Chapter 12
12
N athan stooped over the copper still, his lips pressed into a thin line in concentration as he checked the temperature gauge. He’d bailed to the distillery at the crack of dawn and left behind a half-assed note with a slapdash plate of dry toast.
Like a coward.
A pathetic move, but he couldn’t face her. Not after last night. Not after shoving Gennie up against that shelf and almost devouring her with his mouth. Fuck, the memory of her soft curves pressed against him, those pouty lips parting…only a hair’s breadth from claiming his own in a soul-consuming collision he wouldn’t have survived intact. That smart mouth of hers had begged him to give in and take what he wanted.
What the hell was she thinking, pushing a man like that?
She’d taunted him with what he couldn’t have.
And she knew now. She’d caught a peek behind the curtain at the stinking shite house that was his past. Not the full scope of it, thank Christ. But still. Why did she have to go through his stuff? She had no business being in that room.
Least of all alone with him.
What if she leaked anything to the press? She didn’t seem the type. But neither had Immy. The memory made him nauseous.
He gripped the metal tool hard enough to etch grooves into his palm and compelled himself to focus on the tangible sting that grounded him to reality. She was too young, that was the long and short of it. Just a reckless girl looking for a cheap thrill to get her rocks off without considering the consequences.
Like hell.
You don’t need a young woman to make you feel better about yourself.
Even though she made him lose his mind like a horny teenager after one close encounter. Even though the mere vision of Gennie writhing beneath him on sweat-damp sheets made him hard enough to split steel. Dark hair fanned across his pillow, the curve of her hip, arching into his touch, lips parting in a needy moan…
Fuck.
Nathan leaned back against the edge of the table with a suppressed groan. Fourteen hours alone with her and he’d nearly snapped.
Couldn’t let that happen again.
He needed to get that pod fixed or find her a hotel room in town. Any town. Perth if need be. Anything to put some distance between them before he did something stupid. Like push her against the wall and fuck her mouth with his tongue until they were both feral with need.
A ticking time bomb, that’s what she was. And if he wasn’t careful, she’d blow his world to bits. Because one more second of her looking at him with that smouldering, guileless longing and not even the flames of hell would be enough to stop him from pinning the girl down and ruining them both. Opening the floodgates to something that could destroy him. His safe life.
So if he had to hide for the remaining two of his twenty-four hours alone with Gentlestorm Rivers, he bloody well would.
Better that way. For everyone involved.
‘Daddy!’ Abby’s excited voice resounded through the foyer of Glenwood Lodge. They came in almost at the same time. He’d planned it that way. She launched herself into his arms, and her little body wriggled with joy.
‘Hey, sweet pea.’ He pressed a kiss to her temple and breathed in the sweet scent of her shampoo. ‘Did you have fun at your sleepover?’
Abby nodded, pigtails bouncing. ‘Uh-huh. We stayed up late telling scary stories and had scones for breakfast.’ Her eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder. ‘Da, did you know the pretty lady from the forest is here?’
Nathan’s heart stuttered in his chest. ‘Aye, sweetie. That’s Gennie, remember? She’s…staying with us for a bit.’
‘Cool!’ Abby wriggled out of his arms, and her feet hit the floor with a thud. ‘I wanna say hi!’
She darted off before he had a chance to stop her and raced towards the door frame where Gennie stood.
Sweat-slick skin and tight clothes, yoga pants and tank top. No bra again. Didn’t take a genius to notice, just a pair of working eyes. What was her problem with underwear? His mouth went arid as he watched her chest rise and fall.
Inappropriate much? Stop ogling her like a creep.
He followed at a slower pace, and his stomach twisted with dread. Would she see him differently now? As the joke he was?
‘Hi there,’ Gennie’s voice was soft and melodic. ‘I remember you. You’re the fairy commander.’
Abby nodded. ‘Are you my da’s girlfriend?’
Nathan sputtered, face flaming. ‘Abby! No, she’s not…we’re not—‘
Gennie laughed. ‘No, sweetheart. I’m a friend and a guest. I’m here to work on a film, and I needed a room to sleep in for a few days.’
Abby’s eyes opened even wider. ‘A film? Like, a real film on the telly?’
‘Yep.’ Gennie grinned and leaned forward. ‘I told you, I get to do all the cool stunts. Like jumping off trees and riding horses.’
‘Whoa.’ Abby breathed, her voice hushed with awe. ‘That’s so cool.’
Nathan couldn’t tear his gaze away from Gennie as she knelt and met Abby at eye level. Seeing them interact, an unknown emotion gripped his heart. Abby was drawn to her like a tiny nail to a magnet. And Gennie… However weird it might have been between them, she was a natural with children. Patient and kind and genuinely interested in what Abby had to say. Face alight with interest as his daughter babbled on about fairies. No forced smiles, no polite nods.
Well, because she’s only twenty-five. Half a kid herself.
The picture was disarmingly perfect, too perfect. The sight tore through him, a brutal clash of desire and defiance raging inside.
Watching them made him want things he had no right to want.
Things like lazy Sunday mornings in bed, Gennie’s head on his chest and Abby sandwiched between them. Like family dinners and film nights and a life he hadn’t dared to dream of for years. A wish he’d shoved into the darkest corners of his heart, too painful, too risky to even consider.
Well, he sure as hell wouldn’t start now like a demented fool.
‘Can I show Gennie my room?’ Abby asked, her small hand tugging at his sleeve. ‘And the hiding spot?’
Nathan hesitated, unsure if it would be too much for Gennie. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She gave him a small nod and a smile.
‘Sure, sweet pea,’ he said at last and ruffled her hair. ‘But don’t talk her ear off, okay?’
‘Ears don’t fall off from talking, Da.’ Abby grabbed Gennie’s hand and pulled her towards the stairs. ‘Come, Gennie! I wanna show you where I saw the ghostie!’
‘Okay, let’s go, kiddo.’ Gennie shot him a bemused look over her shoulder and lips curved into a slight smile. Completely at ease. As if yesterday hadn’t happened.
Nathan tracked them with his gaze. His heart wrenched tight in his chest. He should probably put a stop to this, nip this growing attachment in the bud. How long had he known her for? Not even two weeks.
But with Gennie and Abby’s laughter filling the halls of Glenwood Lodge, the old house felt more like a home than it had since he’d bought it.
An hour later, Abby and Gennie were huddled at the dining room table – which was never used except for craft projects – their heads bent over a heap of glitter and glue. Abby wanted to show Gennie her papier maché volcano. Nathan was supposed to keep his distance. This was ‘girl science time’ Abby had declared and wagged a stern finger in his direction.
But as he passed the door on his way to the kitchen, he heard them talking. And it made him stop.
‘He put gum in your hair?’ Gennie’s voice was gentle, tinged with empathy. ‘Oh, honey. That must’ve been so annoying.’
Abby’s sniffle was muted, but the hurt in her voice was clear. ‘Aye, Billy was mean. It took forever to get out. And everyone laughed at me.’
A hot flare of protectiveness rose in Nathan’s chest. He wanted to storm into that school and give that little gobshite a piece of his mind.
‘You know what?’ Gennie went on. ‘If a boy thinks it’s funny to put chewing gum in your hair, it’s not. It’s disrespectful. You have every right to tell him, “Stop. I don’t like it.” Setting boundaries is important. It’s okay to insist that they’re respected.’
Abby was silent for a handful of seconds. Then, tentatively: ‘Really?’
‘Of course! If someone does something you don’t like, you can tell them to stop. Don’t let it get to you, okay? You’re smart, you’re kind, and you’re so much cooler than he’ll ever be. Does the little shit know a stuntwoman? I bet he doesn’t!’
A watery giggle from Abby. ‘That’s true.’
‘See?’ Gennie’s voice brimmed with encouragement. ‘Now let’s go and help your grumpy daddy with lunch, yeah?
‘He’s not grumpy. I think he’s sad. He doesn’t have friends. Only me and Sir Hubert. I think he needs friends, like Becca and Paul.’
‘I think we all do, kiddo.’
Nathan shuffled into the kitchen. Abby hadn’t said a word to him about that dumb boy. Yet within an hour, she’d spilled her heart to Gennie. It gnawed at him, the realisation stinging like salt in a fresh wound. His daughter was starved for conversation, for someone who wasn’t him. Or so it seemed. This was more than worrying; it was a siren blaring that she needed more. More voices, more input from other adults. Women. Anyone who could offer what he couldn’t.
And what did she mean by ‘no friends’?
I don’t need more friends. I have Jo, my parents, David, and the Camerons.
But Abby did. He clanged a pot on the stove and began whisking the gravy with sharp, jerky movements. Each stir churned up not just flour and broth but a mix of guilt and inadequacy that he tried to suppress. He should be enough for his child, but the obvious gap in her confidence told a different story.
The sound of footsteps carried down the hall and brought him back to the present. He threw himself into his task and pretended not to notice the approaching voices.
A small, grudging part of him was grateful for Gennie’s presence. For the way she seemed to know what to say to make his daughter smile. To comfort her, give her assurance.
Even if he’d rather move into the Big Brother house or sing his full first album on national TV than admit any of it.
‘What’s for dessert?’ Abby asked after the three of them had finished their Sunday roast. She’d been entertaining them with tales of her weekend as they ate. A bit of Yorkshire pudding still clung to her cheek. Nathan sighed and reached over to wipe her chin with his napkin. ‘Let your food settle first, sweet pea.’
Abby leaned forward. ‘But for how long?’
Nathan met her gaze with a knowing half-smile. ‘Long enough to help clear up. Dishes first, then dessert. You know the drill.’
Abby made a face. ‘But I want cake now and not later.’
‘I know you’re clever, Abby. Look at it this way: if we get the kitchen cleaned up quickly, we can have dessert sooner.’
‘But time doesn’t go faster just because I do something else.’ She crossed her arms.
‘True,’ Nathan said, ‘but it will feel that way.’
Her face lit up with an idea. ‘I could have cake first and then clean!’
‘That’s a good argument. Sadly, it’s also against the rules.’
‘You have too many rules, Da,’ she proclaimed with a serious look. ‘You’re a ruler!’
Gennie hid her face behind her hand and suppressed a giggle. He could tell by the subtle shaking of her shoulders.
Aye, it was hard to keep a straight face.
He shook his head, a wry smile on his lips, and rose from the table. He crossed to where Gennie was standing by the sink.
‘Shite,’ he muttered, checking his phone. ‘Got to head down to the estate. Got a guy coming to look at the burnt pod.’
‘How long will you be gone?’ Gennie asked.
‘An hour.’ He hesitated and glanced between her and Abby. ‘Will you two be awright? I can take Abby with me if—’
‘No way!’ Abby interjected, face set with determination. ‘I want to stay here with Gennie.’
‘We’ll be okay,’ she assured him, amusement in her eyes. ‘I promise not to burn the house down.’
‘One fire is enough. I’m more worried about the two of you plotting against me.’
‘Nah.’ Gennie grinned and bumped her hip against his. ‘We’ll save that for next week.’
He rolled his eyes and ignored the way his heart skipped a beat at her touch.
Abby giggled, eyes twinkling. ‘Da’s just jealous ‘cause he doesn’t get to eat cake with us.’
‘Oh, totally.’ Gennie nodded. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll save him a slice. A small one.’
Nathan mock-glared at them. ‘See if I leave you two scamps unsupervised again.’
But as soon as he’d said it, he knew he was losing this battle. He watched Gennie and Abby together, their heads close and their laughter ringing through the kitchen. The whole set-up felt like a happy home.
But it wasn’t real. She was just a guest.
Just a guest.