The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (10 page)

‘
Fair enough.
’
Jared
reclaimed his seat and casually finished eating his breakfast. 

Kirra was infuriated.
‘
Well, if you must know, my father was very much the head of the family.
He was strong, fair and jovial. After completing my Degree in Journalism, I
moved out of home to marry Zac. To me, he seemed the same as my father.
’

‘
How did you meet Zac?
’

‘
He was at university when I started there. He was
studying Business Management. When he graduated, he received this great job
opportunity to manage a Gold Coast Resort.
’

‘
And what about your career, Kirra? Did he take that
into consideration?
’

‘
No, though I didn
’
t mind. I
was keen to start a family with thoughts of resuming my career when I was older
. . . but I never did conceive,
’
she said sadly.
‘
I was fertile, but Zac refused to have any tests.
After I gave up trying to have a baby, I half-heartedly answered an ad for a
journalist in a local newspaper. I was offered the job. Then, I was head-hunted
for the
Brisbane Bulletin
. I
’
ve been
there for four years now.
’

‘
And Zac, did he turn out to be the strong, fair and
jovial type?
’

‘
Oh, he was strong-willed alright and the life of every
party, but his only fairness was his blonde hair. He was so irresponsibly
impulsive,
’
she spat out. ‘He was different before we started living together.’

Anger firing through her blood, she forked a crunchy
strip of bacon into her mouth, chewed and swallowed, scraping the back of her
throat, as if punishing herself for her stupidity.
‘
If I hadn
’
t had a job
and paid the mortgage on our apartment,
’
she
blurted out,
‘
we would have been -
’

‘
On the street,
’
he
supplied knowingly.

‘
He accused me of being miserly… and boring.
’
Her fork slipped out of her hand and clattered onto
her plate.

She took a breath and closed her eyes. She couldn
’
t bear to think about it anymore.

‘
Are you okay, Kirra?
’

Kirra swallowed her emotions. Down, down, down they
went until she felt her stomach roil. She shuddered involuntarily.

As quick as a stock-whip cracking, Jared stood and
drew her up into his comforting arms.
‘
I
‘
m sorry,
’
he
whispered in a low, calming tone, his feathered breath rustling the top of her
hair like a hot summer breeze.

After a time, the tears came and she sobbed quietly
against his broad chest.

His hand gently smoothed over her head, soothing her
frazzled nerves.

‘
You have a good head for business, Kirra,
’
he muttered,
‘
from some
of the articles you
’
ve written. Sensible, I
’
d call you, not miserly … and I certainly find you far from boring.
’

She pulled away from him,
taking deep breaths to regain her composure. Her gaze narrowed, when he reached
up and wiped away her tears from her cheeks, his thumbs working like giant,
windscreen wiper blades. He gave her a reassuring smile and his hands settled
on her shoulders.

Kirra
’
s tongue went dry
and her mouth fell open, as his warm, caring touch penetrated the flimsy,
silken material of her top. She looked up at him in puzzlement, full of
conflicting emotions. Her mind felt at peace, but his touch was wreaking havoc
through her entire body.

His grey-blue eyes darkened with desire and without
drawing her into his body, bent his head down and brushed her bottom lip with a
kiss, as if testing her resistance.

Kirra was so shocked she let it happen, even wanted it
to happen. She leaned into him, wanting more.

Jared wrapped his arms around her and captured her
lips with his. His kiss was long and deep and it drugged her mind into
oblivion.

She had forgotten the power of sharing tenderness,
touching another human being, being held. She had schooled herself to live
without it for so long. How long?

She couldn
’
t remember. The yearning to be held caringly and lovingly welled up
inside her like a slow-curling, surfing wave.

She knew now that she
’
d lied to him before, when she
’
d said that
she didn
’
t need a man in her life right now. She did.

Though whether Jared was the right man for her, she
wasn
’
t entirely sure.

WHAT IF JARED was her transitional man?
She wondered.
Seriously!

Though her mind was clouded with doubts, her
traitorous body had a will of its own. Responding whole-heartedly to his
earth-moving kiss, her hands scooped around the back of his neck. Her fingers
splayed into his soft, thick hair, while his lips worked miracles on her
self-esteem and brought the burning desire within her to fever-pitch.

Her scorched lips parted and a muffled moan escaped.
The tip of his tongue danced around the sensitive inner-membranes of her mouth,
a hot poker stoking a new fireplace.

She curved against him with wanton abandon, the
strength of her release of pent-up emotions, powerful and unashamedly
overwhelming.

Her
breasts flattened against his rock-like chest and she could feel the strength
of his arousal pressing against her belly. It gave her a thrill to know that he
wanted her.

After a moment he drew his mouth away and cocooned her
in his protective arms.

‘
I
’
ll never hurt you,
Kirra,
’
he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

‘
It
’
s been so long.
’
The confession escaped her lips without censure.

‘
Do you want me to make love with you?
’
he asked with a huskiness in his voice that thrilled
her.

Every cell in her body screamed for it and a deep sigh
escaped her lips.
’
Yes,
’
she murmured
insensibly.

He sat back down on his chair and brought her with
him. She straddled his legs, her skirt riding up to reveal her slender, toned
thighs.

He groaned with desire. His mouth deposited a trail of
tiny, searing kisses around the base of her throat where a string of pearls
might sit.

When Kirra
’
s fingers
rode up to the crown of his head, parting his hair in definite, wide lines, the
thrill of anticipation thickened his blood. Instinctively, he knew she wanted
more and his need to be the man to pleasure her and heed the age-old primal
call to join with a mate seemed intrinsic and natural. Inherently right.

Jared brushed his lips down into the forbidden valley
between her swollen breasts that were straining in the confines of her bra. His
moistened tongue sought and found the crest of her left nipple. With slow,
arousing circles, he encouraged it to bud through the dampened silk of her top.

Desire exploded in the V of Kirra’s loins and a deep
moan escaped from her lips. Involuntarily, her back arched and she closed her
eyes, as his tantalising tongue gave her right breast equal attention.

‘
Jared,
’
she breathed.
‘
I need more.
’

‘
I know,
’
he
muttered against the soft strands of her sweet-scented hair.

He slid his large hand gently along her thigh and a
rush of moisture slicked her inner-most feminine core. Long, strong fingers
slid the scrap of her panties to one side and he gently stroked her sensitive
nub in a rhythmic ritual that was as old as time itself.

‘
You like that?
’
His voice
was low and guttural, as if he was exercising supreme control to give her
optimum pleasure.

‘
Oh, oh, yes.
’
She closed her eyes and began to moan. Her core moist
and swollen, she was ready to receive him.
‘
I want you inside me.
’

‘
Not yet,
’
he said,
‘
there
’
s plenty of time.
’
He slid one large finger into her inner-most sanctum
and her eyes flew open.
‘
You are so passionate.
’

Her eyes dilated to black with desire. Her mouth
dropped open and she panted as he began to stroke her rhythmically.

Grabbing hold of his shoulders was instinctual and her
nails dug in, as he took her erotic pleasure higher and higher, until she
sighed heavily, the small death of orgasm reached.

Sated and relaxed, she hugged him, her ragged breath
returning to normal, though her heart still pounded beneath her
breast.     

‘
Wow!
’ she said. ‘That was incredible.’

She
’
d never
experienced anything so mind-blowing in her life. Zac had always sort his own
pleasure first, so the rare times they did have sex after she couldn
’
t fall pregnant, it had been over before she was even
aroused.
‘
What about you?
’

‘
I
’
ll keep,
’
he said, his eyes still clouded with desire.

‘
You
’
re sure. We could go to the bedroom,
’
she said. ‘You might explode. Zac had always said
that he had to have release or he
’
d die.
’

Jared laughed.
‘
What a jackass!
You were upset. I couldn
’
t take advantage of you.
’

‘
But you
’
re aroused,
’
she said, her cheeks still feeling hot from her
orgasm.

He laughed again.
‘
Men can get
aroused just thinking about it or riding a horse,
’
he explained patiently.
‘
Which reminds
me, I
’
d better get on with my chores for the day.
’

He lifted her up and onto her feet before he stood
himself.
‘
Don
’
t look so guilty.
It
’
s okay to feel pleasure.
’

She smiled and gave him a spontaneous hug of
gratitude, then let him go.

‘
Thank you, Kirra,
’
he said,
with a genuine warmth in his tone and he kissed her forehead.
‘
I
’
ll be back soon,
my love.
’

Bereft, when he strode from the kitchen, it seemed an
eternity before she moved. A profound change had come over her that she found
difficult to assimilate.

All her beliefs about marriage and relationships
seemed to take a ninety degree turn. She
’
d known
then that her marriage to Zac hadn
’
t been a
fulfilling one. She
’
d only stayed with Jared two days and they had more
rapport than she
’
d had the entire time she
’
d been with Zac.

Methodically, she cleared the breakfast dishes and
washed them, humming to herself.

She had a sudden urge to make a peach and apple pie
for dessert tonight. Once she
’
d found enough
ingredients, that
’
s exactly what she did.

Never one to be idle, while it baked in the gas oven,
she padded into Jared
’
s study and borrowed a crime novel from his
collection. Romance novels were her usual reading preference after a day at the
office, but as she didn
’
t pack one, she had to take what was available.

She was sufficiently-engrossed in the story, when the
buzzer rang in the kitchen. She uncurled her legs and headed towards it.

Opening the oven door, the pie smelled a wonderful
combination of sweet fruit and pastry. The pie had a golden crust, so she
lifted it out and placed it on a wooden chopping board to cool. It looked
delicious and would go nicely with some homemade custard.

Jared
’
s hearty breakfast
was filling and then some, so she skipped lunch and went back to reading on her
bed.

It was beginning to feel like a real holiday and she oddly didn
’
t miss her work at all. She realised then that she
’
d become a workaholic and Elise
’
s pleas to go out with other men, or to a football
game with her, were all good-natured attempts to get back into the land of the
living after Zac
’
s death. She really was a dear friend.

It was several hours later, when Jared
’
s gentle hand on her shoulder roused her.
‘
Kirra?
’

She was in the middle of an erotic dream in which she
and Jared were making passionate love in a spa-tub. When she opened her eyes,
she smiled into his soft, grey-blue eyes. It took a moment to realise that she
was on her bed, not surrounded by swirling water.

Jared could see the desire in her eyes, but he steeled
himself before his own desire took hold. He had something important to tell her
and her response would determine whether or not he would take a relationship
with her further.

He lifted the novel off her stomach and slipped a
bookmark in, before placing it deftly onto the bedside table.  

Kirra sat up, gave a great big yawn and stretched.
‘
I must have dozed off.
’

Jared gave her a crooked smile, then said without preamble,
‘
The milk tanker came this morning.’

Still half-asleep, Kirra tidied her hair with her
fingers.
‘
That
’
s a good thing,
isn
’
t it?
’
she murmured.
‘
Now everyone can have the milk and you don
’
t have to waste it.
’

She sensed the tension in his long, lean body, as he
loosely folded his arms across his chest.

‘
Yes,
’
he said, his tone
light, as if he was surprised that she’d remembered.
‘
It also means that the bridge is clear and safe to
drive over, so you
’
re free to go.
’

A feeling of bereft made her breath catch in her
throat.
‘
You want me to leave?
’

‘
No.
’
His dark eyebrows
crowded together.
‘
Do you want to?
’

Suddenly, fully awake, she asked,
‘
Are the Miller boys back at work?
’

‘
They
’
re well, but still
cut off by flood waters,
’
he explained.
‘
They seem
to think the water will recede enough by tomorrow so they can safely drive over
here.
’

Kirra let out the breath, she hadn
’
t realised she
’
d been
holding.
‘
Then, I can
’
t leave.
You need my help.
’

He frowned.
‘
I don
’
t
expect you to work. You’re on holidays.
’

‘
Yes, but it’s free, so I will earn my keep.
’

His arms dropped to his sides and sat down on the bed
beside her.
‘
I want you to stay, Kirra because you want to see if
there is a chance for us. I believe our attraction is mutual. That it
’
s something special.
’

She looked at him then and gave him a heart-warming
smile. Tucking her hair behind one ear, she murmured,
‘
I know. I
’
d like very
much to stay.
’
     

‘
I
’
m glad.
’ He kissed her on
the forehead and stood up, straightening his jeans.

She could tell he was aroused, but her eyes
deliberately trained on his face.
‘
Do you
trust me not to write about you?
’

‘
Yes, you gave me your word. We
’
ll get to the bottom of the ad soon enough,
’
he said in low, husky tone.
‘
I rang Caleb this morning from the phone in the barn.
He said that the rain has stopped and he
’
s been to
the beach. Mother also said that she knew nothing of the ad.
’