Her Man with Iceberg Eyes Read Online Free PDF Page A

probably the oddest offer she’d ever
had. But it spurred Diana into sudden conversation. “Oh—you’re the
helper for Lottie,” she exclaimed. “I thought you were one of
Matthew’s friends.”
    He gave a sardonic smile. “She’s from the big
smoke,” he said. “Might find it a total bore around here.” Kate
knew he was watching for her reaction.
    “Oh, surely not,” Diana chuckled. “You and
Lottie are enough to entertain half the country.”
    “Nothing’s settled yet, Di.”
    Kate sensed a warning in the words. Maybe
he’d decided she wasn’t suitable?
    “It was time I did something different,” she
replied to Diana. “This seemed like an interesting change.”
    “I can’t imagine there’s another job like it
in the whole of New Zealand. You’d need to make it up as you go
along, I should think.”
    “If I get offered the job. And if I decide to
take it.”
    She caught the slight flicker of surprise on
Matthew’s face as he handed Diana her coffee.
    He stood. “Talk amongst yourselves, ladies,”
he said. “I’m going to try the hospital again.”
     
    He fingered his mobile, but then crossed the
big room to the landline, needing to get away from her. The trickle
of sexual awareness had spread through his body again—advancing
until it was a positive tide of sensation.
    Damn, but he only had to be close to her to
react like a teenager. How delicious it would be to have a couple
more days with her, here in the privacy of the house. No rushing,
no pressure—just letting things take their natural course. Surely
he’d be able to keep her under close surveillance for so short a
time?
    He rubbed a finger unthinkingly backward and
forward along his bottom lip while he waited for the hospital to
answer. The nerve endings in the sensitive pad of flesh set up a
desperate clamour to have soft lips sucking and sliding over his
skin. With a silent curse, he tore his finger away but the
sensation tingled on.
     
    Diana smiled at Kate. “I’m sure you’d find
this an invigorating atmosphere.”
    “Maybe too much so?” Kate inquired, flicking
a glance toward Matthew as he stood by the phone.
    “Ahhhh...” Diana murmured. And said no more
on that subject. Kate would very much have liked to quiz her
further, but it was difficult to find suitable words. In any case,
Matthew concluded his call very quickly. She presumed the small
hospital was easier to communicate with than the giant one at home
in Auckland.
    He returned to his chair and stood for a
moment, staring out toward the mountains, body tense, legs braced
back. Kate watched him, fascinated. His eyes glittered like mercury
in the low sun.
    Suddenly he turned further toward her.
“Kate—can you stay for a few more days? They want to keep Lottie
overnight, but we can have her back tomorrow. I’d appreciate you
being here for a bit, if you can arrange it?”
    She found him impossible to refuse, and
nodded. “Yes—that’s okay.” She had nothing urgent to return to
Auckland for, and staying and being helpful might count in her
favour job-wise. At least she’d get to meet Lottie, even if no
permanent offer of employment followed. And it would give her more
time to size up the situation. To see how difficult it might be
living close to Matthew...
    “Good—let’s go shopping, then. I’ll get you
some warm clothes and decent boots and things.”
    “I won’t need boots,” she protested.
    “Going to spend the whole time in those
pretty little heels?” he suggested, running appreciative eyes down
her legs. He turned to Diana. “This could be fun. Where shall we
go?”
    Kate shook her head as his words sank in and
Matthew and Diana discussed shops. She didn’t want to be treated
like a paper doll, to be dressed up as some sort of game to amuse
him while Lottie was out of the house. “I’ll buy a few things for
myself tomorrow,” she said firmly.
    Matthew glanced at his watch. “There’s plenty
of time,” he said, clattering the