Tender Captive

By Rosemary Carter

Getting even

Fraser Donaldson believed Stephanie was to blame for Timothy's accident, and he was in no mood to listen to reason. Stephanie couldn't remember the details, it had all happened so fast.

Convinced that she had no choice, Stephanie volunteered to take over Timothy's duties, and Fraser, determined to make her pay, accepted her offer. But working with Fraser made it all too easy to fall in love with him .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460872000

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

‘ONE of you is going to remain behind and work in Timothy’s place. Who will it be?’

The speaker was a tanned giant of a man, dark-haired and broad-shouldered, with legs and arms that were all corded muscle. His name was Fraser Donaldson, and he was the owner of the game-park called Lalope.

Stephanie Blythe stared at him out of green eyes that were dazed and shocked—even now, two hours after the accident. It had happened so quickly, like a nightmare out of hell from which she kept hoping she would waken: the crazy antics of her friends, the furious elephant provoked into charging, and then the dreadful scream as Timothy, their guide, had fallen to the ground.

‘Is Timothy...?’ she began, through stiff lips.

‘Too sensitive to say the word?’ Dark eyes met hers with undisguised contempt.

Her gaze held Fraser’s bravely, but her voice quivered. ‘Is...is he dead?’

Fraser did not answer immediately. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his shorts, his feet planted firmly on the dry sand. Silence hung in the air—an intense silence—as the little group waited for him to speak. Fraser’s eyes, dark as his hair, went from one ashen face to another. To a fevered Stephanie, it seemed as if they lingered longest on hers.

‘Is he?’ she whispered.

‘No,’ Fraser said flatly, ‘Timothy is alive. No thanks to any of you, I might add. But he is badly injured.’

‘How badly?’ Stephanie asked.

‘Without going into details, I can tell you he’s not in good shape.’

‘Will he be all right?’

‘I very much hope so. But it will take time. Which brings me back to my question—which one of you is going to work in his place?’

Behind Stephanie, the three people she had once thought her friends—Lance and Mike and Alicewere growing restive.

‘You can’t keep us here,’ Lance said angrily. ‘An elephant charged and a guide was hurt. We’re all very sorry it happened—don’t think we’re not—but there’s nothing we can do about it. And the fact is we’re leaving Lalope.’

‘Nobody leaves until I give the word.’ Fraser’s voice was quiet, but his tone held a ring of unmistakable authority. ‘Because of your recklessness a man was hurt. It will be some time before Timothy can work again. I’m quite serious when I say that one of you will work in his place.’

‘I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous!’ Lance burst out angrily.

‘I need a guide.’

‘Find one. Put out the word. There must be people around here who’d jump at the chance of work.’

‘I’m sure there are.’ Fraser paused a moment. ‘But you do understand, don’t you, that if I have to employ someone new there might not be a job for Timothy when he’s ready to come back to Lalope?’ Again Fraser looked from one to another. ‘So, who’s it going to be?’

Silence. Stephanie was finding it difficult to look at the game-park owner, at the handsome rugged face with its hard lines and angles. Yet for some reason it was equally hard to look away from him. Her head was beginning to throb.

The hot African sun of Zimbabwe was burning down on them, sparking a blinding glare from the chrome body of Lance’s car. Somewhere in the bush beyond the camp an animal screamed, then was quiet. Fraser had not moved. He was a daunting figure, aloof and implacable, standing guard like some pagan deity between the car and the gates of the camp. Stephanie swallowed down hard over a dry throat.

‘I’m not staying,’ Alice said at last. ‘I wasn’t to blame for the accident. Nor was Mike.’

‘She’s right,’ muttered her boyfriend.

Fraser looked unimpressed. Pushing his hands still deeper into his pockets, he looked from Stephanie to Lance. ‘That leaves the two of you.’

Lance opened his mouth and closed it again. He was about to begin a new project, Stephanie knew. One on which all his hopes were pinned. At length he said defensively, ‘I’m certainly not staying; I wasn’t to blame either.’

Feeling a little sickened, Stephanie took a step away from him. There were things that she remembered.

‘At least one of you teased the elephant.’ Fraser was relentless. ‘Timothy wasn’t fit enough to say much, but I do know that beast was antagonized.’

‘Elephants are known to charge.’ Lance’s head was up now; he was making a desperate attempt at bravado.

‘Not this one.’ Fraser was adamant. ‘I know the elephants, and so does Timothy; he’s an expert. I’m certain the incident was provoked.’

‘You’re quite right.’

‘Stephanie!’ Mike turned on her, his expression outraged. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying!’

But she ignored him; she was looking straight at Fraser. ‘It was for the photos, you see.’

‘Photos?’ Fraser prompted.

‘A charging elephant. It would have been more exciting...and so—’

‘Stephanie!’ Lance this time.

He grabbed her arm, but she shrugged off his hand. Taking a step forward, she said, ‘I have some accumulated leave, and my boss won’t mind. I’ll work in Timothy’s place.’

‘You’re prepared to take the blame for what happened?’ There was a strange expression in Fraser’s eyes.

‘Yes,’ she said quietly.

Behind her, her companions were silent. And that shouldn’t surprise her, Stephanie thought wryly. She had been the outsider of the group almost from the beginning, when it had become obvious that she did not welcome Lance’s amorous advances.

‘Great. That’s settled, then,’ Alice said.

‘Nothing more to keep us here,’ Mike agreed.

‘Just one thing.’ Fraser reached a long arm toward Lance and pried a small object from his fingers. So speedily and with such deceptive casualness was the action executed, that Lance had no time to prevent it.

‘Film,’ Fraser said mildly.

‘My film,’ Lance protested angrily. ‘Give it back to me at once.’

‘The film at issue, I think.’

‘I took lots of photos—we all did. What would make you think this particular film is any different from the rest?’

The words tumbled from Lance’s lips, condemning him by their speed and tone. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes unable to meet Fraser’s. Once more Stephanie felt sickened.

‘Now, look here—you give that back to me!’

‘No.’

‘You have absolutely no right to that film; it belongs to me.’

There had been a time when Stephanie had been attracted by Lance’s boyish charisma, but there was nothing either boyish or charismatic about Lance when he was out-maneuvered. He was all red-faced bluster now.

Fraser, on the other hand, remained cool. ‘Keep all your other film; I’ll hold on to this one.’

‘You can’t do this,’ Mike said.

Fraser grinned. ‘Can’t I?’

‘We’ll go to the police. We’ll file a report.’

‘Do that. At the same time I suggest you tell them how a certain guide came to be trampled by a maddened elephant. I believe you’ll find them more than a little interested.’

Lance glared at Fraser, then dropped his eyes. ‘Let’s get out of here,’ he muttered to Alice and Mike. His tone became placating as he turned to Stephanie. ‘We have to make tracks, Steph. You know we want to get to the Falls before dark.’

‘Yes.’

‘You do understand, Steph, don’t you?’

‘Of course.’

It was embarrassingly obvious that Lance and his friends were relieved that the matter had been settled so easily—eager to leave the game-park so that they could put the havoc they’d created behind them. Stephanie was just as eager to see them go.

‘I’ll be back for you, honey,’ Lance said. Defiantly he looked at Fraser. ‘Just remember that Stephanie is my girl—OK, bully-boy? You keep your filthy hands off her. Understand?’

Fraser laughed. ‘I don’t take orders.’

Lance’s face grew redder still as he stepped toward Fraser, fists clenched. The game-park owner stood his ground, unperturbed, his eyes glinting, his superb body relaxed yet ready to defend itself if necessary. He was a tough man, and this was his terrain. In any altercation Fraser Donaldson would not be the loser.

Stephanie moved quickly between them. ‘I can look after myself,’ she told Lance in an urgent undertone. ‘I think you should leave now.’

‘Maybe...’ The fight had gone out of him.

Alice was in the car by now. Mike was ready to get in too, and said, ‘She’s right, Lance. Let’s go.’

Still Lance hung back. Suddenly, without any warning, he seized Stephanie and kissed her long and hard. His face was hot against hers, and he held her so tightly that she found it difficult to breathe. He released her as suddenly as he had seized her. His eyes locked defiantly with Fraser’s. Seconds later he was in the car too.

Lance’s car was a small green speck in the distance. Stephanie felt not the slightest sense of loss as it dipped below the horizon and vanished from sight.

‘They won’t be back,’ Fraser said.

Stephanie turned and looked up at him, and found that she had to tilt her head because he was even taller than she had at first realized. How old was he? Thirty-three—thirty-four, probably. He had a way of making the others seem very much younger.

Usually his face was alive with zest and vitality, laughter settling naturally into the web of lines around his eyes. He moved easily among the guests—leading them in song at the nightly camp-fire, regaling them with tales about the animals that roamed the bush of Lalope. Impressing the men with his knowledge and awakening a delicious sense of femininity in the women.

The first time she had seen him, Stephanie had thought him the most attractive man she had ever met. Until today she had seen no hint of anger or power or authority.

‘I don’t suppose they will be back,’ she said.

‘They seemed very keen to be gone. Even your boyfriend—despite that extremly touching display of passion.’ His eyes mocked her.

Stephanie was suddenly acutely aware of Fraser Donaldson. So much space, yet it felt as if he was crowding her, his body too close to hers, invading her privacy. Which did not make much sense, considering that he was at least two feet away from her.

As briskly as she could, she said, ‘Of course they were keen to go; they have quite a way to drive before nightfall.’

‘All good friends of yours, are they?’

‘Yes,’ she said shortly.

‘So good that they were happy to see you take the blame for the accident.’

‘I don’t know what you’re trying to imply, but whatever it is, you can save yourself the breath. You insisted one of us stay to do Timothy’s work, and I offered. That’s all there is to it.’

‘Ah...’

‘And I can do without your sarcasm, Mr Donaldson.’

‘It’s been Fraser until now—no reason to start being formal at this point.’

‘If you inist.’

‘I do. You won’t miss them, Stephanie.’

‘Oh, really? And how do you know that?’

‘You’ll be too busy.’

‘So you intend to work me to the bone? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.’

‘I intend you to do all the work which would have been done if the accident hadn’t happened,’ Fraser said evenly.

‘I’ve never done any guiding; you’ll have to show me how.’

Fraser looked down at her from his great height, and his expression was enigmatic. ‘I’ll be showing you everything you need to know.’

Stephanie’s first job, as it turned out, was to prepare the kerosene lamps for the night. Guiding, she was soon to learn, was not the only thing Timothy had done.

As to why the kerosene lamps were used, she discovered that Lalope had a generator which provided a plentiful supply of electricity, but Fraser Donaldson understood that many of the people who visited his game-park enjoyed the excitement of roughing it a bit.

‘Africa in the wild,’ he said with a wicked grin. ‘At home people insist on their comforts; in a game-park they often enjoy a few primitive touches.’

‘Primitive? Yes, maybe. And more romantic too, I suppose,’ Stephanie mused. ‘I love the soft glow the kerosene lamp sheds over the cottage at night.’

‘Don’t you think people make their own romance, Stephanie?’

Something in Fraser’s tone set Stephanie’s pulses racing. The man had a sexuality which made her nerve-ends feel raw.

She looked away from him. ‘Maybe...’ she said unsteadily.

‘Will it be less romantic without Lance around for a while?’

The mischievous note in Fraser’s tone told Stephanie that he was baiting her, and she had no intention of telling him the truth. As a point of reference, Lance would provide a conveniently protective excuse.

‘You’ll have to teach me to fill the lamps,’ she said briskly.

Fraser laughed, a vital sound that stirred something deep inside her. ‘So the subject of Lance is taboo, is it?’ He did not sound at all apologetic.

Stephanie followed him to the shed where the lamps were kept: Timothy had cleaned them; she would have to clean them again tomorrow. For now, all she had to do was fill them.

She learned quickly. When she had watched Fraser fill a lamp, she told him that she would do the rest. ‘Fine,’ he said, and left her to it.

A row of lamps waited to be filled, but it was a few minutes before Stephanie was able to settle down to work. For some reason Fraser had disturbed her far more than Lance had ever succeeded in doing.

The afternoon was passing quickly when she saw him again. Time to lay the fires around the fence, he told her—fires that were a deterrent to predators.

Fortunately Timothy had chopped logs of wood before the accident, and they lay in big piles, just waiting to be used. Stephanie lugged the wood in a wheelbarrow from one site to another, scorning Fraser’s offer of help. She was able to manage just fine, thank you very much, she told him. The laughter that followed her made her smile just for a moment.

It was dark by the time all the fires had been lit. Stephanie stood by the fence, watching the flames of the nearest fire dancing spurts of red against the black of the bush and the night. Somewhere out there—perhaps close by—there were animals, but they would stay in the bush tonight; the fires would keep them away from the humans in the camp.

She was tired after a long, tense day. Wearily she leaned her aching arms on the fence. In Bullawayo she worked a ten-hour day in an engineering firm, often going without her lunch-break and leaving the office late to keep up with her employer’s demands, but she was unaccustomed to physical labour. The afternoon’s work had been heavy, and she had had to hurry in order to get all the fires lit before dark.

The bush was alive with sound: the dog-like barking of baboons, the high, demonic laughter of a hyena, the small snufflings of animals which she could not identify. And then, suddenly, a low trumpeting echoed across