Against All Odds (Outback Hearts)

by Silva, Jezz de

  She’d weaved as much sarcasm into her response as she could, but even as the words left her mouth, the truth stretched out all around her. Like the crimson hide of a billion-year-old dinosaur, the rocky ground looked as uninhabitable as Mars, yet life seemed to thrive around the water holes. Jagged mile-long fissures ripped through the crust while huge ridges of rock snaked across the landscape like puckered scars from injuries sustained eons ago.

  “This is us right here.” He pulled the chopper up above an escarpment that stretched to the horizon in either direction. “Everything from here to the Wishing Tree is Wingarra.”

  Even hovering above the land he was so casually describing, the scales were unimaginable and the helicopter screaming and shaking around them seemed far more like a necessity than an extravagance. “Who owns the rest?”

  The temperature inside the cabin chilled as his smile faded. He caught himself, but it was too late.

  “Problems with the neighbors?”

  His smile vanished completely. “Carter Industries controls the land to the southwest.”

  “All of it?”

  He nodded. “Everything to the Northern Territory and New South Wales borders.” The land north of us is divided up amongst a half a dozen multinational mega corporations.”

  “I thought you guys would be safe from big business out here.”

  “Wingarra and Carter Station are the only remaining family-run operations in the region.” He nodded to the land stretching to the horizon on their right. “Not that you can call the Carter Station family run anymore.”

  He seemed to lose himself in his thoughts before he mumbled something she couldn’t hear over the engine and shook his head. “Enough business, this is a pleasure trip.” He glanced at the fuel gauge. “You’ve got forty-five minutes of fuel left and the world’s funniest, most charming, and best-looking tour guide at your disposal. Where to, m’lady?”

  Anywhere you’re headed, cowboy. She grinned and squeezed his thigh. “One more lap around your backyard then on to the Big House for breakfast. I’m starving.”

  He nodded dutifully before plunging the chopper headfirst toward a rocky outcrop. A scream tore free of her mouth just before he leveled off and casually drifted just a few dozen meters above the ground, all without so much as looking at her.

  Her terror faded to anger, then to disbelief as they floated over the landscape. No noisy, smelly cities choked with traffic, no fancy hotels filled with strangers, no tour buses overloaded with camera-toting tourists, just the mythical Australian outback in its raw, untainted glory.

  “Was this what you had in mind when you booked your ticket?”

  She’d gotten so used to his Special Forces ESP she wasn’t even surprised he’d guessed where her mind had wandered. She’d imagined a place just like this, a place so far away she could almost forget reality, but she’d never dared dream of finding someone who made her feel so safe or so alive. She tore her gaze from the masterpiece stretching out below her to gaze at him but couldn’t find the words to answer.

  “So, can you see yourself hanging around here a little longer?”

  The confidence that was so much a part of everything he did had vanished as he studied her, but as the seconds dragged by that damned know-it-all grin slowly curved his lips.

  She wanted to explore this magical kingdom with her smart-ass Prince Charming so badly she was almost willing to hand over what remained of her pride and dignity. She fixed a scowl onto her face and shrugged. “Well, I guess I’m stuck here since that mother of yours guilted me into helping out with the kids.”

  She was looking forward to sitting in on Naya’s classes almost as much as helping out with the mustering, but what Naya Harper, matriarch of the Harper dynasty, traditional custodian of Wingarra, and conniving old busybody had failed to clarify was that classes weren’t due to start for at least another week.

  He shrugged and tried his best to look guilty but only succeeded in proving what sneaky crooks he and his mom were. “Yeah, sorry about that. She has trouble keeping track of dates.”

  She shook him until he gave up the act and started laughing. She couldn’t help chuckling along as a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun streaming into the cockpit spread through her. “I’ve decided what I want for my wish.”

  “Oh, really.” He leered at her and grinned. “Should I set her down here, or do you want to wait until we get back?”

  In between obsessing over what the hell she was doing and how long she should stay in Wonderland, she’d explored a dozen wishes that she could get her sexy tour guide to grant. Most of them involved various parts of his anatomy sliding, rubbing, and nibbling certain parts of hers, but she figured she’d get those for free soon enough. What she really craved was for him to forget about her future and forget her past and pretend she was just another twenty-eight-year-old girl on the adventure of her life. He’d smooth-talked his way out of it the first morning they’d shared and melted her heart along the way, but he wasn’t escaping again.

  She shook her head and jabbed her finger at him. “No more treating me like I’m made of glass.”

  He reared back as if she’d accused him of stealing someone’s wheelchair.

  She pushed against her harness and grabbed hold of his shirt. “I’m not some delicate princess who needs your protection. It’s lovely and sweet and it got me to follow you into the middle of nowhere, but if it goes on much longer, you’ll drive me crazy. I take care of myself and if you’re not going to allow me to pay for anything, I’m damn well earning my keep.”

  She ignored the huge puppy-dog eyes staring back at her and slowly inched her hand down his torso and over the buckle securing his harness until she cupped his manhood.

  He’d been right about taking it easy with the sexy times. Every time she moved, her body reminded her she was a novice between the sheets, against the wall, on the floor, and in the shower. But the aches and pains only reminded her of what they’d shared and had her dreaming of what they could do to one another if he allowed himself to lose control.

  A whispered grunt drained from his gaping mouth as he stiffened against her palm. The fact she could do this to him still amazed her, but she doused the warmth spreading through her belly and deepened her frown.

  The straps of her harness squashed her boobs and the huge stainless-steel buckle preventing her from falling to her death dug into her stomach, but she ignored the pain, the screaming engine, and the thudding rotors, and struggled closer.

  Who would’ve thought seduction could be so hard? Then again, she doubted many women had tried to put the moves on the pilot of a deafening toy helicopter hovering a few meters above a snake- and-scorpion-infested desert. With what she hoped was a sexy sweep of her head but what probably looked like a dog trying to catch flies, she nudged their microphones out of the way and claimed his mouth. She sucked and licked until he roused from his trance.

  Just as his tongue brushed hers, she pulled away and stared into his wide eyes. Grabbing hold of his erection she leaned closer and pressed her mouth to his ear. “And the next time we have sex, you’re going to stop playing around and you’re going to fuck me with this.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Ryder settled the sheet over Abi’s bare shoulders and stared into the predawn darkness. After a week of sleeping like the dead, his insomnia had returned with a vengeance, but he no longer lurched awake at the slightest creak or whenever the wind gusted. What was the point? What he feared most couldn’t be heard, couldn’t be seen, and he couldn’t kill it. He could put a round through a playing card from a kilometer away, scuttle an oil tanker, and level a building, but he was powerless to protect the woman curled around him.

  His desperation for her had been so overwhelming he’d ignored the future and convinced himself he’d be able to figure out a plan. He was the unstoppable Sergeant Ryder Harper, for Christ’s sake. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d stared down death—hell, he’d done it with what was le
ft of his leg lying five meters away and shrapnel fizzing by his ears—but as each magical day ended and a new one began, reality marched back into his world like an indestructible juggernaut.

  “I thought I cured your insomnia.”

  Her molten-caramel voice had him smiling despite the darkness consuming his thoughts. She’d been awake for a while, but he’d hoped she’d drift back to sleep and get more rest. She’d passed out splayed across him just like she’d done every night they’d shared, but she’d never be close enough.

  He pulled her tighter against his chest and pecked her head. “I thought I cured your headaches.”

  Like his insomnia, the nonstop sex had muffled the bitch pounding inside her head, but with each day, she’d found it harder to sleep through the night or conceal her pain. The headaches hadn’t slowed her, though. She’d raced around Wingarra like a jillaroo on speed as soon as the sun rose and only took a break when the sun set to gang up with his mother and sisters around the dinner table to give him and his brothers hell.

  He’d thought he’d struck gold three days ago. He’d been teasing her by threatening to sneak a peek at her notebook, and she’d been stomping the crap out of his foot and yanking on her backpack, when the two bottles of painkillers she’d hidden from him clattered onto the floor. But he’d been as successful at getting her to take the OxyContin as he had with the Vicodin, which combined with his miserable failure to coax what was hidden in the journal out of her meant he’d struck out yet again.

  She’d been such a hardheaded pain in the arse he’d given up trying to get her to take it easy around the station and casually leaked the news of her worsening headaches to his mother, who with the help of his brothers and sisters, had force-fed her paracetamol and tied her down to rest whenever they’d found her covertly rubbing her temples or grimacing. Fighting a brain tumor with paracetamol was like throwing pebbles at an aircraft carrier, but it was the best they could hope for.

  “I think the novelty’s wearing off.” She snuggled into him and played with his chest hair. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but I think you’re slowing down in your old age, Sarge.”

  They’d exhausted his initial condom supply and worked their way through the pack of tiny latex tourniquets she’d brought with her. If they kept up the pace, the bulk box he’d bought from the chemist in town would run out in a few days. He was going to have to steal some from Jarrah or Ethan because there was no way in hell he was heading back into town for more since news of his purchase had probably already made Baroona’s Facebook page. He lifted the sheet and cleared his throat.

  She chuckled and slapped his chest. “Not bad, but I’ve seen bigger.”

  He flipped her over and pinned her to the mattress. “How about you give me a look at that bucket list of yours. I’m sure I can add a few things to spice up your holiday and distract you from those headaches.”

  She bit his shoulder. “You can forget about getting your meaty paws on my bucket list. It’s perfect the way it is, thank you very much.”

  She’d done everything short of locking Lady Gaga’s notebook in a safe to prevent him from nosing around. God only knew where her latest hiding spot was, but if he could just secure more intel on what she wanted to do on her holiday, he’d have a better shot at getting her to stay longer or convincing her to allow him to tag along on the rest of her adventure. He’d suggested hiking around Uluru, diving the Great Barrier Reef, crocodile spotting in Kakadu, hot-air ballooning, parachuting, a Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, but she’d waved him away and told him off for harshing her buzz. Harshing her buzz? What the hell did that even mean?

  He’d promised her the adventure of a lifetime, and she’d spent most of her holiday helping out around the station. He’d gotten to the point where torturing the truth out of her was becoming a very real necessity.

  “Look, if you don’t give me something to go on, you’re going to go home, post a shitty review on Trip Advisor, and ground my fledgling private outback tour business before it gets off the ground.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I thought this was an exclusive, onetime thing for you?”

  “I’m thinking of turning it into a full-time gig. There must be hundreds of bored, rich city women looking for adventure in faraway lands.” He shrugged. “My first client was demanding, secretive, and stubborn, but surely they can’t all be that bad.”

  He was hoping to ignite a fire in her eyes, but she doused his hopes and simply grinned back up at him. “She sounds like a strong, intelligent woman who doesn’t put up with crap. Some of these macho tour guides down here think they’re Crocodile Dundee. One guy even pretended to be some sort of Special Forces war hero to get a client into bed.”

  “That’s exactly the type of operator we’re trying to stamp out of the industry. Those cowboys are going to ruin it for everyone.”

  “Stockmen.” She waved a finger in front of his face. “An Aussie cowboy’s called a stockman. You better remember that if you hope to impress your future clients.”

  “You see, that’s why feedback’s so important.” He caught her finger and sucked it into his mouth.

  She yanked it clear but not before a whispered groan snuck between her parted lips. “You sure you want to head down this career path? I heard it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”

  He sighed and made sure his breath caressed her naked breasts. “It’s degrading, frustrating, and bloody hard work, plus the pay’s crap.” He leaned down and licked each of her nipples before propping himself onto his elbows to watch them pucker. “But the perks aren’t bad.”

  A moan oozed from her mouth before she cursed and flipped him over.

  There was only one thing he enjoyed more than being on top of her, and that was being underneath her. He’d never get enough of the way her body flowed over his.

  She straddled him and made sure his cock knew exactly what it was missing out on before sitting up on his hips. “Well then, I better make sure your next clients know what they’re getting into before they fly all the way out into this dusty, desolate hell. Let’s see.” She ground her hips against his as she tapped a finger to her lips. “Transport from Brisbane was fantastic.” She narrowed her eyes. “As long as you don’t let the tour guide drive.”

  He leaned up and bit her boob.

  She yelped before pounding him back down onto the mattress. “Resort activities are second to none.”

  When she hadn’t been repairing quad bikes, utes, generators, and anything else with cylinders, or helping his mother get the classroom ready, she’d ridden, hiked, swam, and flown over an impressive chunk of Wingarra’s million acres. Flying with her to track down the herds they’d be mustering in less than two weeks had become one of his favorite jobs. It ranked right up there with teaching her to ride a horse. She was as comfortable on horseback as he’d been folded into the economy-class seat of the plane, but damn, her butt had been designed to sit atop a saddle and her boobs were going to distract every visiting stockman and potentially get a few killed if she hung around long enough to help with the muster.

  “Accommodation and meals couldn’t be better.”

  He had to agree with her about the food. What Wingarra lacked in five-star accommodation, his mother more than made up for with food. It wasn’t Neil Perry fancy, but it was delicious and endless, which was just as well considering his client loved food almost as much as he did. And as far as accommodation for a few adventurous nights went, the loft had been fun. He’d been worried she’d get sick of slumming it in the barn, but she’d nearly bitten his head off when he’d floated the idea she may be more comfortable in the Big House. She’d told him she loved the privacy and rustic charm of the loft, which was fine by him, considering he’d sleep upside down from the rafters if it convinced her to stay longer.

  “The staff are fantastic.”

  His family had practically adopted her and voted him out of their tribe. Kira had taken to calling her the Stig two days ago after Jarrah had finally relented a
nd let them use the Vanquish for driving lessons. Jeddah and Ethan had lent Abi boots, a spare Akubra, and some proper clothes in exchange for a couple of fast laps around town. His cocky older brother had taken a very keen interest in her riding lessons, but he suspected that had more to do with how she looked on horseback than any real commitment to improving her horsemanship. Even Maddie had warmed to Abi after she’d figured out just how gifted his girl was with a socket wrench. And his mother was ready to canonize Abi for helping her plan lessons and prepare the classroom for the horde of monsters who’d be descending on them within days. As soon as Maddie had finished growling at him for the day, he’d usually find his mother and Abi sitting in the shade outside the barn his mum had converted into a classroom almost a decade ago. They were normally so caught up discussing everything from Aboriginal Dreamtime to the differences in the Aussie and US schooling systems he’d be able to revel in their shared contentment and happiness for a little while before Abi would sense him and melt his heart with her smile.

  She sighed and shrugged while continuing to torture him by grinding the slick heat of her sex all the way up and all the way down his cock. “The only real problem is the tour guide, but everything else is so good you tend to overlook his countless flaws.”

  He secured her hips and did some grinding of his own. “And those are?”

  “Well, let’s see.” She casually leaned over and not so casually ripped off a precious condom from the strip lying beside the bed before resuming her mount. “He’s paranoid.”

  Check, and there was no way in hell that was changing anytime soon. She meant too damned much to him.

  “He tattles to his mommy and resorts to physical violence when he doesn’t get his way.”

  Yup, and he’d keep doing whatever it took to get her to take it easy, despite the face-melting glare she unleashed on him whenever he put the kibosh on her fun.