Read Online Heart of the Outback by Emma Darcy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Emma Darcy
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at all when Jill announced, “Gareth Morgan wants to see you, Alida.”
Her head snapped up, and before any coherent thought could form in her mind, the shock of Jill’s announcement was compounded by the impact of Gareth’s physical presence. He had already stepped into the office. It wasn’t a matter of whether she would see him or not. He was right in front of her, as overwhelming as ever.
He was dressed in similar clothes to those he had worn when she had first met him five years ago-brown riding boots, fawn moleskins that faithfully outlined his lean hips and long powerful legs, a white open-necked shirt and a brown leather jacket.
His eyes locked onto Alida’s before she could raise any defences against the power of his attraction—determined and possessive eyes, with no intention of letting go—and once again she felt the thrill of excitement and anticipation pulsing through her body, as though every cell of her being was leaping with a new vibrant expectant life.
“Alida,” Jill slid in quickly. “You needn’t stay this afternoon. I’m sure I can work out what’s best now.” Then she shut the door, leaving the two of them alone.
A flush seared across Alida’s cheekbones. Gareth gave her a crooked little smile that acknowledged her discomfort, but he was not about to back away.
“You were not easy to find, Alida,” he said as he walked slowly towards the desk. “The manageress of the Alida Rose boutique at Claremont said you worked at home, but you might be at the factory today. Suzanne, at the factory, said you were at the television studio. The studio said you’d left with Jill Masters. I finally struck lucky here.”
He hitched himself onto a corner of the desk and smiled at her, a wide, appealing smile that set her heart pumping madly. “I’m glad I found you.”
“What do you want from me, Gareth?” Alida croaked, her throat hopelessly dry and her mind totally confused by the trouble he’d gone to in pursuing her.
“I had intended inviting you to lunch with me. Unfortunately time ran out on that plan.” He checked his wristwatch. “I have to pick my daughter up from school at three-fifteen, which gives me about ten minutes to persuade you to accompany me.” He smiled at her again. “Would meeting a thirteen-year-old girl be too much of a bore for you, Alida?”
Alida could barely swallow her surprise. “You want me to meet your daughter?”
“I want you with me,” he asserted, not quite answering her question.
“Is this step one in getting to be good friends with me before you race me off to bed?” she asked, too sceptical of his intentions to take the offer at face value.
“That is the general idea,” he conceded without batting an eyelash.
“I suppose I should appreciate your honesty.”
“We both know it’s not going to go away, Alida. Five years didn’t make a damned bit of difference. My choice is to do something about it. Will you come with me or not?”
The piercing blue eyes challenged her to be equally honest. He wanted her and was going all out for what he wanted—whatever it took. Alida struggled with herself. Impossible to deny she wanted him. It would probably come to the same end, but at least he was not excluding her from meeting his daughter. This way there was a slight chance of some positive relationship developing between them.
“I’ll come,” she said decisively. Her green eyes flashed a hard warning. “But I don’t know if this plan of yours is going to work.”
He smiled happily. “Neither do I. The first part of the plot, as I understand it, is that we’ll probably go to Stacey’s favourite hangout and have banana splits. After that I believe a movie is on the schedule. Something called Look Who’s Talking. I do hope you have the stomach for hamburgers and French fries at McDonald’s because I’m afraid that will be the dinner menu. But you can wash it down with a chocolate thick shake.” He gave her a rueful look of
Her head snapped up, and before any coherent thought could form in her mind, the shock of Jill’s announcement was compounded by the impact of Gareth’s physical presence. He had already stepped into the office. It wasn’t a matter of whether she would see him or not. He was right in front of her, as overwhelming as ever.
He was dressed in similar clothes to those he had worn when she had first met him five years ago-brown riding boots, fawn moleskins that faithfully outlined his lean hips and long powerful legs, a white open-necked shirt and a brown leather jacket.
His eyes locked onto Alida’s before she could raise any defences against the power of his attraction—determined and possessive eyes, with no intention of letting go—and once again she felt the thrill of excitement and anticipation pulsing through her body, as though every cell of her being was leaping with a new vibrant expectant life.
“Alida,” Jill slid in quickly. “You needn’t stay this afternoon. I’m sure I can work out what’s best now.” Then she shut the door, leaving the two of them alone.
A flush seared across Alida’s cheekbones. Gareth gave her a crooked little smile that acknowledged her discomfort, but he was not about to back away.
“You were not easy to find, Alida,” he said as he walked slowly towards the desk. “The manageress of the Alida Rose boutique at Claremont said you worked at home, but you might be at the factory today. Suzanne, at the factory, said you were at the television studio. The studio said you’d left with Jill Masters. I finally struck lucky here.”
He hitched himself onto a corner of the desk and smiled at her, a wide, appealing smile that set her heart pumping madly. “I’m glad I found you.”
“What do you want from me, Gareth?” Alida croaked, her throat hopelessly dry and her mind totally confused by the trouble he’d gone to in pursuing her.
“I had intended inviting you to lunch with me. Unfortunately time ran out on that plan.” He checked his wristwatch. “I have to pick my daughter up from school at three-fifteen, which gives me about ten minutes to persuade you to accompany me.” He smiled at her again. “Would meeting a thirteen-year-old girl be too much of a bore for you, Alida?”
Alida could barely swallow her surprise. “You want me to meet your daughter?”
“I want you with me,” he asserted, not quite answering her question.
“Is this step one in getting to be good friends with me before you race me off to bed?” she asked, too sceptical of his intentions to take the offer at face value.
“That is the general idea,” he conceded without batting an eyelash.
“I suppose I should appreciate your honesty.”
“We both know it’s not going to go away, Alida. Five years didn’t make a damned bit of difference. My choice is to do something about it. Will you come with me or not?”
The piercing blue eyes challenged her to be equally honest. He wanted her and was going all out for what he wanted—whatever it took. Alida struggled with herself. Impossible to deny she wanted him. It would probably come to the same end, but at least he was not excluding her from meeting his daughter. This way there was a slight chance of some positive relationship developing between them.
“I’ll come,” she said decisively. Her green eyes flashed a hard warning. “But I don’t know if this plan of yours is going to work.”
He smiled happily. “Neither do I. The first part of the plot, as I understand it, is that we’ll probably go to Stacey’s favourite hangout and have banana splits. After that I believe a movie is on the schedule. Something called Look Who’s Talking. I do hope you have the stomach for hamburgers and French fries at McDonald’s because I’m afraid that will be the dinner menu. But you can wash it down with a chocolate thick shake.” He gave her a rueful look of
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