Outback Affair: An Affair Novel (Entangled Indulgence) by Annie Seaton

crocodile, no matter how bad he smelled or slobbered.
    Kicking off her sandals, she ran down the sloping sand into the water and scooped the little dog up in her arms. A huge swirl in the water just out from the edge broke the surface, and Jess froze, unable to move. Alex gunned the motor and the small aluminum boat whizzed across the river and over the spot where the water had swirled only seconds before. The boat roared onto the shore at full speed, scraped along the sandy bottom, and wedged on the sand beside them. He cut the motor and jumped out and grabbed her, pushing her and Bowser up the sandy bank.
    “Jeez, Jess, are you okay?” He spoke quietly, as if not to spook her any more than she’d already been. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against his chest as she began to shake uncontrollably.
    Burying her face into his chest, she nodded. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t bear the thought of him being eaten. I know I wasn’t supposed to get out of the truck, but it was too hot in there.” Her voice was muffled in his soft T-shirt, and she couldn’t help but notice his chest was rock hard. His heart thudded against her cheek, and she closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
    “You might be a city slicker pain in the ass, but I wasn’t going to let you get eaten by a crocodile.”
    She didn’t move for a minute, appreciating the strength of the arms holding her.
    “Jess?”
    Alex was looking down at her intently, his blue eyes narrowed. She held his gaze and her heart began to race as he lowered his head. She couldn’t move, and she watched, fascinated, as his lips came closer. They were a mere breath away, and Bowser yapped at her feet, interrupting them.
    “I’m okay now, thanks.” Pushing away, she walked to the top of the bank and picked up her sandals before going across to the truck.
    She opened the door, climbed in, and slammed it behind her, taking deep breaths as she willed her thudding heart to slow down. Alex followed her, opened the other door, and put Bowser on the seat next to her. The dog came across the seat and snuggled into her, obviously sensing her distress. A warm wet tongue scraped along the side of her face, and she laughed shakily.
    “That was a stupid thing to do, Bowser,” she said. “You nearly got us both eaten.”
    Alex watched them through the open door. “You’ve made a buddy there. He doesn’t usually take to other people.”
    Jess looked up from the dog to Alex. Perspiration ran down the side of his face and his shirt was damp. He held her gaze, and her uncertainty was reflected in his eyes. She looked away as a shaft of warmth sent another shake through her body, but this time it wasn’t fear making her legs weak.
    …
    Alex cursed himself as he headed back to the boat.
    Christ, his stupid game of showing her up could have ended in tragedy. All she’d been doing was trying to look after his dog, and she could have ended up as crocodile bait. He’d seen some close calls over the past seven years, but that had been the worst.
    What sort of idiot was he? Teaching her a lesson in honesty was one thing, but putting her in danger?
    No more.
    He’d put his head down and focus on getting them to Cockatoo Springs with no more incidents, and then he’d sort her out once they’d arrived safely. She could stay for a holiday, but he wasn’t going to break and give in to an interview. He’d taken the job under sufferance, he’d built the school up faster than anyone had anticipated, but that was as far as it went. He was getting out soon, and Alessandro Ricardo was going to disappear for good. No matter how much Jess wanted to get a scoop and publicize it, his private life was private.
    Not negotiable.
    She could interview Mitch and get the information second hand if it meant she’d get a job out of it. He still didn’t know whether she was being truthful, and once they got to Cockatoo Springs he wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
    Jess sat quietly