by Lucy Clark
Even the thought of leaving Sebastian next Wednesday was too much to bear, but the fact remained that they lived on opposite sides of the globe and came from completely different social circles. The outfit he’d just bought her was evidence of that and if she needed any further proof, all she had to do was look at herself in the mirror. Dressed once again in her own clothes, she felt…out of place in his world.
Brushing the thought aside, she pasted on a smile and walked out to meet Sebastian. He walked over to the counter with her and they both waited patiently while Mary rang up the purchases. Once he’d paid for them, he held the bags and escorted her out onto the street before bustling her into a taxi.
‘Where are we going?’
‘The London Eye,’ he told the driver, then settled back in the car, his arm coming about Danny, drawing her near. It was a natural progression for him to lower his head so their mouths could meet. He kissed her deeply, passionately and possessively.
‘You are one sexy lady,’ he murmured when they finally came up for air.
‘You mean in that dress?’
‘Most definitely in that dress. I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands off you this evening, and heaven help any other man if he so much as looks at you.’
She glanced out the window as they drove through the streets of London and realised they were crossing the Thames. ‘Wow.’ She sat up to get a better look. ‘So much water. I doubt you guys have water restrictions or droughts.’
He laughed. When she spotted the London Eye, she looked up at the enormous wheel in surprise. ‘You want to take me on that?’
‘Sure. Let me guess, you’ve never been on a Ferris wheel before.’
‘Actually, I did back when I was in med school.’
‘And did you enjoy it?’ They alighted from the taxi and with his arm at her back, he guided her forward.
‘It wasn’t bad.’
They were soon settled in the enclosed capsule, just the two of them. Sebastian’s arm around her shoulders made her feel safe and secure.
‘You’re not afraid of heights, are you?’
‘No.’
‘Good.’ As they went around, Sebastian dutifully pointed out several sights, some of which they’d get to see the next day and others he promised to take her to on her next trip to London.
Next trip to London? She pushed the thought away, deciding to be content with the here and now. She only had five more days before she had to get on a plane and travel the long haul back to Australia. Enjoy your time with Mac while you’re here, she told herself firmly. He pressed his cheek against hers, his breath fanning her neck as he pointed out yet another attraction. Once the ride had finished, they sat down and had a cup of tea before catching a taxi to the hotel.
‘It’s lovely.’ Danny walked around the suite, smelling the flowers and peering out the window. ‘With a view.’
‘Impressed?’
She smiled at him. ‘Very.’ She pointed to the large bed. ‘So who gets that?’
He grinned and drew her into his embrace. ‘I’m a selfish man, Dannyella. I want it all to myself—with you beside me.’
‘What happened to your “let’s keep this relationship as it is” spiel?’
‘It still stands, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hold you.’
She could feel the tension in the room, the unspoken problems which existed between them. Her smile increased as she teased, ‘Are you sure you’re that strong? I’m a very sexy woman. You’ve said so yourself.’
‘The same goes for you. Can you restrain yourself?’
As she continued to look up at him, the seriousness swamped her. She was in love with this man. She wanted to be with him more than anything. Her gaze was imploring. ‘Sebastian, what are we doing?’ The question came out as a whisper. ‘What’s really going on between us?’
‘Something.’ He shrugged. ‘We just need to work it through.’
‘Long distance? We live on opposite sides of the world!’
‘I know. We both have responsibilities which we can’t get out of. I have my thesis, my practice, my patients, my family obligations.’
‘And I have mine,’ she said solemnly. The phone on the table rang, startling her. Sebastian smiled and kissed the top of her head before reluctantly letting her go. Danny felt instantly bereft.
‘Yes?’ he said into the receiver. ‘Hello, Mother.’ Danny raised her eyebrows. How did his mother know they’d be staying here? ‘Yes, I did receive your messages when I checked in. Yes, Mother, I was going to call you.’ He paused momentarily and held the phone away from his ear, grimacing slightly as his mother started her tirade. ‘I’ve told you why I’m staying here. I have a friend with me.’ Another pause. ‘We’ll see you soon, Mother.’ He rang off without saying goodbye. ‘Right. We have time for a quick shower each and then into our glad rags.’
‘Are you absolutely, positively sure we need to go?’ she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
‘Yes. What’s up?’
She sighed. ‘It’s just the thought of all those people…being there…seeing me in a…dress.’
‘They wouldn’t have seen you wearing anything else, Dannyella. They haven’t even met you yet.’ He crossed to her side. ‘What’s really the matter?’
Even though she didn’t care what his mother thought of her, she still wanted to make a favourable impression—for Sebastian’s sake, not hers. She smiled up at him. ‘I can see myself falling over in those shoes and I don’t want to embarrass you.’
He smiled at her. ‘I promise to hold your hand and support you all night long, and even if you do fall, I promise I won’t be embarrassed, only concerned in case you’ve hurt yourself.’
Danny reached up and kissed him. ‘Thank you.’
‘You can go first in the shower.’
‘Thanks, mate.’ She collected the dress and overnight bag before heading to the bathroom.
‘Don’t be too long,’ he pointed out.
Danny turned and gave him her sweetest smile. ‘You forget, Mac. I’m not like other women!’ She shut the door, his rich laughter filtering through.
Half an hour later she still wasn’t ready and she was positive he would tease her about it. He knocked on the door.
‘Are you coming out tonight, Dannyella?’
She wrenched open the door and pointed to her hair. ‘Look. I can’t get it to go the way Mary did and these little sparkly things won’t stay in.’
He laughed but quickly stopped when she glared at him. ‘Come here.’ Carefully and patiently, he helped her with her hair. ‘It’s not exactly the same,’ he replied once the last sparkly clip had been secured, ‘but you look stunning and I believe that was the desired effect. Do you need help with your make-up or may I go and have a shower?’
‘You may have your shower. Believe it or not, I have worn make-up before.’
He laughed again before disappearing behind the bathroom door. Danny practised walking in her shoes, pleased with her progress. At least they were comfortable. Two hours later, she retracted that statement. The cocktail party was boring, her cheeks were aching from having to smile so constantly and her feet were killing her.
She’d received a cool reception from Mrs MacKenzie, except for a brief raised eyebrow on her discovery that Sebastian’s friend was of the fairer sex. Danny watched as women flirted openly with him, despite the fact that she was standing beside him the entire time.
‘She really is throwing you to the wolves, isn’t she?’ Danny shook her head as they stood to one side of the room, talking intimately.
‘Yes.’
‘How many of these have you had to attend?’
‘Several.’
‘How on earth did you manage to survive? I mean, this is worse than being stranded in the outback. At least in the outback there’s the hope of survival.’
‘So you’re saying if I come to any more of these, it would be hazardous to my health?’
‘Absolutely.’<
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He smiled down at her. ‘May I have a doctor’s certificate, please?’
‘I’ll even give you a prescription, Mac.’ She sipped at her champagne and raised her eyebrows suggestively.
‘Hmm? Sounds…interesting. What might that be?’
Danny took a deep breath. ‘How about moving to the outback? Permanently.’ She watched as the teasing light disappeared from his gaze. Had she pushed it too far? She hadn’t meant to but honestly, this entire party was a farce. It might be all champagne and caviar on the outside, but deep down it was no better than a sleazy singles bar.
‘There you are, dahling,’ his mother drawled. ‘I was wondering if I could steal your Australian friend away for a moment. The Australian ambassador and his wife have just arrived and they’re so looking forward to meeting another of their natives.’
‘Wonderful. Lead the way, Mother.’
‘Actually, I was hoping you’d talk to Chancellor Matthews. He’s standing in the corner looking bored, dahling, and you know I don’t like anyone to look bored.’
‘If you’re that concerned, Mother, why don’t you—?’
‘It’s all right, Mac,’ Danny interrupted softly. It was obvious his mother wanted to speak to her. ‘Mrs MacKenzie, I’d be delighted to meet the Australian ambassador.’ She smiled politely and, reluctantly, Sebastian let her go.
Mrs MacKenzie walked very slowly across the room, speaking softly but clearly as they went. ‘For a start, Dr Thompson, my son’s name is Sebastian, not Mac, and I’d appreciate you remembering that.’
‘Of course.’ Danny wondered what his mother would say if she knew he liked being called Mac.
‘You know perfectly well, Dr Thompson, that you’ll never fit into my son’s life. From the moment I saw you, I knew the two of you were incompatible. Chalk and cheese.’ She smiled sweetly. To anyone around them, it was as though they were enjoying a nice, friendly chat. ‘You’re very pretty in a…wholesome sort of way and I can see why he would find that quality appealing, but if you’re hoping for a declaration of love and a lifelong commitment, you can think again.’
‘Why is that, Mrs MacKenzie?’
‘Because I know my son. A lot better than you do. Sebastian will not leave England and, let’s face it, Dr Thompson, you hardly fit in here. It is one thing to travel overseas and enjoy a holiday affair but it’s quite another to uproot oneself from civilisation and move halfway around the globe to the middle of nowhere. My son was raised with a sense of duty and honour towards his family—and his family heritage for that matter—and I know for a fact that he holds these things dear.’
Danny acknowledged the truth in the other woman’s words. Sebastian did have a strong sense of duty and it was one of the things she loved about him the most. They stopped walking and Mrs MacKenzie turned to face her.
‘So you see, Dr Thompson, you’re better off leaving him alone. He’ll forget you and return to his well-ordered life. If you’ve made the error of falling in love with him then the best thing you could do is to let him go. Besides, he was never really yours in the first place.’
She smiled brightly at Danny. ‘Now, let me introduce you to the ambassador.’ They continued walking across the room at a faster pace. Danny couldn’t resist glancing over her shoulder to where Sebastian was. He was watching her closely and she forced a smile to let him know that things were all right.
Deep inside, Danny felt sick. Mrs MacKenzie had only confirmed what she’d known all along—that Sebastian would never move to Australia. It was a huge thing to consider and she herself would not wish to move to England permanently but, then, she was happy with her life in Dingo Creek. She was needed by the people, she was loved.
Mac wasn’t needed in England and as far as family and friends went, well, all she had to do was look around the room full of stiff upper-crust Brits to know these weren’t his close friends. In fact, he didn’t appear to have any close friends. Colleagues perhaps, but friends? Mates? Couldn’t he see how miserable he was? She knew he was discontented with things but that alone wouldn’t be enough to prompt him to leave civilisation, as his mother had called it, and move to the middle of nowhere.
And if he did come, how long would it last? She had no guarantees. She was torn between wanting him to come and not opening herself up for further possible hurt if he eventually left.
Outwardly, Danny smiled politely at the ambassador as he talked animatedly of their homeland. Inside, she was dying. She loved Sebastian with all her heart but knew things would never work out.
Whatever was between them would never survive the long-distance separation. They came from different worlds—chalk and cheese.
It would never work—and although it tore her to shreds to acknowledge that truth, she knew if she didn’t, she’d never be able to cope again.
CHAPTER TEN
BY UNSPOKEN mutual consent, they both enjoyed their weekend in London. Danny cherished each moment she had with Sebastian, knowing the memories would have to get her through the rest of her life.
When they finally returned to his house, they were both exhausted.
‘I can’t believe how much stuff I bought,’ she said, slumping into a chair as he put the kettle on.
‘Well, you did say you wanted to paint the town red.’
‘I don’t think we did a bad job.’ She smiled at him, recalling the way he’d protested at her buying him a pair of denim jeans. ‘You bought me the dress,’ she’d rationalised, and he’d finally accepted. She’d insisted he wear them on the train ride home and had often sneaked glances at how perfectly he filled them out.
As he stood in his kitchen, making them tea, she looked at his legs again. The blue denim hugged his firm thighs and outlined the curve of his butt. Much better than trousers. On impulse, she stood and walked over to him, her hand caressing the gentle curve. ‘So how do they feel?’ There was no mistaking the desire in her tone.
He turned, pulling her into his arms as he leaned back against the bench. ‘Not as good as you.’ One denim-clad thigh was on either side of hers, radiating powerful masculine heat as she settled into his embrace, angling her face up so their lips could meet.
She gave everything she could give, wanting him to feel without a doubt just how much he meant to her. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words again—she’d said them before and although she knew he was not only attracted to her physically but mentally as well, he hadn’t reciprocated.
His hands were caressing her back, making her feel so treasured and wonderful. She laced her fingers through his hair, committing the silky, soft feel to memory. It felt so right. It felt so right—surely they could work something out.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked as he pressed butterfly kisses along her neck. Danny moaned in a mixture of pleasure and pain. ‘Dannyella?’ He pulled back when she didn’t speak to gaze down into her eyes. ‘That almost felt like a goodbye kiss.’
‘I don’t want to talk about it, Mac. I just want to feel. Feel the way only you can make me feel.’ She ardently pressed her lips to his. Sebastian could do nothing except draw her closer and kiss her back. The kettle boiled and switched itself off without either of them noticing. They were caught up in each other—and Danny wished it could last for ever. She could feel her heart already breaking, knowing they would separate for good in a matter of days.
The ringing of the phone managed to intrude into their bubble of euphoria and Danny rested her head against his chest, trying to get control of her breathing while Sebastian reached out a hand to silence the incessant noise.
‘Dr MacKenzie,’ he said impatiently. He listened and frowned. ‘She’s right here.’ He took the phone away from his ear. ‘It’s your father.’
Danny’s body tensed in worry. Why would her father be calling? ‘Dad?’
‘You beauty. I thought I was never going to get hold of you.’
‘What’s happened?’ The worry increased to a rising panic but she managed to quickly calm herself down.
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‘It’s Maisy, princess. She’s in hospital in Darwin. She’s all right now,’ he added quickly.
‘Darwin! It must be serious for her to be in Darwin.’ Danny could feel tears starting to build in her eyes. ‘W-why?’
‘What is it?’ Sebastian whispered, seeing the wild panic in her eyes. She stepped from his embrace and put her other finger in her ear to better hear her father. The slight delay due to the distance was irritating her.
‘She had a heart attack.’
‘Maisy had a heart attack!’ Danny repeated his words in complete disbelief. ‘No. There must be some mistake.’
‘It happens, princess,’ her father remarked.
‘But why didn’t she go to Katherine? It’s closer.’
‘The locum…well, things didn’t quite go to plan and the flying doctor was called in a little late and…But she’s OK now. That’s what you have to focus on. She’s OK.’
‘When? When did all this happen?’
‘Friday evening, princess. I’ve been trying to get hold of you but kept getting Mac’s answering machine.’
‘I’ll be home as soon as I can. I’ll fly straight into Darwin and contact you from there.’
‘Danny, there’s no need. Maisy didn’t want to worry you but I knew you’d be ropable if you found out when you got back.’
‘Too right.’ Danny’s tone was filled with determination. ‘I’ll let you know my plans, Dad. Thanks for the call. Bye.’ She hung up and stalked to her room. She returned a moment later with her diary.
‘Don’t mind if I make a long-distance call?’
‘Please, be my guest.’ Sebastian placed his hands on her shoulders and massaged them lightly. ‘Check the hospital and make sure she’s all right.’
‘What do you think I’m doing?’ she snapped. He stilled his hand for a moment but realised she was just taking her frustration out on him. He felt for her…for Maisy, too, and he’d do anything he could to make life a bit easier for Danny. A few moments later she was connected to the hospital in Darwin and demanded to speak to the registrar on duty.