His face and skin had been weathered by five years of on and off postings in countries around the world. The last had been the worst. The sand felt as if it would never wash off and the darkening of his skin—coupled with lots of lines—made him more weathered. It didn’t help that he felt about a hundred years older.
‘Shall we call her in?’ He had to focus on work. That was what they were here to do. Lewis hadn’t lied about everything. On the surface, this could be three weeks of paid vacation time. Supervising the challenges would only take a couple of hours each night. He could live with that.
Rachel stood up and walked to the door. ‘I’ll get her. They’re down on the beach with the director. Apparently they’re going to make it look like they had to row part way here.’
Nathan just rolled his eyes.
It didn’t take long to chat to each celebrity and review their medical files. A few were taking medications that they’d still require in the camp. A few others had intermittent usage of medications for angina, migraines or asthma that Rachel and Nathan agreed they could still take into camp. None of that stuff would be shown on camera.
Eventually it was time to speak to Darius. As soon as the guy walked into the room Nathan bristled. He just didn’t like him—would never like him. For some reason, the pictures of Darius and Rachel together were imprinted on his brain.
Rachel smiled nervously. ‘Darius, this is Nathan, the other doctor on duty. We are having a chat with everyone about their medical file and requirements in the camp.’
Darius had that soap actor look. Clean tanned skin and straight white teeth. He looked as if on occasion he might work out at the gym and he also looked as if he needed to gain a little weight.
Nathan held up his file as Rachel shifted from foot to foot. ‘There’s not much in here, Darius. If I’m going to be the doctor looking after you I need to know a little more about your medical history.’
Darius’s eyes shifted over to Rachel. He was a confident guy who was obviously used to things going his way. ‘There’s no need. Rachel knows my medical history. That’s why she’s here.’
Nathan leaned across the desk. ‘But Rachel might not always be available. She’s not on call twenty-four hours a day for the next three weeks, you know. And she’ll have other patients to treat too. The rest of your campmates and the crew need doctor services too.’
Darius gave a fake smile as he glanced at Rachel. ‘I’m sure she’ll cope.’
Nathan’s hand balled into a fist as he kept his voice deadly calm. ‘Any allergies I should know about? Are you in good health right now? Do you require any medications or special diet requirements?’
Darius took a few seconds to reply, almost as if he was rehearsing his answer. ‘No allergies. I’m in perfect health and I’m not taking any medication right now.’
Measured. That was the word that Nathan would use. Rachel, in comparison, looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. What on earth had happened between these two?
There was something in the air. But it wasn’t like the spark Nathan had felt between him and her when Rachel had first walked in here. It was something different. Something easier—at least it seemed easier to Darius. He seemed cool and confident around Rachel. Assured.
Darius stood up and put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. ‘Thanks for being here, Rach.’ He glanced at Nathan. ‘I hope it doesn’t cause you too many problems.’
He disappeared out of the door to where the director was assembling the production crew.
Nathan folded his arms. ‘Well, that was informative. What does he have on you, Rach?’
Her expression of relief changed quickly. It was amazing how quickly he could put her back up. ‘What do you mean? Nothing. He has nothing on me. Why would you even think that? I’ve already told you I’ll be looking after Darius. There’s nothing you need to know.’ She was getting angrier by the second and he knew he was right.
He moved around the desk, leaning back against it, only inches away from where she stood. Her perfume filled the air around him. ‘Really? So what did he mean by “I’m not taking any medication right now”? When was he taking meds and what for?’
He could see the conflict flitting across her eyes. The rational part of her brain knew exactly why he was asking. His suspicion hadn’t been misplaced. There was something to tell; that was the whole reason Rachel was here. But what was it? Three weeks of this would drive him crazy.
She stared him straight in the eye. ‘This is ridiculous. I don’t want to be here. You don’t want to be here. Why doesn’t one of us just leave?’
She was cutting straight to the chase but he hadn’t missed the fact she’d just circumvented his question.
This was the closest he’d been to Rachel in eight long years. Her pink lips were pressed in a hard line and her hands were staunchly on her hips. He tried not to look down. He tried not to notice the way her breasts were straining against the thin pink T-shirt. He tried not to notice the little lines around her brown eyes. Or the faint tan on her unblemished skin.
But everything was there. Everything was right in front of him. He breathed in and her scent was like an assault on his senses. He bristled, the tiny hairs on his skin upright and the beat of his heart increasing in his chest. This was crazy. He wasn’t interested in this woman. He wouldn’t let himself be interested in this woman. She’d walked away. More accurately, she’d flown away when he and Charlie had needed her most.
Australia hadn’t just been her dream. It had been their dream. They’d both planned on going there after they’d worked as senior house doctors for a year. It was easier for Rachel. Her mother was Australian and Rachel had dual nationality. But the application to work had been in both of their names and nothing had hurt more than when Rachel had just upped and left without him.
The words were on the tip of his tongue. You leave. But he couldn’t bring himself to say them. And it drove him crazy. It should be easy. She deserved it. So why couldn’t he say it?
He turned his back and sat back down. He had to get away from her smell, her stance, the look in her eyes. He could do without all these memories.
‘I can’t leave. I’m working with Lewis. Believe it or not, I’m doing this as a favour to him. Cara’s near the end of her pregnancy and he needs to be there. When I go back he’ll give me another six-month contract at the hospital.’
She frowned, wrinkling her nose. Rachel had always looked cute when she was frowning. ‘He’s blackmailing you into being here?’ It sounded worse when she said it out loud.
He couldn’t help the rueful smile on his face. ‘Not really. He gave me “the look”. You know—the one he always gives you when he needs his own way? Anyway, he really didn’t want to be away from Cara and apparently I needed a holiday. A break. Some time off.’
Now she looked worried. ‘He thought you needed some time off? Is something wrong? Did something happen?’
You. But he’d never say that word out loud. He hadn’t realised how big an effect all this was having on him. And he didn’t even want to acknowledge it. He’d spent the last eight years blanking Rachel out of his life. Forgetting about her. Locking her away in a box, along with all the unresolved feelings he had about her. It wasn’t quite so easy to do that when she was standing in front of him.
He took the easy route. ‘I spent five years working for Doctors Without Borders. I’ve been halfway around the world. I didn’t really have a holiday when I finished my last tour. Just came to Australia, looked up Lewis and started working for him on a temporary contract.’