Barbara Hannay - In the Boss's Arms

Liam grinned and then ploughed a hand through his hair as he considered his options. ‘I suppose I could always turn this to the company’s advantage.’

‘Why not?’ Alice nodded as she considered this. ‘You may as well get some free publicity.’

‘During the interviews I could mention the company name whenever possible and I can talk about our plans to revive Kanga Tours’ services in this region.’

‘Why don’t you get them to do the interviews down here by the billabong? That setting would make a great backdrop.’

‘Good idea.’ He crossed the room to look again at the view and the wide expanse of bright morning sky. The lake wore the pink water lilies like a decorative shawl and the encircling trees with their tapering blue-green leaves and characteristic peeling papery bark were stunning.

It was a classic Australian bush setting. The kind of scene that tugged at the heartstrings of city-bound Australians, reminding them of their nostalgia for the outback, luring them away from their theatres and coffee shops to reconnect with this unique, almost primal landscape. The perfect tourism poster backdrop.

‘You’ll have to be prepared for the journalists to beat up the dangers of flying in small aeroplanes,’ Alice reminded him.

Liam turned back from the window. She was sitting in the middle of the bed and she looked adorably, sensationally sexy with her dark curls tumbling about her shoulders while wearing nothing but a sheet. For a crazy moment, he wondered if there was time for him to climb back in there with her before the journalists arrived.

Get your brain into gear. Concentrate on the business at hand.

‘I’ll try to steer the talk away from the emergency and on to why we were flying in this amazing part of the country,’ he said.

‘But you won’t be able to get out of being a hero, Liam.’

The special, dancing light in her eyes pulled at a cord deep within him. For one fantastic moment he could almost believe that he was a hero, her hero. But then, just as quickly, he remembered the grim truth. Liam Conway was anything but heroic.

How would Alice look at him when she discovered that?

‘YOU know, there’s bound to be a wife somewhere.’

Alice tried to ignore Shana’s remark and kept typing.

Ever since yesterday afternoon, when she and Liam returned from their three days in the outback—their three incredible, mega-successful days—Shana had been doing her best to taunt Alice.

Now Shana left her desk and came to stand right next to Alice. ‘A man with Liam Conway’s looks and money can’t reach his mid-thirties without a string of women chasing after him. And there has to have been at least one who got her hooks into him.’

Alice looked up and met her with a level gaze. ‘I don’t see that it’s really our business.’

‘Oh, come on.’ Shana touched the petals of the single rose in the green vase on Alice’s desk. ‘You can’t expect me to believe that it isn’t your business.’

‘I don’t see—’

‘You and Liam are an item, right?’

‘Shana, really, I’d prefer not to—’

‘Don’t get all hot and bothered, Alice. Everyone in the office knows the answer. You tried to pull the wool over our eyes after the photo in the Cairns Post . We gave you the benefit of the doubt then. But we saw the way the boss was looking at you when you got back yesterday. The poor guy was practically drooling. The game’s up, girlfriend.’

Alice sighed. It was pointless to deny it. And Liam had said he didn’t care who knew that she was his woman. ‘Well, yes. I suppose you could say we’re an item.’ But she knew that Shana had developed a crush on Liam and that sour grapes could be an issue. ‘Just because we’re an item doesn’t mean I need to—’

‘Marry him?’ Shana finished for her.

‘For heaven’s sake!’ Shaking her head, Alice reached for a folder in the filing cabinet beside her desk. ‘I’ve only just met the man. I’m certainly not thinking very far into the future.’

‘Oh, come on, Alice. Are you telling me that one of the wealthiest and best-looking men in the region is red hot for you and you haven’t thought once about the long term?’

‘That’s exactly what I’m telling you.’

‘Alice, I’ve discussed this with your workmates, who know you and love you. And we all agree you’re a one-man girl. You haven’t got it in you to flit from guy to guy. You fall heavily for a man and that’s it.’

Alice sighed. ‘Can I ask where this conversation is heading? Are you trying to warn me off Liam?’

Shana’s eyes glinted knowingly, as if she was privy to a nasty secret, and Alice’s stomach sank as she remembered her workmate’s original question about whether there was a wife in Liam’s past.

‘If you’ve got something to tell me, spill it,’ she said. ‘Don’t treat me like I’m a naïve teenager with stars in my eyes.’ She’d just been through a horrible divorce, for heaven’s sake. She wasn’t going to rush into another mistake.

‘Well, do you know whether or not the boss has been married?’ Shana persisted.

‘I know he’s not married now, and that’s good enough for me.’ Alice was pleased that her voice was calm in spite of the frantic way her heart galloped.

She wasn’t thrilled that Liam had not volunteered any information about the women in his past, but she’d decided not to press him. Instead she’d chosen to trust him. She’d trusted him from the first moment she met him in the Hippo Bar and so far he hadn’t let her down.

Ah, yes, a smug inner voice whispered, but you trusted Todd for years and years and look where that got you.

‘OK, can you answer this?’ Shana asked. ‘Why has Liam Conway never driven a motor car?’

‘What?’ Alice gaped at her. ‘Are you crazy? Of course he drives cars. The man landed a plane, for heaven’s sake.’ And he’d produced his driver’s licence as proof of his birthday on the night they met.

It was possible that Shana’s smile was meant to be sympathetic, but it didn’t quite work. ‘The Sydney Morning Herald ran a story while you were away that questioned how Liam Conway could possibly land a plane when no one’s ever seen him behind a steering wheel,’ she said smugly.

‘That’s nonsense.’ Shana was only trying to stir up trouble. ‘Now, if you’re quite finished, I have work to do.’ She couldn’t stomach any more of this conversation.

‘I was only telling you this for your own good, but if you’re bent on defending the man no matter what, I’m wasting my time.’

Letting out an angry sniff, Shana turned and flounced back to her desk and positioned her chair and computer screen so there was no chance of eye contact.

Good, Alice decided, noting the other woman’s stiff, angry back. Now she could get on with her own work.

Movement at the bottom of her computer screen caught her eye and she saw a string of new email messages arrive.

Enquiries about the outback tours had been flooding in, thanks to the publicity Liam had attracted. He’d handled the media interviews brilliantly—was charming, articulate and perfectly comfortable in front of the cameras. And as a result they’d already drawn more interest in Kanga Tours than they’d dared to hope for.

It would be best to deal with the email messages quickly before she moved on to the list of phone calls she had to make. She scanned the email list and her heart bounced. One message leapt out from the screen—a private communication from Conway, Liam C.

Oh, heavens. Her skin flashed with nervous excitement as she clicked on it.

Can I invite myself to dinner at your place this