Page 26 of Possession Under the Southern Stars

She stares at me, then just gives a small nod. Hmm. Maybe she doesn’t like it for some reason, but she’s too polite to say so? I’m sure she’s too shy to tell me in front of the porter. I tip him and tell him I’ll put my case in my room, and he goes out, letting the door close behind him.

“What do you think?” I ask, concerned. “Is it missing something you need?”

She looks around her as if she’s standing in Buckingham Palace. “Fraser… this place is magnificent. I can’t possibly stay here.”

I chuckle. “Why?”

She turns her big brown-eyed gaze on me. “Because… the museum can’t be paying for it. You’ve paid privately, right?”

I purse my lips, then nod.

She frowns. “This is just a business trip. Why not just book two standard rooms? Why splash out so extravagantly?”

Now she’s brought it up, I’m beginning to realize how inappropriate it was. But I’m not going to let her make me feel guilty about it. “I often stay in places like this. And anyway, you’re my friend. You’ve had a tough time. And I wanted to spoil you.” Joel gave me the idea, as he’s booked a villa up in the Bay of Islands for him and Zoe to stay in while they’re doing their marine excavation.

She looks around again. At the gleaming table and chairs. The sumptuous king-size bed. The large-screen TV. The coffee machine. Is she going to tell me she can’t stay here?

On the plane, after our discussion about our exes, I resolved not to talk about anything personal again, and to keep the conversation strictly business. I managed it for the final ten minutes of the flight. But once again, I’m straying into dangerous territory. I’m such a fool. I should have got Louise to book two standard, boring rooms, even though I would have chosen a suite like this even if I was on my own.

Hallie’s gaze comes back to me. And then, to my surprise, she gives me such a beautiful smile it makes my heart swell.

“It’s lovely,” she says graciously, with genuine pleasure. “Thank you so much, Fraser. I appreciate the gesture.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.” I check my watch. “It’s nearly three. What would you like to do? I’m speaking at seven tonight. Do you want to come to the meeting?”

Her eyes light up. “Of course! I’m always up for anything archaeological.”

“What time would you like dinner?”

“I’m quite full up from lunch so I’m not too bothered at the moment. Maybe we could get something light in the bar before we head out?”

“Sure.”

“What would you like to do now? Rest for a bit? Have a cocktail on the deck? Go for a swim in the pool?”

She gives one of her delightful giggles. “A cocktail on the deck doesn’t sound very professional.”

She’s absolutely right. I close my eyes for a moment. What is wrong with me?

“Fraser,” she says, “I was joking.” She sighs. “Can I suggest something?”

“Fire away.”

“Can we accept that we’re here as friends and not just colleagues? I’m tired of worrying about being unprofessional.” She moves a little closer to me and looks up. Her eyes are such a dark brown that normally they look almost black, as if the pupil has encompassed the iris, but up close, with the light on them, I can see that they’re actually a warm chocolate brown, similar to her hair, and they have unusual orange flecks near the center.

She continues, “Elora said Ginger was beautiful, and it’s clear how strong the attraction was between you. But you chose your job over her. And I’m just… me.” She laughs. “I know nothing will ever happen between us. And that’s okay. But we are friends as well as colleagues, aren’t we? So why don’t we forget about being professional? If you blur the lines, I’m not going to suddenly think it means we can be more than friends. You don’t have to worry, is what I’m trying to say.” She reddens a bit.

I’m so taken aback, I can only stare at her. I know her well enough to understand that her self-deprecation is genuine. She doesn’t believe she could possibly be as attractive as Ginger, soin her mind, there’s no way she could ever be more dangerous to me than Ginger was.

She doesn’t understand that in so many ways, if not all ways, she lights my candle much more than Ginger ever did. I wish she had more self-confidence, but I can’t help but find her shy naivety incredibly attractive.

Part of being with a woman is making her believe she’s the most beautiful girl in the world, and I detest Ian for not doing that. Over the years, he’s made her believe she’s ordinary, and that’s a crime I will never be able to understand or forgive.

The more we’re together, the more I want to take her in my arms and prove to her just how lovely she is. How beautiful, how interesting, how funny, how stunning. And it’s becoming harder to keep my distance.

But she’s right. If I continue to fret over not being professional, I’m going to strain something. If we both accept nothing can happen, surely that means we can enjoy this trip and each other’s company?

Somewhere in the Northland, I can hear Joel laughing, but I ignore the thought and smile at her. “That sounds like a g-good idea.”

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