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I laugh. “Yeah. Definitely. Anything. Thanks.”

Luke chooses that moment to lean in and kiss my neck and I can hardly form the words to say goodbye to Tegan. I think I might have just hung up on her.

Next thing I know, my phone is on the counter and Luke is nudging in closer. “I’m going to be whatever you need me to be, OK? You just tell me. Because I never stopped wanting you since the first moment I had you in my arms. Since the first time I spotted you on that jetty. And I won’t stop wanting you. Not ever.”

He grabs my arse and hauls me closer and I get lost in him for a moment. My phone buzzes and I glance down to see the last thing I want to see right now. Something that makes me freeze in Luke’s arms.

Oliver: spoke to ur parents and they want the coast house back now the wedding’s off

I stare at it in horror. Do I even really know him? How is he intent on turning this breakup into such an ordeal? Now what—he’s gone and told my parents? Like a kid in the playground.

I’m seething. And then the next message comes through.

Oliver: You owe me back all my out-of-pocket costs for the renovation

I can’t believe this! This was a project we started together. Because he suggested it! Now he wants me to front the costs? I suppose he figures Dad will pay.

Luke follows my gaze to my phone screen and grunts. “Might have figured that asshole wasn’t done, yet. Don’t you worry. Your dad’s a lawyer, right? He’ll sort this out.”

I grimace. “Yeah, but Oliver is, too. And Dad taught him everything he knows.”

TWENTY ONE

Luke

The minute we get to the outskirts of Sydney, I’m reminded why I hate the place. Mia and I agreed to drive separately, since she doesn’t know when she’ll be coming back to Rosella Bay. As much as I hate it, I’ve got to admit it makes sense. A client could call with a last-minute emergency, and I have a job I’m supposed to start next week up at the Lewellyn place.

I’m driving behind Mia’s little Audi on the M5 when a guy in a lowered sports car cuts me off and slides between us, probably without even glancing in his rear-view mirror. When I give him the finger, he responds by slamming his foot on the brake so I have to do the same. Then he speeds up so quickly he almost ends up right up Mia’s arse when traffic gets heavier.

I grit my teeth and ignore him, refusing to do anything else to set him off. I’m supposed to be making Mia’s life easier coming to Sydney with her, not get her into an accident.

Of course, there’s no parking near Tegan’s apartment, so I spend twenty minutes driving up and down the same block trying to find something. When I do, it takes a hell of an effort to get my Hilux into a tiny spot made for something more the size of a toy car. I don’t let Mia see me sweating, though. Bad enough she’s already going to be thinking of me as the country boy who doesn’t fit in.

By the time I hop out, she’s standing on the curb with a busty blonde I assume must be Tegan. They give me cheerful waves I try to return. “Hey, that was nice work getting that beast in there,” Tegan says.

I only smile. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”

I take Mia’s bag and hold my spare hand out to Tegan. She just blinks at it for a moment. Then her eyes widen and she leans in to kiss me on the cheek. “Handshake. Old school! Nice to meet you, hot tradie. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Tegan!” Mia flushes, but she’s grinning, and that wins a lot of points in my books. “Come on,” she says. “I can’t wait for you two to get to know each other.”

We head up the stairs to the third floor apartment Tegan rents. It’s small, but cute. I instantly like her more when I see a big canvas I recognise as Mia’s work displayed in pride of place above her sofa.

“That’s a good one.” I gesture with a jerk of my head at the painting, since my hands are full of our bags.

Mia smiles. “You like it? I made that one as a housewarming gift when Tegan moved in here.”

“It’s beautiful.”

Tegan appears from the kitchen with three wine glasses and a bottle of red wine, grinning from ear to ear. “You two are adorable! Go put your bags down, and then let's drink. I’m going to order some pizza. Are you hungry?”

Over the next few hours, I become a big fan of Tegan. She’s funny, she’s crude, and she can drink! Best of all, she’s definitely not a fan of Oliver.

When we’re finishing the second bottle of wine and the third pizza, she holds up her glass. “Cheers, everyone. To blowing off that dick, Oliver in favour of...well... blowing off dick!”

Mia just stops herself from spitting her wine back into the glass. “Oh, my God. Please tell me he didn’t.”

Tegan shrugs with an angelic little smile. She’s not fooling anyone. “I can neither confirm nor deny, but I will say that a particular story did the rounds.”

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