Cowboy Redemption (Down Under Cowboy Book 6) (8 page)

Great.  Way to ruin the moment, ladies.

With a slightly embarrassed smile, I pull back from Kye to find he also has a grin on his face.

“Sprung,” his whispers.

“Bloody Dory,” I mutter.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Dory says, coming closer.

“No you’re not,” I say under my breath, causing Kye to chuckle.

“You must be Kye,” Dory continues.  “I’m Doreen.  Folks around her call me Dory.”

“Nice to meet you, Dory,” Kye says, turning to hold a hand out to her.  She shakes it and gives me an approving wink.

“Oh boy! You’re nice and strong.  He’s very strong isn’t he, Kennedy?” she exclaims.

“Uh-huh,” I agree, smiling.

“Okay, well I’ll leave you two alone.  I just wanted to introduce myself.”  She scurries away with a laughing Jules hot on her heels.  I can do nothing but shake my head and pray Kye likes my friends just as much as I do. 
Or at least enough to tolerate them.

It is Monday afternoon and I am still feeling the effects of Saturday night. 
The older you get, the longer the hangover lasts.

After completing the swimming classes this morning, I was dreading having to do the cooking class.  The smell of food today isn’t really appetising.  Thankfully, Maria organized an activity and allowed me to go back to my hut and have a sleep.  Of course, I declined the offer.  She was insistent though, and I ended up following her orders and crashing for the remainder of the afternoon.  I feel slightly better than I did before, which is a plus.  I think I will feel even better if I have something to eat, so with a pounding head, I drag myself into the kitchen and pop two painkillers before climbing into the shower. 

By the time I get dressed and make myself appear half alive and normal, it is approaching dinnertime.

“You look a lot better than you did earlier,” Maria comments as I sit down beside her.

“Thanks.  Sorry about that.”

“No need. I was young once too.  What was the occasion?”

“It was Skip’s birthday at the pub on Saturday night.”

“Ahh,” she says, nodding knowingly.

“Yeah,” I grimace.  “It was a humid evening and those vodka and limes just went down far too easily.”

“Did you stay at the pub?”

“No, I’m pretty sure my sister and her husband drove me home.  I haven’t spoken to her yet, since I spent all of yesterday hugging the toilet.”

“Ugh, I don’t envy those days,” Maria says with a laugh.

We eat our meal of pizza, pasta and garlic bread and when we are done, Maria turns to me.  Her face is suddenly very serious, so I give her all of my attention.

“Kennedy, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Okay?”

“Now, you can tell me to mind my own business if you wish, but I overheard some of the younger residents talking about you and Kye.  I was just wondering if anything is going on between you two?”

“Oh.”  Her question takes me by surprise a little, however, I decide to be honest.  “Yes, we are seeing each other.  I wasn’t aware the residents knew about it, so I apologise for that.”

“Nothing to apologise for.  It’s not against the rules.  To be honest, I’m very happy for you both.  Kye’s a great man, and you’re a wonderful woman. I wish you both all the best.”

“It’s still early days, but thank you.”

“Speak of the devil.”  She looks over my shoulder and then back to me.  “I’ll leave you to it.”  She stands to leave just as Kye approaches us.

“How you feeling?” he asks.

“Not too bad now that I’ve eaten.”

“Good.  I heard you had a pretty long night,” he says with a smirk.  Kye left the party early because he had to work on Sunday, finishing up the job he started on Saturday.

“Yeah, you could say that,” I murmur.

“You feeling up to a ride?”

“A ride on what?”

He waggles his brows at me and gives me a cheeky grin.

Slapping his shoulder, I hiss, “Stop it!”

“Nah, just joking.  I was talking about my motorbike.  Though, we could do
that
if you want.” He laughs.

“You have a motorbike?”

“Come on.”  He takes my hand and leads me outside where a shiny blue, silver and black bike is parked.  He hands me a helmet and helps me put it on properly.  Then he straddles the bike and I climb on behind him.

“Ready?” he asks over his shoulder.

“Yep,” I shout, holding him tighter.  He pulls away slowly before speeding up once we get out onto the open road.  The feeling of the wind in my hair and the breeze rushing past my face is incredibly exhilarating and I find myself screaming and laughing with delight.  My hair whips around behind me from underneath the helmet, occasionally blowing into my face, but I’m too frightened to let go of Kye to brush it away.

“You okay?” he shouts.

“Faster!” I reply.

“You got it,” he says through a chuckle before gunning the bike so we’re hammering down the highway.

“How was that?” he asks when we come to a stop outside Bullswater Takeway.

“So much fun!” I gush.

“Glad you liked it.  Feel like some icecream?”

“No.” I wrinkle my nose.  “But the brownies here are the
bomb
and I’d never say no to those.”

“Brownies it is, then.”

We order our dessert to take away so we can sit outside in the car park beside the rainforest at the back of the café.  It really is a beautiful little shop that often surprises those who bother to stop in.  From the outside it looks like a rundown, dilapidated shack.  Inside, however, is the complete opposite.  It is breathtaking, and the best part is the entire back wall of windows that overlook the rainforest.  Simply stunning.

“How did you know about this place?” I ask, before taking a spoonful of the chocolate goodness in front of me.

“Came across it by accident actually.  I come here often now, though.”

“I never asked – where do you live?”  Obviously when he was a part of the program at the retreat, he stayed in the resident huts.  Now that he is no longer a resident, I never thought to ask where he moved to.

“At a campground near the river.”

“You’re camping?”

He nods once.

“Seriously?” I’m shocked.  Totally stunned.

“Seriously.  That a problem?”

“No! Not at all.  I’m just…aren’t you worried about crocs? If you’re close to the river…” I trail off.

“Nah, I’m good.  It’ll do until I find something to rent.”

“I might know of something,” I say, remembering the cottage Jules stayed in on Jackson and Edie’s property when she first moved to Pine Creek from Sydney.

“Yeah?”

“Let me check it out first.  I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks, darlin’.”

My heart flutters, just like it does every time he calls me that.

He puts his arm around my shoulder and I snuggle into his side as we sit in silence, just enjoying our moment together.  It is absolute heaven.

~*~

“Louisa, you’re doing a really good job there. Just make sure you continue whisking or the sauce will stick to the bottom of the pan.”

“Okay, Kennedy,” she replies, studiously stirring the contents in the pot.

I continue walking around the room, observing the residents who are participating in my cooking class.  On tonight’s menu is braised bullock ribs with vegetables.

“Looking good there, Clint,” I say.

“Thanks,” he replies distractedly, too intent on making sure his sauce doesn’t burn.  It brings a smile to my face to see these kids enjoying something so much and concentrating so hard to do their best.  Most of the times I’ve found they find themselves in trouble when they lack activities to keep their mind occupied.  When they are here, they are almost always keen to put their minds to the set task and do their best.  Every time a resident leaves, I always say a silent prayer that they will continue to find positive ways to keep their mind active when they return to their community.

“Kennedy, can you come and check this?” Louisa asks.

I make my way over to see how she is doing and find the sauce at the perfect consistency.

“Good job, Louisa!  You can take it off the heat now and wait until everyone else is done before we move onto the next stage.”

The afternoon passes quickly, and after we have cleaned up the kitchen area and I have done the last of the packing away, I walk back to my hut to do my evening paperwork.

Two hours later, I stretch, yawning and my stomach rumbles.  Unable to be bothered to make myself something decent, and knowing dinner in the hall will be finished, I grab a box of crackers and a container of dip, plus a glass of wine, and curl up on my sofa.  Flicking through the channels, I settle on a medical documentary about how to perform an emergency appendectomy.  After all, you never know when you will need a skill like that!

“Shit.
” My wine glass shatters on the floor as wine spills into my lap and crackers and dip go flying through the air.  Meanwhile, the culprit that caused this catastrophe is still ringing merrily from the charger beside me.

Seeing Kye’s name light up my screen brings a smile to my face despite the mess I have just created.

“Hey, can you just hold on one second?”

“Yeah.  Everything all right?”

“Yep.  Won’t be a minute.”  I set the phone down and tug off my jeans.  After tossing them in the hamper, I pull on a pair of sleep shorts. 

Thank god the floor isn’t carpeted. 
I sweep up the broken glass and toss it in the bin before mopping up the wine on the floor with a towel. 

“Sorry about that,” I say into the phone, puffing slightly.

“What happened?”

“Just a spillage and a broken glass.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Okay.”  I hear the sound of his breathing come through the phone and it mesmerizes me for a second. 

“Sorry I didn’t come by tonight.  I got held up at work and I have to start again early in the morning.”

“That’s okay.  What are you doing?”

“Just a few maintenance jobs on Skip’s house.  Bit of painting and a few minor repairs.”

“That’s good.  Hopefully it might lead into some more jobs,” I say.

“Fingers crossed.  How was your day?”

“Busy.  Swimming lessons were different without you there.  I’ve gotten used to seeing your ugly mug every day at the waterhole,” I joke.

“Ugly mug, eh?” he chuckles.  “Did you have someone help you out?”

“Yeah, Mitch was there.”

“Was he now?” His tone turns slightly harsh.

“Yeah.” My brows furrow.  “So anyway, my afternoon was spent doing the cooking classes, which went really well,” I say, steering the conversation in a different direction.

“Good to hear.”

I stifle a yawn and lie back on the couch.

“You tired?”

I nod, even though he can’t see me.  “A little,” I admit.

“Damn! I was hoping for phone sex,” he says and I’m pretty sure I detect a hint of humour in his tone.

“Ha ha. No chance, buddy,” I’m quick to say, knowing how easily I want to give in.

“I’ll try and stop by tomorrow afternoon.  Night Kennedy.”

“Sweet dreams, Kye,” I say softly.  Clicking off the phone, I toss it down beside me and drag myself to bed.

Kye

Sweet dreams, Kye
.  Her words to me reply over and over in my mind as I lay down on my swag looking up at the clear night sky. 
Sweet dreams, Kye.
  Damn, the husky tone of her voice gets me going.  It is even more pronounced when she is tired, like she was tonight.  My cock stirs in my jeans reminding me of the hard on I have had since I picked up the phone to call her.  Actually, it has been hard since the first time I
saw
her.

All that shiny blonde hair and those bright blue eyes.  Curves in all the right places and an arse that just screams to be squeezed.  I had no chance.

Tugging my dick free, I run my hand up the shaft a few times.  Moisture leaks from the tip, so using my thumb, I spread it over my cock head and fist myself a little firmer.  My head falls back and my eyes close as my hand jerks harder, faster, and my mind wanders to the source of my every fantasy.  Kennedy. 

Standing in front of me at the waterhole, she seductively bites her lip before slowly dragging her hands up her body until she reaches the tie of her little string bikini.  She gives it a tug and the straps fall down, exposing her perk tits.  The sight of her perfectly round, tight pink nipples makes my mouth water.  I lick my lips.  Her hands go low, sweeping over the smooth skin of her waist until she reaches the ties holding her bikini bottoms on.  With one little tug, the flimsy piece of fabric separates.

“Fuck,” I groan, taking in the bare skin of her pussy for the first time.

My cock jerks in my hand and my grip gets faster, harder.  My muscles tense in preparation.

“Turn around,” I order her, wanting to see her voluptuous arse without the restrictions of clothes.  She does a little spin and then bends forward a little, giving me the perfect view of her pale pink and glistening pussy lips.  I bet she tastes like heaven.  My cock itches to slam inside of her and feel the way she hugs me tight, squeezing me with every inch of that pretty pussy of hers.

On that thought, my cock explodes, spurting come into my hand as pulse after pulse of my orgasm shudders through my body.  I wipe myself off with an old shirt and then lie back down with my hands behind my head.  Closing my eyes again, I fall asleep quickly, knowing I have an early start in the morning.

~*~

“How’s it going, Kye?” Skip asks, coming to stand beside the ladder I am currently working on.

“Going well, mate,” I reply, continuing to clean the leaves out of the guttering.  “There’s a few little jobs I need to do up here on the roof, then I’ll get straight onto those jobs in the shed for you.”

“Right, well, I’ll leave you to it.”

“See ya, Skip.”

He climbs in his Ute and drives off down the road, no doubt going to the pub to get a beer.  I continue working, taking a break a few hours later for lunch and then getting right back into it.  By the end of the day, I’m ready for a cold shower and to go and visit Kennedy, so I pack up my tools and head back to camp.

Stripping off, I dive into the crystal clear water of the spring I am camping beside.  I wash my body and then climb out, pulling on fresh clothes before I go and see Kennedy.

By the time I arrive at her hut, night has fallen and all the residents are indoors.  Kennedy’s lights are on, so I walk right up and knock on her door.

“Come in,” she calls.

I open the door and see her in the kitchen area, making herself a drink.

“Hey.”  She gives me a smile and I return it.  Unable to help myself, I walk toward her and tug her into my arms.  She has got such a small frame that fits so perfectly against my own wider one, that it is like we were made for each other.  I kiss her temple and breath in the sweet smell of her skin mixed with the sweetpea shampoo she uses.

“It’s good to see you,” she says, hugging me tight.

“You too, Kennedy.”  I’ve never been the type of guy to commit to a relationship, to commit to one woman.  Prior to coming to the Retreat, my sole focus in life was building my football career, and enjoying the freedoms that came with it.  I didn’t have time for anything more than one or two nights with a woman. 

Now, I feel like for the first time in my life, I actually
want
to make this work.  I want a relationship.  I want to be with Kennedy.  I just hope she is on the same page as me, because I am the type of man who is focused and determined.  I go after what I want and I don’t take no for an answer.  What I want is Kennedy Crawley, all for myself.

Kennedy

“Woohoo,” Jules shouts.

“Girls’ night!” Laura says.

“Cheers.” Sienna holds up her glass and everyone chinks theirs with hers.

“Cheers,” I say. 
Damn, this margarita tastes good.

We have all congregated at Sienna and Zeke’s house.  The place is beautiful and situated just off the main street of Pine Creek.  It is massive, spacious and beautifully decorated.  Given that it is so big, all the children are asleep in Sienna’s guest room and the men are out the back, standing around a fire pit, throwing back beers and shooting the shit.  We girls are inside at the back of the house.  The guys have a baby monitor outside with them because they are on daddy duty.  It’s time for the girls to let loose!

“Before I forget, is everyone good to come to my place two weeks from now for Oscar’s birthday dinner?” Ava asks.

“We’ll be there,” Sienna says and everyone agrees.

“Sounds good.  I’ll come by after work,” I tell my sister.

“Awesome.  Bring Kye too,” she replies.

“Oooh, speaking of Kye!” Jules exclaims.  “We need the goss.”

“There is no gossip,” I say through a laugh.  The girls really are relentless.

“I call bullshit!  Are you guys together?”

“Yeah, I guess.” I shrug.  “We’re just dating.  It’s not like we’re talking marriage or anything. 
Yeesh!
”

“I’m so happy for you, Kendy,” Ava says, throwing her arm around me.

“What’s new with you guys?” I ask.

“I finally got sex!” Jules shouts, then celebrates her statement with a big gulp of her drink.  We all burst out laughing.

“About time,” Laura says, still laughing.

“I’m so freaking happy,” Jules says.

“Zeke and I are thinking about having another baby,” Sienna says.

“Really?” Laura gasps. 

“Yeah, we want the kids to be close in age.”

“That’s awesome news,” I tell her.

“Pizza has arrived” Edie says, carrying a bunch of boxes in her arms.  The smell coming from them is mouth-watering and when she sets them down, we all immediately lift the lids and take a slice each.

“So good,” I groan.

“Jackson got a new tattoo from Luke the other day and oh! My! God!” Edie says.  Her facial expressions make me smile.  You can tell right away she is in
love
with not only the tattoo, but also the man it is inked on.

“Where did he get it?” Sienna asks.

“Down his ribs, right here,” she says, pointing to the spot.

“What is it?”

“My name and the kids names.  It’s all weaved together and it looks totally awesome and really manly.”

“Wow.  Sounds amazing,” Ava says, and I bob my head in agreement.

“There is nothing in the world that will turn a woman on more, than seeing her name inked on the skin of the man she loves,” Edie sighs.  

“I totally agree,” Laura says.  “Oh, and his kids names.  When I see Ella’s name on Luke it always make me clench.”

I spit my drink a little.  “Did you say
clench
?” I say, bursting out laughing.  The girls all join along and we’re laughing uproariously. 
I think we’ve had too much to drink.

Stumbling a little, I make my way down the back stairs and outside to the guys.  My attention is immediately brought to Kye, who is standing beside Zeke, listening to Jackson tell a tale.  His legs are spread just a little, widening his stance.  His big arms are crossed over his chest and his face is lit up with a beautiful smile.  He turns when he senses me coming up behind him, and bolstered by the copious amount of alcohol I have consumed, I walk right up to his side and snuggle into him.  His arm goes around my shoulders instantly and he pulls me in closer.  I wrap my hand around his waist and rest my cheek on the side of his chest.

Tilting my head up to him, I smile.  “Hey,” I murmur.

“Hey,” he replies, his eyes shining.

“You having a good time?” I ask.

“Always.  Better now you’re out here with me,” he adds, giving me a squeeze.  My heart flutters and my smile broadens. 

“How’s my girl doin’ in there?” Clay asks me. 

I look over to the handsome man, dressed in jeans complete with plaited leather belt and cowboy boots, matched with a plaid shirt and smile.

“She’s three sheets to the wind and currently telling bedtime stories,” I tease, waggling my brows.  He grins largely and the boys all jeer him.  Jackson nudges him with his elbows and makes a comment about Clay getting some tonight.  Clay just nods and folds his arms over his chest proudly.

“Kye, you up for comin’ over one afternoon and tossing a ball around with Oscar?  He’d love for you to give him some tips,” Jeremy says.

“Sure, man.  I’ll give you a call and we’ll work out a time that suits.”

“Thanks, mate.”

I give Kye a squeeze and then tilt my head up to gain his attention.  He drops his chin and my eyes heat.  He sees the unspoken invitation and takes it, leaning down as I go up on my toes for our mouths to meet.  He tastes sweet, like fizzy drink and his lips are cold from the ice, but the heat from our kiss soon warms them up.  Running my tongue along the seam of his lips, he opens and I dart inside.  Manoeuvring my body and his so we are facing chest to chest, he deepens the kiss, ignoring the cat calls and cheers from the guys.  His hands slide inside the back pockets of my jeans and he gives my arse a firm squeeze.  I melt into him, instantly feeling the hardness of his erection pressing into my stomach. 

Pulling back, he kisses me again once, twice on the lips and then once on the tip of my nose.

“I better get back in to the girls,” I whisper.

“Okay, darlin’,” he says quietly.

He kisses my forehead and then releases me.  On slightly unsteady legs, I make my way back inside to my girls and pour myself another margarita.