‘Skye!’
Skye laughed as a dozen three-and four-year-olds attached themselves like limpets to her legs and arms, pulling her down to swamp her with hugs.
‘Whoa kids! One at a time.’
God! She had missed this. It felt like she’d been away forever. Five weeks in total—two weeks skiing and then three weeks getting over a really bad dose of flu. Now she was ecstatic to be back, and from the children’s response to her arrival, they were equally ecstatic.
She was dragged through the room as each child clamoured to show her what they’d been doing over the last few weeks and she oohed and ahhed over each project. Very soon she was sitting down in the reading area, little Andy Peterson in her lap, as she read the children’s favourite book.
As she read, she felt Andy’s body soften against hers and by the time she’d finished the story, he was fast asleep. The other children got up quietly at her gesture and went off to other tasks. Skye stayed where she was, the book on the floor beside her, the tired little boy’s body a heavy warmth against her. Her heart ached.
The bell chimed as the door opened and closed but Skye didn’t move—Jenny would take care of the new arrival. Skye stayed where she was, on the floor in the reading corner, Andy’s head on her shoulder, the soft, snuffling sound of his little boy snores puffing against her neck. He really was tired; he’d fallen asleep so quickly. Skye couldn’t let him sleep too long though, but fifteen minutes now would tide him over for the rest of the morning until he could have a proper nap after they’d had lunch.
‘Come in. Welcome to 4Us2.’ Jenny’s voice was warm, welcoming. ‘We received all your paperwork and everything is ready to go.’
‘Thank you. You’ve got a lovely place here. My brother and I were really impressed with your program.’
Skye didn’t hear Jenny’s response because everything else faded away at the sound of that voice. It was a little rougher than she remembered, like he’d been to a rock concert recently and sung all night. But even so, his voice was unmistakable.
Jason McVale!
What on earth was he doing here?
No. It couldn’t be him. It was too much of a coincidence. Wasn’t it?
Skye craned her neck, but couldn’t see the door over the bookshelf a few metres to her left.
‘I have to say, I’m amazed to get a place so quickly. When my friend told me about you, she said we most likely wouldn’t get a spot because you were so popular. So we were thrilled to get your call on Friday.’
‘That’s nice of you to say. But we just had a family move away and a few spaces came up in the toddler and pre-prep programs.’
How could Jenny talk so calmly? Wasn’t she affected by the picture of male perfection standing in front of her? Perhaps glowing blue eyes and a come-bed-me voice didn’t work on a woman happily married for over twenty-five years.
For a moment Skye wished she was older and happily married. Then maybe her heart wouldn’t be trying to leap out of her chest with such painful intensity. She closed her eyes, breathed in and out nice and slow, trying to calm down.
‘I think our nephew is going to be really happy here. Just as soon as he lets go of my leg. Come on, Tombo. We talked about this. Nobody here is going to bite.’ He laughed.
Jenny’s laugh joined his. Not her usual laugh-with-the-customer one, but something a little more flirty and light.
Well, well. It seemed even the happily married couldn’t resist Adonis-style charm. What chance did she have if even Jenny wasn’t immune?
She just had to make sure she didn’t behave like a ninny again—easier said than done!
‘We meet a lot of our little friends like this. Hello Tom.’ Jenny’s voice was full of the tone that made her a favourite with the children. ‘My name’s Jenny. We’re so excited you’ve decided to join us this morning. We have so many things to do, and it will be much more fun now you’re here. Would you like to come with me?’
There was a scuff of sneakers on the linoleum tiles.
‘Tom! Come on now. Say hello to Jenny.’
No words came out of the little boy. Skye imagined Tom clinging to Jason’s leg, hiding his head.
‘I’m sorry. He’s shy. Ever since the accident, he’s really only been with family. But he needs to be with other kids his age, not just us crusty adults.’
‘I’m sure you’ve done a wonderful job, Mr McVale.’
‘Please, call me Adam.’
Skye’s eyes snapped open. Adam? Jason’s brother. The only one not killed in the accident. After going out with him at the snow, Bron and Adam had stayed in contact, catching up a few times over the past few weeks; a fact that made Shelley quite surly whenever it was brought up. Skye was still to meet him, though, seeing as he’d never come to the house—he’d always picked Bron up from work.
Was that how he happened to be here? Because of Bron?
God! Would that mean she’d see Jason? She had no idea if he was guardian for his nephew. Maybe Tom just lived with Adam.
She hoped so. How could she face Jason again after getting drunk and passing out? How could she look him in the eye when every time she closed her eyes he was the star of the most erotic dreams she’d ever had in her life?
The gate into the main area opened and closed.
‘If you bring Tom inside, we can try to engage him in an activity. If he sees something that interests him, he’ll be more likely to let go. And I can give you both the tour as we go.’
‘You’re the expert.’
Skye heard movement and craned her neck up to see. Jenny walked into her line of sight followed by a very tall man with a young boy firmly attached to his leg. One of the other staff called out to Jenny and she turned.
‘Excuse me for a minute. I’ll be right back.’
‘No hurry.’
Adam seemed to sense he was the subject of heated contemplation. He turned in her direction, as did Tom.
‘Hey, that’s the marshmallow lady from the snow,’ the little boy blurted, a shy smile spreading on his face.
Adam’s face split into a wide grin. ‘It sure is.’
Skye’s breath hiccoughed in her chest. Did he know?
Adam’s grin widened as she lifted her chin and stared back, getting her first really good look at him—at the snow he’d had a beanie and glasses on. Now she could see him clearly. Apart from the voice, which was so like his brother’s it was uncanny, he didn’t really look like Jason at all. He was black coal to Jason’s warm chocolate. He was a little taller than she remembered Jason being. He was definitely broader across the shoulders and thicker through the waist and hips. As she stared at him, his lips, full like Jason’s, twisted in a kind of ironic smirk that was vaguely irritating. It was little wonder Shelley found him annoying.
He stood like Jason: lanky and confident, with an animal wildness that said these men could not be tamed.
Skye swallowed hard. She’d tried to tame Jason in the dream, but he had taken her over.
Andy squirmed a little in her arms and mumbled a protest. She realised she was holding him too tightly. The momentary distraction enabled her to tear her gaze away from Adam’s searching stare. Looking down at Andy, she made shushing noises and loosened her hold. After a moment, he settled against her.
‘That’s Skye Cantrae,’ Jenny said and Skye looked up to see them both looking at her now, Jenny having returned. ‘She owns and runs the centre.’
‘Cantrae? That’s a Wi—An unusual name.’
‘Is it? I’ve never thought much about it. But Skye is the reason 4Us2 is such a great childcare centre. She’s the mastermind behind what we do.’
‘I think you’re laying that on a bit thick, Jenny,’ Skye muttered under her breath.
Adam’s lips twitched again into that ironic smirk as if he’d heard her. The bell tinkled as the door opened and Adam turned and drawled, ‘Jason! Glad you could make it.’
‘I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’ Jason stepped into view and joined his brother.
Skye’s heart stopped.
Please, please, don’t let him see me here.
Jason turned, gaze colliding with hers.
‘Skye.’ He said her name as if it were a tasty morsel and his eyes opened wide in delight.
Andy moved restlessly in her arms again and she looked down at him. He was waking up. She wished he wouldn’t. He created a barrier between her and the man who had invaded her dreams in the most exotic, erotic way ever since she’d met him.
Jason’s gaze skimmed down to the little boy in her arms. Something shadowed crossed his eyes, darkening the glowing blue, but was gone too quickly for Skye to be certain she’d even seen it, let alone try to figure out what it meant.
He started towards her across the room. ‘Skye! What a surprise. What are you doing here?’
‘You know each other?’ Jenny looked between them, surprise etching deep lines in her brow.
‘We met up at Mt Buller last month. Well, in actual fact, I ran her down on Federation and then met her again at the lodge. And now here you are! If I didn’t know better, I would say we were destined to meet.’
‘I don’t believe in destiny.’ The vehemence in the words shocked her and by the look on Jenny’s and Jason’s faces, she wasn’t the only one. Hurrying to fill the surprised silence, she said, ‘I think Adam knows my friend, Bron. She told you about 4Us2?’
Adam nodded, his lips twisting up at the corner. ‘She didn’t mention your name, though, when she said her friend ran it.’
She barely heard his reply, her gaze tangling with Jason’s as he walked closer. Behind him, she saw Adam stop beside a table set up with paints.
Tearing her gaze from Jason, she said to Adam, ‘Why don’t you see if Tom wants to paint?’ She winked at the little boy still clinging to his uncle’s leg. ‘Using your fingers is fine. We like mess here. And I’d love to hang one of your paintings on our art wall.’ She gestured with her head at the wall behind her. ‘Then you’ll feel truly at home.’
Tom’s gaze flickered from her to the wall and back again before he ducked behind his uncle’s leg. But not before she’d seen a shadow of a smile and his gaze dart to the table and chairs beside him.
As Adam bent to detach Tom from his leg, Jason moved closer to her, making her arch her neck to look up his length to his too-handsome face.
‘Thanks for that. He’s a bit nervous.’
‘I would be too, if I were him.’
Jason cocked an eyebrow.
‘This is a strange place with strange people. And children are told all the time not to trust strangers. So why would he be happy to be left here?’
Jason shook his head, chuckling. ‘I hadn’t thought of it like that.’
She shrugged. ‘You just have to get down on their level and understand things from their perspective. It’s not difficult to gain a child’s trust. You just have to know the right way to go about it.’
‘So, it’s all about the right touch.’ He nodded at Andy, moving closer still and crouching down so she no longer had to crane her neck. Unfortunately, that brought him much too close for her liking—so close, she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.
Uneasy, she sat up a little straighter against the wall, clenching her muscles, willing the stupid tremors to stop. ‘Yes. And trust.’
‘Well, you’ve certainly got both. That little boy seems perfectly trusting there.’ His voice lowered to a whisper only she could hear. ‘I know from personal experience there’s no better place to be.’
Skye gasped.
Oh! My! God!
That night wasn’t a dream.
They had slept together.
Heat flushed her face with something that wasn’t just embarrassment. He was looking at her with a look so hot it made her skin sizzle. His tone was suggestive, knowing, like he remembered exactly what she looked like naked, hot, sweaty—and open to him.
Oh God! It was bad enough when she thought it just a dream. But if he was real and the sex had been real, could her memory of the magic sparking under her fingers be real too? It wasn’t possible, and yet—
‘Thkye?’
She loosened her death grip on the little boy. ‘Shh, it’s okay,’ she whispered, stroking his back. ‘It’s going to be okay.’ She wished someone could say those words to her and they would be true.
‘Do children often fall asleep in your arms?’ Jason’s deep voice rumbled close. He’d edged forward and was now in front of her, looking at Andy.
While he wasn’t looking at her, she took the opportunity to open her senses just a fraction like her grandpa had taught her. She’d checked him up at the snow for magic, but given what had happened between them and the power of the feelings he created just by looking at her, she had to make sure he wasn’t a warlock trying to bewitch her. Energy flared around him, bright and powerful but with a raw wildness that was kind of beautiful. She shifted, uneasy, and made herself look for the markers of a warlock. Nothing. No magical signs of attachment to earth, wind, water or fire.
She dropped the sight with an internal sigh of relief. He wasn’t a warlock. But if the problem wasn’t with him, that meant the problem was with her. The spell was malfunctioning.
For one brief, insane moment, she wanted to push Andy into Jason’s arms and run. But she couldn’t. That would be weak and foolish and stupid. Her magic had sparked in her that day at the snow because she’d been so angry about Morrigan having her followed. Any residual magic that sparked from her was probably because her emotions had still not been stable. Having mind-blowing sex probably hadn’t helped the instability.
No reason to panic. She wasn’t angry now and she wasn’t about to have sex with Jason. She was in control.
She would start by not giving in to the magnetic pull of attraction Jason created in her.
Despite their night together, he was nothing more to her than the guardian of one of the children under her care. She stared brazenly at him, almost as if daring him to bewitch her with those lightning-struck blue eyes again.
And his eyes glowed, a red spark in the black centre, as if to say, ‘Challenge accepted!’
Taking a deep breath to make sure her voice was cool and steady, she said, ‘Andy got to bed late. He’d probably find a cactus comfortable.’
‘You are far from being a cactus.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. My friends say they’d never want to be on the wrong side of me.’
He smiled at her, the crooked smile that made her insides flip. Shoot! She had to end this little tête-à-tête. Lowering her voice, she said, ‘If you get too close, you might get pricked.’
‘I remember feeling the prick of your temper at the snow. It was a flash and then gone. I think I can handle it.’
Fire rushed through her veins. Then Andy shifted and Skye ducked her face down to hide the flush. She brushed unruly hair away from Andy’s face as he whimpered, only half awake.
‘Andy,’ she murmured. ‘Time to wake up now.’
He blinked up at her, drowsy and dazed. ‘Ith it lunch time yet?’ he asked sleepily, rubbing at his eyes. ‘I’m real hungry.’
She hugged him. ‘Of course you are. If you go with Jenny, I’m sure she’ll be able to find you a piece of fruit.’
She glanced up at Jenny, who held her hand out.
‘It’ll be just between you and me though, Andy,’ Jenny said, sotto voce. ‘The others will all want some too if they know.’
‘I can keep a thecret.’
‘I know you can.’
Andy scrambled out of Skye’s lap and took Jenny’s hand. As they passed Tom, Andy turned and asked, ‘Do you want to come, too?’
Tom looked up at Jason, who nodded. Tom stood from his painting, a shy smile lighting his face. ‘If that’s okay.’
Jenny gestured with her hand and the boys followed her happily, Adam behind them.
Smiling after them, it took a moment before Skye realised she was now alone with Jason. Good work, Skye. Get rid of the only barrier you had between you and him.
She began to push to her feet, feeling a little like she’d already done a full day’s work when a hand cupped under her elbow.
‘Here, let me help.’
She found herself pulled upright by an incredibly strong and sturdy grip, a grip that held her close, too close, forcing her to take in a startled breath.
His scent, rich and warm and wild, redolent of rain-soaked forest and the fresh lure of a summer’s sky, filled her senses. She leaned into him, veins pulsing with something hot and molten, skin electrified.
‘Are you all right?’ His hands firmed on her arms, holding her steady as she swayed. ‘Skye?’
His fingers gripped her tighter. The dizziness intensified. Something surged through her, strong and powerful. Her knees trembled. She tried to pull away but he didn’t relax his grip.
‘You can let go now,’ she whispered. ‘I just stood up too fast. I’m fine.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m sure,’ she said, her tone more wobbly than she would have liked. Every inch of her wanted to move closer to him, to breathe in his scent from that warm expanse of skin she could see at the base of his throat, to look up into those gorgeous glowing blue eyes, to give herself up to what he’d made her feel that night she’d thought was a dream.
No.
She would never fall prey to what had caused such weakness at the snow. She couldn’t take the chance the emotions he’d released in her wouldn’t make her powers snap out again. Bron and Shelley could have their free-list guys, their turbulent relationships and lovely flings, but that wasn’t something Skye could indulge in.
Clearing her throat, she took a step back, extricating herself from Jason’s light grip. ‘Really. I’m fine. Thank you.’ There, that was better. She maintained a cool, business-like tone, even though she ached without his touch.
She glanced up at him and for the briefest moment thought she saw hurt flicker in his eyes as she stepped back. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets and lowered his gaze.
Silence stretched between them, making her shuffle her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adam had returned and was staring at them, a quirk to his brow, as if he found the unnerving silence funny.
Annoyance flared inside her. How could she have thought he was anything like his brother? Jason was at least polite and charming. Adam was just … laughing at her. Could he know about what happened that night? Oh fudging hell! She hoped not.
His smirk widened.
‘If you’re happy to wait, I’ll take over from Jenny and she can finish telling you about 4Us2.’ Skye turned away, but Jason’s hand on her arm stilled her movement.
‘I’d prefer you to show us around.’ His thumb moved, touching the skin of her wrist.
Fire ran up her arm from his lightest touch. Images spun through her mind with a suddenness that made her gasp: a wolf baying at the moon, the pain in its eyes almost too much to bear; blue flashes of lightning in the dark; soft, silky fur caressing her skin.
Dizzy and nauseated, she grabbed his arm to stop herself from swaying, her fingers touching his bare skin. Blue fire sparked from her hand, chasing across his arm. She tried to let go, but it was like the fire had melded her hand to his arm.
Oh, God. Help. Not again.