With that sorted, silence reigned as they wended their way through the beautiful Blue Mountains, and down the other side of the Great Dividing Range. Kent went back to his camera bag, soothed by the familiarity of the routine. It had been a while since he’d lugged this stuff around, lived with it every day, and it was comforting to know it still felt good.
He occasionally shot a glance Sadie’s way. He had to admit, after her initial misgivings she was handling the vehicle with great competence. He’d been afraid she was going to whine about the heavy steering or the engine noise or the lack of a stereo system all the way to Borroloola, but she’d got on with the job with no complaints.
No chatter whatsoever.
His kind of travelling companion.
Until it all went to hell two minutes later.
‘So are we going to sit in silence or are we going to get to know each other?’ she asked.
Now she was out of the worst of the windy roads Sadie was free to concentrate on other things. And it had occurred to her that she was sitting next to a man who was pretty hot property, especially since he’d gone underground. How far would a feature on the Kent Nelson get her career? If she had to spend days on end in a car with his particular brand of he-man, she might as well get something for it.
And truly, the way he kept breaking down that camera and reassembling it, as if it were a gun, was slightly unnerving.
Kent sighed. He should have known it was too good to be true. ‘Silence is golden.’
Sadie quirked an eyebrow at his terse reply. ‘Silence is loud.’
He clicked a lens in place, then looked at her. ‘Listen to me, Sadie Bliss. Let’s not pretend that either of us is too thrilled by being stuck in this car together. I know women feel the need to chat and fill up all the empty spaces, but I’m okay with the empty spaces.’ It sure as hell beat the crowding in his head. ‘I like the empty spaces.’
‘I don’t feel the need,’ she dismissed irritably. ‘It’s just, you know...conversational. Polite.’
Kent shoved the camera back in its soft-sided bag. ‘I can handle rude.’
That she could believe. But she doubted she could. ‘So...we’re just going to...not talk? For three thousand kilometres?’
‘Well, I’m sure we’ll need to say the odd word or two. Like, “We need petrol,” and, “How about here for lunch?” But let’s try and keep it to a minimum, huh?’
Sadie blinked at his hard profile. His arrogance that she’d just fall in with his imperious command irked. He might be used to women falling over themselves to do as he said, but she just wasn’t built that way.
And his insistence on silence only piqued her curiosity. The shadows in his eyes told her there was stuff he didn’t want to talk about. And she was pretty sure his refusal to fly was just scratching the surface. Just looking at his guarded exterior made her want to know more.
She wanted to ask about the picture. She wanted to know about that day.
Probably best not to start there though...
She waited a few minutes to lull him into a false sense of security. They were heading for Mudgee on a relatively straight stretch of highway, the scenery fairly standard Australian bush fare. Lots of gums and low, scrubby vegetation.
Fairly uninspiring really.
Especially compared to the story she knew he must be harbouring deep down where the shadows lived.
He’d just opened the map when she said, ‘It could be fun.’ She waited a beat. ‘Getting to know each other.’
Kent didn’t look up from the map. ‘I doubt it.’
He already knew too much about her. Curves that wouldn’t quit. A mouth that was made to be kissed. A weak constitution and a penchant for five-star living.
Trouble.
A real pain in his butt.
Sadie took his blunt rejection on the chin and was pleased she didn’t insult easily. Nor did she dissuade. ‘Oh, come on,’ Sadie goaded. ‘It’s really easy when you try. See, I ask something about you. We discuss it. Then you ask something about me.’
He kept his nose in the map and Sadie felt a peculiar desperation. Why, she wasn’t sure.
‘Easy,’ she added as the silence built.
It built some more.
‘Oh, come on, there must be something you want to know about me.’
Kent looked up at her, regarding her steadily. She’d obviously been to the terrier school of journalism.
Excellent. Chatty and dogged.
Two more black marks.
He suddenly remembered wondering yesterday why Leonard Pinto had requested a rookie journo for his feature.
‘Why did Leonard Pinto want you?’
Sadie almost choked on her own spit as the question caught her unawares. She certainly hadn’t been prepared for his first question to skip so much of the preliminary stuff that was the norm in these situations. Where were you born? How old are you? Where’d you go to school?
Or even the ruder ones that people tended to just come straight out and ask her no matter how inappropriate.
Is that your real name?
Are those your real boobs?
Do you have silicone in those lips?
‘Jeez,’ she said lightly, letting her sarcastic nature run free. ‘Cutting straight to the chase. No name, rank and serial number? No opening pleasantries? I hope you’re more subtle than this on dates.’
Kent raised his eyebrows at her deliberate sidestep, but he hadn’t missed the whitening of her knuckles on the steering wheel.
‘I’m rusty.’
Sadie snorted. The man looked utterly well oiled. In one hundred per cent working order. Even his limp didn’t seem to impede him. ‘You don’t say?’
Kent watched her for a moment or two as she kept her gaze firmly on the road ahead. Her profile was as striking as the rest of her, from her wavy hair to her pouty lips to the thrust of her breasts.
And he really, really didn’t want to be noticing her breasts. ‘Why does Pinto want you?’ he repeated.
Sadie flicked a quick glance his way. ‘Why don’t you fly?’
Kent blinked. He hadn’t expected her to push back so quickly. Or for her salvo to hit its target quite so effectively. ‘Is he a relative?’ he persisted.
Sadie didn’t even let a beat go by. ‘Is it because of the chopper accident?’ she replied.
Kent narrowed his gaze as he looked at her and she turned and shot him a two-can-play-at-this-game look before returning her attention to the road. ‘Or maybe he saw your picture on the magazine website and just wants to get into your pants?’ he parried.
It might only be a head shot, but a man who painted nudes for a living had to appreciate the perfect pout of that mouth.
The air in Sadie’s lungs stuttered to a halt as she forgot to breathe in for a few seconds. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She wasn’t about to tell him that Leonard Pinto had been in her pants plenty.
And that there was no way he’d want to go there again. Not with her carrying so much weight.
‘You’re right,’ she said, slamming the car into a lower gear as she slowed for some roadworks. ‘Silence is golden.’
Kent shot her a sardonic smile. ‘I knew you’d see it my way.’