Storms Over Blackpeak (20 page)

Jesus. Who wouldn’t promise him anything when he was looking at them like that? He was … he was … Cally found herself unable to look away.

Abruptly, Luke did. ‘You know what this champagne needs?’ he said briskly, unravelling himself from the duvet and getting to his feet. ‘A single malt chaser.’ He switched his phone to flashlight. ‘I’ll get us a couple more glasses.’

Chapter
SEVENTEEN

‘You spent the night’ — Ella stared at Luke — ‘in a motel room with Cally?’

Luke set her suitcase down beside the wardrobe. ‘What did you expect me to do, freeze to death?’

‘What did I expect? Um, let me think. You
not
to sleep with Carr’s housekeeper?’

‘Come on.’ He ran his hand over his face. ‘It wasn’t like that.’

‘No? How was it?’

‘Cold.’ Luke glared at her. ‘Uncomfortable. Not very clean.’ The corner of his mouth lifted into a half smile. ‘The sheets were terrible.’

‘You think this is funny?’ She watched him in disbelief. And — and — hang on, how did he know what the bloody
sheets were like? ‘You’re telling me you actually slept in the
bed
? Under the covers? With her?’

‘There was no power. No heat. It must have been absolute fucking zero out there.’ He let out a long sigh. ‘What should I have done? You tell me.’

God. She was being unreasonable, she knew she was. What else
could
they have done? It was just … just the last thing she’d expected to hear when she walked in the door at the end of what felt like about a year in the air. Ella made an effort to rein herself in. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t the jealous type. She could hear how ugly she sounded. But if anyone should be going on road trips and having adventures with Luke, it ought to be her. What was he doing driving Cally around anyway?

‘Look, nothing happened,’ Luke said, in a more conciliatory tone. ‘Nothing, okay?’

‘So what did the two of you do all night?’

He shrugged. ‘We got something to eat, we had a few drinks, a few laughs. We talked—’

‘You bonded?’ she suggested sarcastically.

‘Jesus.’ Stalking to the bedroom window, Luke stared out. ‘You want to know how it was?’ He turned back to face her. ‘It was better than this.’

Sinking down on the edge of the bed, Ella hugged her ribs. She felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach.

‘I’m sorry.’ Luke started towards her. ‘I didn’t mean that.’

‘No.’ She shook her head, unable to look at him. ‘You’re right. This is shit. I don’t blame you for wanting out.’

‘I didn’t say that.’ Arriving in front of her, he put his hands on her shoulders. ‘Ella, I’m not saying that.’

She didn’t look up.

Luke walked away again. ‘You do realise,’ he said acidly, ‘Cally is in love with Ash, don’t you?’

Crikey, was she? Ella glanced up in surprise. ‘Is Ash in love with her?’

‘God knows.’ Luke rolled his eyes. ‘He’s an idiot if he isn’t.’

What the hell did he mean by that? She studied his face with growing alarm. Did someone have a little crush of his own? Dropping her gaze to the carpet, Ella pressed a hand to her mouth. All this time, she’d been scared of Luke having some stupid, casual fling. That he’d get bored, fall out of love, cheat on her with the first passing rent-ababe. It had never occurred to her that he might fall
in
love with somebody else. That he might leave her for a real relationship with a real person. That he might … that he might be happier with someone else …

‘No.’ Luke dropped to his knees between her thighs. ‘Don’t look like that. That’s not what I’m saying either.’ Removing her hands from her face, he held them in his own. ‘I like Cally. I like her a lot. She’s smart, and funny, and sweet—’

Ella bit her lip. As opposed to the rampaging bitch that
she
was?

‘— but I love you,’ Luke continued. ‘You. No one else. Okay?’

‘Still?’ She risked a look up at him. ‘Even though it turns out I’m a horrible, irrational, jealous cow who didn’t even care that you were stuck in a blizzard?’

‘Even so.’ He folded her into his arms. ‘How about we try this again from the top? Hello. Welcome home. I’ve missed you like hell.’

Ella buried her face in his chest. ‘I’ve missed you, too,’ she sniffed. God, she was going to cry again. Hurling accusations and crying: were those really the only two speeds she had these days? She sniffed harder.

‘You’re not getting mascara all over me again, are you?’ Luke held her away. ‘I just had this jersey drycleaned.’

She laughed.

‘That’s better.’ He pulled her back against his chest, pressing her to him tightly. ‘Now. How about you unpack that bloody suitcase for once, and we go out for dinner like normal people.’ He let go. ‘Quick. Before Damian calls.’

Ella woke up to see Luke buttoning his shirt — a sight she’d sorely missed. The bedside light was on, and the sky beyond the bedroom window was black.

‘Where are you going?’ she asked, stretching sleepily.

‘It’s Monday morning.’ Leaning over, he kissed her forehead. ‘I’m going to work.’

‘What time is it?’

‘Six-thirty. I’ve got an eight o’clock site meeting in Wanaka.’

Ella wound her arms round his neck. ‘Don’t go.’ Pulling him down, she kissed him slowly. ‘Not yet.’

‘I have to.’ Drawing the covers aside, Luke’s hand moved slowly over her body. She kissed him harder. ‘I’ll be back in thirteen hours,’ he smiled, pulling back. ‘Hold that thought.’ His green eyes glinted wickedly as his hand slid down. ‘Or better yet, hold this one.’

Ella gasped. ‘You can’t do that,’ she managed, as he drew away, ‘and then leave.’

‘I’ll see you about seven-thirty.’ His gaze roamed over her. ‘Feel free to wait there.’

She groaned to herself. The way she was feeling, she just might. Still looking at her, Luke shrugged his suit jacket on. Ella bit back another groan as he turned. On his way to the door, he scooped something off the floor. She caught a flash of pink lace as he stuffed it into his inside jacket pocket.

What the hell? ‘Is that my underwear?’

‘Just a little something,’ he grinned, ‘to remind me you really are here, and I didn’t dream last night’ — he looked her over one last time — ‘again.’

She opened her mouth, but before she could think of a reply, he was gone. Listening to Luke’s footsteps fade away down the stairs, Ella rolled over, breathing in his smell on the sheets, her body flooding with memories of last night. Oh God, she wanted him to come back right now and just—

‘Ten minutes.’ In the doorway, Luke threw off his jacket.

Her eyes widened as he strode towards her. Ten minutes?

‘That’s the best I can do.’ His mouth curled into his wickedest smile. ‘Take it or leave it.’

Reaching up, Ella seized his tie.

Two hours and fifty minutes after Luke had driven off to work at last, Ella made her way down through the still-icy Queenstown streets to the studio.

‘Hey.’ Damian looked up as she walked in the door. ‘You look like you’re in a good mood.’

‘I am,’ she agreed, handing him his coffee. ‘So do you.’

‘I just got some good news.’

Tilting her head, she considered his handsome, grizzled face. ‘Does she have a name?’

‘She does, actually.’

‘So?’ Ella tipped sugar into her coffee and stirred. ‘Are you going to tell me, or do you want me to guess?’

‘It’s Ella,’ Damian grinned.

Oh. Well, that was a rather unsettling coincidence. She sipped her coffee uncomfortably. Hopefully the relationship wasn’t going to last long.

‘Zeiss want to use one of the shots I took with their prototype lens,’ Damian said.

Oh good, he was changing the subject. ‘That’s fantastic,’ she said. ‘Which one?’

‘One of you.’

What? Jesus! ‘You
sent
them those?’ she asked, appalled.

Damian shrugged. ‘They were the best.’

‘But I didn’t … You weren’t meant to …’ Ella shook herself. ‘You
know
I don’t model.’ She’d had that choice back in high school, and she’d turned it down. No one would ever take her seriously as a photographer if she modelled as well, she knew that. And so did Damian.

‘This is not modelling,’ he said. ‘It’s a portrait. The Queen of England has those. I’m pretty sure the other monarchs don’t look down their noses at her.’

She glared at him furiously. ‘I don’t want to be the face of a lens.’

‘You think it’s a bad thing for a company like Zeiss to know who you are?’ Damian gave her a distinctly headmaster-like stare. ‘Come on, Ella, you’re not being rational. For God’s sake, they used a shot of
me
in their last campaign.’

Shit. They had, too. Was he right? ‘That was different,’ she told him, with rather less confidence. ‘They wanted your face because you’re a famous photographer. That’s not why they want mine.’

‘They want a shot
I
took,’ he said sternly, ‘because it shows what their lens can do. That shot just happens to be of you. Suck it up. It could be a shot of my cleaner, you think she’d object?’

God, when you put it like that, perhaps she did need to get over herself. It was Damian’s work, after all. How would she feel if she had a great shot and her subject wouldn’t let her use it?

‘This is a big deal,’ Damian warned her. ‘Will you sign the release?’ His tone softened. ‘I can make it worth your while.’

Still torn, she stared at the floor. ‘It’s not about money.’

‘I didn’t say anything about money. But I did think — maybe — you might like to have this.’

Ella looked up as he pushed a box across the table. The prototype lens?

‘You’re
giving
it to me?’ she asked, awestruck. ‘Seriously?’

‘From one photographer to another,’ he nodded. ‘Take it, see what you can do. Maybe you can show Zeiss something they like more than your face.’ Damian laughed. ‘Although, honey, don’t take this the wrong way, but I got to say I doubt it.’

‘Thank you.’ Ella opened the box and picked the lens up reverently. Then, unravelling Damian’s compliment, she frowned. ‘For the lens, I mean.’

‘How’s that good mood holding up?’ he asked her.

Ella mounted the lens on her camera body and looked through it, framing his face. ‘I think it’s fair to say it’s on its way back.’

‘Let me know when it gets there,’ he said, looking down the barrel at her. ‘There’s something else I want to talk to you about.’

Ugh, where were they off to this time? And when? Please, God, not tonight. ‘Go on,’ she said resignedly.

‘I’ve decided I’m moving back to New York.’

‘You’ve what?’ Ella put the camera down.

‘You were right,’ Damian said. ‘Getting in and out of this place, all the travelling, it’s too much. I need an easier life.’

‘So when will you go?’ she asked faintly.

‘I just booked a job back there this weekend. I leave Friday. I figure there’s not much point coming back.’

This
Friday? ‘But the studio,’ Ella pointed out. ‘Your house, your car — all your stuff.’

Damian waved his hand. ‘It’ll all get taken care of.’

Wow. Feeling the need to sit down, Ella pulled up a stool. Just like that, it was all going to disappear? Her job, her income, her reason for being here, her chance to make a name for herself in Damian’s world, to get her own work noticed … they were all … gone?

‘Listen, Ella, the thing is,’ he said, watching her, ‘I want you to come with me.’

Ella nearly fell off the stool. ‘Me?’

‘Yeah,’ Damian grinned. ‘We make a pretty good team, you and me, don’t you think?’

‘Yes,’ she stammered. ‘I mean, working with you is great, it’s the best, but I can’t move to New York.’

‘Why not?’ Appearing to think of something, he paused for a second. ‘Hey, don’t worry about a green card.’ He waved his hand in the air again. ‘I know people. It won’t be a problem, we can sort it out once you’re there.’

‘I have commitments here.’

‘What, you mean that boyfriend of yours?’ Damian laughed. ‘Come on, Ella, I think he’ll get by without you, don’t you?’

God, she was so flustered she couldn’t think. I mean, on the one hand, who wouldn’t want to move to New York, but on the other — on the other, very important, hand …

‘You know, I finally got around to going over those shots you sent me,’ Damian said. ‘That stuff on the sheep ranch? It’s pretty good. I flicked a few through to my agent, actually. She said she’d like to meet you.’

Ella stared at him. Damian Priest’s agent wanted to meet
her
? ‘She said that? Really?’

‘Sure.’ He gave her a pitying look. ‘But the thing is, honey, she’s not going to come here to do it. Nobody is.’

Ugh, he wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know, but—

‘Look, I love this town. It’s a hell of a place for an old guy
like me to end up. But it’s no place to start out. You know what I’m saying?’

Ella nodded.

‘You want a career doing weddings, pet portraits, you stay where you are. No shame in that. But if you want the big time, you have to go to it. It ain’t going to come to you.’

It was true. She knew it was. But … but a career wasn’t the only thing she wanted. Was it? Surely there had to be some kind of compromise?

‘Think it over,’ Damian said.

Speechless, Ella nodded again.

‘You could go someplace, Ella.’ He searched out her eyes. ‘I really think that you could. But first you have to set out.’

‘I’ll think about it,’ she managed.

‘Think hard.’ Damian got to his feet. ‘I’m heading out for a while. I’m not sure what time I’ll get back. Just lock up and head on home when you’re done. You can let me know what you decide tomorrow.’