Falling for Mr. Unexpected Read online

  “I try to.” She returned his smile. “I don’t always succeed.”

  “So now you know why I was so shocked to find you here.”

  One eyebrow lifted. “Shocked? More like angry.”

  “I’d had enough of manipulative women.” He sat down next to her again.

  She mulled over everything he told her then pointed her finger at him. “You are going to have to clarify things with my sister. She’s convinced we are having a sordid affair.”

  He tilted his head back as he laughed. “A sordid affair? You should become a writer.”

  “Not funny. I had to get a lecture about what a playboy you are. As if.”

  His laughter dried up. “What? Is the idea of being tied to me so…horrible?”

  She gasped. “No. Not what I meant. I mean….” Then she noticed the merriment in his eyes and punched his shoulder.

  “Thank you very much!” He had her going there for a minute, thinking she had wounded him with her comment.

  He had a genuine pained expression, rubbing his shoulder. “That really hurt.”

  “I do TaeBo,” she replied with a straight face.

  He laughed and their eyes locked.

  Then he said, “You’re not as bad as I thought you’d be.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “The same could be said for you.”

  “Touché,” he replied. “We should probably go to bed.”

  Giving a nod, she let him pick her up again and, as they moved through the dark beach house, she wondered why talking to him had put her mind at ease, especially since she maintained his life was his business.

  ***

  Emma groaned. Who’s doing the incessant talking, she wondered, as her still-sleepy brain tried to fully wake up.

  She opened one eye and then the other. Stephanie. She should have known, since her sister was an early riser.

  “Arise and shine,” she said with a mug of coffee in her hand. “It’s such a beautiful day. I can’t remember when Mark and I last came here. We should go for a swim.”

  Emma blinked. At least with Damian’s sneaky ways he was quiet.

  “Mmm,” she mumbled when Stephanie turned away from the dressing table to her for a reply. “I packed so quickly. Hopefully I remembered my swimsuit. If not, we could always go shop.” She laughed at her joke, which wasn’t really a joke.

  Emma scratched her head.

  Her sister was a housewife. Nothing wrong with that. She’d given up her job in marketing because she wanted to immediately start a family. But since there was still no niece or nephew in evidence, Stephanie had too much time on her hands.

  “I can’t swim, yet. My foot, remember?” Emma replied with a croak. She cleared her throat and sipped her coffee.

  “But wouldn’t it be nice to be on the beach. You can sit under an umbrella and read one of your books.”

  Stephanie started fussing around the room again, folding scattered clothes and rearranging her hairbrush and toiletries.

  Emma yawned and then took another much-needed swallow and asked, “Where’s Damian? Is he up yet?”

  Stephanie stopped, and her eyes narrowed. “He went out. Said he’d be back later.”

  “He didn’t say where he was going?” she asked, throwing fuel on the fire, but she didn’t care.

  “You shouldn’t get involved with him, Emma.”

  “I’m not planning on it,” she answered drily. She placed the mug on the bedside table. “Could you help me to the bathroom?”

  Her feet were in a much better state, only the one with the broken toe was still sensitive, all the same healing quite nicely.

  Maybe we could leave this afternoon.

  Stephanie huffed and puffed, trying to support her weight as she hopped on one foot to the bathroom.

  “Mark told me all about him. He’s reckless. What person opts out of a full scholarship? Do you know he hasn’t spoken to his father in four years? What kind of person does…?”

  Emma blocked her out as she ran water in the bathtub, and Stephanie left her to it, still talking.

  Emma groaned as she sunk down into the bathtub.

  Stephanie ran the man out of his home; can’t she let the family issues go for a while.

  She interrupted Stephanie’s spiel by shouting at the closed bathroom door, “He gave you guys a great honeymoon getaway.”

  “It doesn’t make up for him not attending the wedding. Mark was so disappointed.” Stephanie’s fading footsteps sounded like she had headed back to Emma’s bedroom.

  She rested her head against the tub. “He had a good excuse.”

  “Family’s more important than accolades!”

  “I’ll store that for future reference,” she mused.

  Then her sister’s voice came from right outside the bathroom door. “Emma, I’m serious. There can be no future with someone like Damian.”

  The water splashed as Emma raised herself up. “I don’t see him like that!”

  “Yes, maybe so. But…you do check him out?”

  “Who wouldn’t? Obviously, he’s gorgeous, and I would be blind not to notice, but it doesn’t mean we are compatible or that I’m all of a sudden head over heels. You know me better than that,” Emma said with a snort.

  “You think I’m gorgeous?” Damian’s deep voice from the other side of the door.

  She squealed. His laughter grew fainter. “You could have warned me, Stephanie,” she said, her head in her soapy hands.

  Stephanie’s guilty giggle didn’t help. “There wasn’t enough time. He brought fresh muffins. You want some?”

  “Yeah, would be great. I’ll finish up here.” She could eat her embarrassment away.

  “Do you need any help?” Stephanie forever helpful.

  “No, I think I can handle it.”

  She listened to Stephanie walk away and dunked her head under the water. Why do I always put my foot in it! Emma started sponging herself.

  She honestly wasn’t interested in Damian. It wouldn’t work. They lived on opposite sides of the planet, literally existed in different worlds. Why am I even considering it? Damian didn’t think of her that way. He dealt with Hollywood starlets and models on a daily basis. Why would he be attracted to a primary school teacher who invaded his precious solitude?

  She wasn’t putting herself down—only placing everything in perspective. This had everything to do with preference. Everyone was entitled to have their own liking.

  Emma rinsed and climbed out. The fact he was any woman’s preference wasn’t lost on her. As her hand moved to the door handle, a knock came.

  Damian whispered, “Emma do you need help?”

  Startled for a second, she smiled and then opened the door for him, balancing on her good foot. He gazed down at her. Gorgeous isn’t the word.

  He obviously didn’t want Stephanie to know he was helping her, with him whispering. She had to suppress her earlier conversation with Stephanie from hauntingly coming back into her mind.

  “If you don’t mind.” She already experienced a throb in her pinky toe.

  Without a word, he picked her up again and, as mortified as she should have felt with him overhearing her saying he was gorgeous, she didn’t. Their late-night conversation had brought a new dimension to their friendship.

  Are we friends? A smile crossed her lips, and she glanced at his profile.

  He placed her on her bed. “What are you smiling for?”

  “When we first met, you threw me out of your home, and now we are friends.”

  “We are friends,” Damian said.

  He captured his bottom lip between his teeth. The action sent warmth rushing through her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Even the broken one.

  “And you’re too handsome for your own good,” she said.

  “It’s a requirement in my profession.”

  “Mmm….”

  For an intense moment their eyes fixed on each other. But she couldn’t hold his gaze, and turned to her carrier bag. �
�I have to get dressed.”

  He stepped away from her. “Of course. Mark said he’d come around tonight.”

  “It would be good to see him.” She wished she had something better to say. “Can I have my phone back now? I mean, everyone already knows you’re here.”

  “Only my family.” He pursed his lips together.

  “And who would I tell?”

  “I don’t know. But already too many people know about my being here.”

  “Okay, fine. Keep it. I would have liked to call my friend Nomsa. Hear how her holiday’s going.”

  “And she’ll want to know about yours.” Not a question.

  “Yes. But I won’t tell her about you. She knows I planned a quiet, book-filled holiday. She wouldn’t expect me to share my living space with a Hollywood heartthrob, would she?” she asked.

  With a withering expression, he said, “I got nominated for an Oscar.”

  “And you admitted being attractive is a requirement to your profession.”

  Menacingly he moved toward her and bent eye level. “The movies I make have subtitles.”

  “Women send you their underwear in the mail,” she countered, trying to keep from laughing. She made a poor job of hiding her amusement since her whole body shook.

  “I’m not just a pretty face,” he said in a measured tone.

  “You’re not, you’re a pretty everything!” Laughter poured out of her.

  Damian took in her laughing face. He hadn’t had this much fun sparing with a woman in—well, ever. She mocked him, but he didn’t mind. He knew she didn’t mean any harm.

  She unknowingly drew his attention to her sensuous mouth.

  Before he could think the action through, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mouth. It fell askew because she had been laughing. She stilled and he deepened the kiss, wanting more of her until every part of him exploded with need. She melted against him, giving a soft, satisfied moan. Her surrender was sweet, but this was neither the time nor place, and he let the rush of sensations come down to a slow burn.

  As he reluctantly pulled away, taking a much-needed breath like someone who’d just finished the Comrades Marathon, her eyes were closed.

  She didn’t make an effort to move away from him, and he very much wanted to kiss her again, but held back. He had already lost his head. He couldn’t afford to do so again. Pressing his face against her cheek, he heard her swallow hard.

  “We shouldn’t have done that.” Her voice was hoarse.

  Damian loved how she said “we” and not “he” shouldn’t have kissed. He inhaled deep, loving the smell of roses from her freshly-bathed skin.

  This is crazy. He shouldn’t be doing this. She was his brother’s sister-in-law. I shouldn’t.

  Emma’s eyes were still closed as she held her bottom lip captive. Instead of doing what he knew he should do, pulling back and walking away, he trailed a heated path from her cheek back to her mouth.

  “Damian,” she whimpered, and his name had never sounded so good on anyone’s lips.

  Emma was completely gone, or at least the rational part of her brain. She had never done anything so provocative as to make out with a guy she barely knew. She was, a grown woman, sensible to a fault. And yet, here she was, her hands all over Damian Davidson, feeling all kinds of crazy emotions that had nothing to do with being sensible.

  She’d treaded on dangerous ground when she had goaded him about his acting career. This had been what Nomsa always kept hammering on about. Verbal coupling.

  Her mastery of flirting surprised her. When her girlfriends went about the art, she observed them like an anthropologist, amused by their antics.

  Oh, but actually doing it—amazing! He wasn’t only a pretty face. He’s a pretty good kisser, too. She said his name again, knowing she had never been so thoroughly kissed.

  “You kiss by the book.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “I’ve never played Romeo.”

  She smiled back at him. “I keep forgetting who I’m talking to. You get the reference.”

  But then reality of what they’d done sunk in. “What did we do, Damian?”

  He lifted his brow. “I think it’s pretty obvious.” His breath teased her face.

  She still had a firm grip on him. Why can’t I let go? “We shouldn’t,” Emma spoke past her thoughts.

  “And why not?”

  “You know why.”

  “My brother. Your sister,” he replied then placed a quick kiss on her lips.

  “Is this a form of incest?”

  He laughed. “We’re not related.”

  “By marriage, we are.”

  Before she could come up with any more arguments, his mouth found hers again, illustrating how much they weren’t related.

  When he pulled away, he said, “We aren’t even as close as kissing cousins.”

  A contented sigh escaped. “It’s not the only problem.”

  “What else is there?”

  “I’m not….” Her cheeks warmed in embarrassment. “I’m not the kind of person who has holiday flings.”

  “And you think I am?” he asked.

  “Honestly,” she said letting go of him, “I don’t know what to think about you.”

  He made a frustrated sound and straightened. “Well then, we are on the same page.”

  Before she could reply he charged out the door.

  “What the hell?” she asked the empty door. “What happened?”

  She flopped back on the bed, a hand over her face.

  “Emma! Are you done yet?” Stephanie called down the hallway. She bolted upright.

  Stephanie! She could have walked in on us!

  “I’m in my room. Getting dressed.”

  Emma grabbed her carrier bag in a bid to put words to action. She didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if Stephanie had caught them.

  With hot cheeks she recalled how close they were, how his mouth felt on hers. Her sister wouldn’t have believed her earlier declarations of not being interested in Damian. She groaned. Not even she believed it now. Damn his good looks. She had a nagging suspicion his pretty face might not be the only reason she had oh-so-willingly kissed him back.

  Chapter Six

  Damian couldn’t explain his anger. He knew the initial cause, but he didn’t know why he continued to sprint toward the rocks on the beach like he was being chased.

  Breathless, he slowed down and hunched over, holding onto his knees.

  After storming out of Emma’s bedroom, he had walked past a confused Stephanie, heading for his bedroom and then the beach. He had needed to get away from Emma, from the truth.

  His jaw clenched.

  He had never been serious about a woman in his life. Never. Not even before acting became his career. There had simply never been anyone who inspired such commitment, and then he had solely focused on his acting career, only needing dates for parties.

  Emma’s right. Flings were his specialty; they had an expiry date. From the beginning, he’d accepted that Emma would never fit into that category.

  Taking a deep breath, he ran again, this time at a leisured pace.

  He had to act like nothing had happened. It would never work. Better they know it now, than get hot and heavy and unable to make a clean break. Family functions would be awkward.

  Yes, being just friends is good. He gave a final nod and then headed back to the house.

  Even though there wasn’t much of a threat inside, he approached the patio with caution in spite of his earlier conclusion. Seeing Emma again after their very hot moment wasn’t going to be easy. His pace slowed considerably as he stepped onto the deck and walked to the open doors.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he overheard Emma say.

  “It is. Richard has been asking after you. And you can’t tell me you enjoy sitting on a sofa all day,” Stephanie said breezily.

  At the mention of someone named Richard, Damian stopped dead in his tracks. The ru
deness of eavesdropping wasn’t lost on him. He faulted it as an involuntary reaction, nothing deliberate about it at all.

  “You can’t invite people over. It’s not your home.” Kudos for you, Emma. “He said he wanted to be left alone. We are already overstepping here.”

  “What’s one more person? He’s Mark’s friend. Both of them have the evening free, which doesn’t happen often. You should be grateful.”

  Emma snorted, and he smiled.

  Stephanie spoke again, as Emma’s silence revealed volumes, “Richard’s a catch! He’s one of the most respected doctors in the country. Did I tell you he wrote several articles for the—”

  Damian interrupted as he intentionally banged against the door.

  Emma sat on the sofa, both her feet elevated on a cushion. She didn’t meet his eyes, but leafed through the book from yesterday.

  Stephanie arranged flowers in a vase.

  He frowned. Where did she get the flowers? More importantly, where did she get the vase? He didn’t even know he had things like it in the beach house.

  “What have you two been up to?” he asked.

  Stephanie gave him a bright smile.

  “Planning our day. I suggested to Emma how great it would be to go for a swim. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring a suit with me. We’ll have to go shop,” she said to Emma.

  “Emma can’t put too much weight on her broken toe.”

  A telltale blush was the only indication she hadn’t forgotten about what had happened between them earlier. Stephanie’s eyes went big.

  “I forgot! How silly of me. Emma, do you mind if I leave you alone for a while? I won’t be long. I’ll pop into the nearest beachwear shop and come back.”

  Damian suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “She won’t be alone. I’ll be here.”

  “You don’t have to….” Stephanie started, but Damian held up a hand.

  “It’s not a problem.”

  “You two do realize I am capable of taking care of myself?” Emma spoke up.

  “So, what time will Mark be here?” He asked, ignoring her question.

  Stephanie had the good grace to appear embarrassed. “He said something about eight o’clock. He’s bringing a friend. I hope you don’t mind,” she ended lamely.