was probably twenty kilograms heavier with a hardness about him that Kat knew came from growing up in this environment. Oliver’s muscles came from gym work, which was different from the muscles gained from working outdoors in the heat and dust of the Australian outback. Dean was neat and tidy but he had a toughness about him, except when he was with his wife and kids.
Oliver was groomed, not tough, still all male but a more polished version. He was gorgeous but, as far as Kat knew, he was used to Hollywood. In comparison, Dean was used to the outback, which was tough and rugged and, Kat imagined, just about as far from Hollywood as it was possible to get. Dean’s life couldn’t be more different from Oliver’s.
‘And what exactly does that entail?’ Dean asked.
‘It’s exciting. I’ll tell you about it over dinner,’ Saskia said as she tucked her arm into Dean’s elbow and prepared to lead him through the bar and into the restaurant.
Kat had told Saskia about the job offer. Saskia and Dean had been together since high school and Saskia was like a sister to Kat. As an only child, she appreciated the relationship she had with her cousin’s wife. She was slightly envious of her cousins’ marriages; they had what she wished for. They had found their ‘one’.
Once upon a time, Kat had had that too. She had thought she was going to get her own happily-ever-after, but things hadn’t turned out how she’d expected and now she was starting to wonder if she was ever going to find her soulmate. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to find him in Coober Pedy—the town was dwindling; people were leaving. Would she have to leave too?
‘I would jump at the chance to take on that job if I didn’t have you and the kids and work to worry about,’ Saskia said, bringing Kat back to the present, ‘if I was single and free, like Kat,’ she added, directing her less than subtle remark to Oliver.
Kat needed to move them on before Saskia said something that would embarrass her. She hugged them both and said, ‘Enjoy your dinner,’ as she put some gentle pressure against the small of Saskia’s back, encouraging her to leave and take Dean with her.
But Saskia wasn’t done yet. ‘Will we see you on Sunday or are you working?’
‘I’ll be there.’
‘What’s happening on Sunday?’ Oliver asked when they were alone again.
‘Family dinner.’ It was a weekly occurrence and there was an expectation that everyone would attend, but Kat didn’t mind. She adored her family. Kat had moved back in with her father after her mother passed away, and her extended family—her aunt Rosa, Dean and Saskia, Roger and his wife, Maya, and their children—had dinner together every Sunday.
‘Family?’
Kat nodded. ‘Dean is my cousin.’
‘Your cousin! Do you have other family here?’
‘Yes, of course. My whole family is here. This is where I grew up.’
‘Here?’
‘Yes. I told you that.’
‘No. You never said you grew up here. You told me you lived here. Those are two different things.’
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Kat said.
‘How can you know what I’m thinking?’
‘Because it’s what everyone who’s not from here thinks. You assumed I moved here for work because why would someone choose to live here?’
‘I guess I did think it was for your job,’ Oliver agreed. ‘But that’s partly because everyone I know moves where their job takes them.’
‘I’ve lived here my entire life, just about.’ Give or take a few years in Adelaide, but she tried not to think too much about those years. ‘I choose to live here because my family is here. And because I miss it when I’m not here.’
‘What do you miss?’
‘The community. The people. The beauty.’ She could see from his expression that he didn’t believe her. ‘I’ll show you. There’s more to the outback than dust and flies.’
‘It’s a date,’ Oliver said, smiling again, and Kat realised, just a fraction too late, that he’d played her and got just what he wanted.
‘It’s not a date,’ she protested.
‘You can call it whatever you like,’ he said with a smile, ‘but I’m going to call it a date.’
He reached towards her and Kat thought he was going to pick up her empty glass, but his fingers reached for her hand. His thumb stroked the side of her wrist before he turned her hand over and ran his thumb over the sensitive skin on the underside. Kat’s insides turned liquid, she felt as though her bones were melting, and it took all her energy not to close her eyes and give in to the heat that flooded through her.
She needed to leave. To get out from under the spell he was casting over her. She was feeling vulnerable and she knew she was in danger of falling for his charm. He created an energy around him, around her.
‘I should go,’ she said as she pulled her hand away, breaking the spell before she made a complete fool of herself.
‘I guess I’d better get to the gym,’ he said as he stood, ‘but I’ll walk you to your car first.’
He kept a slight distance between them as they walked outside but even so she was aware of a field of attraction and desire surrounding them. Or at least surrounding her.
She turned towards him as they stopped at her car.
‘I’ll see you at work,’ he said as he opened the door that she’d once again left unlocked. ‘And I’m looking forward to our date,’ he added, ‘but until then…’ he said as he bent his head and leant towards her.
Kat didn’t intend to but she lifted her face, angling it up to him.
Was he going to kiss her?
Her eyelids drifted down, half-closed.
She could feel his breath on her cheek and then his lips pressed against her cheek, just in front of her ear, briefly touching her. Too briefly.
She opened her eyes.
He’d kissed her but not how she’d expected him to. Not how she wanted him to.
He was watching her and she knew he could read her mind. She’d wanted him to kiss her properly. She knew it and he knew it.
She needed to get a grip, she thought as she slid into her car. She was sure he had the same effect on dozens, hundreds, of women. Just because she felt something didn’t mean he did. He probably didn’t notice it. It was probably something he did out of habit. George had warned her but she couldn’t ignore or deny the feelings he evoked in her. She shouldn’t be so fascinated but she hadn’t met anyone like him. Ever. It was as if he was from a different world.
He scared her. Not in a frightening sense but in a sense that he would have seen far more than she ever had; she had no doubt he would have had his share of beautiful women around the world and she wasn’t worldly enough to compete. She didn’t want to compete. Not unless she knew she could win. And she suspected there would only be one winner if she let Oliver Harding get his way.
She was certain he was not the man for her. Just as she knew she wasn’t the woman for him. She wasn’t going to be anyone’s conquest. But she couldn’t deny he was attractive. Charming. And sexy.
She knew it would be almost impossible to deny her desire if he kept up his charm offensive, so she suspected the question wasn’t could she resist him, but rather how long could she resist him for?
‘Good morning! How was your date?’
Kat