QUOTE : It’s my turn. The only one I’m likely to get. I’ve got a month, Starfish.”<br />Her eyebrows narrowed a bit at his use of her nickname, and he relaxed further as they eased into a far more familiar back and forth. Lord, but he’d missed her.<br />“Like I said, let’s take the time we have now and find out what we find out. Then, when it’s your turn, we’ll already be that much closer to knowing what we know.”<br />Her eyes remained narrowed, his feisty Kerry fully back at the fore. “Why is it that I feel like I just got played?”<br />His grin got bigger. “Oh, we haven’t begun to play, love. There was nothing playful about that kiss. But next time?” He let that statement linger with no immediate follow-up. Instead, he dug the keys to his rental from the pocket of his Daks and unlocked the door to the sleek black roadster. At least he’d walked to the correct side this time. Took some getting used to, the whole wrong side of the road thing. Still, the little two-door BMW was a beauty. And about as far away from anything he’d ever driven on the station as it was possible to get. Which was exactly why he’d rented it.<br />He looked back over to where she stood, arms folded now, defenses fully back up and battle ready. <i>Good</i>, he thought. <i>Do what you need to do. Be sure of yourself, of me. Of us. Just remember, I know how to get you to lower those defenses.</i> And he was looking forward to finding out how she’d come apart for him when he melted them completely.<br />“Thirty days,” he said, opening the door. He tugged at the sunglasses that had been hanging down his back on a pair of Croakies and slid them around, putting them on before popping his hat back on his head. He rested folded forearms on the top of the open door, his grin still in place. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m really liking how Day One has worked out.” He tucked his long, rangy frame into the low-slung car and lowered the window as the sport engine purred to life. “Can’t wait to see what Day Two holds in store. G’day, Starfish.