Chapter 45

MATT arrived at Cairns Airport twenty minutes before their flight to Brisbane was scheduled to take off. He didn't have to check any luggage through. A suit bag encased the formal clothes he had to wear to the premiere tonight and a small carry-on bag held the rest of his needs.

Tony met him in the entrance hall, handing over his ticket and seat allocation. "The others have gone through to the departure lounge. Ready to join them?''

"Sure! I guess I'll be sitting next to Nicole Redman on the flight," he commented casually, trying to feel relaxed about it as they strolled towards the security barrier.

"No. Nicole took off early this morning. Nonna said she wanted to spend the day in Brisbane, going through newspaper archives."

Anger blazed through him. She was using the excuse of work to avoid him again. Okay the first time. He had cast slurs on her integrity. But he'd gone out of his way to admit he was wrong and apologise for the offence given. It was definitely not okay a second time. This was a deliberate snub.

"What does she hope to find there?" he asked, barely keeping his anger in check. Some show of interest was called for since he'd brought up her name.

"Well, you know Nonna's husband and brother were on the same boat that sailed from Brisbane when they went off to the Second World War.

Nicole wanted some background stuff on how it was for them."

Naturally it sounded reasonable, using the plane ticket to serve two purposes. Very conscientious, too, saving Nonna the expense of funding an extra research trip to Brisbane. Except saving dollars was not what this family history project was about and Nonna would not have blinked an eye at any expense it incurred anywhere along the line. So there was no doubt in Matt's mind that Nicole Redman had deliberately engineered this arrangement to thumb her nose at him and his apology.

"Tough luck, Matt! You'll have to put up with your own company for the next two hours," Tony tossed at him teasingly.

"No problem." He laid his bags on the roller table and they stepped through the security gate without setting off any bells.

"Got to hand it to Nicole," Tony rambled on. "Not leaving a stone unturned to do a thorough job on our family history."

"Seems that way," Matt answered non-committally, collecting his bags and glancing around the departure lounge to spot where the others were seated.

"Over there..." Tony pointed, then grinned at him. "You must be losing your touch, Matt. Gorgeous girl more interested in her work than getting acquainted with you."

He shrugged. "I'm probably not her type."

"Can I take it that's mutual? She's not your type?" Matt rolled his eyes at him. "Give it a rest, Tony. I know you're a happily married man but I don't need any matches made for me."

Certainly not with a fiery little number who wasn't reasonable enough to let her rage go. No, she had to keep rubbing in how offensive he'd been, despite his complete backdown and apology. And to think he'd actually bought the book about her father's life and read it to see where she was coming from, just so he could make his peace with her on this trip, even lying awake half of last night, working out what to say... all for nothing!

He greeted his grandmother, Rosita and Hannah just as the boarding call for their flight was announced. No need to make conversation, which suited him very well because he wasn't in the mood for social chitchat. On the plane he had a window seat with no one next to him. The stewardess handed him a newspaper and he used it to close out everyone else.

His eyes skimmed the print but nothing sank into his consciousness.

The empty seat beside him was a constant taunting reminder of Nicole Redman's deliberate absence from it. No truce from her. She'd probably arrange for her seat in the theatre tonight to be the furthest from him. And no doubt she'd ride in the limousine transporting his grandmother and Rosita and he'd be directed to ride with Hannah and Tony and Alex.

Which was fine by him.

He didn't care what she did.

She could flirt her head off with Peter Owen at the post-premiere party, too, and he wouldn't turn a hair. In fact, he'd feel utter contempt for it because it would be an act of blatant dishonesty, pretending she fancied Peter Owen. He hadn't been wrong about the sexual attraction she'd felt with him. She could deny it as much as she liked. He knew better.

She would have let him kiss her out on the veranda, after he'd removed the butterflies from her hair. She had not recoiled from his touch one bit. What did she expect a man to do, anyway? Hold back until she gave verbal permission to come close? Ignore the body language that was telling him he was welcome and wanted?

Just let her try that fruit-tasting exercise with Peter Owen and Casanova Pete would be dragging her under the table to take what she was offering. Given the desire she had aroused, Matt figured he'd been a positive gentleman. And what had he got for his restraint? Lies and abuse.

His fault that she hadn't been able to concentrate on the job! What absolute rot!

She'd had sex on her mind, same as he had, and he hadn't made one suggestive remark to feed her fantasies all the time they'd been walking through the park. It was totally perverse to blame her thoughts on him.

She'd made them up all by herself. So why the hell couldn't she admit it instead of scuttling behind a defence of his fault?

She might not like wanting him. He didn't like wanting her.

That didn't change the truth.

Matt seethed over this truth all the way to Brisbane. He was still seething over it when they booked into the hotel, more so when he reached his room and tossed his things on the queen-size bed, which reminded him how open he'd been in laying out what he'd felt to Nicole Redman, stating an obvious desire when wondering out loud how they might be together in bed.

He'd been wrong about her ability to do the job, wrong about her trading on her looks and being unfair to his grandmother, but even with all his wrong assumptions, he'd offered to smooth the situation over by getting whatever extra help she needed. But did she appreciate he'd been bending over backwards to keep her in Port Douglas? To get rid of the deceit and set up a platform of trust so they could move forward into a relationship that he wouldn't feel bad about?

No!

She couldn't even admit he was right about the mutual lust.

He snatched up the bedside telephone, pressed the button for reception and asked for her room number. He glanced at his watch as the information was given to him. Five-thirty. Everyone in their party was to meet in the hotel lobby at seven-fifteen, ready to be transported to the theatre, and be damned if he was going to be snubbed by Nicole Redman again!

He'd sort this out right now.

She had to be in her room. Women always took forever getting ready for a big night out and tonight was big for the family. She'd be aware of when his grandmother was arriving at the hotel, aware that she should be on hand to assure her employer that time was not a problem. Work would definitely be over for today. No one of any sensibility would mess with tonight.

No point in trying to talk to her over the telephone. No way would he give her the satisfaction of hanging up on him. This had to be face to face. And there wasn't one bit of guilt she could throw at him this time. With a burning sense of righteousness, Matt left his room and strode towards Nicole Redman's.

Nicole was luxuriating in a bubble bath. Some sensual pampering was precisely what she needed to relax the tension that had made her feel edgy all day. It was impossible to completely avoid Matt King tonight. She simply had to accept that and keep as much distance between them as she could.

Though she still couldn't stop her mind from circling around him, especially knowing she would be seeing him soon. No doubt he would look even more handsome in formal dress. Every man did. It wasn't fair that he was so physically attractive. It made her feel she might be missing out on some extra-special experience with such a powerhouse of masculinity.

And she wasn't sure she liked the entirely feline instinct that had drawn her into buying a dress she didn't really need. She'd brought one with her that would do for tonight. This afternoon's wild rush of blood to the head had resulted in sheer unnecessary extravagance. She shouldn't have gone into the shopping mall that housed such an alluring range of designer boutiques, courting temptation. The moment she'd seen the black dress, her mind was consumed by one burning thought...

I'll show him.

Show him what? That she could look attractive, too? Or were her claws out, wanting to get under his skin as much as he got under hers. From afar, of course, so he'd sizzle with frustration...if he still fancied a session in bed with her. Justice, she'd told herself, turning the insults he'd handed out into savage regret on his part. After all, he'd savaged her with his outrageously false reading of her character.