by Julie Kenner
He wasn’t the kind of guy who folded when times got tough. And he knew how fragile Hayley could be when she felt as if she’d been deserted. The deal he’d made to give Harry the land would make her smile. And it might change Harry’s mind about checking out early. Teague gathered some clean clothes from the pile Mary had put on the end of his bed and tossed them into a duffel bag.
He’d gotten up at sunrise and driven over to Wallaroo. He’d felt a bit strange going through Harry’s belongings, but he’d found everything on Hayley’s list—a flannel robe, a battered stockman’s hat, a framed photo of Harry with Wallaroo’s prize bull and a key chain with a lucky rabbit’s foot.
He’d thought about taking the photo of Hayley’s grandmother, then realized why Hayley hadn’t put it on the list. Maybe Harry was ready to be with her again and the photo would only remind him of that. Teague couldn’t imagine how any of the other things would be important to Harry, but then, he didn’t know Hayley’s grandfather.
He’d also ventured into Hayley’s room and packed some of her clothes into one of her designer bags. Teague had actually enjoyed picking through her things, remembering when she’d worn each item of clothing, inhaling the scent of her perfume and her shampoo, flipping through some of the scripts she’d brought along.
He hadn’t spoken to Hayley last night and was left to assume she was all right. Sleep had been impossible, his thoughts rewinding to their time at the resort. It seemed as if their holiday was weeks ago, even though they’d just left the island the day before.
A knock sounded on his door and he turned to find Gemma standing in the hallway. “Hi,” she said. “I heard about Hayley’s grandfather.” She held up a paper bag. “Mary and I baked some biscuits. Shortbread. I know she probably won’t have time to eat, so… It’s not much, I know.”
Teague crossed the room and took the bag. “Thanks. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”
“Tell her I hope everything turns out well. And if she needs anything, she should call.”
“I will.”
“My grandfather passed on last year. I used to spend summers with him. He was such a kind man, always looking out for me. I was devastated. I cried for days.”
“Hayley and her grandfather aren’t really close,” Teague said.
“But I thought she grew up on the station.”
“She did. But—”
“No need to explain,” Gemma said, holding up her hand. “And tell her I hope we have a chance to see each other again before I go home.”
“You’re going home?” Teague asked.
“I’m almost done with my work. I’m needed in Dublin.”
“You wouldn’t have to leave,” Teague said. “I know Cal enjoys having you here. And you haven’t learned to ride yet.”
Gemma giggled. “I’ve tried. But I’m fairly certain that, even if I stayed for a year, I’d never be much good at it.”
“A year? That would be about enough time,” he said. Teague studied her for a long moment, wondering how much he ought to say, then realized that Callum could probably use as much help as he could get. “My brother has spent his whole life working this station. There’s no one who works harder than he does to make sure this place turns a profit. He’s not the most romantic guy in the world, or the smoothest, but he has a lot of good qualities.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I do, because I know Cal never would. He’s a pretty humble guy. But he’s steady and loyal and—” Teague chuckled. “And I’m making him sound like the family dog.”
“I understand what you’re saying. And I do appreciate all his fine qualities. It’s just that…well, it would be a huge thing for me to leave my life in Ireland behind. And there’s no question that I’d have to do that if we were to be together.” She paused. “And he hasn’t asked me to stay.”
Teague nodded. He wasn’t going to try to sell Gemma on life at the station. It wasn’t easy and she and Cal would have to love each other deeply in order to make it work. His mother hadn’t been able to take it, Hayley had left and even Brody and Payton had escaped to the city.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your packing,” Gemma said. “Enjoy the biscuits.”
Teague nodded. How odd was it that all three of the Quinn brothers now had women in their lives? And that all three of them risked losing those women. Payton and Gemma were foreigners and would probably be returning home soon. And Hayley? He figured he still had a shot with her.
They, at least, lived on the same continent.
TEAGUE SAT ACROSS the table from Hayley, watching as she picked at the pasta salad he’d brought her for dinner. Shadows smudged the skin below her eyes, betraying her lack of sleep the previous night.
“You’re not staying at the hospital tonight,” Teague said. “I’ve got a room. After you’re finished eating, I’m taking you with me and you’re going to get some rest.”
Hayley nodded and sighed. “All right.” She glanced around the hospital cafeteria. “Do you think anyone would be bothered if I crawled over the table and curled up in your lap?”
Teague grinned. “That lady behind the cash register looks strong enough to toss us both out.”
“I want to kiss you for an hour or two,” she said, stifling a yawn. “And then I want to pull the covers over my head and sleep for a year.”
“How is Harry?”
She shrugged. “Still stubborn. But I think the things you brought him made an impact. He was wearing his hat when I left his room. And I heard him joking with one of the nurses and Harry never jokes. I think they’re flirting with him. The counselor was in again today and has made some progress. If Harry agrees, they’ll do his surgery tomorrow morning.”
“I have something else for you,” Teague said. “Actually, for Harry. But you can give it to him.” He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew an envelope, holding it out to her.
“What is it?”
“An agreement to deed the land over to me. And another to transfer it from me to Harry. It’s his.”
Hayley gasped, her eyes suddenly wide. “You did this for Harry?”
“I did it for you,” Teague said. “And Harry. Maybe it will help.”
“Oh, it will,” she said, excitement filling her voice. “The court fight was weighing on his mind and this makes it all so simple. Thank you.” Hayley glanced down at her uneaten dinner and pushed it aside. “I want to go tell him. Now.”
“Let’s go,” Teague said.
They rode the lift up to Harry’s floor, but before they got to the room, Hayley took Teague’s hand and pulled him into through a doorway in the middle of the hall. Three cots lined the walls of the darkened room. This was obviously where Hayley had slept the night before.
She pressed him back against the closed door, his body blocking the window and their only source of light. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, deeply and desperately. Her need to touch him seemed frantic and she pulled at the buttons of his shirt until she’d undone them all.
He tipped his head back as she smoothed her hands over his chest. Her touch set his body on fire, every nerve tingling with anticipation. His cock grew hard almost immediately.
Hayley nuzzled his chest. “I missed you,” she murmured.
Teague chuckled as she trailed kisses along his collarbone. “It’s been less than twenty-four hours.”
“It seemed like days,” she said. “Weeks.”
“Maybe because we’d spent the previous three days in bed.”
“We weren’t in bed the whole time. We did walk on the beach and eat.”
“But it was pretty much a sexfest.”
She looked up at him, grinning. “I like that. A sexfest. I think we should have another one of those.”
“I know exactly where to find one. My hotel room. Fifteen minutes.”
She quickly buttoned his shirt. “Let me go give Harry the news and then we can leave.” She reached down and ran her fingers along the front of his
jeans. “You can stay here if you’d like. Until you…calm down. I’ll only be a few minutes.” She pulled the envelope out of her pocket. “Harry is going to be so surprised.”
Hayley slipped out of the room and Teague sat down on the edge of the cot. He drew a deep breath, trying to douse the fire that raged inside him. Would his desire for her ever fade? Perhaps a long-distance relationship would be the perfect thing for them. All that time apart for their need to increase and then coming together again for an explosion of lust.
Yet, there was something to be said for the everyday events, the tiny things in life they could share if they lived together. He could touch her and kiss her whenever he chose. He could read her moods and soothe her worries. They could build a real life, together, maybe have a family.
Teague wanted to believe it would happen that way. Maybe not tomorrow or even next year, but someday he and Hayley would be together for good. He pushed to his feet and opened the door, stepping out into the brightly lit hallway.
He stood outside Harry’s room, trying to hear the conversation inside. There was no shouting, which was a positive sign. Maybe this scheme of his would work.
A few minutes later, Hayley emerged, a smile on her face. Teague breathed a silent sigh of relief. She was happy. That was all he cared about.
“How did it go?”
“Good,” she said. “We had a really nice talk.” Hayley shook her head in disbelief. “He said he wanted me to be happy. And he said he’d go ahead with the surgery.” She reached up and pressed her palm to Teague’s chest, right over his heart, her eyes fixed on the spot. They stood that way for a long time, silent, the heat of her fingers warming his blood. “And he’d like to see you.”
“Me?”
She nodded then glanced up at him. “Try to be nice.”
Teague gave her hand a squeeze, then reached for the door. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Was Harry going to throw the agreement back in his face? Or was he going to accept the land graciously?
The room was dimly lit, the blinds on the window turned down. Teague was shocked by Harry’s appearance. He was immobilized by traction, ropes and slings and pulleys keeping his right leg at an angle. The man had always seemed so powerful. But he looked so small in the big bed, his skin pale, his beard grizzled.
“Hello, Mr. Fraser.”
“Quinn,” he said. He pointed to the chair beside the bed, but Teague shook his head. “I’m good.”
“Hayley showed me this.” He waved the paper. “Is it real?”
Teague nodded. “Yeah. My brother gave me the land and I’m giving it to you.”
“Does your brother know about this?”
“Yes. As soon as you’re out of here, we’ll get all the papers signed and make it official. But it’s yours.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“For Hayley.”
“You expect me to turn her over to you because you gave me the land?”
Teague laughed. “Jaysus, Harry, she’s not a horse. You can’t trade her like a piece of property. I did this because I thought it might keep your arse alive. That’s what Hayley wants and I want what she wants.”
Harry scowled. “Are you in love with her?”
“Yes,” Teague said. “I have been since I was a kid.”
“So, I guess you figure once I leave this world, she’ll get everything and you’ll waltz right in and share in the wealth?”
Teague cursed beneath his breath. “Go to hell, Harry. I don’t give a shit about Wallaroo. But after all you’ve put Hayley through, the mess you made of her childhood, I think she deserves the place after you depart this life. Although, I don’t expect you’ll be dying anytime soon since it’s your goal to make her as miserable as possible.”
“I don’t want that,” Harry said. He went silent for a long time, turning his head away from Teague to look out the window. “I know I didn’t do well by her. But I didn’t know how to take care of her any more than I knew how to care for my own son.”
“It’s not that hard to love her,” Teague said. “I fell in love with her the very first time I saw her.”
“I guess it’s my fault, then. I never knew what to say to her. Hell, I drove her father off Wallaroo and I figured she wouldn’t have any interest in sticking around, either. She proved my point when she ran away.”
“I don’t know why, but she does care about you.”
Harry shifted, wincing as he tried to sit up a little straighter. “They have me so shot full of pain medicine, I’m not sure what I’m saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. If I don’t make it through the surgery, I want you to watch over her. I may have had my troubles with your father and your brother, but you seem like a decent sort, Quinn. And Hayley likes you.”
“I think she does,” Teague said. “But you are going to make it through this operation. And then you’ll go somewhere where they’ll get you walking again. And then you’ll go home to Wallaroo. And I’m going to see that you’re a lot nicer to Hayley from now on.”
“You seem pretty damn sure of yourself,” Harry said.
“I am. And if you don’t try to make that happen, then you and I are going to have a problem.”
“Good enough,” he said. “Then I guess we have an understanding?”
“We do,” Teague said.
“Now get the hell out of my room and let me sleep,” Harry ordered.
Teague turned and walked to the door, smiling to himself as he stepped into the hallway. Hayley was waiting for him outside the door. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked with her toward the lift. “It went well. We had a nice talk. Now let’s get out of here.”
They found Teague’s rental in the car park. Teague pulled the door open for Hayley, then circled around to the driver’s side. The hotel was less than a mile away, but Hayley wasn’t in the mood to wait. She ran her hand along his thigh as he turned onto the street, then slid it in between his legs.
He grabbed her wrist to stop her from going farther, but she just smiled and ignored him. By the time they reached the hotel, he was completely aroused, his erection straining at the fabric of his jeans.
When they pulled in to the hotel car park, Teague retrieved his jacket from the rear seat and held it over his groin as he and Hayley strolled into the lobby. He glanced over to see a satisfied grin on her face. “Thank you,” Teague said. “I always appreciate walking around like this. It makes me look like a pervert.”
They rode the lift in silence. When he opened the room door and stepped aside, Hayley trailed her fingers across the front of his jeans as she walked past him.
The moment the door closed, she began undressing him. He reached for her shirt, but she brushed his hands away. Teague decided to let her have her way with him, curious how far she would go to pleasure him.
By the time she had him stripped naked, he really didn’t care what she did. The feel of her fingers wrapped around his shaft was enough to bring him to the edge. But Hayley had other plans. She kissed a trail from his mouth to his chest and then lower.
He felt oddly vulnerable. She was still dressed and he was naked. But the moment her mouth closed over him, he realized that this situation was fantasy material. She was in control, seducing him, and he could simply relax and enjoy the ride.
It hadn’t taken Hayley long to learn what he liked, exactly what stoked his desire. They’d had plenty of practice during their holiday. Teague drew in a deep breath and held it, her tongue sending him closer to release. But she read the signs and slowed her pace, smoothing her hands over his belly as she pulled back.
He was so hard, he wasn’t sure he could be any more aroused. But then, Hayley stood. Her gaze fixed on his, she slowly stripped out of her clothes, as if performing for him. The striptease was even more intriguing than physical contact.
He reached for her, but she evaded his grasp. And when she was completely undressed, she didn’t return to touching him. Instead, she ran her hands over her own body. Teague g
roaned, aching to touch her but still caught up in the game she was playing. But when she slipped her fingers between her legs, he growled softly and grasped her waist with his hands.
Picking her up off her feet, Teague wrapped her legs around him, holding tight to her hips. Her lips found his and she twisted her fingers through his hair as she kissed him. Slowly, Teague entered her, a surge of desire washing over him. And when he was buried deep, Hayley sighed softly, a satisfied smile curling her lips. “Oh, don’t move. That feels so good,” she said breathlessly.
“I have to move,” he said.
“No, you don’t.”
“Let me move,” he said.
She shifted above him and he gasped. Maybe he didn’t need to move. But the pleasure was too strong to deny. Teague held her tight as he slowly withdrew, then drove forward again. She whispered his name, her lips soft against his ear.
This was all he needed, Teague thought. The only thing in his life he couldn’t do without. Her body was the perfect match for his, her heart and her soul the prize he wanted to possess. And though he hoped to spend a lifetime with her, Teague knew he’d be happy with one more day and the night that followed.
8
THE SKY WAS GRAY and overcast as the plane flew low over the outback landscape. Hayley had thought about canceling the trip, leaving it for a sunnier day, but then decided that the weather matched her mood. It had been nearly a week since she’d last smiled, the evening after Harry’s surgery, when she’d sat by her grandfather’s bed and told him that she loved him.
Hayley looked down at the urn on her lap, running her hands over the cool ceramic surface. The numbness had begun to wear off and reality had set in. Harry was gone.
He’d written detailed plans before going into surgery, scribbling everything he wanted her to know on a small scrap of paper. She’d found it a day later, after the hospital had returned his belongings. No funeral, no mourning, scatter his ashes over Wallaroo.
His death had been unexpected. He’d survived the surgery and had been making plans to enter a rehabilitation center. She’d said good-night to him that evening, happy that things had gone so well, and the next morning, when she’d arrived at the hospital, the staff had told her Harry had passed away during the night.
