by Cathryn Hein
‘Last warning.’
‘And you’ll do what?’
‘Put it this way, you won’t get any more of the house done today.’
‘Promises, promises.’
‘Right,’ he said, climbing down. ‘That’s it.’
Callie’s heart beat an excited tattoo. Dumping her scraper, she jumped down from the scaffold, using it as a fence between them.
‘That won’t save you.’
She feinted right and rushed left but Matt had already guessed the manoeuvre. In one sweep he had her pressed hard against the wall, one hand holding her wrists above her head. He cast a lazy look over her stretched, quivery body, stripping her.
‘You look hot.’
‘Literally or figuratively?’
‘Both,’ he said, tucking a finger under the fine strap of her singlet and running it down to the top of her breast and back up again.
She licked her lips. ‘I’m sweaty.’
‘So am I. And right now looking to get sweatier.’
‘Here?’ She winced at the squeak in her voice.
‘Yeah. Why not?’
‘What about Honk and Patch?’
The hold on her wrists slackened. He pressed a delicate kiss on the inside of her collarbone, voice vibrating against her skin as he spoke. ‘They’re animals. They’ll understand.’
More delicate kisses followed; a slow fluttery trail over the curve of her chin that paused just below her ear. He released her wrists, scraping his palm down her arm and side to rest lightly against her waist as the finger under her singlet strap began another slow journey downward.
An exquisite spasm shot up Callie’s spine, making her arch against him, breasts brushing his chest. He was hard all over, tense and aroused. Her arms curled around his neck, signalling her want. He understood, nipping delicately along her jawline and upward before finally capturing her lips with his.
This was nothing like their previous kisses. This was pure passion, hungry and desperate. He pressed her harder against the wall, breath coming as rapid as hers, hands roaming until they cradled each breast, thumbs brushing her nipples in an electric jolt.
Callie made a noise that had him kissing her harder, bodies compressing against the wall. She slipped her hands inside his shirt, delighting in his muscular frame and lean stomach, and used her index finger to trace the furry line between his belly button and waistband.
His mouth left hers to trail across her cheek, ear and arched neck. Kisses winged down her throat, making her shudder. As though joining in the celebration, Honk released a series of trumpets, Patch following with sharp yips.
‘I think we’ve excited them,’ said Matt, looking up to grin at her, only for his smile to drop as a car door slammed. ‘Fuck.’
Callie blinked, still afloat on her desire. Another door banged shut. Voices drifted. Lyndall calling out to Morton.
Matt backed away and ran a hand over his hair. ‘You’ll have to sort them out. I can’t face anyone in the state I’m in.’
‘I’m not sure I can either.’
‘Callie?’ Kate called at the back door. Any moment she’d appear around the corner.
‘Damn.’ She knocked her head back against the wall. ‘Sorry.’ With a squeeze of his hand and a check that her top and bra were arranged properly, Callie let out a shuddery breath and walked briskly to the corner of the house, glancing back in time to see Matt slip around the front to safety.
‘How’s things?’ asked Kate when Callie appeared. ‘Hot by the look of you. Not the best time of day to be working on the house. I hope you don’t mind. Xav’s gone into the office and Lyndall wanted to see Phan. I didn’t want to say no. I can’t help worrying that all the good work Wal did with her will come undone now your Phan is gone.’ She peered at Callie’s face. ‘Are you all right? You look a bit feverish.’
‘Fine,’ said Callie ultra brightly. ‘Just hot.
Kate frowned and hunted behind Callie. ‘Where’s Matt?’
‘Oh, he’s just . . . busy. You know, doing stuff.’
Realisation turned Kate’s eyes wide. ‘Oh, god. We’ve intruded.’
‘No, no. You’re fine.’
‘And you’re a terrible liar, Callie Reynolds.’ Kate touched her arm. ‘I should have called. I’m sorry.’
‘Wouldn’t have made any difference. I turned my phone off.’
The older woman nudged her, delight sparkling her eyes. ‘Can’t help feeling pleased though. He’s a good catch.’
That Matt was a good catch Callie couldn’t dispute. It was whether he deserved to be caught in the impossible snarl of her life that was the issue. She thought of him languishing at the front of the house in discomfort, waiting for her return, and all she wanted to do was go to him and pretend life was normal. That she could be happy with him. Here, in the place she loved.
Instead she crossed her arms and began to stroll down the path to the liquidambar.
‘How’s Lyndall?’
‘Better. She and Xav are talking at least. He’s trying to be understanding but he’s so worried for her.’ Kate’s mouth thinned. ‘He’s scared that if she starts riding again she’ll have another fall.’
‘You must be too.’
‘I am, but I’m more worried about what will happen if she doesn’t ride.’
‘Ask Wal for help. I’m sure he won’t mind. And it’ll give him something to concentrate on while his hip heals properly.’
They reached the fence. Lyndall stood in the paddock stroking Morton’s coppery bay coat. After Callie left for work on Thursday, Wal had continued his lesson, coaxing Lyndall into the paddock with Morton. Though nervous, she could now approach and pat the horse. Riding would take time yet.
‘Callie’s busy,’ Kate warned her daughter. ‘Say your hello and we’ll be off.’
‘It’s all right,’ said Callie. ‘You take your time.’
‘No,’ said Kate firmly. ‘It was bad manners of us to turn up unannounced.’
‘I don’t mind, really.’
Kate dropped her voice and indicated the house. ‘You mightn’t but someone else does.’ Callie turned. Matt sat on the back step watching her, Patch panting at his feet. ‘I might be an old married woman, but I still remember what it was like. At it like rabbits.’
‘We haven’t got that far yet.’
‘All the more reason for us to leave.’ Kate raised her voice again. ‘Time’s up.’
The teenager’s ‘Aww, Mum’ was silenced with a glare. Leaving Morton with a last pat, Lyndall approached the fence, casting a hopeful look at Callie. ‘Perhaps I can come back later?’
‘Not today.’ Kate regarded Callie. ‘Maybe Monday after school?’
‘Any day after school is fine. I’ll be at work every day except Wednesday, but the house will be open if you need a drink or the loo.’
Kate hugged her. ‘I’m so pleased. You belong here. I’ve thought that from the start.’
‘Thanks.’
Kate released her and waved Lyndall toward the car. ‘You have fun.’ She threw a look at Matt before grinning back at Callie and delivering a not very whispered, ‘Half your luck!’
Callie smiled, waving them both farewell before walking slowly back to the house, eyes locked with Matt’s. At the step, as the Range Rover’s engine faded into the midday quiet, she edged her way between his legs and placed her hands on his shoulders. Matt’s palms slid up her thighs to her hips. He tilted his head back to regard her; scarred and sexy and hot and bothered, and overloaded with everything she’d forsaken for the last eight years.
‘Now,’ she said, bending toward him. ‘Where were we?’
Nineteen
It was a struggle to get past the kitchen. Given the way they’d attacked one another, Callie supposed they were lucky to even make it into the house. If it weren’t for the close call with Kate and Lyndall, they probably wouldn’t have.
Matt pressed her up against the hallway wall, continuing the ravenous kisses that hadn’t sto
pped since she’d first lowered her mouth to his. Callie was naked from the waist up, arms around his neck, legs wrapped around his hips and crossed at the ankles to anchor her in place. Her singlet was draped over the china cabinet, her bra, god knew where. The top button of her shorts was undone, the zip open, her groin pressed against Matt’s.
She’d removed Matt’s shirt on the step and tossed it into the yard where it was probably being destroyed by Patch’s sharp teeth. His cargo pants were halfway down his thighs, causing him to shuffle awkwardly. He cradled her bum, fingers following the centre seam of her shorts as he stroked between her thighs.
Callie broke away from his mouth to point in the general direction of the spare room.
‘In here.’
Matt stumbled his way to the single bed until they fell in a tangle of sweaty arms and legs amid creaking springs and laughter. Callie’s shorts winged across the room, following his cargo pants, the last of her underwear sling-shotting after them. Callie laughed as Matt’s jocks caught on his springy cock, enjoying his hungry, almost pained expression as she levered him out and tugged them over his hips and down his legs. Grinning, she twirled the jocks around her finger before flinging them toward the wardrobe.
Nudity brought a pause, the atmosphere sultry with anticipation. In the quiet, their breaths sounded raspy and rapid, the squeaking complaints of the old bed loud.
Matt sat back on his heels to look at her, scanning her breasts and continuing downward, a lazy smile on his face. ‘Better than my dreams.’ He shifted his gaze back to hers. ‘And I’ve been having a few lately.’
‘So have I.’
He grinned and leaned forward, mischievousness and desire widening the pupils of his eyes, turning the green darkly compelling. His hand slid up her inner thigh as he lowered his mouth to her belly and laid a delicate kiss on her hypersensitive skin. ‘Did it involve this?’
Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she nodded. ‘And more.’
His hand slid higher, causing her breath to halt. ‘More?’
‘Much more.’
‘I think I’d like to hear about these dirty dreams in detail one day.’ A finger caressed. ‘But right now, I think we should live them.’
‘Couldn’t agree more,’ Callie replied, arching as the finger slid inside, her mouth curving into an O.
His lips returned to her belly, his breath as hoarse and accelerated as hers. Gasps mingled with moans and soft whispers, the sounds overlaid with creaks from the bed. Matt’s mouth ventured everywhere, his hands further. Callie clutched at his hair, arms, anywhere, wanting all of him all at once, but he was, as he’d promised, a man of control. Only when she’d been reduced to shuddering ecstasy did he lick his way back up her belly and kiss her hard.
‘Had enough?’
‘You’re kidding?’
‘Good.’ He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Because I haven’t even started. Don’t move.’
She smiled as he eased out of bed and rummaged through his shorts. Matt had the tautest arse in history, not to mention other impressively firm bits. ‘You’ve a scar on your shoulder.’
‘Yeah,’ he said, finally pulling out a pack of condoms. He waggled the pack, winking at her. ‘A soldier’s always prepared.’
On the few occasions Callie had allowed herself a fun romp she’d made sure at least one of them was well supplied with protection, and if they weren’t, it simply didn’t happen. With Matt, for some unfathomable reason, safe sex hadn’t even registered. Probably because she’d spent too long convincing herself it was never going to occur.
He returned to the bed and sat down, tearing at the packet with his teeth. She traced her finger over his shoulder scar, red and ridged like the one on his face. ‘It looks bad.’
‘It wasn’t. Not really.’
‘Tough guy, huh?’
‘You bet.’
Callie smiled and plucked the condom from his fingers. Kneeling behind him, she kissed his scarred shoulder before resting her chin on top and reaching over to make a game of sheathing his cock.
He looked at her sideways, returning her smile. ‘Tease.’
‘This isn’t teasing. Real teasing I’ll show you later.’
‘Later,’ he said, rolling her back onto the bed, firm and ready against her leg. ‘I like the sound of that. But then I like the sound of everything you do.’ He slipped his hand under her knee and slid it along her calf, stretching her leg up and out, before sucking hard on the tight bud of her left nipple.
‘And I like everything you do,’ Callie replied. His cock teased. ‘Oh, damn.’
‘Even that?’
‘Especially that.’ She arched against him. ‘Oh, god.’
‘No, just Matt.’
Callie’s giggles turned to gasps. The bed resumed its creaking, this time in earnest. Her arms tightened around his neck, her legs around his hips. The bedhead began a rhythmic thump against the wall. They shared a smile and then Callie was too lost to care how much noise they made.
‘There’s a dolphin on your arse,’ said Matt later, kissing it.
Callie lay face down on the bed, sated and sleepy. Annoyingly, Matt seemed wide awake, intent on a languid exploration of her body, despite having fondled and kissed most of it already.
‘I know. I hate it.’
‘It’s not the best tatt.’ He traced a figure eight around the globes of her bum. ‘So why’d you get it then?’
‘Thought it was a good idea at the time.’ She rolled over to prop herself on her elbow, head resting on her palm, mimicking his pose. ‘You only have scars, not tatts.’
‘I don’t really like them.’
She raised her eyebrows.
‘Except on you.’ He kissed her forehead. ‘You have great breasts. I especially like these.’ He tweaked each nipple in turn, causing goose bumps to rush across Callie’s shoulders and thoughts of more sex to tumble into her head. He smiled as if reading her mind and let his fingers trace lower. ‘I like this bit too.’
‘Aren’t you tired?’
‘Are you?’
She gave him her special underlashed smile.
‘Consequences.’
‘I like consequences.’
‘I guess that settles it then,’ he said, reaching for her.
*
It was after four by the time they crawled out of bed and then only because Matt was hungry and wanted to fix the loose bedhead before the entire frame collapsed. Callie wanted a shower but the rumble of her stomach drove her first to the kitchen. She sat on the bench swinging her legs and watching Matt as he made scrambled eggs wearing nothing more than a pair of jocks.
He poured the lot into a bowl and used a spoon to feed it to her, sucking up any spilled scraps straight from her skin. The bowl took a long time to finish.
As did the shower.
Finally, they made it outside into the sunset glow and Patch’s relieved welcome. Honk was waddling near his run, ruffling his feathers in readiness for bed.
‘I liked that shirt,’ Matt said, holding up the wrecked polo shirt and poking his finger through a large rip in the side seam.
Callie ran her fingers through the dark line of hairs running from his groin and up across his chest. Now that she’d started, she couldn’t hold back from touching him. ‘I prefer you without it anyway.’
He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. ‘Don’t start what you can’t finish.’
‘Who says I can’t finish?’
‘Your animals.’
‘You’re an animal.’ She blew him a kiss. ‘Kinky boy.’
‘Who’s calling who kinky? Thanks to you, my days of normal showering are over.’
‘So are mine with scrambled eggs.’
They grinned at one another and Callie couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy. Stupid, floaty, can’t-stop-grinning happy.
Matt seemed to feel it too. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
‘A moment like this deserves champag
ne.’
‘There’ll be other times.’
‘Good. Because I have ideas.’
She smiled. ‘So do I.’
He kissed her, cradling her face, catching and holding her gaze when he’d finished, the look lingering as if he wanted to say something. She kissed him again to stop the words. The day had been enough.
Sick of being ignored, Patch wormed his way between their legs and whined. They looked down at him like indulgent parents.
‘Probably hungry.’
Callie sighed. ‘I suppose I’d better feed him. Do you want to look after Honk?’
‘No, but for you I will. Then I need to go.’
The thought of sleeping without his lean, muscled body against hers left a hollow in Callie’s belly but she tried not to let it show. Wal needed Matt too. So did Amberton. He understood his responsibilities, while she, with her indecision, could only continue to tread water. But it was the sort of warm, joyous water a girl could swim in for decades.
‘What time’s your shift tomorrow?’ Matt asked as they meandered around the outside of the house hand in hand ten minutes later, taking the long way to his car.
‘I’m on days until Thursday. Lunch until six.’
‘I’ll come round and cook you dinner again.’
‘Scrambled eggs?’
He smiled. ‘If you want. I was thinking more along the lines of steak and salad.’ He bumped his shoulder against hers. ‘You need to keep your strength up.’ At the car he leaned against the fender and drew her between his legs, arms braced around her waist. ‘Pretty perfect day.’
‘Except for the interruption. That wasn’t so much fun for you.’ Tilting her head, she thought for a moment. ‘And fishing would have been more exciting than paint scraping.’
‘We could have made love on the beach.’
The way he said ‘made love’ sent her heart thudding. ‘It’s probably not as good as it sounds. All that gritty sand.’
‘You’ve never done it?’
‘Have you?’
‘No. But I’m planning to. Soon.’ He smiled. ‘There’s this sexy blonde I know.’
‘What happened to nurses’ shoes and milkmaid plaits?’
‘Tomorrow?’
