Guarding His Heart Read online

  But without the pink. Definitely without the pink. The tune from Pretty in Pink filled her mind and she hummed as she patted herself dry.

  She didn’t hear the car come up the drive but a soft tap at the front door heralded Sienna’s arrival. Georgie twisted her wet hair into a knot on the top of her head and knotted the towel above her breasts before she ran lightly down the stairs. The carpet was soft and deep beneath her bare feet. It was a relief to have her heavy work boots off.

  “You’re early!” She pulled open the door and gasped as Liam’s face filled her vision. Not in her thoughts this time, but standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide with appreciation.

  …

  Liam couldn’t help himself. All thoughts of spare parts and welcome parties fled from his mind as the door was flung open. He’d come down to see Georgie to get the old dears’ number so he could take a rain check on the welcome party on Sunday. He’d totally forgotten about the invitation. He’d been out in the garage when he’d come across some DeSoto parts, and he remembered he was supposed to be going there on Sunday. The parts he’d found certainly weren’t pink, but they were indeed DeSoto spares. He’d had a bit of a chuckle and put them aside in a small box. The old girls had been telling the truth. Now the box was tucked beneath his arm as he rapped on Georgie’s door.

  He’d done his best to put Georgie out of his mind since he’d held and almost kissed her, even though he knew he was kidding himself. Canceling Sunday was an excuse. He’d wanted to see Georgie again. When she’d left early, he’d resisted the urge to come out of his study in case she’d thought he was having a go at her about her hours again.

  “You’re early!” The words were followed by a gasp as a prettily wrapped parcel of pure woman, encased in a pink towel, stared at him. Liam dropped his eyes to the bare legs at the bottom of the towel and then lifted his gaze to the hands that were covering the knotted towel above her breasts. A heavy musky fragrance enveloped him and he closed his mouth. He was gaping like an adolescent.

  “Liam! What are you doing here?” Georgie’s face was flushed and tendrils of wet hair stuck to her neck and cheeks. “I thought you were my sis…my cousin.”

  Her eyes were wide as she raised her hand to push back the wet hair, and the towel slipped a fraction lower. Liam didn’t fight the grin he knew was spreading over his face. He’d been uncomfortable about facing Georgie after their “hug,” but now he was pleased he’d chosen this particular time to come and see her. The ice was broken. Well and truly—in shards.

  “Stop looking at me like that.” Her voice was stern. Her green eyes fairly glowed.

  “Like what?” he asked innocently, doing exactly what she asked him not to do. Hell, she made too pretty a picture to look away.

  “You know what.” She slipped him a tentative smile and his eyes fixed on her lips as she half closed the door to block his view, and peered around it. He’d never noticed the full curve of her bottom lip before; she’d usually been concentrating on banging a piece of wood or sticking a bandage on his head or dealing with two recalcitrant old ladies. Come to think of it, he’d never seen her standing so still before, apart from when he’d kissed her this afternoon. She was always moving around doing something.

  “Wait there. I’ll be back in five minutes. Don’t go away.” Her irritation with him was now mixed with faint amusement at the look he knew was on his face. If it was anything like he was feeling, he must look like a stupefied adolescent with his mouth hanging open in a silly grin.

  She was beautiful. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.

  Even in her work clothes and heavy boots with her hair pulled back from her face, she’d made a lasting impression on him. But now wrapped in that pink towel, all flushed and rosy with tendrils of wet hair trailing down her shoulders and stuck to that alabaster white skin…well…she was bewitching. Words failed Liam. His mouth dried at the thought of running his hands over her soft curves.

  But it was way past time to gather himself together and stop acting like a fool. He put the box on the floor next to the door and walked along the porch. There was an old cane chair near the steps and he flopped down into it, and leaned his head back against the wall. A cat lying along the table beside the chair lifted its head and opened one eye before deciding he wasn’t worth the effort of moving. It stretched and then curled itself back up into a ball.

  Liam refused to let himself think. But he had to. His brain was going in the direction his body was telling it to. The sooner he told Georgie why he was here and hightailed it back up the hill, the better for all concerned. He knew she was aware of the spark between them, but he wasn’t ready to do anything about it.

  He’d never be ready for it.

  Not with her.

  For a fling or a one-night stand, okay, he might be interested. But Georgie was a neighbor, and too close to his new home to get involved with on a casual basis. If he was going to settle into his new house and this community, she was the last person he’d choose to get involved with.

  Not because he didn’t want her, but despite her confidence, there was an air of fragility about her. In spite of her heavy boots, and her skill with a hammer and nails, he knew she was vulnerable beneath the tough exterior she presented to the world, and he could tell she’d been hurt badly somewhere along the line. And the last thing he wanted was another needy woman in his life.

  Whoever the guy was, he had obviously been a fool. The few moments this afternoon when Georgie had clung to him before he’d pulled back had been pure heaven. Liam had to fight the temptation to go there again. Her pale skin and her green eyes had stayed in his mind. He hadn’t noticed the deep green depths of them until they’d widened when she had opened the door.

  Man, he had it bad. He looked across at the door, tempted to just leave the parts on the porch and head home before she came out. But he couldn’t leave; he had to tell Georgie he wasn’t going to make the welcome party at Thelma and Mitzi’s.

  As he looked along the porch toward his escape route up the hill, a little red sports car turned off the highway and slowed to a stop on the grass just inside the gate.

  Swell, now she’s got visitors. It must be her cousin she was expecting. Liam pushed himself to his feet and watched as a tall, solid man climbed out of the driver’s side. A pang of jealousy hit Liam in the gut. He was a fool. It looked like Georgie already had a boyfriend. His overactive imagination had kicked in, and he’d dreamed up a sad past for her. That same imagination had sucked him into dreaming up a future with Vanessa, and fool that he still was, he’d been about to go down the same path with Georgie. Okay, maybe not planning a future, but he’d been more attracted to her than he should have been. From now on, he’d use his imagination for his stories.

  Liam headed for the steps, ready to leave, but paused when the guy went around and opened the passenger door. A petite woman with black hair cut in a bob climbed out and looked over at the house before she linked her arm through the guy’s. They walked over to the steps together.

  “Hi, I’m Sienna.” The tiny woman let go of the man’s arm and several gold bangles jangled on her arm as she held her hand out to him. “And this is Jack. You must be Liam?”

  He took her hand briefly before nodding at her and then shaking the hand of the tall guy standing beside her. “Yes, that’s right. I’m Liam from up the hill. Pleased to meet you both.”

  “Georgie told us you were living next door. How do you like living in Joe’s old place?” Jack shook his hand firmly while Sienna stared up at him. Her eyes were circled by dark black pencil, and her skin was as fair as Georgie’s.

  “I haven’t been here long, but it seems like a nice quiet place, so far. Great house.”

  “I won’t pretend we don’t know who you are, but you probably do get sick of people telling you they love your books?” Sienna crossed her arms and smiled at him.

  Liam laughed. She was brash and up-front, and he liked the vibes he was getting from her. “No, an
author never gets sick of hearing that. If we didn’t want to please our readers, there’d be no point writing the stories in the first place.”

  “Good. Well, I can tell you I loved them all. Hey, Sooky.” She reached down and patted the cat as it wound around her legs before switching a curious gaze back to him. “Is Georgie home?”

  “Er, yes. She’s just getting dressed. Look, I’ll go back to my place and leave you to your visit. I can see her later.”

  “No, please don’t leave on our account.” Jack slung his arm around Sienna’s shoulder. “I’m only here for a minute to say hello to Georgie before I head off to the airport. I’m catching the late flight to New York.”

  “Yes, please stay. I’d love to chat with you some more.” Sienna grinned wickedly. “I know Georgie wouldn’t have talked to you about your books. She’d never heard of you.”

  “I know. I imagine she’s too busy working to read. She’s always on the go.”

  “You’ve got her number and you’ve only known her a few days.” Sienna shot him an intent look. “Yes, our Georgie has kept herself very busy lately. That’s one of the reasons I’ve come to visit,” she added enigmatically.

  Liam sensed there was more behind her words, but before he could comment, the door opened. Georgie stepped out and her face lit up in a sweet smile.

  “You’re here.” She hurried over to greet the couple.

  Liam’s heart took off. She wore a floaty pale green dress, and she’d dried her hair and left it loose in a cloud around her face. A touch of pale pink lipstick highlighted her lips and the same sweet fragrance reached him as she moved past him to Sienna. As the light caught her from behind, the curves of her body were silhouetted through the thin fabric. Every sensible thought disappeared from his mind.

  “Hey, sis.” The two women shared a warm hug before Georgie turned to Jack with a broad smile. “How’s my favorite sculptor?”

  Jack leaned down and kissed Georgie’s cheek as he took her hand. “You’re looking particularly gorgeous this afternoon.” Another shaft of jealousy lodged in Liam’s chest.

  Georgie colored bright red and put her hands to her cheeks. “Thank you. I figured if we were having a girls’ night, I might as well dress like a girl.”

  Liam watched without speaking as Sienna narrowed her eyes and then looked back at him. “Very dolled up for a night at home, Georgie.” Her voice was droll.

  If it was possible, Georgie’s cheeks flushed even more as she waved a hand at Sienna. “I’ve been in work clothes and boots all week. I felt like a change.”

  Liam let his gaze follow her hands, and then kept going down to her feet. He was used to seeing her in heavy work boots, but now her feet were bare, and her toenails were painted a soft shell pink. He could tell she was uncomfortable, and he decided to make himself scarce. Although he would have preferred to stay here on the porch drinking in the sight of her for a little while longer. His arms itched to reach out and pull her close, even with the two people who were watching him with interest. Sienna’s stare was particularly sharp—and protective, if he was reading her right.

  “I’ve left a box of car parts by the door.” He held Georgie’s gaze as he schooled his expression into a casual look.

  “Car parts?” She cocked her head to the side and her brow wrinkled in a frown.

  “Yes, parts for an old DeSoto, but they’re not pink.” He grinned at her as she realized what he was talking about. She burst out laughing and put her hands over her mouth.

  “Are you telling me those two naughty women were actually telling the truth?” She held his eyes steadily.

  “Seems like they were.”

  “Don’t tell me…Mitzi and Thelma?” Sienna looked from one to the other with a grin before she settled her gaze on Liam. “I’ve already had the call and been invited to your welcome reception. You do know half the town is coming to meet you on Sunday? I hope you’re ready for the old folk of Nebbiton.”

  “I hope you didn’t come up here especially for that, did you?” he asked. Damn, maybe it was too late to get out of it.

  Sienna shook her head. “I’m here to help Georgie, but I did say I’d love to come. I wouldn’t miss one of Thelma and Mitzi’s dos.”

  Liam turned to Georgie. “That’s why I came over to your place, apart from dropping off the spare parts. I was going to cancel on Sunday but I didn’t know how to get in touch with them.”

  Georgie shook her head. “That would be a real shame. They’ll be so disappointed. Do you have something else going on?”

  Liam shook his head slowly and tried to focus. He was having trouble taking his eyes off Georgie’s pretty mouth. “Not really, just a writing deadline. I have to go up to San Francisco on Tuesday and I must get some chapters done before I go.” He stared across the top of the porch railing out to the ocean. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied and I’m way behind with this book.”

  “It’s up to you.” Georgie put her hand out and touched his hand and the zing went skittering all the way to his shoulder. “They can still have a party…they often have a Sunday get-together—”

  He cut her off before she could finish. “No, it’s too short notice. It would be rude. I should have canceled it earlier. Are you still okay to give me a ride? I don’t have a car yet.”

  “I guess so. Now that Sienna’s here to help me, we’ll get a lot more done on your bookshelves tomorrow than I would have by myself.”

  Liam was surprised and turned to Sienna. “You’ve come down to help with the job at my place?”

  Sienna shot him a lazy grin. “Yep, you get a double dose of Sacchi tomorrow.”

  He looked from one to the other. “So you’re sisters?”

  “We were for twenty-nine years. In fact, we were twins.”

  He looked from to the other in confusion and caught Georgie frowning at Sienna. “Were?”

  “It’s a long story, but we don’t have time for it now.” Sienna glanced down at her watch. “And it’s time for you to hit the road, Jack.”

  Jack shook Liam’s hand. “I’ll look forward to catching up with you on Sunday, Liam.”

  He hugged Georgie and looped his arm around Sienna’s shoulder. “Come on, woman. Give me a fitting farewell.”

  Liam stood next to Georgie as the couple walked back toward the sports car. Sienna looked up at Jack and the love in her face hit Liam in the gut. No one had ever looked at him like that, not even his wife. He glanced across at Georgie. She was blinking away a tear.

  “They look good together, don’t they?” She sniffed and smiled at him. “They’ve only been together a few months. And they’re so happy.”

  “Do they live close by?” He was curious about Georgie’s background.

  “No, down the coast in Monterey. Sienna bought one of the houses we restored.” She looked at him and Liam’s stomach did a double flip as he tried to keep his eyes off her lips. The glossy pink stuff on them glistened in the afternoon light. “We used to be in business together but now Sienna and Jack have an art gallery down in Carmel…and Ana has gone to New York with her partner, Blake, for a while.”

  They stood side by side on the porch and watched as Jack lifted Sienna onto the hood of the car and stood in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled his face to her with a joyful laugh.

  Liam turned to Georgie, as the moment between Jack and Sienna was a private one for lovers and he felt uncomfortable intruding on it. “I’ll head on home now. I guess I’ll see you both tomorrow?”

  “If you’re not busy. We’ll probably come over early.” She looked up at him with a smile. “I’d like to make the most of Sienna being here. Your bookshelves will truly be unique once she puts her touch on them.”

  Liam felt like a teenage boy on his first date. He knew he should go but he was finding it hard to leave. The thought of returning to the empty house up the hill was unappealing, especially when Georgie was standing here with a welcoming smile.

  A
smile directed solely at him. A smile wide enough to make his toes curl.

  “Don’t go yet. Sienna will be really upset if she doesn’t get to talk to you. She’s probably brought a load of her books with her for you to sign.” The expression on Georgie’s face weakened his resolve. She wanted him to stay, too, and then she confirmed it. “In fact, why don’t stay you stay for dinner? I can give you our neighborly welcome.”

  She looked horrified as soon as the words left her lips. Those shiny, kissable lips.

  He intended to decline but he accepted before his brain kicked into gear. “Sure. I’d love to.” What the heck was wrong with his mouth? It was apparently disconnected from his brain.

  Sienna and Jack were still in a clinch by the car, and Liam shot them a glance before turning back to Georgie. “I’ll go back up the hill and get some wine after Jack leaves?” He didn’t want to intrude on their privacy even if it was in the middle of the driveway.

  “No, come on in. We don’t need anything. Jack and Sienna will be ages yet.” Her embarrassment had disappeared and she smoothed her hand down the skirt of her floaty dress. His whole body began to buzz with arousal, and the need to put his arms around her and hold her close took over once more.

  Thank goodness Mutt chose that very moment to come bounding around the side of the porch and careered to a stop beside them, dropping a wet slobbery ball onto Georgie’s bare feet.

  “Eww, Mutt! I wondered where you’d gotten to.” She reached down and rubbed her hands through his damp fur. “You’re wet! You’ve been down on the beach haven’t you, you naughty dog?”

  Liam managed to push away the feelings that threatened to take control of him as the dog pushed between them. Maybe staying here any longer was not such a good idea.

  “He gets out through a gap in the fence. I’ll have to fix it…or leave him inside for the night.” Georgie frowned. “I worry about him going in the water. He loves it.”

  “Yeah, and you’ve already done one rescue down on the beach this week.”