Page 22 of Blackout

‘Right. I need to pay you.’ I was still lost in Zach’s touch. The sparks from our contact had made its way to my pussy. Wet heat pooled between my legs the same as at the river. This time, I was left with an ache. A longing for his touch. My body, starved of attention over the years, craved more of what Zach could give me. Leaving me to think that only Zach could soothe my ache. This intense desire was something I had never felt before with any of my other partners, but was something I definitely wanted more of.

‘Babe,’ he said into my ear. ‘You and I have a date at the bar, but it isn’t so you can pay me. Though I will return your card when we get there.’ He turned me around, and I felt my mouth form that perfect O when he said, ‘There’s a band up from Melbourne to play today’s Sunday session, and I need to go in to make sure everything is okay.’

I followed Zach through the house and out the front door, where I was surprised by the sight of my car that was parked next to his truck.

‘Zach?’ My eyes darted between my grey Impreza hatchback and the man next to me, before I threw my one raised eyebrow at him in question. ‘How did my car get here?’

‘Harley, I had your car brought out here. I couldn’t very well leave it parked at the bar. Anything could have happened to it.’

My insides did a happy dance. I guess this meant I got to stay here a little longer.

‘Come on.’ He took my hand and led me towards his truck.

Once we were buckled in, Zach passed over my phone and keys. He reached for my hand to kiss my fingertips before he turned the key to his truck and his engine started to rumble. The sound soothed me. He pulled away from the spot next to my car and drove towards town and the bar.

The ride back to the bar was part dirt road, part bitumen. I paid attention to my surroundings this time. We weren’t that far out of town, I realised as Zach drove towards Melbourne Road, the main street of Mulwala. Zach turned right at the roundabout and headed towards Black’s Bar and Grill, where it sat on the bend on the Murray River. It had only felt longer when Zach had brought me to his house because I’d had other things on my mind.

As he drove down Bayly Street, we were first surrounded by bush as we travelled along the dirt road. Once we hit the bitumen, the bush started to disappear and was replaced by houses on one side and the high school on the other. When Zach turned onto Melbourne Road, we passed houses and the caravan park that backed onto the river on one side. The other side was a combination of necessities this country town had to offer, like food, money and clothes along with a couple of motels and the mini-golf course. Peering through the windows of Zach’s truck, I found myself realising I wanted my own piece of paradise just like Zach’s piece of paradise.

‘Hey, are you okay?’ Zach reached for my hand. He must have sensed me thinking.

‘Sure.’ I didn’t want to tell him the truth. Some truths were just too hard to admit too.

‘Harley?’ But damn it, this man made it tough to stay silent.

‘I’m fine, Zach, really.’ How did I explain to this man what I had only just realised. There was a moment’s silence between us before I continued, because I knew he wouldn’t let anything between us go. ‘I don’t want to go back.’ There went the spanner into the works. Then I added. ‘To my family, to my life in Melbourne, not the bar.’

Zach breathed out a sigh of relief. ‘Harley.’

‘I’m not on the run, Zach…’

‘Harley.’ The sharpness in his voice made me turn my head and look at him. ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to go back to your family or the city.’

‘I want to stay here.’ My voice was barely audible. Now that I had spent some time here, I wanted what Zach had. A balance between work and life.

Zach stared at me for a moment. I thought he’d heard what I’d said but I wasn’t so sure. Then he said, ‘We’ll work it out, if you don’t want to go back.’ His lips curled up on his handsome face, and it made me think he wanted me to stay. If only it were that simple.

Ten

Zach parked his truck, and the rumble of the engine stopped. He turned to me, his eyes giving me the once over, and I shivered as he took me in. Maybe he was happy I wanted to stay. His lips danced upward, and I came a little undone; the happiness on his face was infectious, and I couldn’t help my own grin.

‘Come on, Harley, if we hurry, we can sneak in unnoticed and have lunch together.’ We rushed towards the front entrance.

I was right behind him as he pulled me through the front doors, but as soon as we reached the concierge desk, a male voice called out Zach’s name. Damn the person who had called out his name about to take my time with him away.

But Zach was a wanted man, and with an apologetic look on his face, he said, ‘Sorry, babe, duty calls.’ Then he was gone, and I was left to my own devices.

‘Great, I guess the grand tour is out,’ I mumbled to myself, only slightly jaded I had been left alone at the entrance to Black’s Bar and Grill.

‘Andy won’t be long,’ someone said from behind me, and I turned around to face the voice.

‘I’m sorry?’ I said to the brunette behind the desk. I was the only one here, I was the only one she could be talking to.

‘Andy is on his way up, and he won’t be long.’

‘Okay,’ I had no idea who Andy was.

‘Ms James?’ I heard from behind me. I turned around at the sound of my name. At the stranger calling me ‘Ms James’. They would only know my surname if they were holding my debit card in their hand. Did that mean Zach had seen my debit card and the surname on it? ‘Ms James?’ The deep male voice said again. ‘My name is Andy.’

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