Chapter One
"It's not fair, Brandon. I was looking forward to a white Christmas for a change. The last thing I want is a wet season in the outback." Zoe Walters chewed on her bottom lip and shifted the phone to her other ear. She sighed and pulled free the sparkly dangling earring before throwing it carelessly onto the rosewood writing desk. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, a headache starting to throb at her temples.
"You have to come, Zoe. I've done the best I can since Mum and Dad died but now it's all getting too much for me."
There was a significant pause and Zoe opened her eyes. "What is it that you're not telling me?"
"The other partners have sold out."
"Who to?" She held her breath.
"Jonas Ward. At least it isn't a stranger or an overseas consortium," her brother tried to convince her. "Being a local guy and a friend of ours I'm sure that he will see reason and not try to change things too much."
Zoe grimaced at the tight pain twisting in her stomach. Jonas Ward, who had taken her virginity and taught her all she knew about sex. He'd left her panting for more many a time. Her brother’s best friend who she'd dumped after she caught him with his pants down with another girl. Now he was back to lord it over her.
This was going to be the worst fucking Christmas out.
"So why do you need me then if it's already sold? It's not like our measly shares give us much in the way of control, is it?"
"One of the conditions of the sale is that all interested parties will be on the property working or the board will forfeit their share. He… um… is head of the board now. You'll be left with nothing if you don't come home."
"But—"
"Sorry sis, I can't do anything. I told him you now worked in London and he had a dummy spit. Said if the farm meant anything to you it’s where you should be and what the hell were you doing in a foreign country anyway."
"He always was a bossy little brat. Doesn't sound like he's changed much." Zoe stood up and walked over to the window, pushing the curtain to one side. She looked down on the London traffic. Evening had set in and the lights on the vehicles sparkled below her. The surrounding roofs were blanketed with a thin layer of snow. It had just started to fall this morning and she was hoping that by the time the holidays came around it would be thick and fluffy on the ground. It would be the first December she hadn't gone somewhere else to evade the cold that settled in her bones. Everything had been looking just perfect for her first white Christmas until this phone call.
"You can't afford to let the board take your shares and distribute them to the rest of us. We all worked far too hard to build this business up. Besides that, it would be such a shame to let the parent’s legacy go to someone else." There was silence as Brandon waited for Zoe to speak.
"Fine. I'll have to sort something out here before I can leave. I'll see what I can do. My staff won't be happy, I can tell you that now but what choice do I have?" Zoe rubbed her fingertips into her temple. A throbbing headache started in the back of her skull and she knew why. "I'll call you when I have my flights organized."
"I'll pick you up at the airport. It will be good to have you home, .sis."
"Love you, Bran. Laters."
Zoe hung up the heat racing up her cheeks as the memories came rushing back. Jonas standing naked over her as she lay unashamedly nude in the hay, Her nipples budded and pushed against her satin and lace bra. She could still see his perfectly sculptured body bronze from working outside in the Australian outback sun.
The muscles that corded his lower belly were tight and smooth.
Zoe shifted to sit on her knees and reached up. She ran her finger tips along the small line of dark hair running from his belly button down to his very erect and ready cock. It jerked under her touch bringing a smile to her face.
"Stop teasing, Zoe," he gasped.
She smiled coyly at him before she lowered her head to his cock. With her tongue she traced around the head, nipping the soft skin with her teeth. Her hands slid up the back of his thighs and she cupped his butt cheeks in her palms. Tweaking the tight muscles she lowered her mouth and took him in.
She sucked slowly at first enjoying the salty taste of him. When he started to strain against her, she pulled him in deeper and sucked harder. Jonas ground his hips, thrusting as his climax built.
Seconds away from his climax he pulled from her warm mouth and pushed her back into the hay. Spreading her thighs with his knee, he plunged deep into her body. Zoe clung to his arms and met him thrust for thrust. She threw her head back and groaned when she peaked, her legs clutching around his thighs and holding him in.
****
Even ten years after they'd broken up he still had the ability to make her hot and flustered. No boyfriend since had that effect on her. None gave her that wanton feeling of sexual freedom t she'd enjoyed with Jonas. What would happen when she went home to the farm and saw him again? Just the thought of being around him again had her clenching her thighs together.
Their break-up had been bitter and acrimonious. Zoe had wanted to go off the pill thinking it was the only way they could be together, but Jonas had balked. His plans for them didn't involve a shotgun wedding. Her parents didn't want her getting married— said she was too young at eighteen to know her own mind. She thought they would have a change of heart if she was pregnant. But Jonas didn't want children, he wanted to make his fortune first so they had fought. Their relationship had slowly but surely soured. Trying desperately to keep things going, Zoe had sent Jonas a message asking him to meet her in their spot in the barn.
When she arrived she had found him in the arms of a partially undressed Lucy, the trashy daughter of one of the roustabouts. Broken-hearted she’d done what she did best. Zoe ran. She stayed away and built a new life for herself and for the child he didn't know she carried. Bitterly hurt by Jonas, she kept the baby girl a secret from everyone, not willing to have him come back into her life and ride roughshod over them both. She stayed in London until the news of her parents’ deaths in a car crash reached her and then she came home alone. Once the funeral was over, Zoe had returned to her business in London, keeping her distance from the only man who had the ability to make her body hum with need, while still smarting after all this time over his betrayal.
Now here she was headed for home again and it looked like she would be staying for a long time. The huge land holding had always been a joint venture, not one that her family had owned on their own. Three million acres and some of the top Brahman breeding cattle was a lot of to take care of and her father had set it up with business partners putting up most of the money. It was a huge business and had been very profitable for all involved but with the global financial crisis, things had changed. Costs had soared and production had dropped. A major injection of cash was what they needed and it looks like it came in the shape of Jonas Ward, super rich cheating ex-boyfriend. Fucking wonderful.
The family ran the property with the help of roustabouts and a permanent staff of around twenty men and women. Zoe hoped that Jonas would not be living on the farm. With any luck he will be too busy lording it up in the city looking after the financial side of things and not getting his hands too dirty. He always had an eye on the money, even as a teenager. Surely he wouldn't have changed that much?
There was a knock on the door and Lori, her P.A. poked her head around the door. "Got a minute Zoe?"
"Sure, I was going to call you anyway. Come in." Zoe walked over and then slipped her arm through Lori's s The girls had met not long after Zoe arrived scared and alone in London and they'd been close ever since. "What's up?"
"I just interviewed those two personal trainers and I think we might take them both on."
"Great, I'll draw
up the contracts. Listen, are you okay to take over for a couple of months if I go home again?"
"Sure, what's up?"
"Family stuff to do with the farm that Brandon insists on me being on site for. I could do without it but Lilly is settled into her new boarding school and so long as she has her horse she will be fine. I'm only a phone call away if she needs anything."
"You know I can take care of her, don't stress. You made me her godmother for a reason so let me spoil her when I can." Lori grinned and wrapped her arm over Zoe's shoulder. "Go home, honey, sort it out. This place will run fine without you for a while."
****
Zoe tucked her elbows in by her side while her fellow passengers jostled to get into the seats either side of her. It had been difficult to get a seat on the flight home, so the chance of a window seat was nil. She put the headphones in her ears and picked a movie, intent on ignoring those around her and wished for sleep as they flew halfway across the world to Australia.
Zoe groggily opened one eye. She rubbed at the line of dribble trickling down her chin and realized she had her head tucked snugly against the elderly gentleman on her left. Lifting her head slightly she looked up into his face. A frown marred his forehead and she quickly sat up, apologizing as she tried to straighten her clothes. Her water bottle was almost empty and her mouth felt like sandpaper. Unfastening her seatbelt, Zoe pushed past her neighbor and headed to the bathroom, her purse clutched in her hand.
Looking in the mirror under the harsh lights of the airplane toilet, she grimaced. Her mascara had run and the line of drool had left a white crusty film down her chin.
Super cute, not.
Running her hands under the cold tap, Zoe tried to cup enough water to splash her face, hoping that it would be enough to make her look a little more presentable when Brandon met her.
The plane dropped and with a squeal of fright, Zoe missed her face and the water soaked the front of her shirt.
Bloody hell.
She gripped the edge of the small hand basin and counted to ten before she looked in the mirror again.
Super great, now everyone can see my bra and what's under it. Her nipples had budded up when the cold water had soaked her breasts and she decided to stay where she was until they softened giving the other passengers less to look at.
"Ma'am?" A knock on the door and soft voice called her again. "Ma'am, you have to return to your seat. The Captain has switched on the seat belt sign. We are coming in to land."
Fuck it. Everyone is going to get a great view of my assets. Wonderful.
"Ma'am, you have to come out now."
Zoe ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door annoyed she hadn't even brushed her teeth. With her arms folded against her chest she made her way back to her seat. The plane dropped again and with a cry she reached out and grabbed hold of the nearest headrest, exposing her wet shirt and perky nipples to all of the passengers.
Brushing her hair back from her face and tipping her nose up in the air, she slipped passed the elderly man, ignoring the way his eyes lit up, and dropped into her seat. Now she would have to go through customs with her wet shirt and lacy bra on view and there was nothing she could do about it. What a way to greet her brother, looking like a half naked scarecrow with her make-up running and her hair not done. Definitely not the girl he was used to seeing.
****
Humiliated at the reception she received including the thorough bag search, Zoe pushed her luggage trolley through the doors to the waiting area where friends and family were waiting to greet loved ones. At least the guys in Customs had enjoyed the show with her shirt clinging to her boobs and they inspected every bag she'd brought with her.
"Random selection ma'am," they said.
Pig's ass it was. Bloody perverts.
She saw the way they all looked at her nipples still showing proudly under the damp shirt and lacy bra.
She looked around for Brandon, ignoring the grins and raised eyebrows that came her way. A hand came from behind and grabbed her arm and she jumped. Her eyes went straight to the offending hand ready to swing away and lash out. The well-manicured hand slid down to her elbow and cupped it. She looked down at the cuff of a silk white shirt, noting the gold and diamond cufflinks. Her stomach sunk as her brain registered the improbable. Gazing up into smoldering eyes, and not willing to believe the improbable she pulled back. Staring down at her was the man that had made her heart thump and her thighs tremble.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I would have thought that was fairly obvious." Jonas looked at her, and Zoe pushed down the heat that was coiling in her stomach as she looked at his seductive mouth.
"Where's Brandon? He was supposed to meet me."
"Yeah, well, he got a little bit busy. He asked me to do the honors since I had to come into the city anyway."
Jonas slipped his arm through hers and with his free hand he steered the trolley toward the exit doors. Zoe found herself being guided along the footpath toward a stretch black limousine.
"I can catch a bus you know."
He looked down at her, his mouth tight. "Your call. If you want to spend the next thirty hours on a bus, feel free to knock yourself out. I had to come down anyway and pick up the new mustering helicopter so it wasn't as if I made the trip especially to pick you up."
Zoe's stomach dropped with the thought of being in a confined space with him. Just standing next to him was sending the wrong signals to her body. Her nipples were pushing against the damp bra and she tried to ignore the pulsing in her clit. She licked her dry lips knowing he would walk away if she wanted him to.
"Um..."
"Make up your mind Zoe. I have places to go."
"Sheesh, settle down, Jonas. My word, you haven't calmed down any in the last few years have you? Still the same snappy little prick you always were."
"Little prick, are you kidding me? You have obviously forgotten how we spent much of our time, Zoe."
Heat washed over her face and Zoe turned away so he couldn't see the effect he was having on her. She swallowed a couple of times trying to ignore the image her brain conjured up of a naked, horny Jonas stretched out on the hay in front of her.
"That wasn't what I meant and you bloody well know it. Stop being so pushy and give me a chance to make up my mind. It won't kill you to wait another couple of seconds will it?"
"Still fiery too I see. Would it make your sensitive feelings better if I counted to ten before I asked nicely for your answer?" The sardonic look he gave her pissed her off even more.
"See, that's your problem right there. If I don't want to toe the line, you snap. You sound as immature as you were ten years ago." She tapped her foot on the pavement. Sitting on a bus for hours didn't thrill her but being stuck in a small helicopter with Jonas did.
Too much.
As much as Zoe tried to rationalize it he had nothing to offer her now and he wouldn't affect her, she knew she was kidding herself. She still wanted him badly as the effect he had on her body proved to her. Her only problem was how to hide it from him until she could go back to London.
"Fine then. I'll come with you. Where is it?"
"We need to get to the airfield. Over there." He pointed to the limousine and pushed her trolley to the curbside. Zoe hurried to keep up with him as he strode away from her. Jonas lifted the bags into the boot brushing aside the offer of help from his driver and slammed it shut. He opened the back door of the car and waited for her to get in.
Sliding across the seat, Zoe placed her handbag between them and kept her gaze ahead. Jonas gave the driver instructions and he pulled out from the curb and headed to the airfield.
"What made you go to London?"
Zoe turned and looked at Jonas, startled by his question. Her gaze followed the line of his jaw and up to his full lips, lips that had once done the most decadent things to her body. A small whimper escaped her throat before she could stop it.
"Zoe, snap out of it. I
asked you a question."
"Sorry, I must be jetlagged." She rubbed the heel of her hands into her eyes willing herself to not show her emotion. "I know I didn't sleep very well at all. Um, I guess it was something different and when I got there I liked it. Plenty of travelling with friends so I got to see something of the world and I liked where I worked." She tried to smile at him without looking like she wanted to throw him back on the seat and straddle him, ripping her panties off on the way. Doubting she was achieving that she turned back to look out the window again. "Why did you buy out the other partners?"
The silence stretched out. Unwilling to look at him or repeat the question she bit her tongue and waited. Jonas coughed and the silence stretched out. Damned if she was going to ask again. It was a battle of wills between them, one she wanted the upper hand in because if she didn't get it now, she doubted it she would get what she came here for.
Chapter Two
The limousine pulled to a halt and Jonas quickly opened the door and got out. Zoe followed, vowing to find the answer. She stood beside him and let him take her bags from the back of the car. Turning on his heel, he strode to the building and walked in through the automatic doors.
A smiling bald-headed portly gentleman came rushing over before he could put Zoe's bags down.
"Mr. Ward, a pleasure to see you again." He guided Jonas to a seat in front of a cluttered desk and beckoned him to sit down totally ignoring Zoe who chose to stand just inside the door and watch them "I have your new toy fueled and ready to go."
"I can assure you it is anything but a toy, Mr. Wallace. Now if you have the necessary forms for me to complete I would appreciate if we could get on with it. I have a busy day ahead and need to get home."
Zoe hid a smile as the salesman flustered around his desk trying to find the correct papers. She knew Jonas was annoyed by the way he held himself in the chair. It was funny how she could still read him after all this time. Words had not been needed between them. A look or gesture had said it all.
Outback Thunder Page 1
