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He smelt good. He looked even better.
His blue eyes were piercing, his square jaw clean-shaven. His thick brown hair was cut in a short back and sides, slightly longer on top, like a military-style haircut that had been on holiday for a couple of weeks. She wondered if it was to fit the movie script or if it was how he chose to cut his hair. It suited him. It emphasised his bone structure.
‘I’m your insurance policy,’ she said.
He frowned and raised one eyebrow. She wondered if that came naturally or if he’d cultivated that move. Was it possible to learn how to do that?
‘I’m a paramedic,’ she continued. ‘I’m going to be on set for the stunt work. Just in case.’
She’d expected him to object but he took it in his stride.
‘Good,’ he said simply before he grinned widely. ‘I’ll be seeing plenty of you, then.’
He was so confident, so comfortable. She wondered if he’d ever been told he couldn’t do something. She imagined that if he had he would have chosen to ignore the instruction.
His arm was still outstretched, passing beside her head as he leant against her car. ‘So, Kat, tell me your story.’
‘Why do you want to know?’
She was caught between his chest and the car. She could step out, away from the boundaries he’d imposed, but she didn’t want to. She didn’t feel threatened. He was smiling at her. He looked genuine, friendly, but she needed to remember he was an actor. He was probably trained to smile in a hundred different ways. She remembered George’s warning but she chose to ignore it. Just for a moment. She wanted to see what would happen next. She felt as if she was in a movie moment of her own.
His smile widened, showcasing teeth that were white, even and perfect. His blue eyes sparkled. ‘Because I want to make sure I’m not overstepping any lines when I ask you out.’
He looked like a man who was used to getting his own way and she didn’t doubt that; with women, at least, he probably did. But she did doubt that she was the type of woman he was used to meeting. ‘And what makes you think I’d go out with you?’
‘I didn’t say you would, I’m just letting you know I will ask you to. The choice is completely yours.’
‘What did you have in mind?’ She shouldn’t ask but she wanted to know. She should heed George’s warning and get in her car and drive away but it had been a long time since she’d been asked on a date and she was interested to hear his thoughts. She was interested full stop.
He smiled. ‘I don’t know yet but I’ll think of something.’
There weren’t a lot of options in Coober Pedy and Oliver, not being a local, would know even fewer.
Kat couldn’t remember the last time someone had flirted with her or the last time she’d met anyone she wanted to flirt with. She couldn’t deny she was flattered by the attention. She’d need to be careful. She’d been hurt before; a monumental break-up had left her questioning her own judgement and she’d avoided getting romantically involved ever since. She wanted her own happily-ever-after but she’d been scared to go out to find it. She’d focused instead on her career and her family and it had been a while since she’d even thought about going on a date. George’s warning repeated in her head again but she had no idea if she was going to be able to heed it.
The touch of Oliver’s hand had set her pulse racing and the look in his eye had made her wish, just momentarily, that she was the sort of girl who would take a risk, take a chance.
But that wasn’t her. She’d learnt that taking risks was asking for trouble, and Oliver Harding had trouble written all over him.
CHAPTER TWO (#u4718c45e-02fd-5b27-8e03-e542df893d8b)
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?’
