LITMIR.BIZ

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blissful nights, revelling in the sensual pleasures of intimacy.

      Her sleep on the plane was deep and untroubled. She awoke with a sense of well-being that stayed with her until the plane circled over Sydney before landing. The view of the harbour, the great Coat-hanger bridge, the gleaming white sails of the opera house, the sparkling blue of the water…it suddenly grabbed her heart and gave it a twist. This was home. What had she done, abandoning it for a host of unknowns?

      A rush of strong emotion brought tears to her eyes. She blinked rapidly to drive them back. It was silly to let a familiar view get to her like this. People were more important than places. She had Bryce. And right on that thought, he reached across, took her hand, and gently squeezed it.

      ‘A touch homesick?’

      ‘It’s just so beautiful,’ she excused.

      ‘Yes, it is. One of the most beautiful cities in the world,’ he said warmly. ‘We will be back, many times, Sunny.’

      She flashed him a watery smile. ‘It’s okay. I do want to be with you, Bryce.’

      He nodded and interlaced his fingers with hers, reinforcing their togetherness. There were times when he seemed ruthlessly intent on not allowing anything to shadow it.

      He had arbitrarily dismissed the idea of staying in her Sydney apartment, booking an executive suite at the Regent Hotel for the duration of their visit. Sunny suspected he didn’t care to be anywhere Derek had been, but he argued comfort and the fact that it would complicate her task of clearing everything out and ending the lease. Which was true enough.

      She was thankful she and Derek had maintained separate apartments, never actually living together. At least she didn’t have the complication of dividing up possessions. That would have been really messy. They had never swapped door keys, either, which was probably just as well, given their bitter parting. Sunny saw no problems in doing what had to be done today.

      Although they had left Los Angeles on Wednesday night, crossing the dateline meant they were arriving in Sydney on Friday morning, and they’d be flying out again on Sunday. A packing company had already been lined up to help her at the apartment. Bryce wanted to spend the day in the Sydney headquarters of Templar Resources and he offered to collect her personal belongings from the office where she had worked.

      This, Sunny realised, neatly avoided any unpleasant encounter between her and Derek, so she had agreed to the plan, but she did regret missing the opportunity to say goodbye to the people she had been friendly with. Though they were mostly men who would probably side with Derek, she argued to herself. Since her life was now with Bryce, it seemed wiser to simply stay out of the situation.

      The plane landed safely at Mascot Airport. A limousine took them to the Regent Hotel. They had time to freshen up, eat a light second breakfast, and go over their plans for the day in case something had not been thought of. Satisfied that everything was in hand, Bryce left for head office and Sunny took a taxi to her old neighbourhood in the suburb of Drummoyne, only a short trip from the centre of the city.

      It was strange, moving around the apartment she had occupied for the past four years, wondering what to do with everything she had collected here. There was no point in taking anything but clothes, photo albums and those personal possessions which were especially dear to her. Having spent the last day before their flight to Sydney at Bryce’s home in Santa Monica, Sunny was only too aware that it wanted for nothing.

      Bryce had advised sending her surplus stuff to a charity but she didn’t feel right about that now. It was like irrevocably sweeping out her past—everything that had made up her life before she had gone to Las Vegas. It seemed like saying none of it had any value anymore—all she’d worked for over many years. To just get rid of it because Bryce could provide more and better…it simply didn’t sit well with her.

      While she waited for the packing people to arrive, she telephoned her mother, letting her know what was happening and asking if there was anything she would like from the apartment. To Sunny’s intense relief, her mother suggested sending everything to her. It could be stored in the garage and the whole family could pick and choose what they could use.

      ‘Better we keep it for you,’ her mother added. ‘You never know, dear. You might not be happy living so far away in another country.’

      ‘Mum, I’m married,’ Sunny protested.

      ‘Yes, and I’m sure you’re wildly in love. I truly hope this marriage works out wonderfully for you, Sunny, but…it was rather hasty, dear. And he is an American, not…well, not what you’re used to. If sometime in the future you want to come back home…’

      ‘I’m not thinking like that, Mum.’

      ‘I understand, dear. I’d just feel better about it if we keep things for you.’

      Insurance against some unforeseen future?

      Sunny frowned. Did she herself feel that? The idea warred with her sense of commitment, yet…who could really know what the future held? All she knew was that keeping her things did make her feel more comfortable.

      ‘Okay, Mum. The boxes should arrive this afternoon.’ Her mother and sisters lived at Quakers Hill, on the western outskirts of Sydney, not more than an hour away if the truck went there directly. ‘Will you be home to direct where they’re to be stored?’

      ‘Yes, I’ll be home. What time can I expect you and Bryce tomorrow?’

      ‘What time do you want us there?’

      ‘In time for morning tea. Say ten-thirty? I’m cooking your favourite carrot cake this afternoon.’

      ‘Thanks, Mum. That’s great! We’ll be there soon after ten.’

      ‘If you’ve got the time, Sunny, call your sisters, too. They’re dying to chat to you.’

      ‘I’ll try. ’Bye for now.’

      With the storage decision made, Sunny threw herself into sorting out what clothes she should take with her now, and what was to be boxed up and sent to her. As arranged, two men from the packing company turned up at ten o’clock and were amazingly efficient at their job; wrapping breakables, grouping things for easy labelling, even boxing the furniture in thick cardboard so nothing could be damaged.

      By one o’clock the apartment was completely cleared. The men even carried the suitcases she’d packed down to her car for her. She drove to the local shopping centre, had a quick lunch, then dropped into the real estate agency which handled the lease of her apartment. After handing in her keys there, arranging for cleaning and settling what was owing, Sunny only had one item left on her business agenda—returning the company car which had been part of her salary package.

      It was easy, at this point, to simply follow Bryce’s advice. She returned to the hotel, had her luggage sent up to the suite, and instructed the concierge that the car was to be picked up by the Templar Resources company. Having now completely dismantled her previous life in Sydney, Sunny suddenly felt drained. Jetlag, she told herself, and retired to their suite to sleep it off.

      Except sleep eluded her and she remembered she hadn’t yet called her sisters. Or any of her old girlfriends! She started with Alyssa who wanted to hear all about her honeymoon and bubbled on about how marvellous it must be to have a really wealthy husband who could just do what he wanted without counting the cost.

      ‘Bryce does work, too, you know,’ Sunny said dryly. ‘A CEO doesn’t have a lot of leisure time. This was our honeymoon, Alyssa.’

      ‘Yes, but let’s face it, Sunny. Derek couldn’t have given you all that. And talking of work, did you know he’d resigned from Templar Resources?’

      Sunny frowned over that piece of information. ‘How could I know when I’ve been out of the country? And how do you know, Alyssa?’

      ‘Nadine found out. She felt sorry for him and called him.’

      ‘I wish she hadn’t done that.’

      ‘Well,

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