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Or kissed her senseless.
He stopped pacing. Was that his problem? Would he have cared two hoots what Camille thought if he hadn’t found her so damned attractive? Was he angry because of what she said, or because of the way she looked?
Because he’d wanted her and couldn’t have her?
Damn. He couldn’t stop thinking about her dark hair and dark eyes. She had the intriguing allure of a beautiful stranger. Someone from another world. So exotic…
So what?
She was on her way back to Sydney. She was heading back to the city, full of her smug assumptions, and he’d missed his opportunity to set her straight, to let her know in no uncertain terms just how misinformed she was about a cattleman’s life.
Camille rounded a mud-splattered four-wheel-drive vehicle and came to a halt as she saw Jonno pacing just a few metres away. He’d turned up the collar of his coat as protection from the wind and his dark hair was ruffled. Her heart thudded painfully as he looked up, saw her and stared fiercely.
His face was so dark and intimidating that she almost mumbled a quick hi-and-goodbye and hurried away, but Edith’s commands were still ringing in her ears.
Sidestepping a puddle, she walked towards him. ‘I was hoping I’d find you.’
He continued to scowl. ‘Why? I thought you were leaving.’
‘I’ve realised that I should make the most of my trip and do a story about outback life while I’m out here.’
His upper lip curled. ‘And how are you going to do that? By describing the view from your motel window?’
‘Of course not. I want to do an in-depth feature about the real outback.’
Jonno muttered what sounded like a curse and plunged his hands deep in his pockets. ‘You’d be the last person to write about anything that resembles real life in the bush.’
‘And what would you know? I’m a damn good journalist.’
‘Don’t kid yourself, Ms Devereaux. You turn up here. You stumble around a sale yard all starry-eyed and woolly-headed—and accidentally buy a pen of steers. Then you lump your mistakes on me and have the effrontery to talk about cattle-raising as easy money.’
Ah, she thought. I’ve dented that gigantic ego of his. ‘I’m sorry. That was a thoughtless comment.’
He seemed surprised by her apology. For a moment his unsmiling eyes rested on her and they seemed to focus directly on her mouth. Her heart nearly stopped. Then he pulled his gaze upwards and looked her squarely in the eye. ‘From what I’ve seen of your fancy magazine, you prefer fluff and nonsense. I don’t recall an ounce of realism.’
Her chin lifted. ‘Then give me realism.’
‘In what form?’
‘Give me a story, Jonno. Show me what your life is really like.’
He glowered at her. ‘I don’t want to be featured in any story you write.’
‘I’ve promised I won’t do a story about you as an eligible bachelor, but let me write one about your life out here. If you like I can emphasise how un-romantic the bush is for women.’
Holding up her hands as if to stop his flow of protests, she said, ‘You won’t be mentioned. I’ll keep it anonymous—a general story about real life on a cattle property, a picture of what’s expected of a woman or a wife in the bush from a city girl’s point of view.’
‘Which means a patronising, naive point of view.’
She gasped, stung by his words. How could someone so gorgeous be such an arrogant, chauvinist pig? ‘OK, you win! Forget I ever asked! I’ll find someone who doesn’t have a huge grudge against the world beyond his doorstep!’
Swinging away from him, she stormed across the car park.
‘Camille!’
A hard hand gripped her elbow, but she jerked her arm free and hurried on.
‘Camille, wait, damn it!’
The grip was stronger this time and she was forced to stop and turn around.
‘What do you want?’
To her surprise, Jonno was looking just a little shamefaced. ‘I guess you weren’t to know I was conned into that bachelor business, so I do owe you some kind of a story.’
‘Don’t trouble yourself. I can find any number of friendly, co-operative people. You seem to be the only person out here lacking in the famous bush hospitality we hear so much about.’
‘Listen! If you want to do a story about a cattle property, you’d better come out to Edenvale.’
‘To your place?’ She knew her mouth was hanging open as his suggestion sank in.
‘Yeah.’
‘You mean you’re actually inviting me through that locked gate to the inner sanctum?’
The shadow of a smile lightened his features, but then it was gone again as if whipped away by the wind.
‘Are you sure?’ she asked. It seemed impossible that the intransigent Jonno should make such an about-face.
He shrugged. ‘If you’re my business partner, you should take an interest in the well-being of your livestock.’
She’d never thought of that angle. ‘I guess I should.’
‘You can see how the steers you’ve bought settle in.’
‘Great.’
‘They’ve just been weaned. They were still with their mothers yesterday, so they’ll be highly stressed and they’ll need gentle handling when they arrive.’
‘Really? The poor babies.’ Cocking her head to one side, she hid her surprise behind a teasing smile. ‘I hadn’t realised you were such a Sensitive New Age Cowperson, Jonno.’
His jaw stiffened, but apart from that he ignored her dig and asked smoothly, ‘Are you interested in my offer?’
‘Yes, yes, of course I am.’ She could write about her cattle. Already she could see her story taking shape. ‘From City Girl to Cattle Queen in 5 Easy Steps.’ Resisting the temptation to smile coyly, she kept her face deadpan as she added, ‘I’d be fascinated to learn more about your techniques for gentle handling.’
CHAPTER THREE
JONNO’S brother, Gabe, rang about an hour after he arrived home with Camille.
‘I thought I’d better warn you there’s a journalist from that Sydney magazine snooping around town. She was in our office this morning looking for you.’
‘Yeah. I know about her.’
‘Did you know she tried to get me to chopper her into Edenvale?’
‘Look, thanks for the warning, big brother, but actually you’re too late. She’s already found me.’
There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line. ‘I hope you weren’t too tough on her.’
Jonno cleared his throat. ‘Course I wasn’t. We—uh—worked things out—uh—more or less amicably.’
‘Glad to hear you behaved yourself,’ Gabe said. ‘You’ve been so uptight about this magazine caper I had visions of a full-on brawl. It’s a relief to hear she’s still in one piece.’
Jonno winced. What would Gabe think if he knew that not only was Camille Devereaux in one piece, she was relaxing in a deep cane lounger on his back veranda, watching the sunset while Megs, his ginger tabby, purred on her lap and Saxon, his golden Labrador, sprawled across her feet?
He’d been crazy to bring her back here, but he blamed his upbringing. His mother had instilled in both himself and Gabe an innate sense of courtesy.
Only a shabby barbarian could have continued with the sustained rudeness he’d extended towards this woman. He’d never behaved that way before and he’d felt compelled to compensate.
But too late he was realising what a big mistake he’d made by inviting her to Edenvale.
‘It’s a pity you couldn’t have met that girl under more pleasant circumstances,’ Gabe commented. ‘Even a safely married man like me noticed that she’s rather easy on the eye.’
‘You reckon?’ Jonno muttered, and felt his face heat. Not noticing how attractive Camille was had become the major challenge of the day.
He should have followed his initial instincts and refused to have anything to do with her. But he’d made mistake after flaming mistake.
And now she was home with him and had exchanged her tailored city suit for an old pair of jeans and a crimson, super-soft woollen sweater that outlined all too clearly the shapeliness of her breasts, and not looking at her had zoomed to an even higher level of difficulty.
‘By the way,’ Gabe said, ‘Jim Young, the truckie, asked me to pass on a message. He says he’s been held up at Piebald Downs and he won’t get those steers through to you till later this evening.’
‘OK. Thanks.’
‘I didn’t realise you were buying today,’ Gabe commented. ‘I thought you were selling. The prices weren’t too good for buyers this week.’
‘Yeah, well—slight change of plan.’ Jonno sighed. It wasn’t worth trying to keep secrets from his brother. He and his wife, Piper, lived right next door on Windaroo Station and, knowing the way gossip spread in the bush, it wouldn’t be long before they found out about Camille’s purchase. ‘Camille bought one pen of steers.’
‘Who’s Camille?’
‘The journalist. It’s a long story, mate, but she bought them this morning and she’s putting them here on agistment.’
‘You’re joking?’
‘’Fraid not. And you might as well know, she’s staying here for a day or two.’
This was greeted by stunned silence from Gabe.
‘It’s part of a deal—a business deal we’ve struck,’ said Jonno.
‘That’s—that’s—fascinating.’
Jonno groaned. He knew Gabe was itching to ask a load of questions, so he rushed to explain. ‘There’s nothing fascinating about it, but she wants to write a piece for her magazine and I don’t want her to sail back to Sydney telling the world that all I have to do is stick her steers in a paddock and then put my feet up. I’m going to show her a thing or two about the realities of country life.’
‘Excellent.’ Gabe chuckled. ‘They’re fine, noble motives, mate.’
‘Motives? What do you mean?’
‘Oh, nothing.’ Gabe’s voice rippled with suppressed laughter. ‘After you’ve spent so long giving women the brush-off, I’m glad to hear your red blood’s flowing at last.’
‘Pull your head in, Gabe. I’m not planning to make a pass at her. In fact,’ he added, raising his voice for emphasis, ‘I’m planning to show her that there’s nothing romantic about life with a cattleman.’
Gabe chuckled again. ‘All I can say is, don’t let her near Piper. My wife might shoot your argument down in flames.’
Camille was talking to Megs the cat when Jonno prowled back through the house to the veranda. Her head was bent forward as she scratched the ginger tabby gently between the ears and her dark hair fell in a tumble of curls that caught fiery-red lights from the setting sun.
At the sound of his footsteps she looked up, her dark eyes shining, and he felt a startling jolt of desire.
Hell! Every time he saw her he was caught afresh by how unexpectedly lovely she was.
And his reactions weren’t his only problem. Camille was acting as if everything about his place was fascinating and fun. She was supposed to be looking for gritty realism. How the hell could he impress on her that life on the land was hard for a woman, that it wasn’t the slightest bit romantic, when she was determined to be delighted by everything?
From the minute they’d left her hire car at a garage in Mullinjim and she’d driven home with him in his truck, she’d carried on a treat about the countryside—the rolling pastures, the wide skies and the distant hills.
As for the wildlife, every kangaroo, emu, or plains turkey excited her.
‘Now that I’m not having to risk my neck in the driver’s seat, I can appreciate all this,’ she’d said in an attempt to justify her enthusiasm.
The problem was, her delight wasn’t over-the-top or insincere. It seemed to be genuine and spontaneous and that bothered Jonno, but he was hanged if he knew why.
Right now she was becoming best friends with his cat.
‘She’s gorgeous,’ she said, running an elegant hand along Megs’s spine. ‘I’ve never had a pet.’
‘Not even when you were a kid?’
‘No. And now we have pet-police running my apartment block and they won’t let me have anything, not even a goldfish.’
He resisted the urge to ask why she hadn’t had a pet as a child. Getting to know her life history wasn’t part of his game plan. She was here on business.
‘You’re comfortable there, so you stay where you are,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’m going to get a yard ready for the steers.’ He headed for the steps.
‘Don’t go without me.’ She lifted the purring cat from her lap and leapt to her feet. ‘I want to experience as much as I can.’
Her face was glowing and he looked away and glared at the low blaze of sunlight on the horizon. He sighed. ‘Let’s go, then.’
Edenvale’s homestead and stock yards had been built on a rise and from here they had a view right down Mullinjim Valley. The grey clouds that had threatened more rain this morning were transformed now, under-lit by pink and gold from the setting sun, and the whole landscape was tinged with a bronzed glow.
At the bottom of the slope lay the billabong, home to various wild ducks and geese, and beyond that stretched long, rolling, grassy paddocks, pale yellow and dotted with clumps of trees and cattle. On the far horizon a low line of purple-pink hills sprawled.
