'Let's go around the back,' Lizzie said, and led Dan down the small laneway to the rear of the old building.
Even in the dark, Dan could see the project coming to life. Dirt and stone crunched under his runners as he walked and, protected from the wind, it felt strangely quiet and peaceful. The place had the familiar smell of a construction site, of dust and gravel and freshly turned earth. He looked around in the darkness and could vaguely make out pallet-loads of paving bricks and recognised the string line edging the area that was to be paved. He looked back over his shoulder to the main building and wondered about power access and what heritage restrictions he might be breaking if he opened up the back of the place with big windows to the kitchen and folding glass doors that could be pushed open all the way in summer. He could see it all coming together in his head, fast-forwarding a month to people and noise and life and community. Lizzie's plan for the place was perfect and he was helping create it.
'It's going to be amazing, isn't it?' Lizzie stood in the middle of the empty lot and turned back, her arms spread wide, a smile on her face so content that it floored him.
'Where exactly do you want to put the trees?' he asked, taking a few steps to her to get closer to that smile.
'There, there and … ' she strode over to the north-eastern corner, ' … here. That reminds me. Did you hear back from the plant nursery?'
'No, not yet.' He crossed his arms over his chest and just watched her. Damn it if her excitement wasn't just a little bit contagious. 'Where were you thinking for the shade sails?'
'I thought they might work best on this western side to create some protection where the sun is hottest in the afternoons.' She came to him, stood by his side. She nudged him with her shoulder, kept it close. 'What do you think?'
He looked at her face in the dark, found her lips, full, slightly parted. The sexiest mouth he'd ever seen.
I think I want to kiss you.
'Dan?'
He jammed his hands deep into his pockets. 'Huh?'
'The shade sails. Where do you think we should put them?'
'You're the woman with the plan. I'm just the hired help with the instant coffee.'
'Sure you are.' Her eyes locked on to his. 'We're in this together, remember?'
Dan turned to her. 'Oh, I remember.'
Lizzie blew out a breath and half a laugh at the same time. Dan heard some frustration mixed up in there, too. 'I promised Ry this would all be done and dusted by Christmas. We'll get it done, won't we.'
It wasn't a question. It was a statement of intent, words of confidence in him, in the way he worked. Most of all, she was saying something about the way the two of them could get this thing done. Together.
'Yeah.' He would make sure of it.
They strolled home, neither wanting the evening to end. Dan didn't reach for her hand and Lizzie didn't take his. She dared not touch him again in case she burst into flames. Every inch of her was on high alert and his tender touch had made her feel nervous of him. She tried to keep her distance on the way back, no shoulder bumps, no arm grazes. Nothing that would tip her over the edge.
Finally they reached Dan's place. Lizzie stopped in front of the green beach shack but Dan didn't seem to notice that she had. She opened her mouth to call him back, then hesitated. It was only fair she had another few seconds to enjoy the view from where she stood. There was something about his stride, the way his long, long legs carried him as he walked, that totally did her in. God. Now she was getting turned on by the way the man walked.
'Dan,' she called. 'This is your stop.'
'No it's not. I'm walking you home.' He didn't even look back but he did slow up.
'That's totally unnecessary.'
'No, it's not. C'mon.'
Lizzie had been walking these streets since she could literally walk. The only threat to her personal safety was the chance of being gnawed by the feral rabbits which bred like … well, rabbits … in the farmland at the back of the point and scampered all over the place at night. But if Dan wanted to be chivalrous, she could indulge him. He was loosening up and she was enjoying being with him. It was as simple as that. They were in on the renovation together and she'd seen the look on his face when he'd looked around the car park. He was starting to think like the old Dan, the one who was used to managing projects a thousand times bigger than a pub car park makeover.
When they reached the pink flamingo house, Lizzie opened the door and stepped inside, reaching around to switch on the light. A flicker of awareness ramped up her pulse. She didn't need to see him because she could feel Dan right there beside her, his breath hot on the side of her neck as he moved close. She took a deep breath and turned.
'Elizabeth … ' The word remained half-buried in his beard. His full lips were parted slightly and she could see and hear and feel her name still hanging there.
'Thanks for the walk home. You're quite the gentlemen.' Her hands were on his strong arms to give her purchase and she could feel his muscles bunch and quake beneath her touch. Lizzie was halfway to giving him a goodbye peck on the cheek – it's what she did with everybody – before she realised the boundary she was about to cross.
There was no going back now. His arms enveloped her, squeezed the air out of her lungs as he pulled her in tight, his mouth on her jaw before she knew what was happening. Her nipples reacted faster than her brain, budding with the feel of him pressed against her, so hard. His heat sparked a fire in her belly and robbed her of any sensible thing to say.
'What did you call me?'
'A gentlemen,' she managed.
'You got the wrong guy,' he said roughly as his lips found hers, soft at first, teasing and coaxing. When Lizzie lifted her arms around his shoulders, she searched for the warm skin at the back of his neck and then tangled her fingers up through his hair, black and silky and long on his collar, and gripped hard.
'Dan,' she whispered, and that was his trigger to take her, lift her off her feet and tangle his tongue with hers, caressing, kissing and claiming her. His beard was soft against her cheek where she expected rough. Lizzie savoured every move, every sensation, felt alive where every inch of his body pressed against hers, including his erection poking into her belly. God, it had been too long since she'd come across one of those.
Well, hello sailor.
Oh no. The thought bubble inside her head lingered. She tried to burst it, to kick it to the kerb. Think about the way his lips feel, how strong his arms are, how hard that chest is, how sexy that dishevelled hair looks. The eyes that pin you to the spot. Yes, think about his eyes. Think about how long it's been since someone held you like this. Think about how much he wants you.
Nothing worked. It was there. It was too late to un-think it.
Lizzie giggled.
More than that, she laughed, with his tongue in her mouth and her hands grabbing at his hair. Dan stopped kissing her but didn't move his lips from hers or let her go.
'You all right?' he murmured. The movement of his soft lips against hers felt ticklish and set her nerves jangling in all kinds of new places.
Lizzie laughed again. 'Yeah … '
He kissed her three times, quickly. 'I don't normally get laughs.'
And that made Lizzie giggle even more. 'Oh, I bet you don't.'
Dan pulled his mouth from hers but kept one strong arm around her waist, while the other hand slipped down to cup her butt, pull her close.
'You want me to stop?' His voice was low and sexy and damn it if she didn't feel it throb right through her body.
Hell no, she didn't want him to stop. She'd just realised how long it had been since a man had kissed her. Oh, who was she kidding. She'd never been kissed like that by a man. Or by a man like that. This was knee-trembling, nipple-tightening, heart-pounding, good old-fashioned pashing. With a man who was more than six kinds of handsome. And she didn't want her nerves to get in the way. She wanted more, so she nudged her hips closer to him so he'd be left in no confusion about exactly how much more she wanted. His erection dug into her and she realised with a hopeful awareness that Dan McSwaine might be getting his mojo back.
'Dan,' she whispered. 'I most definitely don't want you to stop.'
But he loosened his grip, pulled back even more, then dropped his arms to his sides. He swore under his breath and scratched his beard.
Maybe he hadn't heard her right. 'Dan,' Lizzie whispered, 'I said don't stop.'
'I know. I heard you. But I reckon I should.'
She blew out a big, frustrated sigh and crossed her arms angrily in front of her.
'Shit, Elizabeth-' Dan reached over and played with the little wisp of hair that sat in front of her ears, pushing it gently behind.
She batted his hand away. 'Forget it. Just forget it.'
'Elizabeth … '
'Look, I get the hint, okay? You don't have to do this … this. Whatever this is. Or isn't.'
'You're right. I don't have to do anything.'
'Exactly. And I ruined the big moment, so let's just let bygones be bygones and agree that this-' Lizzie waved her hand back and forth between them, 'This is a bad idea.'