Outback Reunion (Bunyip Bay #6)

Chapter Thirteen

After a microwave pie for dinner, Mark sat outside with Rookie, a beer and one of the books he’d ordered on regenerative farming. He needed to put Gabriela, Tahlia, his knee and his old career out of his mind and focus on the here and now. He had mates who’d kill to be in his position. Youngest kids of big families who had no hope in hell of inheriting the family farm. Siblings who had to divide the land and learn to work together when they both had very different ideas about how to operate. His friend Monty had been devastated when his parents sold their family farm when he was a kid, and had worked his arse off saving to buy his own. It had paid off; now he and Faith and their two cute-as-pie kids were loving their life together.

So that’s what he’d do. He’d work hard, put his all into the farm and the community—maybe he could become a volunteer firie or ambo—and hopefully karma would cut him a break as well.

Vowing that tomorrow he’d make himself a proper dinner and cut back on the booze, he took a slug of beer, then opened the book and forced himself to focus. He was reading something about the soil food web when Rookie roused at his feet, and he looked up at the distant sound of a car coming down the gravel drive. His grip tightened on the bottle.

Who on earth could that be at this time on a Sunday night?

His parents weren’t due home until the end of the week, and it was rare anyone dropped around without calling first. Despite his attempt at an attitude shift, he still wasn’t in the mood for socialising, so he scooped the dog up with his free hand and hurried inside. Hopefully if he shut the door and switched off the lights, he could lay low and pretend he wasn’t home until whoever it was left. Putting Rookie down again, he peeled back the front curtain ever so slightly as a car came into view. He’d made it inside in the nick of time.

As the car came closer, he saw it was an old wagon of some sort, but when it stopped just outside the gate that bordered the house yard, he got a glimpse of who was driving and almost swallowed his tongue.

Gabriela! He couldn’t believe his eyes. Was he freaking dreaming?

Two seconds later, she pushed open the driver’s door and emerged from the vehicle like a beautiful mermaid bursting out of the sea. She looked around and appeared confused, as if she too were wondering why she was here. She wore that same yellow dress she’d had on last night. Her hair fell gently in waves around her shoulders and if anything, she was even more beautiful than the day before.

Rookie barked as Gabriela took a tentative step towards the house, and Mark spilled his beer as he put it down to open the front door.

She looked shocked to see him, but she must have known this was his place because why else would she be here?

‘Hey,’ he said, lifting his hand in a wave that felt anything but casual.

Of course, he’d totally forgotten about Rookie, who launched past him and started dancing around Gabriela like she was a fire and the dog some kind of sprite.

‘Oh, hello there.’ She laughed as she tried to pat the dog, but Rookie was too excited to be pinned down, jumping up and putting her dirty paws all over Gabriela’s dress. ‘Aren’t you... an interesting little thing.’

Mark snorted. ‘Interesting is an interesting word for her. Not sure it quite does the trick.’ Once again, he picked up the dog and tucked it under his arm. ‘Sorry.’

She looked shyly up at him, rubbing her lips together before speaking. ‘It’s fine. I love dogs. What kind is he?’

He shook his head— what kind is he? Surely, she didn’t come here to talk about his crazy mutt—then shrugged. ‘She’s a she and I’m not sure. The vet reckons she’s a mix of several breeds.’ He paused only a moment. ‘Uh. What are you doing here?’

Last night she’d been adamant she didn’t want anything to do with him.

Gabriela blinked. ‘Oh. Um. I couldn’t sleep last night. All I could think about was you.’

‘Really?’ Now that was a boost to his ego. ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.’

Her lips twisted into the most beautiful smile. ‘I’m glad to hear it. I can’t offer you a relationship—I’m being presumptuous thinking you might even want that—but I don’t want to spend another night regretting walking away from you, and I can’t afford the lost sleep either. It’s dangerous being a circus performer when you’re exhausted.’

‘I can imagine,’ he said, struggling to curb his grin. ‘How did you know where I live?’

‘This is a very small town, Mark.’

He nodded. ‘Of course.’ For once, he was happy that everyone in Bunyip Bay knew everyone else. ‘So... I... uh, let me just get this straight. You’re here because...’

In reply, she took a step towards him and put her hand against his chest. He swore his heart stopped beating beneath her touch as Rookie tried to lick her hand. ‘I’m here because of you. I want you, Mark, but this can only be one night. Is that enough?’

He nodded. ‘I’m not in the market for a relationship either—I need to sort out the farm and the shit in my head before I even contemplate committing to another person again—but are you sure about this. Are you really ready?’

He didn’t mention her husband but they both knew that’s what he meant. Even if they were on the same page about this being just sex, he didn’t want her to regret anything. He also didn’t want to touch her and taste her again and then have her change her mind. There were only so many cold showers a man could take before losing the plot entirely.

‘Yes, I’m sure.’ She half-laughed, half-sobbed as she leaned towards his mouth. ‘I’ve never been surer about anything in my life.’

‘I don’t want to take advantage of you,’ he whispered, barely able to speak with her lips so close to his, the tantalising scent of her in his face.

This time she definitely laughed. ‘Oh, Mark, if anything, I’m taking advantage of you. I need to get you out of my system.’

‘You think it’ll work?’

She grinned up at him. ‘I’d like to find out. There’s no way it can be as amazing as I remember.’

And although he wanted to get her out of his system as well, that was a challenge he couldn’t resist.

‘We’ll see about that,’ he said as he slipped his hand behind her neck and drew her lips to his—holding the dog out so she didn’t interrupt them.

Gabriela’s responding giggle was an aphrodisiac. Not that he needed one. Just being in her presence made him hard. Hand-in-hand he led her into the house, pausing only to put Rookie in her crate by the front door. The dog yapped in disgust, but Mark cared about nothing but getting Gabriela inside, naked and in his bed.

That was until they stepped into the hallway, and he remembered he’d been living like a total slob the last few days.

‘Shit,’ he said, appalled that he had to lead her past the kitchen to get to his bedroom. ‘I would have tidied up if I knew you were coming.’

Her laugh was so beautiful he wished he could record it to replay whenever he was down in the dumps. ‘You didn’t seem to be concerned about housekeeping last night,’ she said, as she eyed the dishes stacked up in the kitchen sink. ‘And I don’t care about housekeeping now.’

‘Thank fuck,’ he whispered, pausing to kiss her again before dragging her into his bedroom. God, she tasted good. Like dry wine and something sweet. He still couldn’t believe she was here in his town , never mind in his bedroom.

Once upon a time his teenage fantasy had been to have a girl in here, but he’d never imagined he’d ever have a woman as hot as Gabriela.

‘I haven’t done this for a while,’ she whispered. ‘I might be a little rusty.’

‘Sweetheart...’ He cupped Gabriela’s gorgeous face in his hands and gazed right into her stunning dark-brown eyes. ‘If it makes you feel better, I haven’t slept with anyone since Tahlia and I separated, so it’s been a while for me as well.’

She blinked. ‘Seriously? But... didn’t you break up like six months ago?’

‘Yeah... and?’

‘I just...’ Gabriela shook her head. ‘I just thought that someone as...’ Her voice drifted off.

‘As what?’

‘Someone as virile as you.’ She blushed and he couldn’t help smiling.

‘ Virile? I’ve been called a lot of things, but never virile. You’ll give me a big head.’

‘You know what I mean. I thought you’d have women lining up to be in your bed.’

‘I’ve had offers,’ he admitted, ‘but until I crashed into you in the IGA, I wasn’t interested in sleeping with anyone.’

Then, before she could say anything else to derail them, he crushed his mouth to hers. The time for talking was over.

‘You kiss like magic,’ she said, her hands raking up his back and under his shirt, driving him crazy when she came up for air a few minutes later.

‘So do you,’ he replied, taking a quick breath before claiming her lips once again. Their hungry mouths ravaged each other as he walked her back towards the bed until they both tumbled atop it in a mess of limbs.

He was running his hands over her bare shoulders, pushing the thin straps aside, determined to take his time, to explore and worship every single inch of her, making her scream before he took exactly what he wanted, when...

‘Ouch!’

He stilled at her exclamation—not exactly the one he’d been hoping for. ‘What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?’

‘No.’ She laughed and arched her back as she slipped her hand beneath her, brought out a bottle cap and raised her eyebrow at him. ‘Drinking in bed?’

He grabbed it off her and tossed it behind them. ‘So sorry, I promise I’m not usually this much of a slob. It’s been a tough few months and—’

‘Shh.’ She pressed a finger against his lips. ‘It’s fine.’

‘I promise my sheets are clean. Ish .’ He’d fallen asleep on the couch most nights of late, so they’d barely been slept in since the last wash.

‘I don’t care about your sheets, Mark,’ she said, bunching the bottom of his old t-shirt and tugging it upwards.

Those words were music to his ears. He grinned down at her beautiful face, ripped his shirt off his head, and then covered the length of her body with his. If they were only going to have one night, it was going to be the best damn night of her life.