Interview with the Daredevil

Glancing around the restaurant, he spotted Rex Mayfair, an old friend of his mum’s, partially hidden by a screen and towering palm.

Rex had often stopped by their Chelsea apartment when he’d visited London and as a kid he’d wondered if Rex might in fact be his dad. Despite careful scrutiny, it didn’t look as if the old guy was anything more than a platonic friend of Estelle’s. Not that she’d tell him anyway. He’d given up asking about his paternity years ago.

‘Father unknown’ sucked on his birth certificate but not as much as having a mother who’d made him pay for being a burr in her side every day growing up.

Annoyed he’d let old bitterness creep into this otherwise sensational morning, he strode across the restaurant, ready to hear what Rex thought of his plan.

Rex caught sight of him first and stood, a welcoming smile accentuating the many creases lining his ruddy face.

‘Roman, my boy, good to see you.’

‘Likewise.’

As he neared the table and reached out to shake Rex’s hand a prickle of awareness raised his hackles and he glanced over his shoulder to find Ava sitting at the next table, partially hidden by a palm, poring over the morning newspaper’s employment section.

The smart thing to do would be to acknowledge her with a greeting then distance himself and catch up with Rex. Easy. Until he caught sight of her teeth worrying her lower lip and the frantic eye movements speed-reading the job ads.

She needed a break and as Rex pumped his hand an idea completely out of left-field smacked him upside the head.

‘Excuse me a moment.’

Rex raised an eyebrow as Roman squatted next to Ava’s chair.

‘We meet again.’

Her head snapped up, her blue eyes wide with panic until she registered who it was. ‘Hey there.’

They lapsed into an awkward silence and he stood, touching her lightly on the back. ‘If you’re free, I’d like you to meet someone.’

Confusion creased her brow but she wouldn’t refuse; etiquette training would be hard to shake.

‘Sure.’

She stood, her arm brushing his and he gritted his teeth against the urge to touch her.

He should’ve done the right thing and walked away last night but he hadn’t been able to conquer his insatiable hunger for her. Now he had a chance to make things right, to take her vulnerability and turn it into the confidence of a young woman revelling in a fresh start.

‘Rex, I’d like you to meet Ava, a friend of mine.’

She shot him a dubious look at his mention of friend, which he ignored and gestured to the seat between Rex and his.

‘Pleased to meet you, young lady.’

‘Likewise.’

Before Rex’s journalistic instincts kicked in and he prodded Ava for info on how they met, he angled his body towards her.

‘Rex is the chief editor of Globetrotter magazine.’

A spark lit her eyes, quickly replaced by suspicion. Clever girl—he knew she’d cotton on to the rationale behind this introduction.

‘Must be an interesting job.’

Oblivious to the simmering tension, Rex waxed lyrical about his work while Roman relaxed into his chair, very much aware of the freshly showered, floral-scented woman beside him.

How could he not be, when every cell in his body screamed for a repeat of what they’d done last night?

All night.

That scent … a rich, evocative blend … rose and lilacs she’d told him, a fragrance imprinted on his receptors, a fragrance to drive a man wild.

He straightened, needing to get to the crux of this meeting so he could flee before he did something crazy, such as drag her back to his room and throw away the key.

‘Rex, last time we spoke you mentioned expanding the layout for Globetrotter? Starting to incorporate human interest interviews, that kind of thing?’

Rex folded his hands and leaned on the table. ‘I know that’s why you’re here, trying to get that mug of yours into my magazine.’

Roman chuckled. ‘That too. Though maybe I can do you a favour in return?’

‘What’s that?’

‘Ava’s a writer. If you’re looking for new slots to fill, she’s your gal.’

Ava blanched and he rushed on. ‘You’ve got mainly freelancers on staff, right? She’d be a huge asset to the magazine.’

He could practically hear her teeth grinding behind the practised smile she gave Rex, while she reserved a death glare for him.

He grinned in response, draping an arm across the back of her chair and murmuring, ‘You can thank me later.’

She kicked him under the table.

‘Most of our freelancers are snowed under so I was looking at putting new people on …’ Rex narrowed his eyes, assessing. ‘You interested, Ava? You could do a piece for me, shoot it across, I’ll take a look and let you know if we have ongoing assignments for you? Sound doable?’

Ava’s fingers pleated the tablecloth while she nodded, her eyes sparkling with an enthusiasm that hit him like a wayward waterski to the chest.

‘Sounds great, thanks for the opportunity.’

Rex steepled his fingers, his shrewd gaze flicking between the two of them. ‘In fact, I think I can kill two birds with the proverbial stone. My buddy Roman here was trying to take advantage of our long-standing friendship and grab a profile spot in the revamped Globetrotter. Why don’t you do your piece on him? Kind of like an exposé on extreme sports, focusing on the personal angle.’

Ah … this just got better and better.

‘I’m game.’

This time he avoided her kick in time.

The epitome of a poised pro, Ava clasped her hands together and nodded. ‘Thanks, Rex, I’ll get straight on it.’

‘Better pack your bags, then.’