“Maybe we’ll be able to squeeze some time in down in Dunedin,” she says. “We’re all staying at the Lodge so I doubt our rooms will be far apart.” Her smile is hopeful, mischievous.
“You don’t mind sneaking around at night?” I ask, surprised. I wouldn’t have thought she’d want to risk being seen slipping into my room.
“Mind? I think it will be super fun,” she says with a grin.
I glance across at her, and our gazes lock.
“Strictly for the weekend, though,” she points out.
“Obviously.” I look back at the road, smiling. She nudges me, and I give a short laugh, pick up her hand, and kiss her fingers.
We stop at Roxburgh, buy a couple of cans of soda, a packet of chips, and a couple of Twixes, then carry on deep into the Otago countryside. I’ve flown to Queenstown several times, and been to Dunedin twice, but I’ve never driven from one to the other, and it’s only now I get a sense of the true beauty of the area. Up in the Northland, we have mostly dairy cows in the fields, but here it’s all sheep on the dry grassy plains and mountainous slopes. There’s so much sky, a brilliant blue, with sheep-like clouds on the horizon. It looks as if it’s going to be a nice day for Leon and Nix.
“I hope we’ll get to try some of those in Dunedin,” Clio comments, gesturing at one of the many vineyard signs we’ve been passing that declare they have award-winning whites and reds.
“Leon said Larnach Castle has an impressive wine cellar,” I reply, “so I’m sure we will.”
Leon and Nix are having their wedding on one of the castle lawns, and then the reception in the ballroom, which Leon told me has a fully fitted bar. Close friends and family are staying at the nearby Lodge, while other guests will be taken into an exclusive Dunedin hotel by minibus and taxis. It’s going to be amazing, because Leon will have yelled at everyone until they’re terrified of making a mistake, Nix is an expert at organization and will have gone around behind his back to smooth everything over, and genial, affable Hal will have been making everyone fall in love with him so they want to make everything run smoothly just to please him.
I was looking forward to it because it’s something different and a good opportunity to be with my friends and have a few drinks, but I’m really looking forward to it now I know there’s a chance of hooking up with Clio again.
We’re about thirty minutes from Dunedin when Clio’s phone rings. She looks at the screen, pulls a face and rolls her eyes at me, then answers it with the sweetest, “Hello, darling Stefan,” making me chuckle. “Yes,” she continues. “About thirty minutes away. Yes, I know. The car has GPS. Yes. Yes, he is at the moment.” She frowns. “Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.” She looks out of the window. Stefan continues to talk. “No,” she says. Her spine is rigid, and she’s breathing quickly. I hear him talking, but she doesn’t reply.
Finally, though, she snaps. “Hey, Stef,” she says. “Why don’t you just fuck off?”
She hangs up and tosses the phone into the footwell.
I glance over at her. She’s still breathing quickly. “What was that about?” I ask. I’ve never seen her as angry as this.
“He’s pleased you’re driving,” she says. “Apparently we’re less likely to get lost.”
I frown. “For fuck’s sake.”
She looks out of the window again. Normally she would have a witty retort to that kind of comment. I’m surprised she lost her temper. Is she embarrassed that Stef’s criticizing her in front of me? Or just angry at his relentlessness?
Hell, I’m angry at his relentlessness. I understand that she works for him, but there’s no need for such rudeness.
“Want me to turn around?” I ask her. “Shall we go back to Queenstown?”
She gives a short, harsh laugh. “I’m very tempted.”
“Fuck ’em,” I tell her. “It’s uncalled-for. You’re not a kid. You’re a grown woman who’s about to be a qualified vet after five years of hard work. It’s part of the problem about getting a job around people you grew up with. They’ll always see you as the new kid.”
“It does reinforce my urge to work elsewhere,” she admits. “I love Stefan to bits, but he can be an ass sometimes. They all can.”
It makes me sad to think she might end up leaving the Ark, but I would totally understand if she did. I open my mouth to ask her if she’s had any further thoughts as to where she’d like to go, but at that moment it’s my phone’s turn to ring. As it’s Bluetoothed to the car, the display announces the call, and I press the button on the steering wheel to answer it. “Hello?”
“Ryan?”
I don’t recognize the man’s voice. “Speaking.”
“Hi, Ryan, it’s Mike Fenton, from the Ministry for Children in Wellington.”
My eyebrows rise. I last spoke to Mike in June. Leon had chatted to him when he visited the Beehive—New Zealand’s Parliamentary buildings—back in May, and he’d told him about the app I’d developed that helps people who are interested in rehoming pets find an appropriate ‘furever’ friend. Leon told Mike that I’d mentioned adapting the app for their adoption agency, to record the details of parents interested in adopting a child, and to calculate initial matches with pregnant women considering giving up their baby for adoption. I hadn’t heard anything since and had assumed it had come to nothing.
“Hey, Mike, good to hear from you.” I glance at Clio and she widens her eyes. I presume she doesn’t know about this; I haven’t told her, anyway.
“Sorry I’ve taken so long getting back to you,” Mike continues. “I had to wait for someone to get back off vacation, and you know the hoops one has to jump through with these things.”
“Oh yeah, absolutely.”
“But anyway, I’ve spoken to the PM, and I had a chat to Tama Herewini, and if you’re interested, we’d love you to come down to the Beehive for a meeting next week to talk about the app.”
I almost come off the road. “Really? Wow, that’s great news.”
“I’ll warn you now, Ryan, Tama’s seriously up for this. He wants to completely reorganize the adoption system, and he likes the idea of the app being the first step to registering interest and logging information. He’s considering offering you a full-time job. I thought you ought to be forewarned, so it doesn’t come as a complete surprise.”
My jaw drops. “Thank you for letting me know, I really appreciate it.”
“No worries. Sorry to call you on a Saturday but Tama would love you to give a presentation to the rest of the team at the Ministry and I thought you’d appreciate having as much notice as possible. How does Wednesday at eleven a.m. suit?”
I’ll check with Leon to make sure someone can cover me, but I’m sure he won’t mind. “Sounds fine.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then. Have a great weekend.”
“Thanks, Mike, you too.” I hang up.
I stare at the road for a minute. Then I glance at Clio.
“What the fuck?” she says.
I laugh and run a hand through my hair. “Wow, that was out of the blue.”
“What was that about?”
I tell her about the app, and the possibility of adapting it for the Ministry.
“To help prospective parents connect with kids up for adoption?” she asks.
“Yeah. Only in the initial stages, obviously. Most of it would be carried out face-to-face. But it would be a good way for people to register interest and record their details. It would take some of the legwork out of the initial stages for the staff, which I’m sure the Ministry is interested in, and enable them to concentrate their manpower on the follow-up meetings.”
She reaches out a hand to grasp mine. “Would you think about it?”
“About taking a full-time job?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know. It would mean a lot to me, helping couples and children to find each other.”
“Of course,” she says softly. “You’re adopted. I tend to forget that.”
�
��Me too, sometimes, which I think is a testament to the system, as well as to Brock, obviously.”
“Do you ever think about your real dad?” She squeezes my fingers. “Sorry, I should ask first if you don’t mind talking about it?”
“I don’t mind. I thought about him when I was younger, sometimes. Imagined him to be some kind of mysterious hero who had to leave me to go off to save the world. He’s not, of course. When I got older, Mom explained that he got angry when he found out she was pregnant and went off to Australia. Refused to pay child support. He sounds like a bastard, actually.” I shift in my seat.
“You’re worried you’re like him deep down,” Clio says.
She surprises me with her astuteness. “Sometimes,” I admit. It’s crossed my mind more than once.
“I don’t believe that,” Clio says. “Brock’s your father. He’s the one who brought you up. Who taught you right from wrong. Who went to all your rugby matches, and taught you how to shave and do up your tie. Personality can be genetically inheritable, but human behavior never is. We learn by watching those around us and emulating them.”
I glance across at her. I’m ashamed to admit I hadn’t realized how thoughtful she is. I’d assumed because of her somewhat ditzy nature, and the way she was spoiled as a kid, that she’s shallow and frivolous, but she’s not.
“Yeah,” she says. “Not as blonde as I look. Not all the time, anyway.” She looks amused.
“I’m sorry about Stefan and the others,” I tell her. “It’s not fair that they treat you the way they do.”
She shrugs and sighs. “Stefan acts the way he does because he thinks I’m capable of more, and he’s been right all along. Everyone else—Hal, Leon, my father—were all proud of me when I celebrated any achievements, but Stefan was the one who said great, but you can do better than that. He’s the one who’s pushed me to achieve higher grades, to work harder, and to develop a better work ethic. I do appreciate it, and I owe him a lot. It just frustrates me that he thinks the only way is his way. He doesn’t account for the fact that there are various paths to success, and not everyone has the ability or the desire to get there in such a regimented fashion.”
I make a mental note to have a word with Stefan about her. I have no doubt he means well, and as head of the veterinary center he’s doing his best to make sure it runs efficiently, and to push Clio to achieve her best. But it wouldn’t surprise me if, like her brother and the others—and like me, until recently—he thinks of her as a kid, and he’s forgotten she’s grown up into a capable woman.
A capable, gorgeous woman. I glance at where her miniskirt rests halfway down her thighs, reach out a hand, and run my fingers lightly up a bare leg. She glances across at me and gives me a mischievous smile. “Are you about to pull over again?”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“You really are insatiable, aren’t you?”
“I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
“I’m like profiteroles,” she says. “You always think you have enough room for one more.”
I smile and return my gaze to the road. I’m definitely going to find a way into her room tonight. There’s no way I’m giving up this sexy little minx just yet.
Chapter Thirteen
Clio
“So you didn’t really answer me,” I say to Ryan. “Would you think about moving to Wellington?”
He hesitates. “I don’t know. We’re just getting going at the Ark. The rehoming center is doing well. I’d worry about letting Noah and the others down.”
“It’s exactly how I feel. Funny we’re in the same boat.”
He nods and gives me a wry smile.
The Ark in the bay has been a wonderful creation, and an amazing opportunity for everyone who works there. I know it was born out of Noah’s desire to create a safe haven for the people he loves. He wants to keep his friends and family around him, and it’s been great working with everyone—it still is. I love my room at the clinic, and I know how lucky I am to have a supportive crew around me.
But sometimes it can be a tad… claustrophobic. Nobody asked me whether I had any plans to work anywhere else. It was assumed from the day I said I wanted to be a vet that I’d end up at the Ark.
“Why did you come to the Ark?” I ask him. “You were in Auckland originally, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s where I met Samantha. Her folks are from Auckland, so we ended up staying down there.”
“Did Noah ask you to come to the Ark when he set it up?”
“Yeah. I said I’d think about it. I mentioned it to Samantha, but she wasn’t interested in leaving Auckland. Things must have already been going wrong between us, because it was in the back of my mind that it was an option for me if we ever broke up. When I did leave, it seemed like the obvious choice. I spent a lot of time in the bay as a kid—Uncle Matt lived there and my grandparents had a bach there. Dad and Charlie and the rest of us came up frequently, and it felt like a second home. And I admit, it was nice to be near Hal and the rest of the guys again, especially after my marriage broke down. It’s been good working there. I’m not sure if I want to make such a big change again.”
“I know what you mean.” I slip off my sandals and lift my bare feet to rest them on the dashboard. I wriggle my toes in the cool air from the vents. “Do we give up security for adventure? I’m always torn in two. Half of me thinks life’s too short to spend it being stable and secure and comfortable. It should be about stepping out of your comfort zone and pushing your boundaries. The other half knows there are so many in the world who would kill for some stability and to live and work in a place like the bay with the people we love. I know I’m privileged, but doesn’t it make me foolish to give up the privilege others yearn for because I’m dissatisfied? It makes me feel spoiled.”
I glance at Ryan. He’s staring at my feet. I look at them—I painted my toenails the night before I left, and they’re a pretty hot pink.
“Don’t tell me,” I say, “you have a foot fetish, you kinky bastard.”
He gives a short laugh. “I don’t think anyone would blame me, faced with feet like yours.”
I wiggle my toes. “You like painted toenails?”
“I like the whole package, Clio. More and more with each passing moment.” His eyes meet mine, hot, amused, before he returns his gaze to the road.
I let mine linger on him, admiring the way his shirt sleeves stretch across his biceps. He smells nice. I saw his aftershave in the bathroom this morning—Atelier Cologne Rose Smoke, from Harrods in England. A touch of Middle Eastern spice brings out the rose, and it’s deeply attractive. I want to nuzzle his neck and sniff him. To slide my hands into his hair and kiss him again. He’s a good kisser.
“For Christ’s sake,” he says, “don’t look at me like that when we get to the castle. I’ll be dragging you out of the reception and back to your room by your hair.”
“Is that a promise?”
He shakes his head as if saying I’m impossible, and I chuckle. “More music,” I tell him. “It’s our last chance to have a good sing-song before we get to Dunedin.”
We travel the remaining thirty minutes or so singing along to old disco songs, as the countryside begins to flatten out and signs of civilization build up. I know that Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island after Christchurch, and its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
“Did I tell you that I’m related to the guy who built Larnach Castle?” I ask Ryan.
He stares at me in surprise. “No. Seriously?”
“Yeah. My great-great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side was the daughter of William Larnach, who built the castle in 1871.”
“Wow. Is that why Leon wanted to get married there?”
“One of the reasons, yes. Only six weeks or so ago, Leon went on some finance course in Dunedin, and Nix went with him just for fun and to have a look around. While they were there, he mentioned our connection with Larna
ch to her, and they paid it a visit. Nix fell in love with the place and thought it would be really romantic to get married there. Luckily the castle had space to fit them in this weekend.”
“It’s the nearest you can get to being a medieval princess in New Zealand,” Ryan says.
I laugh. “Yeah.” I give him a curious glance. “I remember your wedding in Auckland. I was only fifteen. You had the big white affair, didn’t you? Hundreds of guests.”
He nods, slowing the car as he approaches a roundabout, the lady on the GPS telling him to take the second exit.
“Was that Samantha’s doing,” I ask, “or did you want a big do?”
“Oh God, hers. It was all about the performance for her. It was important in the circles we existed to show everyone how much you loved each other by how big your wedding was.”
“Size is everything?”
He laughs. “Yeah. I was happy enough to go along with it. I know most girls want the event, to be princess for a day.” He glances at me. “Is that what you want?”
“I’ve no idea. Contrary to what everyone probably thinks of me, I’m not an exhibitionist. I have no interest in proving my love for the guy by spending billions of dollars on one day. That just seems crass, plus it puts such pressure on the day. If one little thing goes wrong, it would feel like a failure, and I don’t like stress.”
“You’d elope?”
I chuckle. “Maybe not that. I like what Hal and Izzy did, friends and family at the Ark. Or Poppy and Fitz, just those close to them, on the beach, with a small party. I doubt I’ll ever have to make a decision though. I can’t see me getting married.”
He frowns at me. “Why?”
I shrug and look out of the window. “I’ve had my share of boyfriends, some serious, but I’ve never met anyone with whom I’ve come close to thinking I could spend the rest of my life.”
“Doesn’t mean that person isn’t out there.”
“I guess.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
I shrug again.
“I guess that means no,” he says.
“We’ve talked about this,” I tell him. “I understand the concept of affection and love, and yes, I did have those feelings for Theo, sort of. But I think being in love is a creation of the makers of Valentine’s Day cards, or people who want to sell diamond earrings. And even if it does exist, I’m not sure I want any part of it.”
My Wicked Billionaire (The Billionaire Kings Book 6) Page 9
