Rescue Nights Read Free Page B

ago, looking for a recommendation. He gave me the number of this place,’ Andrew said laconically. ‘I must say I feel lucky that I was able to get a three-month booking. It really lives up to its five star reputation.’
    ‘Villa living isn’t for everybody,’ she said, knowing how inane it sounded.
    There weren’t many cities in the world where you could stay in absolute luxury for a fraction of the cost. Chronic oversupply of luxury accommodation after a tourism downturn, and civic minded owners, meant that she had been able to negotiate a rate she could afford even on a paramedic’s salary. She just hadn’t expected that privilege to be extended to others.
    ‘Yeah, I suppose the feeling of a permanent holiday would be hard for some,’ he replied.
    Damn, why had she stayed incommunicado for the last four days? If she couldn’t have persuaded the reception staff to turn down his booking, at least she could have asked them to put him over the other side of the resort.
    As if he could hear her thoughts and wanted to spite her, he pointed to her overnight bag. ‘Do you want to give me that? We are heading the same way?’
    Heading the same way was her exact problem. However, Kate managed to smile politely.
    ‘It is fine. It is just clothes,’ she said, as she shouldered the duffle bag.
    As if he wanted to annoy her further, Andrew slowed down her rapid escape by stepping in front of her and peered into the admittedly grimy window of her station wagon.
    ‘A little bit into diving, are you?’ he asked, smiling wryly.
    With the car’s backseat pushed down, she had two wetsuits drying, and snorkels and various fins strewn about. The only thing that was neatly stowed were the oxygen bottles. She knew enough to always show her lifesaving equipment the greatest respect.
    ‘I spent the weekend on a boat doing my dive rescue recertification,’ she said, as she started down the path.
    Andrew fell into step beside her as they made their way through the lush tropical gardens. However, he didn’t seem inclined to enjoy the peace and charm of the exotic planting.
    ‘Do you spend the weekend diving often?’ he asked.
    ‘I dive for pleasure and as a volunteer,’ Kate answered. ‘When I am off duty, I am a member of the SES, so I can get called in to help out police divers.’
    ‘Helping out police divers isn’t exactly glamorous work,’ he said.
    Kate could hear an incredulous tone in his statement. She resented it enough that he really was lucky she didn’t call him on it.
    Instead, she answered patiently, ‘We live in a regional centre, but in the end we are a reasonably small group of rescue specialists. So, volunteering our skills in our off hours is important.’
    She could see from the expression on his face that he was still cynical. Typical doctor, they thought they were the only ones with skills to offer.
    Their relatively fast walking pace had brought them to the edges of the resort’s grounds, where Kate’s, and what she knew now as Andrew’s, villas were located. The place next to her was so infrequently inhabited that she had forgotten how closely it was situated. The worst of it was that they shared a common wall as well as having a perfect view of one another’s front verandas.
    With horror still growing, Kate gave Andrew a perfunctory smile. ‘I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she said.
    The quirk of his mouth told her that he was more amused by the encounter than she was.
    ‘Definitely,’ Andrew replied.
    Kate opened the ornate wooden door and dumped her duffle bag on the polished floorboards. She immediately turned on the television to muffle any sounds. The wall between her and Andrew was heavy, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Kate picked up the room phone, and punched in an internal code.
    ‘Are you punishing me for something?’ she said, into the receiver, as soon as the manager picked up the phone.
    A dirty laugh greeted her words.
    ‘What is wrong with the gorgeous