Authors: Donna Gallagher
Now that conversation with Caitlin held a more personal meaning for Mandy, as she realised it meant that JT would also often be away from home, playing rugby league.
As she hurried towards her friend’s front door with a skip in her step, Mandy decided that her recent interactions with rugby league players had left her with the opinion that they were decent men. Decent, very hot and sexy men!
Caitlin Walters was quick to answer the door to Mandy, as if she had been expecting a visit. A big smile brimmed on the auburn-haired woman’s face.
“Well, I was wondering when you would show, Miss Mandy!” Caitlin said, as she grabbed Mandy by the arm and dragged her inside. “I’ve just got off the phone from Brodie and he had some interesting gossip for me. I’ve got to tell you, Mandy, Brodie is sick with glee that he knew about this before I did.”
Caitlin sat on the sofa and pulled a startled—and now slightly embarrassed—Mandy down next to her.
“Spill! So what
did
happen between you and JT? And don’t spare the details, my friend!”
“Oh, Cait, it was wonderful… Well, actually, it was really frightening then wonderful,” Mandy clarified. “I was at this new club, just catching some music and minding my own business when the next thing you know Con has me by the throat…”
“Are you all right, Mandy? Did he hurt you? My God, when is he going to leave you alone? Maybe I should get Brodie to have a word with him…”
Caitlin’s worried expression tugged at Mandy’s heart. To know that she had someone in her corner, someone who worried about her, was a nice feeling. Though it was quite foreign to Mandy—she had been looking after herself for so long.
“It’s all good, Cait, no need for Brodie to get involved, not after what JT did. You didn’t let me finish my story. Anyway, just when I thought I was done for, at the mercy of Con’s vicious temper once again, I found myself free from Con’s grasp and standing behind this mammoth back. JT’s gorgeous, wide, wonderfully sculptured back. JT had come like a shining white knight to my rescue. Con was all but crying on the floor after JT got through with him.”
“Gosh, Mandy, thank goodness for JT. But a white knight? I picture him as more of a
black
knight when it comes to riding in to save you, what with you all gothic and dark-looking. I think it fits better.” Caitlin gave a little, romantic, wistful sigh. “So how did he end up staying all night? Brodie saw his car here this morning.”
“Well, after spending time with the other guys he was at the club with, some of his teammates, JT put them all into cabs and sent them home. But he insisted on driving me home personally. In fact, he blamed you, Cait, saying if he didn’t you would skin him alive.”
“Well, I would have been disappointed in him if he hadn’t, but the thought of skinning him… Yuck!” Caitlin laughed.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought…anyway, after a bit of a misunderstanding at first, one thing led to another and the rest of the story is pure ecstasy,” Mandy said, grinning from ear to ear, her face feeling a bit flushed and hot at the memory of her night with JT.
“
Oooh
, look at your face! I’m so happy for you, Mandy,” Caitlin squealed, clapping her hands together in glee. “And I hear that you’re coming out to Mia’s with us tonight. So do you think this could become serious? How nice would it be if you and JT became an item? We spend so much time with him—Brodie, Riley and me—that it would be nice to have you with us too.”
“I’m not sure… It’s a bit soon to make any plans. But I do know that I am just bursting over the need to see him again. He just makes me feel… I don’t know… Sexy, feminine, hot…
Whole,
” Mandy said after a while, trying to put her feelings for JT into words, but at the same time trying to keep some sort of grip on her own emotions and protect herself from any future heartbreak.
If that painting hasn’t already been finished and hung!
she thought.
* * * *
Having eaten off the previous layers of her lipstick due to nerves, Mandy re-applied yet another coat of her favourite red lipstick and waited impatiently for JT to arrive. In the end, she went to stand out on the veranda that overlooked the front of the old, majestic house she lived in, to keep watch. Mandy’s flat had a set of beautiful French doors that opened onto a spacious veranda. Sometimes she moved her easel out into a sunny spot to paint. Caitlin’s flat, underneath Mandy’s, had a small garden that she shared with the other ground floor tenant, June. June was, more often than not, to be found pottering around the garden. Mandy loved the way the flowers, the grevillea and native fuchsias, bloomed in such a variety of shades, even now in the colder winter months. June definitely had a green thumb.
Mandy’s own colours, flitting around her mind, didn’t help ease her nervousness. She felt like a hyperactive child. The hues were changing so rapidly, the strobe effects like disco lights—she could hardly keep up with them. Combining them and her ever-changing emotions with the anticipation of what lay before her this evening was nearly enough to drive Mandy insane.
Chapter Nine
JT had tried to not look as if he was dressing up especially for Mandy, although ironing his jeans was not a regular occurrence. His father had looked on, chuckling at him in amusement.
JT had never thought he was an overly attractive bloke, with his square-shaped head, solid jaw and nose that was amazingly straight, given the amount of hits it had taken. Add in his extra-large body, big shoulders and hips, plus thighs that had been described more than once as looking like tree trunks, and JT was just one big unit.
Now he was freshly showered, shaved and dressed, ready to collect Mandy. His hands were already sweating from nervous anticipation. With an on-the-fly comment about not being sure if he would be home that night, JT bade farewell to his father before all but sprinting to his car—the big man was not really known for his speed!
The drive, one that JT was familiar with—but had never undertaken quite as enthusiastically before—seemed to take a little longer this time, as if life were drawing out the suspense. Finally, JT pulled into the small private parking area beside the old house, stopping beside Caitlin’s funny little green car. The other two cars parked were a red van with signage that read
‘Artworx by Magenta’,
and Brodie’s black Range Rover.
“Full house tonight, then!” He grinned to his reflection in the rear view mirror.
Noticing that Mandy was watching him from her veranda above, as if waiting for him, pleased JT. As he headed inside, the impatient anticipation of touching her again quickened his step. Unfortunately, as JT entered the downstairs hallway, Riley came shooting out of his flat and bounced around him. The kid began chatting happily away about school, his day and other things young boys found interesting.
JT, so caught up with his thoughts of Mandy, had forgotten he was taking Riley to Mia’s tonight as well, then bringing the boy home early and sitting with him, leaving Brodie free to stay behind until Caitlin finished her singing gig. Riley had school the next morning, so couldn’t have a very late night. When the arrangements had been made, JT, loving nothing better than spending some boy time with Brodie and Riley, had not expected to be taking a date.
JT was wondering how to broach the subject when Riley smiled at him, the grin broad and honest. Then in a hushed voice, the tone laced with a taint of conspiracy, Riley gave him some advice.
“I’ll give you a tip, JT. You had better head up and get Mandy. She’s been pacing around all afternoon. I’m worried she’s gonna wear out a hole in her floor and end up in our place.” The cheeky but astute boy—in JT’s opinion—added, “I don’t get what all the fuss is about, JT? Of course you would love Mandy. She is so cool—who wouldn’t? Can’t see why she’s so worked up over it.”
JT ruffled the boy’s ginger hair affectionately.
“Thanks for the advice, young Romeo. I might just do that, mate. I’ll go and collect Mandy and bring her down to your place, using the stairs,” he said, and added a wink, “and we can all walk to Mia’s together.”
As JT took the stairs three at a time, he couldn’t believe his luck that Mandy might be just as eager to see him as he was her. As he reached the landing he almost barrelled into her. Mandy had been coming to him. JT caught her and hugged her close. The smell of her hair alone was enough to make him instantly hard and needy.
She smelt like spring—fresh and clean. Her spiky black hair pointed every which way, tickling his chin. She had a rose-red velvet top on over a skintight, long, black velvet skirt with shiny black boots peeking out from below the hem. She wasn’t showing an inch of indecent skin, but to JT, Mandy was the most incredibly sexy woman he had ever set eyes on.
JT grabbed her delicious backside in both hands, enjoying how the soft globes felt as they were hugged tight by her skirt. The fabric was almost sinful in its texture, as he rubbed his hands up, down and around those two plump mounds. He loved this bountiful backside.
JT could feel Mandy’s breasts pushed up against his body and his mind quickly filled with images of what he would like to do to those inviting swells—images of himself drawing each, in turn, into his mouth and devoting hours to just lavishing attention on them alone.
My God, this woman makes me hot!
He needed to stop thinking like that. They needed to get to dinner, and to behave in front of Riley. JT wasn’t sure he could pull it off and couldn’t resist a little taste of her mouth, just to see him through the start of the evening. He kissed her long and tenderly, savouring every moment.
Chapter Ten
When JT had arrived, Mandy had nearly been knocked over—the man had been charging so fast towards her, like an out-of-control freight train. He looked stunning.
And massive!
His chest, hugged by a blue sweater, felt like a rock shelf as she slammed up against it. From the V-neck of the clingy top, he was showing just a hint of chest hair, which begged to be stroked and petted. As JT hugged her close, all the anxiety of the last few hours flew away. She was home in his strong arms, and the kiss was sensational. Not all hot and hard like last night, but soft and tender. Sexy as hell! If they hadn’t been going out with Riley, she would have dragged him into her apartment and bonked him stupid.
Riley was going to get it for telling JT she had been pacing—little tattle-tale. She had been listening, mortified, as the boy had squealed her secrets.
Eventually, Mandy pulled away from JT. She took his hand and they headed back downstairs, and farther away from her tempting bed. Riley was standing at the bottom step with a big smile. Mandy playfully punched him in the arm and called him a traitor as she dragged JT past him and entered Caitlin’s flat. Riley giggled, saying something about men having to stick together, as they went past.
Mandy pushed JT down on the sofa next to Brodie, then placed a loud smack of a kiss on his lips and informed the men she was going to talk to Caitlin.
Mandy found Caitlin in the bathroom, adding finishing touches to her stage makeup. Again, she marvelled at Caitlin’s transformation from the cute girl-next-door to super-hot, sexy singer. Her looks were so different when she was wearing her stage clothes and makeup. Mandy thought it remarkable that her friend was unaware of how stunning she was.
“Hey, sex goddess, I see your hunky hero is out there already waiting for you. How does he manage to get through a game without seeing you?” Mandy teased Caitlin. “Games go for—what? Like two hours, don’t they?”
“Yeah, Mandy, let’s just see who’s talking when everyone starts tripping over JT’s big body all the time.”
“I can’t see myself complaining about that. I’m quite partial to JT’s size. It’s quite in proportion, really…big everywhere, if you get my meaning, Cait.”
“Oh, you are such a bad girl, Mandy! Thanks for that mental picture. Definitely falls into the TMI category. But just so you know, Brodie doesn’t have any reason to feel inadequate either. Must be a front-row forward thing—they are built big!” Caitlin’s quick reply had both women giggling like schoolgirls.
Mandy had created a pair of drop earrings for Caitlin. The crimson stones complemented the colour of Caitlin’s hair perfectly, twinkling as they fell from her small delicate earlobes.
“Oh! Mandy, they are
beautiful
!” Caitlin exclaimed, teary-eyed.
Mandy was touched by her friend’s reaction to the gift and reached out to her. As they hugged each other, Brodie entered the bathroom. He seemed a little embarrassed at the emotional scene. Mr Dependable was so big and serious all the time that Mandy couldn’t resist the temptation to tease Brodie, telling him that she and Caitlin had decided to become lovers, and so Caitlin was breaking up with him.
“Ha, figured the big unit was lousy in bed. One night with him, Mandy, and you’ve given up men! Can’t fault your taste in women, though.” Brodie laughed back at her.
The conversation was all starting to get a bit ridiculous when JT squeezed into the little room, bellowing that it wasn’t his fault. “Hey, don’t go laying that sort of blame on me Brodes. Mags didn’t seem to be complaining last night…”
“JT, shush!” Mandy said, embarrassed but thoroughly enjoying the moment, the bonds of friendships being strengthened, as the four erupted into howls of laughter. The raucous sounds even enticed Riley into the room, wondering what was
so funny.
“What’s wrong with you guys? Geez, can’t we just go and eat? I’m starving,” Riley whined, shaking his ginger head in frustration at the continued laughter filling the small bathroom. “What are you all doing in here, anyway?”
“It’s okay, Riles,” Brodie said, rubbing the boy’s head affectionately. “The girls were just trying to decide which one of us was the hottest.”
“Yuck… I do not need to hear this conversation at all.” Riley covered his ears and made ‘la-la-la’ noises, obviously trying to block out the conversation, much to everyone’s delight.