Heaving the calf’s head from the mud, Nick gave it a reassuring pat. “Hang in there, mate. I’ll get you out.”
He wrapped the rope around its neck and turned to find Ava knee-deep in mud next to him, concern for the animal etched on her face.
“What can I do to help?”
“I need you to back the truck up as close as you can without hitting the mud. I’ll tie the end of the rope to the towbar.”
She nodded, got back in the truck, and reversed it. Nick held up his hand, indicating when to stop. He tied the rope to the towbar as she rushed back and took his spot next to the calf, cooing in the animal’s ear like she was settling a baby.
Once the rope was secure he said, “Okay, I need you to drive out slowly.”
As the truck shifted forward, he began lifting and pulling the distressed animal. After a few stops and starts, trying to haul a nearly two hundred kilo calf from the mud, they finally had it free and with its mother. Nick slapped them both on the rump to shoo them away from the soggy dam.
Ava bounded from the truck, ran to Nick, and threw her arms around him. “We did it!” Then she stiffened, pulled away, and stepped back. She grimaced at his clothes then at her own and laughed. “I don’t think Maggie’s going to want this back.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think it’s only mud.”
He untied the rope and winded it up to distract himself. Her exuberance reminded him of when they were younger.
“I know somewhere we can clean up.” He threw the rope in the tray.
After getting back in the truck, they drove a few minutes to a cluster of eucalyptus trees, parked the car, and got out. It was a place they’d went to often, and sure enough, excitement lit her dirty face when she realized where they were going. They’d spent hours at this waterhole, swimming, skinny-dipping, and having way too much fun.
The track there was now overgrown with infrequent use. The last time he’d trekked this path was with Ava. It took them twenty minutes to hike through the bush to get to the pool of water nestled under the cliffs. The sound of the waterfall, which was usually a slow trickle, was now a hard rush after the heavy rain.
“This place is still so beautiful,” Ava said in awe as they both stared out over the boulders of rocks that formed the pool surrounded by gumtrees. The waterfall crashed down, causing choppy ripples on the surface.
She tugged off her shoes, rolled up the bottom of her jeans, and climbed up onto the boulders until she found a spot she could dangle her feet into the water. She reached in and rinsed off the mud on her arms and tried to wipe some off her jeans.
Molly sniffed around until she found the tree she wanted to lie under and fell fast asleep.
With mud caked all over him, Nick joined Ava and began to wash as much off as he could. She leaned back on her hands, tilted her face to the sun, closed her eyes, and sighed. Like she was releasing the weight of the world.
“We don’t have places like this back home,” she said as she kicked her feet in the water.
He noticed that she referred to where she was living now as home and not the place where she grew up.
“We have beautiful beaches, which I don’t go to often enough, but there’s something about being in the middle of nature with no one around. The colors, the sounds…it’s so peaceful. Do you know what I mean?”
She twirled around and gave him a smile that smacked him right in the chest. She was beautiful, he couldn’t deny it, and when she smiled like that, her whole face lit up and he couldn’t breathe for a moment. Warmth and something tingly spread through his veins.
“Yeah, it’s spectacular out here.” His voice was gruff. It wasn’t the scenery he was talking about.
She laid back on the rock, stretched her arms over her head, and made a little groaning sound. A burst of fire shot straight to his groin. She was killing him, and if she kept looking so damn sexy, he was going to do something stupid again.
He jumped up, pulled his t-shirt over his head, and tossed it on the rock.
Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I need to get the mud off,” he lied. He needed to take care of the problem throbbing in his jeans, and there were only two ways to deal with that. One involved Ava and the other was a dunk in the cold water. He chose the latter.
“You can’t be serious about going for a swim in that!” She sat up and pointed at the water. “It’s so murky after all the rain.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure? Years ago, you would’ve been the first one in.”
“I don’t have a death wish anymore.” She grimaced.
“Or you’ve gotten old,” he teased.
Her eyes narrowed, but he didn’t wait for her reply. He had more pressing issues to deal with. Taking a deep breath, he jumped into the water.
When he surfaced, he shook his head and droplets flew from his hair. Ava stood on the rocks, hands on hips, glaring at him. Even with her lethal expression and the blast of cold water, it did nothing to ease his discomfort.
“Just because I don’t want to hurdle myself into dangerous, murky water doesn’t make me old. I’ve obviously acquired a lot more common sense over the years than you.”
“Okay.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m intelligent enough to know not to jump in there.”
“Whatever you say.”
“You don’t believe me.”
He shrugged as he treaded water. “Sure I do.”
It wasn’t hard to see that she had recognized the sarcasm. She blew out a frustrated breath and glanced suspiciously at the water. After what appeared to be her battling an argument in her mind, she squared her shoulders and stared at him with a challenging expression.
Without breaking eye contact, she pulled the jumper over her head and tossed it on top of his t-shirt. Then she peeled off her jeans, and they too got tossed aside, leaving her in nothing but a tiny, lacy, pink bra and matching undies.
Nick’s heart thumped hard in his ribcage, and the organ he’d been trying to contain had now grown double in size and double the trouble.
She raised a dark eyebrow, and her lips twitched. Yeah, she knew exactly how to use her body to bring a man to his knees, or in his case, drown. Then she jumped into the turbulent water.
Chapter 9
The chilly water sluiced over Ava’s heated skin, doing little to reduce the sudden rush of heat that had blasted through her body when Nick took off his shirt. The ropy muscles of his arms had rippled as he’d pulled the t-shirt over his head. Then her eyes had trailed to an impressive chest and abs. A sprinkling of dark hair traveled down along his corrugated stomach and disappeared behind the waistband of his jeans. The boy had grown nicely into a man. She’d had to stop herself from reaching out and trailing her hand along his body.
It had been two months since she’d had a man in her life, or more to the point, had sex. A man in her life implied a relationship, and that’s what Ava avoided. Sex, yes. Relationships, no. Her father had taught her early on how poisoning they could be. And she dealt with more divorces at her law firm than she could count. At first when she’d lost interest in sex she’d thought something might be physically wrong and went to see the doctor. After a physical that showed no signs of anything sinister, the doctor’s diagnosis was overwork and stress.
If she was being honest with herself, picking up a random guy had lost its appeal, but that didn’t mean she wanted to go down the relationship route. Now, after spending the past two days with Nick, kissing him and seeing his hotter than hell body, all her good parts had woken up. She wanted to raise her hands to the sky and yell halleluiah, praise the Lord, I am cured!
But why did Nick have to be the cure? Why not the cute guy with the dimples who tried picking her up at Dexter’s? He could have been the one. But when his hands wandered to places that normally buzzed with excitement, it had only creeped her out. Now Nick had gotten those places buzzing again and in the most delicious way.
As she swam t
oward Nick, heat sparked from his eyes, and he watched her like he wanted to take a bite. She quivered, imagining the body parts she’d love for him to sink his teeth into.
As much as she craved for him to feast on all the places that tingled with goodness, she couldn’t go there. If he kissed her again like he did last night, and with her libido back in action, she knew how this story would end. They’d end up naked, having sex, and as soon as she was back on the road, they’d go their separate ways.
But wasn’t that exactly how she liked things? No attachments? A tightness clutched at her chest. The ache wasn’t something she was used to. Why didn’t no-strings sex seem right with Nick? Maybe the uneasiness had something to do with the history they shared.
“Stop looking at me with those come-sex-me-up eyes,” she ordered. She schooled her face so she didn’t stare back at him with the same lusty expression. Although her sex-starved body wanted exactly what his eyes suggested, her mind was trying to overrule.
He shifted closer, keeping buoyant in the rough water. Her arms and legs were already starting to tire, and she hadn’t been in the water as long as he had. She’d either have to wrap her legs around Nick to keep afloat or head back to shore. Using him as a floatation device did sound appealing, but it would mean trouble.
“I think you like it when I look at you with come-sex-me-up eyes.” His voice was low and sexy. For a man who only a day ago couldn’t move far enough away, he was fast approaching. A witty comeback clogged in her throat.
He treaded in closer, bopping in the water so close that their chests almost touched. God, why did guys look so hot wet? Him looking like that made it so much harder to think. It was time to make up her mind. Was she going to sink or swim?
His eyes hooded as he leaned closer, their lips only a hair’s breadth away. If they touched, it would surely make her sink. So she lifted her arm and splashed water in his face.
“What the fuck!” he spluttered.
Now it was time to swim. Ava didn’t wait around. She went full free-style stroke mode toward the rocks. Only to be pulled up by her left ankle and dragged back.
She managed a gurgled squeal and swallowed a mouthful of water just before her head got thrust under the surface. When she resurfaced, coughing and spluttering, she pushed clumps of hair from her eyes and glared at Nick’s laughing face.
“What’s the matter, Avi-baby, can’t take a bit of payback?” He called her Avi-baby again, but this time he didn’t look annoyed about the slipped nickname.
“I only splashed a tiny bit of water at you. You could’ve drowned me.”
His grin grew wider. “You’re exaggerating.”
Another wave of water flew in his face.
She dodged his outstretched arms and swam as fast as she could to safety, but once again, a firm hand wrapped around her ankle and reeled her in like a fish. This time pulling her to him so her back pressed up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her. He must have found a boulder to stand on because he was steady.
Not like her trembling heart—there was nothing steady about it.
“Ava,” he whispered in a deep, husky voice.
Wet, hot lips at the nape of her neck sent her body into a shivering mess, and her head dropped back to rest on his shoulder. She couldn’t stop him if she’d tried.
“You’re driving me crazy. I don’t know if I want to strangle you or screw you,” he said as his hands skimmed her stomach.
Ava pulled in a sharp breath.
His hands continued to glide up her torso until they paused under her heaving breasts. She arched her back, giving him permission to handle them. But instead of taking them like she desperately wanted him to, he slid his hands to her back and gave her a gentle shove toward the shore.
The rebuff shocked her more than diving into the frigid water. He’d pushed her away just when her body was responding and craving his touch. How dare he turn her on and off like a light switch then leave her wanting more. No man had ever rejected her, and he’d done it twice! Even though last night was a test, it had gone way beyond a challenge and he’d been the one to put a stop to it. She always got what she wanted, and at the moment, even though her mind protested, her body was seeking one hot, sexy farmer boy.
Rising out of the waterhole, she stood, hands on hips, glaring down at Nick who was now doing laps in the pool. It was evident he’d wanted her too; it had pressed firmly against her arse. While she had no release for her frustrations, he was swimming like an Olympic swimmer to get rid of his.
Feeling drained, she heaved a heavy sigh, dropped onto a boulder flat enough to lie on, and soaked up the sun to dry while she waited for Nick to finish. A good time later, a splashing sound and footsteps on the rocks announced his exit from the water. She grinned with satisfaction. That was a long time to get himself under control. It served the jerk right.
He sucked in a breath and growled, “Fuck me.” And her grin exploded into a huge, teeth-baring smile. She hadn’t bothered dressing, and she lay on the boulder, knowing exactly how she looked in her Victoria’s Secret underwear.
“Need to do a few more laps?” she said sweetly as she raised onto her elbows. Then she scrambled to her feet and rushed to Nick’s side. “You’re bleeding.”
A trickle of blood made a trail down his bristly cheek.
He swiped at the blood with the back of his hand, not taking his heavy-lidded eyes off her. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“I wanted to dry.” And make him suffer for turning her into a quivering mess.
More blood sprang from a small cut, and she reached out to stroke his cheek.
Nick clutched her wrist, his eyes darkening to a stormy blue. “Touch me and you’re gonna find yourself lying on that rock again, touching more than my face.”
Her insides did a shimmy and a shake at the prospect, but she’d regained control of her body and knew to leave well enough alone. “But the blood—”
“It’s nothing. A branch pricked me. Let’s go.” He spun on his heel, picked up his shirt, and whistled for Molly to follow him. “I’ll wait for you at the truck.”
The tension that had begun to slip between them during the day, sprung back up in full force. For a few hours they’d forgotten the resentment they’d had for one another and enjoyed each other’s company like they were friends. But they weren’t friends. She wasn’t sure they could ever be again.
Before leaving, she took one last look at the waterhole. The choppy, murky water didn’t detract from the beauty of the place. She never thought she’d be back here to see it again, and sadly, this would be the last time. Once she got off the farm and sorted out why Bella needed her, she’d be back at Brimland Point and getting back to her life. One that didn’t include a moody, but sexy, farmer boy.
Collecting her clothes, she quickly dressed and headed in the direction of where they’d parked. Luckily for him, she knew the track back, otherwise, she would have ripped into him for leaving her in the middle of nowhere.
When she reached him, he was securing Molly into the tray.
“Why so hot and cold?” The words left her mouth before she had time to stop them. That was so unlike her, especially with her career. She needed to gather information, look at things a hundred different ways. Not just blurt out whatever wanted to come out of her mouth. But the words were out now, and she couldn’t take them back. May as well see what the attitude was about.
He flicked a brief glance over his shoulder and patted Molly’s head. “Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb.” She gritted her teeth. “One minute you’re hot and heavy, looking at me like I’m your next meal, and the next you’re blowing more cold air than the Antarctic.”
He swiveled and met her gaze. “Did you want me to screw you back there? Because we were two seconds away from that happening, and believe me, as good as it would have been, it wouldn’t have been worth it.” He slammed the tailgate closed.
/> Fury boiled in her stomach. “You’re an arsehole.”
He slumped his shoulders and shook his head like he’d lost the urge to fight. “We’ve gone down that road before and look how that turned out.”
And who’s fault was that? she wanted to yell. If he hadn’t betrayed her, things could’ve been different. But would they have lasted? They’d had their own dreams and ambitions. Hers was taking her out of Sunland Valley. She thought Nick would have been long gone by now too.
She leaned her butt on the side of the truck, watching Nick. She could tell by the raised eyebrow he was waiting for her to disagree. Their relationship hadn’t ended well, she couldn’t deny it.
“We were young. What did we know about relationships?”
He ran his fingers through his wet hair. “Nothing.”
“And we’re both still clueless.” She laughed to try to make light of it, but it sounded flat.
He smirked, but no warmth reached his eyes. “Yeah, we are.”
Chapter 10
Nick dropped Ava back at the house so she could clean up before she left. He had work he needed to finish, and she was too much of a distraction. When he found Percy filling his truck with hay, the old farmer had everything under control.
“What about the troughs?” Nick asked. “Had to rescue a calf stuck in mud from the south dam trying to get to the water. I don’t want the cows near the dams until it dries up.”
“Taken care of. Kev and a couple of the farmhands have moved them to the top paddock and secured them in. I’ll be taking this hay up to them.”
“The hay bales are looking low. I’ll need to order more.”
Percy shook his head. “On their way.”
With his hands on hips, Nick glanced around, trying to look for something that needed to be done.
“Nick, mate, go home. Everything is handled.”
By home, Nick knew Percy meant Sydney. But he couldn’t abandon the farm. It needed to be run by a Williams. His father had put too many years into this place for it to be operated by anyone other than family. Brad might believe their father wanted them to pursue their own dreams, but deep down, Nick knew it would have made him happy if one of his sons took over.
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