Fatherhood Fever!

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Her mouth fell into a very sensual pout as she dragged in a deep breath. Matt was tempted to step forward and kiss her, get her mind moving on a positive path. He thought better of it, remembering the fierce stipulation of the wedding ring. He didn’t want to scare her off. He threw in another persuader for good measure.

“I think four’s an ideal number, too.”

Her breath whooshed out. She backed away, wagging a finger at him. “You...are making a fool of me.”

“Nope. Just being practical.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’ve had a hard time finding a woman who wants to be a wife and mother.”

“I’m not listening to this.”

“Think about it.”

“You just want to have sex with me.”

“Can’t have kids without doing it,” he said cheerfully.

“You’re a cheat!”

“I’ll give up smoking but be damned if I’ll give up salt.”

“You stay right here until I’m inside and out of sight. I’ve had enough of you.”

“Facing the truth is always difficult. Go on then. All I ask is you give it some thought.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not likely to forget this.”

“Good!”

She turned and marched off towards the door into the gym. She looked great with her bottom stuck out and her shoulders thrust back, emphasising the highly feminine curve of her spine.

“See you at dinner,” he called after her, feeling rather like the Big Bad Wolf who wanted to gobble up Little Red Riding Hood. Peta Kelly was the most stimulating woman he’d ever met. And the most delectable.

She didn’t reply, didn’t glance back. He didn’t expect her to. She was in shock at the moment. But given time, the seeds he’d planted in her mind would start to grow. They had fertile ground. After all, he and she wanted the same thing. Any reasonable person would see that.

CHAPTER FIVE

ONCE Peta was lost to his view and the pleasure of watching her was at an end for the time being, Matt decided on a stroll around the grounds. Best not to run into Peta again for a while, even accidentally. She needed some space to get things in proper perspective. Dinner would come soon enough.

He pulled on his tracksuit and headed up towards the pine forest From there he could descend to the garden in front of the cottage where he and his mother had adjoining rooms. It occurred to him, as he walked, it was imperative to find out how long Peta was staying at the health farm. Today was Tuesday. His week here was up on Friday though he could probably manage to extend the booking over the coming weekend. He’d talk to Reception about it.

Without any conscious thought, Matt drew the packet of cigarettes and lighter from his trouser pocket and actually had one of the death-sticks—as his mother called them—between his lips, ready to light up, when he realised what he was doing. Habit was an insidious thing.

One more couldn’t hurt, he reasoned, but the image of scornful blue eyes suddenly made him squirm over the urge to indulge himself. Damn it! He’d said he’d stop smoking and he would. Giving Peta Kelly any cause to accuse him of cheating again would muddy the issues between them. Besides, if he was going to have kids, he had to do the right thing by them.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, broke it open and scattered the tobacco on the ground. He destroyed the remaining ones in the packet in like manner, then shoved the resultant rubbish in his pocket for later disposal in a garbage bin. Temptation dealt with. Resolution affirmed. He walked on with a springier step, breathing in the pure air of virtue.

Back at the cottage, he took a long hot shower, washing his hair to ensure Peta could not smell any smoke on him. He gave his teeth a good brushing, too, rinsing out his mouth with the peppermint flavour of the toothpaste. After all, a kiss was just a kiss, not an assault on her underwear. If the opportunity presented itself and she was willing to try him out...Matt grinned to himself. He bet a kiss with her would be dynamite.

He changed into clean clothes; jeans, T-shirt, and the sweater his mother always commented on. It was grey with two broad stripes of red and royal blue across the chest and sleeves. If his mother thought it looked so great on him, Peta might, too. No harm in stacking the cards his way.

He wondered what Peta would wear to dinner. The bag she’d brought with her wasn’t large, more the size of an overnighter. The thought made a visit to Reception even more pressing, though surely she’d be staying longer than one night.

He checked his watch as he left his room. His mother’s afternoon appointments for the Face’n’Feet treatment and manicure would be over by now. He knocked on her door. No reply. Probably having a cup of tea in the main lounge room, he decided, and headed straight for Reception.

“Hi!” He flashed his most appealing smile at the woman behind the desk. Her name tag read Sharon.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Davis?” she responded warmly.

“A matter of desperate need, Sharon. A Miss Peta Kelly checked in today. Can you tell me how long she’s here for?”

She bridled. “We’re not supposed to give out that information, Mr. Davis.”

He put a rueful tilt into his smile. “As a concession for the only male around? I forgot to ask her myself and we had a cracking game of tennis this afternoon. Best partner I’ve had since I arrived. I was hoping she was staying until Friday, too.”

“Well... since you’re a suffering male, surrounded by the female gender, I’ll look it up for you.” She checked her book. “You’re in luck, Mr. Davis. Miss Kelly took the Petite Pamper Package, Tuesday to Friday.”

“Great!” He grinned and saluted her. “I owe you one, Sharon.”

She laughed. “We’re here to serve.”

Aglow with satisfaction, Matt breezed into the lounge room in search of his mother. It was a friendly room. Deeply cushioned sofas and armchairs and footstools were spread around numerous coffee tables loaded with a variety of books and magazines. In one corner, a bench held all the provisions for a variety of herbal and ordinary teas. In another, a three thousand piece jigsaw puzzle was laid out on a table as an ongoing challenge for any guest to try their hand at it. A piano sat in a third, inviting anyone to play. Best of all was the massive fireplace at the end of the room where burning logs crackled a warm welcome.

Good room for a family, Matt thought, as he strolled through it. A sociable room. No television. He particularly liked the piano. He’d had a few piano lessons as a boy, until they got in the way of football training and other sports. He regretted giving it up. The electronic keyboard he’d bought in recent years gave him a lot of enjoyment, but if he acquired a big house, he’d get a piano. His kids would have fun banging on it, just as he had.

His mother was sitting close to the fire, looking down at her hands spread out in front of her and wriggling her fingers. Having seen Skye and Janelle perform this curious action, Matt knew the nail polish from the manicure wasn’t dry yet. What did surprise him was the rather smugly admiring smile on his mother’s face.

“Pretty colour on your nails, Mum,” he remarked, drawing her attention to his presence.

She looked up, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. “It’s called Perfect Peach. It does look nice against my skin tone, doesn’t it? The manicurist said it would.”

He lowered himself into the chair next to her, smiling his approval. “You should buy it. Better still, go and have a manicure every week.”

“Yes. I think I will. She dipped my hands into a wax bath and it’s made them feel soft and silky, not old at all.”

This was good news. “You aren’t old, Mum. No reason to feel it, either,” he pressed pointedly.

“I might try getting my hair coloured, too.” She held up her hands to assess them again. “Not as bright as my nails, but something like this peachy shade. It does suit my skin.”

This was even better news, taking a positive interest in her appearance. “Great idea!” Matt enthused. He reminded himself to give his secretary a box of her favourite Belgian chocolates. Her health farm idea was turning out to be a winner, in more ways than one.

“Oh! You’ve got your really classy sweater on.”

“Mmmh...”

“Did you have a nice game of tennis with Peta, dear?”

“Yes, I did. She’s a top ‘A’ grade player. Almost wiped me off the court.”

His mother looked delighted. “How wonderful to find someone who can match you. It’s so important to be able to play together. Your father and I...”

Matt switched off from the list of fond recollections, his mind wandering to the games he’d really like to play with Peta Kelly.

“Where does she live?”

He snapped out of his fantasies. “Who?”

His mother sighed in vexation. “Peta.”

“Haven’t got a clue.”

An exasperated roll of the eyes. “Where is she now?”

He shrugged his ignorance. “She went off on her own after our tennis match.”

“I don’t know where your mind is, Matt.” Her tone was loaded with reproof. “You meet an extremely attractive woman. She’s competent enough to hold a responsible job, athletic, obviously very bright, and the right age for you, too. It’s opportunity handed to you on a plate and you just let it go past you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Mum.”

“You’re not even trying.” She turned away in disgust and stared bitterly at the log fire. “You’ll end up a lonely old bachelor and I’ll never get a grandchild.”

How about four in fairly quick succession?

Matt didn’t voice the thought.

Some things were best kept private.

His mother could be embarrassingly heavy-handed in her matchmaking efforts and he preferred to run his own race. Besides, he couldn’t be certain of winning. He couldn’t be certain it would turn out how he wanted it to with Peta Kelly. But he meant to give this chance a damned good try.

Driven by furious energy, Peta ploughed through twenty laps of the pool with barely a pause. Only when her chest started aching did she slow down and change to a leisurely sidestroke. Her mind, however, did not ease off its fuming activity. Matt Davis’s poking and prying into her heart, followed by his outrageous advice with the focus on him as her future interest, still made her burn.

Devious, cocky man! Trying to turn her personal wounds to his own profitable advantage. He’d obviously taken her blunt honesty as a challenge and couldn’t let it pass, worming out how best to get to her, then presenting himself as the answer to her dreams to be gratefully grabbed on the spot!

Peta knew what he wanted to grab. Did he think she was a fool who could be caught on the rebound if he held out a heap of glib promises? She ought to play him along and keep pinning him down just to teach him a salutory lesson. Yes...she would quite enjoy watching him wriggle on the hook he thought he’d baited for her. Serve him right!

Except it would be a total waste of her time and energy. Better to ignore him. Though that would be rather difficult if he went along to the same activities she’d planned to enjoy here. His persistent presence could become an irritation, but she wasn’t about to change her choices because of him. At least she didn’t have to share the same table at meals. She could frustrate him on that score.

Peta hauled herself out of the water and dripped her way over to the wall switch that activated the hot spa pool. Having turned it on, she lowered herself into the bubbling warmth, finding a seat where the powerful jets hit her in all the right places. She needed to relax. It was counterproductive to her whole purpose in coming to the health farm to let Matt Davis work her into a lather.

The temper he’d raised gradually dwindled into a brooding gloom. It was a pity he wasn’t Mr. Right. Physically he couldn’t be faulted—a fine build of a man, obviously a good athlete, nothing objectionable about any of his features. Any woman would fancy a share of his genes for her children. High on intelligence, too.