Breaking All Their Rules. Sue MacKay

      Again she looked around the room filled with people she knew, admired and in a lot of cases really liked. ‘Just to keep us all well behaved and lasting the distance, there will be platters of canapés arriving over the next hour. We will have the auction before dinner so take a look at all the wonderful gifts set out on the tables over by the entrance. Most importantly, enjoy yourselves, but not until I’ve kept hotel management happy by telling you what to do in case of fire, earthquake, or the need to use a bathroom.’

      After giving those details, she wrapped up. ‘Let’s have a darned good time. If there’s anything that you feel you’re missing out on talk to …’ she looked around the room and of course her gaze fell on Zac ‘… Zachary Wright. He’s volunteered to help with any problems and we’d hate to see him sitting around with nothing to do, wouldn’t we?’ She grinned over at the man who’d got her stomach in a riot. Not only her stomach, she conceded, while trying to ignore the smug smile coming back at her. Not easy to do when her heart rate was erratic. The noise levels were rising fast as she stepped away from the podium to go in search of a distraction that didn’t begin with a Z.

      Paul Entwhistle stepped in front of her. ‘Olivia, you’re a marvel, girl. There’s as many people here as you’d find at Eden Park watching an international rugby match.’ He wrapped her into a bear hug. ‘Well done.’

      ‘Still prone to exaggerating, I see.’ She laughed as she extricated herself. ‘Are you going to be bidding at the auction? There are some wonderful prizes—if I can call them that.’

      ‘I’ve got my eye on one or two.’ There was a cunning glint in Paul’s eyes.

      ‘What?’

      Paul went with a complete change of subject. ‘I see you still like to give Zac a bit of stick. It saddened me when you two broke up. Thought you had what it took.’

      Her stomach sucked in against her backbone. Not in this lifetime, we don’t. But even as she thought it her eyes were tracking the crowd for a dark head. Not hard to find when Zac towered above most people, even the tall ones. He was heading in her direction, an amused tilt to his mouth. ‘I beg to differ,’ she told Paul. ‘Neither of us are the settling-down type.’ If only that weren’t true. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me …’

      ‘I think you’re wrong.’ Paul glanced in the direction she’d seen Zac. The cunning expression had changed to something more whimsical, which didn’t make her feel any more comfortable.

      ‘I need to circulate.’ Before Zac reaches us. ‘I’m sure Zac will be happy to chat with you.’

      ‘Thanks a bundle, Olivia,’ Zac breathed into her ear.

      Too late. She plastered on a smile and faced him, wondering why just talking to him got her all in a twist. ‘Thought you’d be pleased. You’re flying solo, remember?’

      He actually laughed. ‘Touché.’

      Paul was watching them with interest. She really needed to stop this; whatever the man was thinking didn’t have a part in the evening’s plans.