Chapter 3 Skye
Skye
Ilooked at the hand held out to me. I suddenly had a pathological fear of touching him. Because of how he made me feel. Brittle and exposed and too hot and jagged and... needy. The T-shirt actually didn’t make things better. His biceps looked pornographic where they bulged out from under the edges.
I realised I was being ridiculous and put out my hand to shake his. And then I knew I wasn’t being ridiculous when his much larger hand closed over mine and I could feel the rough skin of his palm and the way his fingers tightened around mine.
If he’d tugged me towards him, I had the feeling I would have let him, because I wanted nothing more than to press against him and absorb his heat.
‘Caitlin did tell you I was coming?’ he asked, because I was clearly in a stupor.
I pulled my hand free abruptly and said tightly. ‘Yes, she did. I was just wondering why I hadn’t seen you yet.’
‘I arrived late yesterday and flaked out, but I woke early with the jetlag and so thought I might as well come and make a start. Hence, my current state. I probably should have introduced myself first, but there’s a lot of work to do.’
I took that as a personal dig, feeling defensive. ‘I did tell Caitie the house and gardens haven’t had much of an investment.’
I resisted the urge to try and look at his tattoos more closely. To see what they were. Probably a skull and crossbones or something equally unoriginal and unedifying.
‘You were about to rip into a prizewinning rose bush, are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ I added.
His mouth tightened minutely. ‘I can assure you, I’m qualified.’
I knew this was not the way to foster a cordial relationship with the best man but everything about this introduction had rubbed me up the wrong way.
He said, ‘And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this bush is all but dead. When was the last time it bloomed?
I felt sheepish because it had been on my watch that the gardens had become so overgrown. ‘I can’t remember.’
‘Exactly. I was going to clear the dead stuff and see if there were any viable cuttings I could take to try and replant it elsewhere to save it. But for now, I don’t think you want dead foliage lining your driveway before the wedding?’
He took his gaze off mine to glance around and I sucked in a breath, as if him not looking at me for two seconds was temporarily releasing me from some kind of a bind. But then he was back, that green/blue gaze on me. I’d never felt so self-conscious.
He said, ‘I can imagine the amount of investment needed to maintain a place like this. It’s beautiful, but it needs some loving.’
I melted when he said it was beautiful and then my hackles rose again at his suggestion it needed some loving.
Or was this some other kind of double entendre?
His mischievous expression seemed to imply everything he said had a double meaning.
I thought of what Caitie had told me about his charm. Evidently it was his default position.
I knew my voice sounded unbearably clipped, it got like that when I was nervous or self-conscious. ‘Yes, well, no one is more aware than me of what this place needs. Thank you.’
I stepped away from the bush. ‘I do hope you know what you’re doing because this rose bush is of great sentimental value.’
He bit his lip, as if actively trying to stop himself saying something and I could only imagine what that might be. But I wasn’t about to divulge the minutiae of what was going on with this property to a total stranger. Even if he was one of the main wedding party.
Eventually he said soberly, ‘I will do my best to save it.’
I picked up my garden tools and started walking away from him, nerves jangling inwardly and then stopped as something occurred to me. I turned around again to find his eyes on my ass. The jangling turned to something tight in my lower belly. His gaze moved up to meet mine. The audacity!
‘Where are you staying?’ I asked.
I knew I was being rude. But I couldn’t help it.
He’d blindsided me. He was far too cocky and confident for someone who’d just tipped up to a property and started moving around as if he knew the place.
As if he had some sort of right. And his rough-around-the-edges vibe really shouldn’t be so distracting.
His mouth twitched. ‘I’m staying in town in a hotel.’
Strangely, it wasn’t relief I felt, it was something more complicated. I forced myself to remember my manners.
‘I’d offer you a room here, but they’re all being redecorated by the events team ahead of the wedding.’
I was going to be moving down to the gate lodge myself in the next couple of days for the duration.
For a moment I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d suggested camping out in the gardens. But he said, ‘It’s cool. I’ll get to see something of the city in the meantime.’
I turned and walked away but I heard Jack MacAuley say softly from behind me, ‘I look forward to getting to know you better, Skye.’
Childishly, I pretended I hadn’t heard him and hurried up the drive. But I had to acknowledge that no one had had the power to so thoroughly press my buttons and push me out of my comfort zone... ever.