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CHAPTER 20
They’d reached the outskirts of Adelaide when the Shaggin’ Wagon died a sudden death.
In all fairness it wasn’t like there hadn’t been a few warning clunks. Felicity had looked at Oliver to see if he was worried, but he’d been texting with a frown on his face, so she’d ignored it because driving in traffic after an empty highway was all new and stressful, and then—at a busy intersection—it just stopped.
And wouldn’t start again.
A horrible rattly sound happened every time she turned the key.
“Best not to do that, you’ll flood the engine,” Oliver pointed out in a tone she’d almost forgotten he was capable of. Distant, polite, and not seductive at all.
If she was honest, it had been like this for the last twenty-four hours. Since he’d checked his messages in Streaky Bay, to be precise.
They hadn’t made love last night. Oliver had kissed her gently on the lips but when she’d tried to hint that she’d be happy to take it further, he’d put her away from him, laughed and claimed fatigue. A terrible glacial feeling trickled down her spine, but she’d tried—really tried—to pretend it didn’t matter.
This morning, being an eternal optimist, she’d decided to try again and snuggled towards him in the bed but he’d immediately got out and padded to the bathroom. Though she had caught him staring at her breasts in the mirror… oh, that mirror… her nether regions clenched with longing… and she’d made damn sure she let the towel fall after her shower and walked around completely starkers—very slowly—locating her clothes.
He’d heard from Leonie. She justknewit. But she would never ever check his phone. That would be below her. Even so, when Oliver took his shower, the urge to grab it was like an internal itch and she had to go outside and stare at the beach and breathe slowly to resist it. The only thing that helped was her message exchange with Evie.
Felicity:Big problem.
Evie:What?
Felicity:Mr Armani slipped a sleeping tablet in my vodka and seduced me while I was out cold.
Evie:You don’t drink vodka.
Felicity:Ok, I was sober. And seduction may have been mutual.
Evie:Fuck me.
Felicity:NO, he fucked ME. But I think his ex has got in the mix.
Evie:Threesome?
Felicity:NOOOOOO. Explain when we get to Adelaide.
Yep. Evie would cut through all this emotional crap with the steely precision of one of her sharpest sculpting tools. And after a good chat, Felicity reassured herself, she’d get it in perspective and accept it had been a great shag, or two, and she’d forget that it ever felt intense and deeply meaningful.
But now, it didn’t look like she’d be talking to Evie anytime soon. Because they weren’t going to make it to Adelaide at all.
At least not in the Shaggin’ Wagon.
An hour later, both of them hot, bothered and not at all in the mood for being friendly, Oliver said tersely, “I think this thing is unsalvageable.”
Felicity twisted her hands together. “Oh dear, we can’t ever tell Shocky, he’d be so upset.”
Oliver slammed down the hood. It took her back to the day—was it really less than two weeks ago?—when he’d examined it with David and found it all okay. How things could change!
He grimaced. “I’m not quite sure what’s wrong, maybe the head gasket. The RAC will know.”
When the RAC man arrived, she stood with them, trying to look sage and engine savvy as the two men discussed the problem, even though she frankly didn’t understand a word of it.
Some time later, Felicity found herself sadly watching the Shaggin’ Wagon being hooked up and towed away, Shocky’s painted smile looking like it might just be about to slide off his face. It appeared he was about to get dumped, poor guy! And not by a wave this time.
She snuck a glance at Oliver, standing back with his hands looped on his hips, watching it go. His casual stance was belied by the tension around his mouth, that muscle jumping in his jaw.
They’d had the most amazing experiences in that kombi van. The most amazing sex of her whole life—gosh, more than that, they’d madelove, real, passionate love. A great big hungry pain gnawed away inside her. Would they ever touch again? Kiss again? Share the most intense orgasms ever again, now the Shaggin’ Wagon was no more? Was the magic between them over, when it had barely even begun?
