Deadly contract

John was putting a few more pieces of wood on the camp fire when he heard the distinctive ring of his satellite phone. 

  Frowning, he crawled into his one man tent, picked up the phone and carried it back out into the moonlight, where he stared at it briefly before sweeping the phone up to his ear.

  “Hello, Joy,” he answered, trying to sound cool when inside he was anything but.

  “How did you know it was me?” She asked, clearly taken aback.

  “The caller ID said you were from New South Wales,” he explained. You’re the only person in that state who has my satellite number.”

  “Oh. I see.”

  John suddenly had the most appalling thought. What if she was ringing to tell him she was finally pregnant? It was possible, he supposed.

  “Why are you ringing, Joy?” He asked abruptly.

  Joy’s heart sank at his brusque tone.

  “You’ve changed your mind about your offer, haven’t you?” She said.

  The tension in John’s gut immediately melted away.

  “Not at all,” he replied.

  “Really?”she gasped, renewed hope flooding her hear.

  “Yes, really. So what happened, Joy? Given the time lapses since we last spoke, I presume you went back to the clinic for another go and it didn’t work.”

  “I got my period today,” she confessed with a sigh.

  “Like i said in my letter, my offer is open.”

  “I know i shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, John, but i still can’t work out why you’re doing this for me. Aside from the sex angle, that is. Which i also still can’t fathom. I mean, if you always fancied me, then why didn’t you do something about it before this?”

  They were logical questions, John accepted. He was wished he had some logical answers for her. He had to tell her something, he supposed, something which would satisfy her intelligence. Joy was no dummy.

  “Can i be blunt with you?” He said.

  “Please do.”

  “I didn’t do anything before this because I thought you would just knock me back,” he said, not untruthfully. “Until we met again last month and I realized that the attraction wax mutual. However,contrary to your belief, I also like you a lot, Joy, and i want to help you get what you obviously want very much which is a baby. And, as strange as it seems, I also quite like the idea of having a child of my own, in my bed, for a good deal longer than you spend at that wretched clinic each month.”

  Joy’s silence at the other end of the line indicated a degree of shock. Or deep thoughtfulness. John suspected the former. He had gone overboard a bit in his attempt to focus on the sex angle. But he didn’t want her questioning him further over his motives. He didn’t understand them fully himself! All he knew was that his blood was racing through his body with a surge of entirely male, powerful satisfactions at her agreement. For a short time, Joy was going to be his.

  “Come now, Joy, you must know how very desirable you are.”

  Now Joy felt hot all over. A shiver ran down her spine at the realization she might shortly find out just how desirable he thought she was.

  “I hope your silence doesn’t mean you’ve changed your mind about this?” He said, his voice sounding curiously expressionless.

  “No,@ she chocked out, still blushing at her earlier train of thought. Thank heavens they weren’t face toy face!

  “Good.” His voice relaxed again. “When can you get yourself up here?”

  Joy swallowed, then sat up straighter l. She’d always been more comfortable following a plan.

  “I thought as soon as possible,” she said briskly.

  “How about the beginning of next week?”

  “Well, I have to get stuff organized at work…”

  He rode over her objections. I’m sure you can sort it. Once you’ve booked your flight next week, text me your time of arrival and I’ll be at the airport waiting for you.” He sounded equally brisk, and it was so difficult as ever to guess what he was feeling. “Don’t send the text to this number l. Send it to my mobile. I’ll be back in Darwin by then.”

  Scarlet rolled her eyes in exasperation. Why was it then men wouldn’t listen? “Where are you, anyway?”she asked.

  “Camping out in one of the national parks.”

  Joy had been doing some mental calculations.

  “Wait, next week is way too early. I can’t possibly fall pregnant till a week after that. I never ovulate before day fourteen on my cycle. I know this for a fact because I’ve been taking my temperature every day for the last year and….”

  “Joy,” he interrupted. “If you want to get pregnant then let’s try this my way.”

  Truly, he could be as irritating a man as he’d been an irritating boy! “Which is?” She snapped.

  “Not taking your temperature every day, for starters. Not caring about when you bloody ovulate either. Because, let’s face it, that method hasn’t been working too well for you up till now, had it?”

  “I guess not,” she admitted grudgingly.

  “I suggest you leave this whole operation up to me. Put yourself entirely in my hands. No arguments, no more buts.”

  “Yes,” she bit out.

  “Good,” he said, smiling wryly to himself at the thought that “yes” wasn’t a word Joy was used to saying. But she was going to say it. No, he would make her want to say it. For that was what he craved all of a sudden. Not just Joy’s compliance but her complete surrender.

  The idea perturbed him. He’d never been into that kind of thing. Sex for him was actually just a physical release with no strings attached. He’d always steered well clear of becoming emotionally involved with the woman he slept with. John could see, however, that this was a different situation entirely. If truth be told, his emotions were already involved. The problem was which ones?

  He almost told her to forget it then; that he’d changed his mind. But it was too late. The roller coaster of destiny was already moving and he was solidly strapped in . There would be no escape till it came to rest at the end of the ride.