Her Outback Knight. Melissa James
bail because someone finally called your bluff after all these years?”
That was all he needed to say. Her chin lifted, her nostrils flared and she looked at him as if she hated his guts, but she said, “Don’t bother turning the tables on me with my own sarcasm, Haskell. I’ve done years more psychology than you’ll ever know.”
“Good, then you can psychoanalyse me on the road, can’t you?”
“Or ditch you on it!”
“Yeah, go for it.” With deliberate patronage, he patted her on the head. “You handle the verbal attacks. Let’s see you get physical again.” He grinned down at her. “I dare you.”
The entire table of their mutual friends burst into stunned laughter. Laila was blinking, laughing with the others, but clearly flabbergasted. Her best friend—everyone’s best friend, sweet and patient, giving Jimmy Haskell had shown his darker side for the first time, not backing down an inch, and none of them knew why.
Damned if he knew why, either. Who would have guessed Danni of all people had the power to bring out the tiger in him? Jim himself hadn’t dreamed of it until a few minutes ago. But he’d had enough of losing to the women he really wanted.
He didn’t question why he really wanted Danni—he only knew he did. And he would not take her offer of friendship lying down. This time he’d fight, right to the finish.
She wanted him, damn it—and he’d force her to come out of wherever she was hiding, make her come to him, to touch him. He’d make her purr for him again….
It seemed he’d knocked out this particular little champ, at least for the moment. Danni’s delectable mouth remained closed, but sparks of fury told Jim the bell for the next round was about to ring—as soon as they were alone.
He kissed Laila’s cheek. “Congrats, babe. Got to go. I’ll call you, okay? Love you.”
“You okay, Jimmy?” she whispered.
About to reassure his best friend, he remembered Danni’s words about lying to Laila and making her more worried. “No, but I will be. With a little help from my new friend.” He flicked a deliberate, knowing grin at Danni, whose tight mouth and paleness around distended nostrils told him that friendship was the last thing on her mind when it came to him.
Good, he thought in intense satisfaction. He’d rather keep her in a constant passion, even if it was pure fury, than ever receive another offer of friendship from her.
He was going to keep it that way from now on. Bringing Danni’s passion to life was worth the price he’d pay later, no matter what kind of passion it was.
And for once, he was looking forward to the battle.
CHAPTER THREE
AS HE DRAGGED HER OUT the door, the last thing Danni saw was her best friend’s face. Laila was gaping at Jim as if she’d never seen him before.
Or she’d never seen him in this state.
So he’d loved Laila all those years, but she’d never brought out the caveman in him? A wave of raw, hot pleasure swept through her. Fascinating…
With a little smile she was careful to hide, she snapped back at Jim, “No need to beat me over the head with your club. You can let go. I already said I was coming with you.”
He shot a dark look at her. “Better leave your car where it won’t get stolen or towed. We’ll be gone at least a week.”
“Good idea. My former landlady wouldn’t mind garaging it for a few days.”
“Let’s go then.” Finally he let go of her hand.
She rubbed it. “I think you cut off my circulation.”
The Jim of an hour before would immediately have backed down, apologised. This Jim lifted a brow. “I think you liked it.”
He was right, but no way was she going to show him that. “Can I have my bag, please? A bit hard to drive without my licence or keys.”
He tossed it over without a word, before he got into his gorgeous Range Rover—it was a couple of years old, but a definite up-scaling from the half-dead old Valiant of his student days—firing it up hard.
She spent the drive to Mrs. Woodward’s boarding house watching him follow her there, and trying to work out what she’d done to turn the official World’s Nicest Guy into this challenging stranger. She thought she’d been sweeter and kinder to him than she’d ever been with a man in her life.
With a little frown, she gave it up. Whatever she’d done, she’d either repeat the offence and evoke the same reaction in him, or he’d tell her.
Probably the former, she admitted to herself, grinning—and she’d do it again gladly. Whatever she’d done, at least it had wiped the confused despair from his eyes…
She could have walked from the Jim she’d known, and become his friend if he’d needed it. Though it wouldn’t have been easy, after that awesome kiss. The man packed a sensual punch she’d never known before. Offering plain friendship, uncomplicated by the desire clawing through her, had been much harder than she’d expected it to be.
She’d never found it hard to walk away from any man before. But from the moment he’d let her fall back into the tree she’d known letting go wasn’t going to be the easy option. The old, sunny Jim had always been gorgeous to her, but this new man intrigued her in a way everybody’s best friend Jim never could have. The unashamed hot wanting, raw anger, strong principles and picking up her every challenge without fear lifted plain, old-fashioned lust that didn’t have to go anywhere, to a fascination she couldn’t deny.
In half an hour the tabby cat had become a stalking lion. There were depths to Jim she’d never dreamed existed. At least she wouldn’t need to worry that she’d have to sit beside an emotional basketcase all the way to Goodoona, the outback town where his family lived. Jim was a survivor—just as she was.
Once she’d made the arrangements with Mrs. Woodward, she parked her car safely and climbed into the Range Rover beside him. “I’m going to need my clothes, and to check out of the hotel.” She named the place.
He revved up the four-wheel drive necessary for his line of work and locale, and headed toward the hotel. “I’m staying in the place next door. I’ll get my stuff and check out while you do the same.”
They were on the road within half an hour, heading north out of the university town toward the outback.
“We won’t have streetlights for long. Watch out for kangaroos,” she reminded him when the silence became uncomfortable…and she began to think of their last silence.
He sent her a withering glance. “I grew up in the outback. Why do you think I’ve got the roll bars?”
She shrugged. “Just making sure. I don’t want to become another Rebecca.” One of their former classmates had swerved off the road to avoid hitting a kangaroo, hit a tree head-on instead and was lucky to be alive. Her new life in a wheelchair gave Rebecca massive challenges in her veterinary work. She’d graduated a year after everyone else, thanks to six months on her back and another six or more in physical therapy.
He gave her a sideways look while still watching the road. “I’m sure Rebecca didn’t want to become a Rebecca.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” In fact, she was close friends with Rebecca. Her all-female practice in Sydney was one of the two job offers Danni was contemplating. At least she’d be safe from the unwanted male attention her little-girl-lost looks seemed to draw to her.
He shrugged. “Then you should think before you speak.”
She clenched her fists in the darkness. “I’m not stupid. I get the picture. How have I become pond scum in the last half hour? I made you angry somehow. So tell me what I did, or get over it. Otherwise I’ll be tempted