Temporary Intrigue Read Online Free PDF Page B

seemed to have gone astray. She badly needed to inhale, to gulp in a great lungful of air.
    Not an option, with him so close and watching her. She would have to risk suffocation.
    “No, really. Thanks, anyway.” She stepped back.
    “Careful.” She froze as he put a restraining hand on her shoulder while a waitress, hurrying past with a laden tray, did a quick sidestep to avoid a collision. He moved his hand away abruptly.
    “I’ll walk you to the door.”
    There was suddenly something strained about his manner. Probably couldn’t wait to be rid of such a klutz.
    “Call in some time and get your boyfriends back,” Malcolm called jovially after her. Several people stared. Dimity increased her speed.
    “I guess you know your way from here,” Josh said as they reached the door. “Leave the sheet. I’ll take it back later.”
    “It’s been laundered.” Dimity put the bag down with relief. He stood a couple of steps away, no doubt waiting for her to leave.
    “Well.” She attempted a smile. “Thanks for everything.” Even to her, the words sounded inadequate. How would they sound to him?
    “Any time.”
    Surprising herself, she held out her hand. He looked equally surprised, but was about to take it when Gail appeared behind him.
    “The speeches are starting,” she said.
    Josh glanced around at her and nodded. By the time he looked back, Dimity had withdrawn her hand. With his own hand half-extended, he changed the gesture to an awkward semi-salute as she turned and hurried down the corridor.
    ****
    By late afternoon the next day, Josh was asking himself why he wasn’t already back in Sydney. He had done his duty at various functions to mark Global’s acquisition and renaming of the Newcastle hotel, said his farewells, packed his car. There was no point hanging around any longer, especially with the weather the way it was.
    From a chair on his suite’s sheltered balcony, he watched light rain falling on the harbour. The expanse of water, blue when he’d arrived yesterday, was now grey in the overcast conditions.
    The weather had certainly put a damper on the regatta. The Saturday sailing events were proceeding, but spectators were few and far between.
    Looking along the length of grassy foreshore that stretched towards the city’s east end, Josh could see empty carnival rides, a few remaining stalls and even fewer people. Most of the crowds who had packed the foreshore earlier seemed to have gone home. Also missing were the clowns and actors who had added splashes of colour and music to the scene.
    They’d probably given it up as a bad job. Only the brave or desperate would hope for business in such weather.
    It was certainly far too wet for face painting.
    Josh returned his gaze to the harbour but its grey waters did little to block out the image of the girl with the black eyes. It was the same image that had been intruding on his thoughts randomly during the past twenty four hours.
    There was no rhyme or reason to it, no pattern. He liked patterns; they made sense, but this didn’t. When there was absolutely no foundation for thinking about her, nothing to remind him of her, there she was.
    It had been an unusual couple of meetings. No wonder the thought of her lingered on. But it was only a distracting after-image. Once he was back to his normal routine he would stop having flashbacks to the quick smile, the soft voice, the electric impulse that had seemed to shoot through his hand when it closed over her shoulder –
    He got to his feet abruptly, shoving the chair aside. From the way she’d tensed at his touch and backed away, she clearly wanted nothing to do with him.
    So hit the road to Sydney and get over it.
    He handed in his key and was walking past reception towards the stairs that led to the basement car park when the hotel’s entrance doors hissed open. Two children in hooded raingear bounced into the foyer, followed by a woman. Josh recognised the children who had cannoned into him