by Eden Summers
‘Come on.’ Lucky took her elbow and led her to the bar. ‘I’ll get you another drink.’
Her feet dragged all the way to the stools. ‘They treat me like a child.’
‘I know. Men are fucking idiotic.’
As Lucky filled another wine glass, Brooke swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. What had she done? No rationalising would come from their time outside. Connor didn’t know how to work out his problems like normal people. He resolved issues with his fists. And when Heath was the obstacle, she wasn’t sure how any of them would come out unscathed.
‘They’ll be fine.’ Lucky’s warm palm came to rest on Brooke’s shoulder. ‘They’re big boys, let them fight their own battles.’
That was the problem. Fighting seemed to be the only way her brothers knew how to deal with the men in her life. ‘What if Connor hurts him?’
There, she’d said it. She’d admitted her concern for Heath. Every inch of her was consumed with fear for his safety. She still loved him. Had never stopped. And even though they’d spent a large chunk of time apart, she still knew him. Every inch. Every thought.
Lucky glanced along the bar to the town’s policeman who was seated at the far end, currently off-duty and gulping on a beer. ‘Dare, do you mind going outside to check on Connor and Rowan for me? Make sure they’re not causing trouble.’
He jerked his chin in acknowledgement and did as Lucky bid.
Brooke sucked in steadying breaths, drumming her fingers against the bar in a vain effort to pass the time. She needed to go out there. To put a stop to this. She had to admit to Rowan and Connor that she’d let them get away with their routine for this long because there’d never been a man she truly had any interest in.
Things were different now. She was interested in Heath. More than interested. No matter how much she tried to deny it. She was just as vulnerable to his charms now as she had been as a sixteen year old.
‘You ready to go home?’
The sound of Heath’s voice made her swing around in the stool. Her gaze raked over him in a frantic search, over his eyes, his cheeks, his rugged jaw. He was perfect. Like he always had been. Not a scratch or a bruise to be seen.
She swallowed over the dryness tightening her throat and shook her head. ‘I drove here.’
‘Don’t care.’ There was no authority in his voice, just cool, calm assurance. ‘I’m taking you home.’
She shook her head, trying to come up with a reason to deny his request, yet coming up short.
‘Let him take you, Brooke.’ Lucky spoke from behind the bar. ‘Your car will be fine sitting out the front until morning.’
The car wasn’t the issue. It was her heart she wasn’t sure would survive the trip.
‘Where’s Connor and Rowan?’ The words scraped past her lips.
‘Gone.’ His tone was matter of fact as he held out his hand. ‘Let’s go.’
The moment her hand touched his, a shot of anticipation rushed through her. ‘Are you going to tell me what happened?’
He ignored her, leading her to the pub door as drunken locals whistled and cheered. The drive out of town was done in silence, nothing but the sound of gravel crunching under his ute tyres, not even the sound of the radio.
‘Are you ready to talk to me yet?’ They wouldn’t reach her property for another ten minutes, there was no way she could stand the silence that long.
‘What do you want me to say?’
‘I dunno.’ She shrugged. ‘Tell me what happened with Connor. Tell me you’re angry at me for opening my big mouth.’
‘I don’t blame you.’ He kept his focus on the dirt road illuminated by the headlights. ‘I just wish they would’ve found out differently.’
‘Me too.’ She turned her body toward him, hunching her knees onto the seat. ‘Do you think they’ll ever forgive you?’
‘Yeah.’ He laughed with confidence.
‘How can you know? You don’t realise how bad they’ve been since you left.’
He looked at her, turning the seriousness of his stare to hers in a brief flicker that conveyed a message she didn’t understand. ‘It’s not as much of a shock to them as you’d think.’
‘Why?’ Her pulse rate ramped up.
‘Trust me on this. They’ll get over it. There’s no need to panic.’
Right. Easier said than done. He’d lived away from Milpinyani for years. He hadn’t witnessed what they’d put her through, or the men of their small community. ‘There’s something you’re not telling me. What do you know that I don’t?’
His jaw ticked, denying the calm in his voice as he said, ‘Don’t worry about it, sunshine. I’ve got it under control.’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘That’s not good enough.’
He was hiding something. Keeping her in the dark when now, more than ever, she needed to be aware. For her heart’s sake. ‘If it’s something that’s going to hurt me, I want to know. And I want to know now, not when you, or my brothers, think it’s best.’
‘I’ve never wanted to hurt you, Brooke. Far from it.’ His voice was strained, his hands holding onto the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip.
‘Then what? Tell me why you’re clutching the steering wheel like it’s a lifeline.’
He released a bark of humourless laughter. ‘You want to know what I’m thinking? When we’re alone. On a deserted road. Not another car in sight.’
Holy hell. Blood rushed through her ears, cascading in a rush, all the way down to her pulsating pussy. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. She was dying to know.
Another breath of defeated laughter. ‘I’m thinkin’ of pulling over. I’m thinkin’ that I want to drown my frustrations in your body. That the only thing that will feel right and perfect, in this shitty moment, is you. And me. Together.’
He didn’t look at her. Not even a brief glance. He kept his grip tight on the wheel, his focus straight ahead.
‘Do it.’ The words skittered from her mouth without thought.
‘No.’
She jerked back at his refusal, as if bitch-slapped with his rejection. ‘Pull over, Heath.’
She reached for the wheel, placing her hand on top of his. His eyes closed briefly at the touch, then the wheel pivoted, the car pulling to a stop as it entered the dry grass on the side of the road.
‘Think about this, Brooke. If I undo my seatbelt, there won’t be anything to stop me from bein’ all over you.’
‘Except the threat of my brothers,’ she murmured with bitterness.
‘No.’ He turned to her. ‘There’s no threat there. The only thing you need to worry about tonight is me.’
Could she? Should she? He’d walked away twice. Was she stupid to try for a third? Of course she was. But this was Heath. The man she could never deny.
‘Undo your belt.’ She nibbled her bottom lip, holding her breath as he did as requested.
He shoved himself from the vehicle, rounding the bonnet to arrive at her side, his eyes dark with determination. He yanked her door open, hauled her out, then slammed it shut again and backed her up against the cool metal.
There was no warning, no notice. His lips were on hers in a heartbeat, his hands possessively on her waist before she could close her eyes. Heath cherished her with his mouth, kissing heat into her lungs and desire into her core.
‘Tell me you want this.’ He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, ran his tongue over the tingling flesh.
‘I do,’ she panted. ‘I always have.’
‘No.’ He pulled back and cupped her cheek. ‘Tell me you’re happy not to wait for a clean bed and soft sheets. I’ve always regretted taking your virginity in the back of my shitty ute. I never knew you felt the same way until last week. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.’
She blinked at him, momentarily bereft of words. ‘I don’t regret that day. I only said that to hurt you.’ She smashed her lips to his, kissing arousal into every inch of her body before she pulled back to meet his gaze. �
�And besides, it’s been a while, but I can’t lose my virginity twice.’
He frowned, then slowly his lips tilted in slow-dawning realisation. ‘You know what I meant.’
Yeah, she did. And she adored him for it. She never expected him to return to Milpinyani as a more charming and tempting man. But clearly he had. She reached out a hand, placed it over his heart and smiled. ‘I don’t care where we are. I just want to be with you again.’
He growled, sinking his hips into hers, the hard length of his shaft pressing against her pubic bone. He stole her mouth, her breath, her focus, kissing her into oblivion as his fingers worked the buttons of her blouse, shoving the thin material off her shoulders.
Their lips never parted as they stripped—kicking off shoes, shucking pants, even as the crinkle of a condom wrapper split the air. It wasn’t until she was standing in nothing but her black G-string and Heath in his shirt that they came up for air. He yanked at the material at her thighs, while she scrambled to get the last item of his clothing over his head.
Then they were naked, their chests heaving as the moonlight shone down on them.
He was gorgeous, from the defined muscles of his pecs, all the way down the light dusting of dark hair at his navel, to the thick, protection-covered erection jutting between them.
‘I wish you knew how many times I wanted to return to you.’
She shook her head, focusing on his collarbone. ‘Don’t.’ She didn’t want to hear the bullshit.
Gently, he gripped her chin, levelling their eyes. ‘You think I walked away without looking back, and that’s fine. That’s what I wanted you to believe. But it wasn’t easy for me, Brooke. Even as a kid, I knew you’d always be mine.’
Sincerity stared back her, warming her heart to the point of pain. ‘I don’t want to believe you.’ Not when the years apart had almost killed her.
‘You will.’ He lifted her, taking them both to the front of the car to place her naked arse on the bonnet. ‘Eventually.’
She clutched his shoulders, biting the inside of her cheek when the head of his shaft brushed her entrance.
‘God, you’re wet.’
He ran his length between her pussy lips, back and forth, covering himself in her arousal. The sensation was torturous in its undiluted pleasure. Each flick of his cockhead over her clit made her pussy spasm, her nipples tighten.
‘Ready?’
She nodded into his shoulder, clinging to him. He thrust home, filling her with such exquisite perfection she cried out.
‘Damn you.’ She dug her fingers into his skin, holding him tight. Each undulation made her vision blur, each withdrawal had her whimpering for more. She didn’t want to need him. To love him. Yet the adoration from her past overwhelmed her. He was the man for her. Always would be.
He clutched her hips, holding her immobile, as he plunged into her, growling her name and muttering sweet endearments. There was a commitment in his words. An affection that didn’t suit a casual fling. It made her fall again, tangling into the web of hope.
‘Lean back. I want to see your breasts in the moonlight and your fingers on your clit.’
Her nipples tingled with the demand, pulsing to the point of pain. She complied, resting back on one hand while the other slid over her abdomen to the bundle of nerves throbbing for attention.
‘I want to see you come.’
His wish was spoken gently, but the heat in his eyes was undeniable. She touched herself, rubbing her middle finger back and forth, as his length continue to drive inside her.
‘It won’t take long.’ She was close. On the precipice.
He leaned into her, holding her gaze, kissing her between panted breaths. ‘I love you, Brooke.’
He did not just say that.
‘Shhh.’ She bucked her hips in warning, not willing to believe him. Not prepared to reciprocate and expose her vulnerability, no matter how true the declaration.
He chuckled. ‘Again, I’ll prove it in time.’
She shook her head, fighting away the vision of happiness. Instead, she focused on the throb between her thighs, the pulsing in her belly that announced her impending climax. ‘I’m going to come.’
The catalyst was his eyes and the future she glimpsed within them. It was too much to bear, and she looked away. She panted as pleasure suffused her, pulsing from her abdomen, to every limb, through every nerve. He clutched the back of her neck as she whimpered, plastering his lips over hers, tangling their tongues as his undulations became forceful, announcing his release.
Time slowed, along with the beat of her pulse. She was with Heath. Naked. Returning from the height of climax, in the arms of her childhood sweetheart. It was a fantasy. It wasn’t real.
She straightened, finally able to meet his gaze, and almost burst into tears. ‘This can’t be happening.’
‘It is.’ His lips quirked yet his eyes turned solemn. ‘But there’s something I need to tell you that may burst the bubble.’
***
‘There’s a reason I waited a month to see you.’ He guided her to the passenger door and held it open as she climbed in.
He had a girlfriend. A wife. A child or maybe two. What else could shatter the dreamy cocoon he’d had her in? ‘Tell me.’
He released a deep breath and raked a hand through his hair. ‘I’ll show you instead.’
He closed her door, skirted the bonnet, and took his place in the driver’s side, all with the sombre expression still plastered over his face. He drove toward her property, bypassing the front gates and continuing further on.
‘Where are we going?’
‘Be patient.’
‘Have you ever known me to have that quality?’
He chuckled. ‘You haven’t changed much over the years.’
She lowered her gaze, smiling to herself, trying to supress her apprehension. No, not much had changed. He was still the Heath she’d known all her childhood. No matter how many years had brought distance between them, they were still the same people. With the same affection for one another.
‘Are we almost there?’ she whispered.
He didn’t answer, didn’t pull his focus from the dirt road. The car slowed at the cattle grid leading onto his family land, but instead of driving toward the main homestead at the left of the property, he diverted to the right, continuing for a kilometre before pulling to a stop in front of a house. A new house. One she wasn’t familiar with.
‘What’s this?’
Heath continued to stare straight ahead, focusing on the brick building with its bay windows and wide verandah. ‘It’s the reason I waited a month to see you.’
She frowned. ‘Because you were busy building?’
‘Construction started while I was overseas, but it’s taken a while to get the final touches right. I wanted it to be perfect when I brought you here.’ He looked at her then, stealing her breath with the vulnerability staring back at her. ‘This is my house. The place I plan to live from now on.’
‘It’s beautiful.’
‘Do you really think so?’ His question was filled with concern.
‘Does it matter what I think?’
‘I’d like it to.’ He reached out a hand, swept the loose hair on her cheek behind her ear. ‘Seeing as I built this for the both of us.’
She straightened. ‘You can’t be serious.’
He shrugged.
‘Then you’re crazy.’ What the hell was he thinking?
He laughed, long and low and oh so endearing. ‘Maybe a little.’ His lips quirked, not in arrogance or cockiness, but in happiness. Pure happiness. ‘There’s a lot of things you aren’t aware of.’
A shiver of warning skittered down her spine. ‘Like?’
‘We better get out first.’ He jerked his head toward the house and opened his door.
She followed after him, her chest restricting with painful intuition as he met her at the front of the car and took her hand.
‘When I left for university, I made a pro
mise to Rowan and Connor.’
No. She shook her head, not knowing where this speech was leading, but already hating her brothers’ involvement.
‘Hear me out.’ He squeezed her fingers. ‘I never wanted anyone else. I knew that from my teenage years, and nothing has changed—’
‘Heath.’ She stepped back, breaking the connection of their palms. ‘What have you done?’
‘I asked them to keep an eye on you.’
Her mouth gaped. ‘You son of a bitch. You’re the reason they’ve warned off every man in the state.’
He gave her a sad smile. ‘Yeah.’
Years of hell. Days of torment. Hours of starved lust. All because of him. All for him.
‘You’re an arsehole.’ She stumbled backward, caught between the shock of his love and the pain of betrayal.
She needed to get out of there. Needed to get home. To stride out the confusion. To run free from the unnecessary years of heartache. Her feet began to backtrack of their own accord, distancing her from the future before her.
‘Brooke, wait.’
Her heart stopped. Breathing was impossible. Her lips parted, but there were too many words, too many questions.
‘Look.’ He held up his hands in a placating gesture. ‘I know you’re angry. I anticipated that. But there was no way I could’ve asked you to wait for me. You would’ve done it. You would’ve wasted years of your life, alone—’
‘So instead, I spent all this time being ruled by my brothers. Did you know they caught me in bed with Bryce Thompson? Do you know what they did to him?’
‘Yeah. I know.’ The bastard smiled. A huge, beaming smile. ‘Believe it or not, Rowan kept me up to date on what you did while I was gone. He even sent photos over the years.’
No way. She didn’t know if she should laugh at his elaborate plan to bring them together or throw up from the nauseating deception. ‘Gah!’ She threw her hands in the air and turned away to release a shout of frustration.
Crunched footsteps followed as she continued to walk down the long drive, the sound of Heath behind her getting closer.
‘Tell me I’m right,’ he murmured over her shoulder. ‘We would’ve drifted apart over the years I was away. There was no way we could’ve made it through living on sterile emails and rushed phone calls.’ His hand landed on her hip and her traitorous stomach did a flip at the gentle touch. ‘I couldn’t do that to you. No matter how much it tore me apart to leave.’
