him. Gyrated her hips in a dance of wanton desire. ‘Promise, or no more of this.’
‘Uh...huh.’ At her insistence he nodded. ‘Okay. Okay, I’ll take more care of it. You are one crazy woman.’
‘That’s me. The crazy plant lady.’
‘Maybe I like crazy plant ladies. Maybe you’re my ideal woman.’
What happened to just friends with benefits? Her heart hammered in her chest. Ideal woman wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. She’d been led astray before with that kind of comment and it had been the beginning of her downfall. So she’d learnt that lesson all too quickly. Never be charmed by a charmer.
But coming out of Max’s mouth on such a beautiful morning, it felt like being caught in a ray of sunshine. ‘How so?’
‘Apart from that amazing thing you do with your finger...’ He tapped her on the nose and guided her back towards the bedroom, his hand cupping her backside. ‘You don’t expect anything. You don’t ask for anything. And you’re so damned hot... God, I have so many things I want to do to you.’
‘Ooh...’ She turned into his arms, laughed at the glint in his eyes. ‘That sounds very, very promising. But I should be going.’
His warm breath stroked the nape of her neck. He unbuttoned the shirt, let her breasts fall free. Closed his eyes for a second and sighed. When he opened them again he gazed at her. First her face, then a long slow gaze down her body. ‘My shirt has never looked so goddamned sexy. What do you say to taking it off and staying a bit longer? I have nothing planned all weekend except packing for a conference that suddenly seems deeply dull.’
‘Oh? Where are you going?’ Her teeth grazed the side of his neck as she arched against him. He hadn’t mentioned anything about going away. It would happen, she supposed, as he was an eminent, internationally in-demand surgeon. She just hadn’t expected the prospect of him not being around to feel so bleak.
‘Singapore. Then a lecture tour in Malaysia.’ His head dipped as he took a nipple into his mouth. Heat fizzed through her at every lick of his tongue. ‘But what I really want is to stay here with you.’
‘Gosh, the life of a surgeon is so glamorous.’ She tugged playfully on the fold of towel at his waist, hoping to make the most of the time they had left. ‘How long will you be away?’
‘Too long. But you’re not back at work until Monday, so how about we spend the next twenty-four hours in bed?’
‘God, yes.’ She couldn’t help the moan escaping from her lips. He had a way of driving her mad with one touch. One look. But her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten for a long time. ‘At some point we really do need breakfast. I need to replace some of that well-spent energy.’
‘Later...I’ll phone out later. I have other plans for my mouth right now.’ His lips were on her breast, sending arcs of need spiralling through her. He edged her back onto the bed, kissed a trail down her ribs.
Suddenly, uninvited and unwanted, a shrill, silly pop tune stalled them.
Max’s phone.
Already anticipating much more of what they’d spent the best part of the night doing, Gabby placed her hand on his arm. ‘Don’t answer it.’
‘I have to.’
She groaned. ‘It’s your day off.’
‘I don’t get those.’ He slid out of her grip, snatched the phone and frowned. ‘Maitland.’ For a second he said nothing. Nodded. His breathing sped up, his jaw tightened. But his voice was soft and warm. ‘Oh, hi. No, it’s fine. Fire away...’ He covered the phone speaker with his hand and turned to Gabby. ‘It’s Jodi.’
Then he tightened the towel round his waist, turned his back on her and left the room, resuming the conversation with his ex-girlfriend- turned-girlfriend-in-law. ‘Yes, that’s right. Thirty milligrams, three times a day. But if you hang on I’ll come in now to check. I’ll be there in five. No...you’re not interrupting anything…nothing important.’
‘Oh.’ Nothing important. Again? Had she not learnt her lesson? Shivering in the now-cold room, Gabby sat up and wrapped the duvet round her. A tight fist of disappointment lodged in her chest. ‘Oh. Okay. That’s how it is. Well, I was going anyway.’
Although she knew he hadn’t meant it quite the way it had sounded, she suddenly felt like a spare part. A tiny piece in Max’s busy life. Insignificant. He’d told her it was over between Jodi and him,