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She slipped away to attend to the lunch preparations, feeling slightly more at ease with Jake Freedman’s presence. It was making the day run more smoothly than she had hoped for. The only negative was his sexual impact on her.
She hadn’t been able to stop herself from slyly checking him over; the neat curl of his ears, the length of his eyelashes, the sensuality of his lips, the charismatic flashes of his smiles, the light sprinkle of black hairs on his strong forearms, the elegant length of his fingers with their clean clipped nails, the way his muscular thighs stretched the black fabric of his jeans. And long feet! Didn’t that mean his private parts would be … very manly?
Which, of course, would be in keeping with the rest of him.
It was all very difficult, knowing he was her father’s man. It was also difficult to concentrate on getting everything right for the meal; vegetables to go into the oven, reheating the soup, greens ready for last-minute microwaving, mint sauce on the dining-room table. She would have to sit next to him again; probably a blessing since this table wasn’t a round one and he couldn’t see what was written on her face unless he turned to her.
So far, he wasn’t giving her any special attention and it was probably better if it stayed that way—no dilemma between temptation and caution. He was bound to have a woman in the wings, anyway. Eddie had girls falling all over him and she couldn’t imagine it would be any different for Jake Freedman—another reason for not getting involved with him. Being perceived as just one of an available crowd had no appeal.
Although being the boss’s daughter, he would have to treat her with respect.
Which she’d hate.
Whatever way she looked at it, having Jake Freedman was no good. Besides, he wasn’t exactly holding out the chance to have him, though he might before the day was over. As her mother said, there had to be a purpose behind this visit. If a connection with her was the desired end, she had to be ready for it, ready to say no.
The soup was hot enough to serve. Telling herself she was lucky to have the distraction of being the cook, Laura returned to the patio to invite everyone inside for lunch. Eddie escorted her mother to the dining room. Jake Freedman followed with her father, the two men obviously on congenial terms.
Another warning.
Her father must have once been charming to her mother or she wouldn’t have married him. His true character could not have emerged until she was completely under his domination. If Jake Freedman was of like mind, thinking he had the right—the power—to rule others’ lives as he saw fit, she wanted nothing to do with him.
Jake continued to get his bearings with the Costarella family over lunch. Eddie had dropped out of school and left home at sixteen, getting himself a job as a backroom boy in one of the television studios.
‘One day you’ll regret not going on with your education,’ his father said balefully.
He shrugged. ‘Accountancy was never going to suit me, Dad.’
‘No. Head in the clouds. Just like your mother.’
The tone of disgust caused Alicia to flush. She was a more fragile person than her perfectly groomed image presented, very nervy and too anxious to please. He was recalling Laura’s comment that her mother needed her when she leapt to Alicia’s defence.
‘Oh, I think Mum’s totally grounded when it comes to her garden.’
‘Garden … movies …’ Costarella scoffed. ‘Alicia has led both of you astray with her interests. I had high hopes for you, Laura. Top of your school in mathematics …’
‘Well, I have high hopes for myself, Dad. Sorry I can’t please both of us,’ she said with a rueful smile.
‘Gardening …’ he jeered.
‘Landscape architecture is a bit more than that, Dad.’
No hesitation in standing up for herself.
Costarella huffed. ‘At least you can cook. I’ll say that for you. Enjoying the meal, Jake?’
‘Very much.’ He shot an appreciative smile at Laura. ‘Top chef standard. The soup was delicious and I’ve never tasted better lamb and baked potatoes.’
She laughed. ‘Top chef recipes from a TV cooking show. All it takes is dedication to following the instructions. You could do it yourself if you had the will to. It’s not a female prerogative. In fact, most of the top chefs are male. Do you cook for yourself?’
‘No. Mostly I eat out.’
‘Need a woman to cook for you,’ Costarella slid in.
It was a totally sexist remark and he saw the recoil from it in Laura’s eyes, followed by a derisive flash at him … if he thought the same.
He turned to Costarella and allowed himself one risky remark, grinning to take away any sting. ‘Given that most top chefs are male, a man might be better.’
Eddie found this hilarious, cracking up with laughter.
‘What’s so funny?’ his father demanded.
‘It’s just that lots of guys in the service industry are gay and I don’t see Jake as gay,’ he spluttered out.
Laura started giggling, too.
‘I’m not,’ Jake said.
‘Certainly not,’ Costarella declared emphatically.
‘We know you’re not,’ Laura assured him, still tittering.
‘Absolutely.’ Eddie backed up. ‘Laura wouldn’t think you were sexy if you were gay.’
‘Eddie, behave yourself,’ Alicia cried.
‘Impossible,’ his father muttered, though his ill humour had dissipated at this affirmation that his daughter was vulnerable to the attraction he favoured.
Laura rose from the table. ‘Now that you’ve embarrassed both of us, Eddie, I’m going to serve sweets, which I hope will be tart enough to glue up your mouth.’ She smiled at her mother. ‘It’s lemon-lime, Mum.’
‘Oh, my favourite!’ Alicia glowed with pleasure. ‘Thank you, dear.’
Jake watched her head off to the kitchen again. It would be risky business, taking on a connection with her, complicating what had been his undeviating purpose for too many years to mess with when he was in sight of the end. She could become a distraction. He’d been single-minded for so long, readjusting his thinking to include a relationship with Costarella’s daughter was probably not a good idea, however tempting it was.
Cynically dating her for short-term benefits at work was no longer an option. He was genuinely attracted to her. Strongly attracted to her. She had his skin prickling with the desire for action between them. Costarella expected him to make a move on her. He wanted to make a move on her. The tricky part was controlling it.
‘How come you’re not sharing Mother’s Day with your own Mum, Jake?’ Eddie suddenly asked.
‘I would be if she were still alive, Eddie,’ he answered ruefully.
‘Oh! Sorry!’ He made an apologetic grimace. ‘Hope the bereavement isn’t recent.’
‘No.’
‘Guess I’m lucky I’ve still got mine.’ He leaned over to plant a kiss on Alicia’s cheek.
‘Yes, since you’ve always been a mother’s boy,’ Costarella sniped.
There was a flicker of fear in the look Alicia darted at her husband. Jake imagined she had been a victim of abuse for so long, she felt helpless to do anything about it.
‘I’ve been admiring the very artistic centre-piece for the table,’ he said, smiling at her to take the anxiety away. ‘Are they flowers from your garden, Alicia?’
‘Yes.’ Her face lit up with pleasure. ‘I did that arrangement this morning. I’m very proud of my chrysanthemums.’
‘And rightly so, Mum,’ Laura chimed in, wheeling the traymobile into the dining room. ‘They’re blooming beautifully.’
She served the lemon-lime tart with dollops of cream to everyone, continuing her praise of her mother’s talent for horticulture.
Jake watched her. She was beautiful. And smart. And so lushly sexy, temptation roared through him, defying the reservations that had been swimming through his mind.
As she resumed the seat beside him, he turned to her, his eyes seeking to engage hers with what he wanted. ‘I’d like to see this garden. Will you show it to me when we’ve finished lunch?’
Startled, frightened, recoiling. ‘Much better for Mum to show you, Jake. It’s her creation.’
‘He asked you, Laura,’ Costarella immediately bored in. ‘Not only should you oblige our guest, but your mother has already shown Eddie around the garden. She doesn’t need to repeat herself, do you, Alicia?’
‘No, no,’ she agreed, her hands fluttering an appeal to her daughter. ‘I’m happy for you to do it, Laura.’
Caught.
She had to do it now whether she wanted to or not.
Jake aimed at sweetening the deal for her. ‘I’m interested in seeing it through your eyes. You can tell me how it fits your concept of landscape design.’
‘Okay! I’ll flood you with knowledge,’ she said tartly.
He laughed. ‘Thank you. I will enjoy that.’
Surrender under fire, Jake thought, but no surrender in her heart. It made for one hell of a challenge … their walk in the garden. The adrenaline charge inside him wanted to fight her reluctance to involve herself with him, yet that same reluctance gave him an out from Costarella’s heavy-handed matchmaking … keeping the more important mission on track, without distraction.
He would make the decision later.
In the garden.
CHAPTER THREE
LAURA told herself it was just a job she had to take on and get through—escort Jake around the garden, bore him to death with her enthusiasm for built environments and deliver him back to her father, who had announced his intention to watch a football game on television in the home theatre.
Eddie helped clear the table, following her to the kitchen to have a private word with her as they stacked the dishwasher. ‘You’re the main target today, Laura. No doubt about it now,’ he warned. ‘I’d say Dad wants Jake as his son-in-law.’
‘It’s not going to happen,’ she snapped.
‘He’s a clever guy. Been playing all sides today. And I’ve been watching you. You’re not immune to him.’
‘Which made it very stupid of you to tell him what I thought.’
‘Obvious anyway. Believe me, a guy like that knows women think he’s sexy. He would have had them vying for his attention from his teens onwards. Just don’t say yes to him.’
Easy for him, sitting on the sidelines, Laura thought savagely. ‘What if I want to?’
Eddie looked appalled.
‘He is sexy,’ she repeated defiantly, fed up with being put on the spot.
He grimaced. ‘Then make damned sure you keep it at sex and don’t end up hooked on him. The way Mum is should be warning enough for you.’
‘I will never be like Mum.’
He shook his head. ‘I wish she would leave him.’
‘She can’t see anything else. Better play a game of Scrabble with her while I’m doing my duty with Jake. She likes that.’
‘Will do. That’s a lot more fun than duty.’
Laura heaved a deep sigh, trying to relax the tension tearing at her nerves. ‘I don’t want to want him, Eddie.’
He gave her a look of serious consideration. ‘Go for it if you must. You’ll always wonder otherwise. Sooner or later he’ll turn you off and I think you’re strong enough to walk away.’
‘Yes, I am,’ she said with certainty.
‘But you’d be better off not going there.’
‘I know.’ She made a rueful grimace. ‘Maybe he’ll turn me off out in the garden.’
‘Unlikely.’
‘Well I won’t be falling at his feet, that’s for sure. And you let Mum win at Scrabble, but don’t be obvious about it.’
‘No problem.’ He grinned his devil-may-care grin. ‘Let’s go and fight the good fight.’
She grinned back at him. ‘The gay bit was good.’
He laughed and hugged her shoulders as they returned to the dining room, where he immediately put their plan into action. ‘Better get out the Scrabble, Mum. Since you beat me last time, I want a return match, and heaven help me if I’m swamped with all vowels again.’
‘I’ll leave you to your game,’ her father said good-humouredly, rising from his chair, smiling at Jake Freedman. ‘I’m sure you’ll enjoy my daughter’s company.’
‘I will,’ he agreed, rising to his feet, as well, ready to take on the garden seduction scenario.
Resentment suddenly raged through Laura. Jake Freedman was playing her father’s game, but she didn’t have to. He wasn’t her guest. It was after three o’clock. Lunch had gone off reasonably well. The trickiest part of being together for Mother’s Day was over. Her father was sparing them his presence. His wrath wouldn’t fall on all of them if she didn’t remain polite to the man. She could put Jake Freedman on the spot, instead of being the target herself.
She smiled at him. ‘Let’s go.’
He accompanied her outside, making easy conversation to start with.
‘Was it your mother’s pleasure in her garden that led you to your choice of career, Laura?’
He seemed genuinely curious and she didn’t mind answering him. ‘Partly. Nick probably had more influence, the creativity he uses to generate Mum’s pleasure.’
‘Who’s Nick?’
