Christmas with the Boss (7 page)

 “So are you still up for a surf in the morning?” Dominic
pointed to the board propped up against the wall. “I found my old kneeboard in
the shed. It’s all waxed and ready to go.”

“Will the weather be okay?”

“Guaranteed. This is just a summer storm.” Like the tumultuous
feelings that were coursing through her as the touch of his hand warmed her
skin. Her body was reacting to him with surprising heat. She lifted her drink
and drained the beer, welcoming the fizz that coursed through her blood.

“For sure.”

Another chuckle came from the dark and despite the heat of Dominic’s
body beside hers, goose bumps rose on her skin.

“What was that?”

“Just the wind. Don’t be nervous.” His arm went around her and he
squeezed her shoulder and Jilly put aside her jumpiness.

Grow up
,
she chastised herself. He
was right; this was a very different place to her apartment in Manly where
there were people around day and night.

She swallowed as he kept his arm there; he was flirting with her and
she didn’t mind one bit. They weren’t at work now; it was a vacation. Maybe she
could put her rules aside for a day or two.

 “I hope the weather’s okay for our surf tomorrow. I’m looking
forward to it.” She shivered as the wind whipped around the verandah. “Do you
want to come inside before this rain hits.”

The cold breeze chilled her skin as Dominic stepped away. “It’s time
I went home.” He’d put a barrier up suddenly. And his expression was back to
that of Dominic the boss. Was she giving out vibes he didn’t like?

Jilly shrugged as she took a step back. Literally and emotionally.
“What about the plum pudding?”

“Let’s save it for after our surf tomorrow. You think I work you
hard in the office, you ain’t seen nothing yet. We’ll get you working those
waves.” The distance had left his voice but he moved towards the steps.

“Thanks for the beer. Do you want to take the rest back with you?”

“Nah.” He waved dismissively. “Put them in your fridge. New Year’s
Eve is coming up.”

“So what time in the morning?” She kept her voice casual not wanting
him to see her disappointment.

“Sunrise too early? Meet me on the beach.”

Jilly nodded and with a final wave, Dominic disappeared into the
darkness and emptiness surrounded her.

Boxing Day

Despite the unsettled feeling that wouldn’t leave her as she sat on
the lounge and read after a light dinner, Jilly slept well. Before she went to
bed, she double checked the locks on the window and the doors, and left a light
on in the kitchen. There was nothing she could do about the thin piece of
lattice in the kitchen that shook in the wind. She still couldn’t shake the
feeling that someone was watching her, which she knew was stupid, because there
was no one within cooee.

Apart from Dominic. But one minute, he’d been up close and personal
and then he’d withdrawn into himself and left in a matter of minutes.

The alarm on her iPhone roused her at 4.30 a.m. and she stumbled into
the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, and reached for the kettle. Her hand froze on
the tap as she looked up at the back door.
Unlocked and wide open.
And
not only that, the surfboard that Dominic had left outside on the verandah was
lying along the sofa, the cotton draw string bag that had encased it, lay
scrunched on the rose-covered mat.

Jilly backed away and looked around.

 “What the fuck?” Her hands shook as she shut the back door and
flicked the lock over. She’d forget about the cup of tea; just get changed and
head to the beach.

Get out of this house. Forget about what Dominic said about it not
being safe, being in here was beginning to creep her out a little.

The first rosy glimmers of dawn were streaking the sky with a soft
apricot when she stepped outside, the board tucked beneath her arm. A warm wind
puffed in off the hills this morning and everything was washed clean from the
storm last night. The wind must have blown the door opened, she reasoned to
herself. And she must have carried the board inside when she was half-asleep
and forgotten that she had. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to have
herself spooked and head home early, which she really didn’t want to do. Sydney
would be hot and busy and she’d probably end up at work if she went home early.

Dominic tried to tell you not to stay here, a little voice nagged
within her.

He was waiting for her on the beach, his strong, muscular lines
silhouetted by the rising sun behind him. The wet sand was smooth and shining,
clear of footprints, as Jilly followed him to the water’s edge.

“Sleep okay?” His eyes were hooded.

“Like a baby.”
Well, I did.

“Good. Surf’s great. You ready?” Dominic waited for Jilly to catch
him up and they walked out into the water together until they were waist deep.
They waited for a break in the waves. When the last wave of the set broke and
passed them with the white frothy foam bubbling around them, Dominic slid onto
his board and lay on his stomach, and began to paddle out into the deeper
water. Anticipation filled Jilly as she waited for the next wave to pass. The
rough wax on the board crumbled beneath her fingers as she gripped the sides
with both hands and slid onto the length of the board. Before she could find
her centre of balance, her bare stomach slid along the slippery board and she
held on tight as the board slid away.

It was too late. The board bucked beneath her as the oncoming wave
lifted the front of it and Jilly slipped off. She wasn’t quick enough and
gasped, copping a mouthful of salt water as she went under the small wave that
broke over her, and then carried the kneeboard into the shore.

It was a tossup whether embarrassment or temper won out, and she let
her temper build. That was the final straw. What the hell was Dominic playing
at? Coughing and spluttering, she marched back through the shallows—as much as
one could march in knee-deep water and stood at the edge of the sand, her arms
folded as she waited for him to catch the next wave into shore.

Of course
he did it gracefully, staying
on the board until he was in knee-deep water.

“Are you okay? What happened?” He tossed his head back and his hair
stuck to his neck. He reached up and brushed the long strands from his eyes.

Jilly glared up at him. “Just what is your problem? Do you really
have to go to these extremes to get me to move out of your precious cottage? I
suppose it was you who came back and left the door open last night when you
brought the board inside, too?” Her words ran together as rage filled her
chest.

The water splashed around Dominic’s legs as he strode from the
water. His mouth was tight and his eyes were flashing as he put his board down
carefully on the sand and turned to her.

“Would you like to tell me exactly how it’s my fault that you fell
off your board? I thought you said you could surf?”

Jilly let her temper burn ever hotter. She didn’t have red hair for
nothing. She picked up the board and shoved it at him “When did you do that? In
the middle of the night when I was asleep? You really do have a problem, don’t
you?”

Socialising and being pleasant to her boss was no longer an option
after this prank. How the hell she was going to take him seriously enough to
work with from now on was something she’d worry about when she went back to
Sydney.

“I need this break and I’m not going to let you, or anyone else ruin
it for me!”

She turned away, intending to leave him there, but stopped when
Dominic reached out and held her arm. He held her firmly and took her board
with his free hand. She saw the exact moment that he realised what she was upset
about.

“Bloody hell,” he said.

 “Is that all you’ve got to say?” Jilly pulled her arm away and
folded her arms. “Why on earth would you put soap on my board instead of wax?”

He put the board down on the ground and turned to her, his other
hand holding her shoulder lightly. “I didn’t.” His eyes narrowed as he stared
down at her. “And what was that you said about the door being open?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to go back, have a shower—and leave
the door propped open while I have it—and have a peaceful day away from you.”
She lifted her chin and held his gaze with hers. “So, are you going to let me
go?”

Damn him. No matter how angry she was, Jilly had to admit how he
really was irresistible. In a suit he’d looked fine, but standing in front of
her, sun drenched muscles, golden-chested and dripping with salt water, he was
ridiculously handsome. Like some Greek god or something
.
She couldn’t bear to think how much better he’d look without
anything on at all. She blinked as she tried to clear the picture and the
stupid comparisons from her mind. What the heck was wrong with her?

His chuckle was husky as he looked down at her. “I’m so sorry. I
should have checked the board better.” He reached up and tucked her hair behind
her ear. “I’m really sorry. I’ll stay out and you can have my board. I’ll go
home and get some wax.”

Jilly shook her head, bemused as his eyes held hers. His touch was
sending trembles down her back. “So who soaped the board?”

Dominic stared down at her, his expression unreadable. “My cousin
used to do it for a lark. He was the world’s biggest practical joker.”

Jilly picked up the sadness in Dominic’s voice. “Was?” she asked
quietly.

He lifted his gaze and pointed to the rocks on the point to the
south. “Derro drowned on the point the day after his eighteenth birthday.”

Jilly’s lips parted in sympathy as Dominic told her about Derro.
He’d not spoken of the tragedy for years and his voice caught as he told her of
waiting on the beach that afternoon; waiting hopelessly for Derro to reappear
after he’d slipped beneath the water. But he hadn’t.

“Luckily I had my phone and I called triple zero. The guys from the
surf club were here on the jet ski within minutes.” He shook his head and
lifted his gaze to the horizon. “It took two days for his body to wash up. His
sister, Margaret found him. It was a pretty tough time for the family.”

Jilly reached over and squeezed his hand. Dominic curled his fingers
around hers and didn’t let go.

 They sat on the sand together as the sun climbed quickly in the
morning sky. He didn’t tell her what was in his head, or a feeling within his
heart; he had no proof and he didn’t want to sound crazy.

“This is the first time I’ve had that board out since then, and he
obviously had the last laugh. I suppose the soap dried up and as soon as it hit
the water, it got slippery.”

Last night he’d pulled back when she’d mentioned going inside. He
knew she was attracted to him and he’d run. It was all too complicated; being
her boss and the crazy situation at the beach cottage that he still couldn’t
get a handle on.

The sun caught her beautiful green eyes as she turned to him. His
confusion dissipated like the spray above the waves as she steadily held his
gaze. Instead of pulling away as he expected, she reached up and cupped his jaw
in her hand.

“Forget about the board. Falling off didn’t hurt me. I’m sorry about
your cousin. It must have been so hard for you.”

Dominic let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders. He
didn’t want her to move away. Her bare thigh was pressed up against his and
what he wanted was only a breath away. He dipped his head, closed his eyes and
lowered his mouth to hers.

Maybe it was a kiss returned because she felt sorry for him—maybe
not. All he knew was that her lips were sweet beneath his and he explored her
mouth gently. She sighed his name and her breath whispered against his lips.
Jilly reached up and her fingers tangled in his wet hair as she pulled him
closer. There was more than sympathy in her response. He groaned against her
mouth and pushed her gently back on the sand.

By the time he had kissed her lips, her face, and then slowly slid
his lips down her neck to that sweet spot he had noticed in the shadow of her
collarbone, she was arching against him. Dominic lowered his hand to slip it
inside her bikini top and cupped her breast in his palm. He held the full mound
gently and rubbed his thumb across the rigid peak, smiling as she murmured with
pleasure against his neck. He lifted his head and looked down at her, her eyes
were wide; she looked more alive than he had ever seen her. Passion filled her
eyes and a slow smile tilted those lips that had been against his neck a few
seconds ago. He leaned on one elbow as he circled her nipple with soft, lazy
strokes before he bent and took it into his mouth. Her skin was salty as he
licked and sucked each breast. Her fingers drifted down his back and pulled at
the waist of his board shorts and rational thought fled as his cock hardened.

The sharp bark of a dog brought him to his senses and he pulled back
and straightened her top.

He rolled over and sat up and looped his hands around his knees.
Luckily the dog had run ahead and the couple walking along the beach was still
a couple of hundred metres away. Jilly sat up and brushed the sand from her
shoulders.

He stared out to sea, breathing deeply as the couple walked along
the beach towards them.

Not a word was spoken.

##

Jilly folded her arms across her chest. Her heart was beating at the
rate of knots and she flicked a glance at Dominic. He was staring out to sea;
his jaw hard. His gaze steely. So many sensations ran through her; it was more
than the physical. Somehow she knew that they had connected on a deeper level
than sheer physical need. If it hadn’t been for the dog barking, he would have
been inside her by now. She craved his touch and shivered as he shifted his
position and put more distance between them.

The dog bounded up to them, a huge black thing with floppy ears and
loose jowls. She laughed as it nuzzled into her neck, the same place that
Dominic’s lips had been only minutes before. She jumped to her feet as the dog
played around them, and she knew the exact second that Dominic turned to look
at her, even though she wasn’t watching him. She felt his eyes on her like a brand.
It was crazy but she did.

The couple whistled to their dog and waved to Dominic and Jilly as
they walked away.

“Do you want to go back in the surf on my board or go back to the
cottage?”

 She tried to read what was in his voice and subdue the restlessness
that was in her. It was hard to quell, that deep ache low in her belly and the
tingling between her thighs made it hard to think logically.

She tried to lighten the mood. “How about some plum pudding for
breakfast? It is Boxing Day.”

His mile was distant and the warm feeling in her shriveled. He’d
started it and she’d made a fool of herself. Dominic stood and together they
picked up their boards and headed back toward the cottages.

Her heart was still thudding in slow, heavy beats and the blood was
zinging around her body. Her nerve endings were skittering all over the place
as confusion filled her. But when they reached the road, Dominic turned to face
her.

“Sorry the surfing was such a fiasco. We’ll try again another
morning, okay?” He hitched the board up higher and nodded at her. “Have a good
day; I have to go to Coffs Harbour. Anything you need?”

Jilly shook her head. “No, thank you.”

She watched him as he walked away, before she turned and went back
to her place. This holiday was not working out how she’d planned. It was time
to forget about Dominic, and start to relax and have the rest she’d planned. It
had been a long time since she’d made out on a beach, but the frustration that
filled her had more to do with Dominic’s hot and cold moods than any
unfulfilled sexual needs.

##

The day passed slowly. No matter how much Jilly tried to push him
from her mind, Dominic wouldn’t leave her thoughts. She’d come here for the
quiet and today, she got in—in bucket loads. She read and dozed and took
herself off for a long walk down to Valla Beach after lunch.  Burned off the
chocolate, the strawberry milk and the beer. The cottage up the road stayed
quiet and empty and there was no sign of Dominic’s silver car.

When she came back from her walk, she settled gingerly in the
hammock chair with a cold drink and her Kindle. She looked around nervously as
she plumped up the cushions. No wind this afternoon. She pushed her foot onto
the floor and rocked the chair gently as she began to read.

“Who the hell are you?”

Jilly dropped her Kindle with a start and slid out of the hammock as
a woman clumped up the wooden steps. She strode along the verandah towards her,
arms swinging wildly by her sides. It was hard to pick her age; her skin was
tanned a deep nut brown and her face was set in a ferocious glare. Her hair was
looped up in some sort of old fashioned beehive bun and she wore a pair of
men’s board shorts and a bikini top and her feet were bare and encrusted with
dirt. One hand pointed at Jilly, in the other was a small garden spade which
she was now waving around.

Before Jilly could reply, she was hit with another spray of angry
words. “What the hell are you doing in my brother’s house?”

Jilly straightened and took a step back as the garden spade came
perilously close to her head. The woman’s dark eyes were fixed intently on her.

“I’m Jilly Henderson and I’m renting this house for the Christmas
break.”

“Says who?” The woman stepped closer.

 “Says me. And I believe you are trespassing.” Jilly lifted her chin
as anger replaced fear. “Unless you can be civil, perhaps you should leave.”

“No. I’ve come to weed the garden.” She took a step back and pointed
to the overgrown garden bed along the front fence.

Jilly’s eyes narrowed. “Was it you who mowed the lawn yesterday.”

“Yes, and I suppose it was your car that was in the way.” Even
though her face was unfriendly the woman had lowered her voice. “I washed my
feet before I moved it.

Well at least that let Dominic off the hook. He
had
been
telling her the truth all along.

“Was it you who left me the flowers? On the kitchen table?”

“No. I didn’t leave them for you. They were for my brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Yes, Derek. I guess he was the one who organized the rental. I’m
sorry for intruding. I’ll leave the garden till you move out. How long are you
here?”

“Another three days.”

“Okay. Sorry to bother you, Jilly. I’m Margaret.” She gave a shrill
laugh as she went back down the steps and opened the gate. “They call me mad
Margie but don’t believe a word they say.”

 Jilly watched as Margaret strode along the road until she
disappeared around the corner. This was the strangest vacation she had ever
taken.

Maybe Vanuatu would have been more peaceful.

Although there’d be no Dominic there.

##

She showered early and dressed with care, blow-drying her hair into
loose curls, wondering if—hoping— Dominic might come over for another sunset
chat. She peered into the oval, cracked mirror above the small vanity in the
outside toilet. Her skin had a healthy glow and the dark circles beneath her eyes
had faded. Despite the unexpected and interesting events over the past couple
of days, she was finally managing to relax.

The evening was cool; not a breath of wind disturbed the air
tonight. Jilly sat on the steps of the verandah and enjoyed the peaceful
setting as the sun set over the she-oaks. A rain bird called mournfully from
the bush and then all was quiet. Dominic’s house was in darkness and she
thought back to the interlude on the beach this morning. They’d both made a
mistake, not giving any thought to the conversation when they’d both agreed
that work flings were definitely a no go zone. Hopefully, they’d both put it
behind them and forget about the kiss at the beach when they were back in the
office.

 Gradually the dark crept in and Jilly stood slowly, ignoring the
regret that filled her. A soft southerly wind puffed in off the ocean and her
sarong wound around her legs as the breeze lifted it.

She shook her head. Sheer pleasure had filled her when Dominic had
put his lips on hers and she wasn’t going to regret one second of it. For the
first time in many months she felt alive and if he was happy to spend some time
with her, she’d welcome him into her life. They were two grownups and surely
they could handle some time together out of work. The way Dominic had kissed
her—and touched her this morning, she knew he was interested. If it hadn’t been
for that dog…

 It
was
lonely here by herself and she would enjoy his
company again. Opening the fridge, she carried some salad makings inside and
sat at the table listening for his car.

But nothing. Finally she changed into her PJs and climbed into bed.
She hadn’t even heard his car come back when she fell asleep just before
midnight. The only sound was the soft sighing of the waves as they washed up on
the beach through the trees.

When Jilly woke with a start it was pitch dark. She lay there for a
moment listening and wondering what had woken her. She shivered; there was a
chill in the room. Goose bumps rose on her bare skin and the hair on the back
of her neck lifted. Her mouth dried as the other side of the bed dipped and she
rolled toward the centre of the bed.

She tensed as a hand crept onto her hip.

“Dominic?” Her throat was dry and the words came out raspy and
sleepy.

“Heh heh.” The same soft chuckle she had heard on the verandah
turned her blood to ice.

Pulling all her courage together, she swallowed and reached over.
Taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm she placed her hand on the warm
fingers that still rested lightly against her hip.

“Who are you?” She pulled the shaky words from that nervous place in
her chest at the same time she pushed her fingernails into the hand now holding
her firmly. The man chuckled again and the bed dipped again as he rolled away.
Jilly rolled over in one fluid movement and was on her feet, reaching for the
light before she could even draw a breath. She clicked the switch, bathing the
room in bright white light, and she looked around for something to use as a
weapon.

There was no one in the room with her and the door was still shut.
Drawing in a shaky breath, she walked around to the other side of the bed and
bent down, looking underneath.

Nobody. Nothing.
The only thing in the
room was a chill that raised the goose bumps on her arms. Jilly grabbed a
blanket off the bed and backed into the chair in the corner, her eyes fixed on
the door in front of her.