Lynsey Stevens - A Physical Affair

‘Knew what?’ Keira asked, her fingers resting against the solid wall of his chest.

‘That my life would never be the same. That without you a part of me would always be empty. I’d never experienced that before and I didn’t much like the feeling. It threw me into a tailspin and made me act like a prize pain in the derrière.’

‘Now that I come to think of it, you were pretty obnoxious,’ Keira teased, and he stole a quick kiss.

‘I couldn’t help myself. I did some pretty extensive nitpicking, didn’t I? Accusing you of seducing Daniel, trying to goad you, all because, as you so rightly told me, I was burningly jealous. I couldn’t decide which was worse, thinking you were married to someone else or the fact that you seemed to prefer my nephew.’

‘And then you offered yourself in his place,’ Keira reminded him, and his lips twisted self-derisively.

‘Yes. Well, I sank to a new low with that outrageous suggestion. I knew it, but part of me still yearned for you to take me up on my offer.’

‘At the time I thought you were the most arrogant man I’d ever had the misfortune to meet,’ Keira told him.

‘I rather suspected as much. And more.’

Keira fiddled with a button on his shirt. ‘But the most attractive,’ she added with a grin, and Eden grimaced.

‘Had I known that, it would have saved me a lot of confusion and indecision. Uncharacteristic confusion and indecision, I might add. I tried keeping away from you but that was a dismal failure. I just kept coming back. Not that you gave me much encouragement apart from that afternoon in your office. That gave me some hope. Even if you did back off afterwards.’

‘My retreat was self-preservation on my part,’ Keira explained. ‘I thought I was just another challenge for you.’

Eden gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘Just a challenge. You were a challenge all right, the biggest challenge of my life. And I felt that was exactly what was at stake. My whole life. I suspected I’d found the woman I wanted to share the rest of my life with so I knew how much I had to lose.’

Keira sighed. ‘And I thought you were already involved with Megan Donnelly.’

‘Megan?’ he repeated in surprise. ‘Never. Megan has been unofficially engaged to my best friend for years.’

‘I know that now. Roxie filled me in. But on Monday morning, not having received your flowers, when Daniel told me you’d left for the States I thought the worst. I didn’t know about your friend’s illness. Will he be all right?’

‘He’ll need to take things easy for a while but, yes, he’ll be fine.’ Eden frowned. ‘You thought I’d gone straight from you to Megan?’ he asked incredulously, and Keira nodded.

‘And because of my suspicions about you and Megan I’d also convinced myself you must have just wanted an affair with me.’

‘My! My! What a wonderful opinion you had of me,’ he said with feeling.

‘Well, can you blame me? Apart from Megan there was nary an edition that went out on the street that didn’t feature Eden Cassidy and an attractive female.’

‘Oh, yes! I’d forgotten the power of the Press. Come to think of it, I’ve forgotten a lot of things lately. Since I met you, sometimes I’ve been hard pressed to recall my own name.’

‘I find that hard to believe.’

‘Believe it, Keira,’ he said sincerely. ‘And believe I don’t want just a passing physical affair. I want a permanent one, an affair to last a lifetime.’

‘Are you sure you do? I mean, I’m just a plain, everyday garden variety-’

Eden stopped her with a quick kiss. ‘There’s nothing plain or everyday about you.’

‘You did tell me yourself I wasn’t in the first bloom of youth. What do you see in this boring old bag anyway?’

‘Boring old bag? What a way to describe the woman I love. You are the most stimulating, spirited, intelligent, amusing, attractive, sexy-’

Keira put her fingers gently on his lips and he nibbled her fingertips. ‘Am I sexy?’ she asked softly, and he gave a low inciting laugh.

‘Beyond belief.’

Keira’s eyes fell from the passion in his and she felt herself flush again. ‘Dennis led me to believe I wasn’t exactly a success at my wifely duties,’ she said and Eden’s grimace made her smile. ‘In fact, I used to think I just wasn’t terribly responsive.’

‘Hence your intriguing statement. How did you describe it? A highly over-rated activity.’ The corners of his mouth lifted in amusement.

‘If I recall the occasion correctly I was clutching at straws to hold you at arm’s length.’ Keira made a show of pursing her lips. ‘I suspected all the time I was fighting a losing battle.’

‘I wish you’d had the forethought to tell me,’ he said with feeling. ‘It would have saved me a lot of sleepless nights.’ He looked down at her. ‘So, can I take it that you’ve revised your opinion?’

‘My opinion?’

‘That you think it’s highly over-rated.’

Keira chuckled. ‘That’s a blatant case of fishing for compliments if ever I heard one. I’ll just say your rating was-’ Keira paused ‘-phenomenal. Sensational. Not to mention spectacular.’

Eden pulled a wry face. ‘A simple yes would have done,’ he said and they laughed softly.

Then Keira sobered. ‘But when you and I did make love I-well, there hadn’t been anyone since Dennis and I was worried I wouldn’t be… It had been so long.’ Keira shrugged eloquently.

‘I’ve heard it said it’s rather like riding a bicycle. You never forget how.’

‘Would that be a male joke?’ Keira goaded, and he looked suitably offended.

‘Perhaps a little facetious,’ he agreed, ‘but in this case not exactly sexist. The pendulum can swing both ways.’

Keira glanced up at him in surprise.

‘I was apprehensive, too,’ he told her. ‘I had a gut feeling I’d met the one woman I’d been searching for all my life so you were the woman I most wanted to impress. I hadn’t done such a marvellous job of that out of the bedroom so I didn’t want to be found wanting in bed as well. Notwithstanding Daniel’s little revelation that I programme myself like a robot once a month. Once a month? He must think I’m way past my prime.’

Keira tried to swallow a giggle and failed, and Eden pulled her against him.

‘I hope that’s not cruel laughter, my love. My fragile male ego is at stake here.’

‘Rubbish! I don’t believe your ego was ever fragile in your life.’ Keira nibbled his earlobe. ‘Found wanting in the bedroom indeed,’ she repeated huskily, her warm breath making him groan softly. ‘I think I’ve already given you my assurances you were very impressive, so I think we can disregard that. Well, all except wanting and bedroom. In fact-’ Keira raised her head ‘-I really don’t think we need the bedroom either, do we?’ she asked, looking challengingly into his eyes.

LYNSEY STEVENS was born in Brisbane, Australia, and before beginning to write she was a librarian. It was in secondary school that she decided she wanted to be a writer. “Writers, I imagined,” Lynsey explains, “lived such exciting lives-traveling to exotic places, making lots of money and not having to work. I have traveled. However, the tax man loves me dearly and no one told me about typist’s backache and frustrating lost words!” When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading and cross-stitching and she’s interested in genealogy.

LYNSEY STEVENS writes intense, deeply emotional romances-with vibrant, believable characters. She loves to write snappy dialogue, and we think you’ll agree that the sparks fly between Keira and Eden in A Physical Affair.