Restoration Hearts Page 6

  Perie nodded dumbly.

  “First you hurt your hand, now I’m nearly knocking you out. You’re not having much luck, are you?”

  “I guess not. Luckily, you’re here to help.”

  Vaughn flashed that beautiful smile of his and suddenly, Perie was pressing her lips to his. It took him a moment, but Vaughn began to move his mouth against hers and it didn’t take him long to tease her lips open with his tongue, deepening the kiss. He was everything Perie remembered and more—more mature and more skilled. Vaughn’s arms made their way around Perie’s body, pulling her closer as she locked her arms around his neck. He nibbled her bottom lip, making her want him badly.

  “Vaughn,” she whispered involuntarily.

  His large hand moved into her hair, cupping the back of her head, tangling his fingers through her dark strands. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back so he could devour her neck. A growl emanated from him as his teeth grazed her throat before his tongue soothed the sting.

  Perie’s hands found their way to the hem of his shirt, her fingertips brushing his sun-kissed skin.

  They heard the front door open and Flynn’s voice echo through the house.

  Perie didn’t want to let Vaughn go—he felt so good. But as Flynn bellowed her name, she hastily pulled herself away. Straightening herself up, Perie turned to the door just as Flynn appeared. “Hey. We’re tearing up the carpet.”

  The sound of the carpet tearing met their ears and Perie saw Vaughn get back to work.

  “Sweet. I’ve got a truckload of materials out there. A literal truckload,” Flynn said with a smile.

  Perie got to her feet. “What did you buy?”

  “Timber, decking oil, base coat, timber for a new shed, some garden soil . . .. You know . . . stuff.”

  “Flynn, some of that stuff could wait,” Perie told him.

  “It’s cheaper this way.”

  “Okay, then. Come and help us.”

  Flynn and Perie joined Vaughn on the floor and got to work on the carpet. “G’day, Vaughn,” Flynn muttered.

  “Flynn.” Vaughn sent him a curt nod.

  “Thanks for coming to help.”

  “No worries.”

  The guys tore the carpet into strips and Perie picked a couple up. As she carried them out of the room, she licked her lips, which still felt like they were pressed against Vaughn’s. She was mad; she had to be. She was losing all common sense. What was she doing kissing Vaughn like that? The way Perie felt about Vaughn clearly hadn’t changed since high school. She simply pushed them down and ignored them. She ended up ignoring those sorts of emotions in general, choosing to concentrate on her business over her love life. Those couple of flings she had were nothing. They couldn’t compare to Vaughn. Or, come to think of it, Flynn.

  Perie sighed and stared up at the house. “Three months, Perie. Three months is all you have. Don’t fuck around.”

  Flynn came down the stairs and made his way over to the skip bin. More strips of carpet joined hers. “You alright, Perie? You look a bit flushed.”

  Perie rubbed her cheeks self-consciously. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

  Flynn nodded towards the house. “There’s a good timber floor under that carpet. I think it will look great polished up.”

  Perie’s eyes lit up. “I can always put some rugs down.”

  Flynn chuckled. “Rugs-A-Million must love you.”

  “Flynn. The perfect rug pulls a room together.”

  She was so serious with her hands on her hips and giving him the stink eye. Flynn couldn’t hold back his laugh.

  “Oh, fuck you, Flynn.” Perie was emotional enough with what had just transpired between herself and Vaughn.

  “Perie!” Flynn gathered her into his arms and said, “You know I’m just mucking around. Hey?” He frowned and cupped her cheek much in the way Vaughn had just done.

  “I know. I’m sorry, I’m all emotional right now.” Perie slumped her shoulders and leaned into Flynn’s cuddle.

  “Are you thinking about Denise?” Flynn asked.

  It was then that she realised she hadn’t thought about Denise all morning. “Yeah, and us. Flynn, about us—”

  “What about us?”

  “Why am I feeling like this?” Her fingers dug into the front of his T-shirt.

  “You’ll have to be more specific, Per. I can’t read your mind,” Flynn murmured.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Perie pulled away from him. “We have to get these floor coverings up by lunchtime.”

  He called after her, to no avail. Perie couldn’t keep running from this, from them. Sooner or later, she was going to have to confront her growing feelings for Flynn. But then she would have to tell him about what occurred with Vaughn. The entire thing frightened her, and she didn’t know what to do about it.

  “I’LL SEE YOU BOTH TOMORROW.” Vaughn’s gaze lingered on Perie as he made his way to his beat-up old Subaru. “I thoroughly enjoyed today.”

  Vaughn noticed Perie nibble her lower lip. Shit, that turned him on. He wanted to be the one to nibble that lip. She was sexy without even trying.

  And the way Flynn was eyeing him . . . holy fuck.

  Vaughn managed to get in his car and drive away despite the tent in his pants. He wanted both of those gorgeous people more than anything. He tried to think of horrible things as he drove along the narrow back road, things that would make his erection drop. But he couldn’t get Perie or Flynn off his mind.

  He didn’t even notice his old Subaru was overheating until the steam was pouring out of the bonnet.

  “Oh, shit! Fucking hell.”

  He pulled off to the side of the road as far as he could. Dragging his large frame out of the driver’s seat, he grabbed a towel from the back and moved to the front of the car. With a deep breath, Vaughn quickly whipped the bonnet up, careful not to burn himself. There was too much steam. He was going to have to wait for it to cool before he inspected the engine.

  Pulling his mobile phone from the pocket of his jeans, he checked for signal. Unfortunately, out here in the sticks, there wasn’t much hope. He could always lock up and make his way back to Perie’s, but he wanted to see what the problem was first. Besides, he’d had enough sexual tension for one day.

  Vaughn did the only thing he could do—settled into the driver’s seat, pulled an old National Geographic magazine from the glove box, and got to reading. He always enjoyed this magazine. It was intelligent and honest. Never did it pussyfoot around important issues. He appreciated the realness. He managed to read an entire story about Papua New Guinea before he made a move towards the front of the car again. Vaughn took his time investigating the engine until he discovered the problem, a cracked radiator.

  “Fuck!” He needed a tow.

  He slammed the bonnet closed and stormed up the closest hill in search of signal. Pushing his way through the overgrown grass, keeping an eye out for snakes along the way, Vaughn eventually reached the top and held his phone in the air. He spun in a circle, marched this way and that. “Come on,” he grumbled. “There’s gotta be something!”

  Nope. Not a single bloody bar. Vaughn huffed and slumped against a tree. What the fuck else could go wrong? Resisting the urge to throw his phone into the undergrowth, Vaughn tucked the useless thing back into his jeans and made his way back to the vehicle. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Flynn bent over the engine. Where the heck had he come from?

  Vaughn scowled. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was on my way to get some firewood from a neighbor when I saw your car. I thought I’d try to figure out what the issue was,” Flynn replied.

  “I know what the problem is.”

  “You do?”

  Vaughn nodded. “Cracked radiator. I went up the hill to try to call for a tow, but there’s no signal out here.” Vaughn’s scowl deepened when Flynn kept fiddling with the hoses. “Don’t do that! It’s not the hose.”

  “Just checking.”

  “I told
you, it’s the radiator.” Vaughn snatched Flynn’s hand away from the hose before he could stuff up the vehicle even more. His large hand wrapped around Flynn’s wrist and pulled him away. But, for some reason, he didn’t release him—Vaughn didn’t want to.

  Flynn’s crystal eyes pierced his own. “I only want to help.”

  “I don’t need your help,” Vaughn growled but still didn’t let Flynn go.

  Flynn’s gaze travelled to Vaughn’s pants. “Are you sure about that?”

  “You’ve been an arrogant dickhead to me all day.” Vaughn tossed Flynn’s wrist out of his hand.

  “And you’ve been a brooding bastard,” Flynn threw back.

  Vaughn’s chest rose and fell as his breathing quickened. Flynn Brewer was still a smart arse and a sexy son of a bitch, and he played into both descriptions easily. Gritting his teeth, Vaughn fisted the front of Flynn’s green and blue Rip Curl T-shirt. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to throttle Flynn, or . . ..

  Flynn pushed forward, his lips finding Vaughn’s. Vaughn’s hands found Flynn’s arse and he pulled the other man flush against him. His hard cock bashed against Flynn’s and he moaned. Flynn spun Vaughn so he was leaning against the rim of the bonnet, and his arse dug into the engine.

  Vaughn wasn’t going to let Flynn be so pushy. He grabbed him again and lifted Flynn off the ground. He drove him backwards until they smashed into a stringybark gum. Their tongues tangoed with each other. Vaughn was vaguely aware of the pressure in his pants being relieved, then hissed as Flynn’s hand wrapped around his cock.

  “Fuck,” Vaughn moaned as Flynn rubbed and tugged him right along his shaft.

  “You like that, don’t you?”

  Wasn’t it obvious?

  Vaughn opened Flynn’s khakis and returned the favour. They stared into one another’s eyes as they jerked each other off.

  Flynn’s fingers dug into Vaughn’s shoulder as his hips began to dry hump his hand. “Holy fuck. Yeah, jerk me off. Oh!” His eyes rolled back as his head tipped back against the tree.

  “Oh, I’m gonna come,” Vaughn groaned.

  “Yeah,” Flynn agreed.

  Vaughn stiffened in Flynn’s hand and released himself.

  Flynn followed suit. “Yes. Fuck, yes,” he moaned.

  Vaughn stared down at the mess they had created and fought to catch his breath.

  Flynn pulled him into another passionate kiss. “I know you’ve wanted that all day. I couldn’t resist any longer.”

  “Is that why you chased after me?” Vaughn eyed the blonde man.

  Flynn grinned. “No. I was honestly going for firewood.”

  Vaughn dug a tissue from his pants and wiped himself off before tucking his spent cock back into his jeans.

  Flynn pushed off from the tree and fixed himself up. He gestured to his vehicle. “Jump in, I’ll give you a lift. You can call for help from the house.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea . . .” Vaughn countered.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I want to do more with you.”

  Flynn smirked.

  Vaughn took a deep breath. “The thing is, I want Perie, too. I’m still crazy about that woman, and I don’t want to come between the two of you. You remember what happened last time . . ..”

  “Crystal clear. It was four years of hell being without her.”

  Vaughn nodded. “Case in point.”

  Flynn huffed. “Well, it’s bloody stupid for you to hang out here in the middle of nowhere. Come back to the house. I promise to control myself.”

  “I’m not sure I can. I almost had sex with Perie this morning. If you hadn’t walked in . . ..”

  Flynn frowned. “When this morning?”

  Vaughn averted his gaze and avoided Flynn’s question. “I still have strong feelings for the two of you. I don’t trust myself around either of you.”

  “So, you’d rather sleep in your car on the side of a country road? Isn’t that how crazy murders happen?”

  Vaughn’s laugh was dark and humorless. “I’d like to see them try.”

  Flynn shrugged. “Suit yourself, Vaughn. I need to get firewood.”

  Vaughn watched Flynn go over to his Amarok. He glanced at his useless car—a car that was going nowhere in a hurry—then turned back to Flynn. The other guy was right. It was stupid to stay abandoned out here in the middle of nowhere. Making up his mind, Vaughn made his way over to the Amarok, pulled the passenger door open, and climbed in. “I can’t promise to keep my hands off Perie,” Vaughn said as he did up his belt.

  Flynn pulled onto the road. “I don’t keep my hands off Perie.”

  “You mean you and her—”

  “We’re off and on. Nothing official.”

  Vaughn let this information sink in. “Then what was this? If you’re with Perie, why did you get off with me?”

  Flynn sighed. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you, either.” He took a hold of Vaughn’s hand and laced their fingers together.

  Vaughn’s heart pounded. “You’ll have to tell her.”

  “No question.” Flynn planted a kiss on Vaughn’s lips, teasing the other man’s mouth with the tip of his tongue.

  Vaughn pulled back abruptly. “No more. Not until we talk to Perie.”

  “Right.” Flynn took a right turn onto a different road.

  Vaughn pressed up against his door and stared out the window.

  What, exactly, were they going to tell Perie?

  PERIE WORKED HARD AT dismantling the old kitchen. With Vaughn gone back home for the night and Flynn off buying some firewood from the neighbours, she began to feel her isolation. She wasn’t used to such silence and pitch-black darkness. She was a townie growing up, and always had neighbours and a street-light outside her bedroom window.

  She wished Flynn would hurry back.

  Perie gathered all the bits and pieces into a pile and then began to lift some stuff into her arms. She trudged downstairs to the skip bin and tossed the junk. She noticed a vehicle turn into the driveway and held her breath. It was Flynn. It must’ve been. Who else would be visiting at this time of the night? This . . . seven-thirty time slot? Okay, not so late.

  But this wasn’t Flynn’s Amarok, nor was it Vaughn’s beat-up old Subaru. Perie ducked underneath the verandah and hid behind the new set of stairs. She watched the Land Cruiser pull up in Flynn’s spot and saw a long leg clad in canvas pants stretch out the door. A long, lithe body followed, but from here, all she could see was the silhouette of a man. Perie wished she could race upstairs and quickly lock the doors, but fear glued her to the spot. Fear that the stranger would see her.

  She tried to quiet her heavy breathing and when the man walked towards the stairs, Perie backed farther under the house. She followed the footsteps along, peering up between the gaps in the decking.

  “Hello?”

  The man’s voice traveled to her ears and she paused, hoping he would speak again.

  “Anyone home?”

  Perie frowned. Then she jumped when she saw another vehicle pull up. She sighed with relief when she recognized Flynn arriving back with the load of firewood for the bonfire they randomly decided to have. She was even more relieved when she saw that Vaughn was accompanying him. Perie didn’t bother to wonder what Vaughn was doing back, she was just glad he was. No unwelcome intruder would mess with this towering ex-soldier!

  “Who’s here?” Perie heard Vaughn ask.

  Flynn’s handsome face contorted into a frown. “Dunno.”

  Perie quickly snuck forward as the pair reached the steps. “Vaughn,” she hissed.

  The guys glanced at her.

  Vaughn moved closer to her, ducking his head as he stepped beneath the verandah. “Hey. What are you doing under here?”

  Perie pressed a finger to her lips. Fear danced in her eyes and without thinking, Vaughn grabbed her immediately. “There’s someone here and he’ll hear you.”

  “Who is it?” Flynn asked.

  “How shou
ld I know? He showed up out of nowhere.” Perie shivered and felt Vaughn rub her shoulders. “Vaughn, go up there and scare him.”

  “What?”

  “You know, with your big muscles and military training,” Perie explained.

  Vaughn shook his head in exasperation. “What are you talking about?”

  The footsteps came back. “Is someone down there?”

  Perie gasped. She shooed the military man, flapping her hands incessantly.

  Vaughn sighed and he glanced at Flynn. “Stay with her.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Flynn argued.

  “No. Stay!” Vaughn hissed.

  They heard the strange man descend the stairs again and Vaughn quickly met him. “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah, I’m looking for Perie,” the man responded.

  Realisation finally dawned on Perie. “Wait a minute, I know that voice!”

  Flynn looked down at her. “It sounds familiar.”

  “May I ask who you are?” Vaughn demanded.

  The two men stared each other down. “I’m her—”

  “Dad?” Perie exclaimed, dashing up the steps to the landing. “Is that you?”

  “Holy shit balls!” Flynn took in the sinewy, wrinkled old man in front of them. Time hadn’t been kind to the bloke. His skin was tanned and leathery from the sun.

  Jack Miller had never been a big part of Perie’s life since he travelled extensively across the country chasing shearing and farm work, while Perie’s mother, Mary, juggled raising Perie as more or less a single mother with her job as a nurse. Both of her parents were unfaithful to one another. In their case, absence did not make the heart grow fonder. Despite their flaws, Perie loved her parents to bits. She simply never had any misconceptions about them being perfect, unlike most children who were raised to believe their parents’ shit didn’t stink.

  “Hi, Dad!” Perie lunged forward and threw her arms around the old man.

  “Hi, Miss P,” Jack replied. “How are you?”