By Request Collection 1. Jackie Braun

have the money in an account this afternoon.’

      She leaned back against the sink, fingers tense on the edge, and nodded slowly. Cautiously. ‘Okay. But I don’t want Jared to know. Not yet, anyway.’

      ‘So we’ll keep it between the two of us.’ A sudden awareness—or was it wariness?—crept into her gaze and he knew she was thinking of the way he’d linked the two of them. ‘It’s just a business arrangement, Lissa. A temporary one until you find someone else.’

      She nodded, blew out a breath. ‘Okay, we have a deal.’

       CHAPTER FIVE

      ‘OH … WOW!’ Lissa’s whole being seemed to light up.

      ‘We’ll need it in writing,’ Blake said, sharper than he intended, remembering the boat fiasco, which still needed discussing. After his father’s betrayal, never again would he trust another as easily. No matter who it was. No matter how attracted he was.

      ‘Of course.’ Linking her fingers above her head, she laughed with surprising abandon, spinning a circle in the middle of the kitchen. ‘I’ll get right on it.’

      She all but danced across the kitchen, reached up on tiptoe and flung her arms around his neck. ‘Thank you.’ Her breasts, firm and full and not constrained by a bra, grazed his torso, sending a spurt of lust straight to his groin.

      Before he could respond in any way, she came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes widened, her cheeks coloured and she backed away fast. ‘I … I’m going to go take a look at the room now and write up some ideas before you change your mind.’ Then she turned and hurried from the room.

      Lissa clutched her neck with both hands and willed the hot rush of heat to subside as she raced upstairs to her room. She’d got carried away and practically climbed up his chest. Oh, God. And he’d looked positively shocked. She went straight to the en-suite, splashed herself with cool water. She did not look at her reflection.

      Sucking in calming breaths, she sat on her bed and took a few minutes to take stock and absorb the conversation. His generous offer. The offer that was conditional on whether or not he liked her work.

      When she could breathe normally again, she walked downstairs to the living room and straight to her supplies stacked against one wall. To her relief, Blake was nowhere around.

      She flipped her sketch pad open to a new page and sketched the room’s layout. This was a tropical coastal town, so a beach or watery theme. Elegance. Simplicity. The furniture had to go. She glanced up. The exploding crystal orb of light stayed.

      ‘Ideas?’

      She heard Blake behind her but didn’t turn. No distractions. ‘Blues. Ocean theme. I’m thinking dull turquoise. It has both warm and cool undertones so it’s compatible with almost any colour. It works well with charcoal—that slate wall’s ideal. A lift with lime green or even red. Or if we go with a darker version of the turquoise, gold can look very dramatic, which could lend itself well to the honeyed wood …’ She pulled out her big blue paint samples, chose two. She glanced over to him. ‘Can you visualise your walls this shade, or is it too dark for you?’

      ‘I’m leaving it up to your professional judgement.’

      ‘But can you live with that colour?’ She walked to the wall and held both samples up high, against the slate.

      ‘I won’t be here.’

      Blake wasn’t looking at the samples. He was looking at the strip of enticing flesh between her jeans and T-shirt. And all he could think of was how she’d felt pressed against him for those few seconds in the kitchen.

      All he knew was he wanted that feeling again. He found himself standing behind her, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. His pulse drummed in his ears. ‘The darker one. More full-toned.’

      He heard her surprised intake of breath as he studied her neat little fingernails against the colour card. When she didn’t pull away, his hands closed around her waist, his fingers straddling the ridge between her T-shirt and smooth warm skin.

      Her hands drifted down the wall; the colour cards fluttered to the floor. He turned her around slowly, looked down at her. ‘I’m going to kiss you. God knows I shouldn’t. You’re Jared’s little sister.’

      Her eyes grew huge and glassy; her pupils seemed to swallow the green. ‘I won’t tell him if you don’t,’ she whispered.

      He leaned nearer, felt her breath against his face. Felt the heat of her body against his chest. He pulled her closer. ‘Ah, but I’m not going to lie to him, he’s my mate. It’s a matter of honour. But then I’m not feeling particularly honourable right now.’ He dipped his head.

      ‘After all this time …’ she murmured against his mouth.

      ‘After all this time … what?’

      ‘Never mind.’

      The breathless sound spilling from those luscious-looking lips, her fragrance shimmering on her skin, the sensation of two tight nipples pushing against the middle of his chest … No, he agreed silently, never mind … whatever it was.

      His erection surged hotly against his jeans. Barely smothering an involuntary groan, he slid one hand to the small of her back and encouraged her body into closer alignment to ease the pressure down there.

      It didn’t. It only made him hotter and harder. And a whole lot hornier.

      Denim shifted against denim as her legs moved against his. She stilled momentarily as the front of his jeans came into contact with her belly. Her eyes locked on his. Knowing, but not quite acknowledging. Not yet.

      Then her fingertips crept up his chest, her arms slid around his neck. ‘Unbelievable,’ she murmured.

      ‘Believe it,’ he murmured back.

      Lissa looked up into those liquid blue eyes framed with thick dark lashes and wanted to drown there. She slid her fingers into his short military haircut and released a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her soul.

      Then, in a flash like a remnant of lightning from last night’s storm, she hesitated. Did he know how she’d always felt about him? Was he about to take full advantage of that knowledge?

      His erection butted against her as if in answer and, oh, how long had she wanted that? But, ‘Wait …’ She relinquished her hold and pushed at his chest. Reluctantly but firmly.

      His brows lowered, his gaze turned bemused, those perfect, ready lips turned down at the corners, but he didn’t quite let her go. His hands still rested on her waist. ‘You okay?’

      ‘I … yes.’ Of course he didn’t know.

      But how well did she really know Blake? Did she believe the old gossip about him? She didn’t know—she’d never had any personal contact with him beyond the casual ‘hi and bye’.

      She’d thought she’d known Todd. She’d trusted him with her heart, and with her body, and he’d abused that trust. In so many ways. The niggle turned to panic and flared bright and urgent within her. She started to pull out of his hold.

      ‘Hang on, where are you going?’ He tugged her back, his arms slid around her, steel bands holding her prisoner.

      She fought down a sudden feeling of claustrophobia. ‘I just remembered I need to. be somewhere.’

      ‘No.’ He released one arm to lift her chin with a finger so that she was looking up, up into his eyes. ‘No,’ he said again, softer this time, but no less demanding as he gripped her chin and dropped his mouth to hers.

      Futile to fight it. The old thought flashed through her mind and hot panic geysered up her throat but as his lips moved over hers the bad drained away as quickly as it came.

      She’d