The Maverick Millionaire

by Alison Roberts

  But he had to stop staring at her so he stared at the egg instead. ‘How long does it take to hatch?’

  ‘Can be days but there’s no way of knowing how long it’s been already... Oh, look...’

  The bump that had been protruding from the egg suddenly got longer. A piece of shell broke free and then he could see the head attached to the strange-looking beak. A tiny eye amongst wet-looking feathers.

  In fascinated silence, they both perched on the edge of the spindle-backed chairs and watched as the chick struggled free.

  It took a while and every so often they both raised their heads to make eye contact with each other. They were both witnesses to what seemed like a small miracle in the face of such destruction going on in the outside world. The shriek of the wind and the sound of the driving rain on the tin roof punctuated by the occasional bang of a branch hitting it was no more than a background at the moment. They were sharing the birth of something new and amazing.

  Jake knew that whatever else happened in his life he would remember this. Ellie and the kiwi chick. New life. This was important. Momentous, even.

  It was the strangest baby bird Jake had ever seen—totally out of proportion with a small head, long beak, distended belly and huge feet.

  But Ellie was rapt. Her eyes were glowing. ‘Congratulations, Dad.’

  Jake snorted. If he’d felt ridiculous risking his life to save an egg, it was nothing compared to feeling parental pride over its hatching. And if he was the surrogate father, that made Ellie the mother. An almost wife scenario.

  He glared at Ellie and she looked away quickly.

  ‘We need to let it rest for fifteen minutes or so and then I can pick off any bits of shell and stuff. Then we need to keep it warm.’

  ‘We need to check your ankle. And your face is a mess.’

  Ellie’s eyes widened, but she reached up and touched her face and then looked at her blood-streaked fingers.

  ‘Soon. I need...’ She twisted to look at what was draped over the back of the chair she was sitting on. ‘Can you spare your thermal?’

  ‘Sure.’

  Ellie twisted the dry garment into a thick rope and then curled it into a circle, leaving a hollow in the centre. Very gently, she picked up the baby kiwi and placed it carefully into the hollow.

  ‘They have a distended abdomen because of internalised yolk. It needs support so that it doesn’t end up with splayed legs.’ With a touch on the tip of its beak, so light it was no more than a thought, Ellie smiled. ‘It needs a name, too.’

  ‘I don’t do baby names.’ Jake turned away. ‘I’ll heat up some water so you can wash those scratches.’

  ‘Pēpe,’ he heard Ellie say softly behind him. ‘It’s Maori for baby.’

  * * *

  With Pēpe safely on his doughnut nest inside an old plastic container and close enough to the fire to keep warm, Ellie finally hobbled to the couch to check out the extent of her own injuries. Not that it mattered how bad her ankle felt or how awful her face must look. The miracle of the egg not only being viable but hatching was enough to make this whole ordeal worthwhile.

  Her ankle certainly looked impressive, though. Her foot was so swollen her toes looked ridiculously small and the bruising down her ankle and along the sides of her foot was black and purple now.

  Jake was horrified. Kneeling beside the sofa, he reached out to touch her foot.

  ‘How bad does it feel?’

  Ellie simply shrugged because right then she wasn’t aware of any pain. All she could focus on was the feel of Jake’s hands on her skin and how gentle they were as he traced the swelling and touched the tips of her toes.

  ‘Can you feel that?’

  Oh, yeah...

  ‘Mmm. I’ve still got circulation.’

  ‘Can you wriggle your toes?’

  Yes. Ellie could.

  ‘Can you press down against my hand?’ He was cradling her foot on his fingers now.

  Ellie actually grinned. ‘Yes, Doctor. Oh... Ouch.’ But she was still smiling. ‘I’m sure it’s only a sprain. I just need to strap it up again and rest it for a bit.’

  ‘I’ll strap it up.’ Jake was rolling the dirty bandage he had helped her remove. ‘Don’t suppose you’ve got a dry one of these somewhere?’

  ‘Hang it by the fire for a while. I won’t try and walk until I’ve got my ankle wrapped up again.’

  ‘I’ll get the water. You can wash those scratches.’

  Ellie nodded, but she was finally noticing how scratched Jake was himself, especially his hands. How hard had he worked to rescue her? And then she’d made him do more by sending him under the tree roots to look for the dead kiwi’s nest.

  How magic had it been, seeing the wonder of the chick hatching reflected in Jake’s eyes every time she’d been able to look away from what they’d been watching?

  And how gentle had he been in checking out her injuries?

  Not that she was ready to put her trust in a man, but imagine if you could trust someone like Jake? So strong. Protective. Caring. Gentle...

  So incredibly male...

  She reached out to touch his arm as he got to his feet. ‘I...I couldn’t have got out of there by myself. And Pēpe would have died. Thank you...’

  Was it intentional, the way he kept moving...escaping her touch? He looked down at her again and his mouth was twisted into a crooked smile.

  A very endearing smile.

  ‘Guess that makes us even, then,’ he said gruffly. ‘Equal partners?’

  ‘Yeah...’ Ellie was still caught by that smile. By the intensity of those dark eyes. Beneath all that hair, Jake Logan was an extraordinarily good-looking man.

  He looked away first. ‘So maybe next time you’ll listen to me when I say something’s dangerous.’

  ‘Maybe...’

  Outside, the storm still raged, but Ellie felt safe again.

  More than safe. She felt cared for. By someone who had as much to give as she did. An ideal partner. There weren’t many men who could match Ellie Sutton in terms of courage and resourcefulness. They had a lot in common, didn’t they? Not only a spirit of adventure and the fortitude to deal with adversity but they’d both been burned by love. Not that Jake had shared any personal details about the marriage that didn’t exist any longer, but that didn’t break a sense of connection that only strengthened as the long day wore on.

  Frequent checking of the baby bird created a shared pleasure that he seemed to be doing well.

  ‘He’s so fluffy now that he’s dry,’ Jake commented, crouched beside the container and staring into it intently.

  ‘They’re unusual feathers,’ Ellie told him. ‘Kiwis don’t need to fly so they’re more for warmth. More like hair than feathers.’

  ‘How long until he can go back to the wild?’

  ‘I’ll take him to the centre back in Auckland. Jillian will want to put him in a brooder unit for a few weeks and, if he’s healthy enough, he’ll only need a few more weeks in a quarantine period. They can put a transponder on him and hopefully I can bring him back here. Or, even better, I might be able to release him on Half Moon Island. Grandpa would have been thrilled by that.’

  ‘I’d love to see that. If I’m still in the country.’

  Ellie wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Give him her phone number? Ask him for his? Admit that she’d be keen to see him again? The ramifications were alarming.

  ‘I’ll have to see if it’s even possible,’ she said cautiously. ‘There’s lots of regulations.’

  ‘Of course.’

  Jake’s expert bandaging of her ankle was something else that bound them into more of a team.

  ‘I couldn’t have done that better myself. You’re not actually a doctor, are you? Or a medic?’

  ‘I’ve learned a bit of first aid in my time. What with the army and stuff.’

  So she’d been right. The limp was probably a legacy of being a soldier.

  ‘Afghanistan?’

  ‘Yep. A lon
g time ago.’

  And his tone told her that he still didn’t want to talk about anything personal. Ellie got that. What was harder to get her head around was the intense curiosity she was developing. She had so many questions she wanted to ask. So much she wanted to know about this man. And it was more than mere curiosity, if she was honest with herself. This felt more like longing.

  A longing to let go?

  To trust again?

  Maybe he wouldn’t have to warn her about something dangerous.

  Perhaps he was that something.

  * * *

  They slept for a while in the afternoon and by the time they woke it was obvious that the storm had eased considerably. There wasn’t much daylight left, though, so perhaps they would be here for another night.

  Ellie eased her legs off the couch as Jake stood up. They needed some more firewood if they had a second night to get through and it was past time to check on Pēpe again. Her first attempt to get to her feet failed, however, and she sat back down with a rush.

  ‘Here...’ Jake offered her a hand. ‘Take it easy, though. That foot won’t want much weight on it.’

  He held out his other hand as Ellie started to rise and, a heartbeat later, she found herself on her feet, holding both Jake’s hands.

  And he wasn’t letting go.

  Ellie certainly couldn’t let go first. For one thing her hands were encased by his and for another her body simply wouldn’t cooperate. She couldn’t even look away from his face. From a gaze that was holding hers with a look that made the rest the world cease to exist. Everything seemed to coalesce. Surviving the rescue, finding their way to shelter, being rescued herself and the bond that had grown and grown today, thanks to Jake’s heroism in saving the egg. So many, powerful emotions.

  His face was so close. She only had to lean a little and tilt her face up and her lips would meet his.

  And, dear Lord...she could feel it happening and no alarm bells were going to halt the process, no matter how loudly they tried to sound.

  She was so close now she could feel his breath on her lips and her eyes were drifting shut in anticipation of a kiss she wanted more than anything she could remember wanting in her life.

  The sharp crackle of static from behind made her jump.

  ‘Medic One, do you read? Ellie...are you there?’

  CHAPTER SIX

  A MOMENT HAD never been broken so decisively.

  Jake froze. Ellie dived for the radio.

  ‘Medic One receiving. Mike, is that you?’

  Another crackle of static and Ellie’s heart sank. Maybe she could receive but not transmit.

  ‘...on our way. Can you...on the beach in twenty...?’

  Ellie was used to filling in gaps in broken messages. ‘Yes.’ Radio protocol was forgotten. ‘We’ll be there.’ Aware of the intense focus of Jake, who was still standing as still as a stone, Ellie pushed the transmitting button again and held it down. ‘Mike? Any news on...on the other man in the life raft?’

  She held her breath through another burst of static. What if there was no news or—worse—bad news? Jake would be devastated and she would be the one who’d been the bearer of the news. He might shoot the messenger and she would never get as close to him again as she had a moment ago.

  A curious wash of something like grief came from nowhere. Ellie could actually feel the sting of tears behind her eyes.

  ‘...fine...’ The unexpected word burst through the static. ‘Washed onto island...taken to... Be in Auckland by the time you... Ellie, have you any idea who...?’

  It didn’t matter that the rest of the message was lost. Or that Ellie still had tears in her eyes as she turned to Jake. He wouldn’t notice anyway. She could see that he was shaking and he had a hand shielding his eyes as though he didn’t want anyone to see whatever overwhelming emotion he was experiencing.

  If she went to him and put her arms around him he would probably kiss her, Ellie realised. But would it be only because he needed an outlet for the joyous relief he was struggling to control?

  But when he dropped his hand, his face looked haggard. ‘I can’t believe it,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I won’t believe it...not until I see Ben again.’

  ‘Let’s move, then.’ The switch of professionalism was easy to flick. Could still provide protection, even. Ellie didn’t have time to indulge in any personal reactions. ‘We need to change our clothes, put the fire out and get ourselves—and Pēpe—down to the beach. There’s not enough daylight left to muck the crew around.’

  * * *

  The media were waiting.

  No surprises there. It was enough of a story to have an elite yacht race decimated by the worst storm in decades and they had probably been earning their keep for the last couple of days editing and broadcasting film of dramatic rescues, interviews with survivors and heart-wrenching intrusions on the families of those killed or missing.

  What a bonus to have an A-list celebrity as one of the survivors. The paparazzi would be fighting for the best spot to get a photograph that would earn big money. Any one of his favoured charities could be in for an enormous windfall when he chose the best offer for magazine coverage. And not only was Jake a survivor, there was a juicy glimpse into his family life thrown in. Coverage of the twin brother who’d successfully evaded any media spotlight until now because he hated the whole industry so much, thanks to what it had done to their mother. Their childhood.

  The story would just keep growing legs, wouldn’t it? A savvy journalist could delve into their background and rake over their father’s reputation as an utterly ruthless businessman. Their mother’s degeneration into reliance on prescription medication and alcohol, which had been her ultimate downfall.

  Or had it?

  He had to get to Ben. To talk to him.

  The shouting from the gathered crowd as the helicopter landed took over from the noise of the slowing rotors as the doors were opened.

  ‘Jake...’

  ‘Mr Logan... This way...’

  ‘Dr Jon... Code One...’

  Good grief. Did someone think he would respond to the name of a character he played instead of his real name? It wasn’t so stupid, though, was it? He almost turned towards the incessant flash of camera lights in that direction. Instead, he looked back to where Ellie was being helped from the helicopter. She was still clutching the container that held the baby kiwi and seemed to be arguing with her colleague over whether she was fit to walk on that ankle. Jake felt his lips twitching and suppressed a smile. Good luck to someone who wanted to make Ellie do something she didn’t want to do.

  But then she looked up and saw the media. She had to be hearing all the yelling of his name. She really hadn’t had any idea of who he was, had she? No wonder she was looking so bewildered. The man beside her was grinning. He raised an arm to wave at the photographers and television crews. And then he was saying something to Ellie and she turned her head to stare at him.

  She looked horrified.

  Betrayed, even.

  There was nothing he could do about it. People from his film production crew were here, too. The director and his PR manager were coming towards him and there was a black limousine with tinted windows waiting with its doors open on this side of the fence that was keeping the media at a respectable distance. An ambulance, with its back doors also open, was parked near the limousine.

  ‘Jake... Mate...I can’t tell you how good it is to see you. Let’s get you to hospital for a check-up.’

  ‘Don’t need it,’ Jake said.

  ‘We do,’ the director insisted. ‘Insurance protocol.’

  ‘Do you know where my brother is?’

  ‘No. We do know he’s okay, though. You can see him as soon as you’ve been given the all-clear.’

  Ellie and her fellow paramedic were close now. The man had his arm around Ellie, supporting her as she limped. He couldn’t hold her gaze. She seemed to lean into her companion, looking up as he spoke to them.

  ‘Survivo
rs have all been taken to The Cloud. Big building down at the Viaduct on the waterfront,’ he told Jake. ‘There’s a medical team there and it’s not far from the hospital if they decide you need attention. That’s where we’re taking Ellie—to the hospital.’

  He kept moving, steering Ellie towards the ambulance. For a crazy moment Jake almost followed them—just to stay close to Ellie for a little longer. Who knew when or even if they would ever see each other again? He wanted...

  He didn’t know what he wanted. To try and explain why he hadn’t told her who he was? To try and figure out if this guy she worked with was more than a colleague?

  No. He did know what he wanted. What he had to do first.

  ‘Take me to this cloud building,’ he ordered his director. ‘I’ll do whatever I have to but not until I’ve seen Ben.’

  ‘The media will be all over you.’

  ‘I’ll cope.’

  * * *

  ‘We’ve got a film crew tailing us.’ Mike peered through the small windows at the back of the ambulance. ‘You’re famous, El.’

  ‘I was just doing my job.’ Ellie sat back on the stretcher, letting her head rest on the pillows. She closed her eyes, her breath escaping in a ragged sigh. ‘I hope Dave’s being careful, taking Pēpe to the centre.’

  ‘He will be. He loves a challenge that’s a bit different. You want some pain relief?’

  ‘No. I’m fine.’ Apart from feeling gutted without having any reasonable grounds.

  The only sound for a moment was the rumble of the truck’s engine.

  ‘Did you really have no idea who he was?’

  Her eyes snapped open. ‘How could I? He didn’t tell me.’

  ‘Not even his name?’

  ‘Well...yeah. He told me his name. It was just a name.’

  Mike snorted. ‘You’ve just spent more than twenty-four hours holed up with one of the most eligible males in the universe. Most girls would kill for an opportunity like that.

  It was Ellie’s turn to snort.

  ‘ER used to be your favourite TV show. You must remember that French surgeon. What was his name? Pierre or something. And then the Stitch in Time series? Where that modern doctor keeps going through that portal and saving lives that change the course of history?’