Breaking All Their Rules

‘You can’t come up here,’ she spluttered. ‘I’m not dressed.’

So his words had hit the bull’s-eye. She’d heard him. He found himself smiling, and not just externally. Warmth was expanding, turning him all gooey. Bonkers. This was all wrong.

Zac told her, ‘Take your time getting ready, then make a grand entrance. Everyone will be here and you can wow them as you walk to the podium to make the opening announcements.’

There was utter silence at the other end of the phone. No more spluttering. No glasses smashing on the tiled floor. Not even Olivia breathing. Then his smile spread into a grin. He could almost hear her mind working.

‘Love it,’ she said, and hung up on him.

Zac slid his phone back in the pocket of his evening suit trousers. He guessed he’d see her shortly. Heading back into the room, he hesitated as the elevator doors opened. Seeing the pale, thin man who stepped out, he crossed over to shake his hand. ‘Hey, Andy, great to see you.’ The guy looked dreadful. Leukaemia was making short work of his health.

‘Isn’t this something? I couldn’t believe it when Olivia told me how many people were coming and all the amazing things that have been donated for the auction.’ Andy wiped a hand down his face. ‘Enough to make a bloke cry.’

‘Can’t have that, man.’ Zac dredged up a grin for him, feeling a lump rising in his own throat. ‘You’ll have all the females copying you.’

Andy laughed, surprising Zac. ‘Damn right there. What sort of dinner party would that be? They’d be handing round tissues, not champagne.’

‘Guess you’re off the drink at the moment.’ Zac glanced behind, and saw Kitty and their three small boys waiting calmly. ‘Great to see you.’ He wrapped the woman in his arms and when he felt her shivering he knew it was from trepidation about tonight. ‘You’re doing fine,’ he said quietly, so only she heard.

Kitty nodded. ‘Thanks to CC. She’s arranged a table for us and the boys, a babysitter for when it’s time to send the little tykes to our suite, and basically anything we could possibly want.’

‘That’s our CC.’ Damn you, Olivia. A man could fall in love with you—if he hadn’t locked his heart in a cage. You’ve done the most amazing and generous thing, arranging this evening. ‘Come on, I’ll show you to your table.’ Andy looked ready to collapse and they hadn’t started.

It took time to move through the throng of people wishing the family all the best for the auction. Zac knew everyone meant well and most were shocked at Andy’s appearance, but he wanted to snarl at them to back off and give the man time to settle at his table. He held onto his sudden burst of temper, wondering where it had come from in the first place.

As he finally pulled out a chair for Kitty a collective gasp went up around the large room. Olivia had arrived. He hadn’t seen her but he knew. She had that effect on people, on him. Like lightning she zapped the atmosphere, flashed that dazzling smile left, right and centre. Everyone felt her pull; fell under her spell. Which was why they were here, and why many had willingly donated such spectacular gifts for the auction. She was the reason these same people would soon be putting their hands in their pockets and paying the earth for those things. Sure, this was all about Andy, a man everyone liked and respected, but it was Olivia who’d got them all together.

Looking towards the podium, Zac thought he’d died and gone to heaven. Never, ever, in those crazy weeks he and Olivia had been getting down and dirty had he seen her look like she did right this moment. If he had he’d have hauled her back to his bedroom that last night and tied her to the bed so she couldn’t dump him. He’d have taken a punt on her not breaking his heart even when it was obvious she would’ve. Stunning didn’t begin to describe her. And that dress? Had to be illegal. Didn’t it? She shouldn’t be allowed to wear it in public. It appeared painted on, except for where the soft, weightless fabric floated across her thighs. Everywhere her body was highlighted with the gold material shimmering over her luscious curves.

And he’d thought he could handle this evening, being around Olivia. He hadn’t a hope in Hades. Not a one.

CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_3a99604c-ea52-5a58-a8a4-bce7a5aa07ff)

‘WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO what is going to be a wonderful night.’ Olivia stood behind the podium, the mic in her hand, and let some of the tension slide across her lips on a low breath. She’d done it. Andy and his family were here, the colleagues who’d said they’d come were here, and the noise level already spoke of people having fun. Phew.

Zac’s here. So? She knew that already.

Olivia could see him standing by Andy, staring over at her, his mouth hanging a little loosely. He looked stunned. What had put that expression on his face? Not her, surely? She stepped out from behind the podium, shifted her hips so that her dress shimmied over her thighs, and watched Zac. Forget stunned. Try knocked out. She bet a whole team of cheerleaders could be leaping up and down naked in front of him right now and he wouldn’t notice. His gaze was intense and totally fixed on her. Or, rather, on her thighs.

Despite being like nothing else she’d worn since she’d been a teen, she’d loved this dress from the moment she’d seen it; now she thought it was the best outfit ever created. That sex thing she and Zac had once had going? It was still there, alive and well, already fired up and ready to burn.

Then the silence reached her and she stared around at the gathering of friends and colleagues, the reason she was standing up here finally returning to her bemused brain. She was supposed to be wowing them, not getting slam-dunked by Zac’s comatose expression. Slapping her forehead in front of everyone wasn’t a good idea, but she did it anyway. ‘Sorry, everyone, I forgot where I was for a moment. Thought I was back at med school and about to give you all a demo on how to drink beer while standing on my head.’ Like she’d ever done anything close.

But it got her a laugh and she could relax. As long as she didn’t look in Zac’s direction she should be able to continue with her brief outline of how the evening would unfold.

‘I hope you’ve all got your bank managers’ phone numbers handy because we are going to have the auction of all auctions. It will be loads of fun, but just to get you loosened up there are limitless numbers of champagne flutes filled with the best drop of nectar doing the rounds of the room. Stop any of those handsome young men carrying trays and help yourself.’

She paused, and immediately her eyes sought Zac. He hadn’t moved, still stood watching her, but at least he’d stopped looking like a possum caught in headlights. His eyes were hooded now, hiding whatever had been eating him, and that delicious mouth had tightened a little. Then he winked, slowly with a nod at the room in general.

She got the message. Get on with it. Everyone’s waiting for you.

Again she looked around the room filled with people she knew, admired and in a lot of cases really liked. ‘Just to keep us all well behaved and lasting the distance, there will be platters of canapés arriving over the next hour. We will have the auction before dinner so take a look at all the wonderful gifts set out on the tables over by the entrance. Most importantly, enjoy yourselves, but not until I’ve kept hotel management happy by telling you what to do in case of fire, earthquake, or the need to use a bathroom.’

After giving those details, she wrapped up. ‘Let’s have a darned good time. If there’s anything that you feel you’re missing out on talk to …’ she looked around the room and of course her gaze fell on Zac ‘… Zachary Wright. He’s volunteered to help with any problems and we’d hate to see him sitting around with nothing to do, wouldn’t we?’ She grinned over at the man who’d got her stomach in a riot. Not only her stomach, she conceded, while trying to ignore the smug smile coming back at her. Not easy to do when her heart rate was erratic. The noise levels were rising fast as she stepped away from the podium to go in search of a distraction that didn’t begin with a Z.

Paul Entwhistle stepped in front of her. ‘Olivia, you’re a marvel, girl. There’s as many people here as you’d find at Eden Park watching an international rugby match.’ He wrapped her into a bear hug. ‘Well done.’

‘Still prone to exaggerating, I see.’ She laughed as she extricated herself. ‘Are you going to be bidding at the auction? There are some wonderful prizes—if I can call them that.’

‘I’ve got my eye on one or two.’ There was a cunning glint in Paul’s eyes.

‘What?’

Paul went with a complete change of subject. ‘I see you still like to give Zac a bit of stick. It saddened me when you two broke up. Thought you had what it took.’

Her stomach sucked in against her backbone. Not in this lifetime, we don’t. But even as she thought it her eyes were tracking the crowd for a dark head. Not hard to find when Zac towered above most people, even the tall ones. He was heading in her direction, an amused tilt to his mouth. ‘I beg to differ,’ she told Paul. ‘Neither of us are the settling-down type.’ If only that weren’t true. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me …’

‘I think you’re wrong.’ Paul glanced in the direction she’d seen Zac. The cunning expression had changed to something more whimsical, which didn’t make her feel any more comfortable.

‘I need to circulate.’ Before Zac reaches us. ‘I’m sure Zac will be happy to chat with you.’

‘Thanks a bundle, Olivia,’ Zac breathed into her ear.

Too late. She plastered on a smile and faced him, wondering why just talking to him got her all in a twist. ‘Thought you’d be pleased. You’re flying solo, remember?’

He actually laughed. ‘Touché.’

Paul was watching them with interest. She really needed to stop this; whatever the man was thinking didn’t have a part in the evening’s plans.