LITMIR.BIZ

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can I,’ Zac growled.

      Paul hadn’t finished. ‘I’ll cover for you, Zac, and I’m sure we can find someone to pick up the reins in your department for five days, CC.’

      ‘You still haven’t said why you’re doing this. Us needing a holiday doesn’t cover such generosity.’ Zac sipped his drink, a thoughtful expression on his handsome face.

      An expression that worried Olivia. He’d better not be considering this crazy idea. She snapped, ‘It doesn’t matter why. It’s not going to happen.’ Knowing how ungrateful that sounded, and yet annoyed that Paul thought he could manipulate them, she added, ‘It’s a lovely offer, Paul, but I’m turning you down.’

      The moment the words left her mouth she was regretting the lost opportunity. A holiday would be fabulous right now. Keeping up her usual number of patients and working on this gala fundraiser had finally caught up with her. Throw in her mum’s latest crisis, and heading offshore to somewhere she’d be pampered sounded better and better. A sideways glance at Zac and she couldn’t deny that going away with him didn’t have appeal. Her head snapped up. She was not going anywhere with Zac.

      Someone coughed. ‘I’ll cover for you, Olivia.’ A colleague at Auckland Surgical Hospital sat on the other side of the table, looking completely relaxed about the whole scenario. ‘You know you’ve been wanting to get away for a while now. The timing couldn’t be better. Leave it another couple of months and I’ll be on maternity leave.’

      Thanks a million. You obviously haven’t heard the whole conversation, especially the bit about Zac going too. But as Olivia glared at the woman she felt herself wavering. This might be working out too easily, but did that mean she shouldn’t be considering it? Should she be grabbing that envelope and rushing home to pack, or was it wiser to continue refusing Paul’s kindness?

      Zac was watching her with something akin to an annoying challenge in his eyes. ‘What about it, CC? It could be fun.’

      ‘It could be a nightmare.’ How would she remain aloof when they were sharing accommodation on an island with very few people around for distraction? How would she be able to control herself with that hot bod so close for days on end?

      Pulling her gaze from that infuriating taunt in Zac’s eyes, she looked around the now-crowded table and found everyone watching, waiting for her answer, almost as though they were all challenging her.

       You never turn down a dare, remember?

      She’d never had one quite like this, though. She could not go on holiday with the man she’d had to walk away from once already. Not when he’d got her in a tangle of emotions within minutes of turning up in the hotel earlier that afternoon. She’d never survive with her heart and her brain functioning normally if she spent five days and nights in the same space as Zac.

       You’d have a lot of great sex.

      Not necessarily. They could avoid that. It wasn’t as though they were going together-together, right?

       Tell that to someone who’ll believe you.

      The little gremlin that had flattened her car battery and made her fall asleep in the hot tub now had her saying, ‘It would have to be the first week of July.’

      Zac shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets as he strolled along the Viaduct beside Olivia. At one-thirty in the morning, in the middle of winter, they were the only ones crazy enough to be out here, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Why the hell had he agreed to go to Fiji? His brain had to be fried from too many hours in Olivia’s company. No other explanation popped up. Accepting he wanted time out with her went against everything he strived for. His hands clenched at his sides. What if he liked Olivia even more by the end of the trip? He liked her too much already. Her beauty, her wit, her sense of fun, and her concern for others. He’d pushed her to go away to a place that was all about romance. Romance. A subject he knew nothing about. And didn’t want to. That would be like rubbing salt into the wound.

      Olivia would be regretting her acceptance of Paul’s generous gift. But she would never back down. Not now that others had heard her accept.

      Zac sighed unhappily. He was as bad as Olivia. Paul had challenged them both, and he’d fallen for it. Given in to the emotions that had been battering him since he’d arrived at the hotel. To have spent his entire adult life avoiding commitment only to find himself well and truly hooked didn’t bear thinking about.

      A gust of rain-laden wind slapped them. Olivia pulled her jacket tight across her breasts and folded her arms under them. Her face looked pinched—from cold or from anger at herself for agreeing, he wasn’t sure.

      Taking her elbow, Zac turned them around. She was shivering. ‘Come on. We’ll go to my apartment. The weather’s about to dump a load of wet stuff and getting soaked doesn’t appeal.’

      ‘I should go back to the hotel.’ She didn’t sound convinced.

      ‘We need to talk about what we’ve got ourselves into.’ Then he might feel happier. Might. ‘I’ve got wine in the chiller. Or there’s tea, if you’d prefer.’ He also had a huge bed, but doubted he’d get a hug for mentioning that.

      ‘Why didn’t you tell Paul no?’ she asked when they were in the elevator, heading up to his apartment.

      Initially he had. ‘Maybe I want to go.’

      ‘Do you? Really?’

       While I’m standing here breathing in the floral scent that’s you, yes, really. When I see that uncertainty flick through your eyes, yes, I want to spend time with you. When I think about actually scratching my itch, definitely, yes, but if I remember why I have to move on from you, then a resounding no.

      The elevator shook to a halt and the doors glided open. He took her elbow again. ‘The idea of going to Fiji, it’s growing on me.’ His parent’s fortieth wedding anniversary was in the first week of July and they were having a party to beat all parties at one of Auckland’s top restaurants. Of course he wanted to celebrate with them. Of course he was not invited. ‘Yep, getting away has appeal.’ He tried to ignore the surprised look on her face and opened the door to his penthouse. ‘After you.’

      Olivia slipped past him, and walked through to the lounge with its floor-to-ceiling glass wall that allowed an extensive view of Auckland Harbour, the bridge, and closer in the wharves with a collection of large and small sea craft tied up.

      He followed, stood next to her, stared out seeing nothing. Why did Olivia unsettle him when no other woman ever had?

      ‘I’ve never been to the islands,’ she said, without looking his way. ‘Haven’t been anywhere since I was ten, and then it was to Australia with my parents. Mum hates flying.’

      ‘Makes for an uncomfortable trip, I imagine. You haven’t inherited that fear?’

      Her head moved slowly from side to side. ‘Not at all. In fact, I’d like to learn to fly one day.’

      ‘What’s holding you back?’ It wouldn’t be lack of brains or money.

      ‘I have a feeling it would become a passion and what with work and doing up my house there isn’t enough spare time to spend hours in the air.’ Her reflection in the window showed she was nibbling her lip again.

      He didn’t like it when she did that. It indicated distress, and he didn’t want her to feel distressed. ‘Ever thought of cutting back a few hours so you can do some of the things you like?’

      Olivia finally looked at him. ‘I spent so much time training and working my way to the top that I think I’ve forgotten there’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored, whether through travel or doing things like learning to fly.’

      ‘You’re right.’ Apart from going sailing whenever he could get a weekend away, he spent most of his time working. ‘You said you’re enjoying

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