Page 29 of Secrets of Riverside

‘Thanks.’ Her smile was a little coy as she bit her bottom lip. ‘You’ve scrubbed up pretty good yourself, King.’

‘Why, thankya.’ He bowed, waving the tongs in his hands as he did, cracking her up completely.

Once they’d both recovered from their moment of mirth, he ushered her over to the day bed and told her to put her feet up and stay put while he waited on her after her long day cooking up a storm. A little reluctant at first, she did as he asked. It didn’t take her long to relax into the casual vibe of the evening. Watching Jarrah as he manned the billowing smoker barbecue, while taking sips from her beer, she felt herself slipping further into him. The voices of the Highwaymen serenaded her from the speakers hung at the corners of the verandah and she hummed in tune to the song, all the while laughing at Scruff dashing around the floodlit backyard, his nose to the ground and his tail spinning like helicopter blades.

‘Would you stop chasing the toads, Scruff, or I’ll have to wash your mouth out with the hose again, buddy.’ Jarrah’s deep voice carried as he glanced over his shoulder, his smile nonchalantly sexy. ‘I reckon he likes getting high off the blasted things, the silly bugger.’

‘I wondered what he was doing.’ She chuckled then shook her head. ‘You crazy goof, Scruffball.’

Lifting his head to the sound of her voice, Scruff dashed across the lawn, up the stairs, then with one flying leap landed in a panting heap beside her on the day bed. Successfully avoiding his slobbery kisses, but only just, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a cuddle.

‘I think it’s safe to say he really likes you, Millie.’ Wandering past with a delicious-smelling plate of grilled steak, rare for him and medium to well for her, and charred corncobs, Jarrah flashed her an admiring smile. ‘Dinner’s ready.’

Her stomach growling, she eagerly joined him. Helping herself to the garden salad, she poured a little smoky barbecue sauce beside her steak, then after waiting for Jarrah to do the same, they tucked in. She liked the way they fell into comfortable silences so easily. It said a lot for the person he was.

‘Enjoying?’ Jarrah garbled while munching the kernels off his corncob.

‘I am, it’s all so delicious.’ Spearing a cherry tomato, and then enjoying the sweetness as it popped in her mouth, she grinned. ‘I seriously don’t know how you eat your meat still kicking like that, though.’

‘It’s easy.’ Smirking playfully, he cut another piece of the basically still-mooing steak and shoved it in his mouth. ‘Just like this.’ He pointed to his mouth with his fork. ‘Yum.’ His grin was charmingly goofy.

Chuckling, she dropped her gaze back to her salad, and they chowed down until they had finished off every morsel.

‘Shall I go inside and grab us a bottle of vino, and then we can retire over yonder?’ He pointed to the alfresco chairs, saddled up against the banister.

‘Sounds good, but let me help you clean up first.’ She stood and went to gather the plates, but he placed a hand over hers, stopping both her movement and her heart. Then, a breath later, her heart was galloping, as if trying to reach his.

‘Leave it, Mills, I’ll clean up later.’

Mills? Ebony was the only person who’d ever called her that, and she liked hearing him say it. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to help, two sets of hands are better than one?’ Her heart felt so completely comforted right now.

‘I’m absolutely positive.’ Standing, he waved her towards the chairs, and she was glad for the moment’s reprieve from his captive gaze. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’ The flyscreen door slapped closed behind him.

Back before the minute was up, he poured red wine into stemless glasses, passed one to her, sat, and then placed his feet on the banister as he pushed onto the back two legs of the chair. Keen to do the same, Millie plonked her feet up near his and precariously balanced backwards. She marvelled at the silvery brightness of the full moon in the inky-black sky, and how it lit up the landscape as if a million candles had been lit in the heavens. And the stars, they sparkled so much brighter here, as if rejoicing in the lack of city lights that inevitably dulled their shine – she could relate.

Jarrah sighed softly. ‘I will never ever tire of this view.’ He tilted his head to the side. ‘This place is everything I’d always dreamt of having, and more.’

The joy written all over his face was unmistakable. ‘You’re a very lucky man, being able to call Riverside Acres home.’ She met his soft smile, his soft gaze, and matched it.

He regarded her for a few seconds. ‘You’re calling it home too, for now.’

His simple statement stroked some deep dark part of her heart and stirred it to fluttering life. ‘Yes, I suppose I am, for now.’

‘Hmm’ was all he said in response.

Millie felt like a moth drawn to the silvery moonlight reflected upon his face. The blueness of his eyes pierced right through her, caressing places she didn’t know still existed. The pain of her miscarriage felt as if it was a million miles away. Gone, almost forgotten, just by being near him. She knew she should put the brakes on right then and there, but for whatever reason it was out of her control. A flutter rose, grew, spread, filling her with a rush of endorphins, as if she’d just jumped off a cliff and was flying. His lips moved ever so slightly, as if there were words that he was weighing up whether to free or muffle. She so desperately wanted to hear what he had to say. And she felt a longing to reach out and touch him, to run her fingertips over the hard planes of his chest as she traced his tattoos, to be wrapped up in his arms, pressed up against him, so she could feel the heat of his longing and the hunger of his kiss. Her stomach flipped with the sensual images as her emotions swirled into a heady concoction of fear, curiosity, ache and lust. As she watched him take an unhurried sip of his wine, with his gaze still joined to hers, she imagined him reacting to her want, her need, her craving for him and only him. He was looking at her as if she was a rarity – no one had ever looked at her like this before. It made her long to tear every shred of clothing from his towering body, so she could make real, pure love for the very first time in her life. Because everything else she’d experienced up until this very moment had been empty, hollow, soulless … loveless.

Desire, hot and sweet and dangerous – unlike anything she’d ever felt – overcame her. The entirety of the world faded away, and she could almost feel his breath on her cheek as she imagined him sweeping her into his arms, pressing her up against the wall, possessing her but at the same time protecting her. A shiver ran all the way through her and flames burst from a place she’d long ago thought had broken beyond repair. What in the hell was he doing to her, without laying a finger upon her skin? She really needed to get the hell away from him before she did something reckless.

Now!

‘Well, I best be off.’ She shot to her feet. ‘Big day tomorrow.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Far out, I mean, today.’

‘Oh.’ Jarrah stood, and raked his gaze down to hers. ‘What time is it?’

‘Twelve-thirty.’ She grimaced.

‘Oh, wow.’ His smile turned from sweet to sexy. ‘Looks like time got away from us.’

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