at his instigation, was the ideal way to determine his contribution to the hotel’s fiscal deterioration.
Debra studied him as he removed his meal from the tray and set the plate on the table. Her stomach squirmed as the breath caught in her throat. He was a striking man. So much more devastating close up than she could ever have imagined. Without the sporting prowess on the rugby field that had rocketed him to international stardom, he would still turn heads in any company.
When he caught her ogling him so intently she blurted out the first thing to come to mind. “When did you break your nose? Rugby’s such a violent pastime, I always thought.”
No need for him to know she often watched matches and had seen him play many times. “I suppose they stuffed your nostrils with cotton wool and you kept playing regardless?”
Jase threw back his head and laughed. “I wish.”
His smile turned her insides all gooey while her brain chastised them for being so soppy.
His fingers touched the bump. “I’d have coped better with the pain then. No, my sister belted me with a cricket bat when I was eight.”
With raised eyebrows Debra murmured unsympathetically, “I’m sure she had good reason.”
“She always maintained so,” Jase tucked into his meal. After a couple of mouthfuls he smiled again and confided. “I wouldn’t give her my ice-cream.”
“Oh.” When she detected a twinkle in his eye she caught on. “I’m sure she would give a different account.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, it makes a good story. So what did you do before you arrived here, Debbie,” Jase asked.
Glaring at his use of the hated version of her name, he continued before she could suggest he use her correct name. “It’s obvious you haven’t had much experience in the hospitality industry.”
Her face warmed. “I worked in an office.” After all, that was the truth.
Thank goodness he accepted that without questions.
“Why Riversleigh? Why Southland? It’s a bit of a change after Wellington.”
She’d rehearsed for these types of questions. “My mother suggested it. She was born in Southland and always goes on about the place. I thought I’d come and have a look around.”
“Fair enough. What do you think of the place so far?”
“I haven’t seen much yet. But it seems very nice.”
Jase feigned outrage. “Nice! I’ll have you know nice is much too insipid a word to use down here.”
Debra forgot her reason for welcoming his presence. Forgot she was supposed to be ferreting information from him. Forgot he might even be ripping off the company rather than merely mismanaging the hotel.
She responded to him like a hibiscus flower responds to sunshine. Talk of Riversleigh and Southland, the affect of the growing dairy business on the area, the job situation for school leavers. She participated in each topic he introduced with questions and honest views of her own.
Their discussion became even more animated as they launched into an argument about a recent report on government spending. Finally agreeing to disagree, Jase chuckled at her unwillingness to concede to his opposite point of view. “I bet you were in the debating team at school.”
Debra bit the inside of her cheeks and dipped her head, hoping to screen her embarrassment.
He reached across the table and touched her fingers before shooting his hand back beneath the table. The air was so filled with sudden tension Debra feared the buzz in her ears might be the static passing between them. “Don’t be embarrassed.”
His lopsided smile grabbed at her insides, warming them, then roasting them to fever pitch. “You’re a very stimulating conversationalist.”
Stimulating conversationalist! Her heart slowed its sprint as abruptly as a charging bull encountering a solid wooden fence and settled back to a boring thump-thump-thump. Not exactly the words a woman wanted an attractive man to whisper in her ear.
Settle down, she warned herself. So I enjoyed
Debra studied him as he removed his meal from the tray and set the plate on the table. Her stomach squirmed as the breath caught in her throat. He was a striking man. So much more devastating close up than she could ever have imagined. Without the sporting prowess on the rugby field that had rocketed him to international stardom, he would still turn heads in any company.
When he caught her ogling him so intently she blurted out the first thing to come to mind. “When did you break your nose? Rugby’s such a violent pastime, I always thought.”
No need for him to know she often watched matches and had seen him play many times. “I suppose they stuffed your nostrils with cotton wool and you kept playing regardless?”
Jase threw back his head and laughed. “I wish.”
His smile turned her insides all gooey while her brain chastised them for being so soppy.
His fingers touched the bump. “I’d have coped better with the pain then. No, my sister belted me with a cricket bat when I was eight.”
With raised eyebrows Debra murmured unsympathetically, “I’m sure she had good reason.”
“She always maintained so,” Jase tucked into his meal. After a couple of mouthfuls he smiled again and confided. “I wouldn’t give her my ice-cream.”
“Oh.” When she detected a twinkle in his eye she caught on. “I’m sure she would give a different account.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, it makes a good story. So what did you do before you arrived here, Debbie,” Jase asked.
Glaring at his use of the hated version of her name, he continued before she could suggest he use her correct name. “It’s obvious you haven’t had much experience in the hospitality industry.”
Her face warmed. “I worked in an office.” After all, that was the truth.
Thank goodness he accepted that without questions.
“Why Riversleigh? Why Southland? It’s a bit of a change after Wellington.”
She’d rehearsed for these types of questions. “My mother suggested it. She was born in Southland and always goes on about the place. I thought I’d come and have a look around.”
“Fair enough. What do you think of the place so far?”
“I haven’t seen much yet. But it seems very nice.”
Jase feigned outrage. “Nice! I’ll have you know nice is much too insipid a word to use down here.”
Debra forgot her reason for welcoming his presence. Forgot she was supposed to be ferreting information from him. Forgot he might even be ripping off the company rather than merely mismanaging the hotel.
She responded to him like a hibiscus flower responds to sunshine. Talk of Riversleigh and Southland, the affect of the growing dairy business on the area, the job situation for school leavers. She participated in each topic he introduced with questions and honest views of her own.
Their discussion became even more animated as they launched into an argument about a recent report on government spending. Finally agreeing to disagree, Jase chuckled at her unwillingness to concede to his opposite point of view. “I bet you were in the debating team at school.”
Debra bit the inside of her cheeks and dipped her head, hoping to screen her embarrassment.
He reached across the table and touched her fingers before shooting his hand back beneath the table. The air was so filled with sudden tension Debra feared the buzz in her ears might be the static passing between them. “Don’t be embarrassed.”
His lopsided smile grabbed at her insides, warming them, then roasting them to fever pitch. “You’re a very stimulating conversationalist.”
Stimulating conversationalist! Her heart slowed its sprint as abruptly as a charging bull encountering a solid wooden fence and settled back to a boring thump-thump-thump. Not exactly the words a woman wanted an attractive man to whisper in her ear.
Settle down, she warned herself. So I enjoyed
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