He glanced down at her body as if to remember, and his gaze lingered on her generous breasts. Before he could say anything, she spun away towards the path again.

God, this must be hard for her. What the heck had he been thinking of to involve someone as obviously decent as Ava when he was never marrying again? Especially someone who was as honest and smart and generous as this woman. Someone who could never leave here and be happy. What had he done just now? He’d almost lost control. Bloody hell.

He spoke to her back. ‘I think I should leave for Alice Springs tomorrow. I can arrange for a car to pick me up.’

She sighed and turned back to look at him. Her eyes were shadowed now. ‘I don’t know. Yes. I suppose. Maybe you should just go.’

Strangely, now he didn’t want to. ‘If I think of something, can I call you?’

This whole mess was nowhere near finished, but suddenly it was important to give her space because she needed it. He needed it too, to think. Whatever had been between them was gone, and he should be as well. Especially if he’d led her on unfairly when there could be no future.

‘Sure.’ Except the one word sounded anything but sure.

When he had his own transport he could return. Or maybe, for Ava, he would not.

He stopped following her then and watched her increase the distance between them, down towards the waterhole. Soon she’d rounded a bend and disappeared out of sight.

Poddy arrived at his door an hour later with an ‘experience’ for Zac. To get him away from Ava for the day, he had no doubt. He didn’t blame her family for arranging it, so he followed Poddy to the vehicle and climbed in to go hiking for the day.

That night, he tossed in his wrought-iron bed and remembered the confusion and pain in Ava’s eyes. He hated that he’d caused her such distress. It would be better when he’d just left her in peace and returned to Alice Springs. He was almost completely certain that was the right thing to do, but he wasn’t ready to go back to Sydney. Something held him back from doing that.