by Annie Seaton
“No point looking at that here. You might as well turn it off and save your battery. There’s no cell phone service all the way from here to the coast.”
She shoved it into her bag on the floor. Her face lit up when she smiled up at him. She really was a looker. Shame she was less than honest.
“I’m not used to being disconnected. Might not be a bad thing. I spend too much time social networking these days.”
Alex gestured down to her feet. “You’ve never been to the outback before?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been to Australia before.”
“I’ll lend you a pair of socks when we stop. Those shoes aren’t strong enough for out here. Be careful when you get out of the truck. The grass seeds of the black spear grass are very sharp, and if you step on one, it will go straight through those flimsy shoes.” He looked at her, trying to figure out if she was as scatterbrained as her planning made her seem. “So tell me about Jess Trent…really a former or wannabe actress, or always a journalist?”
“I’m just a wannabe journo out looking for a good story.”
“Long way to come looking.”
He glanced over when she didn’t reply, and she looked away.
Definitely hiding something, or not being quite truthful. Not what he needed or wanted.
The truck skittered across the potholes between the long ruts that had formed from the runoff of the heavy rains last wet season. The only sound for the next half hour was Bowser’s snoring on the seat between them. Alex focused all his attention on the road. The corrugations were getting worse the further west they traveled.
“Ah, Alex.”
“Yes? What’s up?” He turned his attention to her for a moment. He hadn’t noticed Bowser crawl back over to Jess. The small dog was curled up on her lap, and her fingers were loosely threaded through his collar.
“Could we have that washroom stop soon?” Jess was looking at the window and her brow was wrinkled. “There are no trees?”
“Yup. You’re right. There’s no trees.”
“So what do I do?”
“I guess it depends how much you need a stop.”
They’d been traveling for a while so he guessed it was as good a time as any to take another break. He pulled the truck to the side of the road, and the red dust billowed in through the passenger window. Jess waved her hand in front of her face as she coughed, and Bowser jumped off her lap.
Alex looped the leash through the dog’s collar and climbed out, waiting for Bowser to follow him, but he turned in a circle and settled back on the seat. Jess stayed in her seat as well until he walked around and opened her door.
“I thought you needed a stop.”
“I do.” She swung her legs through the door and looked down at the bare dirt at the side of the road before lifting her gaze to meet his. “Are there any snakes here?”
“Sweetheart, there is nothing here.” He spread his arms wide and followed her gaze as she leaned out and looked around. Deep blue sky, big sky, contrasted with the bare red dirt. The only thing breaking the flat, red vista was the narrow road heading west in a perfectly straight, unbroken line.
“No self respecting creature would survive out here.” Alex took pity on her as she looked hesitantly at the rough ground. She let out a soft gasp when he reached in and lifted her out, letting her slide down the front of him to the ground. A prickle of awareness shot through him as her soft breasts pressed against his chest, and he held her longer than necessary.
“I’ll get back in the truck with Bowser and close my eyes while you go around the back of the truck and use the…er…washroom.” He shrugged. “Sorry, we don’t have five star facilities in the outback.
“Looks to me like you don’t have any facilities.” She stepped gingerly toward the back of the truck and waited for him to get back in.
Alex hoisted himself up into this seat. He lifted Bowser onto his lap and waited. “What do you reckon, little buddy? She’s a looker, isn’t she?” All he got was a snuffle in reply.
He leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes while he waited.
“Alex!” The shrill scream turned his blood to ice.
Chapter Five
Jess stood in the boat on the trailer behind the truck, her eyes fixed on the two strange looking creatures running across the dirt toward the road. Luckily, she’d been adjusting her clothing when she’d heard the sound, and without thinking she’d jumped up into the boat behind the truck.
Alex’s laugh reached her as he appeared around the side.
“Jeez, don’t panic. They won’t come near us.”
“What are they?” She kept her gaze fixed on the back of the creatures as their ungainly gait took them away from the road.
“Emus. I pointed them out to you before.”
“They look different close up.”
Alex held out his hand, and Jess stepped up on the side of the boat. When she moved, her shoe caught in the coil of rope beneath her feet, and she pitched headfirst over the side. Before she knew it, two strong arms were around her, and her face was buried in Alex’s neck. Her heart was thudding and beat faster when she looked up and saw tanned skin almost against her lips. Strong corded muscles stood out in his neck, and a woodsy masculine smell she hadn’t noticed before assailed her senses. She closed her eyes as embarrassment filled her, pushing away the temptation to slide her lips over that smooth skin.
“Sorry, I tripped.” She pushed her arms against his chest, but he still held her tightly.
“Put me down, please. Can we just get back on the road and get as far as we can today?”
Alex carried her around the side of the truck and put her down before he opened the door. “You don’t want a coffee break?” he said with a grin.
She looked around at the barren landscape surrounding them. The sooner they got going, the sooner she could get back to civilization. And away from this guy who was unsettling her.
“No, just drive.”
…
Jess leaned back into the seat and took a deep breath.
“Why don’t you try and catch a nap?” Alex reached beneath the seat and threw her a small bottle of water.
“Thanks.” She took a swig of the now warm water, recapped the bottle, and put it on the floor near her feet. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes and tried to doze off, but the constant jarring of the hard road made it impossible, and Jess began to worry about the situation she’d got herself into.
Never again. When I get back to New York, I’ll plan everything I do. No more rushing into situations without thinking them through first.
She’d messed up every part of her life over the past few years, and now as a last resort she’d put all her effort into getting this job to try and turn things around. She didn’t need to work, but she’d cut ties with her family. After the fiasco with Harrison, her ex-fiancé, she’d realized talking about her famous father and his wealth only brought trouble to her life. After she’d broken off the engagement she’d changed her surname from Van Lund to Trent, her mother’s maiden name.
Overhearing Harrison’s conversation with his best man at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding had opened her eyes. Not only was he after the money and prestige of joining the Van Lund family business by marrying her, he still had his girlfriend on the side. And his smarmy, preppy best man had the gall to congratulate him on his double accomplishment, not realizing Jess was standing right behind him. The look on Harrison’s face had been priceless and had told her all she needed to know.
The purpose of the rehearsal dinner had been for the relatives and friends of the bride and groom to meet and have a good time. Well, they’d met, and no one had a good time, because Jess had confronted Harrison in front of everyone, outed the girlfriend, and left town that night. She chuckled to herself. At least she could see the funny side of it now.
“Can’t sleep?” Alex’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts, and she grinned.
“Yes, I was just thinking about something funny that happened to me before I moved to New York.”
And it had been funny. She realized she’d been pushed into the whole thing because all he’d been after was her family connection, and her father had been in cahoots with them. She’d had no regrets, shed no tears, and it had been a lucky escape. But since she’d started work with Larry’s company, she’d not touched a penny of her trust fund. Her father had said she would come crawling back to him for money, and she’d decided she would live on the street before she ever touched another cent of the family fortune again. If he could treat her like that, their relationship was toast.
“So tell me about life in the Big Apple.” Alex glanced across at her.
“Okay. So you want to know a little bit about me?” She turned in the seat and tucked her legs beneath her, facing him. He turned his attention back to the road, but with one arm resting on the window and the other lightly holding the steering wheel as the truck moved smoothly down the straight road.
“I live in New York, and until recently I shared an apartment with my best friend, Monica. I work for a media company, and I hate my job. I found out recently I only got it because my father pulled strings with one of his buddies.” She bit off her words; she’d said more than she’d intended to. “Anyway, a great job has come up, and if I get this interview with Alessandro Ricardo it will give me a great chance of getting it.”
“You want this job so bad you’ll travel to the outback without booking a hotel, on the off chance of getting an interview with someone who doesn’t give interviews?” He shook his head as he looked across at her curiously.
“Yes, I’ll do anything to get it.” She turned to him. “If you knew me better, you’d know I am determined. I’ll try as hard as I can to pull this one off.”
“Really?”
“I only have one shot at this. There is a full-time position open, and I know at least three journalists who are going after it.”
“A city job? Or out in the field?” He turned his head briefly from the road and looked at her. “I’d hate being in an office. Give me my boat and a good catch of fish any day.”
“You’re lucky if you’re happy that way, and you can run your business like that. I’m already having withdrawals because I can’t check my phone out here.”
“So what will you do if you don’t get this interview?”
“Oh, I’ll get it. I have to. If I don’t it means I have to sell my apartment because I won’t stay in the job I’ve got now.”
He looked back to the road, and she glanced up at him. A slight smile curled his lips and the crinkles deepened around his eyes. “I’m impressed with your determination. So what are you going to do? Turn up and knock on Ricardo’s door and demand an interview? You’ve got some balls.”
“No.” She laughed. This guy had no idea how the world of cutthroat business worked. She’d been brought up in the thick of it and knew all the tricks, but she’d never lowered herself to that level before now. Maybe meeting Alex had been fortuitous. “You said you worked out of Cockatoo Springs?”
“Yup, I do.”
“So.” Jess grasped her hands together in front of her chest and stared at him. “Do you know him? Have you ever met Ricardo?”
Alex grinned at her, lifted his hand from the window, and gestured down to his work clothes.
“Who me? A simple fisherman?”
Disappointment surged through her. That would have been the easiest way to get an introduction, if Alex knew Ricardo.
“Have you made an appointment for the interview?” he asked.
“No, not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” He flicked her a glance. “So no hotel room booked, and no appointment? You like to live on the edge.”
“He doesn’t do interviews, so that’s why I can’t book it, smarty-pants. I called from New York. I couldn’t get past his secretary.”
“So what are you doing here all the way from New York if he doesn’t do interviews?”
“I am going to do my best to get one…somehow.”
“An expensive trip for an interview you don’t even have lined up.”
“I’m in Australia, I’m on my way to the resort now, and the next step will be to get the interview.” Jess dropped her hands to her lap and looked down. “This has turned out okay so far.”
Alex threw his head back and laughed. “Turned out okay? That’s how you ended up in my old truck heading across the outback with shoes and clothes fit for a night out? Oh yeah, you did that very well.”
“Don’t be rude; that was just one tiny little mistake.”
“You’re telling me you’ve done worse?”
Jess tipped her head back on the headrest and cursed as her loose hair snagged on the chipped leather. She leaned forward and reached down into her bag for a clip.
“Oh yeah, a lot worse. But I got the interview.” She turned and grinned at him as she held her hair up above her head with one hand.
“Tell me about it.”
Jess gave up looking for a clip, and her hair dropped down around her neck again. She leaned forward so it wouldn’t snag on the headrest.
“Maybe later.”
“There’s some string in the glove compartment. You’ll be cooler with your hair tied up.” He reached over, dropped the door opened, and passed her a ball of blue twine.
“You’ve got a whole grocery store in there.”
“It’s the boy scout in me. Be prepared, I always say.” He snapped the door shut and turned his gaze back to the road. “I use it to tie the crab traps together when I’m traveling.”
Jess tried to break off a length of string with her fingers, but it was too strong. Alex stretched back in the seat and dug in the pocket of his jeans with his left hand.
“I’ve got a knife in here, but I can’t reach it.” He gripped the steering wheel and stretched further back. “See if you can get it.”
Heat ran up Jess’s neck. The last thing she wanted to do was poke about in his jeans pocket. She glanced over at him, and discomfort filled her as a small smile played about his lips. If that was how he wanted to get his thrills, no way was she going to play along. She sat up straight in the seat.
“It’s okay. I’ll wait till we stop.” Opening the glove compartment, she shoved the ball of twine back in, and a small box fell to the floor. She picked it up, pushed it back in, and slammed the compartment shut. The heat from her neck ran up to her face, and she was sure her skin was flaming red. She glanced over, but his attention was on the road. A frisson of nerves jittered in her stomach as he turned and looked at her.
Talk about Mr. Be Prepared Boy Scout. How many fishermen carried a box of condoms in their fishing trucks?
Her expression must have been easy to read.
“Like I said, Jess. Be prepared. You never know your luck in the big city or so they say.”
“Well, you’re in the outback now, and you’re out of luck.” She stared out the window as he roared with laughter.
…
Alex glanced across at Jess. The heat and the discomfort of the trip were starting to get to her. Her face was bright red and perspiration trickled down the side of her neck. He glanced at his watch and did a quick calculation of the mileage on the odometer on the control panel.
“Only about half hour to go before we hit the turn off. We’ll take a break just after that. There’s a nice little clearing on the river not far off the road. No red dirt and no emus there.”
The look on Jess’s face was priceless. By the end of this trip, she’d be able to write an article about keeping safe in the outback.
She had her head back on the headrest, and her eyes were closed. His gaze traveled up the long line of her throat up to the unblemished skin of her face. Her softly parted lips were full and tempting. He still had to decide how far he’d go in teaching her a lesson in honesty, but it certainly wasn’t going to be an unpleasant experience.
All was quiet as they covered the
last twenty kilometers to the turnoff, the silence punctuated only by Bowser’s soft snuffling as he slept. Thunderheads built to the north, and Alex slowed the truck as he peered out the window. There was only a little while to go until he had to make the decision of either taking the short cut across to the coast or going around the long way through the tiny settlement of Peppinmenarti.
Damn. His permit to travel through the private Aboriginal land was back in the office at Cockatoo. He hadn’t given it a thought when he’d headed off last week. That pretty much made the decision for him. Without a permit to enter Aboriginal land, they’d have to take the short track, and he’d have to hope the rain held off for one more night. The turnoff to the northeast appeared on the right, and he swung the wheel hard as the tires spun in the fine red bull dust. Bowser barked, and Jess opened her eyes and blinked.
“Are we there?” She stretched her arms above her head and cursed as her hair snagged on the rough headrest again. Leaning back onto it, she untangled her hair and held it up in a knot on the top of her head.
Alex grinned as Bowser clambered back over to her lap. “Sorry, the old girl’s a bit shabby. Not a lot of money in fishing.”
“I’ll pay you for driving me over, of course,” she said.
“No need, I was coming this way anyway. And you’ve already spent enough, I’d say, if you’re not going to have a job.”
“We’ll see.” Jess pointed out the windscreen ahead. “It’s a lot greener up this way?”
“Yeah, we’re close to the Daly River again. It winds its way to the coast in loops.”
She wiped the perspiration of her brow with the back of her free hand and held her hair above her head. “Anywhere to swim when we stop?”
He looked at her with a frown. “If you’ve got a death wish.”
“What?”
“Crocs.”
“Here?”
“Yes, here. You really didn’t do your research, did you?”
“I thought only the saltwater crocodiles were dangerous. Aren’t we a long way from the salt water?”
