Free Falling for the Guy Next Door by Claire Robyns

fancy. As soon
as he was ready to leave Corkscrew Bay.
    He packaged up
the photos with notes on his vision for the scale, aspect and mood
on each, and set the bulky envelope aside.
    It was past
six and Megan was still out with her friend. Unease stirred in his
gut. He refused to acknowledge the cause as anything other than
hunger. He grilled a rib-eye steak, tossed a salad and planted
himself in front of the telly. He flipped through the channels
until a DIY survivor show caught his interest. This particular
episode had been shot off-trail in a Congo jungle, which led to
thoughts of Megan’s barbs about his next project and his visits
never out-staying three days.
    He often spent
longer than three days in a place, obviously. For work. Never for
pleasure. Never for family. At the age of seven, Frank had become
his guardian, but the farm had never been home.
    Home had been
a variety of boarding schools and, as he grew older, whichever
holidays the odd school buddy invited him to tag along with.
Usually abroad to fascinating locations. Those holidays had given
him the scent for wanderlust, and more. The interludes within the
bosom of real families had centred him, balanced his isolated
independence with true friendship, borrowed love and bonds of
trust. In the small doses he could handle. As far as he was
concerned, he’d always had the best of both worlds.
    He must have
dozed off, because the next thing he knew, he was drifting awake to
the growl of a mechanical panther.
    The room was
dark, the only light coming from the television screen. He took a
minute to adjust his vision, then left the sofa to peek through the
front window. Hoping to see the Lotus turn up some more gravel as
it sped away. What he got was Megan leading the way up to the porch
and inside, with Lotus guy a step behind.

Chapter 6
     
     
    “ I won’t be a second, the boxes are in my office
upstairs,” Megan said as she stepped into the hallway and set her
bag down. She glanced over her shoulder. “Unless you’ve got time
for a coffee?”
    Gabriel
checked his watch. “Coffee will be great.” He closed the front door
and followed her into the kitchen on a yawn.
    “I’ll make
that a double espresso, shall I?” She grabbed the espresso pot from
beside the stovetop and filled it with water. “Wouldn’t want you
falling asleep behind the wheel.”
    “Ah.” He
placed a hand across his chest. “Your concern is touching.”
    She giggled.
“I’m more worried about you crashing your latest toy. Now that
would be a tragic loss for humanity everywhere.”
    “She is a
beauty, no?”
    Megan turned
to lean against the counter and folded her arms. “You really are a
little boy, aren’t you?”
    “Not so
little, Megan.” He gave a wicked grin. “Or so the ladies tell
me.”
    She rolled her
eyes, but smiled. A day out with Gabriel Santini had been just what
she needed. She’d known him since before his self-promotion and
marketing books had rocketed up the charts and he’d always been
good for a laugh. She hadn’t even given Jack a—well, not more than
a handful of thoughts.
    Once she’d
waded through the mist of anger, the underlying context was rather
heart-warming. Everything Jack had done, everything he’d said,
added up to him being protective. Cute.
    Problem No. 1:
he was trying to protect her from herself. Not so cute.
    Problem No. 2:
he was also trying to protect her from himself. That just made her
want to hurl herself onto the floor and kick and scream. Just like
the child he seemed to think she was.
    Her phone rang
from down the hallway. “Excuse me.” She skipped from the kitchen to
dig inside her bag. Speak of the devil. Tender emotions swirled
with anger and frustration. She couldn’t do this now. She hit the
end-call button and pretended she’d missed the call when Gabriel
raised a questioning brow. She tossed her phone onto the counter
and pulled two mugs from the cupboard.
    Gabriel yawned
again. “I’m getting too old for