"Well sure. You three are a bigger target than little old me, so he'll stay focused on you guys and won't notice me." She paused. "Hopefully." She grinned again. "Okay, here we go. Oh, and if he comes for you, try and scatter three different ways."

"Jesus Christ," Toby muttered, still focused on the hissing, flattened snake.

Jo edged her way to the right-hand side of the track, stepping off the dirt and into the underbrush, moving slowly around the snake, giving him a wide berth. So far, so good. h.e.l.l of a moment to be trying this for the first time, Madison. She broke a twig suddenly and the snake rotated sharply around to seek her out.

"Whoa! Here, Mr. Snake," Cadie yelled, flapping her arms, trying to attract the snake's attention away from Jo. It worked and he swung back towards the trio, standing up a little on his neck muscles.

"f.u.c.k, Cadie, whaddaya doing?" Toby shouted, stepping back again.

Brave girl, Jo thought, as she was in position beyond the snake and making her way back up onto the track behind him. I wonder if she would have done that if she knew how mean taipans are. Don't think I'll mention that right now, though.

She readied her stick and began cautiously lining up the fork with the back of the snake's head. Christ I hope I get this right first time, or he's going to be incredibly p.i.s.sed off. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

With a long lunge, Jo thrust the stick forward and hit her mark, pinning the snake by his head to the ground. Quickly he uncoiled himself, thrashing his long body around in a vain attempt to get free from his trap.

"Come on, you lot, get around him," Jo urged, trying to avoid the flailing tail.

Cadie led the way with the two men scurrying past.

"Okay, now back off some up the track, 'cos when I let go of him, he's going to be pretty angry, and I have no clue what he'll do," Jo said. She hoped like h.e.l.l he'd slink off into the scrub, given her exposed legs were the nearest targets. "Here we go."

She pushed the stick away from her as she let it go, hoping it would force the snake further away. It worked. Once released the angry reptile took one look over its shoulder and with a powerful flick of its tail, was off into the scrub to the side of the track.

Jo turned around to three impressed Americans. "Nice one, Skipper." Toby grinned.

Cadie's sea-green eyes met hers and held her gaze for what seemed like an age. The blonde smiled gently. "Very impressive," she said softly.

Jo cleared her throat and tried to ignore the blush she was sure was climbing up her neck.

"Well. Uh, yes, um, welcome to the Australian bush, folks. Shall we see if we can get to the top without endangering any other innocent creatures?"

Chapter Five.

The foursome made it to the top of Hayman Island without further encounters with the wildlife. The last 200 feet had been hard work, as it was much steeper than the rest, but they were well rewarded for their efforts. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service had built a small platform and benches with a spectacular view looking south down the length of Whitsunday Pa.s.sage.

"Wow," Cadie said, reaching for her camera. She took a long series of pictures panning from east to west before finally swinging her pack off her back and sitting down on one of the benches. "Do you ever pinch yourself, Jo? Living in such a gorgeous part of the world, I mean?" She looked at the tall skipper who was standing with one foot propped on a rock, gazing out at the panorama. She looks like a G.o.ddess.

"Oh yeah," Jo replied softly, knowing Cadie could have no clue just how much like a dream this was in comparison to the world she once inhabited.

Toby and Jason had settled on the other bench and were happily munching the sandwiches Jenny had prepared for them.

"Is this home for you, Jo?" Toby asked. "I mean, were you born here?"

Jo turned back to face them all, dropping her pack at her feet and sitting down on the rock. "No. My parents are sheep station owners, out in the west of New South Wales," she said.

"Station?" Cadie asked. "You don't mean trains?"

Jo laughed. "No. Station, as in, urn, ranch? A farm, I guess." Cadie nodded in understanding. "I pretty soon figured out that farming was not for me, and as soon as I was old enough to drive myself, I moved to Sydney." Ran away like a coward in the night, more like, she reminded herself. "Then just over five years ago I came up here." She took a large bite out of a sandwich, using the mouthful as a reason to shut up. She felt Cadie's eyes on her, and for the first time in almost five days, couldn't meet them.

"Did you sail boats in Sydney?" Jason asked.

"No," she replied bluntly, taking another bite and chewing slowly.

A G.o.ddess who doesn't like talking about herself, apparently, Cadie thought. Interesting. She needs some help here before the boys give her the third degree.

"Toby and Jason are the new whiz kids of the political world back home," she said quickly before either of the men could delve deeper into Jo's past.

"Is that so?" Jo asked, grateful to have the focus off herself. "I know you're the senator's public relations team. But what does that mean, really?"

"They make her look good," Cadie said dryly. Everyone laughed. "It's true."

"Well, kind of, I guess, Cades, but I'd like to think our job is a bit more..." Jason looked to his partner for inspiration.

"Principled," Toby said for him.

"Yes, that's it," Jason agreed. He turned back to Jo. "Naomi can't be everywhere at once. She can't always have the answers at her fingertips. We just make sure her message gets to the right people at the right time."

Jo raised one eyebrow quizzically and looked at Cadie. This time it was the blonde who couldn't meet her eyes. "And what's the message?" she asked.

"Strong, stable government. Equal rights for all," chorused the twosome in unison.

Cadie stirred the dirt with her toe, silently.

Jo watched her sympathetically and then turned back to the men, smiling quietly. "Sounds very...reasonable," she said. She glanced back at the blonde, wondering if she had any right to ask her questions, given her own reluctance to answer queries about herself. The decision was made for her when Cadie's sea-green eyes lifted and met her own.

"I'm a literary agent," Cadie said.

Jo smiled. "Cool," she said. "You find publishers for writers, yeah?"

"Exactly," Cadie said, smiling back. "And occasionally I find writers for publishers-if they have a specialist book they want written for example."

Jo nodded. She c.o.c.ked her head a little and studied the smaller woman. "It suits you," she said.

"Suits me?"

Jo nodded again. "Mhmm. You're in the right job. It... fits."

Cadie smiled. "I like to think so," she said.

They held each other's gaze for a few beats before Toby cleared his throat pointedly. "Time we got back, don't you think, Skipper?" he asked quietly, exchanging a quick look with Jason.

Jo looked down at her watch, aware that both she and Cadie were blushing. "Yep," she said. "If we go back down now, there'll be time for a swim before we head around to the resort."

"G.o.d, that sounds wonderful," Cadie said with a groan. "I'm sweating buckets."

They made it back to the beach in good time after sticking together on the return journey, partly due to Toby and Jason's reluctance to come face-to-face with any more wildlife on their own, and partly a silent, but mutual, agreement between Jo and Cadie that being alone together was probably not a good idea.

Paul drove the dinghy up onto the beach and the two men headed for him, throwing their backpacks into the boat. Cadie took the opportunity for a quick conversation with Jo.

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't swim back, Jo-Jo?" she asked.

Jo smiled at the familiar diminutive, loving how it sounded coming from the blonde. "No, but it's further than you think." She paused. "You're worried about Naomi, aren't you?"

Cadie nodded. "I just think any chance to keep us separated is a good idea at this point."

"Mhmm. I'll go back with Paul. If you get too tired, yell out, though, okay? The distance really is deceptive."

"Okay. I'll be fine." Cadie grinned up at her. "Thanks for a lovely walk."

"My pleasure." She watched the American walk down to the dinghy and drop her backpack and camera into the boat, before stripping off her shirt, shorts, and hiking boots. Jo tried not to stare as her compact, bikini-clad form came into view. G.o.d, she thought, what I wouldn't give to be within arm's reach of her right now. She sighed.

Cadie waded into the water and dove under, kicking out towards the underwater forest of bomboras, and the Seawolf in the distance. Jo climbed into the dinghy and settled in with the three men.

"Let's go, Paulie."

As it turned out, their arrival back on the boat was barely noticed by the senator and her entourage, who had spent more of the afternoon exploring the bottom of various bottles of alcohol than the sandy bottom of Blue Pearl Bay. Naomi was asleep on her back, oblivious, and snoring in the afternoon sun.

By the time Cadie climbed back on deck, Jo was hunkered down with Paul in the engine compartment, piecing the motor back together. They were both sporting smears of grease on their faces and were bantering back and forth.

"You do this to me every trip, Paulie," Jo said with mock weariness as she cranked away on a stubborn bolt.

"I'm telling you I heard something," came the m.u.f.fled reply from the blond crewman who was head down, backside up in the confined access panel under the central mound of the helmsman's c.o.c.kpit.

"Yeah, yeah, you heard something. The Abominable Snowman is still out there too somewhere. And the Loch Ness monster and the Yowie and-"

"All right; all right; all right," he grumbled, just as exasperated as she was. He sat upright again.

Jo grinned at him fondly. "Face it, Paul. You just love pulling this thing apart and putting it back together again, don't you?"

He chuckled.

Jo looked up as Cadie stepped past them, making her way down to the main cabin. "Good swim?" she asked, trying desperately not to notice the American's toned and dripping body. There's only one thing s.e.xier than Cadie Jones in a bikini, she thought. And that's Cadie Jones in a soaking wet bikini, on the deck of my boat.

"Great. Thanks," grinned Cadie, her skin tingling as the skipper's eyes swept over her and then flicked away. Like she's trying not to look, she chuckled to herself. G.o.d, I wish... She shook that thought away. "You were right, though, it was further than it looks. I'm beat."

"Well, if Paul the Intrepid Mechanic here has done fart-arsing about with the engine, we can fairly shortly be on our way to the resort," Jo said, slapping the crewman across the shoulder with her work glove.

"I don't mind if you never get it going," Cadie said, disappearing down the companionway.

By 7pm the Seawolf was safely tucked into her a.s.signed berth in the Hayman Island marina and locked down for the night. Jo, Paul, and Jenny were sprawled around the main cabin, talking quietly as the guests readied themselves for their evening ash.o.r.e. Jenny had set up a tray of champagne flutes filled with ice-cold bubbles on the c.o.c.kpit's central table for the pa.s.sengers to sample on their way out.

The lack of sleep from the night before was beginning to catch up with Jo and she rested her head on the back of the couch, listening to Jen and Paul speculate about their own evening ahead.

"G.o.d, I hope Rosa makes those little dumplings with the red stuff inside. I love those," Paul said.

Jo laughed. "She makes that every time we go to her place for dinner, Paul. It's a fair bet she'll make it again."

"Great. I'm drooling already," he replied.

Jo smiled and closed her eyes, letting the two deckhands' conversation drift over her as her thoughts wandered. I'm gonna sleep tonight, that's for d.a.m.n sure. She listened with half an ear as some of the pa.s.sengers started to emerge. Jenny whistled at Toby and Jason in their tuxedos, and the two men began a running fashion commentary as the women came out of their cabins.

"Therese and Sarah are resplendent this evening in matching Dolce and Gabbana power suits, one in burgundy and the other in teal," Toby said.

Jenny and Paul applauded as the two attorneys got into the spirit, parading down the length of the cabin. Jo watched sleepily from where she sprawled, laughing at the antics.

"Senator Silverberg of Illinois is all style and cla.s.s in a cla.s.sic tailored dinner suit by Armani," Jason announced as Naomi hooked her jacket collar with her forefinger and flicked it over her shoulder. She then followed the attorneys up on deck as Larissa and Kelli flounced out of their berth in full supermodel style.

She could actually be a supermodel, Jo thought as the stick-thin Kelli sauntered by, spinning once before climbing the companionway to the c.o.c.kpit. Larissa, sporting a red sequined sheath, shimmied after her.

"Come on, Paul, grab a bottle," Jenny said, picking up a freshly opened bottle of champagne. "At the rate these guys drink, they'll be yelling for a second gla.s.s any minute now."

Paul followed Jen up onto the deck, leaving Jo to her own thoughts. She stayed as she was, head back, eyes closed, letting the sounds of the boat flow over her. The pa.s.sengers laughed and clinked their gla.s.ses against each other and then started moving above her, making their way ash.o.r.e and to the restaurant.

I wonder if they even realize Cadie isn't with them, Jo wondered. How can they not miss her? I miss her whenever I can't see her. She laughed quietly to herself. When did that start happening?

Cadie was fl.u.s.tered. Naomi had taken forever in the tiny bathroom and there just hadn't been enough room to work around each other, so she had sat quietly on the bed, reading her ma.n.u.script. Finally the senator was ready, and walked out to meet the others. She barely grunted when Cadie had complimented her on her outfit.

Now Cadie was stuck. She'd hurried into her dress and had managed to get the zip two-thirds of the way up her back, but no matter how she contorted herself, she couldn't reach the rest of the way. Up until a couple of minutes earlier she could hear the others either in the main cabin or up on deck but now everything seemed silent.

They left without me, thought Cadie. Well, if that doesn't just sum it all up. She sighed. G.o.d, I'm tempted to just stay here. Screw them. It's not like they're gonna miss me. She growled quietly to herself and made another attempt at the zipper. G.o.d dammit. I'm gonna have to enlist some help.

She padded over to the door and cracked it open. She was surprised to see Jo, half-reclined on the galley sofa, her feet on the seat opposite, head tilted back, dark hair flowing over her shoulders.

One brilliant blue eye opened and focused on her. A stunning wide smile followed. "h.e.l.lo."

"Hi, Jo. Umm, I don't suppose you know if Naomi is around?" Cadie asked, suddenly shy under the tall skipper's intense gaze.

"Er, no. Actually, they already left," Jo said, sitting up straighter and bringing her feet down to the ground. "Is something wrong? Apart from the fact they left you behind?"

"No big surprises there," Cadie muttered. She decided to bite the bullet. "Well, yeah, kind of. I, um, need a little a.s.sistance getting into this thing." She opened the door completely to reveal the simple, elegant, black lace dress.

Jo was stunned into silence. She knew her jaw dropped but there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Cadie was utterly gorgeous to behold. The dress was just the right length to show off the athletic blonde's toned legs to best effect. The neckline plunged perfectly.

Cadie's sea-green eyes sparkled at the look on Jo's face, and she felt a warm glow beginning somewhere south of her waistline, spreading up and through her like a shot of brandy on a winter's night.

She cleared her throat softly. "Now look who's staring," she said quietly, remembering the previous night's moonlight encounter.

She's breathtaking, Jo thought. Just... breathtaking. Come on, Madison, connect your brain to your motor centers. Move.

"I'm sorry," she said hastily, stumbling to her feet like some kind of clumsy newborn colt. "Urn, it's just I wasn't expecting... you look so..." She took a deep breath. "You are beautiful, Arcadia."

I've never liked my name. Until now, thought Cadie, thrilling at the sound of Jo's warm contralto rolling around her full moniker.