Oh, whiskey would be fine, she said.
Mal straightened, his gaze still locked on hers. He ought to just kiss her now and be done with it. Hed never been the kind of guy to hide his desires. When he wanted a woman, he made it clear from the start. And what was there to stop them? They were two consenting adults. At least, he was consenting.
Mal cursed inwardly. Was he reading her wrong? Was she playing him just to get her story? He could see she was attracted...tempted. But maybe she was trying to be professional. Im going to go get those drinks, he said.
2
AMY PUSHED TO her feet and walked to the rail of the porch, staring out at the water. The sun was dropping closer to the horizon and the sunset colors painted the sky in a blaze of orange and pink.
He lived in paradise, she mused. Though the cottage, or bach as he called it, was small, the location couldnt be beat. But then, Mal probably took stunning scenery for granted.
Her thoughts returned to his comment at the bar, the sideways compliment hed given her. Mal Quinn had said she was pretty. What did that mean? She knew how it felt. An odd anticipation had settled over her, as if she was waiting for something she wasnt sure she wanted.
It wasnt difficult to read his intentions. Hed been on a glacier for the past month with a bunch of guys. Hed rubbed her calf and now he was getting them both a drink.
But if Amy knew only one thing about being a reporter, it was that you didnt sleep with the subject of your story. She had to maintain professional objectivity, and she couldnt do that if she was constantly undressing Mal Quinn in her mind.
She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, the images floating through her head. There had been a number of men in her life, but theyd all been rather ordinaryan accountant, a lawyer and the owner of a bookstore. Not the kind of guys who hung off the sides of mountains for a living. They didnt even venture outside when it was raining.
Mal Quinn was a passionate man. And someone who lived his life on the edge would certainly bring that same intensity to the bedroom. A shiver skittered down her spine at the idea of the two of them together. There was a bed inside his cottage, probably just ten or fifteen short steps away.
The door opened and Mal stepped out onto the porch, a bottle and two tumblers in his hands. He held a glass out to her and then poured a small measure of whiskey into it. After he poured himself a drink, he sat down in the chair next to hers.
They sat silently for a long time, staring out at the sunset. Amy was afraid to talk, sensing that he was still considering her offer to be featured in the magazine. Or was he considering something else? Maybe he was undressing her in his head.
Amy winced inwardly. She didnt spend a lot of time working out or watching her diet. He was probably used to women who could free-climb a rock wall or trek to the South Pole. There were days when she could barely make it from the subway to her office without complete exhaustion.
This is a beautiful country, she said. Everything is so...wild. Untamed. Unspoiled
Im not going to do your story, Mal said. I cant.
Someone is going to write about this, she said. With me, you could get your story out there the way you want it to be told.
Mal shook his head. It took my mum a year to make it through the day without crying. Im not going to make her relive that time. You can write what you want to write, but without me or my brothers.
Without you, theres no story, Amy murmured.
Youre not going to write anything?
Amy shook her head. I know good stories, and that wouldnt be a good story. I wanted to write about your father and the aftereffects of the tragedy that took his life. She shrugged. I understand that wouldnt be easy for you.
She didnt want to give up, but Amy saw the pain in his expression. The emotions were still raw, the wounds unhealed even after twenty years. She was sure in her heart she could tell their story the right way, putting aside the sensational and focusing on the human element. But if he wasnt going to participate, what was the point?
Amy pushed to her feet. I should probably go. I cant afford to miss any more work.
Isnt this your work?
She didnt want to admit the truth to him, but then again, what difference did it make now? I was hoping if I got this story, I could convince my father to mount an expedition to Everest for you and your brothers.
He gasped, then looked away. Gulping down the last of his whiskey, Mal sat silently for a long moment. Amy waited, wondering if the revelation might change his mind. I thought wed do a series of articles. Profiles on all three of you, then wed follow the preparations for the expedition. And then cover the expedition itself. I wanted to put a historical perspective on the story and show the way climbing Everest has changed in the past twenty years.
You have a lot of grand plans, he said.
I do, Amy admitted.
Was he really considering her offer? Would the expedition change his mind? Amy knew she ought to tell him the truth, that an Everest trip wasnt actually a firm part of the deal, but if she wanted this story, then she had to do everything in her power to make it happen. That was what a real journalist did.
Im still not going to do the story, he said.
Frustration welled up inside her. So hed decided to string her along and get her drunk. Then I think Ill go back to my hotel. She walked down the porch steps, then realized that she didnt have her car. And she wasnt really sure how to get back to her hotel.
Come on, Mal said. At least let me buy you dinner for your trouble. You came all the way to New Zealand.
You already bought me crisps and a beer. Im good.
Mal jogged down the steps and grabbed her hand. The physical contact sent a tremor through her body. When he leaned closer, she forgot to breathe. She realized she should put some distance between them. And yet she couldnt seem to make herself move.
She wanted him to kiss her, to come away with that one singular experience. Shed consider her trip a mild success if she left with that memory. After all, this whole trip had been about expanding her horizons, about reaching for new goals.
Can I take you out? he asked. I promise, Ill show you a good time.
She couldnt help but smile. If he knew the kind of fun that she had in mind, he might not be so anxious to keep her around. Or maybe he would....
Glancing down at their hands, her fingers still caught up in his, Amy realized what she had to do. If she couldnt have the story, then shed satisfy herself with the man. Or at least a night out with him. Suddenly, the word adventure took on a whole new meaning.
All right, she said. I am hungry.
Mal gave her hand a squeeze, then pulled her along to the Range Rover. A friend of mine has a burger place over on Bow Street. Do you like burgers? Of course you do, youre American. Youre going to love this place.
He opened the door and helped her into the truck. Amy watched as he jogged around to the drivers side. He moved with such ease, as if he was in absolute control of every muscle in his body. What would it feel like to have that body beside her in bed? To be able to touch him at will?
As he slid in behind the wheel, she pushed the thought out of her head. Shed blown all of this entirely out of proportion. Hed touched her calf; hed squeezed her hand. That didnt mean he wanted to carry her into his bed and ravish her. It was Mal Quinns business to be charming and accommodating. They would have a fun meal, that was all.
She searched her mind for a topic of conversation. Now that hed refused the article, she didnt want to probe his past too deeply. She took a different tack. Do you surf?
Yes, he said. After my father died, we moved up from the south island. My mums parents lived here and we lived with them at first. They ran a little restaurant.
Does your whole family still live here?
My grandparents have a place closer to Auckland now. The bach was theirs. They used to rent rooms out to visiting surfers. Now my brothers live there with me, although were rarely there together. And my younger sister also lives in town with a few friends. She used to live with us, but that didnt really work out once she started bringing men home.
Your father was Australian. Do you ever see that side of the family?
He glanced over at her. Youve done your research.
She smiled. I wanted to be prepared.
He was an only child and his mother passed away when he was thirteen. He never knew his father. He lived with foster families for a couple of years, then ran away when he was sixteen. He just wandered from adventure to adventure after that, working when he had to. He ended up in New Zealand, where he met Roger Innis, and the rest is history.
Amy wanted paper and a pen to take notes, but since shed managed to gain his trust, she had to keep it. That adds a whole new context to his life, she said. Ive always wondered what drives a man to risk his life for...thrills.
I couldnt tell you.
You dont feel that thrill?
He shook his head. Not the kind of thrill that makes me want to risk my life. Dont get me wrong, I love what I do. I love seeing new and beautiful places, and I love showing those places to other people. But its not about me, its about the clients. With my father, I think it was about him. Even when he had clients with him.
They pulled up in front of the restaurant and Mal parked the car and turned off the ignition. He stared out the windshield, a perplexed expression on his face. He laughed softly. You know, I never really made the connection before, between his childhood and his need to tempt the fates.
I can understand his urge, she said. Maybe, after all that had happened to him as a kid, he was a little numb. Risking his life made him feel alive.
He twisted in his seat, facing her. But why have a family? Why put them at risk, too?
Thats easy, Amy said. Love. He lost his mother when he was young. I suppose he always wanted a family again, and when he met your mother, that happened. It just didnt heal all the wounds. She shook her head. Im not a psychologist, so this is all speculative. I guess well never really know.
My father kept journals. My mother said she burned them, but I believe she still has them. They might provide more insight.
Maybe you should ask her if you can read them, Amy said. It might give you the peace you need.
He considered her suggestion for a long moment. And then, without any warning, he reached out and pulled her toward him. His lips met hers and she realized that he was kissing her.
His tongue gently probed and she eagerly joined in. He was everything shed imagined he would bewarm and passionate and powerful. He caressed her face with his hands as he deepened his assault and Amy sighed, the sound swallowed by the kiss.
When he finally drew back, she was light-headed and breathless. She wanted to kiss him again and keep kissing him until...until they found something more exciting to do. She leaned into him and he immediately took the cue and captured her mouth in another deep, delicious encounter.
This time, when he drew back, she held fast to the front of his shirt. They couldnt go on until she understood exactly where she stood with him. What are the chances youre going to do this story with me? she asked. Just give me the odds.
As much as youve made an enticing pitch, I just cant, Mal said.
Then I suppose theres nothing to stop you from kissing me again.
He grinned. There was nothing stopping me before, Mal replied.
All right, then, carry on, she said.
With a low growl, he shook his head. I think maybe we should go inside and have dinner.
Amy drew a deep breath. Right. Lets have dinner.
A meal would give her an opportunity to regroup and figure out what the hell she was doing. If the story was a no-go, then she was free to pursue other avenues with Mal Quinn. Sexual avenues...and boulevards...and expressways. Shed come to New Zealand to make a major change in her life. Maybe she should start with herself.
* * *
MAL HAD BEGUN the evening searching for a warm body to take to bed. To his surprise, hed found a funny, smart and sexy woman. Too bad she was a journalist.
He watched in amusement as she tackled the huge hamburger, digging into her dinner with enthusiasm.
Its good, right? he asked.
Really good, she said.
New Zealand beef. Its the best.
I think all the cheese and truffle oil might have something to do with it, too, she said, closely examining the burger.
They sat on the wide front porch of the restaurant, which overlooked the street. Raglan was a typical surf haven, filled with funky shops and casual restaurants. The laid-back atmosphere was exactly what he needed when he came home from an expedition, these surroundings providing the perfect atmosphere to decompress.
Though hed been to many breathtaking spots in the world, home was always the most beautiful to him. Hed grown up here, learned to surf here and made plans for his first solo adventure in the cozy bach on the beach.
Ive never seen a woman eat like that, he said.
Then you havent been hanging around real women, Amy countered. Not all of us eat like rabbits.
I reckon not, he said. He respected that about Amy. She didnt try to turn herself into someone she assumed he wanted. She was true and genuine. So tell me about your travels. Ive read about your father and your brother. What about you?
She gazed across the table at him, an odd expression on her face. Id much rather hear about your trip to Greenland. That sounds interesting.
It was, he said. At the rate the glaciers are melting, there will come a day when that trip isnt possible. Im glad Im able to give people the experience before its too late.
Whats your favorite trip? she asked.
Every trip has something special, he said. Its not the scenery, its more the feeling. Ill be standing in some marketplace in Nepal or talking to some Argentinian farmer and Ill say to myself, what the bloody hell am I doing here? I cant believe I live this life.
Have you ever thought of settling down and staying in one place?
Mal shook his head. Never. I make my living as a guide and even though Im very careful, there are still dangers. Id never put someone through what my mother went through.