Outback Affair: An Affair Novel (Entangled Indulgence) (13 page)

Satisfaction filled her as she intercepted a look between the two men. There were rooms available. The lie had been deliberate, and they both knew it, but she wasn’t going to let on that she’d woken up to whatever it was they were doing.

“Did you say you walked over?”

“Yes,” Mitch said, and Alex frowned. “It’s a lovely night.”

“What about the crocodiles?”

“Crocodiles?” He almost gulped as he shot a look at Alex. “What about them?”

“I thought it was unsafe to roam around because of the salties.”

“Oh yes. I just know where to walk,” Mitch said, hurriedly backing away toward the door.

She narrowed her eyes as he smiled at her.

“Anyway, nice to meet you, Jess.” He turned to Alex, who was standing by the door tight-lipped.

“Alex, have you got a minute? I want to talk about the…fish.” Mitch walked to the door, and after he and Alex had gone outside Jess moved across to the table. Delicious aromas were coming from beneath the covered tray, and she lifted the lid as her temper built.

…

Alex got rid of Mitch as quickly as he could.

“Watch out for the salties on your way back,” he called out. Mitch turned and gave him a thumbs up.

He closed the door behind him and walked in.

Whoa.

She was looking at him, and it wasn’t pretty. Walking up to him with a fuck you-look on her face, she poked a finger in his chest, and he took a step back.

“So what was that all about?”

“What?” He widened his eyes and tried to look innocent.

“He came to see you about the fish and braved the crocodiles, did he? What brave friends you have. You’re
all
outback heroes. So tell me, why are you so determined to keep me here in your cabin and away from the resort? So much that you lied about it and cooked up some scheme with your friend.”

Before he could answer, Jess pulled a chair out, sat down, and put her elbows on the table, her fingers clenched in front of her chin. “Don’t bother answering. I’ll figure it out. Now I’m going to eat, and then I’m going to bed. Alone.”

The meal was silent. Alex dug deep for conversation to break the ice, but every time he opened his mouth to speak, Jess stared him down. After they’d finished the crab soup, he pushed his plate away. “So what’s really eating you, Jess?”

“I know what you’re up to, Alex.”

His mouth dried, and he stared back at her, waiting for her to say she had somehow found out who he really was. He wasn’t ready to tell her yet.

Tomorrow maybe, after he saw Bartholomew.

“Caught me out, how?”

“Why did you lie about there being no rooms? If you wanted to get in my pants, you didn’t have to go to anywhere near the trouble you did. I’m the easy Yank, remember?”

He reached across the table to take her hand, but she snatched it away.

“Don’t say that about yourself, Jess.”

“In the afternoon, when I come back from the tour, I’m getting a room. One of the
many
vacant rooms tonight,” she said.

“Jess, I can explain.”

“Pah.” She pushed her chair back. “No more lies. Thanks for the lift, Alex. Have a nice life.”

Her skirt swirled around her calves as she walked to her room, her back ramrod straight, and then she slammed the door.

Alex dropped his head into his hands and groaned. Maybe it was for the best, but he hated the thought that he’d hurt her. The look in her eyes when she’d called herself the easy Yank tore at his heart. He had to make this right.

Chapter Fifteen

Jess slept poorly, with one ear open to listen for Alex leaving, her mind churning, full of her plans for the day. Rolling over, she thumped the pillow and lay still for a minute before giving up on getting back to sleep.

Dawn was about to break. The first glimmers of pink light were tingeing the edges of the dark sky through the window. The back door closed; she heard Alex call to Bowser, and a couple of minutes later the pickup roared to life. The headlights shone on her window as the truck headed past the back of the cabin. Fighting the tears that clogged her throat, she squeezed her eyes shut. It was time she took control.

Crawling out of bed, she dug through her clothes, looking for something suitable to wear back out into the outback. This time, she knew what to expect. The only thing she didn’t have was a decent pair of boots.

By seven o’clock, she was showered and dressed, and her packed bags were lined up against the back door. She still hadn’t decided how long she was going to stay at Cockatoo Springs. It all depended on what today brought. She sipped the coffee she’d brewed. For all she knew, Ricardo could be there already, or if he wasn’t there yet, he would be here soon. You couldn’t believe one word that came out of Alex’s mouth, and besides, Monica had said Ricardo
was
here having a meeting with Larry Bartholomew of all people.

Jess stepped out onto the back porch to wait for the tour bus. The sun was already burning hot, so she stepped back into the shade. The heat shimmered over the red sandstone cliffs in the distance. All was still and quiet, and Jess smiled as she glanced across at the lush lawn.

Talk about gullible.
She’d believed every word Alex had said and had expected to see saltwater crocodiles roaming around. You’d think a journalist would be savvier.
Sucked in by bedroom eyes and a sexy smile.

Well, today was a new day and as soon as she finished the bush tucker tour, and got some information for her article, she’d check into the resort and enjoy a few days there before flying home to the North American winter. If Ricardo was here and she did manage to snag some time with him—well, that would be a bonus.

The sound of an engine reached her and for a moment, her heart picked up a beat. She stepped to the front of the porch and grasped the low railing, peering up the road. But it wasn’t the pick-up. A high vehicle emblazoned with Cockatoo Springs Tours on the side trundled up the narrow roadway and pulled on to the lawn across from the cabin. Jess turned and lifted her bags out. Hopefully, Alex would still be off fishing or crabbing or wrestling crocodiles for a while yet.

“Morning, love.” The wide smile of the Aboriginal bus driver greeted her. “You’re the last one on.”

“Is it okay if you drop me back to the resort after the tour? Do you have room for my bags?”

“Not a problem.”

First hurdle overcome.

The bus had one empty seat at the very front. Jess tucked her small bag under the seat, sat down, and reached for her seatbelt.

“Whoa, love. Do you have closed in shoes in your suitcase?”

Jess looked down at her leather sandals. They were the most substantial footwear she had with her, apart from the closed in stilettos she’d worn with her suit on the trip over.

“No, this is all I have.”

“You can’t get off the bus at the gathering site unless you’ve got closed in shoes.” The bus driver shrugged. “Sorry, safety regulations.”

Jess leaned over and spoke in a low voice. “I don’t
have
any other shoes with me.”

He shook his head. “You’re welcome to come along for the drive and see the sites, but you won’t be able to get off the bus when we gather, and I’ll have to give you your morning tea on the bus.”

Jess chewed her lip. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. My…er…friend here booked the trip for me.”

What to do?
She reached over and leaned on the driver’s seat.

“I’ll change my trip to another day, then.” She put on the best persuasive smile she could muster. “Would you have time to give me a ride to reception before you leave?”

“Not a problem.” He turned the motor off and picked up his microphone. “Just a slight detour back to the resort, folks, for this beautiful young lady. Have a read of the brochures in your seat pocket. There is a map of our trip up the coast.”

“I really appreciate this.” She looked out the window in amazement. She’d read up briefly on Cockatoo Springs after the restaurant had won the award in
Cuisine
and she had been trying to find more information about Alessandro Ricardo and the unique concept of the bush tucker chef school. But this luxury was beyond her expectations. The bus passed through the gates and around a high rectangular fountain with sandstone edges, which reflected the colors of the cliffs she had noticed in the distance earlier.
Welcome to Cockatoo Springs
was written in large gold letters on the side of the sandstone edge. A water spout cascaded in the center of the pool, and the flowing water glistened in the morning sun. It reminded her of the pool and the waterfall at the campsite, except this one had cute ducks paddling on the water.

Don’t go there. Move on.

It was early, and workers swept the leaves up around the water feature. Jess looked on curiously as a man in a white jacket followed a waddling duck and bent down.

“What’s he doing?” she asked as she pointed to the man following the ducks.

The driver laughed. “He’s got a great job. Duck pooper-scooper.” He changed up a gear, and the bus climbed a slight incline. The sparkling ocean opened out in front of her.

Low-level villas on the low slope were almost hidden amongst a profusion of palm trees and brightly colored tropical plants. A series of paths led down to one of the biggest swimming pools she had ever seen. It was hexagonal-shaped with wide walkways through the pool.

“How beautiful is that?” she whispered to herself.

The driver pulled up outside a building marked
Reception
and opened the door.

“You haven’t been over yet?” he asked.

“Er, no, I stayed at my friend’s cabin last night. I’m checking in today.”

Once her bags were unloaded and the concierge had loaded them onto a trolley, the driver climbed back onto the bus, and Jess waved.

The automatic doors to the building opened, and she welcomed the blast of cold air from the air-conditioned reception area. Small palm trees filled the interior in large colorful pots on the shining marble floor, and she crossed the room to the desk.

“Good morning,” the male receptionist said. “Checking in? I didn’t hear the helicopter.”

“No, I came by road.” Jess reached down into her bag and removed her credit card. “I don’t have a booking, but I rang earlier and I was told there were rooms available.”

The clerk tapped on the computer and looked up with a smile. “Yes, I can give you a pool room. Your name?”

“Jessica van Lund.” She hated using her father’s name, but all her bank accounts were in her real name.

He ran her card through the terminal and handed her a plastic card. “You’re in room two over near the beach side of the pool. Would you like to walk over or shall I order you a cart?”

“Oh, I’ll walk. I’ll explore on the way.” It was too soon to do any digging about Ricardo. She’d get settled before she started work. Once she logged onto her computer, she knew there would be a mountain of email to clear, but that could wait.

“I’ll send your luggage over. Enjoy your stay with us, Ms. Van Lund.”

A burst of noise and activity came from behind her as she turned around. Two toddlers with black ringlets and wide brown eyes ran across the marble floor, chased by a tall man in black jeans and T-shirt.

“Allegra! Luca! Come back here.” The toddlers hid behind one of the sofas and giggled.

“Tomas, they’re okay. Chill out.”

Jess looked with curiosity at the woman with the Scottish accent who walked over to the reception counter. She was tall with a long dark braid, dressed casually in khaki shorts and a T-shirt.

“They’ve been cooped up in a helicopter and a bus for two hours.” The woman turned to Jess with an apologetic smile. “Just watch you don’t get ambushed on your way out. They think they are Dora and Diego in the jungle.”

The man shrugged and walked over to join his wife. Jess smiled as she watched the children. The father had an Aussie drawl, the mother, a strong Scottish burr, and if she wasn’t mistaken the children were chattering away in Italian.

The receptionist held his hand out to the man standing next to her and shook it vigorously. Jess reached down to collect her handbag from the counter.

“Tom, great to see you! Can’t believe it’s been a year since you were here for Alex’s birthday last year.”

Jess froze and snuck a look at the man beside her.

Yep, she could see the resemblance. Alex’s family had arrived.

…

After Jess got to her room, she stood at the window looking down at the large swimming pool in the center of the resort. She’d enquired about meeting the chef, but the guy at the reception desk said he wouldn’t be in the restaurant until this afternoon. She’d go over and see this Clayton guy as soon as he was over there. If she couldn’t work there, maybe he’d do an interview and show her around…or at least set up an appointment for one.

Jess bit her lip, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her chest. Once she’d realized Alex had been lying to her, and she’d lost her temper, things changed. She had to accept he’d been playing with her all along, and as usual she’d been sucked in. For a couple of nights, there’d been a connection between them. It wasn’t just sex…or that’s what she’d thought.

When will I ever learn?

She brushed the tears away angrily before they could fall. Now that she was here she’d make the most of it. On the desk beneath the window a glossy covered compendium listed the services provided by the hotel. First stop, the beauty salon to restore her confidence. Second stop, the pool.

Alex could go take a flying leap.