Page 34 of Return of the Outback Billionaire

‘I don’t like being vulnerable. In prison...’ He set his glass down on the table and looked her in the eye. ‘In prison that’s not on. You lock down hard and try to become as emotionless as you can. Nothing gets to you. No fear, no anger, no laughter. Nothing. Emotions are private. And now they’re all coming out, all those feelings I don’t know what to do with any more, and I feel exposed and it’s dangerous. I’m dangerous when cornered. I need more control.’

She’d wanted him to reveal a few flaws, hadn’t she?

Well, he’d just revealed a few monsters. ‘And soon you will have more control, because you’re honest with yourself and you’re working on it. It’s not a permanent character flaw. You’re downright inspirational.’

‘You need to get out more.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with my judgment.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said simply. ‘For my behaviour at the ball. For my appalling behaviour tonight. You deserve better.’

‘Apology accepted.’ He was so hard on himself. ‘Please. Can’t we just relax? Put on some music and take this party to the patio? You can stare out over the water and brood. I can close my eyes and pretend I’m back home dancing beneath the stars where no one can see me.’

‘I see you.’

She turned away, suddenly shy about all but inviting him to look at her.

‘You look at me, too,’ he added.

How could she not? ‘I know.’

‘Have you ever had a lover before? Or is that too private a question to ask?’

‘I’ll answer you.’ Honesty was important to her. ‘No, I haven’t.’ Twenty-three-year-old virgin, that was her. ‘And it’s not because I’ve been waiting around for you to return. I mean, you were older when we were growing up and I might have had a tiny crush on you in my teens, but it wasn’t a fixation. You were the hot older boy who lived next door. I think that’s normal enough.’

He made a noise that could have meant agreement and she decided to take it as such.

‘After you went to prison, my thoughts ran more along the lines that you were part of my world and I wanted you back in it where you belonged. It wasn’t a romantic notion. More of a guilt-induced notion.’ She put her glass down. She wasn’t thirsty any more.

‘You were a kid and you needed protection.’ Those words were enough to make her look at him again. ‘I don’t blame you for what happened. Never have.’

A weight she never knew she carried rolled off her shoulders. ‘Really?’

‘Really. I don’t blame your father or your aunt either, for allowing you to come into contact with a charming sociopath hell-bent on possession. Do you blame them?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Good. So lose the guilt and don’t expect my forgiveness. No one made me do anything I didn’t want to do, so there’s nothing to forgive.’

‘Thank you.’ She steadied her thoughts. ‘I’m grateful for your actions.’

‘Don’t be,’ he said. ‘It makes me question what you’ll put up with from me.’

‘I’m always going to be grateful to you for rescuing me, that’s a given.’ She turned and leaned against the railing, her hands lightly clasping it on either side of her and her back to the harbour view as she risked locking eyes with him again. ‘I’m making good headway when it comes to not thinking of you as a superhero though.’

He laughed, open and honest, and she cherished the sound.

‘Do you think we could press a reset button, you and me? Ignore the past. Forget the false engagement, and the way I exposed you tonight, and start over?’ she asked.

‘We can try.’

She turned to him and held out her hand. ‘Hello. I’m Bridie. I’m not real good around people I don’t know and I’ve never had a man in my bed before, but you make me want to.’

He was laughing again. ‘Don’t lead with that.’ But he took her hand in his and stole her breath away with that simple touch. ‘I’m Judah. And I would love to take you to bed, but I currently don’t trust my control. I can’t promise to make your first time what a first time should be. I’m too...greedy.’

‘For touch?’ He still hadn’t let go of her hand.

‘For you.’

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