Undressed by the Rebel: The Honourable Maverick. Alison Roberts
on Max’s face. To enjoy that rough look his jaw always had at this time of day that made her fingers itch to touch it. To make direct eye contact and feel it all the way to her bones.
‘Couldn’t hurt to look,’ she offered. ‘The picture’s lovely and Gina seemed to think it was something special.’
‘But it’s way out on the peninsula. Long way to work.’ Max ate in silence for a while again. ‘Mind you, it’s a great road for a bike ride. Good twists and turns and it runs right along the harbour’s edge.’ He ate another mouthful. ‘I’ve got a couple of days off coming up. Why don’t you come with me and help me look?’
‘On your bike? Not on your life, mate.’
Max laughed, a wonderfully rich sound that made Ellie feel warm all over and happier than she could remember being in such a long time.
‘Hardly. Not with the mouse to take into account. We’ll take the car and it’ll be as safe as houses, I promise.’
Ellie still shook her head.
‘Why not?’
‘Um…I kind of told Gina that I was your wife and she assumed that Mouse was yours as well. She looked kind of disappointed.’
Max was grinning. ‘Is that so? I’ll tell Rick. She’s just his type.’
‘Not yours?’ Ellie knew she sounded surprised.
Max shrugged. ‘Used to be. Maybe I’m growing up a bit. Thinking about house buying does that to a man, you know.’
Ellie wanted to ask what he thought his type was now but she didn’t dare. This wasn’t a conversation she really wanted to have because the little spears of wishful thinking were too delicious to want to give up. It couldn’t hurt to indulge a small and very private fantasy for a little while, could it?
But Gina used to be his type and Ellie couldn’t help remembering the way she’d felt that morning. Dumpy and dowdy.
‘I still couldn’t go.’ It was her turn to grimace as she looked down at herself. ‘Even if I went back to the motel for my bag, I didn’t bring any non-pregnancy clothes with me. I look like I’ve been rummaging through the unwanted stuff from a charity shop. You really wouldn’t want to be seen out with me, Max.’
‘So wear something else.’
‘Don’t think your boxers and shirt would work either.’
‘So…go shopping.’
‘What?’ That hadn’t even occurred to Ellie.
‘You’re feeling better, aren’t you? You’re certainly looking better.’
Ellie nodded.
‘So, take a taxi and go to one of the big department stores in town. You could take Mouse in the car seat and they’d have everything under one roof. Not too much walking about to tire you out. You’ve got those outpatient appointments tomorrow afternoon, haven’t you? So you have to go out anyway.’
Ellie continued to nod. Everything under one roof? Clothes, lingerie, shoes. A hairdresser, maybe?
How long had it been since she’d worried about her appearance? Or had a reason to want to look good? This was a kind of hope that was permissible. Part of her fantasy, maybe, but one that was grounded in reality. It could happen. She could make a dramatic improvement to the way she looked. It was exciting.
‘If I go to a bank, I won’t even have to use my credit card.’
‘Is that a problem? You want some cash?’
Ellie shook her head hurriedly. ‘I’ve just been careful for so long because people can trace where you are if you use cards, can’t they? I’ve seen it happen on those crime shows.’
The reminder of why she had come here in the first place and the continued need for care dampened the atmosphere.
‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ Ellie muttered. ‘It’s not as if he doesn’t know where I am now anyway.’
He could be waiting. Biding his time. Probably quite confident that he would receive information about the birth of his child and he would, eventually, because time was running out. The birth had to be registered. Mouse had to be given a name.
‘The offer’s still open, you know,’ Max said quietly.
‘To see the house?’ Ellie’s smile was a little tight. ‘Sure. Sounds like fun.’
‘No.’ Max had stopped eating. He was watching her face. ‘The name. Marriage.’
Ellie stopped eating, too. Her appetite had vanished.
She wouldn’t marry Max to give Mouse his name. Or to take it herself.
To marry Max knowing that it was in name only and that a very amicable divorce was already pencilled in?
No, thanks.
GINA the real estate agent did a double-take when she saw Ellie for the second time on the Sunday that was Mouse’s two-week birthday.
Max wasn’t surprised in the least. He’d been kind of stunned himself when he’d got home from work the other day after Ellie had been on her trip into town. She’d been wearing jeans that actually fitted and a soft, russet-coloured knit top that made her eyes and her hair seem the most astonishing mix of copper and chestnut shades. She’d looked…amazing and it was confusing because it wasn’t so easy now to dismiss errant thoughts by reminding himself that she wasn’t his ‘type’.
She still didn’t fit with the kind of athletic, leggy girls who were out for little more than a good time. She was different all right. Dangerously different because there was an attraction there that went a lot deeper than sex. He and Rick had always favoured blondes, too, but Ellie’s hair was so rich. She’d said she’d only had her hair trimmed and that the hairdresser had put some rinse through it to bring out natural highlights but it glowed in some mysterious fashion and it looked so soft. His fingers had itched to bury themselves in it.
He hadn’t, of course. He was being very, very careful ever since that kiss that hadn’t been a kiss. Ellie valued her independence. She had some definite plans for her future that didn’t include him and he didn’t want to be involved. It would only complicate her life. Not to mention his. Coming to see this house was an aberration that was making him distinctly nervous for some reason. It had only been intended as an outing. There were lots of tourist attractions out here on the Otago Peninsula. Larnach Castle and the aquarium. The lighthouse and the world-famous albatross colony. It was just a bonus that he could make a foray into the world of real estate that he knew he should enter and now was probably as good a time as any.
Maybe it was because it was something he’d never done before. Or maybe it had something to do with the way Gina had been staring at Ellie as if she couldn’t believe she was the same woman and Max could sympathise with the confused expression. Things were changing and Max wasn’t sure about the direction they were taking. Some of it was good. He was delighted that both Ellie and Mouse had passed the assessments given in their outpatient appointments at the hospital. He could have predicted how pleased the doctors would be because he could see Ellie’s strength returning day by day. She had a sparkle about her that couldn’t be attributed entirely to a new wardrobe or a clever hairdresser.
Pretty soon now she’d disappear out of his life. She’d already been on the internet, checking out discount flight fares to Australia. She’d been exploring job opportunities as well and rental accommodation that might suit. The next step was to update her passport to include her child and that was only on hold until she decided on the name she wanted for her daughter.
She’d bought a book of names when she’d been