Nobody But Him by Victoria Purman - Chapter Sampler

7/30/2019 Nobody But Him by Victoria Purman - Chapter Sampler

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DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER?If you did, you should be aware it is stolen property as it was

reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer.Neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment

for this book.

First Published 2013First Australian Paperback Edition 2013ISBN 978 174356461 5

NOBODY BUT HIM 2013 by Victoria PurmanPhilippine Copyright 2013

Australian Copyright 2013New Zealand Copyright 2013

Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in wholeor in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now knownor hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or inany information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permissionof the publisher, Harlequin Mira, Locked Bag 7002, Chatswood D.C. N.S.W.,

Australia 2067.

This book is sold subject to the condition that shall not, by way of trade orotherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior

consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in whichit is published and without a similar condition including this condition beingimposed on the subsequent purchaser.

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in anyform. This edition is published in arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A..

This is a work of ction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either theproduct of the authors imagination or are used ctitiously, and any resemblanceto actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is

entirely coincidental.

Published byHarlequin Mira

An imprint of Harlequin Enterprises (Aust) Pty Ltd.Level 4, 132 Arthur StreetNORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060

AUSTRALIA

and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its corporate

afliates. Trademarks indicated with are registered in Australia, New Zealand,the United States Patent & Trademark Ofce and in other countries.

Printed and bound in Australia by Grifn Press


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Dear Reader

Who hasnt harboured a secret antasy about running away rom itall to a sleepy beachside town, where summers never end and thecoastal air blows the cobwebs rom your mind, taking the stress and

problems o city lie with it? Te resh air, the long walks, the sun,the relaxed mood, that eeling that youre on holidays all year round?

Whats not to love!Tats something I wanted to explore in Nobody But Him. My

characters are at a point in their lives where they have to make somebig decisions about who they want to be, where they want to liveand whether theyll open their hearts to love.

My fctional town o Middle Point is set on the very real andstunning coastline o South Australias Fleurieu Peninsula. Its aplace I know and adore and I hope Ive captured just what makes itso special. As you turn the pages and get to know my characters, Ihope youll let yoursel be whisked away to the beach, smell the saltin the air and eel the warming sun on your ace.

Tis is the frst book in myBoys of Summertrilogy and I hopeyoull enjoy the frst story o Ry and Julia, who meet or the frsttime in fteen years back in the place they ound love one summer.

I may be a writer, but Im also a reader, and I know how hard it canbe to fnd some precious time to escape into reading, so thank you romthe bottom o my heart or choosingNobody But Him. Te act thatyou are holding a book in your hands with my name on the cover is

still a miracle to me. Te act that you want to read it? A double bonus!I would love to hear rom readers so please fnd me at www.

victoriapurman.com, on acebook at Victoria Purman Authoror ontwitter @VictoriaPurman.

H d !


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Excuse me waitress!Caught between two dining chairs with a tray o hal-empty

glasses perched precariously in the air, Julia Jones stopped, drewin a breath and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Honest to God,I might be new at this hospitality game, but if I hear that one more

time. She had a vision o tipping the slurry o warm beer all over thepatrons designer-denim-clad arse.

Instead, Julia caught her temper in her throat, created a sicklysmile and turned.

Im so sorry to have kept you waiting.One look at the table o diners in ront o her had her stifing a

giggle. Tey appeared to have stepped straight out o the pages o

Country Lifemagazine. Tere was lots o tweed and corduroy and wasshe imagining it, or was that a designer trench coat draped on the backo an empty chair? She knew their type instinctively. Adelaide people,down in the South Australian coastal town o Middle Point or theweekend who gured a trip out o the capital meant they had to dress

C H A P T E R

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8 V I C O R I A P U R M A N

Tis was the beach, not the country. Julia knew their walletswould be bulging rom trust unds and successul jobs. Not that

she was into crass generalisations or anything. Tey just saved time.Scanning the table she wondered which o the women sitting

there had called her waitress. She fgured it was the younger o thetwo, natural blonde hair, o course, pert, pretty, privileged, per-ectly symmetrical eatures. Te Princess.

Julia hardened her smile. Ill just take these empties back to thebar and Ill be right with you. She bumped her way rom chair to

chair through the crowded Saturday night dining room, taking careto steady her tray as she went. Te happy and relaxed conversa-tions o the other diners in the century old pub werent enough todrown out the hoity-toity complaints rom what looked like Lordand Lady Muck and Te Princess.

Can you believe the service here? Tat waitress was positively

rude. Mum, did you see the look on her ace?Julia could hear Te Princess winding up or a ull display o out-raged condescension but gritted her teeth and kept walking. Blow-ing badly behaved tendrils o curly brown hair rom her eyes, sheapproached the bar, behind which stood her best and oldest child-hood riend Lizzie Blake, pouring a round o drinks.

Lizzies wry smile revealed shed heard everything. Dont let em

get to you, Jools. Lizzie reached behind her or a chilled bottle owater. Youre doing a brilliant job. Lizzie threw her a huge grinand a dramatic wink and handed her the tray o drinks shed justprepared. Here. Back you go.

Julia narrowed her eyes and leaned on the bar. Tis is all yourault, you know.

I know, I know, you are doing me a massive avour. I my regu-

lar waitress hadnt come down with the worst fu o all time, Lizziemimed quote marks in the air, I wouldnt have begged you orhelp.

I you werent my BFF, theres no way I wouldve taken this gigserving drinks and ood however delicious to wankers like the


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N O B O D Y B U T H I M 9

I owe you, Julia. Big time, obviously. What say I cook good oldspaghetti bolognese tomorrow night? Would that make it up to

you?Youre playing dirty now. Julia managed a smile but couldnt

hide the tears welling in her eyes at the mention o her mothersavourite recipe. She reached across to squeeze Lizzies hand. Lizziesqueezed hers right back.

Give me those drinks, you slave-driver.You know how grateul I am or this, Jools. Youve got me out

o a really tight spot.Yeah, yeah. Julia arched her eyebrows and smiled as she picked

up the tray. And I promise to be super careul so I dont accidentlydrop them all in the lap o that pretty young thing over there.

Good girl, Lizzie smiled in reply and hurried of to take orders.Te beachside pub was really humming. Te winter long week-

end had brought more people than usual to the town, everyone rel-ishing the chance o an extra night away rom suburbia to relax andtake in the sea air. Hal the tables were lled with local amilies intheir jeans and warm jumpers, corralling their boisterous children.Te regulars propped up the bar, their glasses leaving watery ringson the counter like signatures, while the weekend visitors domi-nated the end o the dining room closer to the replace. Julia took

a second to glance around beore asking hersel or the tenth time:what the hell am I doing here?

wo weeks beore shed been sitting in a stylish and dimly lit bistroin Melbourne with her work colleagues, drinking the nest Austra-lian wine. Now she was serving it to the sort o people whod madeher lie hell as a teenager in this town. People exactly like Lord andLady Muck and their Princess, city people with enough spare cash

or a holiday home and a couple o European cars. People who wereincreasingly snatching up every spare piece o land in the beachsidestrip, sucking up all the nice weather and the good times and un onholidays and weekends, then leaving when the season turned. Shedspent every summer trying to avoid people like them And now here


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Julia glanced down at her prim white shirt, the boring knee-length black skirt, her black-stockinged legs and sensible black

fatties. Black had always been her signature colour. It was soMelbourne. It was so notMiddle Point.

A cackle o laughter pulled her out o hersel and snatches oconversation foated above the crowd to her as she made her wayback to table thirteen.

Country service, honestly. Te Princesss voice was like nger-nails down a blackboard. I knew we should have gone into Victor

Harbor.So why didnt you?Julia said under her breath as she gripped the

tray.Really, Amanda, thats enough.What was that? A male voice, a deep, interesting, admonishing

male voice cut right through the complaining. Julias ears pricked

up. Sexy guy, she decided. She manoeuvred to the table and triedto nd the possessor o that growl. One look at Lord Muck, withhis tan corduroy jacket complete with proessorial leather elbowpatches, enormous grey eyebrows and sagging cheeks, and shedecided it couldnt be him.

Tere was another option to choose rom.Mmm, maybe this guy?A very tall, very broad-shouldered man had moved in ront o her

and was heading back to his seat. Julia craned her neck to take inhis ull height, then let her eyes wander down the strong planes ohis back, which was barely disguised under a ne knit black jumper.And, oh yes, there was a tight arse and long, long legs covered indark denim. Eye candy. At last, she thought, and she let herselenjoy the view or a moment longer. Whoever he was, he was away better alternative than most o the other blokes in the bar; the

check-shirted, baseball-capped locals.Julia heard another harrumph o annoyance rom the table and

she snapped out o the perve est real ast. Her deance metercranked up and, on a scale o one to ten, she was goingSpinal Tap:the ull eleven


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So sorry to keep you waiting, ladies and gentlemen. With per-haps a little too much ironic emphasis on the ladies and gentlemen,

and maybe a tad excessive in the ake English accent department,Julia lowered the tray onto the edge o the table, using her butt towedge hersel between the two women.

So, what do we have here? Champagne or the ladies? Our verybest Australian bubbles or you both, none o that inerior Frenchplonk. She placed the futes careully on the table and noticed TePrincess was wide-eyed and red-cheeked. Julia hoped it was rom

embarrassment.And now. She reached or one o the tumblers on her tray. Aged

Scotch whisky on ice. For this discerning gentlemen, I presume?Lord Muck smiled hesitantly at Julia and raised his nger in the airto indicate his choice. She gently placed it on the table and the icecubes clinked together with a tinkle.

And nally, a soda water or the non-drinker or tonightsexceedingly generous designated driver.Julia took a couple o shimmying steps to reach the other end

o the table and ound great delight in ocusing her gaze on thewomen, making sure they got every not-so-subtle nuance o herderision.

Well, congratulations to you, sir, or ensuring your riends get

home saely. What a magnanimous gesture. She lited the glassrom her tray, condensation already making it a little slippery. Myname is waitress and i you need anything else, just whistle. Youknow how to do that, dont you? She winked at the older man.You just put your lips together and blow.

Finally Julia turned her attention to Sexy Guy, who was aboutto sit down. He didnt react, glancing down as he pulled his chair

closer to the table. Once hed sat down, he leaned back and lookedup into her eyes.

A shock o recognition hit her like a wave.A cold shiver iced its way up her spine, lodging in her throat and

a bizarre buzzing in her ears suddenly blocked out all the bustling


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happy sounds o the pub. It seemed like orever beore she realisedshed actually orgotten to breathe.

Dirty blonde hair, short and rufed. A tanned ace. A strongjaw shaded with growth, hiding the small scar on his let cheek sheknew to be there. And the sapphire blue eyes that had once buckledher knees.

Te switch was imperceptible to anyone else at the table, but hisexpression transormed in a blink rom smiling to steely. His ulllips drew together and disappeared into a tight scowl.

All Julias Melbourne bravado drained away and pooled in hereet like she was wearing big cement boots.

Ry. It came out beore she could think, soter and breathierthan she would have liked.

Tanks or the drink, he replied, his voice gravel. He averted hiseyes and studied the menu with intense concentration.

Julia shakily placed his drink on the table beore him, spilling itso a dribble o soda water wet her ngers. I he noticed, he didntlook up as she walked with trembling knees back to the bar.

Ryan? Amandas perectly French-manicured hand on his armwas insistent and he shook it o. He raked his ngers through hishair and elt a amiliar ache in his jaw. How do you know that

awul waitress?Her careully enunciated vowels hit him like a cold shower.Excuse me. Ry pushed back his chair, stood to his ull, impos-

ing height and scanned the room. As he headed towards the bar,manoeuvring in and around the crowded tables, he realised sheddisappeared. He swore under his breath, realising he had no cluewhat he would have said to her i hed ound her.

At the bar, Lizzie had her hand on the beer tap, expertly lling aglass with pale ale.

She lited her head. Another drink?No. No, thank you. Ry hesitated. Rubbed his jaw to release the

tension Tat new waitress who just served my table the one with


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Lizzie bit her lip and shrugged. Im sorry, Ry, I didnt have timeto tell you. You know our young waitress, Kimberley, with the

pierced eyebrow and the pink hair? She called in sick at the lastminute and Julias done me a huge avour by covering her shittonight. You know Saturday night is our busiest, right?

It doesnt take a degree in hotel management to know that Sat-urday night is busy in a pub, Lizzie, he replied, his mouth a gri-mace. Ten he paused, shaking his head a little. Wait a minute . . .how the hell do you know her?

Lizzie put the beer on the bar, beore staring back at him like hewas crazy. Shes my best riend. Shes saved our bacon tonight.

Ry could see the question in Lizzies eyes but he wasnt about togive her any explanation.

She hesitated beore asking, Why, do you want her number orsomething?

Shit no, he said quickly, adamantly. Not in a million years.Dont tell me she misbehaved.No, she didnt misbehave. In act, Ry thought, he might have

acted in exactly the same way i hed worn the brunt o the sly digsand rudeness rom his table. But there was only one thing to do.No question.

He squared his shoulders and looked Lizzie in the eye. Pay her

what shes earned and some extra or her inconvenience but I dontwant her back here.

He turned and strode back to the table, leaving Lizzie open-mouthed in his wake.

Blackburn, is everything all right? His riend and architectDavid Winter sipped his scotch and raised his enormous grey eye-

brows in concern. For the frst time, Ry realised they looked likehairy caterpillars lurking on his orehead.

Sorry about that everyone. Just a minor crisis behind the barthat needed sorting out. He orced a smile. Everyone ready toorder?


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her interlinked fngers. She threw Ry a huge smile and tossed herhair, giggling at her own joke.

Ry turned away rom her. So David, tell me about the plans.Have you had the surveyors in yet?

Ry made sure to smile and nod at the appropriate intervals asDavid began describing, in great detail, the topography o the Fleu-rieu Peninsula and the implications or any housing development.Ry made sure to smile and nod because not one single syllable owhat David was saying was making any sense. He might as well

have been speaking Norwegian. Te evening had gone straight tohell, and Ry knew he was trapped at the table with his architect,Davids wie Annie and their daughter Amanda, who was now gaz-ing into his eyes and laughing way too loud.

As he watched them chatter and make decisions about dinner,debate the relative merits o the kangaroo fllet or the Asian-inspired

crispy fsh, his mind was a million miles and fteen years back.Surfng, sunscreen, salty chips and sex.Julia Jones.


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Nobody But Him by Victoria Purman - Chapter Sampler