Page 36 of Secrets of Riverside

Leant against the doorframe, one boot crossed over the other, and his face shaded by his battered Akubra, he lifted his shoulders casually. ‘Long enough.’ He strode towards her and held out the cup that he’d left beside the espresso machine. ‘I made you a coffee; white, one sugar, right?’

‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘Thank you.’

‘I see you got my note.’ He took a sip from his mug.

‘Uh-huh.’ She gazed up at him through the steam rising from her cup. ‘Thanks for letting me stay another night, and I look forward to whatever it is that you’re making us for dinner.’ She took a sip and savoured both the flavour and the fact that he’d made her a coffee just the way she liked it.

‘I took some chicken breasts out of the freezer, I’m just not sure what I’m going to do with them yet.’ He sat down beside her, smiling at her nod of approval as he stretched out his long legs. ‘How long has it been since you’ve ridden a horse, Mills?’

‘Other than being doubled by you the other day, too long for my liking.’ She blinked into the glimmering sunshine now bathing the back verandah. ‘Why’s that?’

‘I was just wondering if you’d like to go for a bit of a gallivant around the place?’

Excitement had her sitting up straight. ‘I’d love to.’

‘Great.’ His charming smile deepened his dimples. ‘Seeing as it’s a public holiday, I’m going to give myself the day off too, so you and me can head out to the dam for a swim and maybe even a picnic.’

Smirking at his audaciousness, she tipped her head a little to the side. ‘Oh, we will, will we?’

‘Yes, we will.’ The playful sparkle in his eyes was heightened by the sunlight.

A hunky man, with a big, beautiful heart, on a horse, wanting to whisk her off – ahh, her heart was beating a little faster. ‘Okay, I think that sounds lovely.’ She smiled softly as butterflies fluttered in her belly.

‘Righto, well.’ Standing, he shadowed the sunlight from her eyes. ‘I’ll just go and saddle up the horses and meet you back here in an hour or so.’

‘Okay, I’ll just finish my cuppa, have a piece of toast, then go grab a quick shower.’ She gestured to his empty cup now sitting on the banister. ‘Just leave that there, I’ll pop it into the dishwasher.’

‘Cheers, Millie.’ He headed down the steps then took long-legged strides across the back lawn. ‘See you soon, cowgirl.’

Cowgirl? She liked the sound of that. If only she could be his cowgirl, now that would be the icing on the cake. Picturing what the day had in store, she could almost feel the wind against her cheeks, tugging at wisps of her hair, and the horse’s powerful body carrying her as if she were as light as a feather, towards the glistening dam, while she watched Jarrah take steps away. Just as he was about to disappear around the corner of the machinery barn, he paused and looked back, and her soaring spirit flew skywards.

Jarrah King liked her.

And she liked him.

But what was she meant to do with such a revelation?

Nothing, Millie, that’s what you should do; remember why you’re here …

Giving her voice of reason a little mental slap, she stood and made her way back inside to eat, shower and dress for the day ahead.

***

Two and a half hours later, colourful lorikeets heralded the sunshine glinting off the dam’s glassy surface from their perches within the towering paperbark tree. With Millie standing before him in her cute little denim shorts, frayed at the bottoms, a white boho shirt that shared a peek of her pink swimmers beneath, and a smile sweet enough to attract bees for miles, but sassy enough to bring most men to their knees, it was all Jarrah could do not to grab her right then and there so he could do wild, pleasure-filled things to her. And her beautiful green eyes, they seemed so much brighter, filled with life. He liked – no, loved – to think he’d heartened her to feel such a way.

Turning from where she was watching blue and red dragonflies flittering above the glistening water, she smiled dreamily at him. ‘It’s so pretty here, Jarrah.’

You’re pretty, Millie … Oh god help him, he wanted to kiss her so badly. ‘It’s a stunner of a place, hey.’ He got up from the picnic blanket and joined her by the water’s edge. ‘You ready for a dip, now we’ve let our lunch settle?’

‘Damn straight I am.’ She tugged her blouse over her head, and in what felt like mere seconds had stripped down to her bright pink bikini.

Jarrah’s imagination took off into uncharted territory, and he barely reined it back in before it got hold of him.

‘Last one in is a loser.’ She squealed as she ran, jumped and then landed with an almighty splash.

‘Hey, no fair, you got a head start.’ Chuckling, he stripped down to his board shorts and, taking a running leap, dived in beside her.

Paddling on the spot, Millie shivered. ‘It’s a little chillier in here than I expected.’

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