Outback Reunion (Bunyip Bay #6)

Chapter Eighteen

‘Mum, is that Mark?’

Gabi looked up from her book as Luna shook her hair out like a dog, sprinkling sea water all over the pages. A hot flush zapped through her at the sight of Mark casually striding along the sand in their direction, Rookie tugging on her leash. He was barefoot, wearing navy board shorts and a white t-shirt with a logo she couldn’t quite make out from this distance.

Gabi’s mouth went dry at the sight.

‘That must be his dog,’ Luna exclaimed, rushing over to greet them before Gabi could even reply.

Mark smiled as if surprised to see Luna, but Gabi hadn’t come down in the last shower. Only yesterday she’d told him how much Luna loved their mornings on the beach and now, here he was. What a coincidence! Grabbing her water bottle and taking a much-needed sip, she watched as he introduced Rookie to Luna. Rookie rolled over onto her back and Luna dropped onto the sand to give her a tummy rub.

‘Oh, my goodness. Aren’t you adoggable?’ Luna peered up at Mark. ‘Can I take her for a walk up to the point?’

He looked over to Gabi only a few metres away. ‘If your mum says it’s okay. But don’t let her off the leash or we’ll never get her back.’

‘Mum?’ Luna asked.

‘As long as you don’t go out of sight and don’t go too close to the water. As soon as you can’t see me, turn back.’

Luna nodded and the moment Mark handed her the leash, girl and dog were off. When they were out of earshot, he turned and grinned in a way that sent her insides swirling. ‘Fancy meeting you here.’

She lifted her eyebrows, making it clear she knew his game.

He laughed—‘Sorry, couldn’t wait until tonight to see you’—and gestured to the sand beside her. ‘Mind if I take a seat?’

Biting down on a smile, she shrugged. ‘I don’t own the beach. You can sit wherever you like.’

He plopped down so close she felt the heat from his thighs on hers and shivered at the memory of her legs wrapped around his waist.

‘Hope you had a good night’s sleep,’ he said, interrupting her illicit thoughts.

‘I did.’ Truthfully, her mind and body had struggled to switch off because every time she closed her eyes, images of them having sex on the bonnet of her poor car yesterday flashed into her head. She’d never be able to look at the wagon again without thinking of him.

‘I’m glad.’ He moved his hand, so it was touching hers.

She jolted and yanked it back as if he’d burned her. ‘Luna might see us.’

‘Luna is so delighted with Rookie—lord knows why—that she wouldn’t notice if I kissed you, which is exactly what I want to do.’

‘Well don’t,’ she warned him, scooting over and putting some distance between them. ‘Someone else from the circus might see.’

‘I was just holding your hand, Gabriela. It’s not like I put your towel over your legs and fingered you in public.’

‘Mark!’ Heat shot to her core. He was turning her into a total hussy. How was she going to get through the rest of the day? ‘Behave.’

He sighed theatrically and sat back, planting his hands in the sand. ‘I’ll try, but it’s hard with you around. Especially when you’re blushing like that. It makes you even more gorgeous.’

She couldn’t help glowing at his words. It had been so long since anyone had made her feel this way. Had Dante ever actually made her feel it? Or had they got together simply because it made sense? Because they’d grown up together in the circus and his parents liked her?

‘What are you reading?’

She flashed him the cover of her latest romance. ‘I picked it up at the little street library just outside the post office.’

‘Is it any good?’

‘Yeah, I like it. It’s about a woman who lives on this tiny island and her husband has died but she hasn’t accepted it. She’s living her life as if he’s still alive and all the islanders are going along with it, until this journalist comes to write a story about their festival.’

‘Sounds interesting,’ he said, lying back on the sand, tucking his hands behind his head and closing his eyes as if settling in for the long haul. ‘I’ll be quiet so you can read it.’

But how was she supposed to focus on the words with his gorgeous body stretched out beside her? His nicely muscled thighs, his equally lovely, tanned calves thick with hair, and the tee, which looked a couple of sizes too small, accentuating his broad chest.

No matter how good the novel was, it could not captivate her the way he did.

‘I thought you were reading?’ he said, opening one eye and catching her staring.

‘I am,’ she replied, lifting the book up in front of her blushing face.

He chuckled and moved onto his side. She could sense him staring up at her. ‘What’s your star sign?’

Curious, she peered over the top of the pages at him. ‘I didn’t think you were the type to believe in all that stuff.’

‘I’m not, but my mum is, and she wants to know if you and I are compatible.’

Gabi dropped the book to the sand. ‘You told your mum about me?’

Mark grinned. ‘I didn’t have any choice. We were spotted at the pub on Saturday and somehow it got back to Eileen Brady—the town gossip, the one who sat next to me that first night at the circus. She thought it was her responsibility to tell my mother that I was cavorting with circus folk, so she called her, and Mum called me. Told you people would talk.’

‘Oh my God,’ she groaned, dropping her head into her hands. ‘And I thought circuses were bad. Nothing’s sacred on the lot; the caravan and trailer walls are so thin you can’t even sneeze without someone else hearing.’

He laughed.

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s fine. I’m man enough to handle the gossips. And Mum. So, star sign?’

‘Aquarius—my birthday’s next month—but I hope you told your mother that it doesn’t matter whether the stars think we’re compatible or not because—’

He winked. ‘We already know we are.’

Heat flared in her cheeks again and she shook her head. ‘You’re incorrigible.’

‘I’ll take that as a compliment,’ he said, gently linking his fingers through hers as if hoping she might not notice. This time she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. ‘How old will you be?’

‘Didn’t your mother teach you it’s not polite to ask a lady her age?’ She stared at their joined hands, wondering how such a simple act could feel so damn good.

‘Sorry. Forget I asked.’ His thumb drew a gentle circle on her skin.

Oh God! His work-hewn fingers felt like heaven on her skin. ‘I’m twenty-six, almost twenty-seven. How old are you?’

‘I’m twenty-nine. Thirty, end of September.’

‘Which makes you a Libran.’ And that meant their star signs were two of the most compatible. No wonder she couldn’t resist his charms.

He whistled. ‘Wow. You know your star signs. Mum would love you.’

‘Pity she’s never going to meet me,’ she retorted, reminding herself as much as him that this was nothing more than a summer fling.

‘Don’t worry.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘I told her we’re just friends.’

‘Mark!’ At Luna’s shout, Gabi snatched her hand out of his, hoping her daughter hadn’t seen. She and Rookie were hurrying towards them.

Unfazed, Mark gave a little wave. ‘What’s up?’

Luna perched her hands on her hips exactly the way Muriel always did and then glared at him. ‘I thought you said Rookie wasn’t trained.’

‘She’s not.’

Luna hmphed. ‘Then what do you call this?’ She pointed her finger at the dog. ‘Sit.’

Rookie immediately sat.

‘Just a fluke,’ Mark told her.

She held up her palm and lowered her fingers together. ‘Drop.’

Rookie dropped.

‘What the f—’ Mark stopped just before letting out the F-bomb and Gabi stifled a smirk.

Luna stooped a little and held out her hand to Rookie. ‘Shake paw.’

Mark’s jaw dropped as once again, the dog did exactly as she was told. ‘How the... how on earth did you get her to do any of that?’ He looked to Gabi. ‘Is she a witch? Are you both witches?’

She laughed.

‘Well, I didn’t have treats, so it wasn’t as easy as usual,’ Luna said, ‘but she’s a smart dog. She probably just doesn’t see you as her master.’

‘Ouch!’ He pressed his hand against his chest. ‘You got any advice on how to fix that?’

‘Plenty.’ Luna handed Mark the leash as she stretched out on her towel beside Gabi. ‘You might wanna take notes in your phone.’

Mark dug his mobile out of his pocket and listened earnestly as Luna told him everything he’d been doing wrong. Gabi tried to read again but kept getting distracted and smirking at the conversation going on beside her. She was so damn proud of her girl, who was not only a gifted dog whisperer but also spoke easily with people of all ages.

She was so much more confident than Gabi had ever been.

‘Excuse me?’ A shadow fell over them—a boy with a mop of near white hair, who looked to be a few years older than Luna and had a beach football tucked under his arm. ‘Are you Mark Morgan? From Essendon?’

‘Ah...’ He looked slightly shocked at being recognised. ‘Yeah. I guess so.’

The boy grinned. ‘I can’t believe it. I said you were but Mum and Dad thought you must just look like him. Essendon’s my team. We’re road-tripping around Australia, but when I grow up I wanna play for the Bombers just like you.’

‘Cool.’ Mark said a little standoffishly and Gabi wondered if maybe he wasn’t shocked, but uncomfortable.

Thankfully, the boy didn’t seem to notice Mark’s lack of enthusiasm. ‘D’you reckon you could kick my footy with me for a bit?’

‘Um... I’m a bit busy at the moment.’

The kid’s face fell.

‘It’s okay,’ Luna said, smiling at Mark. ‘I think I’ve taught you enough for now.’

‘You sure?’ He scratched his head. ‘I feel like there’s a lot left to learn.’

‘We can practise later.’ She grabbed his hand. ‘Let’s go kick the ball.’

‘You sure your parents are okay with this?’ Mark asked the boy.

He nodded and pointed up the beach. ‘Yeah, they’re just sitting over there. Under that blue umbrella.’

A couple who looked to be in their mid-thirties waved back.

Mark looked back to Gabi. ‘Will you be okay with Rookie for a while, Gabriela?’

She got the feeling he wanted her to say no, so that he could use the dog as his final excuse, but Luna would be mad and unfortunately for Mark, she was more scared of her daughter’s wrath than his. ‘Of course. Have fun.’

He sighed as he handed her the leash, then pushed to his feet and dusted the sand off his butt. Gabi looked away before he—or Luna—caught her looking, running her fingers through Rookie’s straggly fur to distract herself.

‘Let’s do this,’ Mark said to the kids.

As they walked down the beach, so they weren’t kicking amongst sunbakers and toddlers digging in the sand, Gabi heard Luna say, ‘What’s your name?’

‘Jai,’ the kid replied then kicked the ball to Mark.

Once again, Gabi attempted to return to her book, but it was futile. Watching Mark run back and forth along the sand, kicking the ball to the kids, and encouraging them even when their aim was way off, made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He wasn’t only good in bed—understatement of the century—he was also a genuinely nice person. How had his wife looked elsewhere when she had that to come home to every night, and in a place like this?

The woman had to have rocks in her head.

And to not want to have babies with him! That was even more perplexing. Gabi could just imagine a tiny baby with Mark’s sugar-brown hair and her own heart-shaped face. Maybe it would even have a dimple as well. Would they have a girl or a boy?

No! She stopped short before she started brainstorming baby names. She shouldn’t be thinking such thoughts. Mark might seem perfect, but no one—except in romance novels—was. Right now, her mind was warped because of the amazing sex they’d had, but if they were around each other all the time, his faults would surely start to show.

Just like they had with Dante.

But it was all a moot point even if Mark wanted a relationship and even if she were willing to risk one, because their lives were completely incompatible. She was trapped in the circus, and his life and livelihood were here in Bunyip Bay.

Forcing herself back to the book—reading about someone else’s romance was much safer than fantasising about her own—she managed to lose herself in the drama between the pages and was startled when Mark’s shadow loomed above her.

‘Oof. I’m well out of practice,’ he said, dropping onto the sand beside her. Sweat glistened on his broad chest, his t-shirt now tucked into the back of his shorts. He must have taken his shirt off when Gabi had been reading; now she struggled not to reach out and run her hand over his bare skin.

‘Want a drink?’ she asked, reaching into her beach bag for her water bottle.

She could do with a cold hit herself.

‘Thanks.’ He took it from her, and she noticed the way his dimple quivered as he drank. She was freaking obsessed with it. With every last inch of him.

‘Luna and Jai must be getting along well,’ she said, glancing over to where they were still kicking the ball between them. If she focused on Luna, she’d hopefully manage not to jump this man-god in public.

‘Yeah, she’s such a great kid.’ Mark handed the bottle back to her. ‘You sure she’s not mine, because she’s pretty damn good with a football.’

‘Arrogant much?’ she teased, taking a sip from the bottle. ‘You’re not the only person who can kick a footy, you know, and her biological father was very coordinated as well.’

He shrugged. ‘Can’t help my wishful thinking. Luna’s a cool kid.’

She hmphed.

‘What?’ Mark frowned.

‘She’s only fawning all over you because she thinks you’re Dante’s friend.’ She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice. ‘If she knew you were my friend instead, she wouldn’t want a bar of you. Luna doted on her dad; sometimes I think she’d rather I’d died instead.’

‘I’m sure that’s not true. She’s just young and struggling with her grief. She’ll come through it. You both will.’

Gabi sniffed, once again fighting tears. She’d barely cried at all in six months and yet these last few days, every time she was with Mark, she found herself letting down her defences. ‘Thanks. I’m sorry, I think I’m just emotionally exhausted. We both needed a holiday.’

‘Well, looks like she’s enjoying it,’ Mark said, nodding towards Luna. She and Jai had abandoned the football and he was now lying in the sand as she buried his body beneath it.

Gabi smiled at the sight, her heart warming once again at seeing Luna having fun with someone around her own age. ‘Yeah, I think she is,’ she said, taking advantage of her daughter being distracted to hold Mark’s hand again. It felt so illicit, yet at the same time this simple touch wasn’t nearly enough.

He looked down at their joined hands, then looked back up at her with a questioning smile. ‘I hope you are too.’

She nodded and smiled back. The problem was she was having too much fun.