hadn’t had any for a while.
Except that now and then, when he forgot that she was a spoilt city brat who needed her attitude adjusted, he caught a glimpse of someone, somewhere who intrigued him. He suspected that she, like her father, had a wicked sense of humour and, more frightening, unplumbed depths. He sure as hell hadn’t expected her to last more than an hour at the dump but, unlike some of his previous employees, she hadn’t given up, hadn’t thrown in the towel.
He had to respect that …
She had to leave and soon, before he did something stupid, like throw her over his shoulder and take her to bed.
Because, apart from the fact that they were oil and water, city and country, she was coming out of a complicated long-term relationship. Ten years together wasn’t married but damn close.
Getting involved with her, on any level, would be the equivalent of a dumpster fire: awkward, chaotic and, eventually, just plain ugly.
He had very few rules for his life but avoiding complicated situations was one of them. Followed closely by not taking emotionally side-winded, rejected, possibly crazy, definitely intriguing women to bed.
Why didn’t he just get it over with and actually
shoot himself in the foot? It would be easier and far less painful in the long run.
Nick stepped out onto the deck and sank into one of the loungers, resting his aching head—he wished that was the only part of his body that was aching—on the cushion he tucked behind his head. Waterbuck, giraffe, kudu and Egyptian geese were at the waterhole.
Clem stepped onto the deck, her glass of juice in her hand. She looked different without her swathe of hair—stronger, freer and lighter.
‘Oh, this is great.’ Clem immediately echoed his favourite stance, forearms on the railing, bum in the air. The fabric of her shorts pulled and defined her butt and Nick coughed, sprang up and joined her at the railing, willing his body to behave.
‘I recognize the giraffe but not much more,’ Clem said.
‘You will,’ Nick assured her. ‘There’s a pile of books on the dining room table. Your study material.’
‘What?’
‘All the interns have to study while they are here, in addition to their normal duties. Land management, conservation, identification of animals, birds and flora.’ Nick pointed out a herd of buffalo that were ambling down to the waterhole. ‘And there’s my girl.’
‘What? Where?’
Nick pointed to a thicket north-east of the pan.‘A rhino cow. She tends to hang around this area.’ Nick smiled at the prehistoric beast. ‘Hello, gorgeous. How are you doing? We’re going to bring you some friends soon.’
Clem arched her spectacular brows. ‘Do you often talk to animals?’
‘All the time.’
‘And do the rhinos have play dates?’
Nick looked down into her dancing eyes and realized that she was joking. His mouth kicked up. ‘I bought some rhinos from another reserve and am trying to raise the cash to pay for their translocation. It’s seriously expensive and I don’t have it right now.’
‘Ask my father for it.’
Nick snorted. ‘Is that your answer for everything, Princess?’ He didn’t bother to wait for her reply. ‘I’ll find the cash, somewhere. I just hope they can hold on.’
‘Are they that desperate for company?’
She
really
didn’t know anything about wildlife. ‘No, you twit, they are solitary animals. Rhinos are highly endangered and the incidents of poaching have gone through the roof. I need to move the crash I bought from a reserve in the north to Two-B.’
Clem drained her juice and fluffed her hair. Nick smiled; she seemed to be liking her short hair. He did too. They watched the waterhole in silence until Clem spoke.
‘Does the Lodge overlook this waterhole?’
‘Not this one; a bigger one,’ Nick replied.
Clem’s eyes clashed with his and he immediately noticed that they were darker, hotter, that the pulse point in her throat was pumping. She swallowed,
Except that now and then, when he forgot that she was a spoilt city brat who needed her attitude adjusted, he caught a glimpse of someone, somewhere who intrigued him. He suspected that she, like her father, had a wicked sense of humour and, more frightening, unplumbed depths. He sure as hell hadn’t expected her to last more than an hour at the dump but, unlike some of his previous employees, she hadn’t given up, hadn’t thrown in the towel.
He had to respect that …
She had to leave and soon, before he did something stupid, like throw her over his shoulder and take her to bed.
Because, apart from the fact that they were oil and water, city and country, she was coming out of a complicated long-term relationship. Ten years together wasn’t married but damn close.
Getting involved with her, on any level, would be the equivalent of a dumpster fire: awkward, chaotic and, eventually, just plain ugly.
He had very few rules for his life but avoiding complicated situations was one of them. Followed closely by not taking emotionally side-winded, rejected, possibly crazy, definitely intriguing women to bed.
Why didn’t he just get it over with and actually
shoot himself in the foot? It would be easier and far less painful in the long run.
Nick stepped out onto the deck and sank into one of the loungers, resting his aching head—he wished that was the only part of his body that was aching—on the cushion he tucked behind his head. Waterbuck, giraffe, kudu and Egyptian geese were at the waterhole.
Clem stepped onto the deck, her glass of juice in her hand. She looked different without her swathe of hair—stronger, freer and lighter.
‘Oh, this is great.’ Clem immediately echoed his favourite stance, forearms on the railing, bum in the air. The fabric of her shorts pulled and defined her butt and Nick coughed, sprang up and joined her at the railing, willing his body to behave.
‘I recognize the giraffe but not much more,’ Clem said.
‘You will,’ Nick assured her. ‘There’s a pile of books on the dining room table. Your study material.’
‘What?’
‘All the interns have to study while they are here, in addition to their normal duties. Land management, conservation, identification of animals, birds and flora.’ Nick pointed out a herd of buffalo that were ambling down to the waterhole. ‘And there’s my girl.’
‘What? Where?’
Nick pointed to a thicket north-east of the pan.‘A rhino cow. She tends to hang around this area.’ Nick smiled at the prehistoric beast. ‘Hello, gorgeous. How are you doing? We’re going to bring you some friends soon.’
Clem arched her spectacular brows. ‘Do you often talk to animals?’
‘All the time.’
‘And do the rhinos have play dates?’
Nick looked down into her dancing eyes and realized that she was joking. His mouth kicked up. ‘I bought some rhinos from another reserve and am trying to raise the cash to pay for their translocation. It’s seriously expensive and I don’t have it right now.’
‘Ask my father for it.’
Nick snorted. ‘Is that your answer for everything, Princess?’ He didn’t bother to wait for her reply. ‘I’ll find the cash, somewhere. I just hope they can hold on.’
‘Are they that desperate for company?’
She
really
didn’t know anything about wildlife. ‘No, you twit, they are solitary animals. Rhinos are highly endangered and the incidents of poaching have gone through the roof. I need to move the crash I bought from a reserve in the north to Two-B.’
Clem drained her juice and fluffed her hair. Nick smiled; she seemed to be liking her short hair. He did too. They watched the waterhole in silence until Clem spoke.
‘Does the Lodge overlook this waterhole?’
‘Not this one; a bigger one,’ Nick replied.
Clem’s eyes clashed with his and he immediately noticed that they were darker, hotter, that the pulse point in her throat was pumping. She swallowed,
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