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Authors: Georgina Penney
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very still.
‘Never. And just in case you were wondering, I won’t let you drive it even if you offer me exotic sexual favours designed to make my hair stand on end.’ He said the words so casually that it took a few seconds for them to register.
‘Excuse me?’
‘You’re excused. Just so you know, I’ve made reservations for Christie’s on the Beach. You’ve heard of it? Yes? No? I hear it’s good.’
‘Christie’s. Wow. Um. Okay. You don’t have to take me there. We can go somewhere . . . more casual if you like.’ She just stopped herself from saying ‘cheaper’ just in time.
‘When I’m looking so debonair? No. Definitely not. I’m told the view is excellent. Not that I’ll be looking at it that much.’ He slid her an appreciative sideways glance.
‘The view is nice,’ Amy said wistfully, ignoring the compliment. She loved the beach.
‘Mind you,’ Ben mused, ‘places with a good location usually have dire food. London’s atrocious for it. Many’s the time I’ve gone to a restaurant in an excellent location expecting it to be amazing and . . .’ He made a raspberry noise, comically out of character to his polished appearance. ‘Shit.’
‘Serious?’ Amy laughed despite her worries. ‘I’ve never been to London so I wouldn’t know.’
‘Oh?’ Ben darted her a look that told her she might as well have admitted she had two heads. ‘Well, that’s probably wise of you. Hideous place. Crowded, overpriced and full of Australians. A bit like here really.’
‘You don’t like Australians?’ Amy leaned against the door, regarding him with narrowed eyes.
‘Oh, I like you all just fine. As long as you don’t talk much.’ He grinned when she snorted.
‘You mustn’t mind us that much if you’re staying here.’
‘I don’t. I love this city. It’s winter now and it’s raining less than it does in the summer back home.’ Ben turned off towards Cottesloe and they began driving along the ocean, huge mansions on one side, an endless expanse of sea and a vivid red sunset on the other.
‘How long have you been here in Perth?’
Ben shrugged. ‘A few months. My house is near here actually.’
Amy turned to study the mansions they were driving past. Cottesloe was a notoriously affluent suburb. Damn. She was definitely out of her depth and taking on water.
‘You’re quiet. I get the impression you’re not often quiet.’ Ben’s clipped words cut through her panic, bringing her back to earth.
‘What? No. I’m just blown away by the sheer sexiness of your car.’
‘Oh?’ Ben chuckled. ‘Well, that’s understandable. Embrace the shock and awe while I find us a parking place.’
Amy ran a finger over some polished walnut panelling. ‘Do you do this often?’
‘What?’
‘Ask ladies you’ve offended out to dinner.’
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he pulled into an empty space. ‘Offended? Not frequently, no. Usually they’re far too busy consulting with their lawyers. I can honestly say you’re my first dinner date offendee. Or at least the first one to accept an invitation. In fact, I do believe you should feel honoured.’
Amy pursed her lips, fighting a smile. ‘Should I? Are you going to be nice tonight?’
He turned the engine off. ‘Of course not. That wouldn’t be in the spirit of the thing at all. Although I do owe you, so we might be able to bend the rules.’
‘You owe me?’ Amy’s eyebrows almost hit her hairline.
‘Yes. You inspired me. As a result I’ve been amazingly productive.’
‘At being a dentist, you mean?’
‘What else? I pulled out millions of teeth. Productive teeth. Fantastic teeth.’ His white, toothy grin flashed in the dusky half-light. ‘How was your day playing the female Sweeney Todd?’
‘Busy. Exhausting,’ Amy answered honestly and gazed over Ben’s shoulder. The car park faced the ocean and was full of surfers stripping off their wetsuits and getting changed after catching some
‘Never. And just in case you were wondering, I won’t let you drive it even if you offer me exotic sexual favours designed to make my hair stand on end.’ He said the words so casually that it took a few seconds for them to register.
‘Excuse me?’
‘You’re excused. Just so you know, I’ve made reservations for Christie’s on the Beach. You’ve heard of it? Yes? No? I hear it’s good.’
‘Christie’s. Wow. Um. Okay. You don’t have to take me there. We can go somewhere . . . more casual if you like.’ She just stopped herself from saying ‘cheaper’ just in time.
‘When I’m looking so debonair? No. Definitely not. I’m told the view is excellent. Not that I’ll be looking at it that much.’ He slid her an appreciative sideways glance.
‘The view is nice,’ Amy said wistfully, ignoring the compliment. She loved the beach.
‘Mind you,’ Ben mused, ‘places with a good location usually have dire food. London’s atrocious for it. Many’s the time I’ve gone to a restaurant in an excellent location expecting it to be amazing and . . .’ He made a raspberry noise, comically out of character to his polished appearance. ‘Shit.’
‘Serious?’ Amy laughed despite her worries. ‘I’ve never been to London so I wouldn’t know.’
‘Oh?’ Ben darted her a look that told her she might as well have admitted she had two heads. ‘Well, that’s probably wise of you. Hideous place. Crowded, overpriced and full of Australians. A bit like here really.’
‘You don’t like Australians?’ Amy leaned against the door, regarding him with narrowed eyes.
‘Oh, I like you all just fine. As long as you don’t talk much.’ He grinned when she snorted.
‘You mustn’t mind us that much if you’re staying here.’
‘I don’t. I love this city. It’s winter now and it’s raining less than it does in the summer back home.’ Ben turned off towards Cottesloe and they began driving along the ocean, huge mansions on one side, an endless expanse of sea and a vivid red sunset on the other.
‘How long have you been here in Perth?’
Ben shrugged. ‘A few months. My house is near here actually.’
Amy turned to study the mansions they were driving past. Cottesloe was a notoriously affluent suburb. Damn. She was definitely out of her depth and taking on water.
‘You’re quiet. I get the impression you’re not often quiet.’ Ben’s clipped words cut through her panic, bringing her back to earth.
‘What? No. I’m just blown away by the sheer sexiness of your car.’
‘Oh?’ Ben chuckled. ‘Well, that’s understandable. Embrace the shock and awe while I find us a parking place.’
Amy ran a finger over some polished walnut panelling. ‘Do you do this often?’
‘What?’
‘Ask ladies you’ve offended out to dinner.’
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he pulled into an empty space. ‘Offended? Not frequently, no. Usually they’re far too busy consulting with their lawyers. I can honestly say you’re my first dinner date offendee. Or at least the first one to accept an invitation. In fact, I do believe you should feel honoured.’
Amy pursed her lips, fighting a smile. ‘Should I? Are you going to be nice tonight?’
He turned the engine off. ‘Of course not. That wouldn’t be in the spirit of the thing at all. Although I do owe you, so we might be able to bend the rules.’
‘You owe me?’ Amy’s eyebrows almost hit her hairline.
‘Yes. You inspired me. As a result I’ve been amazingly productive.’
‘At being a dentist, you mean?’
‘What else? I pulled out millions of teeth. Productive teeth. Fantastic teeth.’ His white, toothy grin flashed in the dusky half-light. ‘How was your day playing the female Sweeney Todd?’
‘Busy. Exhausting,’ Amy answered honestly and gazed over Ben’s shoulder. The car park faced the ocean and was full of surfers stripping off their wetsuits and getting changed after catching some
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