Page 55 of Outback Reunion

And she deserved this! One evening without Luna to live out her wildest fantasies with the man who’d got under her skin like no other.

She only hoped he hadn’t changed his mind about wantingher.

Chapter Thirteen

After a microwave pie for dinner, Mark sat outside with Rookie, a beer and one of the books he’d ordered on regenerative farming. He needed to put Gabriela, Tahlia, his knee and his old career out of his mind and focus on the here and now. He had mates who’d kill to be in his position. Youngest kids of big families who had no hope in hell of inheriting the family farm. Siblings who had to divide the land and learn to work together when they both had very different ideas about how to operate. His friend Monty had been devastated when his parents sold their family farm when he was a kid, and had worked his arse off saving to buy his own. It had paid off; now he and Faith and their two cute-as-pie kids were loving their life together.

So that’s what he’d do. He’d work hard, put his all into the farm and the community—maybe he could become a volunteer firie or ambo—and hopefully karma would cut him a break as well.

Vowing that tomorrow he’d make himself a proper dinner and cut back on the booze, he took a slug of beer, then opened the book and forced himself to focus. He was reading something about the soil food web when Rookie roused at his feet, and he looked up at the distant sound of a car coming down the gravel drive. His grip tightened on the bottle.

Who on earth could that be at this time on a Sunday night?

His parents weren’t due home until the end of the week, and it was rare anyone dropped around without calling first. Despite his attempt at an attitude shift, he still wasn’t in the mood for socialising, so he scooped the dog up with his free hand and hurried inside. Hopefully if he shut the door and switched off the lights, he could lay low and pretend he wasn’t home until whoever it was left. Putting Rookie down again, he peeled back the front curtain ever so slightly as a car came into view. He’d made it inside in the nick of time.

As the car came closer, he saw it was an old wagon of some sort, but when it stopped just outside the gate that bordered the house yard, he got a glimpse of who was driving and almost swallowed his tongue.

Gabriela!He couldn’t believe his eyes. Was he freaking dreaming?

Two seconds later, she pushed open the driver’s door and emerged from the vehicle like a beautiful mermaid bursting out of the sea. She looked around and appeared confused, as if she too were wondering why she was here. She wore that same yellow dress she’d had on last night. Her hair fell gently in waves around her shoulders and if anything, she was even more beautiful than the day before.

Rookie barked as Gabriela took a tentative step towards the house, and Mark spilled his beer as he put it down to open the front door.

She looked shocked to see him, but she must have known this was his place because why else would she be here?

‘Hey,’ he said, lifting his hand in a wave that felt anything but casual.

Of course, he’d totally forgotten about Rookie, who launched past him and started dancing around Gabriela like she was a fire and the dog some kind of sprite.

‘Oh, hello there.’ She laughed as she tried to pat the dog, but Rookie was too excited to be pinned down, jumping up and putting her dirty paws all over Gabriela’s dress. ‘Aren’t you... an interesting little thing.’

Mark snorted. ‘Interesting is an interesting word for her. Not sure it quite does the trick.’ Once again, he picked up the dog and tucked it under his arm. ‘Sorry.’

She looked shyly up at him, rubbing her lips together before speaking. ‘It’s fine. I love dogs. What kind is he?’

He shook his head—what kind is he?Surely, she didn’t come here to talk about his crazy mutt—then shrugged. ‘She’s asheand I’m not sure. The vet reckons she’s a mix of several breeds.’ He paused only a moment. ‘Uh. What are you doing here?’

Last night she’d been adamant she didn’t want anything to do with him.

Gabriela blinked. ‘Oh. Um. I couldn’t sleep last night. All I could think about was you.’

‘Really?’ Now that was a boost to his ego. ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.’

Her lips twisted into the most beautiful smile. ‘I’m glad to hear it. I can’t offer you a relationship—I’m being presumptuous thinking you might even want that—but I don’t want to spend another night regretting walking away from you, and I can’t afford the lost sleep either. It’s dangerous being a circus performer when you’re exhausted.’

‘I can imagine,’ he said, struggling to curb his grin. ‘How did you know where I live?’

‘This is a very small town, Mark.’

He nodded. ‘Of course.’ For once, he was happy that everyone in Bunyip Bay knew everyone else. ‘So... I... uh, let me just get this straight. You’re here because...’

In reply, she took a step towards him and put her hand against his chest. He swore his heart stopped beating beneath her touch as Rookie tried to lick her hand. ‘I’m here because of you. I want you, Mark, but this can only be one night. Is that enough?’

He nodded. ‘I’m not in the market for a relationship either—I need to sort out the farm and the shit in my head before I even contemplate committing to another person again—but are you sure about this. Are youreallyready?’

He didn’t mention her husband but they both knew that’s what he meant. Even if they were on the same page about this being just sex, he didn’t want her to regret anything. He also didn’t want to touch her and taste her again and then have her change her mind. There were only so many cold showers a man could take before losing the plot entirely.

‘Yes, I’m sure.’ She half-laughed, half-sobbed as she leaned towards his mouth. ‘I’ve never been surer about anything in my life.’

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