Do Opposites Attract? (Kathryn Freeman’s Irresistible Romcom Collection #5)

Chapter Three

Brianna breathed a huge sigh of relief when the small plane finally touched down onto the tiny airstrip. Relief, because she’d finally reached her destination after twenty-four hours of travelling and relief that the churning motion of the little propeller driven plane had finally come to an end. That being said, she climbed down the steep steps with a great degree of trepidation. She’d seen from the air the devastation the recent tornado and subsequent flooding had caused. The affected area was vast and she wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing the results close up. Hers had been a privileged existence so far. In all her twenty-six years the only hardship she’d witnessed had been on the television. This next week was going to be one heck of a giant step into the unknown, that was for sure.

The heat and the barrenness of the landscape hit her as she reached the cracked tarmac, a sharp warning of the discomfort that lay ahead. Part of her, the part that delighted in luxury, was already starting to regret her rash decision to come here. At this very moment she could be flashing her credit card round the Knightsbridge shops — a world away from where she was now. But that was the whole point, wasn’t it?

Looking up she caught sight of a tall, rangy man walking towards the plane. The long stride, loose-limbed gait and straight back bore the hallmarks of a man who was confident in his own skin. A man who knew where he was heading. Her eyes skimmed over his muddy desert boots, creased khaki shorts and plain white T-shirt. Was that the hint of a black tattoo on his bicep, creeping beneath the shirtsleeve? After acknowledging the pilot with a wave of his tanned arm, the man turned and strode towards her. Dark blond hair, in need of a good cut, surrounded a sun-bronzed, rugged face. It was a face too harsh, too strong to be called handsome. But it made her look, nonetheless.

‘Brianna, I presume?’ He looked directly at her, his eyes cool and assessing, his voice deep and curt. It was a voice used to issuing commands, used to being in control.

Control was something Brianna was also familiar with. As was the fact that men usually came on to her when they were first introduced. That sounded vain, and it wasn’t something she encouraged, just something she lived with. Men seemed to want to flirt with her, whatever their age. Clearly this one was an exception. The fact that he couldn’t even muster a smile for her was intriguing. It didn’t upset her. Just made her determined to make him take notice. ‘You presume correctly,’ she replied, smiling broadly and holding out her hand. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

The man glanced at the offered hand, but ignored it. ‘Have you any bags in the hold?’

She muffled the gasp, but couldn’t prevent a sharp intake of breath. Her world might be very different to his, but surely simple courtesy had a place wherever you were? She couldn’t work out if he was simply as coarse as he appeared, or if he was deliberately trying to rile her. If it was the latter, he was succeeding. Clutching at manners ingrained in her from an early age, Brianna bit her tongue and continued to smile. ‘Thank you, yes. There’s my holdall and two boxes.’

Without a word the man swung round and marched over to the plane where he opened the cargo door and pulled out the items. As she watched, the biceps on his arms bunched and the tattoo became clearer; a black panther. An involuntary tremor ran down her spine and for the first time since she’d embarked on the trip, Brianna thought about her own safety. Here she was, in a foreign country thousands of miles from home and dependent on this man to take her to where she needed to go. A man who wore a bold tattoo and an air of . . . well, frankly menace. At the very least, he was pretty intimidating. A view that wasn’t altered when he thrust one of the boxes into her hands and strode towards the jeep without a backward glance.

Brianna had no choice but to follow. The alternative was to remain alone in an empty airfield in the middle of nowhere. Wordlessly he dumped the luggage into the back of the truck and went to sit in the driver’s seat. She stared in open-mouthed astonishment, the box she was left carrying nearly slipping from her hands. Whoever the heck this man was, he was certainly no gentleman. With a hiss of irritation she hoisted the darn package into the back and stalked to the passenger side. As she struggled to open the stiff, heavy door and climb up into the battered seat, she realised she’d taken for granted the charm and effortless good manners of the men she usually mixed with. Apparently opening the car door for a lady didn’t come instinctively to every man. Clearly not to the one who sat beside her, his eyes fixed forwards.

Perversely, the ruder he was, the more determined she became to show him the social skills he clearly lacked. ‘It’s kind of you to come and pick me up. How are things at the camp? Are they on top of the situation yet?’

Briefly the man paused in the action of starting the engine to give her a cold look. ‘Villages have been flattened, electricity and water cut off, families torn apart. We’re still pulling people out of destroyed buildings and flooded rivers. No, I don’t think you could say we’re on top of things.’

Bastard, Brianna thought angrily. How dare he talk down to her like that? She hadn’t meant anything by her simple question — just some small talk to ease the journey. ‘Thank you for your assessment,’ she replied frostily, deciding not to pursue any further conversation. She could only thank God she wouldn’t have much to do with this man when they arrived at the camp. He was clearly the driver. Hopefully the medical team would be friendlier.

* * *

Mitch watched the temper flare briefly in Brianna’s eyes at his reply and smiled to himself. He had no doubt she wasn’t used to being spoken to like that. She probably had a group of sycophantic friends who followed her around, hung on her every word, told her what they thought she wanted to hear. He guessed that was what it was like in the rich world she lived in. Of course he didn’t know. When he thought of the contrast between his own upbringing and hers . . . he shook his head in disgust. Even he could see the massive chip that sat firmly on his shoulder. The fact that it was still there and that it only took someone like Brianna to reveal it, annoyed the hell out of him. He’d done well for himself, achieved respectability. Where he’d come from shouldn’t matter. But it did, particularly when he met people like her. Which was why, instead of being polite and civil, things he knew he was quite capable of, the devil inside him made him act just the opposite. He became the rough, ill-mannered man synonymous with his upbringing. He hadn’t missed the look of shock on her face when he’d thrust the parcel at her. Nor had he missed her look of disdain when faced with having to open her own door. Well, this was his turf. While she was here she would have to learn to play by his rules. Which meant not being waited on hand and foot and not being mollycoddled. It also meant doing as she was told.

He smiled grimly to himself. It was going to be interesting to see how she’d cope with all that. He’d promised Margaret he’d show the patron’s daughter round and give her an insight into the work they did and he would. Just not cap in hand. If he had to babysit the woman for a week, she’d have to take him as she found him.

As the jeep bounced over the ruts in the road, he idly glanced over in her direction. One thing was for certain, she was trouble with a capital T. Dan and Steve had already argued so much about who was going to pick her up that in the end Mitch had snatched the keys and driven off himself. And that was before they knew she wasn’t a fat, ugly heiress. Jeez, when they found out she was actually a flaming beautiful one, they were going to be unbearable. With flashing green eyes, shiny brown hair and a curvaceous figure no man could ignore, and believe it, he was trying, she was one sexy lady. Not the type he wanted hanging round an overworked, increasingly stressed camp. Added to which, the flirtatious smile she’d first directed at him told him she was a lady used to enjoying the company of men. Used to wrapping them around her little finger.

It was going to be a very long week.

Their journey to the camp was conducted in an uneasy silence, Mitch very aware of Brianna quietly fuming next to him. He smiled grimly to himself. She could choose to sulk, or choose to listen. It made no odds to him.

‘Mitch!’ As he pulled up by the Medic SOS tents, Jane came hurrying out to meet him.

Brianna turned her head sharply towards him, astonishment written across her perfect features. ‘ You’re Mitch McBride? Well, it would have been nice if you’d bothered to introduce yourself.’

Before he could reply, Jane interrupted. ‘There’s an emergency, Mitch. You’re needed on the ward.’

As Jane hurried away, Mitch jumped down from the jeep. ‘Sorry, honey. I’ve got more important things to do than smooth your ruffled feathers.’ Midway to the tent, his mind already focused on the emergency, he paused and shot Brianna a brief look over his shoulder. ‘Stay in the jeep. I’ll get someone to come and sort you out.’

Brianna let out a snarl of sheer frustration. How bloody rude. Irritated, she deliberately climbed out. The sight that met her was awful enough to push her petty annoyance into the background. My God, the place looked stark. Row upon row of battered, makeshift tents in a huge muddy field. She shuddered, unable to stop the totally selfish thought that she wasn’t going to be getting a nice hot shower to ease away the discomfort of a day and night travelling. And, to top it all, the man she’d been assured would be happy to help her understand the work of the charity, seemed to be anything but happy. The words surly, rude and arrogant came to the top of her mind.

‘Brianna?’ A handsome young man approached her, a wide grin on his face. ‘Wow, we really hit the jackpot with you. First time we get a visitor and she’s drop dead gorgeous. Well, welcome to hell. I’m Dan and I’m here to look after you. Anything you need, just ask me.’

For the first time since she’d set out on this adventure, Brianna felt her shoulders start to relax. Here at last was an admiring man with a friendly face. ‘Great to meet you, Dan. I suppose a hot shower is out of the question?’ The words blurted embarrassingly from her lips but Dan simply laughed.

‘Well, it’s pretty basic and there might be a problem with hot water, but we can manage something resembling a shower. Come with me.’

‘Really, a shower?’ Right now she didn’t care what it looked like or if the water was freezing. Anything that removed dust and grime was okay with her.

‘Really.’

He plucked her holdall and both boxes out of the truck with an ease that reinforced her earlier impression; Mitch had been out to make a point when he’d made her carry one. Either that or he was a weakling. A clear image of taut, muscular biceps flooded her mind and she stumbled on the uneven ground.

‘Watch your step. Don’t want you banged up with a twisted ankle on day one.’

Dragging in a lungful of air, she focused on the man she was with. ‘What’s your role in the team then, Dan?’ she asked as they skirted the larger marquee-like tents that she guessed substituted for a hospital and made their way towards a cluster of much smaller ones.

‘Logistics,’ he replied, another quick-fire grin lighting up his face. ‘Which basically means I do everything that isn’t connected with the medical care. I sort out supplies, put up the medical tents and equipment, work with the other charities to make sure we get food and shelter for ourselves. Plus I look after any visitors,’ he added with a wink.

Brianna bet Dan knew all about looking after visitors, female ones in particular. He had a natural, easy charm and, together with his obvious good looks, it made him very attractive. But much as she was enjoying his attention, Brianna knew she wasn’t going to be one of his conquests. She preferred the slightly less obvious, the less easy. In truth, although she hated to admit it, Mitch was the one who’d grabbed her interest. Overbearing and ill-mannered he might be, but his surprising deep brown eyes drew a woman in, and his forceful personality made her sit up and take notice. Even though she might not want to.

Dan had moved ahead of her and was now unzipping the entrance to a tatty looking white tent she guessed she’d be calling home.

‘Here you go. It might not be much, but after a day around here, trust me, you’ll be glad to get back to it,’ he remarked as he placed her luggage on the floor. ‘There is a temporary shower just around the corner. The water’s cold, but it will definitely freshen you up. Alternatively, some of us go and bathe in the lake. It’s okay, as long as you watch out for crocodiles.’

Brianna shivered. ‘I think I’ll go for the shower.’

‘Probably a wise choice,’ Dan agreed with a grin. ‘I’ll leave you to sort yourself out. When you feel like some company, come to the main medical tent. There are sure to be a few of us around.’

Left on her own, Brianna sank down on the camp bed. Okay, she didn’t sink. That would imply a degree of give in the brick-like mat that was trying to pass for a mattress. Oh heck, she so wanted to cry, but that would be weak and she was determined not to act like the spoilt brat some probably believed her to be. Mitch for one. Then again, why should his opinion of her matter? He was just a jumped up doctor. If she wanted, she thought with a flash of anger, she could get him fired.

As quickly as it had arrived, the anger vanished and she was left feeling stupid and a tiny bit scared. That was exactly the type of attitude she hated. Sure Mitch had been less than welcoming, but at the end of the day her only real gripes were that he’d given her a box to carry and not opened the truck door for her. Considering what he had on his plate at the moment, they were hardly crimes of the century.

* * *

Half an hour and a cold shower later, Brianna was feeling a little more human again.

‘Have you managed to find everything you need?’

In the act of folding her towel over the end of the bed, Brianna looked up with a start, shocked to find Mitch walking unannounced into her tent. ‘Do you always come into a woman’s room uninvited?’

Mitch raised an eyebrow. ‘It depends on the woman.’

‘Well this woman wants you to wait until you’re invited.’ She didn’t want to act like a brat, but she wasn’t going to let him trample all over her, either.

‘But then I might be waiting a long time,’ he replied calmly, nonchalantly leaning against a tent pole.

Something she couldn’t deny. ‘What did you want?’ she asked somewhat churlishly.

Mitch sighed. ‘Look, I came to check you were all right, that’s all. I apologise for not knocking first, but it’s damn hard to do that on a tent.’

Against her will, Brianna’s lips twitched slightly. ‘Point taken. And yes, thank you, I’m fine. I feel a lot better after a shower and change of clothes.’

‘I’m sorry we couldn’t arrange an en suite for you.’ Mitch regarded her with steady brown eyes and she didn’t know if it was a joke, or a dig. Probably the latter, though this time she wasn’t going to rise to the bait. ‘What’s in those?’

Brianna followed the direction of his gaze, over to the two large brown boxes. At the time, her idea had seemed like a good one. Now, under Mitch’s tough scrutiny and having seen the grimness of the situation first hand, she wasn’t so sure. ‘Just something I brought from home I thought might be . . . useful.’ She tried to distract him. ‘Have you got time to show me the medical tent now?’

Mitch nodded. ‘Yeah. But not until you’ve shown me the boxes. I take it you checked with Margaret what to bring? We’re really struggling for some medical supplies.’

Oh wow, he really knew how to make her feel small. Then again, she couldn’t blame him for this blunder. It was entirely down to her own ignorance. ‘Umm, no, I didn’t think to ask. I only checked what I should bring in terms of clothes. For me.’

The disbelieving look he gave her said it all. ‘What on earth is in them then?’

She stared at her feet, way beyond embarrassed. ‘I guess you’d better see for yourself.’

When she dared to look back up Mitch was crouched down on his haunches, tearing open the first box with a penknife. After peering inside, he burst out laughing.

By rights, she should have been highly offended at his reaction, and some of her was. She may not have had the foresight to find out what they needed, but at least she hadn’t come empty-handed. But she found herself unable to muster any anger because she was too busy goggling at the sight of the attractive man crouched over the box. Gone was the harshness, the brooding. In its place was a youthful, almost boyish expression. God, he was positively gorgeous. A smile lit up his face, warmed his chocolate-brown eyes, and even created a set of cute dimples on either side of his mouth. She would never have put cute and DrMitch McBride together in the same sentence. But here he was, looking so damned sexy she almost couldn’t breathe.

‘Teddy bears?’ Mitch asked when he’d finally finished laughing. ‘Well, I’ll give you ten out of ten for originality, if only one out of ten for practicality. But then I don’t suppose someone like you knows much about practicality.’

The sting of his words brought Brianna crashing back down to earth and she immediately reversed her opinion of him. Not cute at all. For a moment she’d glimpsed someone else; a relaxed, attractive, fun-loving man. Now the harsh face was back and with it the sarcastic tone. ‘They aren’t for you,’ she replied stiffly. ‘They’re for your patients. I did bring some things for you and the team, but if that’s going to be your attitude, I think I’d prefer to take them home with me.’ Inside she cringed at the knowledge of what was in the other box. If he’d laughed at the teddy bears . . .

Mitch took in Brianna’s flushed cheeks and fiery green eyes. She really was a beauty and her temper only added to her sensuality. But for crying out loud, when he thought of all the things she could have brought, and he was left staring at a box of ruddy useless stuffed bears. No, he was damned if he was going to apologise for laughing at her. He could, however, extend an olive branch. ‘I’m sure the kids will love the bears.’

She raised her chin and looked him in the eye. ‘But medicines would have been more useful and might have saved a few lives.’

He met honesty with honesty. ‘Yes.’

With a sigh she nodded over to the other box. ‘I suppose you might as well see what I got you.’

Intrigued, despite himself, he took out his penknife again and sliced open the second box, pulling out a couple of bags. ‘Shower gel and body lotion?’

She bit her lip. ‘No, that’s for the women. Jane and Tessa, right?’

He nodded and dived back into the box. ‘Whisky?’ He could see she was still embarrassed because her eyes weren’t quite meeting his now.

‘Yes,’ she replied diffidently. ‘A bottle for each of the men. Even you.’

Laughing grimly, he tucked the bottle under his arm. That just about summed up the difference between them. She’d packed luxury items. He’d have given his eye teeth for some essentials. Disposable razors maybe, because he was running out. Batteries for his torch. Toothpaste, though maybe he could gargle with the whisky instead. ‘Thanks.’

She acknowledged his pretty lame gratitude with a cursory nod. ‘Now, if you’ve finished poking fun at me, I’d like to see where you attend the patients.’

Mitch stared back at her, at the proud way she carried herself. At the steel he glimpsed behind the beauty. Thank God rich pampered girls weren’t his type. Women like her lived privileged lives in ignorant bubbles. He preferred his women savvy, experienced and down to earth.

As she sauntered out of the tent ahead of him, head held high, her slim curvy figure clear underneath the tight canvas trousers and black T-shirt, he thought he’d do well to keep reminding himself of that during the week ahead.