Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

S leeping with Britt had been a bad idea.

Not that there'd been much sleeping involved.

Their cataclysmic night had changed everything.

'This place looks the same,' she said, tugging his hand as she ran towards the river's edge, leaving Nick no option but to follow. And follow he would, to the ends of the earth if she asked, because last night had shattered any illusions he had about this marriage being strictly business.

With every kiss, with every caress, with every gut-wrenching moan, she'd stripped away the years, catapulting him straight back to a time he'd been so crazy for her he couldn't see straight.

Nothing had changed, absolutely nothing.

Though even that was a lie.

Ten years ago he'd been a fool, kidding himself that all he felt for Britt was lust. Now he knew the truth. What they'd shared had never been about lust; it was more than that, so much more.

And their night of passion had hurtled him back a decade, to a time he couldn't get enough of her, to a time where his heart clamoured towards her while his head reeled back with the implications of trusting her.

'Do you miss Jacaranda?'

She stopped, alerted to the seriousness of his question by something in his voice as he pointed at the river, trying to distract her.

It didn't work. She reached up and cupped his cheek, her simple touch as catastrophic as if she'd reached into his chest and squeezed his heart.

'I tried not to miss it. I tried to forget.' Her fingertips trailed down his cheek, lingered on his jaw, before lowering where she placed her palm flat against his chest, directly over his heart. Claiming ownership. It was hers, had always been hers, he just never admitted it. 'But I couldn't. This place is in my blood. I never forgot it.'

She paused, massaged his chest gently as if soothing his soul. 'I never forgot you.'

'Same here.'

He settled his mouth over hers, needing this kiss, aching for it. Nothing like the ache of how he'd wanted her last night, when he'd been blinded by lust and passion. Instead, this ache settled over his heart, exactly where her hand was, the kind of ache that scared the hell out of him.

Her lips parted and he groaned as his tongue touched hers, going a little crazy as he backed her up against the nearest tree, their bodies melding perfectly, his hands sliding under her top, cupping her breasts.

'Nick…'

Her wanton plea made his cock throb as he lifted her top, ducked his head, and captured an erect nipple between his teeth, plucking at the lace covering it, her low moans firing him to flick the clasp and allow the tempting lushness to fall into his hands.

But the Jacaranda fauna had other ideas as a raucous cackle of a nearby kookaburra pierced the silence and reminded him of where they were.

In the good old days, this river bed would be deserted, but now the worn track along the bank indicated how popular this spot was with bushwalkers and tourists and he had no intention of providing an X-rated show for them.

Reluctantly tugging her top down, he brushed a soft kiss against her lips. 'You used to love those damn birds. Too bad this one has shocking timing.'

She laughed, a loud, joyous sound that had him chuckling with her. 'Remember the time we made out down here and we—?'

'Can we change the subject?' He sent a pointed look at his groin. 'You're killing me, in case you hadn't noticed.'

As she ground her pelvis against his, her smile was pure evil. 'I noticed.'

She slid her hands around his neck, bringing her breasts flush against his chest. 'Why don't we continue this discussion back at the farm?'

'You're a wicked woman,' he said, smoothing stray tendrils of copper gold away from her face, his heart bucking at the adoration in her eyes.

He wanted her to look at him like this all the time. Hell, he wanted her all the time. Then why the faintest doubt he was deluding himself, about everything?

One night of sensational sex and he'd been blinded to the transient nature of their marriage: her job, her promotion, their deal.

Last night changed everything but they hadn't discussed it, any of it, and while now wasn't ideal there would come a time soon, very soon, when they'd need to lay it all on the line.

'Come on, let's head back,' she said, her smile soft.

He didn't need to be asked twice, and as they sprinted back to the farmhouse, laughing and falling over their feet, he banished his doubts and decided to live in the moment.

For now.