The Ex Factor. Anne Oliver
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scored his skin. He shifted his stance to accommodate the building tension. He really, really didn’t need to go any further down that track. ‘Okay, then…’
He trailed off as he watched the sandy-haired Mikey climb out of his van and approach Melanie, a battery under one beefy arm and a swagger and a smile that didn’t fool anyone.
Then he saw her smile back and his confidence in Mel’s ability to see through men like that deflated like a lead balloon. ‘If you need any help…’ He directed his offer to no one in particular and set a beeline for his car. ‘Call us. Where shall we go?’ he asked Adam.
Adam turned to Luke, his shrewd blue eyes assessing. ‘Somewhere quiet and comfortable where you can fill me in on your acquaintance with Melanie Sawyer.’
* * *
‘Okay, girls, let’s see what we’ve got.’ Melanie tipped the contents of the shoebox onto the table and pushed up her sleeves. She and two colleagues were down to sorting prizes and matching numbers in the hospital employees’ cafeteria.
‘This silent auction was a great idea, Mel.’ Sophie spread out the cards with the donated prizes written on them.
‘You bet,’ Marie agreed with enthusiasm. ‘We’re going to raise some money for the Rainbow Road and have ourselves a good time.’
‘Hopefully,’ Sophie, ever the voice of caution, said.
‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’ Mel looked at Sophie, the youngest and newest member of the fund-raising group. ‘What’s the worst that can happen? If things don’t work out you end up home alone at ten p.m. on a Saturday night. Not too late to dial up pizza, open a bottle of wine and watch a DVD.’ Like Luke, she thought, remembering the spark between them as she’d passed him his DVDs.
Instantly she was back in the past with Luke’s mouth moving over her body, her hands in the silky strands of his hair as he took her higher, higher…
Her pulse took off God knew where and she must have taken after it, because when she finally focused on her surroundings her friends were watching her curiously.
She cleared her suddenly dry throat and said, ‘The best part about being alone is you get to choose the movie.’
Marie shook her head. ‘Sounds like a waste of a good Saturday night.’
‘Not at all.’ Not when you’ve got nothing better to do. Mel forced herself to straighten into business mode. ‘We’ve sorted the prizes in order of value. We’ve got several full body massages and dinners, lots of dinners-and-movies. Now we’re down to the serious prizes. A sunrise hot air balloon ride and champagne breakfast, tickets for a guided tour to the top of the Harbour Bridge followed by dinner at Doyles Seafood Palace—if you’ve still got an appetite, that is.’
‘And your donation, Mel. A chauffeured limo to Ben and Carissa Jamieson’s new hideaway in the Blue Mountains,’ Marie read from the prize description. ‘Romantic overnight for two, catered meals, all mod cons in a bush setting.’ Marie’s eyes flicked to Melanie. ‘The sad thing is, come Saturday night you’ll be the only one not enjoying yourself.’
‘Who says I haven’t got a hot date lined up already? Can we move along here?’ she said, feeling a little of that heat creep up her neck at the lie. ‘Some of us have to work in the morning.’
Bending her head to the task at hand, she concentrated on not feeling Marie’s speculative eyes on her. ‘The guys have been given a number and have written their bid alongside.’ She spread the bids on the table. ‘We order the numbers according to their bids, from highest to lowest, then match them to the prizes. No one knows their partner till Saturday night…oh, my God.’ Melanie stared at the zeros on number twenty-seven.
‘Ten thousand dollars,’ Marie read out over her shoulder. ‘Wow! Guess he takes your prize, huh, Mel?’ She did the eyebrow thing again. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to include yourself in the deal? Snag yourself a rich stranger for the evening, like Carissa?’
‘Quite sure.’ Melanie did a mental head shake. Who could afford that kind of money on hospital wages? Except…some bids came from outside, from family and friends… Luke’s got money to burn. Melanie’s pulse did a quick one-two.
No, she assured herself. It was too late for Luke’s bid. And Adam wouldn’t meddle in the Rainbow Road’s business. Would he?
CHAPTER THREE
BEN and Carissa’s very new and private city escape might be only a couple of hours’ drive from Sydney but it wasn’t exactly Highway One. Mel frowned as she steered her car through the dense eucalypt forest and hoped its out-of-tune engine wouldn’t give her any grief on the way home.
She glanced at the low scudding clouds then pumped up the heater and focused on beating the imminent cloudburst, wondering if the track Ben had generously called a road would still be there in three hours’ time when her guest and his partner for the evening arrived.
Her very rich or very charitable guest. Who was he? She shook off the shiver that coasted down her spine. She’d do the meet-and-greet thing to ensure they had everything they needed for a perfect intimate evening before she left, and find out then.
Finally the track opened up into a cleared block. The recently constructed retreat stood on a rise, its full-length windows on three sides looked out onto bushland and the nearby mountains. But with the sky darkening every wintry minute, Melanie didn’t pause to admire the view.
With her cartons of supplies precariously balanced and tucked beneath her chin, she made it to the door as the first needles of rain pricked at her face.
As she stepped inside her gaze took in the welcoming surroundings. Burgundy rugs covered the honeyed wooden floor, bold wall hangings lent warmth to the room. There was a stone fireplace with kindling and a beautiful baby grand piano by the window, waiting for Ben to compose.
Bedroom ready, she noted on her quick tour of inspection. There was a sumptuous bathroom and a separate spa and sauna.
Her first job was to light the fire and add some much-needed warmth. She lit the kindling, waited a moment, then added a couple of logs and watched as the flames sputtered and caught, filling the room with the scent of eucalypts.
Not knowing her guests’ preferences, she’d prepared a choice of prawn cocktail or pumpkin soup, a gourmet beef casserole with green side salad and fresh home-baked bread, and individual sticky date puddings or strawberries with cream for dessert. Not bad for someone who hated cooking.
She slid the casserole into the oven to heat slowly, set the table with ruby-red candles and put a matching bottle of wine on the kitchen bench. Checked her watch for the umpteenth time. A couple of hours to kill before her guests were due to arrive.
There was no TV. Not a book in sight. Pacing in front of the windows and clicking her nails, she shook her head at the wind-tossed trees. She had to do something. Anything to soothe the tension that had grabbed her with iron fists the moment she’d recognised Luke—had it only been two days?—and hadn’t let go.
A soak in that to-die-for bathroom? She could manage that and still have time on her hands.
Five minutes later she put on a favourite rock CD she’d found in Ben’s collection and cranked the volume up. Then she immersed herself up to the neck in hot fragrant bubble bath.
Outside the rain drummed on the roof. The wind had picked up—she could hear the trees, the splash of water against the frosted window. If it got any heavier she might be the only one here for the evening. Not a bad prospect—a glass of red, a toasty fire…
When the water began to cool, the thought of that fire’s warmth held instant appeal, so, wrapping a towel around herself, she took her clothes to the living room to dress.
Early dusk shrouded the view outside, but the fire-glow was enough to see by. She opened the towel and sighed as