Outback Affair: An Affair Novel (Entangled Indulgence) Page 2

Alex Richards turned on to Cox’s Road down past the conservation area. He’d probably been a bit tough on the woman, but she’d really pissed him off and he was in a tearing hurry.

  If this rain didn’t stop, the river would be up, and he’d have to take the long route back to Cockatoo Springs and offload the fish before he left. He gunned the motor and the pickup fishtailed down the narrow road. The wet wasn’t due for another fortnight, and he’d misjudged the weather forecast and left his run too late. Even though he’d been in the Northern Territory for a couple of years, he still couldn’t predict the weather with any accuracy. He’d missed the damn forecast this morning, and if the creek was up he wouldn’t be able to get the barramundi to the airstrip to be flown in to Cockatoo Springs in time, and it would have to go to Darwin instead. The new chef from London at the resort had specifically requested fresh barramundi as soon as he had his first catch.

  The truck crested the hill, and he cursed at the sight in front of him. Not only was the river up, it had already broken its banks and had spread into the scrubby trees in the conservation area.

  Shit. He slammed his hands on to the steering wheel. It looked like it had been raining upriver for a while before it had hit downstream. The rain had only started here when he’d driven into town an hour ago. He picked up his cell phone, made a quick call, and organized for the courier truck leaving the next town for the local airstrip to wait for him at the trailer park so he could transfer the load of fish across from the cool room.

  He wasn’t looking forward to driving back to the resort the long way. For a moment, he considered going back to Darwin and picking up the helicopter but then decided if he got an early start in the morning, it would be almost as quick to take the shortcut through the gorge. In the meantime, he’d go back to Janet’s and get a cabin for the night after they’d transferred the barramundi to the truck.

  Damn the early rain. It had stuffed up all his plans.

  He drove back into Daly River, surprised to see it had already stopped raining. The afternoon sun was slanting through the trees, and the sky had cleared from the west. Maybe the river would go down quickly…so long as there was no more rain. He might be able to take the short route yet. It all depended on whether the rains held off for a few more days.

  After loading the refrigerated van and waving the driver off to the airstrip, he parked his pickup truck out the front of the park.

  “Gotta room for me, Janet?” he called through to the kitchen as he waited at the counter. Janet came out wiping her hands on her apron and shook her head. “Sorry, Alex, all full up. The American girl got the last cabin. I think everyone on the road was a bit spooked by the early rain.”

  That’d be right. Miss America had already messed his day up, now she’d taken the last room.

  “I guess I’ll have to try the pub over at Douglas River.”

  Janet shook her head. “No go, I was just talking to Cliff on the phone. They’re full over in Douglas too. Listen, the old trailer down the back is empty. If you are happy to shower up here, you can bunk down there. No charge.”

  Alex reached over and hugged the older woman. “You’re a sweetheart. I’ll unload and have that shower. That burley was extra ripe today.”

  Janet laughed. “I think poor Miss America was a bit overwhelmed.”

  “Bloody tourists. They come to the outback, they have to take us as they find us. What’s she doing here anyway? She looks like she should be lounging by a pool somewhere.”

  “Don’t know. “ Janet shrugged. “She only booked in for the one night.”

  “Well, she’s not my problem,” Alex said. “I’ve got enough to worry about with this bloody rain coming early. You cooking tonight?” When she nodded, he smiled. “I’ll be up for dinner, then.”

  …

  Two hours later, after a shower, a shave, and a quick nap in the trailer, Alex pulled on clean jeans and a fresh black T-shirt and made his way across to the small dining room behind the office. The backdrop of the sky was inky black, and the stars were brilliant white against the darkness. The croaking of frogs was overlaid by the thrum of insects stirred up by the rain. He took a deep breath and inhaled the dewy freshness of the night as he walked across the car park to the dining room.

  There was no place like the outback.

  The heavy rain had broken the heat, and the night was quite pleasant apart from the mosquitoes that buzzed around his head. Well, it was. Until he walked into the dining room. Miss America, as Janet called her, was the sole occupant of the restaurant, sitting at the bar sipping on a cocktail. Of course, he thought. A cocktail would go with the fancy duds. Obviously not a beer drinker. He nodded briefly to her and allowed a lazy smile to cross his face when recognition dawned.

  “Nice evening,” he said.

  “Very pleasant,” she said and turned her back to him to peruse the menu propped on the counter against an old bottle in a basket. Candle wax stuck in splotches to the side of the bottle, and Alex smothered a grin. Probably not the high-class décor this one was used to. He wondered what she was doing in a trailer park in an isolated outpost like Daly River. She looked as though she’d be much more comfortable in the club lounge at Cockatoo Springs.

  Janet came through from the kitchen, order pad in hand. “Have you decided, Jess?”

  Jess shook her head. “Still looking. Great menu…if you like fish.”

  So that was her name. She didn’t look like a Jess. Even in the old rundown bar of Janet’s establishment, she was dressed in something soft and silky that clung to her curves in all the right places and hinted at a shadow of cleavage. He raised his gaze from her long bare legs, past her full breasts, and up to encounter a frosty stare. He stared back, and she was the first to look away.

  “What about you, Alex? A beer?”

  He nodded and reached for the bottle Janet had pulled from the fridge underneath the bar, and then popped the twist top. The liquid slid down his throat, and he started to regain his equilibrium. He sat at the far end of the bar and looked along the counter where Jess was perched on the stool.

  “It’s quiet in here tonight.”

  “All the fishos came in early, ate, and went to the recreation room. There’s a football game on the big screen,” Janet said. “Which way are you headed tomorrow, Alex?”

  Janet wiped down the bar top in front of him while she waited for Miss America to review the menu.

  “Back to Cockatoo Springs. If the river doesn’t drop, I’ll have to go the long way through Aboriginal land.”

  “Rain’s stopped, anyway. Maybe it was just a storm?”

  Miss America had put the menu down and was following their conversation with interest. Alex lifted his beer and toasted her.

  “Hope the weather improves for your holiday here. Staying long?”

  Jess picked up her drink and sipped it slowly, observing him without replying. Long dark lashes fanned around her almond-shaped green eyes.

  Either the hair or the lashes were cosmetically enhanced.

  Her lashes and brow were dark while her hair was honey gold. It tumbled onto her bare shoulders, where the brightly patterned silky top was held in place by thin straps. Her skin looked like it had never seen the sun. It was almost alabaster white. Tropical sun wouldn’t agree with that.

  Janet bustled around the bar carrying a tablecloth and flicked it across a small table near the window.

  “You’re the only two left to feed now. Alex, be a gentleman and apologize to the young lady here. Then you can give her a bit of background. She’s headed for Cockatoo as well.”

  His head snapped up, and he caught the slight grin on Janet’s face as she picked up the tableware and napkins from the basket in front of him.

  What was she up to?

  She knew the road was out, and she should have shared that fact with Miss America. And besides, all the guests at Cockatoo Springs flew in by helicopter from Darwin; there was no access from this far south unless you went bush As soon as the tourist
s booked in, their travel arrangements were made for them. There was something wrong here. Janet winked at him and headed back into the kitchen. He had the distinct feeling he was being set up. Janet had been trying to pair him off with every female who came through Daly River since he had rolled into the park and bought her ex-husband’s fishing boat after he’d signed the contract at Cockatoo Springs. She certainly needn’t try it with his one.

  No way. Not my type at all.

  He turned and returned the stare of the American woman before he eased off the stool and walked the few steps to the other end of the bar, where she was perched like a tropical bird, her elegant fingers with brightly painted red nails wrapped around her glass. Alex put his beer bottle down on the old chipped counter and held out his hand.

  “I suppose an apology is in order,” he said gruffly.

  She put her drink on the counter and turned to face him, still not speaking.

  He stood with his hand outstretched and waited. “I was out of line this afternoon. I was rude to you, and I apologize for the mud. I didn’t mean to do that.” He tried to keep his face serious, although the picture of her standing in the wet, clinging suit giving him the finger was one of the funniest things he had seen for a while. “Honestly.”

  She reached out and took his hand. Her long, slender fingers fit nicely into his.

  “I’m Alex Richards, and you are Jess…?”

  “Jessica Trent. And apology accepted.” He held her hand a little bit longer before letting it go to reach for his beer. He could do dinner; it wasn’t entirely her fault that his day had gone to shit.

  His interest was piqued, and Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

  Or was she was just like the others who turned up at the resort expecting to meet him and get fodder for their trashy magazines? He’d been sucked in too many times before. He knew he was a sucker for a pretty face, and Emily wasn’t the only one who’d conned him. But he’d hardened up a lot since those gullible days.

  He was careful, and there was no way any journalist could have tracked him down here to Daly River.

  “Well, Jess Trent, seeing as we are the only two eating at this fine establishment tonight and—” He threw a glance at Janet “—our hostess only set one table, join me for dinner?” He waited, wondering whether she had a sense of humor..

  “I’d be delighted.” She wrinkled her nose delicately and smiled at him. “On one condition. Has that barley smell gone?”

  “Barley?”

  “The fish stuff.”

  “Oh, the burley.” He laughed and assured her it was all gone as Janet came back from the kitchen and nodded with approval when she saw the two of them smiling.

  “Okay folks, what’ll be? The fish or the fish?”

  Jess laughed. “I’ll have the fish, I guess.

  A ripple of interest flickered through him. He’d play the gentleman and find out what she was doing here. He was very interested in what a beautiful, elegantly-dressed woman was doing in a rundown trailer park in this backwater supposedly on her way to Cockatoo Springs.

  If it turned out she was after Alessandro Ricardo, he’d send her on her way from here and make damn well sure she didn’t get anywhere near the resort.

  …

  The soft light in the room hid the tired furnishings and the scuffed floor. Janet had lit the candle on their table and placed a small vase of wildflowers next to it. Jess looked up to meet an intent gaze focused on her face. Piercing blue eyes surrounded by deep lines looked steadily into hers. The smile lines around his mouth and eyes were white against the deep tan of his weathered face. Suddenly flustered, she reached for her glass and sipped. “So tell me about this wet that you’re talking about. What does that mean?”

  “We have a wet season up here in the Top End from about November to March.” The drawl in his Australian accent fascinated her. She’d barely spoken to any Aussies since she’d stepped off the plane this morning—although after the long drive down here, she felt like she’d been here for days.

  “The Top End?” It sounded like he knew the area pretty well and might be able to tell her the best way to get to the resort tomorrow, especially if he was heading that way.

  “The top end of the territory. Top as in north. From Darwin and the islands to about where we are now, down here at Daly River. I must have heard wrong. I thought Janet said you were going to Cockatoo Springs?”

  His frown deepened, and he looked at her while he waited for her to reply. It was hard to pick his age—the crinkly lines around his mouth and eyes maybe had more to do with the sun than with age. The jet-black hair pulled back into a short ponytail at his nape seemed to be more for convenience than a fashion statement. He wore a faded pair of jeans and a plain black T-shirt, although they were cleaner than the set he had worn this afternoon. Even though he’d shaved and looked groomed tonight, he still had a rugged, mountain man thing going on.

  She tipped her head to the side, trying to decide how much to tell him. Sure, she wanted to get information from him if he knew the area, but she didn’t want to tell him too much. The roads around here seemed pretty isolated, and she didn’t know him or who he was. Mon had read her the riot act at JFK before her flight. But she’d never see this guy again, so there was no need to tell him the real reason for her sudden visit to the outback.

  She leaned forward and lowered her voice despite them being the only customers in the restaurant. Janet was banging pans out in the kitchen.

  “Can you keep a secret?”

  He nodded slowly and held her gaze with those piercing blue eyes, and a small frisson of guilt ran up her spine.

  “I’m an actress and I’ve come over here for a rest. I heard Cockatoo Springs was a private resort where you can get back to nature, and I want some time away from the…ah…artifice of Hollywood.”

  “Interesting.” He seemed decidedly unimpressed. “Been in any movies I would have seen? You don’t look familiar.”

  “Probably not. My…er…agent…is building my portfolio, and we’re very selective about what I take on.”

  “But you’re already needing a total rest?” He put his head to one side and smiled, the smooth lines of his face softening.

  “Yes, but I prefer not talk about it. So what do you do?”

  His eyes narrowed, and for a moment she had the distinct feeling they were both playing at the same game.

  “I work out of Cockatoo Springs,” he said. “I catch the fish and the crabs for the restaurant.”

  “Oh, how good is that?” she said enthusiastically. “You can tell me the best way to get there.”

  “The best way?” He leaned forward and propped his chin in his hand, and stared at her. “Didn’t the booking agent make a travel plan for you when you booked in?”

  “I haven’t booked in yet. I decided to drive there myself. I’m used to driving. I…er…often drive from New York to LA for my work.”

  “So you’re on Broadway, too?” He looked at her and a huge smile crossed his face. He really was a looker; his white teeth contrasted with his tanned skin and blue eyes.

  “What would be so funny about that?” She could feel the scowl crossing her face.

  “Nothing,” he said. “I’m just impressed. I haven’t met any actresses before.” He sat back and sipped his beer. “I’ll have to make sure I get your autograph.”

  “Certainly.”

  The kitchen door pushed open with a clatter. Janet carried across two plates of food and placed them on the table in front of them. Jess drew in a startled breath as all thoughts of acting and Cockatoo Springs flew from her mind. She reached down, grabbed her phone from her bag, and leaned back in her chair, framing the plate of food in the grid of the small screen of her iPhone camera.

  She totally forgot about the man sitting across from her as she snapped six shots of the meal in front of her, from a variety of angles. She looked up at Alex, suddenly realizing he was watching her with a suspicious expression on his face.

/>   “Why are you taking a photo of your dinner?”

  Get out of this one, Jess.

  Monica had warned her about being careful. Some pretty awful things happen in the outback; she’d seen the movies, read the news. After all, she’d never see this guy again. And if anything she owed him one for the mud splatter this afternoon.

  “It’s my first meal in Australia, and I want to remember it.”

  So much for decent acting.

  “An interesting habit,” he said. “Although I agree, Janet’s meals are spectacular. She’s wasted in a place like this. It never gets very busy, and she does to like to impress the guests.”

  Jess was barely listening to him. She had speared a piece of fish and raised it reverently to her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste and trying to figure out the herbs that combined to give it the subtle flavor. She opened her eyes, and that direct blue gaze was fixed on her lips as she chewed delicately. Pointing her fork at him, she pulled out her best imitation of her mother’s voice.

  “Has anyone never taught you manners? It is extremely rude to stare. Particularly when one is eating.”

  “You really are a case, aren’t you?” Alex threw back his head and laughed. “When ‘one’ is eating? I think that ‘rest’ at Cockatoo Springs will do ‘one’ the world of good.”

  “Don’t be smart. I’m just enjoying my meal. And I like to cook so I am figuring out what is in it.”

  “Unless you know your bush tucker you won’t figure it out.” Picking up his fork, he speared a piece of fish and chewed it without taking his gaze from hers. “Lemon myrtle and pepper berries.”

  “Bush tucker? What’s that?” Although she well knew what it was from her research, she was curious to see if he knew much about the local food. And as well as the amazing article on Alessandro she could do another article using this guy. In fact, she could do a whole series on the outback.

  From the river to the resort. He was an interesting character and would provide some eye candy on the glossy pages against the photographs of the bush tucker dishes. He could lean in front of that black truck of his and hold one of his big fish up for the camera…and flex his muscles. Maybe they could find a good patch of water for the background of the shot Her thoughts wandered away and she starting framing some words around the picture in her head. She looked up as his deep voice interrupted her thoughts.