Outback Affair: An Affair Novel (Entangled Indulgence) (9 page)

Chapter Nine

Jess scrabbled around in her suitcase willing her heart to stop beating so fast.

It was the heat. She was dehydrated. She had a lot to worry about. It was her job.

It had nothing to do with this rough and hard fisherman, who had just taken her to heaven for a brief moment with his mouth. She glanced at him as he moved the coolers further into the shade of the overhanging rock. He was hard, his body was hard, and his face was rugged and unshaven, but his mouth had been soft and inviting, and he had taken her by surprise. Now all she could think about was getting up closer to him and trying it again.

No way.
One night, and she’d be back in civilization and doing the job she came here to do. She was
no
t going to get side tracked. Imagine the text she could send Monica.

In the bush. Smelly fisherman. Great sex.

Because she knew it would be great sex. He had that lean, whipcord, masculine body. His hands were strong and his hair was begging to be gripped while he—

“Jess?”

She jumped and smiled, drawn out of her fantasy. Pulling her swimsuit from her suitcase, she shoved everything back in, ignoring the red dust that was everywhere. She shook the dust from her swimsuit and looked around at him.

“Where can I change?”

He grinned back at her and then slowly turned around, putting his back to her. Jess let her gaze wander over his broad shoulders and the snug fitting faded jeans encasing his butt.

“Right where you’re standing.” He stood waiting, and she figured he would be a gentleman. She undressed quickly, pulling on the sleek black swimsuit with the plunging neckline. Shivers ran down her back and turned into heat when they reached between her thighs and stopped.

“Okay, you can turn around now,” she said.

Jess grinned as Bowser barked and ran over to her. She reached down to pat him, and knew she looked good. This swimsuit had cost her a fortune and it molded her curves in all the right places, or so the saleswoman in the exclusive boutique had said.

“Thank you, Bowser. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She glanced across at Alex. A pulse flicked in his cheek and he stood still for a moment while his gaze swept from her face to her feet. He took a step toward her, and her breath hitched, but he all he did was take her hand and lead her over to the edge of the bluff.

“Come on, you’re in for a treat.” His voice was rough.

Keeping hold of her hand, Alex helped her down the rocky slope, and Jess tried to ignore the warmth taking over her whole body.

It’s only the heat. The hot air, nothing else.

Her sandals slipped on the loose rocks and she stumbled. Alex slid his arm around her back to hold her steady, and she fought the heat that began beneath his fingers, rippled down her stomach, and pooled between her thighs.

She needed to cool off in the water. As soon as possible.

When they got to the bottom of the hill, Jess stood silently and drank in the vista in front of her. From above she hadn’t been able to appreciate the waterfall cascading down the rock just beneath where the truck was parked. From sixty feet above, water fell in a white froth over a series of stepped rocks down to the clear, deep pool edged by pure white sand. A tall tree with lacy foliage overhung the water at the far end, its lazy movement reflected in the still green depths. The gorge walls rose high, and she had to crane her head back to see the bright blue sky.

It was cooler down here next to the water. A slight breeze puffed and ruffled the surface of the pool. Jess turned to Alex, who was staring across the water.

“This is magical,” she said.” I had no idea it could be so beautiful just a few hundred meters away from that dusty road.” She leaned over the edge of the pool and peered into the water.
“
But are you sure there’s no crocodiles?”

Alex laughed and dropped his head, reaching for the bottom of his T-shirt.

“No. No crocodiles. I can prove it. I can walk you back and show you that it feeds from a spring a few hundred yards back in the bush. There’s not even any freshies up here.”

Jess walked over, sat on the side of the pool, and removed her sandals. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” She leaned over, trailed her fingers in the water, and looked up with surprise. “Wow, it’s hot!”

“Maybe not hot, but certainly warm.” Alex squatted down beside her and pointed to the far end of the pool. Jess swallowed dryly as the muscles flexed in his arm.

And pecs, and a six-pack to die for.

“
It’s deep enough to dive down that end. It starts shallow here at the falls and the hot rock warms the water even though it comes from underground, and then it drops off pretty quickly. It’ll be much cooler down at that end.”

“I should have brought my soap and shampoo down. I didn’t think.”

She caught Alex smiling at her.

“Go on, say how forgetful I am. I can see it on your face.” Jess laughed as he shook his head.

“Never.” He raised his hands in denial, and her gaze was drawn to the top of his unclipped jeans. A line of dark hair disappeared southward and her mouth was suddenly dry again.

“I’ll go up and get it. Where is it?”

“In the pink bag next to my suitcase. Just bring the bag down, thanks. It’ll be a luxury to have a wash in this warm water.”

She turned and watched him climb back up the path. His jeans had slipped down a little, and a pair of black Calvin Klein briefs peeked over the top. The afternoon sun shone on the deeply tanned skin of his bare back.

Jess folded her arms across her breasts as she watched the taut muscles in his lean legs flex as he reached the top of the slope. Her nipples were tightening despite the heat. When she’d climbed into his truck this morning, an interlude like this had been far from her thoughts. She’d fully expected to be checked and settled in her room at Cockatoo Springs by the end of the day.

If I have a room.

By the time he scrambled back down the path and placed her toiletries bag next to her, she had her desire under control.
Almost.
If he touched her, she was sure she’d ignite. To her relief, as soon as he’d dropped the bag beside her, Alex walked around to the far end of the pool and dropped his jeans. Jess busied herself in her bag, pulling out body wash and shampoo, and didn’t look up again until she heard a splash at the far end. For a moment, there was no sign of him, and then he surfaced and swam to the waterfall. Standing under the cascading water, he shook his head and tilted it back beneath the streaming water. His hair was sleek and black and plastered to his skull. She stared at his eyelashes, stuck together in spiky clumps around his deep blue eyes.

“Coming in? The water’s beautiful.”

Jess knew what would happen if she got in the water with him. It wasn’t only the thought of the cool water lapping her skin that beckoned her. She swung her legs over the edge of the rock and slid in, sighing as the warm water caressed her skin. Bubbles ran up her legs as the water moved against her, and she pushed herself out to the middle to the deeper water and dived under. Opening her eyes beneath the water, she was amazed at how clear it was. She looked up and the blue sky rippled through the surface of the water above her. She surfaced and turned to face Alex as his strong hands grasped her waist.

He moved quickly, and in an instant his mouth was hot, hungry, and hard against hers. His hands held her tightly, pulling her closer, and she couldn’t stop herself. She wound her legs around his hips, and he groaned into her mouth. This kind of raw, primeval need was new to her. Sex was usually civilized and polite, and in a bed, after the required social preliminaries, but she responded in a way that was foreign to her. The low guttural moan that escaped her lips echoed the throbbing between her thighs.

For the first time in her life, she surrendered without thought. Alex pulled at the straps of her swimsuit and they slid off her shoulder, exposing her breasts. He lowered his head and nipped at her skin, and she let her head fall back, the hot sunshine caressing her face. Alex caressed her breasts with his tongue, and the water lapped at her still-heated skin. As he sucked at her breasts, his fingers pulled her swimsuit lower until it drifted loosely in the water around her legs. Before she could move or respond, he trailed his fingers down her stomach, drawing circles on her sensitive skin until she quivered. He lifted his head and stared at her before lowering his head and taking her mouth again. At the same time, he plunged a finger into her and she clenched around him, tipping over the edge into a myriad of sensation. Wave after wave of pleasure pulsed thought her as his finger continued to move inside in time with the exquisite contractions. She whimpered against his mouth and clutched at his shoulders. Slowly, he withdrew and lifted his mouth from hers.

“Okay?” He smiled down at her.

Jess nodded while she kept her gaze fixed on those dark blue eyes and reached down for him, slipping her fingers past the waistband of his Calvin Kleins. His hard length pushed into the softness of her stomach, and he groaned as her fingers circled him.

“It’s a long walk to the glove compartment,” he said roughly

“You should have thought of that box when you were getting my bag,” she said playfully.

Alex dropped his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. “That would have been making a big assumption. I didn’t intend for this to happen, you know.”

“Neither did I.” Jess pulled her head back and looked at him. “So what are we going to do now?”

“If you keep your hands down my pants like that, I won’t think straight,” he said. “How about I go back to the truck and it’ll give you time to think if you really want to take up where we left—”

Jess reached over, snagged his lips with hers and increased the pressure of her hand.

“God, Jess.”

She smiled and slid her hand slowly back up his rock hard stomach away from all temptation. “Okay, you go back up to the Boy Scout compartment…and I’ll be waiting.”

Alex dove under the water and swam across to the waterfall before he pulled himself up onto one of the rock steps beneath the cascading water. The swim in the cold water hadn’t done him one bit of good at all, or so said the rigid outline in his briefs. Even though her blood was zinging around her body with anticipation, she’d hadn’t felt this relaxed or had as much fun since…since she couldn’t remember when.

Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back and floated in the warm water, waiting for Alex to come back down the hill. The soft breeze picked up, cooling her damp cheeks and rustled the leaves of the branches overhanging the pool. The breeze dropped, but the rustling continued, and a soft grunt came from behind her. Jess opened her eyes and rolled over in the water as a frisson of fear rippled down her spine, replacing the anticipation of a moment ago. She stood and turned slowly as the grunting got louder.

A huge black…thing…with slits for eyes and long yellowed tusks sticking from its bottom jaw stood at the edge of the pool, its dark beady eyes fixed on her. Black bristles poked through the red mud coating its massive shoulders. She watched as it strutted closer to the edge and scratched at the ground with its front feet. She gasped and moved slowly toward the other side of the pool, as far away from the massive thing as she could, while it snorted and folded its front legs under its huge bulk and dropped its snout into the water.

“Alex!” She screamed at the top of her voice, and the pig lifted its head and stared at her. From the bush behind the huge boar came a small sow and half a dozen piglets. The sow stood guard rigidly while the piglets joined their father at the edge of the shallow water.

Without removing her gaze from the creature, she reached down under the water with shaking hands, and pulled up her swimsuit as she backed into the deeper water.

Oh God. Can pigs swim?

Chapter Ten

Alex slid across the seat of the truck, the small box safely in his hand. Bowser was curled up on the floor of the pickup and opened one lazy eye before tucking his nose back under his paw.

Alex’s blood ran cold when Jess screamed for him. He slammed the door of the pickup shut and threw the box of condoms back through the open window. He took off at a fast run toward the rocky path until he reached the edge of the drop, looking over to see what had spooked her.

Shit.

A fat sow and seven piglets stood beside one of the biggest feral pigs he had ever seen.

“Stay in the water, Jess! Don’t move. As long as you stay in the water it can’t hurt you.”

“Can it swim?” Her voice was shaking, and she didn’t take her eyes off the boar. It was huge.

Shit, just her luck to get bailed up by one. He scrambled down the rocky slope, small rocks skittering to the bottom beneath his bare feet. The boar turned and sniffed the ground. Picking up a fist-sized piece of rock, he flung it at the boar, but missed. Now at the bottom of the slope, the pig stiffened and turned toward him, snorted, and dropped its head, charging for him.

Fuck.

Jess’s scream followed him as he ran for the nearest tree. He grabbed the lowest branch and swung himself up. The tree shook as five hundred pounds of solid razorback crashed into the trunk six feet below. Just to be extra sure, Alex pulled himself up another branch before turning to the pool and checking on Jess.

She disappeared and he scanned around the pool, worried for a moment she’d climbed out the other side and was heading back up to the truck. Jess would have no idea how fast these suckers could move and how deadly they were. He let out a sigh of relief when the water rippled and Jess surfaced slowly over near the waterfall.

“Good girl, just stay over there. It can’t hurt you.”

“So what the hell do we do now? You’re up a tree and I’m down here in the water.” Her eyes were huge as she stared at the pig. “What happens next?”

“We’ll have to wait it out.”

“Are you serious?” Jess stood and folded her arms and flicked a glance up to him, only taking her eyes from the pig for a split second.

“Unless you want to climb out of the water and chase it away.”

“No chance, buddy. You’re the outback hero. That’s your job.”

Alex folded his arms, leaned back against the rough bark and looked down as another snort floated up to him. But it hadn’t come from the pig. Jess was grinning up at him and when he looked at her, she giggled again.

“Oh my God.” The water splashed as she slapped her hands on top of it. “I so wish I had my camera. I could write the best article about the Aussie outback and its heroes…in their underwear.”

Alex looked down at his black Calvin Kleins.. “You won’t find it so funny if the boar decides to settle his family in here for the night.”
“Really?”

That quickly wiped the smile from her face. Alex slid down the trunk and settled in for a wait. He looked up and groaned as an avalanche of small rocks tumbled over the edge of the rock face, splashing into the water. Bowser was standing on top of the bluff, and if a dog could look happy, he would have beamed in anticipation of the fun to come. He took off into the bush, his ears flattened back and his neck muscles bunched.

“Oh, no. Make him stay up there. Send him back.” Jess looked at Alex with wide eyes.

“No chance. He was bred for this—he’ll be okay.” Alex pulled himself up to watch the action below, hoping he was right. A little brindle bullet shot out of the bush, and before the pig could turn, Bowser had latched onto its ear. With a loud squeal, the pig shook its head, but the dog had a firm grip as his back legs stretched up.

“Look, Jess.” Alex pointed to the sow and the piglets as they ran off into the bush. “Dad won’t be far behind.”

Bowser let go of the pig’s ear and ran around in circles, yapping loudly. The pig pawed the ground half-heartedly before letting out one final snort and trotting off behind the others. Alex called Bowser over and he sat patiently beneath the tree waiting for him to come down.

“Some live outback action for you?” Alex jumped down and sauntered across to the pool. “Had enough entertainment for the afternoon?”

Jess rolled her eyes at him, before diving under the water and swimming over to the edge. Alex put his hand down, and she looked back over her shoulder before she reached up and took it.

“Are you sure they’ve gone?”

“Yep, they won’t come back now they know our little pig hunter is here.” He reached down and scratched Bowser’s head.

“Great job, buddy.”

Jess climbed out of the pool and let go of his hand. She reached up and squeezed the water out of her hair before walking over to collect her bag.

“What else have you got lined up for tonight?”

…

Even though she was showing a brave face and coming out with the sassy comments, Jess was unsettled. Her legs were shaking as she followed Alex and Browser up the hill, keeping an eye out behind her for the return of the pigs. He didn’t put his hand out to help her, and she didn’t look for it. If she was totally honest, it wasn’t the pigs that had unsettled her. The interlude in the pool with Alex had touched her deeply. A level of need she had never before experienced had tugged deep within her, and she was grateful to the wild pigs for bringing it to a halt. She wasn’t ready for that, and she didn’t want it in her life.

They reached the top of the hill, and Bowser scampered to the shade beneath the truck. Alex strode over and reached in, pulling his jeans from the truck and casually stepping into them before he turned to Jess. Her skin was already dry from the hot tropical sun, even though it was late afternoon, and her hair was drying in a huge tangle. Alex opened the back of the pickup and gestured inside.

“Do you want to climb in here? You can get dressed and sorted while I cook the crabs.”

He seemed to sense she needed some privacy and time to herself, and she smiled at him gratefully.

“Thanks, I will. But how are you going to cook them? They’re still alive.”

“I’ll drop them into the pot when the water boils.”

“Ew, and you call yourself an environmentalist? That is so cruel.”

“Yes, little Ms. Food Journalist, that’s how you cook them.” Alex shook his head and ran his hand down the side of her face. “Alive.”

A jolt of heat ran from his fingers to his skin, and he held her gaze for a moment before he turned away and walked over to the other side of the low-burning fire to collect her suitcase. Jess unzipped the flap of the little camp house on the back of the pickup and put her cosmetics bag on the foam mattress.

“Make sure you put some of that Bushman’s on and zip up the flap of the canopy. As soon as the sun sets, the mozzies will be bloody crook,” he said.

She watched him tip the lotion into his hand and rub it onto his face, neck, and chest before passing the bottle to her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her eyes following his hand as he rubbed brisk circles on his flat stomach. He was a good-looking man in prime condition, and her body reacted accordingly.

Get over it, Jess. If he chooses to walk around without a shirt, you can cope.

She clambered into the back of the pickup and wrinkled her nose. She closed up the flap. It was dim inside, and a combination of smells greeted her. The hot air was suffocating, and when she sat up straight to take a deep breath, her stomach protested, and she gagged. She pushed herself to her knees and opened her suitcase to find something clean and cool to wear. Several items of clothing were considered and discarded before she found a long silk skirt, which would protect her legs from the insects, and a spaghetti strap top with a light silk shawl to wrap around her shoulders. Dressing quickly in the small space, she ran her fingers through her curls and wound them up into a matching scarf to keep her hair away from her neck.

The memory of Alex’s hands and fingers when he’d caressed her in the water shimmied through her mind, and she closed her eyes and swallowed.

One night.

One night sleeping in the back of the truck and then some conversation tomorrow as they traveled. Then they would arrive at the resort, and she’d get her room, say thank you, goodbye, and forget about him.

She could do it.

The unfamiliar feelings would be put aside and she would get on with the job and go home.
She slipped on a pair of dangly earrings and a smudge of lipstick, followed by a light application of the famed Bushman’s to prevent the mozzies…and the midges…and she was ready to go out and face the outback.

And Alex
.

When she climbed out of the back of the pickup, the smell of garlic assailed her nostrils, and she turned to the fireplace with a frown.

She must be so hungry she was imagining haute cuisine aromas.

There was no sign of Alex or Bowser, and Jess looked around nervously. The sun had set, and the lingering smoke from the grasslands fire drifted in on the light breeze. Wispy fingers of white smoke treaded thought the tops of the trees. All was quiet.

It was eerie, yet beautiful.

A flat rock next to the fire beckoned, and Jess retrieved the old blanket from the back of the truck and folded it so it cushioned the hard rock. She sat and closed her eyes, listening to the quiet. The only sound was the occasional pop of the fire and a hiss as the water spat from the pot onto the coals. The faint sound of the waterfall sloshing in the distance added to the peace.

A few minutes later, slow footsteps and the snuffling of Bowser, announced their return.

“Sorry, Jess. I took him for a walk after I fed him, and he took off on me. Little bugger.” Alex opened the door of the truck and lifted the dog into the cabin. “Are you ready to eat?”

“Yes, I’m hungry.”

And not just for food.

“Wanna beer? It’s all I have, sorry.” Alex reached into the cooler. She held out her hand and he passed her a cold bottle before sitting across from her on the other side of the campfire. Placing the bottle against her cheek, she closed her eyes.

“What else are you cooking
?”

Keep the conversation on food; you can do that without getting flustered.

“A sauce for the crab.”

“And you just threw it together from what you have in the cooler? What’s in it?”

“Secret ingredient. If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” Alex grinned at her, and then his smile faded as he shook his head. “Oh, sorry, that was a crass thing to say. You’ve already had the razorback experience this afternoon. I didn’t mean to be so flippant.”

“You didn’t scare me. Neither did the pig, really…once I knew I was safe in the water.” Jess laughed and tipped her beer up, appreciating the cool liquid in her dry mouth. “I enjoyed watching you climb up the tree in your—”

Whoa. Don’t go there.
She was trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing. If it hadn’t been for the arrival of the pig, there would have been no holding either of them back. She couldn’t figure him out. He said he’d been a lawyer, and he was well spoken. And as much as he tried to push her buttons, she could tell that he was a good person, and he’d looked out for her without hesitation when there’d been real danger. Something about him being a wild fisherman in the outback just didn’t make sense to her.

Alex didn’t speak, but just looked at her over the fire. It was completely dark and there was no moon. The firelight flickered on his rugged face, highlighting the bluish-black glints in his hair. He stood, and Jess hitched a breath as heat ran through her. Alex walked over to pot and opened the cooler, placing the lid upside down on the ground. He put the cooked crabs on the lid and began to methodically shell them until a pile of steaming crabmeat filled the plate. He removed the smaller saucepan and set it next to Jess, before squatting in front of her.

“Now you are in for the treat of your life,” he said softly.

Fascinated, she watched his fingers as he picked up a morsel of crab, dipped it into the sauce, and held it in front of her lips.

His eyes held hers. “Hungry, Jess?”

…