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.
Chapter Five
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.’
Kirra was glad that he now trusted her. Could Elise be playing a trick on her? She wondered, but dismissed it quickly.
If Elise somehow knew Jared, wouldn’t he have recognised her name and voice on the phone when she rang?
She breathed in deeply, the smell of hay and that potent male scent of his teasing her nostrils. Still aroused from her erotic dream of making love with him in the spa-tub, she traced her lower lip with her tongue.
‘You want to make love?’ One dark eyebrow rose in surprise.
It surprised her how easily he could read her. ‘Yes,’ she husked. It was important, she knew deep down, that she didn’t ever lie to him. Whether he was a transitional man or a potential life partner, she needed to know if they were compatible in bed. To wait again for marriage before sex seemed absurd. She was twenty-seven years old! A mature woman, not the naïve teen like when she’d married Zac.
Jared looked into her eyes and probed the depths of her soul. He believed she was being open and honest with him. She definitely wasn’t at all like those young nannies who approached him for attention by coming onto him.
Could she love really him? His heart thumped hard against his ribs. Did he love her? It had only been two days since she’d arrived. He couldn’t be certain. Was it love or lust? Or a bit of both?
Compassion for her pumped through his blood. He wanted to keep her safe and protected, but was that enough to share the ultimate intimacies with her?
And if he lost his heart to her and she left, would he recover?
He thought for a moment, his heart pounding in his ears, but found himself drawn to her, wanting to take another chance at love with her.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked, his eyes darkening with arousal.
‘I’m sure.’ She entwined her fingers in his and gave them a reassuring squeeze.
He reached up and touched her chin with his hand, then kissed her lightly on her temple.
Feeling comfortable, she turned her face up to his and swayed towards him. He leant down and kissed her gently on the mouth maybe, two or three times. Kirra wasn’t counting. She was too caught up in her senses coming to life - the sight of his rugged face, his intoxicating smell, the touch of his lips on hers. Passion licked along her veins like a bush fire out of control and his kiss deepened, drugging her mind senseless.
She found the bottom of his t-shirt and tugged it up wanting to feel his skin, the rock-hardness of his chest. There was soft hair and she ran her fingers through it.
Jared groaned against her mouth, then tore away from her. He swiftly pulled the t-shirt over his head and tossed it away from him.
Her eyes drank in the sight of him, so strong and virile.
How could he remain celibate for so long unless he believed that love and sex went together? She mused, her breasts heavy with desire.
It was that moment Kirra fell in love with him. In silence, she eased off the bed and slowly removed her clothes in front of him.
His eyes never left hers. ‘You’re beautiful,’ he said simply and she moved into his embrace.
She shivered with delight at the feel of soft hair on her breasts. Zac had always waxed his chest so it was a novelty for her.
‘Are you cold?’ he asked.
‘No, not really.’
He stood with one arm still holding her in close and flicked back the bedcovers. Then he laid down with her on the sheet and pulled the top sheet over them. ‘Better?’
‘Yes,’ she murmured.
He smiled and captured her swollen mouth again with his.
She brought her hands up to his cheek and he groaned softly against her mouth. Her heart sung that he liked the way she touched him. Her lips parted and their tongues touched, then entwined as their kiss deepened with a mutual, potent need.
His head reared up then and he met her gaze with a shocked awareness. ‘Kirra -’
He lay half on top of her, flattening her breasts deliciously against his rock-hard chest.
Her vision hazed with desire. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his head down to join their mouths again in an urgent, fervent kiss.
‘Your passion is so strong,’ he muttered against her lips.
‘I need you,’ she murmured on a breath.
He bent down capturing her left breast, sucking and licking its nipple until it budded and darkened to the colour of dusty rose.
Kirra slid her hand down his body to the top of his jeans and unclipped the stud.
His hand stilled hers. ‘Not yet, I want to pleasure you first.’ He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
Her stomach quivered in delight as his tender lips rained kisses upon it, then slowly made his way to the sensitive curls covering her swollen mound. He tasted her then with his tongue and she bucked involuntarily, the erotic sensation more than she could ever imagine.
She ran her fingers urgently through his hair as he thrust and lapped her to fever-pitch, an audible moan announcing that her orgasm had come.
It was only then that he levered himself off the bed and removed his jeans and jocks, revealing the full magnificence of his manhood.
‘Beautiful,’ she murmured, her eyes glazing over, still mesmerised by the extent of his love-making skills.
He gave her an appreciative smile and climbed on top of her. She raised her hips and opened her legs to take him in a perfect fit.
He moved slowly at first, then they rode in unison until they peaked together.
Shocked that she’d had a second orgasm in some many minutes, Kirra opened her eyes and watched him rear back, his rugged face straining with pain, then relaxing with pleasure.
She’d never looked at Zac during the times they’d had sex.
Triumphant that she could make a man feel that way and be pleasured as well brought a smug smile to
her swollen lips.
Jared rolled off her onto his back and took her with him, snuggling her into the crook of his arm. ‘Happy?’
She laughed, surprised and ecstatic. ‘I’ve never felt like that before. It was amazing.’
‘I’m glad you liked it. You were pretty amazing yourself.’
‘We’re good together,’ she said, relieved, then kissed him on his slightly-roughened chin. ‘Thank you.’
‘If you keep rubbing against me like that,’ he teased, ‘I’ll be ready to go again.’
She looked horrified and rolled over.
‘It’s not a bad thing, Kirra,’ he said, chuckling a little, before he gently smoothed down her hair and drew her into him.
They spooned together for what seemed like an eternity, until he muttered, ’It’s time to feed the heifers. Would you like to come with me?’
‘Yes,’ she said whole-heartedly, throwing off the sheet and sliding off the bed. Scooping up her clothes, she disappeared into the en suite.
Catching a glimpse of her face in the mirror, she looked flushed from the superb love-making. She wasn’t used to his tenderness. Her hands reached up and covered her rosy cheeks, then she hugged herself, happy for the first time in a long while.
When she came out, it didn’t surprise her that Jared and his clothes were gone. He seemed like her - a practical person - and there was a pressing job to be done.
Kirra padded down the hallway and instinctively, found Jared in the laundry. He had pulled on his gumboots and stood there waiting for her, his face relaxed and lit with a radiant smile.
Feeling a little awkward, she covered her belly with her arms and lowered her eyes.
He frowned. ‘You alright?’ he asked, with genuine concern.
‘Never felt better,’ she said. Slowly, she looked back at him and gave him a genuine smile.
His face and shoulders relaxed again. ‘It looks like the rain has stopped,’ he said, ‘so you’ll only need to put on gumboots.’
In companionable silence, Kirra sat down and slipped them on, before he took her by the hand and led her out into the garage.
The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife Page 7
