by Annie Seaton
There was no way she was going to give up after all she’d done to get this far.
She was going to get that interview, and if Alex couldn’t help her, she’d find someone else who could.
Without answering her, Alex stood and brushed the crumbs from his shirt. Bowser sniffed around the blanket and licked them up.
“Come on. We’d better hit the road.” He held his hand out to Jess, and she let him pull her up. Bowser wound between her legs and she lost her balance. Alex caught her, and she came up hard against his chest. Laughing self consciously to cover the heat surging through her, she pushed him away.
“Sorry, I seem to be making a habit of falling into your arms. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Alex folded up the blanket and passed it to her before lifting the cooler onto his shoulder.
“Partner back in New York?”
“Nah. No way. Career woman to the core. Had one close call, but I found out just in time he was only after—”
“After?” Alex looked at her curiously.
“After an introduction to the boss,” she said. “Um, he was after a job.”
“Sounds like a low life. Using a woman to get what he wanted.”
They were both quiet as they walked back to the truck. Alex seemed to be lost in his thoughts as much as she was lost in hers.
Five minutes later, they were back on the red dirt road and heading west. The sun was blindingly bright through the insect-smeared windscreen. Jess reached down to her bag for her sunglasses.
“Could you pass me mine please?” Alex asked. “They’re in—”
“The glove compartment…” Jess finished off for him. “The never-ending glove compartment.”
Jess relaxed and leaned back into the seat. “Well, I’m going to start planning my strategy for pinning down the elusive Mr. Ricardo. Oh, no!”
She sat bolt upright in the seat before dropping her face in her hands and groaning. “Oh shit.”
Alex hit the brakes and slowed the car looking across at her, and his brow wrinkled. “What’s wrong?”
“I meant to call Cockatoo Springs when I got to Daly River to make my reservation, but the rain and having to stay there for the night totally put it out of my head.”
Alex started the truck again and pulled out onto the road. “No problem. You can stay at my cabin.”
Why did he find that so amusing? She ignored the sexy smile on his face, which made the laugh lines fan deep around his eyes.
“I can show you around.”
Before Jess could answer there was a loud crack from behind them and the car slewed to the right. Alex hit the brakes and stuck his head out the window looking behind.
…
“Fuck.” Frustration and anger warred in Alex’s chest as he slammed his hands on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath and turned to Jess. “Sorry.”
“What’s wrong? Did we hit something?”
“There’s something wrong with the boat trailer. The boat’s hanging off it.” He opened his door and walked back to the trailer. The two wheels were sitting at an angle, and the under frame of the boat trailer was sitting in the red dirt of the road.
“Bloody hell.” He kicked the tire and walked around to Jess’s window. “The axel of the trailer has snapped.”
“How come?”
“All the corrugations on the road,” he said. He should have taken it slower, but he’d been too interested in her conversation and hadn’t paid enough attention to his driving. That could be deadly in the Top End. He was lucky it was only the trailer that had been damaged.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’ll have to leave the boat here.”
“Won’t someone steal it?” Jess pushed her door open and climbed down.
“Not in the condition it’s in now. Come give me a hand and we’ll be quicker.”
Bowser jumped out of the truck and ran to the side of the road while Jess followed Alex around to the back of the truck. He pointed to the axel.
“We’ll have to unload the boat and put as much of the gear in the back of the truck as we can. Especially the food and the crabs. Sorry, the crabs are going to have to go in the front with us. There’s not enough air circulating in here, and if I unzip the windows your bed will be full of red dust for the night.”
“In the cabin with the two by eighty air con?” Jess grinned up at him and his heart lurched. Last night in Janet’s restaurant he’d thought how beautiful she was, but now, her clear almond-shaped eyes held his, and his heart lurched.
No way, not going there.
He turned away from her and spoke gruffly. “I’ve just got to take the motor off the boat, and then I’ll get you to help me pull the trailer off the road.” Alex wiped his hands on his jeans before he lifted the side of the boat trailer.
“Will you have to come back and get it?”
“If I don’t, it’ll get swept away in the wet.”
Her eyes were wide. “Do you mean this road will go under water?”
“Yes. For most of the summer.”
Alex was looking forward to the camp ahead. It was going to be an interesting night. “You grab Bowser and get back in the truck; I’ll zip this up. And then we’ll get on the way. I don’t want to get to our campsite too late.” Huge thunderheads were spiraling up ahead, and he didn’t like the look of the sky at all.
…
The first cloud covered the sun as they turned into the road to the camp. There were a couple of places they could have camped out, but Alex had chosen this one because it was on the highest ground. If there was a storm, they’d be dry up here.
He frowned as he slowed the truck. Jess was determined to go on with the interview, and he’d seen her persistence over the past twenty-four hours. If she was that persistent at Cockatoo Springs, she’d figure out who he was in no time at all. He guarded his privacy fiercely and he was going to have to handle this very carefully. As soon as he got a chance, he was going to call Mitch and make sure there was no room for her at the resort when they arrived. She could stay in the spare room in the small cabin at the back of the resort where he stayed when he was hauling fish. That way he could keep her close and keep tabs on what she was doing. He wouldn’t go anywhere near his beachfront villa this time—not until she was on her way back home.
Alex pulled the car to the side of the road and looked across at Jess and Bowser. She was dozing with her head back on the seat and her feet on top of the cooler holding the crabs. Bowser was curled up on her once-white pants, and Jess had the fingers of one hand tucked loosely into his collar, holding him secure. Her pants were streaked with red dirt, and her silk top was dotted with water spots where perspiration had soaked in. Her hair was still tied back with the piece of string but had loosened, and her topknot was hanging to one side. Her right hand was braced on the seat between them. He looked down and grinned. Two long manicured red nails, and two snapped off with chipped nail polish, completed the picture of a disheveled traveler. If she turned up at the reception desk of his five star resort looking like that, eyebrows would be raised.
“Jess, wake up.” He touched her hand lightly. She opened her eyes and stretched, and his mouth dried as the silk top pulled across her breasts. She was almost as tall as he was, and even though she was very slim, her breasts were full. The damp silk top strained across them tightly, and she crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.
“I have to get out and turn the wheel hubs before I can put the truck into four wheel drive. There’s just a short distance to go to where we’ll camp out tonight.”
Jess unfolded her arms and looked out the window. “Rain’s coming?”
“Not yet.” He pointed up the hill. “There’s a spring-fed freshwater pool where we can wash. It’s away from the main river, and there are no crocodiles there.
“I’d kill for a wash now, and before we leave in the morning so I don’t turn up looking like a hobo. I was thinking too… could I use your satel
lite phone to make a reservation? How long will you stay there?” Jess looked at him, and Alex focused on maneuvering the truck over the deep corrugation.
The driver’s side dipped to the right, and Bowser rolled along the seat and landed in his lap. Jess gasped as the car tilted back the other way at the opposite angle, and she grabbed for Bowser as he rolled back toward her. It was likely he’d be at Cockatoo Springs for a couple of weeks. He had to make time to meet with Clayton, the new chef, and to work out the program for the wet season. He also had a CEO from one of the big travel companies flying in for a two-day visit. He’d been difficult and insisted on dealing with Alessandro himself, and Mitch had talked Alex into the meeting with Larry Bartholomew before he left. Then the whole family was arriving in a few days for his birthday. Last year, they’d managed to keep his fake identity secret, and although they couldn’t understand his motivation, he’d never confided Emily’s deception to anyone else. He had this stupid idea it was gallant to keep her memory untarnished. If he’d known how hard it would be to run the place privately once the school had taken off, he would never have even taken the job on in the first place.
The next challenge was to keep it quiet for one more visit, and then once his contract was done, Ricardo could disappear quietly.
“Ah… I’ll stay a week or so and then I’ll head to Darwin for the wet season.You can still fish up there away from the rivers.” He had to get Jess sorted and on her way home well before his family descended. And somehow he had to convince her that an interview with Ricardo was out of the question. Then he had to get rid of this bloody fascination she was weaving over him.
It was safe here. No crocodiles. It was time to put another plan in place and turn back into the fishing hobo that pissed her off. He’d been way too accommodating, and he wasn’t happy with this connection that seemed to be springing up between them.
…
Jess gripped Bowser with one hand and held onto the bar on the dashboard with the other. The slope Alex was driving down was so steep; she was worried the pickup would tip over its front. Her legs were jammed between the large dark blue cooler on the floor on the passenger side, and the constant clicking coming from inside the cooler was unnerving.
“What is that noise?” She turned to Alex, who was peering over the front of the dashboard at the drop below as he turned the wheel inch by inch.
“What noise?”
“That clicking noise.”
“Oh, that’s the crabs. As soon as we stop, I need to get them sorted. I didn’t have time to tie them up, and some had already thrown their nippers. They’ll be our dinner tonight.”
“Oh, okay.” Jess turned away as an idea formed in her mind. “Alex?”
“Yes?” His voice was patient, but he didn’t take his eyes off the terrain ahead as he reached down and changed down a gear. A loud grinding sound came from beneath the gearshift.
“Shit, that doesn’t sound good.” The speed of the truck picked up, and he planted his boot on the brake pedal.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Sounds like we just did a gear.” He cocked his head to the side and listened as he changed gears again. “Maybe not. I’ll check when we stop.” He gingerly lifted his foot off the brake pedal and changed down another gear, and the car still slowed. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. We’re almost down to the clearing.”
Jess turned and looked out the window. The road was narrow, and the branches of the low shrubs were scraping against the glass.
“Oh, my God.” She gulped, closing her eyes as a huge brown snake slid back into the bush beside the pickup.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.” Jess turned and scowled at him. “I cannot wait to get to the resort.” She held out her hand and ticked off on her fingers. “I really don’t know what’s worse. Snakes? Flies? Crocodiles? Crabs? This old clunking pickup?” She put her head into her hands, and her temper fired as Alex looked down at Bowser and spoke in a conversational tone.
“At least you’re off the list now, little man.”
His tone got under her skin. “Please tell me this resort is really five stars and not one of those wilderness lodges where the guests are expected to rough it and enjoy themselves.”
The smarter her mouth got, the more he smiled.
“No, everything Madame could possibly require is catered to at Cockatoo Springs.” He pointed to her broken fingernails. “I believe there is a day spa where they do hair and nails…and massage. The rooms are luxurious and of course, the food in the restaurant is world class. But I forgot that’s all you are interested in, isn’t it?” He narrowed his eyes. “What will you do if you can’t get a room? Will you catch the helicopter straight out, or will you stay at my cabin?”
Jess paused before she answered, sensing there was more to his question than just interest in her movements. “Of course I’m not going to leave. If can’t get a room, I’ll be very grateful for your offer, thank you. But I’m sure there’ll be a room.”
“I’ll call my mate as soon as we’re unpacked. Anyway, look.” He pointed ahead. “We’re finally here.”
Chapter Eight
“Oh, my God. This is paradise.” Jess opened the door, and the little dog jumped up beside her. “What about Bowser, does he need his leash?”
God, I can’t believe I’m worried about a dog.
The heat in the Top End was turning her brains to mush, along with her usually impeccable grooming. There was no word for how she looked…and felt. She reached up and pulled the string from her hair, shaking it all out, and regretted it immediately. Even though the sun was low in the sky, the heat was still unbearable.
“He’s okay. There are no crocs here. I’ll keep an eye on him. He won’t wander far from me or the truck.”
Jess slid out of the truck and stepped to the edge of the low bluff, looking nervously at the ground.
“Don’t worry, as soon as the truck came in, any snakes would have taken off. If you leave them alone and don’t provoke them, they’ll leave you alone.”
Jess forgot all about snakes as she looked over the edge of the drop. Water cascaded down the face of the rock in front of her to a deep green pool fringed with trees. The storm clouds had receded, and the late afternoon shade covered the western end of the pool. The water beneath the rock face below them sparkled invitingly as the cascading water hit the surface of the pool. Alex walked over and stood behind her.
“I love the Top End. There are hundreds more places like this, all off the tourist track and pristine.”
“It sounds like the environmentalist is still in there.”
“Nah, just someone who appreciates nature at its best. Now come on, let’s get organized, and then we can have a dip.”
“Don’t forget to use the phone and call about my booking.”
“Right. I’ll go and do that now.”
Alex went around to the back of the truck and Jess waited at the edge of the bluff enjoying the view. All was quiet and when he reappeared, he held up the phone with a grim expression.
“Sorry, the battery’s flat. I’ll have to charge it up.”
“How can you do that? I suppose there’s a hidden power outlet in the glove compartment along with everything else?.” She tried to be flippant to cover the disappointment of not being able to contact the resort, and find out if her room had been held for her.
“Almost,” Alex said. “There’s an inverter in the back of the track.”
Jess had no idea what he was talking about so she ignored him and looked out over the water. Perspiration trickled down her neck as they unpacked the truck, and she looked down ruefully at her ruined silk shirt. Alex carted the cooler from the cab of the truck and placed it in the shade beneath an overhanging rock. The heat was vicious, even hotter than last night. She’d thought the air conditioning in her room at the Daly River trailer park had malfunctioned because it had been so hot in there.
Maybe it was this hot in the outback all
the time?
“Does it get any cooler through the night?” She swatted a fly away as Alex walked back to the truck for the next load.
“Not a lot.” He frowned at her. “Jess, go and get the Bushman’s out of the glove compartment. Not only are those black files annoying, but the midges will bite you. And the mosquitoes carry disease up here.”
Jess shivered at the thought of something sucking her blood. She hurried over to the truck and pulled herself up on the passenger side. Alex had parked it awkwardly between two boulders, and backed it in as close as he could to the large cliff face behind it, leaving just enough room to get into the canvas tent on the back of the truck. The driver’s side was lower, and she slid in through the narrow space between the door and the rock. She reached across to the seat before opening the glove compartment and poking around.
Of course. The first thing to fall into her hand was the box of condoms.
Well, he won’t be needing them this trip. She shoved them to the back of the compartment and peered in. A small light green plastic bottle proclaiming ‘Bushman’s’ in red writing was jammed at the back of the space. She pulled it out and read the label:
Guaranteed fifteen hours of protection. That should just about see her out of this place and back into a civilized environment. Although, if she was honest, it was one of the most beautiful places she’d ever seen. She couldn’t wait to get into that pool down on the rock platform.
After closing the compartment, Jess climbed out of the door and looked carefully down to the ground before walking around to the back of the truck. She’d find her swimsuit first, and then lather herself in this lotion.
Straining to reach the zipper to undo the back door, she cursed as she snapped another fingernail.
“Can’t reach?” The amused voice came from behind her. “Step back. I’ll climb in and pass some of the stuff out to you. I’ll throw down the heavy stuff.”
Alex reached up, unzipped the heavy metal zipper, and hoisted himself into the back of the truck. Jess peered in and got an eyeful of taut butt in snug-fitting denim jeans. Heat ran up her neck and added to her already overheated state. She fanned herself, but it only moved the heavy hot air a little and didn’t cool her at all. She blinked to remove the perspiration from her eyes; the back of the truck and Alex’s butt blurred. Closing her eyes, she hoped desperately that a room would be ready and waiting for her tomorrow. A nice cool bath, clean clothes, and food were what she desperately needed. She’d had nothing to eat all day apart from the muffin when they’d headed off at dawn. No wonder she was hot and weak. She’d had no idea that driving on these treacherous outback roads would be so slow.