rel="nofollow" href="#ulink_78e7d0e9-5641-5d6b-a823-8c58196ccc1f">CHAPTER SIX
ANNEKE woke early, stretched, then slid out of bed and almost stepped onto a sleek-coated animal curled protectively on the floor. A very large animal.
Oh, my God. Shaef.
Memory surfaced in one fell swoop, and a soft curse fell from her lips.
With considerable caution she skirted round the dog and crossed to the bathroom. The dog followed.
Five minutes later she returned to the bedroom, filching her swimsuit from the shower stall where she’d hung it over the taps to dry.
It fitted snug over her slender curves, and she pulled on sweat-shorts and top, then made her way into the kitchen.
Fresh orange juice added a certain zing to her palate, and she looked at the dog with a degree of doubt.
‘OK, I guess you need to go outside. Water,’ she declared decisively, and hunted for a bowl. ‘Food.’ The dog’s ears pricked at the mention of it.
Dammit, she was a cat person. Dogs gnawed on bones, ate meat, and munched on dry food. A goodly amount of each, she surmised, judging by Shaef’s size. None of which she had on hand.
‘Sorry, fella.’ She placed a bowl filled with water onto the floor. ‘This will have to do for now, then you can go home for breakfast.’
When she let him out of the back door, he promptly lolloped to the nearest tree, then, considerably more comfortable, returned to sit on the step.
‘Divided loyalties, pal. I’m going for a run along the beach. You get to choose whether you guard me or the house.’ She smiled and leant down to fondle one silky ear. ‘Personally, I’d go for the house.’
He didn’t, of course. She hadn’t moved more than half a dozen steps when he fell in beside her. ‘Well, there’s no doubt you take after your owner,’ she said conversationally. ‘He’s every bit as stubborn as you are.’
Anneke reached the beach and sprinted down onto the sand. And saw Sebastian engaged in callisthenics. Waiting to join her?
Sebastian plus his dog? She sprinted towards him. ‘Been waiting long?’ she queried sweetly.
He wasn’t deceived by the mildness of her tone. She was angry. Well, he could handle it. He drew himself up to his full height with ease, placed a hand on one hip and offered her a warm smile.
‘Beautiful day.’
She’d slept well. It made the fact that he hadn’t seem worthwhile.
‘Should I put this down to chance? Or is your appearance on the beach at this hour a forerunner of things to come?’
My, she possessed a sharp tongue. He had an urge to take her mouth with his own and change tart to something smooth and sweet.
‘You object to my company?’
She placed a hand on each hip, taking defiance to a new level. ‘In the thinly veiled guise of bodyguard, yes.’
He had to work hard to prevent humour from entering his voice. ‘Are you saying only one of us gets to share your run?’
Damn him, he was amused. ‘Given a choice, Shaef wins out.’ Her eyes searched his, saw the purposeful intent evident, and she released a deep sigh. ‘But you’re not going to give me a choice, are you?’
‘No.’
‘I just might have to hit you.’
‘Think carefully before you do.’
There was a silkiness evident in his tone that sent a faint shiver down the length of her spine.
Without a further word she turned and broke into a run, aware of the moment he joined her, man and dog matching their stride to hers. Part of her wanted to set a punishing pace, but she knew she’d never outrun either of them.
A degree of resentment rose to the surface. Against Adam, if it was he who’d initiated a nuisance campaign, but primarily with Sebastian, for any number of reasons, she decided darkly. Foremost, for tugging at her emotions and turning them every which way but loose.
The sandy cove curved out to sea in a low outcrop of rocks, and Anneke turned when she reached that point and began retracing her steps without pause.
Shaef was having a wonderful time, bounding on ahead, then diverging down to the incoming tide to examine a shell or a piece of seaweed. Sebastian jogged steadily at her side.
It was a relief to draw level with her towel, and without saying so much as a word she pulled off her joggers, stripped down to her swimsuit, and sprinted lightly down to the water’s edge.
She fully expected Sebastian to join her, and silently vowed as she dived into the cool sea that he’d regret it if he did. Quite how she’d ensure he regretted it, she wasn’t clear.
Sebastian intuitively opted to engage Shaef in a game of throw-the-stick until Anneke emerged.
‘Wise,’ she muttered beneath her breath, and missed the amused gleam in his dark eyes as he called Shaef to heel.
‘Share breakfast with me.’
She was sharing his dog, his protection. That was enough. She caught up the towel and wound it sarong-wise round her waist. ‘Thanks, but no, thanks. I have a heap of things to do.’
He snared her wrist as she turned to walk away from him. ‘Lock the cottage securely if you go anywhere. Drive with the central locking system in place. And make sure you park the car on a main thoroughfare.’
She began to steam with indignation. ‘Anything else?’
‘Carry your mobile phone at all times.’
‘I’m amazed you haven’t mentioned Shaef.’
‘That’s a given,’ Sebastian intoned hardily. ‘Where you go, he goes.’
The steam changed to smoke. ‘Now just a tiny minute, here.’ Anneke lifted a hand and poked his chest. Hard. ‘If my heavy breather is Adam, he’s hundreds of miles south in Sydney. A nuisance, but not a threat.’
‘And if it’s not Adam?’
Ice chilled her veins. ‘I intend to find out one way or another. Meantime, stay off my back.’ She poked his chest again for good measure, then tugged her hand free and marched back to the cottage.
Impossible, dictatorial, stubborn man. Who did he think he was? And by what right did he imagine he could tell her what to do?
Sebastian watched her retreating form, and that of Shaef, who, at a click of Sebastian’s fingers, had taken a few bounding strides to fall in at Anneke’s side.
A woman who would give as good as she got, and be passionate in giving it… Be it anger, or making love. The former he could handle with one hand tied behind his back. It was the latter that bothered
