved. But still—Australia? That was such a long way from home. And for a month, possibly six weeks. The only other time she’d been away from home for so long was when she left for college in Nebraska. Now she was considering trekking off to another country. Heck, it was another continent.
She was suddenly filled with an anticipation she’d never felt before. She’d never been a traveler, but if she took Callum’s job offer, she would get to see a part of the world she’d only read about. That was exciting.
“So are you still interested or do you want me to go with Jeri Holliday?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I don’t have a problem traveling to Australia and will be ready to fly out on Thursday. I just need to get my business in order. I’ll be gone for a while and I’ll need to let my family know.”
It then occurred to her that her family might not like the idea of her going so far away. Ramsey had a tendency to be overprotective. But he had his hands full with Chloe expecting their baby at the end of November. He would be too busy to try to micromanage her life...thank goodness.
“Terrific. I’ll make flight arrangements and will let you know when I have everything in order.”
“All right.”
Callum lifted up his soda glass in a toast. “Here’s to adventures awaiting you in the outback.”
Gemma chuckled as she lifted her glass in a toast, as well. “Yes, here’s to adventures in the outback.”
* * *
A few hours later back at her house, despite her outer calm, Gemma was trying to keep things together on the inside while she explained everything to her sisters, Megan and Bailey, as they sat together at the kitchen table. Megan was the oldest at twenty-six and Bailey was twenty-two.
“And why didn’t you file a police report? Twenty thousand dollars isn’t a little bit of money, Gem,” an angry Megan wanted to know.
Gemma drew in a deep breath. “I’m working with the bank’s security team in trying to recover the funds. The main reason I didn’t get Sheriff Harper involved is because he’s close friends with both Dillon and Ramsey. He’ll probably get a report of the incident from the bank, eventually, but I think he’d be more inclined to keep his mouth shut about it. It would appear more of an official matter then.”
“Oh.”
From the look on her sisters’ faces and their simultaneous responses, she knew they had forgotten that one important piece of information. There wasn’t too much a Westmoreland did in these parts that Dillon and Ramsey didn’t know about. Sheriff Harper, who had gone to high school with Dillon and Ramsey, made sure of that.
“And I didn’t want to hear, ‘I told you so’ from those two. Neither of them wanted me to start my own business when I did. So there was no way I was going to tell them what Niecee had done. Hiring her was my mistake and I’ll have to deal with it in my own way.”
“But will you make sure she doesn’t get away with her crime? I’d hate for her to steal from some other unsuspecting soul.”
“Yes, I’m going to make sure she doesn’t do this again. And to think that I trusted her,” Gemma said with a nod.
“You’re too trusting,” Megan said. “I’ve always warned you about that.”
And she had, Gemma thought. So had her older brothers. “So what do you think about me going to Australia?” She needed to change the subject.
Megan smiled. “Personally, I think it’s cool and wish I could go with you, but I’m saving my time off at the hospital for that trip to visit Delaney in Tehran.”
“I think that’s cool, as well,” Bailey said. “I’m still reeling over the fact that there’s no woman waiting for Callum back in Sydney. If that’s true, then why isn’t he dating? I don’t ever recall him having a girlfriend while he’s been here in the States. He’s nothing like Zane and Derringer.”
“And he’s such a cutie-pie,” Megan added.
Gemma couldn’t help smiling as she recalled how sexy he looked sitting across from her at lunch. “He’d already mentioned the job to Jeri Holliday, but it was contingent on whether or not I would accept his offer.”
“And I’m sure she was ready to grab it,” Bailey said with a frown.
“Of course she was. I wish the two of you could see the size of his house. I can’t believe he’d buy such a place as a single man. Now that I’ve made up my mind about going to Australia, I need to let Ramsey know.”
Gemma inhaled sharply at the thought of doing that, but knew it needed to be done. However, under no circumstances did Ramsey need to know that Niecee had embezzled $20,000 from her. She would let the bank’s security team handle things.
“You don’t have any appointments or projects scheduled for the next six weeks?” Megan asked as they helped her pack.
“No. This job offer came at a good time. I had thought about taking a well-deserved vacation anyway, but now it’s back to work for me. I’ll take some time off during the holidays.”
“If Callum bought a house in Australia, does that mean he’s moving back home?”
Gemma glanced over at Bailey. That thought hadn’t occurred to her. “I guess so.”
“What a bummer. I’ve gotten used to seeing him,” Bailey said with a pout. “I’d begun thinking of him as another big brother.”
Gemma drew in a deep breath. For some reason she’d never thought of him as another big brother.
She’d never felt the need to become as friendly with him as Megan and Bailey had, but she never knew why she’d been standoffish with him. She’d only accepted that that was the way things were. Why now, all of a sudden, did the thought of him returning to Australia to live and her not seeing him ever again seem like such a big deal?
The very thought made her uneasy.
Chapter 3
“Are you okay, Gemma?”
Gemma turned her head to glance over at Callum. What had the pilot just said? They were now cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet. Was Callum inquiring as to how she felt because she’d suddenly turned green?
Now was not the time to tell him that she had an aversion to flying. Although she’d flown before, that didn’t mean she liked it. In fact, she didn’t. She’d told herself while packing that she could handle the eighteen hours it would take to get to Australia. Now she was having some pretty serious doubts about that.
“Gemma?”
She drew in a deep breath. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
No, she wasn’t sure, but he would be the last person to know. “Yes.”
She turned her head to look out the window and wondered if asking for a window seat had been a wise choice. All she could see were clouds and Callum’s reflection. He smelled good, and she couldn’t help wondering what cologne he was wearing. And he looked good, too. He had arrived to pick her up wearing a pair of jeans, a blue chambray shirt and Western boots. She’d seen him in similar outfits plenty of times, but for some odd reason he seemed different to her today.
“The attendant is about to serve snacks. Are you hungry?”
She turned and met his eyes. They were a beautiful green and she could swear that a strange expression shone in their dark depths. “No, I ate a good breakfast this morning with Ramsey and Chloe.”
He lifted a brow. “You got up at five this morning to do that?”
She smiled. “Yes. All I had to do was set the alarm. I figured if I got up early, then by the time this plane leveled off in the sky I would be ready to take a nap.”
He chuckled. “Does flying bother you?”
“Let’s just say it’s not one of my favorite things to do,” she answered. “There’re other things I prefer doing more. Like getting a root canal or something else equally as enjoyable.”
He threw his head back and laughed, and she liked the sound of it. She’d known him for almost three years and this was the first time she recalled hearing him laugh. He’d always seemed so serious, just like Ramsey. At least that was how Ramsey used to be. She would be one of the first to say that marriage had changed her brother for the better.
“And then,” she added in a soft, thoughtful tone. “My parents were killed in a plane crash and I can’t help but think of that whenever I’m in the air.” She paused a moment. “There was a time after their deaths that I swore I’d never get on a plane,” she said quietly.
Callum did something at that moment she hadn’t expected. He reached out and took her hand in his. His was warm and large and completely covered hers. “How did you overcome that fear?”
She shifted her gaze away from their joined hands to his face and sighed deeply. “I refused to live my life in fear of the unknown. So one day I went to Ramsey and told him I was ready to take my first plane ride. He was working with Dillon at Blue Ridge Land Management at the time and made arrangements to take me on his next business trip. I was fourteen.”
A bright smile touched her lips. “He signed me out of school for a few days and I flew with him to New Mexico. My first encounter with turbulence almost sent me through the roof. But he talked me through it. He even made me write an essay on my airplane experience.”
The flight attendant came around serving drinks and snacks, but Gemma declined everything. Callum took a pack of peanuts and ordered a beer. Gemma had asked for a pillow earlier and adjusted it against her neck as she reclined comfortably in her seat. She had to admit that the first-class seats on this international flight were spacious. And Callum had booked a double-seat row for just the two of them.
Gemma noticed that the attendant had given Callum one or two smiles more than was necessary. The attendant’s obvious interest in her passenger made Gemma think of something. “Is it true that your parents met on a flight to Australia?”
He inclined his head to look at her. “Yes, that’s true. Dad was actually engaged to someone else at the time and was returning home to Australia to help plan his wedding.”
“And he fell for someone else when he was already engaged?”
Callum heard the shock in her voice. Considering what she thought about men deliberately breaking women’s hearts, he decided to explain. “From what I was told, he had asked this woman to marry him and it was to be a marriage of convenience.”
She lifted a brow. “A marriage of convenience for whom?”
“The both of them. She wanted a rich husband and he wanted a wife to start a family. They saw it as the perfect union.”
Gemma nodded. “So love had nothing to do with it?”
“No. He didn’t think such a thing could exist for him until he saw my mother. He was hit between the eyes with a ton of bricks.” Callum chuckled. “Those are his words, not mine.”
“And what happened to the other woman? The one he’d been engaged to at the time?”
He could hear pity in her voice. “Not sure. But I know what didn’t happen to her.”
Gemma lifted a curious brow. “What?”
A smile touched his lips. “She didn’t get the wedding she planned.”
“And you find that amusing?”
“Actually, yes, because it was discovered months later that she was pregnant with another man’s child.”
Gemma gasped sharply and leaned her head closer to Callum’s. “Are you serious?”
“Very much so.”
“The same thing almost happened to Ramsey, but Danielle stopped the wedding,” Gemma said.
“So I heard.”
“And I liked her.”
“I heard that, too. I understand that your entire family did. But then that goes to show.”
She looked over at him. “What?”
“Men aren’t the only ones who can be heartbreakers.”
Surprise swept across her face at his remark. Gemma leaned back against her seat and released her breath in a slow sigh. “I never said they were.”
“You didn’t?” he asked smiling.
“No, of course not.”
Callum decided not to argue with her about it. Instead, he just smiled. “It’s time for that nap. You’re beginning to sound a bit grouchy.”
* * *
To Callum’s surprise, she took one, which gave him the opportunity to watch her while she slept. As he gazed at her, he experienced the same intense desire that he’d always felt whenever he was close to her. At the moment, he was close, but not close enough. He couldn’t help but study her features and thought her moments of peaceful bliss had transformed her already beautiful face into one that was even more striking.
He would be the first to admit that she no longer looked like the young girl he’d seen that first day. In three years, her features had changed from that of a girl to a woman and it all started with the shape of her mouth, which was nothing short of sensuous. How could lips be that full and inviting, he wondered, as his gaze moved from one corner of her mouth to the other.
Callum’s gaze drifted upward from her mouth to her closed eyes and the long lashes covering them. His gaze then moved to her cheekbones and he was tempted to take the back of his hand and caress them, or better yet, trace their beautiful curves with the tip of his tongue, branding her as his. And she was his, whether she knew it or not, whether she accepted it or not. She belonged to him.
He then noticed how even her breathing was, and how every breath drew his attention to the swell of her breasts that were alluringly hidden inside a light blue blouse. He’d always found her sexy, too sexy, and it had been hard not to want her, so he hadn’t even bothered fighting the temptation. He had lusted after her from afar, which was something he couldn’t help, since he hadn’t touched another woman in almost three years. Once her place in his life had become crystal clear, his body had gone into a disciplined mode, knowing she would be the one and only woman he would make love to for the rest of his life. Now, the thought of that made his body go hard. He breathed in her scent, he closed the book he had been reading and adjusted his pillow. He closed his eyes and allowed his fantasies of her to do what they always did, take over his mind and do in his dreams what he couldn’t yet do in reality.
* * *
Gemma slowly opened her eyes at the same moment she shifted in her seat. She glanced over at Callum and saw that he had fallen asleep. His head was tilted close to hers.
She would have to admit that at first his close proximity had bothered her because she assumed they would have to make a lot of unnecessary conversation during the flight. She wasn’t very good at small talk or flirting. She’d dated before, but rarely, because most men had a tendency to bore her. She’d discovered that most liked talking about themselves, tooting their own horn and figured they were God’s gift to women.
She pushed all thoughts of other men aside and decided to concentrate on this one. He was sitting so close that she could inhale his masculine scent. She had enough brothers and male cousins to know that just as no two women carried the same scent, the same held true for men. Each person’s fragrance was unique and the one floating through her nostrils now was making funny feelings flutter around in her stomach.
Gemma found it odd that nothing like this had ever happened to her before, but then she couldn’t recall Callum ever being this close to her. Usually they were surrounded by other family members. Granted, they weren’t exactly alone now, but, still, there was a sense of intimacy with him sitting beside her. She could just make out the soft sounds of his even breathing.
She had been ready to go when he had arrived at her place. When she opened the door and he had walked in, her breath had gotten caught in her throat. She’d seen him in jeans more times than not, but there was something about the pair he was wearing now that had caused her to do a double take. When he’d leaned down to pick up her luggage, his masculine thighs flexed beneath starched denim. Then there were those muscled arms beneath the Western shirt. Her gaze had lingered longer than it should have on his body. She had followed him out the door while getting an eyeful of his make-you-want-to-drool tush.
She studied him now, fascinated by just what a good-looking man he was and how he’d managed to keep women at bay for so long. A part of her knew it hadn’t just been the story Zane had fabricated about a woman waiting for him back in Australia. That tale might have kept some women like Jackie away, but it would not have done anything to hold back the bolder ones. It was primarily the way he’d carried himself. Just like Ramsey. In his pre-Chloe days, most women would have thought twice before approaching her brother. He radiated that kind of “I’m not in the mood” aura whenever it suited him.
But for some reason, she’d never considered Callum as unapproachable as Ramsey. Whenever they had exchanged words, he’d been friendly enough with her. A part of her was curious about why if he wasn’t already taken; he’d held himself back from engaging in a serious relationship with a woman. Perhaps he wanted a wife who was from his homeland. That wouldn’t be surprising, although it was ironic that his mother was American.
“Oh.” The word slipped through her lips in a frantic tone when the plane shook from the force of strong turbulence. She quickly caught her breath.
“You okay?”
She glanced over at Callum. He was awake. “Yes. I hadn’t expected that just then. Sorry if I woke you up.”
“No problem,” he said, straightening up in his seat. “We’ve been in the air about four hours now, so we were bound to hit an air pocket sooner or later.”
She swallowed when the airplane hit a smaller, less forceful pocket of turbulence. “And they don’t bother you?”
“Not as much as they used to. When I was younger, my siblings and I would fly with Mom back to the States to visit our grandparents. I used to consider turbulence as exciting as a roller-coaster ride. I thought it was fun.”
Gemma rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing fun about the feel of an airplane shaking all over the place like it’s about to come apart.”
He released a soft chuckle. “You’re safe, but let me check your seat belt to be sure.”
Before she could pull in her next breath, he reached out to her waist and touched her seat belt. She felt his fingers brush against her stomach in the process. At that precise moment, sensations rushed all through her belly and right up her arms.
She glanced over at Callum and found her gaze ensnared by the deep green of his eyes and those sensations intensified. She knew at that moment that something was happening between them, and whatever it was, she wasn’t quite prepared for it.
She’d heard about sexual awareness, but why would it affect her now, and why with someone who was almost a total stranger to her? It wasn’t as if this was the first time she and Callum had been around each other. But then...as she’d acknowledged to herself earlier, this was the first time they had been alone to this degree. She wondered if her new feelings were one-sided, or if he’d felt it, as well.
“You’re belted tight,” he said, and to her his voice seemed a bit huskier...or perhaps she was just imagining things.
“Thanks for checking.”
“No problem.”
Since they were both wide awake now, Gemma decided it was probably a good idea to engage in conversation. That would be safer than just sitting here and letting all kinds of crazy thoughts race through her mind, like what would happen if she were to check on his seat belt as he’d checked on hers. She felt heat infuse her face and her heart rate suddenly shot up.
Then her anxiety level moved up a notch when she thought his gaze lingered on her lips a little longer than necessary. Had that really been the case? “Tell me about Australia,” she said quickly.
Evidently talking about his homeland was something he enjoyed doing if the smile tilting his lips was anything to go by. And they were a gorgeous pair. She’d noticed them before, but this was the first time she’d given those lips more than a passing thought.
Why all of a sudden was there something so compelling about Callum? Why did the thought of his lips, eyes and other facial features, as well as his hands and fingers, suddenly make her feel hot?
“You’re going to love Australia,” he said, speaking in that deep accent she loved hearing. “Especially Sydney. There’s no place in the world quite like it.”
She lifted a brow and folded her arms across her chest. She didn’t want to get into a debate, but she thought Denver was rather nice, as well. “Nicer than Denver?”
He chuckled, as understanding lit his eyes. “Yes. Denver has its strong points—don’t get me wrong—but there’s something about Sydney that’s unique. I’m not saying that just because it’s where I was born.”
“So what’s so nice about it?”
He smiled again and, as if on cue, those sensations in her stomach fluttered and spread through her entire midsection.
“I hate to sound like a travel ad, but Australia is a cosmopolitan place drenched in history and surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. Close your eyes for a moment and envision this, Gemma.”
She closed her eyes and he began talking in a soft tone, describing the beaches in detail. From his description, she could all but feel a spray of ocean water on her lips, a cool breeze caressing her skin.
“There’re Kingscliff Beach, Byron Bay, Newcastle and Lord Howe, just to name a few. Each of them is an aquatic paradise, containing the purest blue-green waters your eyes can behold.”
“Like the color of your eyes?” Her eyes were still closed.
She heard his soft chuckle. “Yes, somewhat. And speaking of eyes, you can open yours now.”
She slowly lifted her lids to find his eyes right there. He had inched his head closer to hers and not only were his eyes right there, so were his lips. The thoughts that suddenly went racing through her mind were crazy, but all she would have to do was to stick out her tongue to taste his lips. That was a temptation she was having a hard time fighting.
Her breathing increased and she could tell by the rise and fall of his masculine chest, that so had his. Was there something significantly dangerous about flying this high in the sky that altered your senses? Zapped them real good and sent them reeling off course? Filled your mind with thoughts you wouldn’t normally entertain?
If the answer to all those questions was a resounding yes, then that explained why her mind was suddenly filled with the thought of engaging in a romantic liaison with the man who was not only her client, but also her oldest brother’s best friend.
“Gemma...” It seemed he had inched his mouth a little closer; so close she could feel his moist breath on her lips as he said her name in that deep Australian accent of his.
Instead of responding, she inched her mouth closer, too, as desire, the intensity of which she’d never felt before, made her entire body shiver with a need she didn’t know she was capable of having. The green eyes locked on hers were successfully quashing any thoughts of pulling her mouth back before it was too late.
* * *
“Would either of you like some more snacks?”
Callum jumped and then quickly turned his face away from Gemma to glance up at the smiling flight attendant. He drew in a deep breath before responding. “No, thanks. I don’t want anything.”
He knew that was a lie the moment he’d said it. He did want something, but what he wanted only the woman sitting beside him could give.
The flight attendant then glanced over at Gemma and she responded in a shaky voice. “No, I’m fine.”
It was only after the attendant had moved on that Callum glanced at Gemma. Her back was to him while she looked out the window. He suspected that she was going to pretend nothing had happened between them a few moments ago. There was no doubt in his mind that they would have kissed if the flight attendant hadn’t interrupted them.
“Gemma?”
It took her longer than he felt was necessary to turn around and when she did, she immediately began talking about something that he couldn’t have cared less about. “I was able to pack my color samples, Callum, so that you’ll get an idea of what will best suit your home. I’ll give you my suggestions, but of course the final decision will be yours. How do you like earth-tone colors? I’m thinking they will work best.”
He fought the urge to say that what would work best would be to pick up where they’d left off, but instead he nodded and decided to follow her lead for now. In a way he felt good knowing that at least something had been accomplished today. She had finally become aware of him as a man. And he was giving her time to deal with that. He wouldn’t push her, nor would he rush things for now. He would let nature take its course and with the degree of passion they exhibited a short while ago, he had no reason to think that it wouldn’t.
“I happen to like earth-tone colors, so they will probably work for me,” he said, although he truly didn’t give a royal damn. The bottom line was whatever she liked would work for him because he had every intention of her sharing that house with him.
“That’s good, but I intend to provide you with a selection of vibrant colors, as well. Reds, greens, yellows and blues are the fashionable hues now. And we can always mix them up to create several bold splashes. Many people are doing that now.”
She continued talking, and he would nod on occasion to pretend he was listening. If she needed to feel she was back in control of things, then so be it. He relaxed in his seat, tilted his head and watched ardently as her mouth moved while thinking what he would love doing to that mouth if given the chance. He decided to think positive and concentrated on what he would do with that mouth when he got the chance.
* * *
A few moments after Callum closed his eyes, Gemma stopped talking, satisfied that she had talked him to sleep. She had discussed some of everything with him regarding the decorating of his home to make sure they stayed on topic. The last thing she wanted was for him to bring up what almost happened between them. Just the thought of how close they’d come to sharing a kiss, right here on this airplane, had her pulse racing something awful.
She had never behaved inappropriately with a client before and wasn’t sure exactly what had brought it on today. She would chalk it up as a weak moment when she’d almost yielded to temptation. When she had noticed just how close their mouths were, it had seemed a perfectly natural thing to want to taste his lips. Evidently, he’d felt the same way about hers, because his mouth had been inching toward hers with as much enthusiasm as hers had moved toward his. She was grateful for the flight attendant’s timely interruption.
Had the woman suspected what they had been about to do? The thought had made Gemma’s head heat up with embarrassment. Her heart was racing and the palms of her hands felt damp just thinking about it. She readjusted the pillow behind her head, knowing she would have to regain control of senses jolted by too much turbulence. Callum was just a man. He was a client. A friend of her family. He was not someone she should start thinking about in a sexual way.
She had gone twenty-four years without giving any man a second thought and going another twenty-four the same way suited her just fine.
Chapter 4
Gemma glanced around the spacious hotel where she and Callum would be staying for the night—in separate rooms, of course. Once their plane had landed, she had given herself a mental shake to make sure all her senses were back under control. Fortunately, the rest of the flight had been uneventful. Callum had kept his lips to himself and she had kept hers where they belonged. After a while, she had begun feeling comfortable around him again.
They’d taken a taxi from the airport. Callum had informed her that a private car service would arrive the next morning to take them to his parents’ home. Gemma assumed they would be staying with his parents for the duration of the trip.
She thought this hotel was beautiful and would rival any of the major chains back home. The suite was spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto Sydney, which at this hour was dotted with bright lights.
Because she had slept a lot on the plane, she wasn’t sleepy now. In fact, she was wide awake, although the clock on the nightstand by the bed indicated that it was after midnight. It was hard to believe that on the other side of the world in Denver they were trailing a day behind and it was eight in the morning.
She strolled to the window and looked out. She missed Denver already, but she couldn’t help being fascinated by all the things she’d already seen. Although their plane had landed during the night hours, the taxi had taken them through many beautiful sections of the city that were lit up, and showed just how truthful Callum had been when he’d said that there was no place in the world quite like Sydney.
Gemma drew in a deep breath and tried to ignore a vague feeling of disappointment. Even though she was glad Callum hadn’t mentioned their interrupted kiss, she hadn’t expected him to completely ignore her. Although they’d shared conversation since, most of it had been with him providing details about Sydney and with her going over information about the decorating of his home. The thought that he could control his emotions around her so easily meant that, although he had been drawn to her for that one quick instant, he didn’t think she was worth pursuing. If those were his thoughts, she should be grateful, instead of feeling teed off. Her disappointment and irritation just didn’t make any sense.
She left the window and crossed the hotel room to the decorative mirror on the wall to study her features. Okay, so she hadn’t looked her best after the eighteen-hour plane flight, but she had taken a shower and had freshened up since then. Too bad he couldn’t see her now. But overall, she hadn’t looked awful.
Gemma couldn’t help wondering what kind of woman would interest Callum. She was totally clueless. She’d never seen him with a woman before. She knew the types Zane and Derringer preferred dating—women who were all legs, beautiful, sophisticated, shallow, but easy to get into bed. For some reason she couldn’t see Callum attracted to that type of woman.
There were times she wished she had a lot of experience with men and was not still a twenty-four-year-old virgin. There had been a number of times during her college days when guys had tried, although unsuccessfully, to get her into bed. When they had failed, they’d dubbed her “Ice Princess Gemma.” That title hadn’t bothered her in the least. She’d rather be known as an ice princess than an easy lay. She smiled, thinking that more than one frustrated stud had given up on seducing her. Giving up on her because she refused to put out was one thing, but ignoring her altogether was another.
A part of her knew the best thing to do was to relegate such thoughts to the back of her mind. It was better that he hadn’t followed up on what had almost happened between them. But another part of her—the one that was a woman with as much vanity as any other female—hadn’t liked it one bit and couldn’t let it go.
A smile swept across her lips. Callum had suggested that they meet in the morning for breakfast before the car arrived to take them to his parents’ home. That was fine with her, because she would be meeting his parents and she wanted to look her best. The last thing she wanted was for them to think he’d hired someone who didn’t know how to dress professionally. So tomorrow she would get rid of her usual attire of jeans and a casual top and wear something a little more becoming.
She would see just how much Callum could ignore her then.
* * *
Callum got up the next morning feeling as tired as he’d been when he went to bed past midnight. He had tossed and turned most of the night, frustrated that he hadn’t taken the opportunity to taste Gemma’s lips when the chance to do so had been presented to him.
Every part of his body hardened with the memory of a pair of luscious lips that had been barely a breath away from his. And when she had tilted her head even more to him, placing her lips within a tongue reach, he had felt the lower part of his body throb.
The desire that had flowed between them had been anything but one-sided. Charged sensations as strong as any electrical current had surged through both their bodies and he had fought back the urge to unsnap her seat belt and pull her into his lap while lapping her mouth with everything he had.
He remembered the conversations they’d shared and how she’d tried staying on course by being the consummate professional. While she’d been talking, his gaze had been fixated on her mouth. He couldn’t recall a woman who could look both sexy and sweet at the same time, as well as hot and cool when the mood suited her. He loved all the different facets of Gemma, and he planned on being a vital part of each one of them. How could any man not want to?
Minutes later, after taking a shower and getting dressed, he left his hotel room to walk a few doors down to where Gemma had spent the night. Just the thought that she had been sleeping so close had done something to him. He wondered if she had gotten a good night’s sleep. Or had she tossed and turned most of the night, as he had? Probably not. He figured she had no idea what sexual frustration was all about. And if she did, he didn’t want to know about it, especially if some other man ruled her thoughts.
The possibility of that didn’t sit well with him, since he couldn’t handle the thought of Gemma with any other man but him. He pulled in a deep breath before lifting his hand to knock on her door.
“Who is it?”
“Callum.”
“Just a moment.”
While waiting, he turned to study the design of the wallpaper that covered the expanse of the wall that led to the elevator. It was a busy design, but he had to admit that it matched the carpet perfectly, pulling in colors he would not have normally paid attention to.
He shook his head, remembering that Gemma had gone on and on about different colors and how her job would be to coordinate them to play off each other. He was surprised that he could recall any of her words when the only thoughts going through his mind had been what he’d like doing to her physically.
“Come on in, Callum. I just need to grab a jacket,” she said upon opening the door.
He turned around and immediately sucked in a deep breath. He had to lean against the doorframe to keep from falling. His Gemma wasn’t wearing jeans and a top today. Instead, she was dressed in a tan-colored skirt that flowed to her ankles, a pair of chocolate-suede, medium-heeled shoes and a printed blouse. Seeing her did something to every muscle, every cell and every pore of his body. And his gut twisted in a knot. She looked absolutely stunning. Even her hair was different. Rather than wearing it in a ponytail she had styled it to hang down to her shoulders.
He’d only seen her a few other times dressed like this, and that had been when they’d run into each other at church. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, feeling a gigantic tug in his chest as he watched her move around the room. He became enmeshed in her movements and how graceful and fluid they were.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep, Callum?”
He blinked when he noticed that she stood staring at him, smiling. Was he imagining things or did he see amusement curving her lips? “I’m sorry, what did you ask?”
“I wanted to know if you got a good night’s sleep. I’m sure it felt good being back home.”
He thought about what she said and although he could agree that it was good being back home, it felt even better having her here with him. He’d thought about this a number of times, dreamed that he would share his homeland with her. He had six weeks and he intended to make every second, minute and hour count.
Apparently, she was waiting for his response. “Sleep didn’t come easy. I guess I’m suffering from jet lag. And, yes, I’m glad to be home,” he said, checking his watch. “Ready to go down for breakfast?”
“Yes, I’m starving.”
“I can imagine. You didn’t eat a whole lot on the plane.”
She chuckled. “Only because I wasn’t sure I could keep it down. There was a lot of turbulence.”
And he’d known how much that bothered her. He was glad when she’d finally been able to sleep through it. He had watched her most of the time while she’d done so.
“I’m ready now, Callum.”
He was tempted to reach out and take her hand in his, but he knew that doing such a thing would not be a smart move right now. He needed her to get to know him, not as her brother’s best friend, but as the man who would always be a part of her life.
* * *
“Hey, don’t look at my plate like that. I told you I was hungry,” Gemma said, laughing. Her stack of pancakes was just as high as Callum’s. He had told her this particular hotel, located in downtown Sydney, was known to serve the best pancakes. They not only served the residents of the hotel but locals who dropped in on their way to work. From where Gemma sat, she could see the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance. It was a beautiful sight.
“Trust me, I understand. I remember my mom bringing me here as a kid when I did something good in school,” he said while pouring syrup onto his pancakes.
“Wow, you mean this hotel is that old?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
He glanced over at her as amusement flickered in his gaze. “Old? Just what are you trying to say, Gemma?”
“Umm, nothing. Sorry. I have to remember that you’re my client and I have to watch what I say. The last thing I want to do is offend you.”
“And be careful that you don’t,” he warned, chuckling. “Or all that information you provided yesterday on colors and designs would have been for naught. How you can keep that stuff straight in your head is beyond me.”
He paused a moment. “And I talked to Ramsey last night. Everything is fine back in Denver and I assured him all was well here.”
Gemma smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. “Did you tell him we were on the flight from hell getting here?”
“Not quite in those words, but I think he got the idea. He asked me if you fainted when the plane hit the first pocket of turbulence.”
She made a face. “Funny. Did he mention how Chloe is doing?”
“Yes, she’s fine, just can’t wait for November to roll around.” He smiled. “She has two more months to go.”
“I started to call them last night when we got in, but after I took a shower and went to bed that did it for me. I hadn’t thought I’d be able to sleep so soundly, but I did.”
During the rest of their meal, Gemma explained to him how they managed to pull off a surprise baby shower for Chloe last month right under her sister-in-law’s nose, and how, although Ramsey and Chloe didn’t want to know the sex of the baby before it was born, Megan, Bailey and she were hoping for a girl, while Zane, Derringer and the twins were anticipating a boy.
Sipping coffee and sharing breakfast with Callum seemed so natural. She hadn’t ever shared breakfast with him before...at least not when it had been just the two of them. Occasionally, they would arrive at Ramsey’s place for breakfast at about the same time, but there had always been other family members around. She found him fun to talk to and felt good knowing he had noticed her outfit and even complimented her on how she looked. She had caught him staring at her a few times, which meant he couldn’t ignore her so easily after all.
They had finished breakfast and were heading back toward the elevators when suddenly someone called out.
“Callum, it’s you! I can’t believe you’re home!”
Both Callum and Gemma glanced around at the same time a woman threw herself at him and proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist while placing a generous smack on his lips.
“Meredith! It’s good to see you,” Callum said, trying to pry himself from the woman’s grip. Once that was accomplished, he smiled pleasantly at the dark-haired female who was smiling up at him like an adoring fan. “What are you doing in town so early?”
The woman laughed. “I’m meeting some friends for breakfast.” It was then that she turned and regarded Gemma. “Oh, hello.”
The first thought that came into Gemma’s mind was that the woman was simply beautiful. The second was that if it was the woman’s intent to pretend she was just noticing Gemma’s presence, then she had failed miserably, since there was no way she could have missed her, when she’d nearly knocked her down getting to Callum.
“Meredith, I’d love you to meet a good friend of mine,” he said, reaching out, catching Gemma’s hand and pulling her closer to his side. “Gemma Westmoreland. Gemma, this is Meredith Kenton. Meredith’s father and mine are old school chums.”
Gemma presented her hand to the woman when it became obvious the woman was not going to extend hers. “Meredith.”
Meredith hesitated a second before taking it. “So, you’re from the States, Gemma?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
She then turned adoring eyes on Callum again, and Gemma didn’t miss the way the woman’s gaze lit up when Callum smiled at her. “Now that you’re back home, Callum, what about us doing dinner at the Oasis, going sailing and having a picnic on the beach.”
For crying out loud. Will you let the man at least catch his breath, Gemma wanted to scream, refusing to consider that she was feeling a bit jealous. And besides, for all you know, I might be his woman and if I were I wouldn’t let him do any of those things with you. Talk about blatant disrespect.
“I’m going to be tied up this visit,” Callum said, easing Gemma closer to his side. Gemma figured he was trying to paint a picture for Meredith that really wasn’t true—that they were a twosome. Any other time she might have had a problem with a man insinuating such a thing, but in this case she didn’t mind. In fact, she welcomed the opportunity to pull the rug right out from under Miss Disrespect. Meredith was obviously one of those “pushy” women.
“And I’m only back home for a short while,” he added.
“Please don’t tell me you’re going back over there.”
“Yes, I am.”
“When are you coming home for good?” Meredith pouted, her thin lips exuding disappointment.
Gemma looked up at Callum, a questioning look in her eyes. Was this the woman waiting for him that he told her didn’t exist? He met her gaze and as if he read the question lingering there, he pulled her even closer to his side. “I’m not sure. I kind of like it over there. As you know, Mom is an American, so I’m fortunate to have family on both continents.”
“Yes, but your home is here.”
He smiled as he glanced down at Gemma. He then looked back at Meredith. “Home is where the heart is.”
The woman then turned a cold, frosty gaze on Gemma. “And he brought you back with him.”
Before Gemma could respond, Callum spoke up. “Yes, I brought her back with me to meet my parents.”
Gemma knew the significance of that statement, even if it was a lie. To say he had brought her home to meet his parents meant there was a special relationship between them. In truth, that wasn’t the case but for some reason he didn’t want Meredith to know that, and in a way she didn’t want Meredith to know it, either.
“Well, I see my friends have arrived now,” she said in a cutting tone. “Gemma, I hope you enjoy your time here in Sydney and, Callum, I’ll talk to you later.” The woman then beat a hasty retreat.
With his hand on her arm, Callum steered Gemma toward the elevator. Once they were alone inside the elevator, Gemma spoke. “Why did you want Meredith to assume we were an item?”
He smiled down at her. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Gemma shook her head. “No, but why?”
He stared at her for a few moments, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He seemed to think for a minute. “Just because.”
She lifted a brow. “Just because?”
“Yes, just because.”
She frowned up at him. “I’d like more of a reason than that, Callum. Is Meredith one of your former girlfriends?”
“Not officially. And before you assume the worst about me, I never gave her a reason to think anything between us was official or otherwise. I never led her on. She knew where she stood with me and I with her.”
So it was one of those kinds of relationships, Gemma mused. The kind her brothers were notorious for. The kind that left the woman broken down and brokenhearted.
“And before you start feeling all indignant on Meredith’s behalf, don’t waste your time. Her first choice of the Austells was my brother, Colin. They dated for a few years and one day he walked in and found her in bed with another man.”
“Oh.” Gemma hadn’t liked the woman from the first, and now she liked her even less.
The elevator stopped. They stepped off and Callum turned to her and placed his hand on her arm so she wouldn’t go any farther. She hadn’t expected the move and sensations escalated up her rib cage from his touch.
“I want to leave you with something to think about, Gemma,” he said in that voice she loved hearing.
“What?”
“I know that watching your brothers and cousins operate with girls has colored your opinion of men in general. I think it’s sad that their exploits have left a negative impression on you and I regret that. I won’t speak for your brothers, because they can do that for themselves, but I can speak for myself. I’d never intentionally hurt any woman. It’s my belief that I have a soul mate out there somewhere.”
She lifted a brow. “A soul mate?”
“Yes.”
Gemma couldn’t help but wonder if such a thing really existed. She would be the first to admit that her cousin Dillon’s first wife hadn’t blended in well with the family, nor had she been willing to make any sacrifices for the man she loved. With his current wife, Pam, it was a different story. From the moment the family had met Pam, they’d known she was a godsend. The same thing held true for Chloe. Gemma, Megan and Bailey had bonded with their sister-in-law immediately, even before she and Ramsey had married. And just to see the two couples together, you would know they were meant for each other and loved each other deeply.
So Gemma knew true love worked for some people, but she wasn’t willing to suffer any heartbreak while on a quest to find Mr. Right or her soul mate. But as far as Callum was concerned, she was curious about one thing. “And you really believe you have a soul mate?”
“Yes.”
She noted that he hadn’t hesitated in answering. “How will you know when you meet her?”
“I’ll know.”
He sounded pretty confident about that, she thought. She shrugged. “Well, good luck in finding her,” she said as they exited the building and headed toward the parking garage.
She noted that Callum appeared to have considered her comment, and then he tilted his head and smiled at her. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Chapter 5
“Wow, this car is gorgeous, but I thought a private car was coming for us.”
Callum looked over at Gemma and smiled as they walked toward the car parked in the hotel’s parking garage. “I decided to have my car brought to me instead.”
“This is your car?” Gemma studied the beautiful, shiny black two-seater sports car.
He chuckled as he opened the door for her. “Yes, this baby is mine.” And so are you, he wanted to say as he watched her slide her legs into the car, getting a glimpse of her beautiful calves and ankles. “I’ve had it now for a few years.”
She glanced up at him. “Weren’t you ever tempted to ship it to Denver?”
“No,” he said with a smile. “Can you imagine me driving something like this around Ramsey’s sheep farm?”
“No, I can’t,” she said, grinning when he got in on the other side and snapped his seat belt into place. “Is it fast?”
“Oh, yes. And you’ll see that it has a smooth ride.”
Callum knew she was sold on the car’s performance moments later when they hit the open highway and she settled back in her seat. He used to imagine things being just like this, with him driving this car around town with the woman he loved sitting in the passenger seat beside him.
He glanced over at her for a second and saw how closely she was paying attention to everything they passed, as if she didn’t want to miss anything. He drew in a deep breath, inhaling her scent right along with it, and felt desire settle into his bones. Nothing new there; he’d wanted Gemma since the first time he’d seen her and knew she would be his.
“This place is simply beautiful, Callum.”
He smiled, pleased that she thought so. “More so than Denver?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Hey, there’s no place like home. I love Denver.”
“I know.” Just as he knew it would be hard getting her to leave Denver to move to Sydney with him. He would have returned home long ago, but he’d been determined not to until he had her with him.
“We’re on our way to your parents’ home?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“Yes. They’re looking forward to meeting you.”
Surprise swept across her face. “Really? Why?”
He wished he could tell her the truth, but decided to say something else equally true. “You’re Ramsey’s sister. Your brother made an impression on them during the six months he lived here. They consider him like another son.”
“He adores them, as well. Your family is all he used to write us about while he was here. I was away at college and his letters used to be so full of adventure. I knew then that he’d made the right decision to turn over the running of the family’s real-estate firm to Dillon and pursue his dream of becoming a sheep rancher. Just as my father always wanted to do.”
He heard the touch of pain in her voice and sensed that mentioning her father had brought back painful memories. “You were close to him, weren’t you?”
When they came to a snag in traffic, he watched her moisten her lips before replying to his question. “Yes. I was definitely a daddy’s girl, but then so were Megan and Bailey. He was super. I can still recall that day Dillon and Ramsey showed up to break the news to us. They had been away at college, and when I saw them come in together I knew something was wrong. But I never imagined the news they were there to deliver.”
She paused a moment. “The pain wouldn’t have been so great had we not lost our parents and Uncle Adam and Aunt Clarisse at the same time. I’ll never forget how alone I felt, and how Dillon and Ramsey promised that, no matter what, they would keep us together. And they did. Because Dillon was the oldest, he became the head of the family and Ramsey, only seven months younger, became second in charge. Together they pulled off what some thought would be impossible.”
Callum recalled hearing the story a number of times from Ramsey. He had hesitated about going to Australia because he hadn’t wanted to leave everything on Dillon’s shoulders, so he’d waited until Bailey had finished high school and started college before taking off for Australia.
“I’m sure your parents would be proud of all of you,” he said.
She smiled. “Yes, I’m sure they would be, as well. Dillon and Ramsey did an awesome job and I know for sure we were a handful at times, some of us more than others.”
He knew she was thinking about her cousin, Bane, and all the trouble he used to get into. Now Brisbane Westmoreland was in the Navy with dreams of becoming a SEAL.
Callum checked his watch. “We won’t be long now. Knowing Mom, she’ll have a feast for lunch.”
A smile touched Gemma’s lips. “I’m looking forward to meeting your parents, especially your mother, the woman who captured your father’s heart.”
He returned her smile, while thinking that his mother was looking forward to meeting her—the woman who’d captured his.
* * *
Surprise swept across Gemma’s face when Callum brought his car to the marker denoting the entrance to his family’s ranch. She leaned forward in her seat to glance around through the car’s windows. She was spellbound, definitely at a loss for words. The ranch, the property it sat on and the land surrounding it were breathtaking.
The first thing she noticed was that this ranch was a larger version of her brother’s, but the layout was identical. “I gather that Ramsey’s design of the Shady Tree Ranch was based on this one,” she said.
Callum nodded. “Yes, he fell in love with this place and when he went back home he designed his ranch as a smaller replica of this one, down to every single detail, even to the placement of where the barns, shearing plants and lambing stations are located.”
“No wonder you weren’t in a hurry to return back here. Being at the Shady Tree Ranch was almost home away from home for you. There were so many things to remind you of this place. But then, on the other hand, if it had been me, seeing a smaller replica of my home would have made me homesick.”
He keyed in the code that would open the electronic gate while thinking that the reason he had remained in Denver after helping Ramsey set up his ranch, and the reason he’d never gotten homesick, were basically the same. Gemma. He hadn’t wanted to leave her behind and return to Australia, and he hadn’t, except for the occasional holiday visit. And he truly hadn’t missed home because, as he’d told Meredith, home is where the heart is and his heart had always been with Gemma, whether she knew it or not.
He put the car in gear and drove down the path leading to his parents’ ranch house. The same place where he’d lived all his life before moving into his own place at twenty-three, right out of college. But it hadn’t been unusual to sleep over while working the ranch with his father and brothers. He had many childhood memories of walks along this same path, then bicycle rides, motorcycle rides and finally rides behind the wheel of a car. It felt good to be home—even better that he hadn’t come alone.
He fully expected not only his parents to be waiting inside the huge ranch house, but his brothers and their wives, and his sister and brother-in-law as well. Everyone was eager to meet the woman whose pull had kept him working in North America as Ramsey’s ranch manager for three years. And everyone was sworn to secrecy, since they knew how important it was for him to win Gemma’s heart on his turf.
She was about to start getting to know the real Callum Austell. The man she truly belonged to.
* * *
When Callum brought the car to a stop in front of the sprawling home, the front door opened and a smiling older couple walked out. Gemma knew immediately that they were his parents. They were a beautiful couple. A perfect couple. Soul mates. Another thing she noted was that Callum had the older man’s height and green eyes and had the woman’s full lips, high cheekbones and dimpled smile.
And then, to Gemma’s surprise, following on the older couple’s heels were three men and three women. It was easy to see who in the group were Callum’s brothers and his sister. It was uncanny just how much they favored their parents.
“Seems like you’re going to get to meet everyone today, whether you’re ready to do so or not,” Callum said.
Gemma released a chuckle. “Hey, I have a big family, too. I remember how it was when I used to come home after being away at college. Everyone is glad to see you come home. Besides, you’re your parents’ baby.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Baby? At thirty-four, I don’t think so.”
“I do. Once a baby always a baby. Just ask Bailey.”
Just a look into his green eyes let her know he still wasn’t buying it. He smiled as he opened the door to get out and said, “Just get ready for the Austells.”
By the time Callum had rounded the car to open the door for her to get out, his parents, siblings and in-laws were there and she could tell that everyone was glad to see him. Moments later she stood, leaning against the side of his car, and watched all the bear hugs he was receiving, thinking there was nothing quite like returning home to a family who loved you.
“Mom, Dad, everyone, I would like you to meet Gemma Westmoreland.” He reached out his hand to her and she glanced over at him a second before moving away from the car to join him where he stood with his family.
“So you’re Gemma,” Le’Claire Austell said, smiling after giving Gemma a hug. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
Surprise lit up Gemma’s features. “You have?”
The woman smiled brightly. “Of course I have. Ramsey adores his siblings and would share tales with us about you, Megan, Bailey and your brothers, as well as all the other Westmorelands all the time. I think talking about all of you made missing you while he was here a little easier.”
Gemma nodded and then she was pulled into Callum’s dad’s arms for a hug and was introduced to everyone present. There was Callum’s oldest brother, Morris, and his wife, Annette, and his brother, Colin, and his wife, Mira. His only sister Le’Shaunda, whom everyone called Shaun, and her husband, Donnell.
“You’ll get to meet our three grands at dinner,” Callum’s mom was saying.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Gemma replied warmly.
While everyone began heading inside the house, Callum touched Gemma’s arm to hold her back. “Is something wrong?” He looked at her with concern in his green eyes. “I saw the way you looked at me when I called you over to meet everyone.”
Gemma quickly looked ahead at his family, who were disappearing into the house and then back at Callum. “You didn’t tell your family why I’m here.”
“I didn’t have to. They know why you’re here.” He studied her features for a moment. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Gemma Westmoreland? What’s bothering you?”
She shrugged, suddenly feeling silly for even bringing it up. “Nothing. I just remember what you insinuated with Meredith and hoped you weren’t going to give your family the same impression.”
“That you and I have something going on?”
“Yes.”
He watched her for a moment and then touched her arm gently. “Hey, relax. My family knows the real deal between us, trust me. I thought you understood why I pulled that stunt with Meredith.”
“I do. Look, let’s forget I brought it up. It’s just that your family is so nice.”
He chuckled and pulled her to him. “We’re Aussies, eight originals and one convert. We can’t help but be nice.”
She tossed him a grin before easing away. “So you say.” She then looked over at the car as she headed up the steps to the house. “Do you need help getting our luggage?”
“No. We aren’t staying here.”
She turned around so quickly she missed her step and he caught her before she tumbled. “Be careful, Gemma.”
She shook her head, trying to ignore how close they were standing and why she suddenly felt all kinds of sensations flooding her insides. “I’m okay. But why did you say we’re not staying here?”
“Because we’re not.”
She went completely still. “But—but you said we were staying at your home.”
He caught her chin in his fingers and met her gaze. “We are. This is not my home. This is my parents’ home.”
She swallowed, confused. “I thought your home is what I’m decorating. Isn’t it empty?”
“That house is, but I also own a condo on the beach. That’s where we’re staying while we’re here. Do you have a problem with that, Gemma?”
Gemma forced herself to breathe when it became clear that she and Callum would be sharing living space while she was here. Why did the thought of that bother her?
She had to admit for the first time she was noticing things about him she’d never noticed before. And she was experiencing things around him that she hadn’t experienced before. Like the way she was swept up in heated desire and the sensuous tickling in the pit of her stomach whenever he was within a few feet of her, like now...
“Gemma?”
She swallowed again as she met his gaze and the green eyes were holding hers with an intensity that she wasn’t used to. She gave her head a mental shake. His family had to be wondering why they were still outside. She had to get real. She was here to do a job and she would do it without having these crazy thoughts that Callum was after her body, just because she’d begun having crazy fantasies about him.
“No, I don’t have a problem with that.” She pulled away from him and smiled. “Come on, your parents are probably wondering why we’re still out here,” she said, moving ahead and making an attempt to walk up the steps again.
She succeeded and kept walking toward the door, fully aware that he was watching every step she took.
* * *
Callum glanced around his parents’ kitchen and drew in a deep breath. So far, things were going just as he’d hoped. From the masked smiles and nods he’d gotten from his family, he knew they agreed with his assessment of Gemma—that she was a precious gem. Even his three nephews, ages six, eight and ten, who were usually shy with strangers, had warmed up to her.
He knew that, for a brief moment, she had been confused as to why his family had taken so readily to her. What he’d told her hadn’t been a lie. They knew the reason she was here and decorating that house he had built was only part of it. In fact, a minor part.
“When are you getting a haircut?”
Callum turned and smiled at his father. “I could ask you the same thing.” Todd Austell’s hair was just as long as his son’s and Callum couldn’t remember him ever getting his hair cut. In fact, it appeared longer now than the last time he’d seen it.
“Don’t hold your breath for that to happen,” his father said with joking amusement in his green gaze. “I love my golden locks. The only thing I love more is your mother.”
Callum leaned against the kitchen counter. His mother, sister and sisters-in-law had Gemma in a corner and from their expressions he knew they were making his woman feel right at home. His brother and brothers-in-law were outside manning the grills, and his nephews were somewhere playing ball. His parents had decided to have a family cookout to welcome him and Gemma home.
“Gemma is a nice girl, Callum. Le’Claire and Shaun like her.”
He could tell. He glanced up at his father. “And you?”
A smile crossed Todd Austell’s lips. “I like her.”
As if she felt Callum’s gaze, she glanced over in his direction and smiled. His muscles tightened in desire for her.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“After you met Mom and knew she was the woman for you, how long did it take you to convince her of it?”
“Too long.”
Callum chuckled. “How long was too long?”
“A few months. Remember, I had an engagement to break off and then your mother assumed that flying was her life. I had to convince her that she was sorely mistaken about that, and that I was her life.”
Callum shook his head. His father was something else. Callum’s was one of the wealthiest families in Sydney; the Austells had made their millions not only in sheep farming but also in the hotel industry. The hotel where he and Gemma had stayed last night was part of just one of several hotel chains that Colin was in charge of. Morris was vice president of the sheep-farm operation.
When Callum was home, he worked wherever he was needed, but he enjoyed sheep farming more. In fact, he was CEO of his own ranching firm, which operated several sheep ranches in Australia. Each was run by an efficient staff. He also owned a vast amount of land in Australia. He’d never been one to flaunt his wealth, although in his younger days he’d been well aware money was what had driven a lot of women to him. He had frustrated a number of them by being an elusive catch.
He glanced again at the group of women together and then at his father. “I guess it worked.”
The older man lifted a brow. “What worked?”
“You were able to convince Mom that you were her life.”
A deep smile touched his father’s lips. “Four kids and three grandsons later, what can I say?”
A smile just as deep touched Callum’s lips. “You can say that in the end Mom became your life as well. Because I think it’s obvious that she has.”
Chapter 6
The moment Gemma snapped her seat belt in place, a bright smile curved her lips. “Your family is simply wonderful, Callum, and I especially like your mom. She’s super.”
“Yes, she is,” Callum agreed as he started the car’s engine to leave his parents’ home.
“And your dad adores her.”
Callum chuckled. “You can tell?”
“How could I not? I think it’s wonderful.”
She was quiet for a moment. “I recall my parents being that way, having a close relationship and all. As I got older, although I missed them both, I couldn’t imagine one living without the other, so I figured that if they had to die, I was glad they at least went together,” she said.
Gemma forced back the sadness that wanted to cloud what had been a great day. She glanced over at Callum. “And I love your parents’ home. It’s beautiful. Your mother mentioned that she did all the decorating.”
“She did.”
“Then why didn’t you get her to decorate yours?”
“Mine?”
“Yes, the one you’ve hired me to do. I’m grateful that you thought of me, mind you, but your mother could have done it.”
“Yes, she could have, but she doesn’t have the time. Taking care of my dad is a full-time job. She spoils him rotten.”
Gemma laughed. “Appears he likes spoiling her as well.”
She had enjoyed watching the older couple displaying such a warm, loving attitude toward each other. It was obvious that their children were used to seeing them that way. Gemma also thought Callum’s three nephews were little cuties.
“Is it far to the condo where you live?” she asked him, settling back against the car seat. When they walked out of Callum’s parents’ house, she noted that the evening temperature had dropped and it was cool. It reminded her of Denver just weeks before the first snowfall in late September. She then remembered that Australia’s seasons were opposite the ones in North America.
“No, we’ll be there in around twenty minutes. Are you tired?”
“Umm. Jet lag I think.”
“Probably is. Go ahead and rest your eyes for a while.”
Gemma took him up on his offer and closed her eyes for a moment. Callum was right, the reason she wanted to rest had to do with jet lag. She would probably feel this way until she adjusted to the change in time zone.
She tried to clear her mind of any thoughts, but found it impossible to do when she was drawn back to the time she had spent at Callum’s parents’ home. What she’d told him was true. She had enjoyed herself and thought his family was wonderful. They reminded her of her siblings.
She was close to her siblings and cousins, and they teased each other a lot. She’d picked up on the love between Callum and his siblings. He was the youngest and it was obvious that they cared deeply about him and were protective of him.
More than once, while talking to Callum’s mom, she had felt his eyes on her and had glanced across the room to have her gaze snagged by his. Had she imagined it or had she seen male interest lurking in their green depths?
There had been times when the perfection of Callum’s features had nearly stopped her in her tracks and she found herself at several standstills today. Both of his brothers were handsome, but in her book, Callum was gorgeous, and was even more so for some reason today. She could understand the likes of Meredith trying to come on to him. Back in Denver on the ranch, he exuded the air of a hardworking roughneck, but here in Sydney, dressed in a pair of slacks and a dress shirt and driving a sports car, he passed the test as the hot, sexy and sophisticated man that he was. If only all those women back in Denver could see him now.
She slowly opened her eyes and studied his profile over semi-lowered lashes as he drove the car. Sitting in a perfect posture, he radiated the kind of a strength most men couldn’t fabricate, even on their best days. His hair appeared chestnut in color in the evening light and hung around his shoulders in fluid waves.
There was something about him that infused a degree of warmth all through her. Why hadn’t she felt it before? Maybe she had, but had forced herself to ignore it. And then there was the difference in their ages. He was ten years her senior. The thought of dating a man in close proximity to her age was bad enough; to consider one older, she’d thought, would be asking for trouble, definitely way out of her league.
Her gaze moved to his hands. She recalled on more than one occasion seeing those hands that were now gripping the steering wheel handle the sheep on her brother’s ranch. There was an innate strength about them that extended all the way to his clean and short fingernails.
According to Megan, you could tell a lot about a man by his hands. That might be true, but Gemma didn’t have a clue what she should be looking for. It was at times like this that her innocence bothered her. For once—maybe twice—she wouldn’t mind knowing how it felt to get lost in the depth of a male’s embrace, kissed by him in a way that could curl her toes and shoot sparks of pleasure all threw her. She wanted to be made love to by a man who knew what he was doing. A man who would make her first time special, something she would remember for the rest of her life and not forget when the encounter was over.
She closed her eyes again and remembered that moment on the plane when Callum had awakened and found her there, close to his face and staring at him. She remembered how he had stared back, how she had actually felt a degree of lust she hadn’t thought she could feel and a swell of desire that had nearly shaken her to the core. She had felt mesmerized by his gaze, had felt frozen in a trance, and the only thing that would break it would be a kiss. And they had come seconds, inches from sharing one.
She knew it would have to be one of those kisses she’d always dreamed of sharing with a man. The kind that for some reason she believed only Callum Austell could deliver. Yes, the mind-blowing, toe-curling kind. A ripple of excitement sent shivers up her spine at the thought of being swept up in Callum’s embrace, kissed by him, made love to by him.
She sucked in a quick breath, wondering what was making her think such things. What was causing her to have such lurid thoughts? And then she knew. She was attracted to her brother’s best friend in the worst possible way. And as the sound of the car’s powerful engine continued to roar under Callum’s skillful maneuvering on the roadway, she felt herself fall deeper and deeper into a deep sleep with thoughts of Callum Austell getting embedded thoroughly into her mind.
* * *
Callum settled comfortably in the driver’s seat as he drove the road with the power and ease he had missed over the years. Three in fact. Although he had returned home on occasion and had taken the car on the road for good measure whenever he did, there was something different about it this time. Because he had his future wife sitting beside him.
He smiled when he quickly glanced at her before returning his gaze to the road. She was sleeping beside him. He couldn’t wait for the time when she would be sleeping with him. The thought of having her in his arms, making love to every inch of her body, filled him with a desire he didn’t know it was possible to feel. But then Gemma had always done that to him, even when she hadn’t known she was doing it.
Over the years he’d schooled himself well, and very few knew how he felt. Ramsey and Dillon knew, of course, and he figured Zane and Derringer suspected something as well. What had probably given Callum away was his penchant for watching Gemma the way a fox watched the henhouse, with his eye on one unsuspecting hen. It wasn’t surprising that Gemma was totally clueless.
So far things were going as planned, although there had been a few close calls with his family when he thought one of them would slip and give something away. He wanted Gemma to feel comfortable around him and his family, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel as if she’d deliberately been set up in any way. He wanted her to feel a sense of freedom here that he believed she wouldn’t feel back in Denver.
For her to want to try new and different things, to embrace herself as a woman, topped his list. And for the first time, he would encourage her to indulge all her desires with a man. But not just any man. With him. He wanted her to see that not all men had only one thing in mind when it came to a woman, and for two people to desire each other wasn’t a bad thing.
He wanted her to understand and accept that no matter what happened between them, it would be okay because nothing they shared would be for the short term. He intended to make this forever.
Callum pulled into the gated condo community and drove directly to his home, which sat on a secluded stretch of beach, prized for the privacy he preferred. He planned to keep this place even after their home was fully decorated and ready to move in. But first he had to convince Gemma that he was worth it for her to leave the country where she’d been born, the country in which her family resided, and move here with him, to his side of the world.
He brought his car to a stop and killed the ignition. It was then that he turned toward her, keeping one hand on the steering wheel and draping the other across the back of the passenger seat. She looked beautiful, sleeping as if she didn’t have a care in the world—and in a way she didn’t. He would shoulder whatever problems she had from here on out.
With an analytical eye he studied her features. She was smiling while she slept and he wondered why. What pleasing thoughts were going through her mind? It had gotten dark, and the lights from the fixtures in front of his home cast a glow on her face at an angle that made it look even more beautiful. He could imagine having a little girl with her mouth and cheekbones, or a son with her ears and jaw. He thought she had cute ears.
With a tentative hand he reached out and brushed his fingers gently across her cheeks. She shifted and began mumbling something. He leaned closer to catch what she was saying and his gut tightened in a ball of ravenous desire when she murmured in her sleep, “Kiss me, Callum.”
* * *
Gemma felt herself drowning in a sea of desire she’d never felt before. She and Callum were not on the ranch in Denver, but were back on the plane. This time the entire plane was empty. They were the only two people onboard.
He had adjusted their seats to pull her into his arms, but instead of kissing her he was torturing her mouth inside, nibbling from corner to corner, then taking his tongue and licking around the lines of her lips.
She moaned deep in her throat. She was ready for him to take her mouth and stop toying with it. She needed to feel his tongue sucking on hers, tasting it instead of teasing it, and then she wanted their tongues to tangle in a delirious and sensual duel.
She began mumbling words, telling him to stop toying with her and asking that he finish what he’d started. She wanted the kiss she’d almost gotten before—a kiss to lose herself in sensual pleasure. Close to her ear she heard a masculine growl, sensed the passion of a man wanting to mate and breathed in the scent of a hot male.
Then suddenly she felt herself being gently shaken. “Gemma. Wake up, Gemma.”
She lifted drowsy lids only to find Callum’s face right there in front of hers. Just as it had been on the plane. Just as it had been moments earlier in her dream. “Callum?”
“Yes,” he replied in a warm voice that sent delicious shivers up her spine. His mouth was so close she could taste his breath on her lips. “Do you really want me to kiss you, Gemma? You are one Westmoreland that I’ll give whatever you want.”
Chapter 7
Gemma forced the realization into her mind that she wasn’t dreaming. This was the real deal. She was awake in Callum’s car and he was leaning over her with his face close to hers and there wasn’t a flight attendant to interrupt them if he decided to inch his mouth even closer. Would he?
That brought her back to his question. Did she want him to kiss her? Evidently, she had moaned out the request in her sleep and he’d heard it. From the look in the depth of his green eyes, he was ready to act on it. Is that what she wanted? He did say he would give her whatever she wanted.
More than anything, she wanted to be kissed by him. Although it wouldn’t be her first kiss, she believed it would be the first one she received with a semblance of passion and desire on both sides. Before guys had wanted to kiss her, but she hadn’t really cared if she kissed them or not.
This time she would act first and worry about the consequences of her actions later.
Holding his gaze, she whispered against his lips, “Yes, I want you to kiss me.” She saw him smiling and giving a small nod of satisfaction before he leaned in closer. Before she could catch her next breath, he seized her mouth with his.
The first thing he did was seek out her tongue and the moment he captured it in his, she was a goner. He started off slow, plying her with a deep, thorough kiss as if he wanted to get acquainted with the taste and texture of her mouth, flicking the tip of his tongue all over the place, touching places she hadn’t known a tongue could reach, while stirring up even more passion buried deep within her bones.
For a timeless moment, heat flooded her body in a way it had never done before, triggering her breasts to suddenly feel tender and the area between her thighs to throb. How could one man’s kiss deliver so much pleasure? Elicit things from her she never knew existed?
Before she could dwell on any answers to her questions, he deepened the kiss and began mating with her mouth with an intensity and hunger that made her stomach muscles quiver. It was a move she felt all the way to her toes. She felt herself becoming feverish, hot and needy. When it came to a man, she’d never been needy.
He slanted his head, taking the kiss deeper still, while tangling with her tongue in a way she had dreamed about only moments earlier. But now she was getting the real thing and not mere snippets of a fantasy. He wasn’t holding back on anything and his tongue was playing havoc with her senses in the process. It was a work of art, a sensuous skill. The way he’d managed to wrap his tongue around hers, only letting it go when it pleased him and capturing it again when he was ready to dispense even more pleasurable torture.
She had asked for this kiss and wasn’t disappointed. Far from it. He was taking her over the edge in a way that would keep her falling with pleasure. His mouth seemed to fit hers perfectly, no matter what angle he took. And the more it plowed her mouth hungrily, the more every part of her body came alive in a way she wasn’t used to.
She moaned deep in her throat when she felt the warmth of his fingers on her bare thigh and wondered when had he slid his hand under her skirt. When those fingers began inching toward her center, instinctively she shifted her body closer to his. The move immediately parted her thighs.
As if his fingers were fully aware of the impact they were having on her, they moved to stake a claim on her most intimate part. As his fingers slid beneath the waistband of her panties, she released another moan when his hand came into contact with her womanly folds. They were moist and she could feel the way his fingertips were spreading her juices all over it before he dipped a finger inside her.
The moment he touched her there, she pulled her mouth away from his to throw back her head in one deep moan. But he didn’t let her mouth stay free for long. He recaptured it as his fingers caressed her insides in a way that almost made her weep, while his mouth continued to ply her with hungry kisses.
Suddenly she felt a sensation that started at her midsection and then spread throughout her body like tentacles of fire, building tension and strains of sensuous pressure in its wake. Her body instinctively pushed against his hand just as something within her snapped and then exploded, sending emotions, awareness and all kinds of feeling shooting all through her, flooding her with ecstasy.
Although this was the first time she’d ever experienced anything like it, she knew what it was. Callum had brought her to her first earthshaking and shattering climax. She’d heard about them and read about them, but had never experienced one before. Now she understood what it felt like to respond without limitations to a man.
When the feelings intensified, she pulled her mouth from his, closed her eyes and let out a deep piercing scream, unable to hold it back.
“That’s it. Come for me, baby,” he slurred thickly against her mouth before taking it again with a deep erotic thrust of his tongue.
And he kept kissing her in this devouring way of his until she felt deliciously sated and her body ceased its trembling. He finally released her mouth, but not before his tongue gave her lips a few parting licks. It was then that she opened her eyes, feeling completely drained but totally satisfied.
He held her gaze and she wondered what he was thinking. Had their business relationship been compromised? After all, he was her client and she had never been involved with a client before. And whether she’d planned it or not, they were involved. Just knowing there were more kisses where that one came from sent shivers of pleasure down her spine.
Better yet, if he could deliver this kind of pleasure to her mouth, she could just imagine what else he could do to other parts of her body, like her breasts, stomach, the area between her legs. The man possessed one hell of a dynamic tongue and he certainly knew how to use it.
Heat filled her face from those thoughts and she wondered if he saw it. At least he had no idea what she was thinking. Or did he? He hadn’t said anything yet. He was just staring at her and licking his lips. She felt she should say something, but at the moment she was speechless. She’d just had her very first orgasm and she still had her clothes on. Amazing.
* * *
Callum’s nostrils flared from the scent of a woman who’d been pleasured in the most primitive way. He would love to strip her naked and taste the dewy essence of her. Brand his tongue with her intimate juices, lap her up the way he’d dreamed of doing more times than he could count.
She was staring at him as if she was still trying to figure out why and how this thing had happened. He would allow her time to do that, but what he wouldn’t tolerate was her thinking that what they’d shared was wrong, because it wasn’t. He would not accept any regrets.
The one thing he’d taken note of with his fingers was that she was extremely tight. With most men that would send up a red flag, but not him because her sexual experience, or lack thereof, didn’t matter. However, if she hadn’t been made love to before, he wanted to know it.
He opened his mouth to ask her, but she spoke before he could do so. “We should not have done that, Callum.”
She could say that? While his hand was still inside of her? Maybe she had forgotten where his fingers were because they weren’t moving. He flexed them, and when she immediately sucked in a deep breath as her gaze darkened with desire, he knew he’d succeeded in reminding her.

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