Page 27 of Do Opposites Attract?

‘Are you close to them?’

‘No.’

Brianna sighed. ‘This is worse than getting blood out of a stone. Are they still alive?’

Mitch glanced down at her. Hadn’t she got the message yet? She was clearly one of those women who wanted cosy conversation after making love. Well she’d chosen the wrong guy for that. And most definitely the wrong topic of conversation. ‘No,’ he replied shortly.

‘Any brothers or sisters?’

‘No.’

‘Come on, Mitch, can’t you say anything but no?’

‘I don’t recall saying no tonight.’

Brianna sat up in frustration, the sheet dropping off and leaving her breasts exposed. ‘Come on, these are simple questions. Why all the secrecy?’

He let out a long, exasperated breath. Women. She sat there, taunting him with her bare breasts, and expected him to have a conversation about his family? Something he didn’t talk about. Ever. Even if bare breasts were nowhere in sight. ‘Why all the questions?’ he countered.

Brianna glared at him. ‘I want to know a little bit about the man I’m sleeping with, that’s all. You know all about me.’

He dragged his eyes from her delicious breasts and focused on her face for a moment. ‘Brianna, this is just sex. We’re not about to start a relationship. We don’t need to waste time on conversation when we could be putting that time to much better use.’

Before she had a chance to protest, he captured one of her breasts in his mouth and pushed her back down onto the bed.

* * *

‘Where are you going?’ Through the haze of sexual satisfaction, Brianna became aware of Mitch pushing her aside so he could get out of the bed.

‘I’ve been bleeped.’ He was shoving his long legs into his trousers and grabbing at the nearest T-shirt. ‘I don’t know how long I’ll be.’

There was a pointed silence. Though she waited for the words telling her to go back to sleep, he’d join her when he was finished, they weren’t forthcoming. ‘Right. I’ll go back to my tent then.’

Mitch simply nodded at her and vanished. Slowly Brianna eased back against the pillow. She felt hurt, slighted, though why she’d expected anything different, she didn’t know. He hadn’t exactly been tripping over himself to charm her into bed. No, it was she who’d done the chasing. He might be up for sex, but clearly that was all. Spending the night cuddling up in his bed had never been on the cards, whether he’d been bleeped or not. She should have known that, readied herself for it.

Annoyed with herself, she moved out of the bed and hunted around for her clothes — clothes that had been discarded earlier with ruthless abandon. Well, it might not have had the ending she’d hoped for, she acknowledged as she zipped up her trousers, but it had certainly been a night she would never forget.

* * *

When Mitch made it back to his thankfully empty tent an hour later, he had the first opportunity to mull over what the hell had happened. God, he’d never been more pleased to be bleeped in the middle of the night in the whole of his life. When he’d first opened his eyes, he’d been horrified to find he’d fallen asleep with his arms around Brianna, her body nuzzled against his. They’d looked like a real couple, rather than two peoplewho were together just for sex. He’d been so damn shocked he’d pushed her away with more roughness than he’d intended, subconsciously knowing he’d wanted to wake her up. Had wanted to make sure she wasn’t in his bed when he’d got back.

It was a mystery to him why women thought having sex with a man automatically gave them the right to wake up next to him. He preferred to wake up alone, something that had led to him being called cold and heartless on many occasions. Probably he was, but he was a loner. He liked his space, his freedom, his independence. It was how it had always been. He’d stopped relying on other people a long time ago. Since he’d done that, accepted that he was on his own, that there was nobody to look out for him but himself, life had been a lot simpler. It was how he intended it to stay.

Chapter Thirteen

The time had finally come. Her last day at the camp. When she’d first set foot in this part of South America and seen for herself the grim reality of life here, the week had stretched ahead of her like an eternity. Now, incredibly, it was nearly over, leaving her with decidedly mixed feelings. She was desperate to get back to civilisation. A hot bath and television. A comfortable bed and wardrobe full of clean clothes. Those were the basics. Then there were the simple pleasures. A meal in a restaurant. A drink with her friends. Things she’d taken for granted, but now couldn’t wait to enjoy again. In fact, when she looked at it hard, there was actually only one reason why she didn’t want to go home. And that reason was currently sitting down in the camp dining room, eating breakfast.

‘Did you manage some sleep?’ she asked as she deliberately went to sit opposite him. He wore his intimidating look — unshaven and unsmiling — but it was water off a duck’s back to her now.

‘Some.’ He glanced up at her briefly, eyes hooded, then carried on eating his porridge.

‘Is there anything you need me to do today? Anything I can help with?’

He shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. You’ll need to check with Tessa and Stuart. I won’t be around much.’

Brianna felt a flare of intense disappointment. This man had feasted on her body last night. He had been more intimate with her than any man she’d ever known. And now he was spending her final day somewhere else. It hurt, as did the fact he couldn’t even be bothered to look her in the eye when he told her. ‘I see. You are aware this is my last day here. I go home tomorrow.’

Finally his eyes rested on hers, but they were anything but friendly. ‘We’re trying to save lives here. It doesn’t all stop just because you’re going home.’

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