LITMIR.BIZ

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short question.

      ‘Wanting to see her man.’ Olivia moved closer. ‘She’s got past that little meltdown but, Duncan, you need to be prepared for more episodes. I’m not saying Anna’s going to fall apart on you long term, but she’s facing reality now, whereas before surgery it was still an unknown. It’s scary for her.’ She continued, ‘She’s afraid you won’t be able to cope when you see her breasts. It’s natural to feel that way, but it’s how you handle the situation that’s going to make the difference.’

      ‘I’ll tell you this for nothing. I don’t care about scars and a change in her shape. I love that woman and think she’s the bravest person I’ve ever met.’ Duncan touched the corner of one eye with a forefinger.

      ‘I think Anna’s a lucky woman.’ Olivia swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. ‘Go tell her exactly what you just said.’

      ‘She’s not going to throw her water bottle at me or tell me to go away for ever?’ Duncan was deadly serious.

      ‘I doubt it, unless it’s because you’ve taken so long to get along to her room since I said I was coming to find you.’ Anna shouldn’t have thrown anything—it would hurt her wounds and might pull some stitches. Something to check up on when she examined her later. She hadn’t wanted to have Anna expose herself for an exam when she’d been so upset, and had figured that as all the obs were fine it didn’t matter if they waited before doing that.

      Dropping into the seat Duncan had vacated, she stared at the toes of her boots. And yawned.

      Zac chuckled. ‘Want to grab a coffee while we wait for the battery man? He’s about twenty minutes away and we could both do with something to keep us awake.’

      ‘Hospital coffee will be a comedown after that fabulous brunch.’

      ‘Nothing like a reality check.’

      Reality. Of course. ‘You don’t need to hang around. You’ve got a perfectly good vehicle downstairs. I can visit patients while I wait.’

      ‘You don’t want to share crap coffee with me?’ His grin set butterflies flapping in her tummy. ‘Anyway, the guy’s got my number, not yours.’

      ‘I hate it when you gloat.’ She laughed tiredly. ‘Disgusting coffee it is.’ Along with great company. All in all, not a bad way to continue her morning.

      Olivia’s bubble burst quickly.

      Zac directed her to a corner table as far away as possible from the few staff and visitors using the cafeteria, ordered long blacks for them both, and dropped onto the chair opposite her. ‘I’ve talked to my practice manager so she can arrange for my days off when we go to Fiji. The hospital roster is easy to fix, with Paul offering to cover for me.’

      The man didn’t muck about. He must’ve been on the phone the moment she’d clambered out of his four-wheel drive in the hospital garage; ordering a battery, sorting his week off.

      She sighed. ‘I thought I said I wasn’t going.’ He had to be deaf as well as organised.

      ‘You did.’

      ‘So you are planning on going alone.’

      ‘Nope.’ Zac leaned back as a girl placed two overfull coffee cups on the table and took away their order number. ‘I want you to come with me.’

      So do I. ‘No.’

      Those eyes that matched the coffee in colour locked onto her. ‘Are you telling me no? Or yourself, Olivia?’

      ‘We’d probably end up hating each other.’

      ‘Somehow I don’t think so.’ Shock widened his eyes. So he hadn’t thought it through. ‘But we won’t know if we don’t try.’

      What was this about? Zac had made it clear he’d only been interested in sex last time round. Her hands were back in her lap, her fingers aching with the tightness of her grip. ‘Is this so you can then walk away with no regrets? Did I finish it too soon last time?’

      Now his gaze dropped away. He leaned far back and draped one arm over the top of the chair next to him. His eyes cruised the cafeteria before returning to her, a guarded expression covering his face. ‘I’ve learned more about you in the last twenty-four hours than I ever did in those eight weeks last year.’

      ‘Then you’re probably up to speed and there’s nothing more to find out.’

      Zac stared at her. ‘You’re selling yourself short.’

      To hell with the coffee. Pushing up from the table, she aimed for a moderate tone. ‘No, I am not. What you see is what you get, and as for Fiji, you get nothing. I’m not going.’ But I want to. Really, really want to.

      Of course he followed her. He was persistent if nothing else. Unlike last time. ‘Rethink that, Olivia. We don’t have to live in each other’s pockets while we’re there, but it would be fun to lie in the sun together, to share a meal under the stars.’

      The problem was that if she lay on the beach in her bikini beside Zac in his swimming shorts they would end up having sex. Not that doing so didn’t appeal. Of course it did. Her mouth watered, thinking about it. But she’d made up her mind the day she’d walked out on him that they weren’t going anywhere with their relationship because she couldn’t afford to get her heart broken. Neither had she wanted to break his—if it was even up for grabs.

      Zac pulled his phone from his pocket and read a message. ‘Your battery’s nearly here.’

      ‘Good. Thanks for arranging it.’ She didn’t know why she felt small and mean, only knew she was floundering, fighting between going with him on that trip and staying away from temptation. She was looking out for herself, something she’d always done. Her mother had never put her daughter before herself, never would. She gasped. That meant she was the same as her mother. Putting her determination to remain alone before anyone, anything else. But … But I’m doing it for a good reason. Dad left Mum because she’d worn him down, tossed his love back in his face again and again. I’m not doing that to a man I might fall in love with.

      A hand on her elbow directed her to the elevator. Seemed that Zac was always taking her to the lift. ‘Five days of sunshine and no patients. Sounds wonderful to me.’

      Ain’t that the truth?

      At least Olivia hadn’t questioned why he was so adamant they should go to Fiji together. He should be grateful she was refusing to go, but the thought of being alone when he should be celebrating with his family grated. A distraction was needed and Olivia would certainly be that.

      But, more than that, it was time to start changing from being reactive to his family’s attitude to becoming proactive in sorting out what he wanted for his future—starting with taking time off from his heavy work schedule to have some fun. Hell. When was the last time he’d done that? Nothing came to mind except the hours he’d snatched to be with Olivia eighteen months ago.

      The sound of squealing tyres filled the basement garage as they exited the elevator on the way to the outside car park. The smell of burning rubber filled his nostrils. ‘What the hell?’

      A nearly new, upmarket car raced past them. At the end of the lane it spun left, the rear wheels sliding out of control. Just when impact with parked vehicles seemed imminent the driver got the car under control.

      Zac pushed Olivia back against the now closed elevator doors, tugged his phone from his pocket to call Security, and cursed. There was no signal down here. ‘The driver looked very young. How’d he get in?’

      The garage and car park were reserved for medical personnel and accessed with a swipe card. The car flew past them again as Zac looked around for a wall phone. Spying one by the stairwell door, he changed direction, only to spin around when he heard an almighty thump, followed by a metallic crashing sound. Then ominous silence.

      ‘He’s hit someone and then

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