chapter NINE
‘JOSH!’
Georgie didn’t know why she was yelling. There was nothing she could do.
Josh was trapped, pinned between the stretcher and the edge of the deck. She could see him trying to pull the stretcher away from the edge but with only one free hand he couldn’t apply enough pressure.
The seconds seemed like hours. He needed help. He needed her. She should have been there.
In reality it was only moments before the wave subsided and the yacht righted itself, but the stretcher still didn’t move. Josh was still trapped. Georgie could see him trying to shift the weight of it by moving from one leg to the other but because he was kneeling he couldn’t get enough force. If the stretcher hadn’t been loaded it wouldn’t have been a problem, but he had close to one hundred kilograms pinning him to the side of the yacht. He needed help.
What was the other man doing? Georgie looked across the deck. The other man was on his knees and there was blood pouring down his face from a gash on his forehead.
‘Isaac, I need to get down there now!’ Georgie grabbed a second harness as Pat brought the chopper back over the yacht and Isaac organised the winch.
‘Josh, I’m coming down.’
The wind whistled in her ears and her eyes watered as Isaac lowered her to the yacht. She narrowed her eyes, peering down to see how Josh was faring. The waves were tossing the yacht about but the movement of the boat had finally enabled Josh to push the stretcher off his hand. By the time Georgie reached the deck he had locked the protective head cage into place over the stretcher.
‘Are you okay?’ Georgie asked.
‘Yes, I’m fine.’ He nodded as he answered, emphasising his point. ‘Can you see to Brian?’
The woman’s companion, Brian, was now sitting on the deck, looking quite dazed. Blood was still streaming from a cut above his left eye but on examination he didn’t seem concussed. Georgie opened a medical kit, looking for swabs, and was cleaning the wound to assess how to treat it when Pat spoke to them from the helicopter.
‘Decision time, guys. We’ve got about fifteen minutes before we need to be heading back for fuel. I can leave now and come back for you but the storm is going to complicate matters. There’s no guarantee I’ll be able to get back or that we’ll be able to get you off the boat. Are you ready to load up now and get out of here?’
Georgie checked Brian again. His head wound wasn’t deep, she could see to it on board the chopper but to do so would mean leaving an unmanned yacht bobbing on the Pacific Ocean. Another option was treating Brian and leaving him behind on his own, on a yacht in the middle of a storm. A third option was for one of them to stay behind with Brian.
She looked over at Josh. He was looking pale and she knew he was hurt too. If one of them stayed behind, it would have to be her. She didn’t like option two or three.
‘I agree we need to get everyone on board the chopper now but what do we do with the yacht?’ she asked.
Pat answered. ‘I’ll alert the coastguard, they’ll come out and tow the yacht back.’
‘All right,’ Georgie replied. ‘Let’s get going.’
Quickly she taped a dressing over Brian’s wound as a temporary fix as she explained to him what was going to happen. She told him to keep some pressure on it and went to help Josh. Isaac was lowering the winch cable and Georgie could see Josh trying to grab it with one hand. Somehow he’d managed to secure one medical kit to the stretcher but he was protecting his left hand, holding it against his chest.
Concern flooded through her. Was he badly injured?
She reached out to him, careful to make sure she didn’t knock him off balance. ‘Do you need some help? What have you done?’
‘I’m okay. It’s only a knock to my fingers. We’ll worry about it later.’
She didn’t have time to argue but she knew he was hurt, which meant they were going to do this evacuation her way. ‘You take Brian up first—he’s just got a nasty gash on his forehead that’ll need stitching—and I’ll come up next with the stretcher.’
Josh nodded, surprising her with his easy acquiescence. ‘This is Meredith, fractured NOF, no LOC, no other injuries.’ Josh gave Georgie a basic summary of Meredith’s condition as Georgie fixed a harness around Brian and strapped him to Josh. Isaac winched them to safety and Georgie tried not to watch them every inch of the way.
She attached herself to the stretcher and waited for Isaac to lower the cable for Meredith and herself. Finally, he dragged them into the chopper and the moment they were inside Pat turned for the coast.
Georgie secured the stretcher and she could see Isaac helping to secure Brian and Josh. She wanted to check Josh but he couldn’t be her priority. She checked Meredith’s vital signs. Her BP and heart rate were slightly elevated but within acceptable limits and her oxygen sats were normal. When she was satisfied that Meredith’s condition was stable she attended to Brian. Then, and only then, could she see to Josh.
‘Your turn,’ she said.
‘I’m okay. It’s just a couple of fingers.’
He was right, it was only a couple of fingers, but Georgie knew it could have been worse, much worse, and she’d hated the feeling of helplessness and fear that had overcome her. Josh had been in danger and there’d been nothing she could do about it.
‘We should have both gone down to the yacht in the first place,’ she said, still convinced that somehow she would have been able to keep him safe.
‘It was an accident, you couldn’t have stopped it,’ he replied, still reading her thoughts. She wouldn’t have thought she’d smile again today but hearing him voice the words that were in her head made her think everything would be okay.
He was sitting opposite her. She stretched out her hand, reaching for his. He didn’t argue any further. He held his left arm out to her. The third, fourth and fifth fingers were already blue and swollen.
‘Can you make a fist?’ she asked.
He shook his head. ‘No.’
She applied gentle pressure across the phalanges of his middle finger. Josh grimaced as she touched the intermediate phalanx. She got the same reaction on his fourth finger.
‘Two broken bones, I suspect. Do you want something for the pain?’ It had to be hurting regardless of what he told her.
He shook his head. ‘No. I don’t want anything affecting my judgement. Not while we’ve got patients on board.’
Georgie could have argued that being in pain could just as easily cloud his judgement but she knew that wasn’t the same. ‘Okay. I’ll strap your fingers for you for now but you’ll need to get an X-ray when we get home.’
Josh surrendered his hand again and let Georgie tape his fingers together.
‘Georgie?’ Pat’s voice came through their headsets.
‘Yes, Pat.’
‘Our fuel’s pretty tight. We’re going to have to refuel in Cooktown and then head home. Are our patients okay for that?’
‘Yes, all three are stable,’ Georgie replied with a smile.
It took a long time to get home. Their shift had well and truly ended by then, but fortunately there were no further emergencies. When Pat landed at the hospital Georgie saw an opportunity to get Josh to the radiology department.
‘Do you want to go into the hospital? Get your fingers X-rayed before we head to The Sandbar for today’s post-mortem?’
He shook his head and made no move to follow the hospital gurneys. ‘I’ll come back after we knock off.’
‘I’ll take you, then,’ Georgie offered. She wanted to make sure he got seen to. She hadn’t been able to prevent the injury but she was going to ensure that he was properly taken care of now. ‘I’m going to see Dad before I head to the bar. Mum was going to pick me up but if I drive your car it’ll save her the trip.’ Georgie knew that if she made it sound as though Josh would be doing someone else a favour he’d be more likely to acquiesce.
Her argument worked and she drove Josh from the QMERT base back to the hospital and delivered him to the radiology department before heading to the cardiology wing.
‘Is everything all right, Georgina? You looked exhausted,’ Sofia asked her as she entered her father’s room.
‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she told her parents as she kissed them both. ‘We just had a rather dramatic day at work,’ she said, and proceeded to fill them in on the day’s events.
‘Do you think this is the right job for you, darling? It sounds terribly dangerous,’ Sofia asked once Georgie had finished.
Her parents hadn’t loved the idea when she’d told them she was going to retrain as a paramedic and quit nursing, although they had eventually got used to it, but Georgie knew they still had concerns. But ninety per cent of the time the job was routine and risk-free and Georgie loved it. She had no plans to give it up, not even once she was married with kids. But today she’d been frightened, not for herself but watching Josh and being unable to help him had been terrifying. But she didn’t tell her parents of her fears neither did she tell them about running low on fuel. The worst hadn’t happened, they’d made it home safely, and there was no reason to scare them with hypothetical situations. She was tempted to cross her fingers as she told them, ‘I wasn’t in any danger today.’
‘Well, I’m relieved to hear that,’ Sofia said.
Georgie kept her visit brief. She wanted to get to The Sandbar, and she was eager to check on Josh.
Sofia was staying at the hospital to keep George company in Josh’s absence but she walked with Georgie to the exit. ‘The surgeon had some good news today, darling. He’s hoping to discharge your father the day after tomorrow. Dad would like to get home to Melbourne as soon as possible to recuperate there and the surgeon expects to give him medical clearance to fly a day after discharge. Which brings me to a favour I want to ask of you?’
Georgie listened, knowing she was going to agree, but there was one thing she needed to do before she granted her mother’s request. And she’d have to do it quickly, as soon as an opportunity presented itself, or perhaps she’d have to create the opportunity. She ran through the possibilities in her head as she walked along the esplanade to The Sandbar.
Josh had beaten her there. He was talking to Isaac and laughing, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. As Georgie watched them, Isaac finished his drink and headed to the bar. Josh was alone.
She went to him. ‘How’s your hand?’
‘Your diagnosis was one hundred per cent correct. Two broken fingers.’
‘Are they sore?’
‘Not now. I’ve taken something for that.’
‘Are you able to work or do you need some time off?’
‘I’m fine. I’m going to go into the physio department tomorrow and get a proper splint made. That should take care of things while they heal. It’s no big deal.’
No big deal. He had been lucky to escape with just two broken fingers. Georgie remembered how she’d felt as the yacht had tipped on its side. She’d been terrified it was going to go over. Terrified it was about to drop Josh into the ocean. She had no idea whether capsizing a boat was easy to do, she hadn’t had much experience with boats, but she did know she’d never been as frightened as she had been then.
It was time to face facts. There was no point denying that Josh sent her crazy with desire. That the touch of his hand sent her hormones wild, that his smile made her heart race or that his kisses made her want to leap into bed with him. She did. And sometimes it felt like it was all she could think about. She wanted Josh and if she didn’t do something about it now, tonight, she was going to miss her opportunity. She hadn’t forgotten how it felt to be in his embrace and she was having a hard time letting that memory go.
The team was celebrating the safe evacuation and return to Cairns but to Georgie tonight was about more than that. Tonight was about Josh.
‘You haven’t got a drink. Can I get you something?’ he asked, seeing her empty hands.
It was now or never. ‘That depends,’ she said.
‘On what?’
‘On whether or not you’re ready to go home.’
Josh looked at his watch. His left hand and fingers, what she could see of them where they emerged from the strapping, were swollen and bruised. ‘But you just got here and it’s still early,’ he said.
‘I know. But I thought I’d come home with you.’ She looked up at him through her lashes and gave him a half-smile. She saw him read between the lines.
‘Just the two of us?’ he asked.
She licked her lips and smiled fully now. ‘I thought that might be fun,’ she said.
‘Why now?’
Had she missed her chance already? Had he changed his mind? Given up?
‘I’m tired of trying to fight this attraction,’ she admitted. ‘It’s not going away. Pretending it doesn’t exist hasn’t worked. Ignoring it hasn’t worked. I can’t pretend I don’t want you. I want to know what it’s like to make love with you. I want to know how it feels. I’ve never seen the point in spending just one night with someone but it was so hard today, watching you in danger, and I realised that one chance, one night, is all I might have, and I know I’ll regret it if I don’t take it.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘This is what I want. No strings. No promises. Just this night.’
‘But—’
‘I know our relationship is an illusion,’ she interrupted. ‘I know it’s not real and I don’t expect a real relationship but you were right, our chemistry is real and all I’m asking for is just one night. You’ve taught me to take chances. You’ve given me the confidence to try new things. This is something I want. But if you’re not feeling up to it…?’ She let the question tail off into thin air.
Josh grinned at her, his grey eyes shining with excitement. ‘A couple of busted fingers won’t slow me down.’ He drained his drink in one swallow and put his glass on a table. ‘Ready when you are.’
‘Down, boy.’ Georgie laughed. ‘Meet me out the front in five minutes. I don’t want everyone to see us leaving together. They don’t need any more fuel added to the fire of speculation.’
Georgie went to the ladies’ bathroom to freshen up. Beside the hand dryer, directly opposite the door, was a condom vending machine. It was the first thing she saw as she walked in. She crossed the room and stood in front of it. She studied it. Was she really going to do this?
It would just be one night, she told herself. It didn’t have to change anything.
She couldn’t deny she’d spent many hours imagining just what it would be like. There was nothing stopping her. Nothing would change except she would know how it felt to let Josh love her.
She turned to her right and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were dark and shining. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were bright red. Her blood vessels were dilating in anticipation. She wanted this.
She searched her purse for coins and inserted them into the machine. She twisted the knob and caught the little packet as the machine dispensed it and she stashed it in her handbag. She wanted this more than she’d wanted anything in a long time.
She left the bathroom and went to meet Josh.
He was waiting under a palm tree, leaning against the trunk looking calm and relaxed. She was a bundle of nerves. It had been a long time since she’d been intimate with a man, but she wasn’t apprehensive. She was excited. She reached for his right hand and pulled him away from the tree.
‘Are—?’
‘Shh.’ Georgie pressed her fingers against his lips. She didn’t want to talk, she didn’t want a discussion, she just wanted to get to Josh’s apartment and make love.
Josh had left his car at the hospital and they didn’t speak as they walked. The heat from Josh’s hand was searing her palm, threatening to ignite her entire body. She could imagine how his hands would feel running over her naked skin, how her body would respond to his touch.
He pressed the button for the lift and Georgie was grateful he lived so close to The Sandbar. She didn’t think she could make it much further. He held the door for her and followed her into the empty lift, pushing the button for the seventh floor on his way past. She stood in the corner and pulled him to her. She wasn’t going to wait any longer. This was part of her fantasy. This was what tonight was about, satisfying her curiosity and their desire.
She reached her arm up and cupped her hand around the back of his head, guiding his mouth to hers. She kissed him hard and he kissed her back. His hands were on her hips, holding her to him. Her hands were behind his head, keeping him with her.
She felt the lift stop, heard the doors open. She didn’t care if more people were getting into the lift, she didn’t care if they were surrounded, she had no space in her head for thoughts of anyone else.
Josh was holding her hand, pulling her out of the lift. They were at the seventh floor. He unlocked his apartment door and they turned left, heading for the bedroom, not pretending this was about anything more than desire, lust and longing.
Georgie dropped her bag on the bed and went straight back into Josh’s arms. She ran her hands under his shirt. She trailed her fingernails lightly over his skin and heard him moan. She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, exposing his flat, toned stomach. He started to undo his belt but Georgie stopped him.
‘Let me,’ she said. It would be difficult for him to undress with three fingers strapped together, though not impossible, but Georgie wanted the pleasure of doing it. She undid his belt and snapped open the button on his pants before sliding the zip down. She could feel the hard bulge of his erection pressing into her, straining to get free.
Josh stepped out of his shoes, not bothering to untie the laces, as she pushed his trousers to the floor. His pants joined his shoes and shirt in an untidy heap. He was naked except for his boxer shorts. Georgie looked him over.
He was glorious.