Persuading Spring: A Sexy New Zealand Romance (The Four Seasons Book 4) (16 page)

He might not be a caveman—although Nita
might argue otherwise—but he could still appreciate the beauty of a young, sexy
woman, and at that moment, whether it was right or wrong, he knew he couldn’t
let her go. Not yet.

Bridget spooned some onion relish on the
last mouthful of her bread and cheese, and closed her eyes while she chewed. It
was so peaceful at the vineyard. To one side of the vines, a group of rabbits
nibbled at the grass, unbothered by the vineyard’s Labrador, who snoozed not
far from them in the shade of a large oak tree. Two fantails jumped around
between the vines, and then to her surprise a kingfisher alighted on a pole
just along from their table, its long beak like a thorn against the bright blue
sky, its turquoise feathers shining in the sunlight.

Life in the city was rarely peaceful like
this. Wellington had beautiful Botanical Gardens, and its quay could be
tranquil at times, but cities had a different vibe to the country, she thought,
as if the energy of all the people within them spiraled around like a tornado
and stopped the dust settling.

Or maybe it was being with Aaron that made
her feel peaceful. Whether it was because he’d learned it through being a vet,
or whether it was just his natural personality, he had a calm attentiveness
that appealed to her. She was growing used to the way he cocked his head at her
while she talked, his lips always holding a little curve as if he was secretly
admiring her while he listened. His gentle manner made her feel relaxed and
safe—an odd word, maybe, but it fit. He laughed a lot, his whole face lighting
up, taking such pleasure in her sense of humor that she suspected his ex hadn’t
been the sort to tease him.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her
with a fond affection.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked.

She sipped her wine. “Just thinking what a
lovely day it is. I’m having such a nice time, Aaron. Thank you so much for
spending your precious day off with me.”

“You are very welcome.” He shifted in his
seat and scratched his nose. “Actually, I was thinking…” He leaned forward on
the table and finally lifted his gray eyes to meet hers. “This is such an
unusual situation, isn’t it? It’s not normally the way two people meet, and
because of that I’m not quite sure what’s the right thing to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, common sense tells me that you live five
hundred miles away, and even though I come down on a regular basis, it would be
daft to have a long distance relationship like that. We only really have the
time that you’re here, and because of that, again, it seems daft to spend too
much time together, because I have a feeling that I’m only going to fall in
love with you even more the more I get to know you.”

Her eyes widened. Fall in love?

Wait.
Even more?

“In spite of that, though,” he continued,
oblivious to her shock, “and in spite of the fact that I’m not a thrill seeker,
or the sort of guy who enjoys stepping out of his comfort zone, equally I know
an opportunity when I see one. You’re on holiday for another week, right?”

“Yes,” she said, heart pounding.

“Well, of course you’re free to say no, and
there’d be no hard feelings and I hope we could stay friends, but if you wanted
to, and only if you wanted to, I thought, at least I was wondering…”

“Aaron…”

“Stay with me.” His gray eyes were suddenly
intense. “At the house. Until next Sunday. I’m not going to Wellington at the
weekend because Nita’s taking Mateo to the South Island somewhere. Let’s have a
fucking amazing affair for seven days, something we’ll be able to remember for
the rest of our lives. They say it’s better to regret the things you’ve done
than the things you haven’t. Well, I know I would have regretted it if I hadn’t
asked you. I like you. You make me smile, you’re beautiful, you’re sexy, and I
want to spend time with you. I want to make love to you. Over and over again,
if you’ll let me. I know you’re on the rebound, but you know what? I don’t
care. I don’t believe the only reason you’re here is because you want to prove
something. I feel there’s something between us that’s not all about need and
reassurance. So stay here, with me, and let’s make a few memories that we can
take out and look at when we’re old and gray.”

He finished a little breathless, his chest
rising and falling rapidly, his eyes alight with anticipation, hope, and a
little fear. He was warm-hearted and gorgeous, and he hadn’t slept with anyone
else since he broke up with his wife. Yet here he was, asking her to stay the
week with him, all cards on the table.

How amazingly sweet and astoundingly sexy
he was.

“All right,” she said.

“I won’t be hurt if you turn me down,” he
said, “well, I will, but what I mean is don’t let that stop you just because
you’re worried it will hurt my feelings. I’d much rather—” His words trailed
off.

“And… there it is.”

He stared at her. “Did you say all right?”

“I did. You very eloquently talked me into
it. Mainly with the talk of more sex. I like sex. Correction—I really, really
like sex with you. And I’d like more of it, if it’s on offer.”

“Oh, it’s definitely on offer.” His whole
face lit up with a beautiful smile. “You really want to stay? I am working next
week—I’m afraid I can’t just take it off.”

“That’s fine. I’ve enjoyed having some time
to myself, and I get you in the evenings. The perfect combination.”

He leaned back in his chair, surprise still
written all over his face. “I can’t believe you’re staying.”

“Me neither. Crazy, eh?”

“A bit.”

“It’s so not Birdie Hitchcock. She’s not in
the least bit crazy.”

He smiled. “Oh I think she is, deep down.”

She shook her head. “She really isn’t. I
don’t think you realize how different I’ve been with you, Aaron. Up until now,
it’s like I’ve been playing a part. Hitch’s sister, shop owner, girlfriend,
partner. Being whatever everyone else needed or wanted me to be. I haven’t been
myself. Does that sound stupid?”

“Not at all. I would think it’s quite
common—maybe for women especially—to put what they want on hold for their
friends and family.”

“Well, being here, doing exactly what I
want to do, being with you… I feel more like… well, like me than I think I’ve
ever felt.”

“I’m glad.” He held out a hand, and she
slid hers into it.

He kissed her fingers. “Come on then. Let’s
go home.”

*

They returned to Aaron’s house, and he took
the dogs out for a quick walk while she sat in the garden and stared at her
phone.

Making the decision to stay didn’t mean her
troubles were over. Next, she had to tell Hitch and her friends that she wasn’t
coming back for another week.

She’d spoken to Hitch every day since she’d
left Wellington, mainly to reassure him she was okay, because she knew he
worried about her. A couple of days ago, he’d admitted to her that he was due
to fly out with Rowan on Sunday for a week-long trip to Canada. She’d forgotten—he’d
been planning it for months, but he’d told her he was thinking of canceling it.
She’d managed to convince him that she was fine and he should still go, but she
knew that if he discovered she was staying with Aaron, it was likely he’d be on
the first plane to the Bay of Islands ready to knock Aaron’s teeth down his
throat. She was tempted not to call, but if she didn’t he’d only call her
later, probably at an inopportune time, judging by the look on Aaron’s face
that had told her he was hoping to get her to bed in the not-too-distant
future.

In the end, she compromised and rang
Callie.

“Birdie!” Callie sounded delighted to hear
from her. “How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you. How are you? And
how’s Ewan?”

“He’s fine thanks. I’m breast feeding at
the moment, so excuse me while I slurp my tea and nosh on a biscuit. You’re
supposed to eat a lot to keep your calorie levels up. At least that’s what I
keep telling myself. It’s a good excuse.”

Bridget smiled. “You sound happy.”

“I am happy. I miss being at work, but Neve
and Willow seem to have it all under control. They call me several times a day
saying they need help but I know they’re only trying to make me feel better.”

Rowan’s twin sister had started stepping in
to help out with the business, and although Neve still mainly focused on
marketing, she was quite happy and confident enough to cover the others during
their absence.

“So,” Callie said. “All I do all day is
talk about nappies and how many ounces Ewan’s put on. Entertain me. What are
you up to?”

“Well that’s kind of why I’m ringing. I was
hoping you could do me a favor.”

“Of course. As long as it can be done from
the comfort of my rocking chair. I don’t get out much at the moment.”

“It can. I wondered if you’d call Hitch for
me later, tell him you’ve been chatting to me, and that I’m fine.”

“Okay… And the reason you can’t do this
yourself is…”

“If I call him, he’ll know I’m hiding
something, and he’ll metaphorically twist my arm until I tell him, but you’re
good at lying.”

“Thanks—I think. What would I be covering
up?”

“That I’m not coming back tomorrow. I’ve
decided to stay away another week.”

“Why would that be a problem?”

“It’s not so much that I’m staying away,
it’s more who I’m staying with…”

“Oh…” The smile shone in Callie’s voice.
“You’re still with Aaron?”

“How do you know about…? Oh. Hitch.”

“He might have mentioned him. Does he have
a destrier and a lance under his arm?”

Bridget smiled. “He was a bit of a white
knight and yes, he did rescue me. I called in to see him yesterday and… well… I
think I might stay a bit longer.”

As Bridget had known she would, Callie
didn’t judge and didn’t question whether she was doing the right thing. She did
say, “Is this just a temporary thing or is it likely to become more?”

“I’m not sure how it can really. I mean, he
does come to Wellington every other weekend, but his life is in the bay, and
he’s a bit like a farm dog or something—I don’t think he’d be happy in the
city.”

“Hitch said he’s divorced?”

“Yeah.” Bridget explained about Nita and
Mateo, and that he was trying to keep his son in the country. “It’s a really
difficult situation for him, and I don’t envy him. He feels awful about taking
her to court, but it doesn’t sound as if Mateo wants to go to Spain.”

“What’s he like, his son?”

“Delightful considering he’s a boy and he’s
seven. Polite, gentle, friendly, just like his dad.”

“So this is a fling? An escape for a while?”

“Um… I suppose so.” Bridget’s face heated
as she thought about what he’d admitted. Should she say anything to Callie? It
seemed silly after she’d just told her it was a temporary fling. But Callie had
been like a sister to her over the last few years. Rowan might be her
almost-sister-in-law, but she would probably tell Hitch everything, whereas
Callie was good at keeping someone’s confidence. “He did say today that he
might fall in love with me even more the more he gets to know me.”

“Ah. I see.”

“Mmm.” Bridget hesitated. “Am I doing the
wrong thing, staying here? Drawing it out? Surely I’m only making it more
difficult when it eventually has to end?”

“Maybe.”

“I’m on the rebound, right? I’m being
needy. Wanting reassurance after being jilted. This can’t be real, can it?”

“Of course not. There’s no way you could
possibly meet a nice, decent man out of the blue and fall in love with him
because he’s kind and sexy and he treats you well. He is sexy, right?”

“Oh yeah.”

“And he treats you well?”

“He’s lovely, Callie. He’s so sweet, and
sexy, and gentle, and funny. I’m crazy about him. But I can’t be. I’ve only
known him a few days, and there’s no hope of anything developing between us…”

“I’m not saying it wouldn’t be tricky and
there wouldn’t be barriers to overcome, but you can’t say there’s no hope.
There’s always hope. Look what happened with me and Gene, and Rowan and Hitch,
and Neve and Rhett for Christ’s sake. None of us could have foretold any of
those relationships, and they all developed relatively quickly when it came
down to it. Time is meaningless when love’s involved.”

“I don’t know, Callie. Love’s something
that grows over time. I don’t believe in love at first sight.”

“Fair enough. Call it promise, then. It
only takes minutes to work out if a relationship holds the promise of something
more. Of course it takes time to discover whether two people will fit on a more
permanent basis. You can’t rush that. It takes months and years to sort that
out. Ouch. Hold on.”

The phone rustled for a moment before she
came back. “Sorry. Swapping boobs. The thing is, I bet you knew the moment you
looked into his eyes that something magical could happen between you. Yes,
you’ll need to take time to see whether you feel the same way once you’ve
sorted things out with Mal and buried that relationship. And he’ll need to
settle the thing with his wife and see whether there’s a way to make it work
with you, and that won’t be easy. But you can’t work that out yet. You can’t
make something grow that doesn’t even exist. All you can do at this point is
establish whether there’s a seed here worth planting. It seems to me there is.
So put it in the soil. Water it. Shine some happiness on it. And see what it
grows into. You might end up deciding that although it’s quite pretty, it’s not
going to grow into anything special, and so you can move onto finding another
seed. But it might be a sunflower, Birdie. It might be the most beautiful
flower you’ve ever seen. So you have to give it a chance to grow.”