Cattle Baron: Nanny Needed by Margaret Way Page B

her own baby. She could even be feeling worthless. Have you taken that into account?”
    “Would you like to know?” He swerved to avoid an all but hidden boulder, causing the four-wheel drive to rock.
    “Of course I would.” She straightened up, slightly dizzy with their close proximity. He was such a physical man. “I’m asking.”
    “ You have taken into account I’m not the husband. I’m not the father. I am what I am. Fed up to the back teeth and, before you take me further to task, a very experienced nursing sister from the Royal Flying Doctor team told me privately on her last visit she very much doubted Jan was suffering genuine PND.”
    “Go on.” She turned to him.
    “I intend to. Sister Ryan is very familiar with the condition. She advises many young mothers rearing their babies in our Outback isolation.”
    Amber blew a stray coppery-red lock off her brow. “Okay, so maybe I’m out of line here.”
    “Don’t let that bother you,” he said dryly. “That’s how we met, remember? You being out of line.”
    “You know, maybe I shouldn’t have come out here. Why don’t you just tell me to leave?”
    He laughed out loud. It was a great sound. “Asking you to leave wouldn’t come easily to me. I like you, Amber.” His eyes sparkled over her. “You’re a woman without inhibitions.”
    “I wouldn’t count on that!” She gave him a very speaking glance, at the same moment she felt the imprint of his kisses on her mouth. “Even I, a woman without inhibitions, dare not ask if your uncle’s marriage isn’t working out. You may well bite my head off. There is the age difference, but it’s not all that great. Your uncle is a handsome, very gentlemanly man.”
    “He’s that.” The Cattle Baron sighed deeply. “Sometimes it doesn’t work with women.”
    “And no doubt you’re a good judge?” Just being with him was giving her a mad rush of exhilaration. Both of them were dealing with old wounds and, maybe now, a resurgence of hormones, chemicals, whatever. The Cattle Baron was man-handling her poor broken heart, though right now she had to question the depth of what she and Sean actually had had .
    “No better than you, Amber,” he said, throwing her another narrow sidelong glance.
    That hit a nerve, as it was meant to. “You mean we’ve both made serious mistakes in the romance stakes,” she retaliated.
    “Partners in error, you might say. Hindsight has made me think myself a fool.”
    “And that wouldn’t come easily to you. Never mind. Next time we have to lift our standards,” she told him briskly.
    “Next time?” His vibrant voice positively rasped.
    “No need to yell. You’re not going to throw me out, are you? I wouldn’t like to have to set out on foot.”
    “You wouldn’t get far,” he said, laughing.
    “So you say. Don’t underrate me.”
    “Never!” As a matter of fact, he was half convinced she’d make it.
    “I’ve been in dangerous spots before. Once in Thailand—” She broke off, stunned by the sight that swam into her line of vision. “What in the blue blazes is that? A komodo dragon?” A gigantic lizard, taller than a tall man, was standing on its hind legs and tail, calmly surveying their progress. Its skin, she saw in near horror, was black, strikingly marked with yellow spots. It looked almost as terrifying as a croc.
    “That, Ms Wyatt, is a perentie, second only to the komodo dragon in size.”
    “Thank you, that’s quite big enough.” She shuddered. “It must be well over six feet.”
    “Six and a half. That’s Yuku. Actually, you’re very lucky to see him. Possibly you deserved such a treat. Spotting him isn’t all that common. Especially first time out.”
    “So I’ve been blessed?”
    “Yep.” He smiled and her heart twisted that little bit more. In his own way, the Cattle Baron was dynamite. Not an easy man. Not at all. Not overly sympathetic, either. At least to his uncle’s wife. She was troubled by that. Frankly, she was