Читать книгу Taming Her Hollywood Playboy - Emily Forbes, Emily Forbes - Страница 12

KAT PULLED INTO the courtyard in front of the Cave Hotel. She found a spot to park under a gum tree in the shadow of the hill, seeking shade out of habit rather than necessity at this time of the evening. The air was still warm but the searing heat of the day was beginning to dissipate.

The sun was setting behind the hotel, turning the sky orange. The hotel was the town’s only five-star accommodation. Kat doubted it could be compared to five-star indulgence in Paris, London or New York but it was luxurious by Coober Pedy standards and all that Kat knew. She’d never travelled outside Australia and had never stayed in anything rated above three and a half stars.

‘Do you have a little more time up your sleeve?’ George asked as Kat switched off her car. ‘As a thank-you for showing me those caves I’ll buy you a cold drink and introduce you to the cast. I imagine they’ll gather in the bar before dinner and it would be a good chance to meet them before you start work.’

‘Sure,’ she replied. ‘I’ll just make a call and then I’ll meet you inside.’

Like a lot of the dwellings in town, the hotel had been built into the side of a hill. It had newer wings that extended out from the hill but Kat always recommended that people book an underground room as a preference, for the atmosphere and experience plus the fact that the rooms were bigger and cooler. The original, subterranean floorplan had been designed to enable the rooms to maintain a constant temperature year-round, a bonus in the scorching heat of summer and during cold winter nights, but it meant that cell phone reception could be erratic inside.

The hotel had air-conditioning, an excellent restaurant and shops, and the courtyard parking area had been covered in bitumen, which, in contrast to the dusty streets, was perhaps all that was needed. More importantly it had an outdoor pool, secluded behind an adobe wall and surrounded by palm trees. Kat had always thought the palms a bit incongruous, considering the environment, but they seemed to thrive.

She stepped under the covered walkway that ran from the pool to the hotel foyer, seeking the shade. She called her father, letting him know she’d be late and checking that he was happy to wait for dinner. As she finished her phone call she heard the pool gate slam shut behind her. She turned her head and saw Oliver walking her way.

He had a beach towel slung over his right shoulder but he was still wet. He was bare-chested, his skin smooth and slick and golden brown. Damp swimming trunks hugged his thighs.

Kat’s mouth went dry as she tried not to ogle him, but it was a difficult task. Eventually she lifted her eyes and saw him smiling at her. His smile was incredible. It started slowly; one corner of his mouth lifted first and then his smile stretched across his lips before they parted to reveal perfect white teeth and a wide, engaging smile.

‘This is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you. What are you up to?’

He stopped at her side, took the towel from his shoulder and started to dry his chest. There was a purple bruise on his right shoulder and Kat was going to ask about it, but that was before she got distracted. Oliver’s arm muscles flexed as he rubbed the towel over his body, diverting her attention. He ran the towel over his abdomen and she couldn’t help but follow his movements. His stomach muscles rippled as he twisted to reach his hand behind his back and Kat’s heart skipped a beat as she forced herself to concentrate. She was yearning to reach out and run her hand over his shoulder and down his arm. To feel his biceps tense and flex under her fingers. If she thought he was attractive fully clothed then he was something else altogether when he was partially naked.

She swallowed as she tried to rein in her imagination. ‘I’ve just brought George back—we went to scout some locations.’

‘You’ve already got the lingo, I see,’ he said as he slung the towel back over his shoulder. ‘What are you doing now?’

‘I’m having a drink at the bar. George is going to introduce me to a few people.’

‘Great, I’ll see you inside.’ He started walking towards the hotel and Kat focused on walking beside him, on putting one foot in front of the other.

He held the lobby door open for her but stopped at the entrance to the bar. ‘I’m not dressed appropriately—I’ll get changed and come back. Are you OK to go in by yourself?’

Kat wasn’t used to people checking on her; everyone in town knew her and the locals expected people to look after themselves. On the whole women weren’t treated any differently to men but she stopped herself from giving a short reply of ‘of course’, as she realised he was just being polite. He was just treating her with courtesy, showing some respect. It was something her father would have done for her mother.

Her father would have been horrified if her mother had gone into a hotel unaccompanied. When they had been courting there would have been separate bars for the men and women, and women would never have been permitted in the ‘public’ bar, but times had changed and no one now would bat an eyelid at a woman going into a bar alone. Kat knew she would feel uncomfortable in a different setting, in a different town, but everyone knew her here; she still appreciated Oliver’s manners though. She nodded. ‘Yes, I’m fine, thank you.’

The bar was cool and softly lit. It was in the original part of the hotel, dug into the hill. Its walls and ceilings were the colour of ochre, the same colour as the land, but the walls had been coated with a clear lacquer to stop the dust that would otherwise coat everything in its path. It was a large room and felt spacious even though there were no windows. Indoor plants helped to delineate the space, creating smaller areas and a sense of privacy while helping to disguise the fact that they were several feet under the surface.

George was waiting for her and introduced her to several of the cast and crew as she nursed the drink he had purchased for her. She tried to focus on who everyone was but she was constantly scanning the room, waiting for Oliver to return. She hated knowing that she was waiting for him, looking forward to seeing him, but she couldn’t help the feeling.

She did a slight double-take when a tall man walked in—his build and even his gait were so similar to Oliver’s that it wasn’t until he removed his cap that she registered that not only was he not Oliver, but he also had a shaved head and was not nearly as good-looking. But his movements had been similar enough that she’d had to look twice, so it was no surprise when George introduced him as Chris, the man who was Oliver’s stunt double. Kat shook his hand, noticing his brown eyes even as she noted that the touch of his hand didn’t set her heart racing. He was pleasant enough, fit and young, but very definitely not Oliver.

‘When you see Oliver,’ Chris said to George after shaking Kat’s hand, ‘let him know I’ll meet him in the gym for his training session.’ He turned to Kat. ‘Good to meet you, Kat; I’ll see you on set.’

When Oliver finally entered the bar, Kat wondered how she could have mistaken Chris for him. There was an aura about Oliver, something drew her to him and she found it almost impossible to turn away.

‘Hello, Kat.’ He was looking at her intensely. Did he look at everyone like that? she wondered.

She felt as though he could see inside her, see all her secrets. Not that she had any. Something about him made her wish she was a little mysterious, wish she wasn’t so ordinary. She wished there was something about her that could intrigue him.

‘Chris is waiting in the gym for you.’ George was speaking to Oliver and his voice brought her back to the present.

‘That’s OK, I promised Kat a drink first. Chris will wait.’

Kat opened her mouth to object—Oliver hadn’t promised her any such thing—but before she could speak he winked at her and grinned and she kept quiet.

George’s assistant, Erica, came to the table and spoke softly in George’s ear.

‘If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to Julia. It appears she is having a crisis.’ George stood before adding, ‘Behave yourself, Oliver.’

Oliver just grinned in reply, apparently brushing George’s warning aside without a thought as George left the table, leaving them alone and leaving Kat a little nervous. To fill in the pause in conversation she asked, ‘Will she be OK?’

‘Have you met our leading lady yet?’ Oliver replied.

Kat shook her head.

‘Julia is always in the middle of a crisis,’ Oliver told her. ‘I attract scandals, she attracts crises. We probably shouldn’t be allowed to work together. There’s always a danger of too much drama.’ He laughed and Kat found herself relaxing. ‘Now, tell me, what are you drinking?’ he said.

‘Are you sure you shouldn’t be meeting Chris?’

Oliver shrugged and shook his head. ‘Not yet.’

‘Won’t you be in trouble?’

‘I’m used to it. Trust me, you are far better company than Chris, not to mention better-looking, and I might not get this opportunity again.’ He smiled his slow, drawn-out smile and Kat’s stomach flipped and fluttered in response. It was almost as though his smile kept time with his thoughts but she felt at a distinct disadvantage because, while she could hazard a guess, she actually had no idea what his thoughts were.

‘Besides, I told you trouble is my middle name.’

Kat smiled back. There was no denying his charm. ‘Maybe trouble should have been your first name.’

Oliver laughed as he stood up and even his laugh was perfect. Deep and rich, he sounded like someone who laughed often. ‘Chris will make me sweat for making him wait. I might as well enjoy a beer if he’s going to take his revenge in dead lifts and push-ups anyway.’

‘OK, thank you; a beer sounds good,’ Kat said, accepting his invitation.

‘Explain to me how the stunt double thing works,’ she said when Oliver returned from the bar. ‘I get that Chris has a similar physique to you and even moves a bit the same, but he doesn’t look like you. Is that a problem? Is that why you’re doing some of your own stunts?’

‘No. Chris has been my body double on several movies and he wears a wig if needed, but in this movie he’s often wearing a helmet, so his hair, or lack of it, is irrelevant.’

‘What about his eyes?’ Oliver’s were such a distinctive, vibrant blue, Kat couldn’t see how they could work around that.

‘He’s not in any close-up shots, so we don’t need to see his eyes, but he could probably wear coloured contact lenses if necessary. The make-up girls are good and nowadays there’s always CGI.’

Oliver was distracted by something over Kat’s right shoulder. She wondered if Chris had come to force him into the gym and so was surprised when she heard her name.

‘Kat?’

She turned to find her cousin, Dean, and his wife, Saskia, standing behind her. While she knew almost everyone in town, she hadn’t been expecting to see any familiar faces in this particular bar. The Cave Hotel was expensive and usually frequented exclusively by tourists.

Kat stood up and greeted them both with a kiss. ‘Hi. What are you doing here?’

‘Dean is taking me to dinner at Mona’s. It’s our wedding anniversary.’

The hotel restaurant, Mona’s, was the best in town and was the one drawcard for the locals, who often chose to dine there to celebrate special occasions.

‘Of course it is,’ Kat replied. ‘Happy anniversary.’ But Saskia had turned her attention to Oliver by now and was looking at him with interest.

‘Hello. I’m Saskia and this is my husband, Dean.’

Oliver was already on his feet. ‘Oliver Harding,’ he said as he shook Saskia’s hand and then Dean’s.

‘What are you two up to?’ Dean asked.

Kat could see the look of approval on Saskia’s face but, whereas her expression was one of appreciation, Dean looked wary. That wasn’t unexpected—Kat, Dean and his brother, Roger, were more like siblings than cousins and the boys had always been protective of Kat, particularly when it came to who she dated, but she didn’t need Dean trying to rescue her from this situation. There wasn’t a situation at all. This was just a work meeting.

To his credit Oliver didn’t seem fazed by Dean’s abrupt question but Kat jumped in before Oliver could say anything that could be misconstrued. She didn’t need any rumours getting back to her father. ‘Oliver is an actor in the movie that’s being shot in town. I’m going to be working with him.’

‘As what?’ Dean asked. His piercing gaze would have pinned a lesser man to the spot but Oliver seemed completely unperturbed by the attention.

‘The emergency response officer,’ Kat replied.

‘That sounds appealing,’ Saskia said with a slight smirk. Kat glared at her but Saskia just smiled, while Dean continued to size Oliver up.

Kat watched them both. Oliver was squaring up to Dean and she wondered if she’d need to step in between them. As fit as Oliver was, she wasn’t sure he’d be a match for her cousin in a physical confrontation.

The men were much the same height, both a couple of inches over six feet, but Dean was probably twenty kilograms heavier with a hardness about him that Kat knew came from growing up in this environment. Oliver’s muscles came from gym work, which was different from the muscles gained from working outdoors in the heat and dust of the Australian outback. Dean was neat and tidy but he had a toughness about him, except when he was with his wife and kids.

Oliver was groomed, not tough, still all male but a more polished version. He was gorgeous but, as far as Kat knew, he was used to Hollywood. In comparison, Dean was used to the outback, which was tough and rugged and, Kat imagined, just about as far from Hollywood as it was possible to get. Dean’s life couldn’t be more different from Oliver’s.

‘And what exactly does that entail?’ Dean asked.

‘It’s exciting. I’ll tell you about it over dinner,’ Saskia said as she tucked her arm into Dean’s elbow and prepared to lead him through the bar and into the restaurant.

Kat had told Saskia about the job offer. Saskia and Dean had been together since high school and Saskia was like a sister to Kat. As an only child, she appreciated the relationship she had with her cousin’s wife. She was slightly envious of her cousins’ marriages; they had what she wished for. They had found their ‘one’.

Once upon a time, Kat had had that too. She had thought she was going to get her own happily-ever-after, but things hadn’t turned out how she’d expected and now she was starting to wonder if she was ever going to find her soulmate. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to find him in Coober Pedy—the town was dwindling; people were leaving. Would she have to leave too?

‘I would jump at the chance to take on that job if I didn’t have you and the kids and work to worry about,’ Saskia said, bringing Kat back to the present, ‘if I was single and free, like Kat,’ she added, directing her less than subtle remark to Oliver.

Kat needed to move them on before Saskia said something that would embarrass her. She hugged them both and said, ‘Enjoy your dinner,’ as she put some gentle pressure against the small of Saskia’s back, encouraging her to leave and take Dean with her.

But Saskia wasn’t done yet. ‘Will we see you on Sunday or are you working?’

‘I’ll be there.’

‘What’s happening on Sunday?’ Oliver asked when they were alone again.

‘Family dinner.’ It was a weekly occurrence and there was an expectation that everyone would attend, but Kat didn’t mind. She adored her family. Kat had moved back in with her father after her mother passed away, and her extended family—her aunt Rosa, Dean and Saskia, Roger and his wife, Maya, and their children—had dinner together every Sunday.

‘Family?’

Kat nodded. ‘Dean is my cousin.’

‘Your cousin! Do you have other family here?’

‘Yes, of course. My whole family is here. This is where I grew up.’

‘Here?’

‘Yes. I told you that.’

‘No. You never said you grew up here. You told me you lived here. Those are two different things.’

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Kat said.

‘How can you know what I’m thinking?’

‘Because it’s what everyone who’s not from here thinks. You assumed I moved here for work because why would someone choose to live here?’

‘I guess I did think it was for your job,’ Oliver agreed. ‘But that’s partly because everyone I know moves where their job takes them.’

‘I’ve lived here my entire life, just about.’ Give or take a few years in Adelaide, but she tried not to think too much about those years. ‘I choose to live here because my family is here. And because I miss it when I’m not here.’

‘What do you miss?’

‘The community. The people. The beauty.’ She could see from his expression that he didn’t believe her. ‘I’ll show you. There’s more to the outback than dust and flies.’

‘It’s a date,’ Oliver said, smiling again, and Kat realised, just a fraction too late, that he’d played her and got just what he wanted.

‘It’s not a date,’ she protested.

‘You can call it whatever you like,’ he said with a smile, ‘but I’m going to call it a date.’

He reached towards her and Kat thought he was going to pick up her empty glass, but his fingers reached for her hand. His thumb stroked the side of her wrist before he turned her hand over and ran his thumb over the sensitive skin on the underside. Kat’s insides turned liquid, she felt as though her bones were melting, and it took all her energy not to close her eyes and give in to the heat that flooded through her.

She needed to leave. To get out from under the spell he was casting over her. She was feeling vulnerable and she knew she was in danger of falling for his charm. He created an energy around him, around her.

‘I should go,’ she said as she pulled her hand away, breaking the spell before she made a complete fool of herself.

‘I guess I’d better get to the gym,’ he said as he stood, ‘but I’ll walk you to your car first.’

He kept a slight distance between them as they walked outside but even so she was aware of a field of attraction and desire surrounding them. Or at least surrounding her.

She turned towards him as they stopped at her car.

‘I’ll see you at work,’ he said as he opened the door that she’d once again left unlocked. ‘And I’m looking forward to our date,’ he added, ‘but until then…’ he said as he bent his head and leant towards her.

Kat didn’t intend to but she lifted her face, angling it up to him.

Was he going to kiss her?

Her eyelids drifted down, half-closed.

She could feel his breath on her cheek and then his lips pressed against her cheek, just in front of her ear, briefly touching her. Too briefly.

She opened her eyes.

He’d kissed her but not how she’d expected him to. Not how she wanted him to.

He was watching her and she knew he could read her mind. She’d wanted him to kiss her properly. She knew it and he knew it.

She needed to get a grip, she thought as she slid into her car. She was sure he had the same effect on dozens, hundreds, of women. Just because she felt something didn’t mean he did. He probably didn’t notice it. It was probably something he did out of habit. George had warned her but she couldn’t ignore or deny the feelings he evoked in her. She shouldn’t be so fascinated but she hadn’t met anyone like him. Ever. It was as if he was from a different world.

He scared her. Not in a frightening sense but in a sense that he would have seen far more than she ever had; she had no doubt he would have had his share of beautiful women around the world and she wasn’t worldly enough to compete. She didn’t want to compete. Not unless she knew she could win. And she suspected there would only be one winner if she let Oliver Harding get his way.

She was certain he was not the man for her. Just as she knew she wasn’t the woman for him. She wasn’t going to be anyone’s conquest. But she couldn’t deny he was attractive. Charming. And sexy.

She knew it would be almost impossible to deny her desire if he kept up his charm offensive, so she suspected the question wasn’t could she resist him, but rather how long could she resist him for?

‘Good morning! How was your date?’

Kat jumped, spilling her coffee over the kitchen bench as Saskia’s voice interrupted her morning routine. ‘Jesus, Sas, you scared the life out of me.’

‘Daydreaming about a cute actor, were you?’

‘No,’ Kat fibbed. ‘And it wasn’t a date.’

‘Looked like one to me.’

‘I was just there to meet some of the cast and crew,’ she said as she mopped up the spilt coffee. But she couldn’t help the blush she could feel creeping across her cheeks as Saskia’s comment reminded her that she had promised Oliver a date. At least, in his words she had.

Saskia raised one eyebrow but didn’t comment. She leant on the kitchen bench and sipped from her own mug that she’d brought in with her. Kat knew it would still be hot; Saskia hadn’t come far. She and Dean lived next door.

Saskia and Dean, Roger and Maya, plus Kat’s aunt and uncle all lived in the same street, with their underground houses dug into the same hill. As their family had expanded they had simply dug more rooms and added new entrances so they all had their own front door. Kat’s own parents had dug a house in the same hill and she had moved back in with her father when she returned to Coober Pedy from Adelaide. She didn’t mind living close to her family—she enjoyed the feeling of belonging—but sometimes the proximity could be disconcerting.

If the houses were viewed from outside, all that was obvious were the front doors and some windows. Gardens, or what passed for gardens in the arid country, were at the front, complete with barbecues or pizza ovens and outdoor seating areas used on the warm nights. The houses themselves extended back into the hill. Internally her father’s house had white, lime-washed walls, which gave a welcome break from the perpetual sight of red earth. A few skylights and air vents protruded from the surface, but there was no way of telling how large the houses were from outside, and some were very large.

‘When do you start work on the movie?’ Saskia asked as she sat down at the kitchen table.

‘I’m going out to the set this morning, but only to get a feel for filming. There are no stunts today.’

Saskia looked Kat up and down. ‘Is that what you’re wearing?’

Kat was wearing black three-quarter-length trousers and a loose camisole top. The clothes were comfortable and cool, perfect for the late autumn heatwave they were experiencing, but she could tell by Saskia’s tone that she didn’t approve. ‘What’s wrong with this?’

‘Nothing, if you don’t mind Oliver seeing you dressed like a homeless person.’

‘I’m not dressing for him,’ she said, even as she began to rethink her outfit.

‘You’re right. It probably doesn’t matter. He probably doesn’t care what you’re wearing—he’s only interested in getting you out of your clothes.’

‘Saskia!’

‘How about you?’ Saskia continued, ignoring Kat’s exclamation. ‘Are you interested? You’d have to be comatose not to be.’

‘He’s not my type.’

‘What? Drop-dead gorgeous isn’t your type?’

Kat smiled but shook her head at the same time. ‘He could have his pick of women—what would he want with a country girl like me? Even if he did set his sights on me, I’m not going to fall for him just because his pickings are limited out here.’ How did she explain to Saskia that he made her nervous and that it was a mixture of excitement and uncertainty? She suspected he was far too experienced for her, and she didn’t want Saskia to laugh at her by telling her so.

‘I’m pretty sure he’s already set his sights on you, and it wouldn’t matter where you were, Kat, you’d get noticed. But if you think you can’t handle him…’ Saskia paused, waiting for a response, but when nothing was forthcoming she continued ‘…then you might as well go dressed as you are, or I could find you something else to wear?’

Kat checked her make-up in her rear vision mirror. She wasn’t wearing much as it was too hot and most of it would just slide off her face, but she touched up her signature red lipstick, telling herself she didn’t want to look like a country cousin in comparison to the actors on set but not admitting that she was really driven by a desire to look good for Oliver. She felt a little silly that she’d let Saskia talk her into changing her outfit but she had to admit she did look more presentable, and that boosted her confidence. The white fitted top clung to her and showed just a few centimetres of tanned, toned midriff, and the black and white vertical-striped loose trousers hugged her hips before flaring out over the pair of low wedge sandals she’d added. She was only on set as an observer today—it was a chance to get a feel for how things worked before her attendance was officially required and, because there were no stunts scheduled for today, she didn’t need to be in clothes that would have to withstand an emergency.

She was met by George’s assistant, Erica, who escorted her to the make-up trailer.

Oliver winked at her as she stepped inside and Kat’s nervousness about being on set was replaced by the nervous excitement that she felt every time she saw him. It had been a long time since anyone had paid her some attention and she couldn’t deny she found it extremely flattering.

In Coober Pedy all the locals knew her and she didn’t really interact with the tourists, except when they needed her medical expertise. She preferred to be at home when she wasn’t at work, but that habit wasn’t conducive to meeting people. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked her out.

‘All done.’ The make-up artist removed the disposable collar that protected Oliver’s costume and he stood up. He was wearing a space suit, dirty and torn, and his make-up made him look as though he’d been through an ordeal, lost on an alien planet. He hadn’t shaved, and Kat assumed he was supposed to look dishevelled, thirsty, and possibly in pain, but, to her eyes, he looked unbelievably good. The fake dirt and dust made his eyes even more noticeable, a more vivid blue.

‘What are you filming today?’

‘Do you know the plot?’

‘Not really. George gave me a little overview but not a script. I know it’s a science fiction movie but I have to admit that’s not really my thing. I like romantic comedies.’

‘I’ll have to remember that. OK, the plot in a nutshell: Earth has set up a space station, an air force base in the sky, the first line of defence against alien attack. One space station has been badly damaged and we are supposed to be evacuating and returning to Earth, but my “ship” is hit and crash-lands on another, previously undiscovered, planet. I have a dozen crew on board. Mechanics, scientists, astronauts, physicists, defence. I’m the commander, the most senior defence person on the ship. The planet has an atmosphere but it’s thin. Low oxygen—a bit like high altitude. There are no trees, nothing green, it’s a barren place, but gas readings indicate moisture and we think there could be water somewhere. I’ve gone off to scout.