Abby ducked her head to his shoulder. 'Don't be sillyof course I'm not.

' But her tears fell on his warm skin and he felt them. 'It won't be that bad,' he consoled. 'I won't beat youwell, not often anyway. And you can keep your shop. I don't mind -' Her head flung back. 'I can keep my shop! Well, isn't that big of you -' she began indignantly. But Cort's shoulders were shaking and she brushed the last tears away with her knuckles and started to laugh. Cort kissed her then, turning her laughter into eloquent murmurs in her throat. Palm shadows flickered as they drew back and smiled into each other's eyes. 'It will be good, Abby,' he said. 'I promise.' 'And I promise too.' He groaned. 'What am I saying? Good? You're going to drive me insane! Every TITAN site will be a mass of trees and preserved old foundations -' 'That's the least of your worries. I intend to take over from your mother. Make you eat properly and work less.' 'And?' he grinned. 'There are three Ma McKay maxims, remember?' 'Do you think your mother would settle for two out of three?' He laughed. 'When she meets you my mother will know I have everything I need.' A pause. 'And your parentshow will they react to me as a son-in-law?' Abby hooked her hands behind his neck and considered.

'We-lldo you think you might be able to make grandparents of them?' His blue eyes crinkled almost to extinction. 'Is that my only path to approval?' 'Probably.' His eyelids lowered languidly and his hands gently kneaded her buttocks. 'Then never fearI shall do my duty.' 'I won't fear,' she promised, and kissed him. 'Cort,' she said huskily after a few moments, 'why did the resort plans fall through?' He looked uncomfortable. Even sheepish. 'Hellthe problems with water were worse than we thought and with Keith Williams spending fifty million on Hamilton Island, condos going up on Hayman and Telfords putting millions more into South Molle, we did a re-appraisal. We always had an alternative site in mind. It'll go ahead one day.' Abby stared. He was avoiding her eyes. 'Did you lose money over it?' A grimace. 'Some. But what we've lost in money we'll gain in goodwill when we announce that TITAN will give its land to become part of the National Parkwhich means Paradise will remain wild. All except for this hut. The land it stands on is mine. Ours.' He looked down at her. 'Dr Granard's notes have gone to the University. His name will be given to any new bird catalogued.' 'Yougave it all up!' she said, stunned.

'Of course not -' he gruffed. 'What kind of a businessman do you think I am?' 'Not the kind I once thought,' Abby said. He'd given it up in a gesture as grand as his original plans. Cort sighed. 'Oh all right. Take your victory. If you must know, once I'd looked at Paradise through your eyes, the resort didn't seem to fit after all. I kept imagining a Coke can rusting down on the reef. Anyway,' he added broodingly, 'how could I build a hotel here for cosseted, well-heeled tourists when the place is haunted?' 'Haunted?' 'Mmmm. There's this spectre of a naked woman that runs along the beach with red hair flying. Gorgeous. It's been bothering me for weeks.' 'Not frightened, were you, Cort?' she asked, running her hands provocatively over his chest. 'Terrified,' he admitted and opened the zipper of her dress. 'I thought she might never reappear in the flesh.' The dress fell to the ground and his hands glided over her scantily clad curves. The clip of her bra fell apart under his touch. Cort shaped his hands to her breasts. 'Ah -' he sighed in deep satisfaction, 'so much more substantial than a spectre.' 'Have you something in mind, Cort?' she whispered, arms wrapped about his neck. 'I have. Somethingtherapeutic, darling.'

Laughing, she dodged out of reach, left the shade and ran on to the dazzling sands. A breeze played in her hair, touched her skin with cool, tender fingers and its champagne madness went to her head. 'Lunatics!' she shouted out to sea and as Cort captured her, her laughter rang out. He whirled her about and lifted her into his arms. 'I love you,' she nuzzled his ear. 'Where are you taking me?' 'To Paradise.' 'Boasting again!' A beating noise intruded and a shadow raced across the beach. Abby and Cort looked up. The helicopter circled back towards the mainland but not before they had seen the pilot looking down at them. 'It'll be all over TITAN in a few hours,' Cort grinned. 'Marlene will get the shock of her life.' Abby laughed at that. They reached the hut. The stairs weren't finished so Cort took a huge step up to the verandah. 'I hope you brought your guitar, love.' 'Guitar?' Abby's voice was soft, barely discernible over the ocean's lazy swish and the rustle of the palms. 'Because you still owe me another lesson.' She laughed. 'I know that. Why do you think I'm here?' Cort carried her inside and told her. To music.