The Maverick Millionaire

by Alison Roberts

  ‘I guess it felt like it was ours. When Grandpa was the lighthouse keeper we knew the government owned it, but you couldn’t put a face to anyone and they weren’t going to change things and make it into a tourist resort or clear the bush for farming or something. It was ours. Part of our family. Where our roots were. If I knew it had been sold or—worse—the name of the person or people, it would stop being ours and I’d lose something precious. A part of my family when I’d already lost too much.’

  Jake was nodding as if he understood, but he didn’t say anything for a long time. He stood close beside her, looking up at the impressive height of the lighthouse. ‘There’s something magic about them, isn’t there? Steeped in legends and with the history of dramatic shipwrecks swirling around the rocks they’re guarding. Symbols of danger and safety at the same time.’

  ‘Mmm...’ A bit like Jake, then. How could she feel so safe in his company when she knew how dangerous it was to her heart?

  The imaginary bridge beneath her feet was evaporating and the lines between her past and her future blurring, as if the magic of the lighthouse was drifting over her.

  ‘Come with me.’ She held out her hand. ‘If the track hasn’t disappeared, I can show you what used to be my favourite place.’

  The track led down to the only point on the island where a boat could land, but they didn’t need to go as far down as the dilapidated jetty. Halfway down the cliff you could still turn off and scramble to where massive boulders had shifted to form a kind of basin shape and pohutukawa trees grew almost sideways to provide shelter from the brisk sea breeze and dappled shade from a surprisingly hot autumn afternoon.

  Directly under the lighthouse, they could see its shape through the canopy of leaves. Directly below them, waves crashed over more of the huge, volcanic boulders but the sound was muted, like the view of the lighthouse. This was a private spot in an already completely isolated place.

  ‘This was where I always came when I was a kid,’ Ellie said. ‘When I wanted to be by myself.’

  ‘You’re not by yourself now.’ Jake’s eyes held a question.

  ‘I’m where I want to be,’ she said simply. Her heart was beating a tattoo inside her chest. ‘With you.’

  Jake dropped the basket and took a step closer to Ellie. Without taking his gaze from hers, he lifted his hand to touch her cheek and then cradled her chin as he tilted his head and brought his lips to hers.

  Hints of the cool sea breeze kissed Ellie’s skin as Jake helped her out of her clothes. She could even taste the salt of it on Jake’s skin as she got to kiss places she had only stolen a glimpse of before. She could still hear the sound of the waves below, but that sense faded, along with sight as her eyes drifted shut. Touch and taste were all that existed.

  The touch of Jake’s hands as he shaped her body as if imprinting it as quickly as possible on his memory cells. Learning the feel of her breasts and the silky skin of her inner thighs. She was doing the same thing. Too overwhelmed to do anything more than skate over what she wanted to learn so badly. The delicious dimples of his hardened nipples. The pulsing heat of his arousal. There would be time later for retracing these steps with the attention they deserved. Right now, a release from tension that had been building for far too long was what they both desperately needed.

  And it was over too soon but they both knew it was only a beginning.

  ‘Now we can take our time.’ Jake smiled. ‘We’ve got hours before our transport comes back.’ His hand was still resting on her breast and the tiny circles he made with the tip of his little finger were enough to make her nipple hard again.

  But Ellie wanted to touch, too. Turning on the blanket of the woollen Swanndri shirt Jake had insisted on wearing for the visit to Pēpe, she ran a fingertip down the intriguing tattoo.

  ‘What does it say?’

  ‘He who dares wins.’

  Ellie liked that. She could use the mantra herself. And, in this moment, it seemed like a truth. She was daring here, allowing herself to fall in love again. To dream of a future. It even seemed possible that she could win Jake.

  ‘And this?’ Her fingertip had reached the end of the tattoo, just past the jut of hipbone. ‘It’s yin and yang, isn’t it?’

  ‘That’s for being a twin. Ben has one too. He didn’t go with the Chinese characters, though. Thought it was tacky thing to do.’

  ‘I think it’s beautiful.’ Yin and yang. Two shapes that curved together to make a perfect circle. Two parts of a whole. Was that discordant jangle a hint of jealousy that it was his twin brother who was that close to Jake?

  When she wanted to be?

  Did something show on her face? Jake traced the outline of her cheek and jaw before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

  ‘You were wrong, you know.’

  ‘What about?’

  ‘About it being like having two of yourself, having a twin. We’re very different. I don’t think he even understands me. I’m not sure anyone does.’

  Ellie’s whisper felt like a promise. ‘I’d like to.’

  His smile was a reward all by itself. ‘I’d like you to.’

  Ellie’s fingers drifted sideways from where they’d been touching the symbol. She didn’t want to talk about Jake’s brother any more. This was their time. Hers and Jake’s. Who knew when—or even if—they would ever get another time like this?

  She felt Jake stir and harden beneath her hand and heard the way he caught his breath.

  She was smiling as his mouth claimed hers again. Nobody else existed and this...this was paradise.

  * * *

  It was no surprise that there were reporters waiting to cover Jake’s return to the camping ground, but he wasn’t really prepared for it either. His heart sank as he saw the cameras. This wasn’t good.

  Maybe it had been a mistake to crack that bottle of champagne on the flight back from Half Moon Island.

  More likely, it had been too hard to hide the glow that their time together in the privacy of the island had left shining in their faces and the loose-limbed relaxation of their bodies. Laughter came too easily and it seemed physically impossible not to hold eye contact for a heartbeat longer than was socially acceptable if they were just friends. And he was still holding the hand he had taken to help Ellie alight from the helicopter.

  He dropped it hastily. ‘I’ll deal with this,’ he said. ‘Just head off to your own cabin as though this afternoon never happened.’

  Ellie managed a very creditable casual wave as she turned away before they got too close to the waiting photographers and she raised her voice so that her words could be clearly heard.

  ‘Thanks, Jake. It’s been fun. And I’ll keep in touch about how Pēpe’s doing.’

  Nice try but Jake could sense the expectation ahead of him. These guys knew they were onto something.

  ‘Had a nice afternoon, Jake?’

  ‘Where did you take Ms Sutton?’

  ‘You’re looking happy, mate. You’re not going to deny that there’s something going on between you two, are you?’

  Jake considered trying to silence the barrage of questions with a filthy look but he knew that would be tantamount to admitting he had something he wanted to hide. So, instead, he grinned at the cameras.

  ‘No story here, sorry. I’ve been bird watching, that’s all. And soaking up some of the stunning scenery this country’s got to offer.’

  ‘With Ellie Sutton.’

  Jake’s head shake was amused. Dismissive. ‘Of course. She’s got just as much of a vested interest in how our baby kiwi is doing as I have.’

  ‘She’s very different from your ex-wife, isn’t she? Couldn’t be more different.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Fear about Ellie running because of media interference in their lives was getting harder to contain. He had to put them off. ‘Not my type, as you’ve so kindly pointed out. Yes, we visited the bird-rearing centre together. And, yes, we had lunch, but you’re all wasting your time. It means absolutely nothing.’<
br />
  His smile became more relaxed as he saw two reporters exchange disappointed looks. One had to have a last try.

  ‘You were holding her hand.’

  ‘As any gentleman would, helping a lady alight from a helicopter. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got things to do. I’m sure you do, too. There’s a lot that’s going to be happening in the next day or two.’

  ‘It’s weather-dependent, isn’t it? Shooting the shipwreck scene?’

  ‘Yes. But I believe the forecast isn’t too bad. Check the press release. Or talk to Kirsty. I’ll talk to you again soon, yeah?’

  Jake walked away, confident that he’d put them off the scent.

  That he’d protected Ellie, at least for now.

  But it wouldn’t last, would it? At some point, if he wanted to keep Ellie in his life, it would have to be made public.

  Jake had no idea what would happen then.

  What he did have a very clear idea of, however, was that he did absolutely want to keep Ellie in his life.

  And it was looking more and more like he might want that for ever.

  * * *

  The weather wasn’t as good as expected over the next couple of days and the sea swell was too big to make filming close to shore safe. Camera crews were dispatched to get some good footage of the wild surf at Cathedral Cove that could be used later and there was some editing work, production meetings and rehearsals going on that Jake was involved with, but there wasn’t much for Ellie to do.

  She tried to use her time productively and got out her laptop to work on some of the lecture material she was writing on aeromedical transportation, but the world of academia and even front-line rescue work seemed very distant. It wasn’t long before she was checking in with the local meteorological website for both the short-and long-range weather forecasts. She almost hoped the weather would stay uncooperative because when the final scenes had been done, this interlude in her life would be over, and what would happen then between her and Jake?

  He’d go back to the United States. Move on to his next movie project.

  Email for a while, perhaps. Talk on the phone occasionally?

  And then the contact would fade and all she’d have left would be memories of time spent with the most remarkable man she’d ever met.

  Finding herself doodling a yin and yang design in her notebook made Ellie sigh and drop her pen. She clicked out of the page of weather charts and found herself on the home page of the news service she favoured. The pop-up box of hot topics was one she never normally took any notice of, but Jake’s name jumped out, along with the words ‘...denies new romance...’

  It only took a tiny movement of her hand to click on the link and there it was—a photograph of her and Jake with their hands linked, laughing as they ducked and ran from the private helicopter.

  Looking, for all the world, like a couple in love.

  Jacob Logan categorically denies any love interest with the mysterious paramedic who’s not dishing on the time she shared with the star recently in the wake of rescuing him so dramatically. Could it be that he’s protesting too much? Judge for yourself.

  The triangular ‘play’ button on the video clip was also only a click away. And there was Jake, smiling confidently.

  ‘...not my type, as you’ve so kindly pointed out. Yes, we visited the bird-rearing centre together. And, yes, we had lunch, but you’re all wasting your time. It means absolutely nothing.’

  How believable was that dismissive tone? That amused smile that said they were all barking up a totally ridiculous tree?

  It wasn’t true. He was just saying that to protect her from the media. To keep what they had private. But, even knowing that, it was still so...convincing. And weren’t the best lies the ones that were a version of the truth?

  Echoes of things that had unwillingly embedded themselves in her brain floated to the surface. Like what the camp manager had said. It’s not as if anything lasts in Tinseltown...

  And Jill—her most trusted friend—had had her doubts, hadn’t she? Be careful...I don’t want you getting hurt again...

  The echoes became a chant until a new thought rocked Ellie. They’d been so careful to keep things secret, but was that really because it was something special and private? Or was it because it actually wasn’t important? Because it meant absolutely nothing?

  Stunned, Ellie slowly closed the lid of her laptop. She sat there, in her cabin, for a long, long time, trying to make sense of the emotional roller-coaster she’d been on ever since she’d met Jake.

  She’d believed in the connection they’d made at the start, only to have it dismissed with the distant way Jake had treated her at that first press conference.

  She’d totally believed him during that heartfelt conversation on the beach and...yes, she’d been insanely flattered that he’d pretended he’d been kissing her instead of Amber when he’d filmed that perfect scene.

  Jake could never know how much it had meant to tell him that she trusted him, and that had been the truth.

  Or had she been acting herself without realising it? Trying on that new skin that would allow her to be the best person she could be? It had felt so good, too.

  She’d willingly gone along with the game of ramping up the sexual tension, but now she’d swooped down to a new low on the roller-coaster and the skin was too tight.

  It felt like it was ripping in places.

  Bleeding.

  What if this was all just a game to someone who could make people believe whatever he wanted to make them believe?

  And she was just as gullible as she’d always been?

  CHAPTER TEN

  HE HADN’T SEEN Ellie for hours.

  When the afternoon wore on into the evening, everybody gathered for a meal. Standing beside Steve as they joined the queue to help themselves to steak and salad, Jake took another look around.

  ‘Seen Ellie today?’

  Steve shook his head. ‘Things were quiet. She said she needed some time to work on lecture notes or something. She’s probably in her cabin.’

  ‘Might let her know it’s time for dinner.’ Jake abandoned his empty plate and slipped away.

  Something about how quiet this part of the camping ground was made Jake frown. Or maybe it was the closed look of the cabin he knew was Ellie’s. The door was shut. The curtains on the small window were drawn. He knocked on the door with a sense of foreboding that only increased sharply when he saw her face.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Her voice was tight. ‘Absolutely nothing, in fact.’

  Good grief...had she been crying?

  ‘Ellie...’ Jake gave the door a push, but Ellie was pushing back, keeping it only slightly ajar.

  She was clearly upset about something. Her words, and their tone, repeated themselves in his head. Absolutely nothing.

  Oh, no... Had someone printed what he’d said in dismissing any suspicion of their relationship? Had she believed it? How could she? It was too ridiculous for words.

  ‘Let me in.’ It was a command, not a request, and Jake emphasised his intent by a shove at the door that Ellie couldn’t prevent.

  ‘Someone might see you.’

  ‘I couldn’t give a damn.’ Jake pushed the door shut behind him with his foot. ‘We need to talk. This is about what I said to those reporters about our day together, isn’t it?’

  She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to.

  ‘You believed it?’

  That hurt, dammit.

  ‘I didn’t want to believe it.’ The rawness in Ellie’s voice only added to his own hurt. ‘It was the last thing I wanted to believe but you’re so good at lying.’

  ‘Acting.’ The word was a defensive snap. ‘For both our sakes. You should have known that’s what I was doing. I thought—hoped—you knew me better than that. That you would know I was trying to protect you.’

  ‘By lying?’

  He couldn’t win, could he? The pain of being labelled a lia
r and untrustworthy was gathering heat and morphing into anger.

  ‘What did you want me to say, Ellie? That I’d just had the most incredible afternoon of my life, making love to the woman I’m head over heels in love with?’

  Her jaw dropped and she went a shade paler. No wonder. He was almost shouting, which wasn’t exactly a romantic way to tell someone how you felt about them, but he had to try and make her understand.

  ‘Can you imagine what that would have unleashed? Do you want the whole world pointing out how different our lives are? What the odds are that it could never work? Dredging up all the sordid drama of my last marriage? Finding people they could pay to reveal details of your past?’

  Yes. She was beginning to understand. He could see the flicker of fear in her eyes. His voice softened.

  ‘I know you have things you’d rather keep hidden and I respect that. I’m not going to ask you what they are because I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready to. When you trust me enough.’

  ‘I want to trust you, Jake. I do...but...’

  Her voice trailed into silence but she wanted to believe him and maybe that was enough. All he needed to do was chase the last of that uncertainty from her eyes. What he said next might be the most important lines of his life.

  ‘I want that day to have a chance to get here,’ he said slowly. ‘I want...’

  What did he want?

  So much. A future that included Ellie. The longing was so fierce that it made the prospect of failure terrifying.

  Words deserted Jake. This was too big to try and put into words because he might get it wrong. What could he say that might help Ellie see the same future he could?

  Future...

  Suddenly the words were there. Jake swallowed hard and stepped closer to Ellie without breaking their eye contact by so much as a blink.

  ‘I can see the future in your eyes,’ he said softly. ‘My future. Without you, it’s not going to happen and...and you can’t begin to know how much that scares me...’