Free Obsession Down Under by LAYNE MACADAM Page A

and shopping for souvenirs. Jessie Rose must have taken a hundred snapshots and walked them almost as many kilometers up and down the streets, looking for the perfect gifts. After a late-afternoon coffee, they agreed on dining at a Chinese restaurant that was within easy walking distance of their motel. On his suggestion, she selected dishes to share while he chose a white wine from the Margret River region on the West Coast.
    As they strolled back to the motel, his arm wrapped around her waist, Jessica said, “Thanks for a delightful day and for dinner. It was great, Whip, but next time it’s my treat, and I don’t want to hear you making a fuss about it either.”
    “Listen to me Jessie Rose,” he replied, unlocking the door to their room. “I’m the man, so I’ll pay. Besides, you’re in my country on my invitation, so it’s my treat. Agreed?”
    Her mouth straightened into a tight line. “Paying for my airfare was more than enough.”
    He softened his tone and stroked her arm. “Humor me, babe. I don’t want to see you reaching for your purse every time we have a meal, okay?”
    “And I don’t want you paying for me at every turn, okay?”
    She gave him a smile, and he returned it with interest. Stalemate.
    Jessica studied Whip. The man was an enigma. Big, strong, and so damned old-fashioned, but that was part of his charm. And, truth be told, she found it rather endearing. She’d been taking care of herself for a lot of years now and didn’t like feeling beholden to him, but his sexy eyes held determination. She was sensible enough to choose her battles and this was one she’d save for another time.
    “Whip, I know you have strong feelings about this, but please understand this is hard for me to accept when you’ve already been so generous.”
    “Don’t worry about it. Money is not an issue. You just have a good time and leave the finances to me,” he said as he began to nuzzle her neck.
    He really was incorrigible, but so darn gorgeous. She slipped into his arms, and the thought skittered across her mind that if she wasn’t careful, she could find herself head over heels in love with the Cowboy.
    The next morning was spent at the zoo. Not your typical caged-animals zoo. These animals roamed free in large, fenced paddocks. Whip had opted to drive from one enclosure to the next rather than cycle or walk, due to time constraints.
    “Wow, it was like being on safari,” Jessica said as they left Dubbo behind and started on the last leg of their journey to Highland Glen.
    “Glad you enjoyed it.” He took the mobile phone from his pocket and handed it to her. “Give Travis a call for me. Tell him we’ll be home about half seven and we’ll be expecting dinner.” When she gave him a questioning look, he said, “The cops take a very dim view of anyone caught chatting on the phone while driving, and my blue tooth’s in for repairs.”
    “Sure, okay.” She scrolled through the contact list. There were a few numbers under Travis, so she chose his cell number. “It’s ringing.”
    “About time you turned your fucking phone on. Drew and Mark are driving me nuts bitching about doing your chores while you’re down in Sydney too busy banging your brains out to even give us a call. So I guess your lack of communication means she wasn’t hit with the ugly stick.”
    When Travis drew a breath, she butted in, “Well, I don’t know, Travis, perhaps you can judge for yourself when we meet tonight. We’ll be in about seven-thirty, and Whip would like us all to dine together.” She contained a giggle and waited for him to respond, but the silence on the other end was profound. “Are you still there?” she prompted.
    “Um, yeah, ah, sorry about that, Jess. I thought, ah, um . . . oh, forget it. I’ll see you tonight when you get in. I’ll be the one with ‘dumbass’ written across my forehead.”
    “I’ll look forward to it.” She laughed and disconnected the call. “I think I’m going to