At six thirty, she checked her appearance. Smart but casual. At one minute past the appointed hour, she admitted to nerves as she wiped sweaty palms on her jeans. Manu had laid out the truth. He wanted friendship and nothing more. According to Emma, Hone attracted women like a magnet on steroids. He loved women and they loved him in return. Both men were sexy and had that bad-boy vibe going for them.
That was what she needed. A holiday fling. It wasn’t something she’d done in the past, but that was because of a lack of opportunity.
A slow grin worked across her lips. Fun and a research opportunity for her song writing. Win-win. But then, the good-girl part of her—the sector of personality inherited from her mother—spoke up. She’d get hurt. She didn’t do casual sex because she needed an emotional connection to function.
A vehicle pulled up outside and a knock sounded. She grabbed her bag and opened the door.
“I like a woman who doesn’t keep me waiting.”
Cassie’s brows rose, and she pushed her glasses up her nose.
He flashed her another of his panty-wetting grins. “Don’t get me wrong. Unhurried and slow is good for some things, but for dinner at the family home. Not so much.”
Her mind trotting right along where he led it—like a well-trained pet lamb. “Did you just mention sex and your parents in the same sentence?”
“A woman with a quick mind. Nice.” He kissed her cheek. “It’s a mild night. I brought my bike.”
Her mouth opened. Bad timing. A bug took this as an invitation and flew right on in. She coughed, spluttered and turned to her right to spit into a pot full of red petunias.
Manu took a giant step back, watching her act with interest. “A new mating dance?”
“A bug flew in my mouth.” She shoved her fingers inside and managed to extract the very dead insect. “Yuck.”
He held out his hand. “I brought a spare helmet for you.”
Aware she’d already behaved with her usual gaucheness, she locked the door of her motel unit, took his hand and followed along.
That pet lamb thing again. Something about this man brought out her clumsy in a big way.
“You ridden on a bike before? Here, I’ll take your bag.” He packed it in a compartment as he waited for her reply.
“No.”
“You’ll like it.” He studied her hair. “It might be easier if you loosen your hair. You can fix it again when we get to the farm.”
“Will my glasses be okay?”
“Depends if you want to see.” The corner of his mouth twitched, that bad-boy smoothness making a reappearance.
Heck. A challenge. With trembling fingers, she tugged off her scrunchie. The glasses would stay. Song-writing opportunity, so she needed color and details during the ride to their destination.
“You have pretty hair. Is the color natural?”
“Yes.” She saved the wigs and other artifices to improve her appearance for the stage. Katie-Jo’s territory.
“Hard to tell these days,” he said. “This is your helmet. Put it on, and I’ll fasten the chin strap for you.”
Bemused, she followed his instructions. Somehow, she guessed this man liked and cherished women. He also said what he thought, so she didn’t have to second guess every nuance of their conversation. This idea pleased her.
He straddled the bike. “Get on behind and put your arms around my waist. Your feet go here.” He indicated the spot for her feet. “When I lean into a corner, you lean the same way as me. Got all that?”
“Yes.” She flung her leg over the back of the bike, did an awkward hop in between, muttered under her breath, but finally got her butt on the seat.
“Closer,” Manu shouted. “I don’t bite. Much.”
She snorted. Even though she hadn’t known Manu for long, she knew him. Charming flirt, yet his core of honesty made her comfortable, made her laugh. She inched closer and placed her arms around his waist. Warmth greeted her touch. He reached behind and yanked her nearer until her breasts flattened against his back.
The next second, they were off in a rush of wind. Her hair blew behind her and only his muscled strength and the competent way he drove kept her screech of panic behind closed lips.
Recalling his instructions, she held tight and didn’t move an inch, except when he leaned into a corner. By the time they sped through country lanes, past a paddock of grazing thoroughbreds and an alpaca farm, she’d relaxed enough to enjoy the ride and actually use her glasses to see.
He shot down a series of roads and finally turned onto a long driveway.
He stopped outside a sprawling old house with six vehicles of various ages parked out front. The rumble of the bike ceased and quietness filled the air.
“Everyone is here.”
“Will I meet all your brothers tonight?”
“Not Haurahi, my youngest brother. He’s married and lives in the South Island, not far from Lake Tekapo. He’s Ma’s favorite because he and his wife are expecting their first child.”
Cassie recognized Jack’s vehicle and was pleased she wasn’t walking into a total room of strangers. Even after her time performing, meeting strangers made her uneasy.
“Hey, don’t be nervous. My brothers only bite when asked politely. You’ve already met me and I’m the troublemaker.”
Cassie was still chuckling when she entered the house. The man radiated devilment—a carefree charm—and she could see why women would flock to him.
June, tall and robust, with long black hair and a stern face approached them. “Ae, son. What am I going to do with you? Late again. We’ve been waiting.”
“Cassie made me wait,” Manu said.
Cassie gasped. “I did not.”
“You’ve met my mother—June Taniwha.”
“Thank you for inviting me Mrs. Taniwha.” Easy to see where Manu got his handsome genes. June Taniwha with her height and lithe figure would always draw a second glance, her light green eyes stunning against her long black hair.
“I told you to call me June, dear, when I checked you into your room.”
Manu curled an arm around Cassie’s waist and pulled her to his side before she could reply. “Cassie agreed to go out with me.”
June Taniwha beamed. “I forgive your lateness, number one son.”
Manu puffed out his breath in an audible pffff. “Haurahi is your number one son because he’s busy making grandchildren.”
June’s beam didn’t shift. “There is hope for you yet.” She made a shooing motion. “Take Cassie outside and introduce her to your father and brothers.”
“Yes, Ma,” Manu said obediently.
Cassie took in the details of the house. The wallpaper was a neutral cream, but bore an embossed pattern. Bright jewel colors—so many of them—should have clashed but gave the rooms a cheerful and lived-in atmosphere. The scents coming from the kitchen reminded her she hadn’t eaten for several hours. Garlic bread, if she wasn’t mistaken. Yum. Her favorite. Despite hearing her mother’s squawk of horror rattle through her mind, her taste buds stood and saluted.
At least Emma wouldn’t look askance when she consumed her dinner with gusto.
“Would you like a drink before I take you around and introduce you to my family? We have wine—Sauvignon Blanc because that’s Ma’s favorite, beer and juice or water.”
“A glass of wine please.”
With drinks in hand, Manu introduced her to his two brothers, Kahurangi and Tane. They were younger editions of Manu, both with longer black hair, handsome features and broad, flirtatious grins. Kahurangi wore a form-fitting black T-shirt and sported a sleeve of tattoos—all Maori in origin. Tane wore a royal-blue T-shirt advertising a local beer, and the ends of tattoo spirals peeked beneath the sleeve on his upper right biceps.
“This is my father—Samuel Taniwha,” Manu said.
Okay, he’d contributed to his sons in the looks department too. His hair was short and pitch black. Warmth and welcome wreathed him as he stretched out his hand. Big and tanned, it engulfed hers as they shook in greeting. “Hello, dear. June told me about you. Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Taniwha.”
“Call me Samuel. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of you.” His gentle smile warmed her through.
“Thank you.” Cassie checked on Manu and saw his gaze had narrowed. Without amusement painting his features, he appeared stern and imposing. When he noticed her watching him, he relaxed, but he focused on his father and the two seemed to communicate without words.
“I suppose you want to say hello to Emma and Jack and my grumpy cousin,” Manu said.
“Hone isn’t grumpy.”
Manu swiveled in Emma and Jack’s direction. “Could have fooled me.”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming with Manu,” Emma said as Cassie and Manu joined them.
“He persuaded me.” Cassie studied her surroundings. A large wooden deck extended the living area and took advantage of the view. Trees grew along fences, giving the illusion of privacy and directing the eye toward the estuary. She’d bet the sunsets from here were stunning. With luck, she’d see one later.
A strange growl sounded—the warning of an animal about to attack. Cassie froze and scanned the area for a dog.
Manu removed his arm from her shoulders and the growling faded, leaving an uncomfortable silence.
“How is the motel?” Emma rushed the words, and the tension retreated.
“It’s comfortable. It won’t be a hardship to stay there while I’m fixing up the house.”
Manu and Hone were talking quietly together. Both studied her and the hackles at the back of her neck rose. Too far away to eavesdrop, she was certain they were discussing her.
“Jack said he’d install an alarm system for you—if you’re okay with that.”
Jack wrenched his attention from Hone and Manu to focus on her. Every muscle in his body rippled with tension.
“Which alarm would you recommend?” she asked.
“I thought you’d prefer uncomplicated. Something you can set when you go out and reset at night while you’re at home. We can organize a firm to monitor your alarm and ring the local police in the case of problems.”
“That sounds perfect. Are you sure it’s no trouble? You and Hone helped so much today.”
“You’re Emma’s friend,” Jack said. “That makes you our friend too.”
“Oh.” His intense brown gaze left her groping for understanding. She turned to Emma and found her friend pensive as she glanced from Manu and Hone to Cassie.
“What?”
“Nothing. You’re in for a treat. Can you smell the garlic bread? June makes it with loads of garlic and adds cheese. It’s delicious.”
“I considered bringing a salad or dessert, but I didn’t have enough time to grab anything.”
“Don’t worry. If June wants you to do something, she’s not shy in asking. She rang me to make a salad.”
“Emma. Cassie. I need help in the kitchen,” June called.
“Told you.” Emma spread her hands in a see-what-I-mean gesture. “She’ll want us to carry out salads and the rest of the food because Samuel is pulling the steaks off the barbecue.”
Emma guessed right, and June organized them to ferry food from the kitchen to the wooden tables outside on the deck.
“Okay, ladies. Grab a plate and get your dinner before my sons decimate the table and leave nothing for us to eat.”
“But there’s so much food.”
Emma grabbed two plates and handed one to Cassie. “Watch and learn.” She headed straight for the platter of garlic bread.
With her plate loaded, Cassie followed Emma and sat at a long table with bench seats.
June arrived minutes later, carrying a bottle of white wine to top up their glasses.
“This smells wonderful. I’m starving,” Cassie said. “It must be all the fresh air and hard work today.”
June tutted, the sounded vibrating in the air for long seconds afterward. “Emma and Jack told me about your house. Terrible thing to arrive and find it vandalized.”
Manu sat beside Cassie. One of those weird growls sounded again. Cassie frowned, glancing around for an agitated dog. Not one canine in sight. Weird.
June coughed, and the noise ceased.
Hone rounded the table and claimed the seat opposite her.
How could one man eat that much food? “Wow, I must have worked you too hard today.”
Her words fell in a slice of silence. One of Manu’s brother made a smart-ass remark, and a blush suffused her face. She felt the crawl of heat and knew—just knew—she glowed like a firebug. “I didn’t mention sex.” She sought June’s attention, mortified. “Tell your sons and nephews I wasn’t talking about sex.”
June reached over and patted her hand, her light green eyes twinkling. “You’re a good girl, but if I tell my sons anything, they do the opposite. You’ll learn that when you have children of her own.”
“She needs a man for that first,” Emma piped up.
“Not helpful. Be careful or I’ll cross you off my friend list.”
“Me?” Emma batted her eyelids and aimed for innocent. She missed by a country mile.
“Emma said you’ve recently returned from the States,” Samuel said. “You’ve lived there for a while, I understand.”
“Yes. My mother is American, and we left New Zealand when I was eight,” Cassie said, careful with her words, but not wanting to appear uncivil given the Taniwhas’ hospitality.
“Oh? What part of America?” June asked.
“We moved around a lot since my parents work for a big company. My parents are currently in Washington DC. I work as a personal assistant, but I’m taking a break at present.”
“What type of personal assistant?” June asked.
“For a country singer. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds,” she added when everyone stared at her.
“Will we have heard of them?” Manu asked.
Cassie shrugged. “Perhaps. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you who because I signed a confidentiality agreement. I’ll lose my job if I blab.”
“The girl has integrity.” Approval emanated from June. “Not enough young people have that quality or can keep a secret.”
To Cassie’s relief, the talk turned general after that and she applied herself to her meal.
Manu bumped her lightly with his shoulder. “Ma really has taken a liking to you. You’ll never escape her matchmaking now.”
“But it’s not true,” Cassie whispered.
Manu leaned closer to murmur in her ear. “We’ll keep that secret between the two of us.”