Outback Reunion (Bunyip Bay #6)

Chapter Fourteen

Mark was gazing down at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. He even kept his eyes open when they kissed. Sometimes in the eight years since they’d met, when she and Dante had sex, she’d closed her eyes and imagined it was this man touching her, getting his fill inside of her, but she’d never thought her fantasies would come true.

‘Am I hurting you?’ he asked, stroking her hair.

‘No. Not at all.’ The feel of his bare chest and hard, heavy body on top of hers was better than the adrenaline she got flying high above the ring, seeing all those awe-filled faces looking up at her.

His hand moved lower, down her neck, his thumb caressing her skin, driving her wild. ‘You’re the most perfect little package I’ve ever seen. I feel like I might break you.’

‘You didn’t last time,’ she said, grabbing his hand and moving it to her breast. ‘And I promise you won’t this time either. Touch me, Mark. I need you.’

He groaned and squeezed her nipple, then put his mouth there instead. His tongue twirled around her bud, teasing sensations through her body. She wriggled beneath him. ‘Take off my dress.’

‘Yes, ma’am .’ He rolled off her, only long enough so they could awkwardly tug the dress over her head. Then she was lying there in nothing but her knickers, wishing they were sexier, not just the plain seamless G-string she wore beneath her costume.

The heat in Mark’s eyes told her he didn’t mind at all.

‘I love that you’re not wearing a bra,’ he said, cupping both her breasts before burying his head between them. ‘You’re so fucking beautiful. So fucking perfect.’

Then he moved his head to her breast and this time when his tongue twirled around her nipple, she moaned with the pleasure that darted right to her core. As he continued taunting and pleasuring her breasts, she dug her fingers into his hair, unable to believe the sensations building within her already. He took his time, giving each breast, each nipple such dedicated attention that by the time he started moving down her body, she shook her head and reached for his shorts.

‘I need to touch you.’

He put his hand on hers, stilling her. ‘Not yet, sweetheart. If we’ve only got one night, I don’t want to rush. I don’t want to leave one inch of your body untouched by my tongue, and once you release the beast, I won’t be able to resist being inside of you.’

God! Just his words had the power to drive her to the edge. Dante had never spoken to her like that. They’d barely ever uttered a word during sex, and he’d certainly never looked at her the way Mark did, like he couldn’t believe she was letting him touch her.

He’d treated her more like a possession he had the right to do whatever he wanted with.

Once Mark had thoroughly ravished her breasts, he moved lower, sliding his lovely hands down her naked sides as his tongue drew circles around her belly button. When he dipped it inside, she almost bucked off the bed.

Since when were belly buttons erogenous?

‘You okay?’ he asked.

‘I’ve never been more okay in my life.’

He tickled his tongue over her hip bone as he hooked his fingers into her knickers and rolled them down her legs. Her body thrummed in anticipation of having him inside her, but instead of giving her what she was desperate for, he moved his mouth to her feet, sucking her toes one by one as he ran his hands up and down her calves.

‘I think I need to pinch myself,’ he said, looking up to meet her gaze. ‘Is this real? Are you really in my bed?’

She tried to laugh but it came out more like a pant. ‘I’m not sure. I think I might be dreaming.’

His chuckle sounded like gravel as he worked his way back up her legs, driving each and every one of her nerve endings crazy. She was lying completely naked on his bed, and he still had his shorts on. She was just about to object to this, say it was time to even the playing field when he pushed her thighs apart and slipped a finger inside of her.

‘Fuck!’

She wasn’t entirely sure which one of them swore as she gripped at the sheets to ground herself.

He’d been good in bed all those years ago, but this was on a different level. Only a few strokes of his fingers and she was writhing beneath his touch. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it any longer, he smiled at her wickedly and then lowered his mouth to join his hand.

‘You don’t have to do that,’ she said, scrambling to a sitting position.

He frowned as he looked at her. ‘What’s wrong? You don’t like it?’

‘It’s not that.’ She remembered liking it very much the last time, but Dante had made it clear it wasn’t something men enjoyed. ‘I just don’t want you to feel obliged.’

‘Obliged?’ Mark laughed and grabbed hold of her hips to pull her back to him. ‘I want nothing more than to taste you on my lips.’

Then he buried his head between her legs.

‘Oh God!’ That time it was definitely her. And she couldn’t stop at just one scream.

As he licked and sucked and brought her to a mind-blowing orgasm, she couldn’t shut up. Words she didn’t even know she knew exploded from her mouth as she convulsed beneath him.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she cried, used to needing to be quiet during sex so that everyone in the circus didn’t hear them. Not that Dante had ever made her scream like this.

‘Be as loud as you want, beautiful lady. It’s just you and me here and I love the sounds you make when you come.’

And come she did. Over and over again.

Then it was his turn, and he cried out in pleasure when he was finally inside her.

They’d both been so freaking ready they’d almost forgotten the condom. Feeling like she’d been taking and not giving anything until that moment, she urged him to roll over, so that she was on top of him. And then she sank right down onto him, letting him fill her completely, before riding him like he was the bull and she the cowgirl.

The ride didn’t last long. He tried to hold on, but mere moments after she started moving, he switched his hands from her breasts to her butt, driving himself into her before gasping her name as he climaxed. She felt his release and it sent her right over the edge again too.

Nothing had ever felt so good.

She collapsed against his chest, their bodies rising and falling rapidly as they tried to catch their breaths.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said after a few moments.

Gabi stilled and lifted her head to look at him. ‘What are you apologising for?’ Her stomach clenched. Maybe he hadn’t enjoyed it as much as she had. How many times had Dante told her she was frigid and needed to let go more in bed?

‘I couldn’t hold on. You deserved more, but I couldn’t help myself.’

‘Oh my God.’ Tears of relief burst from her eyes as she cupped his beautiful face in her hands and kissed him, hard. ‘Are you kidding? That was the best sex of my life.’

He looked shocked. ‘Really? What about Dante?’

She gave him a look. ‘Mark, you’re still inside of me. I don’t want to talk about my dead husband.’

He nodded. ‘I better go deal with the condom. But can you stay the night?’

‘Yes.’ With Luna gone, she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Just one night in his bed would have to last a lifetime.

‘Awesome.’ If his grin was any wider, he would need a bigger face.

As Mark retreated to the bathroom, Gabi climbed under his covers, lay back against his pillows, and smiled a smile that probably rivalled his as she stared up at the ceiling. Her exhaustion seemed to have vanished and now her body and mind were buzzing.

She felt like she’d just taken some kind of stimulant. And, like an addict, she wanted more!

‘You thirsty?’ Mark asked when he returned with a bottle of prosecco and two champagne flutes.

Her mouth watered—not at the prospect of the drink but the sight of him standing before her, buck naked and totally glorious. She couldn’t wait to touch him again. ‘Yes, although you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who has bubbles on hand.’

Mark chuckled as he climbed back into bed beside her and handed her the glasses. ‘It’s Mum’s. She always keeps a bottle chilling in the fridge ready for when we need to celebrate something.’

‘Won’t she notice it’s gone?’

He expertly popped the cork, which darted off into the corner of the room. ‘I’ll replace it before they get back. Now, can we forget that I still live with my parents, please? I promise I’m kicking them out soon.’

Gabi giggled. ‘You forget I live in a caravan next door to my in-laws. No judgement here.’

Mark snorted. ‘Touché. Now hold up those glasses so I can fill them.’

‘Bossy, much?’ she teased as she did so.

‘Don’t pretend you don’t like it,’ he replied, liquid frothing over the side and spilling onto her naked chest.

Gabi squealed but before she could wipe it off, Mark dipped his head and licked it right off her. She quivered—it was the most erotic thing anyone had ever done to her—and gulped down a large mouthful to stop herself from ditching the drink altogether and yanking him on top of her again.

‘So, what are we celebrating?’ she asked.

‘You coming to Bunyip Bay. Us running into each other in the supermarket. You being in my bed.’

Unable to restrain her smile, she lifted her glass to clink against his. ‘I’ll toast to that.’

She was in heaven. Drinking prosecco, talking and snuggling in bed with the hottest guy she’d ever known. Not that the conversation lasted long.

A few sips of her drink and she couldn’t resist sneaking her hand under the covers. Her bones vibrated when she found him already hard again. She couldn’t believe how he made her feel. Prior to meeting Mark again, she’d have sworn she didn’t care if she never had sex again.

‘You sure you’re ready for that?’ He sounded choked. ‘You can just relax you know. We’ve got all night.’

In reply, she put down her glass and lifted the sheets, wriggling down beneath them.

He let out a guttural groan as she stroked her fingers over his thick length and then took him into her mouth. Truth be told, she wasn’t a massive fan of giving blow jobs, but as she twirled her tongue around the tip, teased him and then sucked him in and out, she found herself getting aroused.

The sounds coming from his mouth and the feel of him shuddering against her lips made her feel happier than she had in a long time. And powerful. The fact that she could do this to him felt like more of an achievement than riding a bike on the highwire and all the other crazy, dangerous things she did every day. Mark’s hands sank into her hair as she took him further and further, then just when she could tell he was about to erupt, he tugged her head back.

Worried she’d done something wrong, she looked up into his eyes but the smile he gave her alleviated all such fears.

‘Let me finish inside of you,’ he whispered.

Smiling, she flopped onto the mattress again as Mark rolled her over and positioned himself above her, his hands planted on either side of her head and his arm muscles bunching deliciously. ‘You ready?’

She nodded; she was born ready for him.

Pure bliss flooded her body as Mark pushed inside of her.

‘Fuck! Condom,’ he muttered.

She didn’t care. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and plant him to her, but somehow, she came to her senses. ‘Do you have another?’

‘Yeah.’ He found it quickly and then sank back down exactly where she wanted him.

Yes.

As her body stretched to accommodate him, she bit her lip to stop from shrieking again. If anything, it felt better than last time.

So much for getting him out of her system!

But this time he took it slow, pushing himself in and out and then thrusting in again, each time deeper than the last. Each time, taking her closer and closer to another orgasm, which felt like a freaking miracle. She almost never climaxed during actual intercourse and now she was about to do it twice in one night.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take the pleasurable torture a moment longer, Mark touched her with his hand as well.

‘My sweet Gabriela,’ he breathed as they came together.

Yep—this was going down as the best night of her life, and if the grin on his face was anything to go by, he felt exactly the same.

Gabi knew that some people never experienced this kind of other-worldly connection with another person, so instead of focusing on the fact that their time together was but a moment, she decided to celebrate the fact that she had.

‘Thank you,’ Mark whispered into her hair as he held her close. ‘That was amazing.’

‘Thank you ,’ she echoed. ‘Although I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk tomorrow, never mind perform.’

He smirked smugly. ‘You want something to eat? Sex always makes me hungry.’

Gabi laughed. ‘Are you going to cook for me?’ She hadn’t thought it was possible for this night to get better.

‘Sure. If you want me to. Do you like chocolate cake?’

‘Who doesn’t like chocolate cake?’

‘Only psychopaths,’ he said with that toe-curling grin.

‘But doesn’t it take a while to make?’

‘Not the way I do it,’ he replied.

At that moment, that weird looking dog of his started whining from her crate on the verandah.

He chuckled. ‘Looks like our peace is over. I’ll let her out for a bit while we eat and then hopefully, she’ll go peacefully into her crate again for the night.’

Five minutes later, after they were both freshened up—Gabi had pulled her dress back over her head, but not bothered with her underwear, and Mark had put on his shorts—they let the dog inside and headed into the kitchen, the cute little mutt jumping in and out of their legs like a lunatic.

‘I’d like to say she’ll calm down in a moment,’ Mark said, ‘but I’m not a liar.’

She smiled as she bent down to pat her. ‘Hello, little one. What’s your name?’

‘Rookie,’ he said, grabbing two mugs out of a cupboard and placing them on the bench. ‘Rookie means a new player to the team in footy and I thought it would suit her as I was hoping she’d work with me on the farm, joining in with Dad’s dogs. More fool me. The sheep just laugh at her when I try to train her and she’s not into being told what to do at all.’

‘She does seem a weird choice for a sheepdog,’ Gabi admitted as Rookie finally stopped jumping and rolled over for a tummy rub.

Mark started collecting ingredients from the pantry. ‘She’s only about eighteen months old so I thought maybe she wasn’t too old to train but... sometimes I think I should have left her on the side of the road.’

‘You found her on the side of the road?’

He nodded as he took the milk out of the fridge. ‘Just out of town on the Brand Highway on my way to physio. She was darting back and forth across the road. It’s a miracle she hadn’t been hit. I meant to hand her over to the authorities to try and find the owner, but by the time we got to Geraldton, we’d kinda bonded.’

Gabi laughed as Rookie nipped playfully at her feet.

‘So instead, I took her to the vet to check for a microchip and when there wasn’t one, I bought her a collar and gave her a name. I’ve been regretting it ever since.’

‘Shh... she might hear you. Daddy doesn’t mean it, sweetheart.’ Mark clearly had a kind heart, and this story only made her like him more.

He glared at her. ‘Daddy? No. Just no. And I do mean it. That mongrel is a pain in my arse.’

‘What are you doing?’ she asked, gesturing to where he was spooning flour, sugar and cocoa into each of the mugs.

‘I’m making mug cakes.’ He added milk and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t had one before?’

She shook her head. ‘There’s not really much room for baking in the caravan.’

‘But you have a microwave, right?’

‘Yes.’

He grinned and shoved one of the mugs towards her. ‘Then you can make cake. Mix that good and proper.’

When Gabi had finished, Mark took the mug and put it in the microwave for one and a half minutes. After only thirty seconds the most scrumptiously sweet aroma started wafting around the large country kitchen.

When the microwave pinged, he took out the mug and handed it to her. She looked down at the cake rising from the top. ‘Oh, my goodness. This is like magic.’

He grinned as he put his mug into the microwave, then turned to the freezer and retrieved a tub of vanilla ice cream. He spooned a scoop on top of her cake. ‘Just one of many tricks I have up my sleeve. Now, do you want marshmallows or sprinkles?’

Good lord, he really was the perfect guy. Years of depriving herself of treats meant that her instinct was to turn him down, but this night was about treating herself, so... ‘Would it be greedy if I said both?’

‘Nope. You’d be a girl after my own heart. I had to curb my sweet tooth when I was doing heavy training, so I’m making up for all those years now.’

‘Your parents must be very proud of what you achieved,’ she said. All around the house there was evidence of Mark’s career as a footballer—photos on the fridge, framed newspaper articles, and she’d noticed a cabinet full of trophies when he’d led her through earlier.

He shrugged off her question and led her outside with their mugs and the dregs of the prosecco. There they sat on a porch swing, exactly like the one she’d dreamed of a few hours ago at Adam and Stella’s place. Mark tossed Rookie a treat bone, which gave them a few moments’ peace to eat. It was very dark now but there was a full moon high in the sky, spilling light over the lush native garden and beyond. Stars twinkled so brightly out here, and the air smelled fresh, despite the warmth of the evening. Gabi couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to live in such paradise.

If it weren’t for Luna, she might never leave.

‘Penny for them?’

She blinked as Mark’s words broke their comfortable silence, then smiled. ‘I’m just feeling a bit jealous.’

‘Of what?’

‘Of this place. Of the farm. Of somewhere you can put down roots. Of all the mementos and trophies your parents display proudly on the walls. There’s no space in the caravan for us to store anything sentimental, never mind the books I’d love to keep. And then look at all this...’ She gestured ahead of them to the endless land and dark sky. ‘It’s so peaceful. No wonder you always wanted to come back here.’

He made a non-committal sound.

‘You aren’t happy to be home?’

Mark sighed. ‘I thought I would be. The last few years I’d been thinking about what I’d do when this place became mine. I’d been reading up on techniques for making the farm more sustainable—experimenting with some different crops and trying to steer Dad away from some of the traditional pesticides he uses, which are bad for the soil, not to mention unhealthy for us. But I thought I still had a few years before I’d be back here. And, well, being back doesn’t feel like what I imagined. I was supposed to be here with my wife and kids.’

‘You wanted kids?’

‘Yeah. At least a dozen. So we could have our own makeshift footy games out here.’

She laughed, unsure whether he was joking, but if the way he’d taken in Rookie was anything to go by, he’d make an awesome dad.

‘Tahlia and I were trying to have a baby the last year we were together. At least I thought we were.’ He shoved the last mouthful of chocolate cake between his lips and put the empty mug on the ground.

‘What do you mean?’

‘She was still on the pill. Turns out she didn’t want to get pregnant after all.’

Gabi gasped. ‘That’s awful.’

‘That wasn’t the only thing she’d been lying about. All our relationship, I was honest about wanting to come back here when I retired from AFL. At the time she went along with it but turns out she was hoping I’d change my mind, or rather she could change it. She too thought she had a few more years to redirect me, but... when she realised that wasn’t going to happen... she found someone else.’

‘I’m sorry, but she sounds awful.’

Mark sighed again. ‘She wasn’t that bad. We just had different hopes and dreams for the future and didn’t know each other well enough to realise it. But anyway, I wasn’t feeling the best when I came home, and a farm can be a lonely place.’

She took his hand in hers. ‘You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely.’

‘I know. Everyone’s been going out of their way to try and make me feel welcome again, but it just made me feel like a charity case.’ He searched her eyes. ‘Do you feel lonely now your husband has passed?’

‘In a way I was lonely even before then,’ she admitted. ‘It’s hard to make deep connections when most people you meet are so transient. I’ve never really had any good girl friends. Sometimes I dream of staying put so I can make some.’

He frowned as he took her mug from her and put it on the ground alongside his. ‘Why don’t you?’

Gabi laughed because he made it sound like it was as simple as all that. ‘For one, what would I do? I’m not trained in anything useful. Two, I haven’t got the money—all I own is my caravan, a crazy parrot and my costumes.’

‘Don’t you get paid?’

She nodded. ‘Yeah, but it’s not a lot. Most of the earnings go back into the circus.’

‘That’s hardly fair. What if you do want out one day? I hope they pay super!’

He sounded worked up on her behalf. ‘I’ll be okay,’ she reassured him. ‘The circus will be mine one day, Lorenzo and Eve have promised that, now that Dante isn’t here to take it over.’

‘And do you want it?’

Gabi swallowed. She didn’t really have a choice because it was Luna’s legacy. She couldn’t take that away from her. ‘Can we not talk about the circus anymore? I just want to enjoy this night with you.’

‘Of course.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘We can talk about whatever you want... or we can do something else.’

It was clear from his tone and the twinkle in his eyes what he was suggesting. ‘That sounds very tempting but...’ She patted her deliciously full stomach. ‘I think I need to let the chocolate cake settle first.’

‘Sensible,’ he agreed. ‘Mum always says you shouldn’t swim straight after eating, so I’m guessing the same goes for sex.’

She laughed, her insides tingling just at the word. ‘So, aside from footy and farming, what else do you do with yourself?’

‘There’s never been much time for hobbies—both footy and farming can be all-consuming—but I’m thinking about joining the volunteer ambos or firies soon. I don’t really do anything to relax aside from watch TV, but I built a chicken coop this week and that was fun. Perhaps I should join the Men’s Shed.’

‘What’s that?’

He chuckled. ‘Bunch of middle-aged and old blokes who do woodwork and welding and stuff like that together and apparently talk out their feelings. What about you? What do you do in your spare time?’

‘Well, like you, there isn’t a lot—we’re either performing somewhere or we’re on the road and lots of hobbies require storage space and stuff, so I read quite a bit.’

‘What kind of books?’ he asked, stretching his arm behind them and drawing her closer to him.

‘Mostly romance,’ she admitted, inhaling as she snuggled in.

He nudged her knee with his. ‘Hey, nothing wrong with that.’

‘I didn’t say there was,’ she retorted. Her books were like a lifeline for her—the characters became her friends and their relationships gave her what she’d never received from her own.

‘These romance novels you read... are they saucy?’

‘Some of them.’ She laughed. ‘Do you read?’

‘Yeah... But mostly sport bios or farming mags; I’m sure your novels are much more educational.’

Out of the corner of her eye, Gabi saw something move in the garden. She snapped her head in the direction. ‘Oh my goodness, is that a kangaroo?’

‘Yep. That’s Roo, one of Mum’s rescues. She’s friendly. You can go pat her.’

‘Seriously?’

He stood and reached for her hand. ‘Come on... I’ll introduce you.’

Roo didn’t look up from where she was munching on a plant as they approached, but when Gabi tentatively reached out to stroke the animal, she lifted her head and nuzzled into her hand. Luna would love her. ‘She’s so tame. I can’t believe I can pat her.’

‘Mum treats them all better than human babies.’

Eventually Roo decided enough was enough and bounded off to the other side of the garden. ‘She’s so gorgeous.’

He pulled her against him—‘ You’re so gorgeous’—and then he dipped his head and kissed her again.

Standing in the garden, beneath the moon and the stars, away from the hustle and bustle of her normal life, she felt like the main character from one of her novels. Her breasts grew heavy at the feel of his chest pressing into them and goosebumps broke out on the back of her neck where his hand caressed the skin. They kissed like a couple of teenagers, and she’d never felt so turned on from simply kissing. After what felt like an eternity, Mark slipped her dress straps back down her shoulders and before she knew it, his mouth was once again on her breasts.

So much for waiting until her dessert settled.

She moaned as his lips teased her, her hand moving to his groin. She couldn’t remember ever being this desperate and needy in her life.

‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered, between dropping kisses all over her skin, ‘but I think that was my last condom, so we might have to be creative.’

Gabi was about to say it didn’t matter. She and Dante had tried to have another baby for years, but it never happened. If it weren’t for their lifestyle, maybe they’d have tried IVF, but they were never in one place long enough to make that viable. Eventually, she’d decided that if she wasn’t going to get pregnant, she might as well take the pill that stopped her having periods altogether, because getting your period when you had a job like hers was a real inconvenience.

But before she could put these thoughts into words, a distant ringing sounded from inside her car. Immediately, her whole body stilled. ‘That’s my phone.’

‘I thought you didn’t have one,’ Mark said, his tone light.

‘Did I say that?’ she asked innocently.

He laughed—‘Leave it’—then dropped to his knees on the grass, his hands pushing her dress up her legs again. ‘What could be more important than this?’

She looked down at his head—her pelvic floor already anticipating what he was about to do—and then back towards the car parked not too far away.

Oh, how she wanted to ignore it.

But she was a mother and not answering her phone when her daughter wasn’t with her simply wasn’t an option. It was the kind of thing her own mother would have done. And from the moment she’d found out she was pregnant, Gabi had vowed to be different.

‘I can’t,’ she said, then turned and ran across to her car. In her haste to get out and into Mark’s arms earlier, she hadn’t even bothered to shut the driver’s side door. She fished her phone out of her bag on the front seat and when she saw that the missed call was from Stella Burton, her heart shot to her throat.

Oh God. Please let nothing have happened to Luna.

She’d never forgive herself.

She pressed return call and couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice when Stella answered. ‘Is something wrong with Luna?’

‘No, she’s fine,’ Stella reassured her. ‘Well, physically she’s fine but she’s missing you and her dogs and says she wants to go home after all. Adam’s happy to bring her into town but I just thought I should let you know before—’

‘I’m not in town,’ Gabi interrupted, her heart rate slowing again. Luna was fine. She missed her even! ‘I can come get her. I’m only a few minutes away, so I won’t be long.’ She was already wondering where she’d left her damn keys.

‘Oh?’ Stella sounded surprised but didn’t pry further. ‘Okay then. We’ll see you soon. Drive safe.’

‘What’s going on?’ Mark asked from behind her as Rookie jumped up into the car.

She swallowed. ‘That was Stella Burton. My daughter was staying with Heidi tonight, but she’s—’

‘Your daughter ?’ He looked both shocked and hurt.

But Gabi couldn’t worry about Mark’s feelings right now. She should never have said yes to a sleepover—of course Luna wouldn’t truly be comfortable with such a thing, even if she thought she wanted it. ‘Look, I’m sorry but I don’t have time to explain. I need to find my car keys because I have to go get her.’

Without waiting for him to say another word, she rushed back into his house to look.