Page 24 of Do Opposites Attract?

Quickly she slipped on a T-shirt and trousers and after grabbing a towel, she headed off towards the clearing. The birds chattered and the sun shone through the trees. It was hard to believe that only yesterday they’d been rescuing people from a horrific mudslide. The calm water of the lake glistened, positively inviting her to take a dip. Carefully she scrutinised the surface. No crocodiles, at least none she could see. And no people either. After stripping off her clothes she ran stark naked into the cool water, letting out a gasp as she went under. Invigorating was certainly a word that came to mind. So did flipping freezing. She swam quickly at first, warming up her muscles. Then she floated on her back, drinking in the rays from the sun.

As Mitch drew up to the lake, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d swum here every morning with nothing to disturb him apart from the wildlife. Today it appeared the lake was already taken. As he zeroed in on the body floating serenely on its back, he drew in a sharp breath. Brianna. And what a sight she was. She looked like a mermaid, the water gently cascading over her sun-kissed body.

His body responded instantly, pulsing into life, and he groaned. He should go. God knows, there was enough sexual tension between them without her catching him gawping at her like a randy teenager. With a sigh of frustration he turned to walk away.

‘Don’t go on my account.’

Abruptly he halted. A twig snapped underfoot as he slowly turned round, the sound echoing across the still lake. Still except for the few gentle ripples that surrounded Brianna who was now treading water, a teasing smile on her face. Hell, she looked like a siren, set to seduce the hapless sailor. Or in his case, swimmer.

‘Come and join me.’

‘Thanks, I’ll wait,’ he replied tersely.

Feeling foolish, he sat on the ground. To leave now would give the impression he was embarrassed, or worse, scared. No way was he was going to give her the satisfaction of mocking him about running away. Determinedly he drew up his legs, rested his chin on his knees and watched as she finished her swim. He knew she was naked. Even from a distance he could make out the full curve of her breasts. He wasn’t going to look away when she came out, he decided. She should be the one embarrassed, not him.

At last she emerged from the water, and he stared straight at her. It was an image that would stay in his mind for a very long time. Her body was magnificent. With a confidence that only the truly beautiful exuded, she walked easily onto the shore, her body glistening in the sun. Arousal shot through his system, so sharp, it was painful.

‘Would you mind passing me my towel?’ She stood in front of him, a wet, dripping picture of perfection.

‘God, Brianna.’ He grabbed at the towel near his feet and shoved it at her. ‘Damn you.’ With a strangled oath he stood and dragged her to him, his mouth coming down roughly on hers.

Brianna let out a low moan as Mitch plundered her mouth and for the second time in as many days, he lost his control. Never a man who made love with finesse or gentleness, his hands wandered roughly up and down her body, moulding her closer and closer to him. One minute they were standing, the next he’d manoeuvred her to the ground and was lying on top of her. God she felt so bloody good, so soft, so smooth where he was hard and rough.

The contrast set off alarm bells in him and he leapt off her, rolling to his side, his chest heaving in time with his ragged breaths.

‘What the hell am I doing?’ he asked out loud, disgusted at himself. He had to be out of his mind. She was making him go out of his mind.

‘Pretty well, I thought,’ Brianna replied on a laugh.

He didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. She was playing with him, damn her, much like a sleek aristocratic cat toys with a poor dumb mouse. But the knowledge didn’t make his body ache any less. He was so sorely tempted to give in and let her play, despite the complications it would bring. But people like him and Brianna were never meant to mix, not on any intimate level. She wasn’t from his world. He didn’t even know which rules she played by.

He sat up, thrusting a hand through his hair, his movements jerky. ‘This is wrong, on so many levels,’ he muttered darkly.

‘Why?’

‘You really need me to tell you? We’re out in the open where anyone could see us. There are people suffering agonies of injury and death all around us. Your mother is patron of the charity I work for. Saints alive, do I really need to go on?’ Of course there were also the things she didn’t know about him. The things that would make someone like her run like blazes if she ever found out. He sighed and got to his feet, reaching for the abandonedtowel. ‘Here, dry yourself off, get dressed and get the hell out of here.’

Brianna couldn’t argue with Mitch’s first two objections, but she wanted to clear up the third. ‘You don’t really think my mother cares who I sleep with, do you? I’m a grown woman. As long as I’m happy, she’s happy. I mean, it’s not as if you’re going to lure me down the aisle, is it?’

His head shot round. ‘Damn right.’

The words were said with such feeling she had to laugh. ‘Well, at least we’ve got that clear.’ She tugged on her T-shirt and the trusty canvas trousers she’d been living in these last few days. They would be going in the bin as soon as she got home. ‘I’m just saying, another time, another place.’ She twitched her shoulders in a careless shrug, though inside she felt anything but casual. The intensity of their kiss had shaken her to the core. She enjoyed sex, but what she’d just experienced with Mitch had staggered her. If she’d had her way, they would still be making love to each other now.

But it seemed Mitch was calling the shots. And he’d turned his back on her and was pulling off his shirt as he marched towards the lake. She had a brief, stunning view of his broad, tanned back before he dived into the water.

* * *

Brianna found the day long and hard. Where had all these injured people come from? They lined the walls of the tents, waiting patiently to be seen. The nurses were run off their feet, triaging the injured, making sure those who were worst off were seen first by Mitch or Stuart.

Occasionally she caught glimpses of Mitch, stethoscope round his neck, a calm, authoritative air firmly on his shoulders. He was called out several times, only to return with a casualty on a stretcher, who was then rushed straight into the area wherethey operated. Breaks were few and far between. How did the team cope with such full-on days? How did doctors like Mitch cope with such a never-ending stream of critical, life or death decisions to be made? She thought how she would have spent the day had she been at home. Flitting round the shops, lunching with friends. A glance at her watch told her it was nearly nine o’clock at night. Heck, no wonder she felt exhausted. She’d never spent so long on her feet. Nor had she ever spent so much time helping others, she thought with a rush of shame. Not that she’d been much help here.

‘Miss.’ An elderly man in one of the beds called over to her.

Pleased at last that somebody needed something from her, she hurried to his bedside. ‘How can I help?’

He looked uncomfortable. Eyes darting everywhere but at her, he spoke in halting English. ‘Need toilet? Help me?’

She watched as he struggled to pull back the sheets. Nodding, she stood with her arm around his shoulders, acting as a lever as he swung his legs out of the bed.

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