Free The Millionaire by Victoria Purman

would be seeing her beloved grandparents was always enough to make her feel giddy.
    Not that this was like any other visit. She was taking a man to the place she’d spent so many wonderful holidays. Not that he was her man. God, how ridiculous would that be, but he was a man nonetheless. She hadn’t ever taken a boyfriend to meet her grandparents. She’d never believed any of them were strong enough to withstand the scrutiny of her grandfather’s rather direct approach. As she’d described him to Chris, he called a spade a bloody shovel and didn’t mind who he was talking to when he said it.
    “So, your grandparents run sheep?” Chris changed gears in the rental to slow down over some corrugations in the red dirt road.
    Ellie nodded and kept her eyes straight ahead on the road. “They used to have a much bigger flock, but prices took a hit a few years back and when Grandpa had his health scare, they wanted to slow down a bit. They’ve only got a few now. He jokes that there are enough sheep to get him out of the house and away from Nanna during the day.”
    Chris chuckled. “Tell me about them. Your grandparents.”
    Ellie risked a glance at him. When she saw he was looking at her, she flicked her gaze quickly back to the road. “They’re wonderful people. Real salt of the earth types. My Mum grew up out here before she went to boarding school and she wanted me to get to know the place, and them, I guess. I first came here by myself when I was eleven years old and I’ve loved it ever since. I’m an only child, so summer holidays where pretty long and lonely. Mum and Dad often had to work over Christmas and I begged to go back every summer. Grandpa taught me how to drive a ute when I was twelve, once my legs were finally long enough to reach the pedals.”
    “They’re long all right.” Chris chuckled as he took a good look. “What will be think about posing for a photo?”
    Ellie let out a belly laugh. “Oh, he’s going to hate it. But since I asked him, he said yes, of course. He and Nanna are so grateful for the Flying Doctor Service. It’s tough for people who are this isolated to get medical help when they need it. If it wasn’t for them…”
    Ellie closed her eyes for a moment. She couldn’t think about that.
    “Of course he said yes to you, Ellie. You are incredibly persuasive. I should know.”
    Ellie looked out the side window to the big blue sky. This wasn’t flirting. Don’t let yourself think it’s flirting.
    Because you are you and he’s Chris Malone. Any day now, he’ll jump on a plane and head off back to god knows where to do his job. The job he’s famous for. This is just passing the time, his version of some distracting fun while he’s back in the country. Nothing more.
    Ellie felt a flutter of relief in her stomach when she saw the familiar twin gums that marked the turn off to her grandparents’ place. Ahead of them, on the left of the roadway, was a hand painted signpost that read The Plains .
    “We’re here,” Ellie said as she slowed and turned the car on to the dirt road. And the cheeky thought popped into her head before she could censor it. “I promise to keep your true identity secret. I pinkie swear not to breathe a word to Nanna about your engagement to Princess What’s-Her-Name.”
    “Rumoured engagement,” Chris reminded her.
    “One which I’ve noticed you’ve never confirmed nor denied.”
    He lifted his sunglasses and grinned at her. “No, I haven’t, have I?”
    As the farmhouse came into view in the dusty distance, something like relief flowed over Ellie. If she’d had to spend another minute in the car with Chris she might spontaneously combust.

Eight
    ‡
    W hen they pulled up by the scrubby patch of lawn in front of the old farmhouse, Ellie had barely turned the key before she’d flung open the car door and taken off in a cloud of dust. All Chris could see as he peered through the car’s front window were those long, long legs of hers, her