Tall, Dark & Distant by Julie Fison Read Free Book Online Page A

athlete. Nik was glad he’d started training in Argentina a few weeks earlier. He’d taken up running again to get fit for polo. He hadn’t exactly been fanatical about it, but at least he’d done enough to keep up. And at least his runners didn’t look brand-new.
    ‘So, how long are you in Noosa?’ Georgia asked as they reached the cliff top at the end of the path.
    ‘I’m here for a while,’ he said, trying to keep things vague.
    Georgia tried again. ‘Where are you staying?’
    Nik waved into the distance. ‘Up on the hill.’
    ‘On your own?’ Georgia asked.
    Nik peered into the sea. ‘Sort of,’ he replied. He looked for something to distract her from the interrogation. ‘Look!’ Nik pointed at the waves. With his other hand, he turned Georgia round to face the water. ‘It’s a turtle!’
    She didn’t respond, and Nik looked at her face. Her eyes were on him, and he realised there were goosebumps on her skin. Her face was an open book – she’d liked his touch.
    ‘Anyway,’ Nik said, quickly pulling his hand away. ‘I’ve got some … things to do today, so let’s keep going.’
    ‘Ah, okay,’ Georgia said. She still looked vaguely startled.
    They ran on in silence. He could feel Georgia’s eyes on him, but he kept focused on the ground – trying to keep his mind off the goosebumps on her olive skin, doing his best to stick to the plan. But no matter where he looked, his mind began to wander up her long legs, to the smooth skin on the inside of her thighs.
    ‘That was fun,’ Georgia said when they got back to the entrance to the national park. ‘We should meet again tomorrow.’
    Nik nodded, even though he had already decided not to meet her again. Oh well. He could always cancel by text. It was easier that way.
    ‘How about six?’ Georgia said. ‘It’s cooler. I always run at six.’
    ‘Oh,’ Nik said. He didn’t do anything at the same time every day. A routine was the reason for the scar above his eye.
    ‘Six o’clock, then,’ Nik said anyway.
    Georgia ran off towards her apartment. He knew he should be calling her back and cancelling the run. He had a plan. He had to stick to it. What if she turned into a gold-digging psycho like his ex? His father had been very specific: Steer clear of girls .
    Instead, Nik called out to Georgia. ‘Ciao, bella!’
    Georgia turned and smiled – a shy smile that could have melted solid rock.
    Nik climbed into his car and headed back to the house – thinking of Georgia and feeling a bit more relaxed about the plan. A run in the park didn’t really break any rules. It didn’t actually mean anything; it wasn’t going anywhere. If he only saw her in the national park and always before eight, he knew he’d be pretty safe. His mind went back to the lookout at Hell’s Gates and the way Georgia had looked at him – her blue eyes, so lovely, so vulnerable. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he couldn’t stay away from her either.
    Nik pulled into the garage at the top of the hill and walked inside. He could hear the cleaner vacuuming upstairs, but apart from that the house was empty. Nik took off his T-shirt and runners, then strolled outside and dived into the pool. He swam a few lengths and then turned on his back to admire the garden. It wasn’t something that he did very often. But the trees beside the pool caught his eye. Their flowers were exactly the same as the one on Georgia’s hair-tie. He wondered what they were called. Had she said this morning? He couldn’t remember.
    Nik considered asking Georgia back for a swim after their next run. She’d probably like to see the house, and he thought she’d appreciate the garden. He’d been terribly rude that morning, just abandoning her in the park without even offering her a lift. The least he could do was ask her back for a swim – surely a swim wouldn’t be breaking any rules. And then he remembered that it did. He’d already decided to limit their time to the park. Who knew