One More Time - Louisa George Page 0,46

the dragging sensation in her belly had worsened.

Maybe a workout would help soothe the pain, or at least take her mind off it.

As long as she kept a reasonable distance from Max. Confused didn’t describe how she felt— more like she’d lost something precious and knew she’d never be able to find it again. Her heart ached for him, but her head knew it was better if she kept him at arm’s length.

Her attempts at avoiding him were in vain, as usual. Maybe it was time to move on, get a new job somewhere else, a different unit, hospital. A different country. At least then she wouldn’t have to face him every day knowing that things could have been so good.

Dragging on the lifejacket, she had a weird feeling of dropping. The island blurred, then came back into focus. Then blurred again. Her head pounded and the pain in her stomach stabbed and dragged.

‘Looks like it’s you and me in this one.’ Max hauled a double kayak towards the water. ‘Hop in.

‘I was thinking I’d go with Rach or something—you know, sisters doing it for themselves and all that.’ She raised a weak fist.

‘I think your sister has other things on her mind.’ He nodded over to where Rachel was climbing into a kayak with Rob from the night shift. She looked very cosy and not the least sisterly. Giggling even. Traitor. Max grinned and handed Gabby a paddle. ‘We’d better be quick or we’ll be the last to set off.’

‘And that would be bad, why?’

‘Because we’d lose.’

‘Is everything a competition to you?’

‘You say it like it’s a bad thing.’ Dropping the kayak into the shallows he turned, strode over to her and zipped up her lifejacket. Made sure it was fastened and she would be safe. Damn him. Did he have to be so considerate? Could he not be difficult? Did she have to be turned on by everything he did?

His fingers ran along the lifejacket, skimming the sides of her breasts. Instinctively they pebbled, anticipating his touch.

She edged out of reach. ‘Don’t...’

‘What’s all this about? Are you okay?’

‘Yes. But I’m uncomfortable with people seeing us like this. And this kind of makes it obvious.’ And too darned hard for her to cope with. Next thing she knew she’d be kissing him in full view of everyone.

‘Sure, because they all look totally bound up in our lives, don’t they? We could be naked and they wouldn’t notice.’

‘I would.’ Hell, yes. For all the wrong reasons. She loved to see his long sun-kissed lithe legs, his perfect bum, his broad chest. And now she was torturing herself with such delicious images.

She glanced over at the team. They were jabbering about the trip, pushing off into the sparkling water. Planning their picnic and volcano walk. He was right. No one even seemed to notice that she and Max were in the same hemisphere, let alone same kayak.

‘Okay.’ Time to pull on the big girl’s pants again. She would do this one trip to keep everyone happy and bolster the team. Then she would be honest and open with him. Explain how things could not work—especially in light of what he’d told her of his past and his fervent beliefs. Then they would both be able to move on.

The trip across the harbour was smooth, the water calm, and the dappled late-afternoon sunlight provided a gentle warmth that was nurturing rather than overwhelming.

Unlike Maitland One. ‘How easy is it to have sex in one of these things, do you think?’

She almost dropped the paddle. ‘Impossible. Especially with all the rocking. Don’t go there, Max.’

‘That would make it more fun, don’t you think? Living on the brink.’ His voice deepened to that irresistible groan that stoked her inside. ‘You want to try?’

Yes, please. ‘Max, I’m wedged into a two-foot-wide hole and I’m soaking wet. There’s about fifty metres of water between me and the ground. And...’ She gestured to the flotilla of sailing boats with their white sails fluttering in the wind. ‘There are more sailing boats and kayaks around than America’s Cup week. I do not have sex with an audience.’

‘So I take it from that you’re possibly not keen? Wavering maybe?’ His laughter fanned the flames his voice ignited. Damn him. One day she’d look at him and find nothing attractive about him at all. She would. She prayed that day would come soon. Tomorrow? And in that tight navy T-shirt and bright blue board shorts, did he have to define