there, sis?”
“Yes, let’s go,” she said, buckling her seatbelt to prod him further. “And could you tell Brenna and Gemma to get their butts in here?”
The driver’s side door opening made Amanda turn her head. Her eyes grew large as Connor sat himself behind the wheel.
“What are you doing?” she asked in bewilderment.
“Driving you home, from the looks of it,” Connor said, grinning widely.
“I guess I’ll see you next weekend, sis,” Ash said, trying to stifle his laughter.
“What’s going on?” she asked, scowling at her brother.
“You seem to prefer this car, so Connor will drive you home.”
“Why?”
“Because this is his car. Mine’s over there,” Ash said, pointing to somewhere behind them. “Brenna and Gemma are already there. I’ll drive them home.”
It took a couple of seconds for understanding to dawn. Blushing furiously, Amanda unclipped her seatbelt.
“Hey,” Connor said, stilling her with a hand on her arm. “It’s late and Ash would get back home quicker if he only has to give two girls a lift rather than three. And I’m headed your way, anyway.”
“Why are you headed my way?” she asked, stupefied.
“I live in Bondi too,” Connor answered.
She stared at him, unable to believe what he’d just said. She had the impression he hadn’t moved to Sydney yet, and now he was telling her he lived in the same beachside suburb?
“I’m staying with a friend until I can move to my own apartment,” Connor said.
“But Ash doesn’t live that far away from me...” Oh shut up, Amanda. Here’s your chance to talk to the man and you want to sabotage it.
“Well,” Ash said. “You can ride with me if you don’t mind getting home a bit later. We have to drop off the two girls first.”
“You’re right smack on my way, Amanda,” Connor insisted. “It’s no trouble at all. It’s more convenient for me to take you than it is for Ash.”
“How do you know where I live?”
Connor chuckled. “Ash just told me when he saw you get into my car.”
She hesitated, not sure what she wanted.
“I’ll see you next weekend, sis. Drive safely, you guys,” Ash said, then left.
Well, that was that then. Connor was driving her home.
CHAPTER SIX
C onnor decided it was best to engage in small talk for the majority of the drive. Bondi was over two hours away and he didn’t want to spend it in angry silence in case the serious talk they had to have turned sour. Fortunately, Amanda seemed to be of the same mind. She hadn’t brought up anything about that Melbourne weekend.
Soon enough, what started as an awkward, stilted conversation became free-flowing. Amanda shared things about her working life, and he told her about his plans for his new business. She mentioned her best friends and family a lot. Clearly she was close to them.
Before long, they were only minutes away from Amanda’s place. He filled his lungs, hating that he’d have to break the easy rapport they’d shared for most of the trip. But if he didn’t bring up that topic now, there might not be another good time.
“Um, Amanda. I know you’d rather not talk about Melbourne, but maybe we could talk about it now?”
Amanda took a deep breath. “Okay. I guess we better. It’s just that it’s not the most pleasant of memories, you know.”
He frowned. He’d always thought that it had all been a game for Amanda, that he was the one with the good reason to get aggravated by the situation. Might as well not beat around the bush to find out the truth.
“I must admit I was disappointed—well, angry actually—when you decided not to turn up for dinner that night,” he said quietly.
He waited for Amanda to respond, heart beating fast and palms getting clammy. When a long moment had passed and she hadn’t said a word, he glanced at her. She was frowning at him, those beautiful eyes questioning.
“What?” he asked, unsure of what her expression meant.
“You were the one who changed your
“Yes, let’s go,” she said, buckling her seatbelt to prod him further. “And could you tell Brenna and Gemma to get their butts in here?”
The driver’s side door opening made Amanda turn her head. Her eyes grew large as Connor sat himself behind the wheel.
“What are you doing?” she asked in bewilderment.
“Driving you home, from the looks of it,” Connor said, grinning widely.
“I guess I’ll see you next weekend, sis,” Ash said, trying to stifle his laughter.
“What’s going on?” she asked, scowling at her brother.
“You seem to prefer this car, so Connor will drive you home.”
“Why?”
“Because this is his car. Mine’s over there,” Ash said, pointing to somewhere behind them. “Brenna and Gemma are already there. I’ll drive them home.”
It took a couple of seconds for understanding to dawn. Blushing furiously, Amanda unclipped her seatbelt.
“Hey,” Connor said, stilling her with a hand on her arm. “It’s late and Ash would get back home quicker if he only has to give two girls a lift rather than three. And I’m headed your way, anyway.”
“Why are you headed my way?” she asked, stupefied.
“I live in Bondi too,” Connor answered.
She stared at him, unable to believe what he’d just said. She had the impression he hadn’t moved to Sydney yet, and now he was telling her he lived in the same beachside suburb?
“I’m staying with a friend until I can move to my own apartment,” Connor said.
“But Ash doesn’t live that far away from me...” Oh shut up, Amanda. Here’s your chance to talk to the man and you want to sabotage it.
“Well,” Ash said. “You can ride with me if you don’t mind getting home a bit later. We have to drop off the two girls first.”
“You’re right smack on my way, Amanda,” Connor insisted. “It’s no trouble at all. It’s more convenient for me to take you than it is for Ash.”
“How do you know where I live?”
Connor chuckled. “Ash just told me when he saw you get into my car.”
She hesitated, not sure what she wanted.
“I’ll see you next weekend, sis. Drive safely, you guys,” Ash said, then left.
Well, that was that then. Connor was driving her home.
CHAPTER SIX
C onnor decided it was best to engage in small talk for the majority of the drive. Bondi was over two hours away and he didn’t want to spend it in angry silence in case the serious talk they had to have turned sour. Fortunately, Amanda seemed to be of the same mind. She hadn’t brought up anything about that Melbourne weekend.
Soon enough, what started as an awkward, stilted conversation became free-flowing. Amanda shared things about her working life, and he told her about his plans for his new business. She mentioned her best friends and family a lot. Clearly she was close to them.
Before long, they were only minutes away from Amanda’s place. He filled his lungs, hating that he’d have to break the easy rapport they’d shared for most of the trip. But if he didn’t bring up that topic now, there might not be another good time.
“Um, Amanda. I know you’d rather not talk about Melbourne, but maybe we could talk about it now?”
Amanda took a deep breath. “Okay. I guess we better. It’s just that it’s not the most pleasant of memories, you know.”
He frowned. He’d always thought that it had all been a game for Amanda, that he was the one with the good reason to get aggravated by the situation. Might as well not beat around the bush to find out the truth.
“I must admit I was disappointed—well, angry actually—when you decided not to turn up for dinner that night,” he said quietly.
He waited for Amanda to respond, heart beating fast and palms getting clammy. When a long moment had passed and she hadn’t said a word, he glanced at her. She was frowning at him, those beautiful eyes questioning.
“What?” he asked, unsure of what her expression meant.
“You were the one who changed your
Similar Books
