Secrets (Hope Bay) Read online

  Shit, when had he become so uncertain of his actions? Generally a confident bloke, he normally knew exactly what he wanted and where he was going. This wavering about wasn’t like him. The plain fact was that ever since he’d met Emma he’d been a little off-kilter.

  Because Emma wasn’t like the other girls he’d dated.

  Emma was different.

  Emma was, truth be told, also a little flighty. He sometimes had the impression she was ready to dodge out of sight if he wasn’t careful, and keeping Emma firmly in his sights was his aim.

  Kitchen it was.

  Confidence restored, determination in every muscle of his body, Shane straightened his shoulders, swung on his heel and strode along the hallway runner to the back of the house.

  Along the way he passed the closed door of what he knew was the main bedroom. The door might be closed but the sound of a drawer shutting was clear. Ahhh, his little dream fantasy was in the bedroom changing her clothes.

  That brought to mind all kinds of stirring visions, but he ruthlessly shoved them down deep and continued into the kitchen. Almost immediately he spotted his backpack on the stool next to the kitchen bench. Crossing to it, he found the chook had been removed and without hesitation he retrieved it from the ‘fridge. A quick hunt around and he found the chopping board, a knife and a bowl.

  Unwrapping the chicken, he straightened out the alfoil on the kitchen bench beside the chopping board to put the bones on as he took the chook apart.

  The aroma was definitely delicious, and he peeled a bit of the skin off to pop into his mouth, chewing appreciatively. Mmmm, yeah, this is pretty good. He eyed the drumstick he’d just torn off the carcass. Maybe he’d take just a little bite.

  Then he became aware of being watched.

  Slowly, he looked across the room to find the long, lanky ginger cat standing in the doorway sniffing the air. Big golden eyes fastened on the drumstick in Shane’s hand and, licking her lips, CK padded briskly across the floor.

  Really, Shane thought, you had to admire the way she moved, all grace and poise, only one thing on her mind - chicken. Not once did her gaze leave the drumstick, he could practically see her salivating. Then she did a graceful jump up onto the stool - missed and hit the floor.

  “What the-” Shane blinked.

  Before he could even start around the bench to check on her, CK jumped again and then there she was, standing on the stool, gaze fastened on the drumstick. She didn’t look sheepish or even try to pretend she had no idea what had happened. He kind of wondered if she even knew or cared that she’d stuffed up her graceful actions. The cat, apparently, had no ego when it came to cooked chicken. She did, however, have impeccably good manners, because she just stood on the stool, one paw on the edge of the bench, begging with her eyes. Possibly demanding, but still…

  Shane smiled. He could work with this.

  Quickly stripping the meat from the bone of the drumstick, he placed it on the edge of the kitchen bench in front of CK, and she chowed down the meat with enthusiasm. So much enthusiasm, in fact, that she had meat falling off the bench onto the floor. As soon as she’d finished, she stared at the chicken carcass, silently willing him to give her more.

  “Right.” Shane grabbed the chicken. “Let’s get down to business.” He winked at her. “And remember who’s feeding you this chook. Who cooked it for you, slaved over it for you. Me. Shane.” Reaching out, he scratched behind her ears.

  She rewarded him by raking her tongue across his fingers with her eyes half closed. Unexpectedly, she nipped his fingertip, making him jump.

  “Careful.” Emma entered the kitchen. “If she smells chicken on your fingers, she’ll eat your whole hand.”

  Gaze sweeping over her, he took in the clean blue shorts and pink top, bare feet, pink nail polish on neat little toes, hair still up in the same jaunty ponytail. Looking all cute and fresh and curvy. He wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of her.

  A faint blush coloured her cheeks as her gaze met his, but she smiled pleasantly. “I can’t believe you actually cooked CK a chicken.”

  Obviously she wasn’t going to mention her transparent blouse, nor his hungry staring at the bountiful goods revealed by said transparent blouse, but he was okay with that because he was determined to keep her at ease around him.

  Shane tore off the other drumstick and pointed it at her. “Just remember, not a word to anyone about this chook for CK. Ever.”

  “Our secret.”

  “The consequences of divulging this information will be dire.”

  “I’m so scared.” She shivered dramatically.

  “You’d want to be.”

  “Well, seeing as you were so nice as to cook CK her favourite food, how about you put it in her food bowl and she can eat it like a lady?”

  Seeing as one of CK’s paws was now on the bench edging towards the chopping board, Shane wondered just where CK’s lady-like actions ended. Apparently when waiting too long for more chicken. “I have to admit, she does things with…flair.”

  “Let me guess.” Eyes twinkling, Emma placed the food dish in front of Shane. “She fell off something, missed something, or did something else a little clumsily.”

  “She made to jump on the stool and missed.”

  “Yep, that’s my CK.” She swooped CK up into her arms to place a smacking kiss between her ears.

  Shane wouldn’t have minded getting a smacking kiss from Emma’s plump pink lips right on his. But that was okay, he was working on getting that dream to come real, starting with a cooked chicken and a clumsy cat.

  He’d never heard of a weirder way to win a woman’s heart, but what the heck, he was willing to do anything to win this particular woman’s heart. So chook and cat it was. Plus he had to admit as he watched CK hanging over Emma’s arms with her eyes glued to the chook, he kind of liked this lanky cat. She had personality.

  He could definitely see the two girls as a package deal. He wanted that package deal.

  Returning his attention to the chicken, he diligently chopped. “So, how’s your weekend been so far?”

  “Oh, you know, vacuuming, mopping, laundry. The usual.”

  “Washing the car.” He put cut-up chicken in the bowl.

  “Not my favourite job but it has to be done.” She placed CK on the stool. “Stay there, Cute Kitty. Would you like a cold or hot drink, Shane?”

  Yes! “Cold is fine.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her walk to the ‘fridge, open it and get out two tins of Diet Coke. He almost cut his finger off from lack of attention and quickly returned his gaze to the chicken.

  Just in time to see a long piece of meat being dragged across the kitchen bench by a ginger paw. His gaze snapped up to lock onto CK. She paused, looked him right in the eyes, and then continued to boldly drag the chicken the remainder of the way until it plopped from view on the other side of the bench to the floor. CK blinked at him as if daring him to dob her in.

  Shane winked at her.

  Damned if the cat didn’t blink back at him right before jumping down to chomp up the pilfered chicken.

  Little thief had charm.

  He was still grinning when the sound of the tab popping open came from beside him, the warmth of Emma’s body near his making all the hair on his arm stand to attention when she leaned past him to place the can in front of the board.

  “Here you go.” Walking around the bench, she stopped and look down. “Ah.” She looked back up at Shane.

  “My fault,” he said. “I gave it to her, she took it to the floor.”

  “Riiight,” she drawled, skirting around CK to sit on the other stool.

  “I swear.” He held up his hand. “Doctor’s oath.”

  “I don’t think the oath covers sneaky kitties.”

  “Mine does.” He winked at her.

  Those beautiful blue eyes twinkled back at him. “Has my furry miscreant charmed you already?”

  “I do think she’s making an impression on
me.”

  Watching CK jump back up to gaze adoringly at the chicken, Emma smiled fondly. “I think you’re making an impression on her.”

  “I think that might be the chook.”

  “Oh, trust me, you’ve entered her inner circle.”

  “I admit she’s growing on me.”

  “Really?” Her expression was pleased as she ran a hand lovingly along CK’s back. “Well, any friend of CK’s is a friend of mine.”

  “Does this mean I’m part of the inner circle now?”

  Emma’s teeth flashed in a big grin. “Absolutely. How can I not approve of a man who actually cooks a chicken to impress a cat? Trust me, you’ve won us both over.”

  Score!

  Rather than give a fist pump, however, Shane just grinned back at her and kept chopping chicken. “So, you’ve had CK for awhile, I take it?”

  “Yep.” Popping the tab of her Diet Coke, Emma took several small sips. “About two years ago I found her hiding in my garage from the rain. She was hungry, thin, and sick with cat flu.”

  “She looks fine now, though.”

  “She wasn’t then. She was so sick she just stayed hunched up on the floor, ribs sticking out, fur oily. Poor baby.” Her expression was sober as she took the now full bowl of chicken and placed it on the floor, CK jumping down to happily eat. “She was so unwell that the vet had her for several days in the clinic before she was well enough to come home. I visited her several times a day while she was in there, hand feeding her to get her to eat, doing whatever it took. So she knew me when I finally brought her back home.”

  “No one claimed her?”

  “No microchip. I went door-to-door but no one knew her. I was glad anyway.” She frowned while resuming her seat on the stool. “I didn’t want her going back to whoever would let her get so sick. If you don’t want to take care of your pet, you don’t get one. There’s no excuse for neglect.”

  “No, there isn’t,” he agreed, cutting up the left over chicken and transferring it to a bowl to go into the ‘fridge.

  Her gaze was steady. “She cost me money, but I’d do it all over again.”

  “A stray.”

  “Yes.”

  “You had no idea if someone would come forward to claim her, and you still paid the vet bill.”

  “Yes.”

  Placing the knife down, Shane braced the heels of his hands each side of the chopping board and studied her. The intensity in her eyes was plain as she waited for his response. Testing him? Waiting for his response, negative or positive?

  “I bet,” he began slowly, “some of your friends weren’t impressed.”

  “No. Some said I was crazy. Some people I knew told me to palm CK on to the shelter for homeless cats. Some even said she was too ugly to save.”

  “I bet,” he repeated, “you had something to say about that.”

  “I had my say. Some people didn’t take it well, but I could care less.” Her fingers gripped the tin lightly, her position still. “Looks don’t matter. CK needed help and I gave it to her unconditionally. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d do it for any stray that needed help. In fact,” she rested her forearms on the bench while regarding him unwaveringly, “I’d be the first to get into anyone’s face if I thought they were abusing any animal, be they owner or not.”

  Oh yeah, she was testing how much he’d agree with her, his reaction.

  Chapter 6

  Shane smiled slightly.

  “Something funny?’ she asked coolly.

  Oh yeah, definitely cool. Time to put some warmth to that cold before it got really chilly, and he knew just how to do it.

  “Em,” he drawled, “you don’t have to test me.”

  She didn’t bother to even deny it.

  “Because you’re talking to the man who nearly got arrested for breaking a car window on a hot day to save a poor mutt already half dead from the heat.”

  “You did?” she asked, surprised.

  “Yep.” He nodded. “The owner came out breathing fire, and the person I was with stopped me from snotting the bastard there and then. She verbally ripped the bloke a new arsehole, though, and when a crowd gathered and started going crook at him, too, not to mention a cop car pulled up followed closely by an RSPCA van someone had called before I came along, that bloke backed down. I guess he could see that trying to have me arrested for breaking the car window would not look good for him. Especially when it turned out the dog was his cousin’s, who also happened to be related to the RSPCA inspector. “Trust me, by the time he was finished that inspector had the dog in his van, the cousin was coming to sort out the bloke, and me…well, I was allowed to move along when it became clear no charges were going to be laid.”

  “Should have bloody drawn and quartered the bastard,” Emma growled.

  “Strong words, Em.” Shane flashed a grin at her then sobered. “But I completely agree. Anyway, I also agree with you that people should take care of their pets or not have one at all.”

  “I bet you impressed your girlfriend.”

  “Huh?”

  “The woman you were with? The one who, as you so eloquently put it, verbally ripped him a new arsehole?”

  Shane laughed. “That wasn’t my girlfriend.”

  “Katie, then?”

  “Are you kidding? This was in the city. Katie doesn’t like cities.”

  “Okay.” Emma shrugged.

  “It was mum.” He chuckled at the memory. “Don’t ever underestimate her.”

  “Mrs A?” Emma mused. “Yeah, I can see her doing that.” She took a sip of Diet Coke.

  Silence filled the kitchen, warm and comfortable.

  He was just wrapping the now stripped chicken carcase in the alfoil when Emma leaned forward. “Shane?”

  “Yep?”

  “Thank you for not getting…you know…upset.”

  “About what?” Crossing to the bin, he opened the lid and dropped the wrapped carcase inside before returning to the kitchen bench.

  She looked a little sheepish, but unwavering. “About my…”

  He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

  “Test,” she finished. “It’s not really my business what you think, unless I see you doing something to an animal that I don’t like, then I’ll make it my business.”

  He could believe that. Champion of animals, defender of the weak and furry. It was something else he liked about her. Admired, in fact. Understood it, definitely. “I’m not offended. It’s all good, Em, don’t worry.” About to pat her hand, he caught himself in time, holding up his hands to waggle greasy fingers.

  “I guess I get a little sensitive when people find out about CK and say things.” Emma ran her fingers through the condensation.

  Taking the chopping board and knife to the sink, Shane squirted detergent into the board, turned on the hot water and washed the items. “I take it the mob got the test as well.”

  “Mob?”

  “Mitch, Danny and co. The mob.”

  “Yeah.” Her expression was unrepenting. “But in a more roundabout way.”

  “Do tell,” he replied interestedly.

  “It wasn’t hard. A question here, a hint there.”

  “They passed the test.”

  “Don’t tell them, will you? They’re lovely people, I wouldn’t want them to take offence and dump me.” She paused. “Bit late to worry about that now, I guess.”

  “They’d laugh their arses off, but don’t worry, I promise not to breathe a word. Cross my heart.” He did a quick tracing across his naked pec, along with a sprinkling of suds. “Oops.” Bending over, he mopped the suds up off the floor with the dishcloth and rinsed it out. Setting the chopping board and knife on the draining board, he slung the tea towel across one shoulder and turned to study her, deciding to push this warm little encounter just a little. She was friendly, a little uncertain, unrepentant, and so darned cute.

  When he leaned a hip against the kitchen bench and continued to regard her, she returned it
questioningly.

  “Tell me one thing,” he said.

  “Yes?”

  “If you did some subtle digging with the mob, why did you question me straight out?”

  Her eyes widened, a sudden ‘roo-in-the-headlights expression on her face. “Um…”

  He’d given her a lot of leeway in the last half hour, so he figured he could risk pushing a little more. So he did by simple raising one eyebrow.

  “Uh…well…”

  Now wasn’t this interesting? Emma didn’t know which way to look. In fact, she was disconcerted, so much so that when CK chose that precise moment to jump up on the stool beside her, she plucked her up and snuggled her close, a furry barrier.

  Not much of one, because the lanky feline was now giving Shane adoring looks.

  Reaching out, he rubbed behind her ears, making her eyes half close in ecstasy and a loud purring fill the air.

  Not only did CK elicit a sudden, unexpected rush of affection, her position and his patting gave Shane the perfect excuse to lean over the bench closer to Emma. That also meant he was now on eye-level with his pretty little nurse and had the prefect excuse to just lean there, close enough to inhale the faint scent she wore and note the sudden dilation of her pupils as the silence between them grew.

  Oh boy. Every nerve ending was suddenly on alert as they gazed at each other, the stillness of the room seeming to suddenly hold something warm. Hot.

  An awareness of each other.

  Emma looked torn between wanting to flee and wanting to stay. Those long, thick eyelashes swept down and Shane could almost feel her touch his lips although not one part of her was touching him.

  He swallowed.

  Her lashes lowered further as she observed the bob of his Adam’s apple, and then slowly her eyes traced back up, her eyelashes lifting until the full beauty of those blue irises were once again revealed.

  The silence was full of meaning between them. Awareness. Attraction. It was in her eyes, the way she leaned just a little closer.

  Heart thumping heavily in his chest, nerves tight with anticipation, Shane waited, watching her, trying to guess her next move. Wishing she’d kiss him wasn’t going to make it happen, but nor was he going to spoil this moment by lunging at her to take her lips as he wanted to. Ached to. Yearned to.