Australia: In Bed with a Bachelor

Two rebellious children and one submissive wife.

Was he supposed to tame Laura, draw her into becoming the kind of woman her father would approve of, sharing his world instead of striking out on her own, pleasing herself?

He looked at her again and felt a tightening in his groin. She was, without a doubt, the most desirable woman he’d ever come into contact with, dangerous to play with, yet the idea of drawing her away from her father made her all the more tempting. It was fair justice for Costarella to feel the loss of someone dear to him as well as the loss of the business that gave him the power to wreck people’s lives.

He was acutely aware of Laura watching him as her father performed the introductions, weighing up how he responded to her family.

‘Alicia, my wife…’

‘Delighted to meet you,’ Jake rolled out with a smile.

She returned it but there was a wary look in her eyes as she replied, ‘Welcome to our home.’

‘And my son, Eddie, who obviously didn’t bother to shave this morning, not even for his mother.’

The acid criticism was brushed off with a nonchalant grin. ‘Couldn’t do it, Dad. We’re shooting tomorrow. Got to stay in character.’ He turned the grin to Jake as he offered his hand. ‘I guess you’re the son my father should have had, Jake. Happy days, man!’

Jake laughed and took his hand, shaking his head as he replied, ‘Don’t know about that but thanks for the good wishes, Eddie.’

‘You’re welcome.’

‘Eddie is an actor,’ Laura put in proudly. ‘He plays the bad boy in The Wild and the Wonderful.’

Jake frowned apologetically. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know the show.’

Her father snorted. ‘It’s rubbish. A TV soapie.’

‘Rubbish or not, I enjoy doing it,’ Eddie declared, totally unabashed. ‘How about you, Jake? Do you enjoy doing what you do?’

‘It’s challenging. I guess acting is, too,’ he said, careful to be even-handed in his reply.

‘Totally absurd la-la-land,’ Costarella jeered. ‘Jake and I deal with the real world, Eddie.’

‘Well, Dad, lots of people like to have a break from the real world and I help give it to them.’ He deftly turned attention back to the guest. ‘How do you relax from the pressure-cooker of work, Jake?’

Jake found himself liking Laura’s brother. He stood up for himself and was clearly his own man. ‘Something physical does the trick for me,’ he answered.

‘Yeah, got to say sex does it for me, too,’ Eddie drawled, eyes twinkling with reckless mischief.

‘Eddie!’

The shocked cry from his mother brought a swift apology. ‘Sorry, Mum. It’s all Laura’s fault, saying Jake was sexy.’

‘Did she now?’ Costarella said with satisfaction.

‘Eddie!’ Laura cried in exasperation. ‘I told you to watch your mouth.’

Jake turned to her, curious to see the reaction to her brother’s claim. Her eyes were flashing furious sparks and her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. As she met his gaze, her chin tilted defiantly and her own tongue let loose.

‘Don’t look at me as though you haven’t heard that about yourself before because I bet you have. It’s purely an observation, not an invitation.’

‘Laura!’ Another shocked protest from the mother.

She threw up her hands. ‘Sorry, Mum. I’m off to bring out refreshments. Iced water coming up.’

Jake couldn’t help grinning as she turned tail—a very sexy tail—and left the rest of them to patch a conversation together.

‘I did try to bring my children up with good manners,’ Alicia stated with a heavy sigh.

‘No harm done,’ her husband declared cheerfully.

‘Actually, I like working out at a gym,’ Jake said to remove sex from everyone’s minds.

‘’Course you do,’ Eddie chimed in. ‘Can’t get those muscles from sitting at a desk.’

‘I do a yoga class,’ Alicia offered, anxious to promote non-contentious chat as she gestured for everyone to sit down, tidying the newspapers on the table before sitting down herself.

Jake hadn’t expected to find himself interested in Costarella’s family. Even less had he expected to like any of them. In fact, the only one he’d given any thought to was Laura, whom he’d imagined to be a pampered princess, revelling in the role of Daddy’s little girl.

The family dynamics were certainly intriguing and Jake was not averse to exploring them further…watching, listening, gathering information…and maybe, maybe, he might go after what he wanted with Laura Costarella, satisfying himself on several levels.

Laura cursed Eddie for being provocative, cursed herself for reacting so wildly, cursed Jake Freedman for making her feel stuff that completely rocked any sensible composure. Her escape to the kitchen should have settled her nerves but they were still jumping all over the place even after she’d loaded the traymobile with the preferred drinks and the platter of hors d’oeuvres.

There was no hiding from the man. He had to be faced again. She could only hope he wouldn’t try capitalising on her remark or she’d be severely tempted to pour the jug of iced water over his head. Which just went to show how out of control she was and that just wouldn’t do. Better to freeze him off with good manners. She had to keep remembering that Jake Freedman was her father’s man and any close connection with him could not lead anywhere good.

Not emotionally.

No matter how good he might be in bed.

And she had to stop thinking of that, too.

Having taken several deep breaths and gritting her teeth with determination to behave as she should, Laura wheeled the traymobile out to the patio. It was a relief to find the four of them chatting amicably about relaxation techniques; meditation, Tai Chi, massage and flotation tanks. Even her father appeared to be in good humour. She noted glumly that the only empty chair left for her at the round table was between Jake Freedman and her mother so she couldn’t avoid being physically close to the man.

She set the platter on the table for everyone to help themselves, handed the ice-bucket containing a bottle of her mother’s favourite white wine to Eddie and told him to open it, placed the jug of iced water and a crystal tumbler in front of Jake, served her father his Scotch on the rocks, and supplied the wineglasses before bowing to the inevitable of taking the designated chair and addressing the gaffe she’d made.

‘I’m sorry for blowing my stack with you, Jake. I was annoyed with Eddie. And embarrassed.’

The riveting brown eyes sparkled with amusement, making her stomach flutter again. ‘No offence taken, Laura. I dare say Eddie hears that said about himself so often, it’s lost any currency with him. And I doubt he thought it had any currency with me, either.’

Letting her know he didn’t have tickets on himself, not on that score anyway. Though Laura wasn’t sure she believed him.

Her father snorted in rank disbelief. ‘If it didn’t have any currency with Eddie, he’d be out of a job. It’s only because all the teeny-boppers think he’s sexy that he’s built up a fan base.’

‘Lucky for me!’ Eddie said flippantly. ‘Though I do work at it, Dad.’

‘Some people just have it,’ her mother said, trying to divert a clash. ‘I always thought Sean Connery…’

‘Back to James Bond,’ Eddie cut in, grinning at Laura.

She bared her teeth at him in warning.

He stood up to pour the wine, cheerfully saying, ‘Mum’s a great movie buff, Jake. I bet no one could beat her on that topic in a quiz show. And she’s a champion Mum, too. Let’s drink a toast to her.’ He lifted his glass. ‘Mother’s Day!’

They all echoed the toast.

Having been handed the movie ball, Jake Freedman proceeded to run with it, giving her mother so much charming attention, Laura couldn’t help liking him for it. He was probably working hard at being an amenable guest, showing off his talent for diplomacy to her father. Nevertheless, it was giving her mother pleasure, and her father, for once, was not souring it with any acid comments.

In fact, he looked surprisingly content with the situation.

Laura didn’t really care why.

It was good that he wasn’t putting her mother down as he usually did.

She slipped away to attend to the lunch preparations, feeling slightly more at ease with Jake Freedman’s presence. It was making the day run more smoothly than she had hoped for. The only negative was his sexual impact on her.

She hadn’t been able to stop herself from slyly checking him over; the neat curl of his ears, the length of his eyelashes, the sensuality of his lips, the charismatic flashes of his smiles, the light sprinkle of black hairs on his strong forearms, the elegant length of his fingers with their clean clipped nails, the way his muscular thighs stretched the black fabric of his jeans. And long feet! Didn’t that mean his private parts would be…very manly?

Which, of course, would be in keeping with the rest of him.

It was all very difficult, knowing he was her father’s man. It was also difficult to concentrate on getting everything right for the meal; vegetables to go into the oven, reheating the soup, greens ready for last-minute microwaving, mint sauce on the dining-room table. She would have to sit next to him again; probably a blessing since this table wasn’t a round one and he couldn’t see what was written on her face unless he turned to her.

So far, he wasn’t giving her any special attention and it was probably better if it stayed that way—no dilemma between temptation and caution. He was bound to have a woman in the wings, anyway. Eddie had girls falling all over him and she couldn’t imagine it would be any different for Jake Freedman—another reason for not getting involved with him. Being perceived as just one of an available crowd had no appeal.

Although being the boss’s daughter, he would have to treat her with respect.

Which she’d hate.

Whatever way she looked at it, having Jake Freedman was no good. Besides, he wasn’t exactly holding out the chance to have him, though he might before the day was over. As her mother said, there had to be a purpose behind this visit. If a connection with her was the desired end, she had to be ready for it, ready to say no.

The soup was hot enough to serve. Telling herself she was lucky to have the distraction of being the cook, Laura returned to the patio to invite everyone inside for lunch. Eddie escorted her mother to the dining room. Jake Freedman followed with her father, the two men obviously on congenial terms.

Another warning.

Her father must have once been charming to her mother or she wouldn’t have married him. His true character could not have emerged until she was completely under his domination. If Jake Freedman was of like mind, thinking he had the right—the power—to rule others’ lives as he saw fit, she wanted nothing to do with him.

Jake continued to get his bearings with the Costarella family over lunch. Eddie had dropped out of school and left home at sixteen, getting himself a job as a backroom boy in one of the television studios.

‘One day you’ll regret not going on with your education,’ his father said balefully.

He shrugged. ‘Accountancy was never going to suit me, Dad.’

‘No. Head in the clouds. Just like your mother.’

The tone of disgust caused Alicia to flush. She was a more fragile person than her perfectly groomed image presented, very nervy and too anxious to please. He was recalling Laura’s comment that her mother needed her when she leapt to Alicia’s defence.

‘Oh, I think Mum’s totally grounded when it comes to her garden.’

‘Garden…movies…’ Costarella scoffed. ‘Alicia has led both of you astray with her interests. I had high hopes for you, Laura. Top of your school in mathematics…’

‘Well, I have high hopes for myself, Dad. Sorry I can’t please both of us,’ she said with a rueful smile.

‘Gardening…’ he jeered.

‘Landscape architecture is a bit more than that, Dad.’

No hesitation in standing up for herself.

Costarella huffed. ‘At least you can cook. I’ll say that for you. Enjoying the meal, Jake?’

‘Very much.’ He shot an appreciative smile at Laura. ‘Top chef standard. The soup was delicious and I’ve never tasted better lamb and baked potatoes.’

She laughed. ‘Top chef recipes from a TV cooking show. All it takes is dedication to following the instructions. You could do it yourself if you had the will to. It’s not a female prerogative. In fact, most of the top chefs are male. Do you cook for yourself?’

‘No. Mostly I eat out.’

‘Need a woman to cook for you,’ Costarella slid in.

It was a totally sexist remark and he saw the recoil from it in Laura’s eyes, followed by a derisive flash at him…if he thought the same.

He turned to Costarella and allowed himself one risky remark, grinning to take away any sting. ‘Given that most top chefs are male, a man might be better.’

Eddie found this hilarious, cracking up with laughter.

‘What’s so funny?’ his father demanded.

‘It’s just that lots of guys in the service industry are gay and I don’t see Jake as gay,’ he spluttered out.

Laura started giggling, too.

‘I’m not,’ Jake said.

‘Certainly not,’ Costarella declared emphatically.

‘We know you’re not,’ Laura assured him, still tittering.

‘Absolutely.’ Eddie backed up. ‘Laura wouldn’t think you were sexy if you were gay.’

‘Eddie, behave yourself,’ Alicia cried.

‘Impossible,’ his father muttered, though his ill humour had dissipated at this affirmation that his daughter was vulnerable to the attraction he favoured.

Laura rose from the table. ‘Now that you’ve embarrassed both of us, Eddie, I’m going to serve sweets, which I hope will be tart enough to glue up your mouth.’ She smiled at her mother. ‘It’s lemon-lime, Mum.’

‘Oh, my favourite!’ Alicia glowed with pleasure. ‘Thank you, dear.’

Jake watched her head off to the kitchen again. It would be risky business, taking on a connection with her, complicating what had been his undeviating purpose for too many years to mess with when he was in sight of the end. She could become a distraction. He’d been single-minded for so long, read justing his thinking to include a relationship with Costarella’s daughter was probably not a good idea, however tempting it was.

Cynically dating her for short-term benefits at work was no longer an option. He was genuinely attracted to her. Strongly attracted to her. She had his skin prickling with the desire for action between them. Costarella expected him to make a move on her. He wanted to make a move on her. The tricky part was controlling it.

‘How come you’re not sharing Mother’s Day with your own Mum, Jake?’ Eddie suddenly asked.

‘I would be if she were still alive, Eddie,’ he answered ruefully.

‘Oh! Sorry!’ He made an apologetic grimace. ‘Hope the bereavement isn’t recent.’

‘No.’

‘Guess I’m lucky I’ve still got mine.’ He leaned over to plant a kiss on Alicia’s cheek.

‘Yes, since you’ve always been a mother’s boy,’ Costarella sniped.

There was a flicker of fear in the look Alicia darted at her husband. Jake imagined she had been a victim of abuse for so long, she felt helpless to do anything about it.

‘I’ve been admiring the very artistic centre-piece for the table,’ he said, smiling at her to take the anxiety away. ‘Are they flowers from your garden, Alicia?’

‘Yes.’ Her face lit up with pleasure. ‘I did that arrangement this morning. I’m very proud of my chrysanthemums.’

‘And rightly so, Mum,’ Laura chimed in, wheeling the traymobile into the dining room. ‘They’re blooming beautifully.’

She served the lemon-lime tart with dollops of cream to everyone, continuing her praise of her mother’s talent for horticulture.

Jake watched her. She was beautiful. And smart. And so lushly sexy, temptation roared through him, defying the reservations that had been swimming through his mind.

As she resumed the seat beside him, he turned to her, his eyes seeking to engage hers with what he wanted. ‘I’d like to see this garden. Will you show it to me when we’ve finished lunch?’

Startled, frightened, recoiling. ‘Much better for Mum to show you, Jake. It’s her creation.’

‘He asked you, Laura,’ Costarella immediately bored in. ‘Not only should you oblige our guest, but your mother has already shown Eddie around the garden. She doesn’t need to repeat herself, do you, Alicia?’

‘No, no,’ she agreed, her hands fluttering an appeal to her daughter. ‘I’m happy for you to do it, Laura.’

Caught.

She had to do it now whether she wanted to or not.

Jake aimed at sweetening the deal for her. ‘I’m interested in seeing it through your eyes. You can tell me how it fits your concept of landscape design.’

‘Okay! I’ll flood you with knowledge,’ she said tartly.

He laughed. ‘Thank you. I will enjoy that.’

Surrender under fire, Jake thought, but no surrender in her heart. It made for one hell of a challenge…their walk in the garden. The adrenaline charge inside him wanted to fight her reluctance to involve herself with him, yet that same reluctance gave him an out from Costarella’s heavy-handed matchmaking…keeping the more important mission on track, without distraction.

He would make the decision later.

In the garden.

CHAPTER THREE

LAURA told herself it was just a job she had to take on and get through—escort Jake around the garden, bore him to death with her enthusiasm for built environments and deliver him back to her father, who had announced his intention to watch a football game on television in the home theatre.

Eddie helped clear the table, following her to the kitchen to have a private word with her as they stacked the dishwasher. ‘You’re the main target today, Laura. No doubt about it now,’ he warned. ‘I’d say Dad wants Jake as his son-in-law.’

‘It’s not going to happen,’ she snapped.

‘He’s a clever guy. Been playing all sides today. And I’ve been watching you. You’re not immune to him.’

‘Which made it very stupid of you to tell him what I thought.’

‘Obvious anyway. Believe me, a guy like that knows women think he’s sexy. He would have had them vying for his attention from his teens onwards. Just don’t say yes to him.’

Easy for him, sitting on the sidelines, Laura thought savagely. ‘What if I want to?’

Eddie looked appalled.

‘He is sexy,’ she repeated defiantly, fed up with being put on the spot.

He grimaced. ‘Then make damned sure you keep it at sex and don’t end up hooked on him. The way Mum is should be warning enough for you.’

‘I will never be like Mum.’

He shook his head. ‘I wish she would leave him.’

‘She can’t see anything else. Better play a game of Scrabble with her while I’m doing my duty with Jake. She likes that.’

‘Will do. That’s a lot more fun than duty.’

Laura heaved a deep sigh, trying to relax the tension tearing at her nerves. ‘I don’t want to want him, Eddie.’

He gave her a look of serious consideration. ‘Go for it if you must. You’ll always wonder otherwise. Sooner or later he’ll turn you off and I think you’re strong enough to walk away.’

‘Yes, I am,’ she said with certainty.

‘But you’d be better off not going there.’

‘I know.’ She made a rueful grimace. ‘Maybe he’ll turn me off out in the garden.’

‘Unlikely.’

‘Well I won’t be falling at his feet, that’s for sure. And you let Mum win at Scrabble, but don’t be obvious about it.’

‘No problem.’ He grinned his devil-may-care grin. ‘Let’s go and fight the good fight.’

She grinned back at him. ‘The gay bit was good.’

He laughed and hugged her shoulders as they returned to the dining room, where he immediately put their plan into action. ‘Better get out the Scrabble, Mum. Since you beat me last time, I want a return match, and heaven help me if I’m swamped with all vowels again.’

‘I’ll leave you to your game,’ her father said good-humouredly, rising from his chair, smiling at Jake Freedman. ‘I’m sure you’ll enjoy my daughter’s company.’

‘I will,’ he agreed, rising to his feet, as well, ready to take on the garden seduction scenario.

Resentment suddenly raged through Laura. Jake Freedman was playing her father’s game, but she didn’t have to. He wasn’t her guest. It was after three o’clock. Lunch had gone off reasonably well. The trickiest part of being together for Mother’s Day was over. Her father was sparing them his presence. His wrath wouldn’t fall on all of them if she didn’t remain polite to the man. She could put Jake Freedman on the spot, instead of being the target herself.

She smiled at him. ‘Let’s go.’

He accompanied her outside, making easy conversation to start with.

‘Was it your mother’s pleasure in her garden that led you to your choice of career, Laura?’

He seemed genuinely curious and she didn’t mind answering him. ‘Partly. Nick probably had more influence, the creativity he uses to generate Mum’s pleasure.’

‘Who’s Nick?’

‘The gardener and handyman Dad employs to maintain everything, but he actually does more than maintain.’

‘Like what?’

‘He thinks about what will delight Mum and does it. Like the solar lights he’s just put around the rock-pool. I’ll show you. It’s over this way.’

He strolled beside her, apparently content to bide his time, ensure she was relaxed with him. Which was totally impossible, but at least he didn’t know it and wouldn’t know it until he made a move on her.

‘A waterfall, too,’ he remarked as they came to the pool.

‘Yes. It makes a soothing sound. Most people enjoy sitting near falling water…fountains in a park. Also reflections in water. The lights placed around the pool shimmer in it when it’s dark.’

‘Does your mother come out here at night?’

‘Sometimes. Though she can also see this part of the garden from her bedroom window. What’s really special is how Nick lit up the figurines of the Chinese water-carriers coming down the rocks at the side of the waterfall. There’s another light at the back of the pot-plant below them. It bathes them in a ghostly glow. Quite a wonderful effect.’

‘Landscape architecture,’ he said, slanting her a rueful smile. ‘I’ve never thought about it but I can see why it should be appreciated.’

‘I guess in the career you’ve chosen, you don’t take the time to smell the roses,’ she shot at him.

‘True. I haven’t,’ he conceded readily enough, as though it didn’t matter to him.

It niggled Laura into asking, ‘Is it worth it?’

There was a subtle shift of expression on his face, a hardening of his jaw, a determined glint in his eyes. ‘Yes, it is. To me,’ he answered in a tone that didn’t allow for a different point of view.

Laura couldn’t leave it alone. ‘You like working for my father?’

‘Your father is part of a system that interests me.’

It was a clever sidestep, depersonalising her question.

‘The system,’ she repeated, wanting to nail down his motivation. ‘I can’t imagine any pleasure in dealing with bankruptcy.’

‘No, it can be very traumatic,’ he said quietly. ‘I would like to make it less so.’ The dark brown eyes drilled into hers. ‘Not even the most beautiful parks in the world resonate with people in that situation, Laura. All they see is their lives crumbling, their jobs gone, their plans for the future shattered. It can lead to divorce, suicide, violence, depression so dark there is no light.’

She shivered at the intensity of feeling coming from him, a depth of caring she hadn’t expected in this man. It didn’t sit with coldly calculated ambition. Not only that, but he’d also somehow turned the tables on her, making his job much more seriously special than hers.

‘I know that people going through trauma do find some solace in a pleasant environment,’ she argued with conviction. Her mother, for one.

‘I didn’t mean to undervalue it.’ He gestured an appeal. ‘I’m not your father, Laura. Perhaps we can both work on having open minds about each other.’