by Jennie Adams
He had a rich history in this country somewhere that went back at least forty thousand years. He needed to come to terms with that, too.
And there was guilt because he had his brothers, adopted by choice, and that should have always been enough regardless, shouldn’t it? Maybe this trip would bring the answers he needed. Alex hoped so. ‘Is this a guaranteed bilingual guided tour?’
‘Yes. We run a number of them. They’re popular with overseas visitors.’ Jayne lowered her voice so it wouldn’t carry, leaned closer so their shoulders brushed and he caught the light floral scent of the perfume she wore. ‘I know some people might never make another trip to Australia, but a lot of our Japanese visitors do. I’d like to see more of them coming back to Cutter’s for further tours.’
The guide began to discuss the view of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House.
Alex drew a second breath and wanted to know where Jayne had dabbed that perfume. Behind her ears? Down the sides of her neck? Across her shoulders?
Yeah, he was doing a great job of shutting down his awareness of her!
‘How much return traffic does Cutter’s get currently?’
Good effort, Alex. Now, if you could just stop leaning her way as though you’d like to kiss her in front of a busload of people.
He had to see the purpose of the journey, to turn his thoughts and attention to that and away from this attraction to Jayne.
Why did he feel as attracted to her as he did? All he had to offer her was his business achievement, his connections and eye for things that would appeal to certain buyer markets.
Alex had no idea how to offer anything else. How could he offer more? He didn’t trust in a relationship with a woman. His whole life, he had carried the knowledge of his mother abandoning him. Alex didn’t know how to overcome the lack of trust that went with that.
He wasn’t against love, marriage, children, happy families or whatever. But he didn’t see those things for himself. He didn’t see how they could work out for him.
He reached for the laptop computer he’d tucked beneath the seat in front of him. ‘Care to look into possibilities, Jayne?’
‘Of course.’ She blinked, blushed a little. Then she pulled herself together and said very primly, ‘We can go over a lot of work material while the journey gets started. We can run some projections.’ The bus made a turn as Jayne spoke. For a moment their upper bodies brushed. When Jayne straightened, her cheeks were even pinker than before.
She drew a deep breath that let him know she was just as aware of him. And her lovely rich voice wavered a little as she said, ‘Let’s get to work.’
For the next hour Alex picked Jayne’s brain about her company, its attitudes towards tourists, anything she could tell him that might help with their decisions about the supply of unique gifts.
‘You really know your stuff.’ Alex had impressed Jayne; she didn’t mind saying so. He’d flirted with her again, too, but she wasn’t about to refer to that. Bad enough that she’d flirted straight back. She couldn’t seem to resist that with him! ‘I’ve never been grilled so thoroughly about the company and what we’re all about. I knew everything I’ve just told you, but you’ve made me stop and think about a few things in a new way, too. Our discussion has given me a few helpful ideas for my overall proposal.’
She hesitated, then smiled. ‘Without realising it, you’ve acted as a bit of an ideas consultant for me in the last hour.’
‘Everything we talked about will help me with my decisions about gifts, too. It all ties in together. I’m glad we’re doing this, Jayne.’ He asked a question about the trip inventory and the conversation moved on.
Jayne had to admit that she was developing a curiosity and interest in this man that she couldn’t consider smart. They had to work together.
And he’s young and gorgeous and why on earth would he want a woman your age when he could have any woman of any age?
Yet, as the bus ate up the kilometres and people spoke around them and the tour guide sat in his seat up the front and occasionally gave an update of the progress through the countryside, Jayne found herself studying Alex’s face. Noting the smile grooves on either side of his mouth. And experiencing an odd feeling that she might like to trace those grooves with her fingertips…
Jayne realised she’d been looking silently into Alex’s eyes for a little too long and hastily lowered her gaze to her laptop. ‘I’ll use remote access to download the data you’ve asked for from our accounting section. It might take a while.’
Alex drew a mobile phone from his pocket. ‘I’ll make some calls to my supplier groups while you do that. We’re about an hour off arrival at the first stop?’
They were, and Jayne said so and turned her attention to obtaining and filtering out the information Alex needed.
He sat at her side speaking quietly through several calls. His gaze was focused. Occasionally between calls he made brief notes in a notebook.
Jayne did her work and registered every breath he took, the ocean scent of his aftershave and the way it blended with his skin.
The bus slowed and turned off into a lush green lane flanked with row after row of grape vines. The whole area was hilly, green, lovely and picturesque with blue sky overhead dotted with the occasional white fluffy cloud.
A sign over the right gatepost announced ‘Winery and Petting Zoo’ and welcomed visitors.
‘Oh, this is beautiful country,’ Jayne exclaimed. ‘I wish I’d been taking more notice during the trip!’
‘Yes. Very beautiful.’ But Alex wasn’t looking at the view; he was looking…at Jayne. And then he turned away and she thought he was trying to ignore this awareness, and of course he would want to ignore it. He probably only dated women in their early twenties.
Jayne drew a breath that had to be relief. After all, she didn’t want him to desire her because that would only complicate her life, too.
She had Drew and others to take care of her dating needs, and she had her career.
And you don’t trust in relationships because you don’t understand your father in his personal life, and because Mum left everyone.
Jayne loved her niece Cora, but she didn’t expect to ever marry or have a child of her own. Face it, if it hadn’t happened by now, it wasn’t likely to anyway, was it?
‘I can’t wait to check out this stop.’ That was a much more appealing prospect than her thoughts!
Two minutes later they got off the bus and stepped out into a panoramic scene that had the tour group releasing soft gasps of anticipation and pleasure. Comments quickly flowed through the group as camera shutters clicked:
‘It’s so beautiful.’
‘Look at the animals.’
‘I hope to hold a koala. Pet a kangaroo. See an Australian snake!’
‘And buy a local wine, made from grapes grown right here, to celebrate this occasion.’
‘So are you up for a little wine-tasting and some animal-petting, Jayne?’ Alex glanced towards the open area of the petting zoo, rubbed his hands together and smiled his beautiful half-smile.
Something inside Jayne gave way in that moment. Let him in that little bit more, even when she’d tried to keep up her guard. She stepped forward and her smile was probably softer than melted butter, whether she should let it be or not. ‘I’m ready.’
CHAPTER THREE
‘WE FEEL very privileged to pet the animals. The wool of the sheep is so soft and curly.’ The words were spoken in careful English by a woman in her thirties. She was the wife of a Japanese businessman and had introduced herself to Jayne as Mrs Li. ‘It is nice to see farm animals and wild animals side by side in the same petting zoo. This is a special experience.’
The woman’s husband stood at her side. Mr Li smiled and nodded. ‘All Australian animals are interesting. We have emigrated to Australia, but we are still learning about things. This trip is to help us learn.’
‘I hope the trip can be fun for you as well.’ Jayne continued to chat with the
couple as they all made their way to the final stop in the petting area.
From the corner of her eye Jayne spotted Alex. He was a little further back, still in conversation with several others from the tour. They would have to compare notes later. What Jayne had found so far was that these tourists had come for a slice of rural and remote Australian life, and had been doubly delighted to have an opportunity to pet some native animals.
Separating from Alex, working the crowd of tourists away from each other, had given Jayne a chance to try to put her attitude to Alex more into perspective. It made no sense that she should be so overly conscious of him.
‘Oh, a wombat.’
‘These are less common than kangaroos, I think.’
The couple moved closer to speak with the petting area attendant.
‘I haven’t seen a wombat up close before.’ Alex joined Jayne and gestured towards the petting area. ‘Did you want to go in?’
The words were suspended in the moment. Alex’s gaze…was fixed on Jayne. A consciousness passed between them that made Jayne want to lean closer, to somehow absorb even more of his presence.
Instead, she drew a deep breath and tried very hard to think wombat thoughts. ‘I’d like that. I’ve only seen pictures of them.’ Jayne stepped forward, away from being so close to Alex, away from the temptation to reach out and touch him. ‘This can be an experience for both of us.’
‘It’s certainly being that.’ Alex’s low words were perhaps not meant for her ears.
Jayne heard them anyway and suppressed a responding agreement. She was having enough trouble trying to keep her distance from him as it was.
Leopard print, anyone?
There were no large or exotic cats here, only Australian animals and farm animals. And Jayne was getting off the track again anyway.
‘Come in, folks.’ The attendant gestured.
Jayne and Alex went into the enclosure. Once inside, they were met by one thickset, heavy-duty wombat with small dark eyes, fur similar to that of a bear and a slightly disgruntled attitude that altered somewhat when the keeper suggested they scratch the back of the wombat’s neck and behind his ears.
‘Oh, he’s really quite cute, isn’t he?’ Jayne bent down to scratch behind the creature’s ears again.
Alex grinned and glanced at Jayne. ‘Cute isn’t the word I’d have used to describe him, but he is interesting, in a grumpy sort of way.’
The wombat made grunting sounds and walked about the area, snuffling and considering the various scents before submitting to one last round of adulation from its visitors.
‘All right. I guess I’ll pay that. He is a bit cross, but I still enjoyed seeing him.’ Jayne smiled as they left the petting area and started towards the ‘cellar door’ of the winery. ‘Most of the tour group seem to be really enjoying the petting zoo.’ She glanced about her, forcing herself to focus on the job in hand. ‘I did consider animal themes for this tour because of the zoo. But they might not be as memorable for Australian members of these tours and, though the tour is bilingual, it does usually attract students studying the Japanese language. I want everyone on each tour to be completely satisfied with their gift.’
See? She could pay attention to her work. In fact, Jayne usually had no difficulty at all in doing that. Meeting Alex had somehow thrown her a little off course in that respect.
‘I overheard you talking with some of the guests earlier. Maybe a perfect gift idea will surface once you get to know more of the people on the tour.’ He took her arm as they crossed over a rough patch of ground. Admiration filled his tone as he went on. ‘I was impressed with your Japanese. You not only have a beautiful voice, but you can speak two languages fluently. I have some foreign language skills but they don’t go as far as yours.’
There was no cheeky smile this time, no flirtatious tone, just a straightforward compliment and statement that he thought her voice sounded lovely. Jayne fell more deeply into her consciousness of him in that moment because of his open compliment.
And, because he was touching her, tingles ran the length of Jayne’s arm. She didn’t react like that when Drew took her arm.
‘Thank you. I studied Japanese in high school.’ Jayne sounded quite normal really. At least she assured herself that she did as they stepped out of the warm sunshine and into a cool, welcoming indoor area where several of the other bus guests were already being greeted and welcomed by vineyard staff.
But she’d melted into his side a little as they’d walked along. That hadn’t been particularly professional. That had been about her reaction to his touch. ‘I figured being able to speak Japanese could only help with my work for the company.’
The words reminded Jayne of her high school years. In the middle of those years, Mum had left. Why did Mum have to leave all of them? If she didn’t want to be with Dad, why couldn’t she have stuck around for Jayne and her sister? Kept them with her? Or shared them between her and Dad?
Enough, Jayne. It’s old news and irrelevant now to anything that matters. You’ll never know why she made that decision. What you do know is that she left and didn’t look back.
Jayne frowned. Alex had stepped aside to speak briefly with another of the tour group. He turned back now, caught Jayne’s attention, and they took their turns tasting several wines.
At the end of the tasting, Jayne made a selection. ‘I’d like to buy a bottle of that Chardonnay, please.’
When the bottle was presented to her, Jayne examined the label. She lifted her eyes to the saleswoman’s face. ‘You’re the owner’s wife? Do you ever label your wines with logos of animals from the petting zoo?’
‘I am, dear, and no, we don’t use those kinds of labels. Our wines are well known with the current labelling, so we’ve tended to stick to it.’
‘Could I have a business card?’ Jayne introduced herself. ‘I’m Jayne Cutter. I’m a member of the family who own and run Cutter’s Tours. I can’t say for sure, but I might be interested in placing an order for some specially labelled wines at some point.’
While the woman leant down to get a business card, Jayne glanced at Alex and got caught in the depths of his considering gaze.
‘It’s a possibility,’ he murmured.
Were there other possibilities? For Jayne and for Alex?
You don’t even want to consider that, Jayne. You need to know this man for work and nothing else. He’s too young for you, and you don’t get involved with men anyway. Not like that. Not beyond socially and, trust me, the way you’ve reacted to Alex MacKay today is not some mild social consciousness of him.
Half an hour later, the bus was on the move again, with the driver confidently handling the road conditions. The tour guide, on the other hand, looked a little seedy and Jayne studied him with an inward frown. Had the man been taste-testing the wines on the job? If he’d dared to become inebriated while he was working—
‘John, our guide, doesn’t look well.’ Alex murmured the words close to Jayne’s ear.
‘I was just thinking that. Did you see him drink? I didn’t see him in the wine-tasting area.’ Jayne turned her head to look at Alex. Wisps of her hair brushed over his cheek as she moved her head.
His hand lifted and his fingers softly brushed the strands aside. ‘I don’t think he went into that area at all.’
But Jayne went straight ‘there’. Straight to Alex touching her hair, and to wanting to melt in to his touch.
Alex started to lean closer and Jayne held her breath.
‘Excuse me.’ Mr Li caught their attention from where he and his wife sat across the aisle. ‘My wife and I enjoyed our earlier conversation with you. When we stop for dinner we would be happy if you would both eat with us.’
‘That’s very nice of you.’ Jayne turned to Alex. She couldn’t believe she’d been halfway to trying to kiss him, right there on the bus in front of everybody. Straight after telling herself, yet again, to get control of her responses to Alex. ‘Would you like—?’
�
�Sure.’ Alex caught Mr Li’s gaze. ‘We’d love to join you for dinner. Thanks.’
Did his acceptance sound just a little forced? Had he perhaps wanted an evening with Jayne to get to know each other better, just the two of them?
Well, the words were spoken and it was probably very much for the better that they didn’t dine alone. And now Jayne could settle down and stop thinking about anything other than business.
And layers of a very interesting man.
Not that interesting, Jayne.
But he was. Jayne wanted to know more about his interests, the adrenalin-seeking side of his nature that meant he liked activities such as rock-climbing. Physical activities that would showcase his strength, every manly muscle, a leap-into-life attitude that was very attractive.
Um…where was she again?
And perhaps Alex had accepted the dinner invitation because he was more than over the awareness he had initially felt towards Jayne. Maybe, on closer inspection, he hadn’t been that excited by what he’d initially seen in her.
Well, that was good. Yes, of course it was.
After two more minor stops they reached their dinner destination. There were several restaurants to choose from in the small township that boasted an annual koala counting expedition among its highlights. The guide suggested they all eat straight away as some of the restaurants closed early. By the time they returned to their hotel their bags would be inside their rooms waiting for them.
‘I would have liked the chance to change clothes, freshen up a little before we went to dinner.’ Jayne spoke the words in a soft undertone to Alex. ‘That’s something I’ll suggest could be improved about this tour.’
They were walking up the main street of the township behind the other couple. Even thinking that gave Jayne a strange feeling, for she and Alex were not ‘another couple’. They were two business people working together towards a common goal. And separately towards their own goals.
Jayne had banished all those other thoughts. She might have had to work hard to do it, might have had to remind herself a number of times, but she’d got there now. Right. So why, then, was she now almost holding her breath, asking herself whether Alex would take her arm or press his hand to the small of her back as they walked side by side? Why was she craving exactly that?
