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‘Should we send out another driver?’
Mattie forced a bright smile.
‘No, I’m sure Mr Wheeler can drive us.’
‘Of course, ma’am.’ His voice rumbled through her as potent as ever, but she made herself ignore it.
She ignored the niggling voice asking whether there wasn’t a tiny part of her that was welcoming this opportunity to be alone with Kane again. Even though the rational part of her brain just said that she was courting disaster.
‘Jolly good.’ She offered a firm nod. ‘Then I anticipate returning to the hospital tomorrow.’
‘Jolly good?’ Kane rumbled as the team jumped back onto the heli and it started to take off. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use those words before.’
‘Leave it alone, Kane.’
‘Jolly good,’ he continued, without a hint of contrition.
She wanted to chastise him, but Mattie found she couldn’t. She felt light suddenly. Free. The young corporal had been a decent lad, but it had been such a confining situation with Kane that she’d felt under scrutiny the whole time.
Maybe now she didn’t feel her every word could be analysed she wouldn’t feel so edgy.
Yeah. Right.
‘Listen, the accident, not that it was anyone’s fault,’ she added hastily, ‘has put us a couple of hours behind. The sooner we find and reach this third location and assess it, the sooner we can get back to the hospital.’
‘You and I both know that isn’t happening tonight,’ Kane replied in a low voice.
And there was no reason for that to send such a thrill rippling through her.
No reason at all.
Mattie watched wordlessly as the chopper disappeared towards the horizon, more to rein in her racing heartbeat than anything else. Finally, she turned back.
They were alone. Just the two of them.
There was no one else around for miles and miles. The ultimate test of their resolve to concentrate on their jobs and resist each o
ther.
‘Well, Mr Wheeler,’ she said pointedly, since there was no logical reason for them not to resort to first names as the corporal was no longer with them. Still, she softened her words with a smile. ‘Perhaps you’re right, but shall we continue? I’d rather not stay out here in the middle of...nothing all night.’
‘We shall, ma’am.’ He dipped his head as he swung up into the driver’s seat, acknowledging the point she was indirectly making.
She climbed up into the passenger seat and turned to look at him, only for him to grin. That familiar, wolfish smile which made her imagine those straight, white teeth against her bare skin.
Doing things to her.
‘Kane...’
‘Actually, ma’am...’ his grin pulled wider, teasing her ‘... I rather thought you might walk ahead of the vehicle back to the track.’
‘You want me to walk us out of here?’
‘Just to check the ground is solid enough for a heavy four-by-four,’ he confirmed.
Mattie narrowed her eyes at him. It was a sound point but she just couldn’t help thinking he was relishing the moment.
‘Unless you want to drive, of course.’
