Looking into Sam’s sexy eyes had emptied her mind of all cohesive thoughts.
‘I get the picture, Meg.’ He smiled.
‘Have I gone bright red?’ she asked him, as the cameras clicked away.
‘Just a very becoming pink.’ His amused eyes looked deep into hers as he tugged her a little closer.
His lips were so temptingly close. Meg had the distinct impression that he would have liked to kiss her again. She felt her own lips part and a little tremor of anticipation danced across them.
Thank goodness for Fred and the photographers! She was safe from Sam’s kisses while they were around. How could any part of her feeble brain be contemplating kissing this man hot on the heels of yesterday’s fiasco? Today she was supposed to be working doubly hard at keeping Sam at bay.
To her relief, the photo session was over at last. Someone mentioned that the next ferry would arrive soon, and the media dispersed, scrambling to leave for another assignment.
Meg squinted at the sky, taking deep breaths to regain her equilibrium. ‘Time to get out of the sun.’
‘You have a busy schedule today?’ Sam asked as they passed under criss-crossing fronds of coconut palms on the way back to the resort.
She wasn’t going to fall for any more of his come-on lines. ‘I’m exceedingly busy,’ she answered emphatically. ‘I have meetings…’
He nodded. ‘But would you have dinner with me tonight?’
She pressed her lips tightly together. Not only did she have to ward off this man’s charm, now she had to deal with his persistence as well.
Sam added softly, ‘It can be my way of paying you back for the dirty hand I dealt you yesterday.’
Meg was proud of her crisp reply. ‘You don’t owe me anything.’
‘I owe you a great deal.’ He stopped walking and looked down at the bottle he was still holding. Then he tossed it lightly from one hand to the other. ‘Whatever happens, my family will be grateful to you for my grandfather’s letter.’
‘Whatever happens?’ Meg repeated. ‘You sound like you’re really worried about how this will turn out.’
His face tightened and he looked away at some spot down the beach. ‘I’ll feel a lot better when that will is safely in the hands of my lawyers.’
‘You said there’s a lot at stake.’
‘Yeah.’ His fingers toyed with the bottle’s mouth. ‘Meg—about my grandfather’s letter—you’ve read it, haven’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can you tell me more about it? Are you sure there’s no way of telling who it was addressed to?’
‘No, I’m afraid not. As I told you, the top of the page was damaged.’
‘And there was no other reference to his wife’s name?’
‘No. The rest of the time he referred to “my wife” or “darling” or “sweetheart”—that kind of thing.’
Sam sighed heavily. ‘But there was definitely a will?’
‘It definitely made mention of Tom leaving all his worldly goods to his wife.’
‘Yeah, well, Fred had better hand it over soon.’ He gripped the bottle tightly with both hands for a moment, then suddenly smiled at her.
If only he would stop doing that!
‘Why don’t you forgive me for yesterday? I hear there’s a very good outdoor restaurant over in one of the other bays.’
Fighting back the wild urge to accept was like trying to put out a bushfire with a mere tumbler of water. For Pete’s sake, Sam was by far the best-looking fellow who’d ever asked Meg out. But, she had to be sensible about this. He’d be gone in a day or two. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. ‘Thanks for the invite, Sam, but I’ll have to decline.’
Before she changed her mind, she turned and walked quickly away.
Sam watched her go, a wry, admiring smile tugging his lips. When she’d rejected his invitation, she hadn’t added, I can’t trust you, but that was what she’d meant.
Of course, he couldn’t blame Meg for running. He’d given her every reason to be wary. Yesterday, she’d been totally upfront and honest with him and he hadn’t returned the compliment.
Her disdain was exactly what he deserved.
But Meg Bennet was having a strange effect on him. Just thinking about her…about her eyes…her hair…her mouth made him…restless. Was it because she was different? Because she refused to be impressed by the thing that impressed most women—his money? Because she refused to be impressed by anything about him?
His gaze dropped again to the bottle in his hands and he reminded himself that he hadn’t come to Australia looking for romance. He had a business to run and he had to get back to it as soon as possible.
By tomorrow, he’d be grateful Meg had turned him down.
Meg dropped a peach-coloured bath bomb into the warm water and watched it explode and fizz. The steam in her bathroom began to distil a sensuous mixture of citrus and flowers. Dipping her big toe into the fragrant liquid, she felt her body begin at once to relax. She visualised submerging beneath the heated, scented surface of the water.
Br-ring! Br-ring!
Heavens, no! Not the telephone! Hovering with one leg in the air, she glared at the slim, cordless machine lying on the counter next to her hand basin. She toyed with the notion of letting it ring. But, officially, she was still on duty. With an impatient sigh, she crossed the room and picked it up but, as she answered, she returned with it to the bath. There was no way she would waste that beautifully scented hot water.
‘Meg! It’s Fred Raynor,’ the voice snapped.
‘Yes, Fred?’ She lowered herself into the bath and felt the warm liquid swirl softly, seductively around her body. Fragrance drifted upwards, teasing her nostrils, enticing her to relax.
‘You’re not busy tonight are you?’
‘Oh? Not particularly.’ Meg grimaced and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. What on earth could her boss want now? Since she’d refused Sam’s invitation to dinner, she’d had an ongoing battle with her weaker self all afternoon.
That was the main reason she needed to relax now. To pamper herself after a nerve-racking, miserable day.
‘I want you to take Sam Kirby out to dinner, over at Alma Bay.’
Meg gulped. ‘I have to?’
‘Damn right you do.’ Fred snapped.
Frowning, she sat up higher out of the water. She held the phone
