Read Online Playing to Win (Summer Beach Vets 2) - sweet contemporary romance by H.Y. Hanna - Free Book Online Page A

followed, still staring at her adoringly.
    “Good… good… now, just stand there… like that… yes, and see if you can get him to turn towards the camera?”
    Ellie complied and was surprised when the emu followed her direction. She was feeling less scared of him now and even ventured to reach out and touch his plumage gently. The feathers were soft, but not like the way bird feathers usually felt. Instead, they felt almost like the bristles of an old paintbrush, soft and worn. The emu lowered his head and closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the touch. Ellie stroked him more confidently, even gently touching his head. Baz fluttered his eyelashes and curved his long neck, laying his chin on her shoulder. Ellie felt a rush of pleasure at the animal’s trust in her. Now that her fear of him was gone, she found him intriguing. It’s not every day that you meet a bird towering over you that looked a bit like a dinosaur yet was as gentle as a lamb!
    “Looks like Baz is living up to his name,” one of the resort staff said with a laugh.
    “What do you mean?” asked Ellie. “Does Baz stand for something?”
    “Baz is short for Barry,” explained the animal keeper. “He’s named after Barry White, because of his way with the ladies.”
    “You’re kidding me,” said Ellie. She looked towards the group of emus on the other side of the enclosure. “Is that like his harem then?”
    Dan chuckled. “No, actually, they’re a polyandrous species. The female emus are the ones who court and fight for males, and it’s the males who brood the eggs. He won’t leave the nest and doesn’t eat or drink for the whole time until the eggs hatch. Then he looks after the chicks for the next eighteen months until they’re grown. The female just lays the eggs and walks off to mate with other males—they have nothing more to do with their babies. The males take care of all that.”
    “Sounds like emu girls have the right idea,” one of the female resort staff quipped. “You human blokes have it way too easy!”
    “Baz is the one that all the female emus fight over,” added the animal keeper “He’s like Australia’s Most Eligible Bird Bachelor. He builds a mean nest.” He winked at Ellie.
    Everyone laughed and Ellie joined in. She was surprised to find that she was really enjoying herself. It was the first time at work that she wasn’t glued to her desk or presiding over a meeting in a conference room—and yet somehow she didn’t feel like she was wasting time or not achieving anything. In fact, looking into Baz’s trusting eyes, she felt a great sense of achievement that had nothing to do with sales figures and market statistics. She was sorry when the shoot was over and everyone began packing up the equipment.
    She gave Baz a last pat and started to head out of the enclosure, but was stopped by Dan’s deep voice.
    “Got any plans for this weekend?”
    “No,” said Ellie, her heart thumping.
    “Fancy meeting up for brunch at the Laughing Kookaburra?”
    Was he asking her out on a date? Ellie hoped her face didn’t show her agitation. “Yes, I… I’d love to.”
    “You can bring your Excel spreadsheets along, if you like,” teased Dan.
    She made a face of mock gravity. “I think I can manage to put off work for a few hours.”
    “I’m honoured.” He grinned and came up close to her. “Can I ask a favour?”
    “Hmm?” Ellie looked shyly up into his eyes.
    He reached out and brushed her temples—a feather-light touch which nevertheless sent a shiver of awareness through Ellie’s body. “Leave your hair down. I’d like to see what it looks like.”
    Ellie swallowed. “Okay,” she whispered.
    His fingers lingered for a moment longer, then he dropped his hand and, with a smile, turned and left the enclosure.
     
     
    Ellie found it hard to keep her mind on work for the rest of the week. She kept returning to that moment in the wildlife enclosure, the look in Dan’s grey eyes, the feel of his fingers