Wilderness Liaison

by Anne Ashby

  “Stupid woman.” He stormed into the bathroom. “Get your shirt off and lie on the bed,” he ordered over his shoulder.

  Jodie’s head rose and she stuck her chin out even further.

  He glared at her when he saw her near the doorway. Taking a menacing step toward her, his face dark, he snapped, “Do it.”

  She met his icy gaze, her hands lifting to her hips. “No, thank you,” she spat the words at him.

  “I’m not putting up with your holier than thou martyr act any longer.”

  She had no warning. He threw the massage oil onto the bed and grasping her, turned and forcibly lowered her—albeit quite carefully—after it.

  Taken off guard and shocked at his audacity, Jodie was speechless. Before she could scamper away, he knelt astride her. The pressure of him sitting on her bottom anchored her.

  “You bastard.” She flailed her arms hoping she might connect with some part of his body, any part would do.

  “Stay still.” He ripped her shirt up over her head. “You’ll only aggravate the pain.”

  He knows nothing about pain. Wait until he gets off me. I’ll show him pain like he’s never felt before, she pledged. Cursing the ease with which he ground his backside down hard on her when she tried to buck him off, she clutched some of the black satin in her fists and fumed.

  “That was one of last night’s fantasies.”

  She snubbed his invitation to question him.

  “Your hands digging into these sheets, crunching them up in your fingers,” his voice mused.

  Her fingers shot open. She swore crudely.

  “Although, in my dream you were moaning with ecstasy.”

  “Right. In your dreams.” She bit out her retort through clenched teeth. “You wouldn’t want to know what happens to you in my dreams.”

  “Are you sure?” His voice had changed, softened. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her. She heard him unscrewing a bottle and flinched as something cold trickled onto her back—her whole back.

  The deep heat lotion he’d used before had come from a tube, not a bottle. And it had been a cream, not runny oil. She remembered the array of massage oils she and Rhys had discovered. They’d giggled as they’d checked the different flavours.

  A thrill of frightened anticipation touched her spine milliseconds before his hands began smoothing the oil. She choked back a cry, electrified by the intimacy. The chill between them vanished as his fingers began to heat her body in a way she’d never experienced before.

  “I’m not hurting you?” She barely heard his whispered words. His steady pressure against the small of her back brought a release that had nothing to do with pain. He must have taken her stilted moan as pain for his fingers immediately ceased working in that area, instead his hands slid all the way up her back to massage her shoulders and neck.

  Georgia! This was Georgia’s boyfriend, or maybe live-in lover. No matter what his presence did to her, she wasn’t going to join a long line of women falling all over themselves for his attention.

  “I bet Georgia just loves massages.”

  His hands stilled—with guilt, no doubt. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “You’ve never offered to rub her back for her?” Jodie scoffed.

  She wasn’t prepared for his outright laugh. “Lord, no! Georgia’s my cousin.”

  His cousin! She heard the smile in his voice and gritted her teeth, guessing her question must sound like jealousy. Being truthful to herself, it was exactly that.

  She made no murmur as he wriggled the top of her shorts a little further down. The rhythm of his hands rubbed from her waist up and over her shoulders and back again, and again. It slowly slipped her into a state of relaxed euphoria as she forgot about Georgia and all the other unknown women.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered a long while later.

  He needn’t worry. She wasn’t sure she was capable of moving right now.

  Moments later, his hands were back, stroking a couple of times up and down, before he grasped her shoulder and hip and turned her over onto a large towel. Her eyes flew open in protest, but she did nothing to stop him.

  Her shirt still covering part of her head, she hid her heated face under its folds. Slowly, in a surreal fashion, his hand grasped the screwed-up material and he twisted it aside. His dark, compelling gaze made it impossible for her to look away.

  Her heart pounded as his eyes dropped to her bare breasts, the tip of his tongue flicking across his lips as he stared. When he looked up, her heart raced even faster in reply to the desire blazing from his eyes.

  Watching his eyes travel up and down her body a couple of times, Jodie held her breath, waiting.

  Disappointment sucked the air out of her lungs when he reached for the massage oil and poured some into his hand. Readjusting his position on the bed, he lifted her leg and began to massage her foot.

  The euphoria from his back rub vanished at the intimacy he evoked as his fingers slid between her toes only to return to an impersonal manipulation of her foot and ankle and slide up over her calf. Each time she managed to get her breathing back under control, his fingers returned to her toes.

  Her heart thumped erratically, and when he lifted her foot higher, and took her big toe into his mouth she knew she was lost. She couldn’t stifle the shudder that jerked through her body or her cry of delight.

  “Hmm. Strawberry,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving her face, as he licked and suckled.

  Of their own will, her arms lifted. As if her invitation released him from some hold he was keeping on himself, he flung himself beside her, his mouth covering hers, devouring its softness.

  The minty taste of his kiss sent new whirls of rapture through her as she clutched at him. His clothing rasped against her sensitive bare skin. She tugged his shirt from his waistband, urging him out of it.

  Jodie had never experienced the slow, deliberate removal of clothing as a ritual foreplay before sex. She continued tugging at his shirt, impatient, but his hand stayed hers.

  Encouraging her with his mouth and lips, he unhurriedly removed her clothing with his teeth. Following his lead, her senses heightening as she stripped him, stumbling upon an erotic, tantalizing peak she’d never experienced before.

  His lips left the searing path down her neck to whisper urgently. “Are you protected?”

  She shook her head.

  Trying to swallow the sudden lump in her throat, Jodie’s mind raced. Calculating she wasn’t at her most fertile, she still wasn’t risking pregnancy.

  Damn, damn, damn. She tried to pull away from him and regain control of the emotions his touch had shot to smithereens.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he murmured as he left her.

  It doesn’t matter? She gasped.

  Hadn’t his involvement in this little episode been as pronounced as hers? She moaned under her breath, feeling the embarrassing heat rising into her face, covering her whole body. Her eyes shot open.

  One glance reassured her. She needn’t worry about his involvement.

  “There’s a variety here.” He was flicking through the bedside cabinet drawer. “Chocolate, strawberry—”

  A different type of heat suffused her body as she refused to meet his twinkling eyes. Later she would shudder at the picture of her parents’ flavoured condoms, but now she was just grateful for their presence.

  Chapter Eleven

  So used to waking early, Jodie’s eyes flew open as the birdsong started outside. The breath caught in her throat as her eyes bulged.

  Deep down inside she knew better, but she’d hoped the memories clouding her mind might just have been a dream. However the sight of his face so close to hers—her eyes dropped—and his naked body lying amongst the twisted sheets told her differently.

  She pinched her eyes shut, hoping the image would disappear but no such luck. He still lay beside her. She still lay naked beside him.

  This wasn’t supposed to happen. What the hell do I do now?

  She
bit her lip as she unravelled the sheet inch by inch from around herself. Sliding from the bed, she crept into the lounge. Running away from him might save her sanity; but that was hardly an option.

  Feeling humiliating heat burning her face she desperately sorted through the clean clothing laying on a chair and quickly dressed. Clothing would give her some defence when she confronted him. Now if only she could control the quiver in her hands and the pounding of her heart.

  Regrets and raw emotion filled her with dread. How can I possibly return this time of captivity back to any acceptable level while...?

  Bound up with these thoughts, she heard nothing of his approach. Unaware of his presence until his arms slipped around her, she had no time to stiffen or pull away before his front was plastered against her back. His lips were working their way down her neck to her shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” She struggled, pulling her buttocks away from the hardness against them. “Let me go.”

  Expecting his loosening arms to release her, Jodie was startled when he spun her around. With a lazy smile and a whispered, “Good morning,” his lips covered hers hungrily. Keeping her mouth jammed shut despite the shivers racing through her body, Jodie was even more aware of his erection pressing intimately against her.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispered. His lips left hers and began a trail across her cheek and down the side of her neck. He paused. “Jodie?”

  Jodie wrenched herself away from him. Her eyes drank in the beauty of his nakedness until she realised what she was doing. Her gaze flew back to his confused face. “Oh, for God’s sake, put on some clothes.” She stormed out onto the verandah. “We have to talk.”

  Swinging around when he joined her a moment later, Jodie’s pulse continued to pound at a phenomenal rate. His shorts were undone at the waist, and hanging dangerously low on his hips. She caught her breath as her gaze followed the line of dark hair beginning under his navel that disappeared below the waistband. The roar in her ears magnified.

  “I don’t want to talk.” Shal’s slumberous eyes followed the finger he touched to her cheek. She jerked back before it made contact.

  “It was a mistake...” Jodie refused to make eye contact as her waved arm encompassed the room behind them.

  “A mistake?” Shal’s voice had dropped. “It didn’t feel like a mistake to me.”

  “Well it was, and it won’t be happening again.”

  Although she tried, she couldn’t shake off Shal’s fingers as they grasped her chin and forced her to look at him.

  “What?” He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  Jodie tried to look away from his confusion, but his hold on her chin tightened.

  “Talk to me, Jodie. What’s wrong?”

  You are! she wanted to scream at him. You’re all wrong for me, nothing like the man I’d want in my life. Instead she swallowed the truth, along with her panic, and prayed her voice sounded calm. “Like I said, last night was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened.”

  He was silent for so long that Jodie wondered if he was ever going to reply. His dark eyes swept the vista in front of the cabin before returning to drill into hers.

  “Your head might be telling you that,” he murmured, “but you’re body’s saying something quite the opposite.” Mesmerised, she watched his eyes drop to her neck. “I can see your pulse beating, Jodie. It’s racing—”

  “Only cos I’m angry.”

  Shal’s hands cupped her face and then his fingers slid up through her hair. “You’re not angry, Jodie,” he whispered. His lips were tantalisingly close. “You’re aroused.”

  Unconsciously her dry lips opened, her tongue flicked across them. She felt an exhilarating sense of power when a groan escaped him as his mouth captured hers; demanding, and getting, a response.

  Shal clutched her shaking body. “Last night was fantastic. Don’t spoil it by denying that.”

  Feeling herself falling deeper and deeper into a hole, Jodie somehow gained the strength to yank herself away from his touch.

  “I’m not doing this, Shal. I’m not into casual sex.”

  Determination strengthened her voice. “It’s obvious this isn’t going anywhere. It can’t. You and I are too different, we have nothing in common.”

  “How do you know that? We hardly know each other.”

  “Exactly.” The distance now between them gave her control. “In a couple of days, you’ll be off—back to your world—and we’ll never see each other again.”

  “Only if you want it that way.” His eyes narrowed as they stared at her.

  “It’s the only way it can be.”

  Jodie was relieved when Shal closed his mouth on whatever he’d been going to say. She wasn’t sure she could take a long drawn-out argument.

  “You’re delusional, Jodie.” Shal edged a step closer, crowding her. “We’ll make love again...and you know it.”

  “No, we won’t.” Her hands fisted on her hips as she glared at him. Nerves in her stomach tightened at his confident smile.

  “I am not sleeping with you again, Shal Gregory.” Her voice faded as she recalled the sensations he’d made her feel last night.

  “Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?”

  “Errg.” For the first time she understood the phrase “seeing red” as colour danced in front of her eyes. “I am not getting involved with you. So deal with that.”

  “Fine.”

  Jodie’s eyes narrowed at his sudden capitulation. It didn’t ring true.

  Sure enough, he continued in a confident voice. “What we have—this chemistry between us—it’s not going away, Jodie. No matter how much you try to avoid it. There’s only one option—”

  “Ignore it.”

  Shal’s face broke out in a grin. “You can’t ignore it, no matter how much you try to pretend. I can see it in your face, your eyes, even your movements. You’re as hot for me as I am for you.”

  Even as her cheeks heated, she stuck out her chin. “You’re wrong.”

  “Am I?” his eyebrows rose. “Let’s test that theory, shall we?” He stepped closer, forcing Jodie to retreat. He took another step, Jodie retreated again.

  “Afraid?”

  Attempting to hide her fear, her chin jutted out as she scoffed, “No, of course not.”

  “I’ll make you a promise, then. Until we get back to civilisation, I won’t make any further moves.”

  Jodie felt the tension flood from her. Studying his expression, she believed him. Somehow she knew he was a man of his word. She was safe.

  Amidst the relief, she realised there was another emotion churning inside her. Struggling to identify what it was, she couldn’t accept it might be disappointment.

  As he ambled past her into the cabin, he patted her shoulder. “Our love-making will be at your initiative.”

  Left with her mouth hanging open, Jodie gawked after him. Damn the man. He just has to have the last word. Well, I hope he enjoyed it, cos that’s about all he’ll be getting by way of enjoyment from me.

  Unwilling to follow him into the almost certain claustrophobic interior of the cabin, she looked about blankly before stomping across to the lake and wading in, clothes and all. The water would cool her anger, as well as calm her shattered emotions enough for her to be able to confront him sometime later today.

  Shal wasn’t anywhere to be seen when Jodie traipsed back to the cabin. Panicking for a moment, her eyes flew around the bush wondering where he was. Noise drew her to the pathway behind the water tank.

  “What are you doing?”

  His grin was open and friendly, nothing more. “I was wandering around and wondered what was under this tarpaulin. I guess your Dad must have stacked these logs here. I thought I might split a few.” She noticed he already had an axe lying on the ground.

  “You going to help, or just stand watching?” He rolled out one particularly large log and positioned it as a chopping block.

  Watching would be too inviting, she d
ecided. He still hadn’t put on a shirt. The prospect of the sight of the muscles rippling across his shoulders and back as he began swinging the axe...

  She hastily grabbed a log and rolled it closer for him, keeping her eyes well away from his body. Each time he paused, she gathered up the chopped wood and threw it closer to the clearing, so she could stack it under the lean-to off the shed.

  The atmosphere was so lacking in tension, later she happily filled a water bottle for him, knowing there’d be no smart comeback. They were working in unison, just like they had been during the last couple days of the tramp.

  “Okay, your turn,” Shal challenged after slurping some water. He held out the axe to Jodie. “I’ll do some of the easy work for a change,” he teased.

  Jodie’s eyes narrowed. Is he expecting me to refuse? Jodie grabbed the axe, careful to avoid touching him as it changed hands. “Easy, huh?” She expertly swung the tool into a log. “We’ll see what you think when you’ve stacked all this.”

  His chuckle as he picked up the split wood—double what she’d managed each load—and disappeared behind the tank, filled her with warmth. She smiled as she remembered thinking he was a male chauvinist. She hadn’t a clue how he might treat other women, but he was treating her as an equal.

  They worked companionably for some time until the entire pile of logs had been split. Jodie was thankful he’d found something productive they could do. The work had filled in the morning and eased the earlier tension between them.

  “Feel like another dip?”

  Jodie glanced up at Shal’s suggestion as he put the axe and tarpaulin in the shed and shut the door. There was nothing untoward in his expression.

  Fearing he might strip naked again, she yelled, “Race you!” She ran for the shore and dived into the water just milliseconds before he did. They surfaced together, laughing, and set out across the water, stroke for stroke.

  “You’re a good swimmer,” Shal said as they paused after doing some lengths of the lake.

  “You’re not so bad yourself. Have you swum competitively?”