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Brody was the first to approach. He smiled as he drew his horse to a stop. “Ladies,” he said, tipping his hat. “Are you having a lovely time?”
Payton smiled seductively. “Absolutely,” she said.
“What are you doing over here all on your own?”
“Discussing our love of chaps,” Gemma said. “With or without jeans. If I might be so bold, which do you prefer?”
Her question took him by surprise and he grinned. “That’s between me and my horse.” He turned to Payton. “Would you ladies like to give it a go? I’m sure the boys would love to see you jump into the competition. And there are prizes to be had for the winners.”
“I’ll try,” Payton said.
“Me, too.” Hayley crawled over the fence and started in Teague’s direction.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to sit this one out,” Gemma said.
“Come on,” Brody insisted. “Callum will ride with you. You can steer and he’ll work the pedals.”
Gemma grinned. “All right.”
Payton helped her over the fence and they strode across the paddock, Brody riding beside them. When they got to the boys, Brody suggested that they all compete in pairs to make the game more equitable. The girls would hold the reins while the boys held the girls and used the stirrups.
As the eldest, Callum went first, settling Gemma on the saddle in front of him and wrapping his arm around her waist while his other hand gripped the saddle horn. Brody and Payton watched from a spot at the fence as Davey released a calf from the pen.
He stood behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder, his hand on her hip. “So what were you girls really talking about?” he asked, his voice soft against her ear.
“Sex,” she said.
“Really?”
“That’s all girls talk about when they’re together. We were comparing the three of you.”
“And how did I fare?” he asked.
“Oh, I spoke very highly of you,” Payton teased.
His hand slowly moved forward on her hip until it was pressed flat on her lower abdomen, right above the waistband of her jeans. “Did you tell them how good I am at making you moan?” His fingertips drifted a bit lower.
“Stop,” Payton said. “Everyone is watching.”
“No one is watching,” Brody countered.
She closed her eyes and moaned softly. How was it possible that he could set her nerves on fire with a simple touch? They were both fully dressed, standing amidst a group of people, and all she could think about was his hand dipping into her pants.
“How far will you go, Payton? Can I make you come just by talking to you?”
“Don’t even try,” she said.
“I’ll wager I can. Dare me.”
“Brody, I—” He shoved his hand a bit farther beneath her waistband and she sucked in a sharp breath. “All right. You probably could. But that doesn’t mean I want you to. Not here.”
“Where?” he murmured.
“Your room.”
“Hey!” Brody called. “We’re going to grab some more coldies. Who wants one?” He took the time to count the takers then turned to Payton. “Come on, you can give me a hand.”
They started off toward the house without attracting any attention. When they reached the porch, Brody pressed his finger to his lips, then poked his head inside the door. Though the smell of fresh-baked bread drifted out, Mary was elsewhere. He took Payton’s hand and dragged her through the kitchen, then up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
When they were both inside his room, Brody slammed the door behind them and began to unbutton her jeans. Payton fumbled with the belt holding his chaps, but let go when he bent over to pull off her shoes. Her jeans and panties followed and by the time he stood, he was completely aroused, his erection pressing against the faded denim.
Getting him undressed was too much effort and in the end, she unbuckled his belt and pulled his jeans down around his hips. He picked her up and carried her to the bed.
In one exquisite movement, he slid inside her, her body ready for him, so wet with desire. From the moment he moved, Payton felt herself dancing near the edge. This wasn’t a slow, easy seduction but a desperate attempt to possess each other.
She clutched at his shoulders, her mouth pressed against his throat. “Oh,” she cried. “Oh, yes.”
“Tell me you want it,” he said, his voice raw with passion.
“I do,” Payton said, her own desperation growing.
She felt her orgasm building, fueled by the almost violent nature of their bodies arching against each other. Every thrust became magnificent torture, pushing her closer to the edge and then drawing her back again. Payton let her mind drift, focusing on the spot where they were joined.
And then, she was there, her release shattering reality. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her and she felt him surrender to his own orgasm. He kept moving inside her until he couldn’t move anymore. Then Brody rolled onto his back, carrying her with him.
The entire encounter had only lasted a few minutes, but Payton had never experienced anything quite so powerful. She’d wanted him so much that her desire had overwhelmed all rational thought. He owned her body and he was quickly taking possession of her soul.
“We’re bad,” he whispered.
“I know,” Payton said. “I think it was the chaps.”
Brody laughed out loud, wrapping his arm around her neck and rolling her onto her side. He faced her, his hand lazily trailing through her hair. “So all I have to do to get you into bed is wear leather?”
“I think you already know the answer to that question.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“You just have to touch me,” Payton said softly. “That’s all it takes.”
He smiled boyishly, then stole another kiss. “I’ll remember that.” Pausing, he ran his finger along her jaw and met her gaze. “There is one thing. We haven’t been using protection, and at the shack you said—”
“It’s all right. There won’t be any surprises.”
“Good,” he said. “I mean, not that surprises are always bad, but I’m not sure we’re ready for that.”
Sam had been obsessed about birth control, insisting that Payton find a method that would protect them both without fail. They’d been engaged and they’d always planned to have children, so Payton wondered why he’d been so adamant. Sam had acted as if an unplanned pregnancy would’ve been a disaster. Why hadn’t she ever questioned him making such a decision about her body?
“Payton?”
She blinked, startled from her thoughts. What had brought Sam to mind? She hadn’t thought of him in…days.
Brody was staring at her, a frown on his face. “What’s wrong?”
Payton shook her head. “Nothing. We should probably get back outside. The boys will want their beers.”
Brody levered to his feet, then held out his hand. He patiently helped her dress, patting her backside once she was completely clothed again. But as he turned for the door, Payton noticed a purple mark on his neck.
“Oh, no,” she said, reaching up for his chin and tipping his head up. “Did I do that?”
“What?”
She laughed. “I think I gave you a hickey.”
“What’s that?” Brody asked.
She pulled him over to the mirror above his dresser and pointed to the spot on his neck.
“A love bite,” he said, examining it closely. “I haven’t had one of those since I was a teenager.”
“Sorry.”
He shrugged. “I like it. I like knowing I can make you do such things to me.”
She stared at his reflection in the mirror and smiled. “I think we’re both in trouble,” she said.
He nodded. “I think you might be right.”
“BRODY!”
They both turned to see a horse approaching at a fast gallop. Davey pulled the horse to a stop, nearly running into Brody. “What the hell are you about?” Brody shouted.
“Callum,” he said, gasping for breath.
“What’s wrong? Is he all right?”
“Yeah. Yeah, he’s fine. He needs you back at the house. Right now. He said just you, not Payton. Just you. He made that very clear.”
Brody frowned. “Well, I’m not going to leave Payton out here on her own,” he said.
“No, I’m to help her out,” Davey said. “Go ahead. I’ll carry on.”
Brody regarded the young kid suspiciously. Why was it so important for Payton to stay behind? What the hell was Callum up to? He maneuvered his horse next to Payton’s, then reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Brody leaned over and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Don’t let Davey boss you around.”
She smiled. “I won’t. I’ll see you later.”
Brody kicked his horse into a gallop and headed toward the house. This had damn well better be an emergency. The ride back to the homestead was almost fifteen minutes. As he rode, Brody’s thoughts rewound over the past few days. He and Payton had settled into a life of sorts.
She’d managed to charm Davey into working the stables for the day while she worked the station with Brody. They enjoyed the long ride together and Payton had been fascinated with discovering new plants and animals in the outback. She’d nearly fallen off her horse when she’d spotted her first kangaroo.
He liked having her with him, and Callum hadn’t seemed to mind that they’d paired up. After greasing two of the windmills, they’d eaten some lunch, then set off to ride the fence lines. Payton had quickly learned how to handle herself on a stock pony, eagerly taking tips from Brody when he offered.
Still, her fascination with station life worried him. Was she happy here or was she just avoiding her real life with Sam Whitman? He needed answers, yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask the question. Was she married? And if she was, did it make a difference anymore? He wasn’t sure that it did for him. Not now.
Brody had been considering his options, specifically another surgery on his knee. He was still covered under the team’s insurance and he really didn’t have anything to lose, except a month or two off his feet and at least a year spent in rehab. He cursed softly. The more time he spent with Payton, the more confused he became about his future.
He’d always trusted his gut instinct when it came to any decision, and his gut had never steered him wrong—until the accident. The rain had made the roads slick and he’d already been late for practice, caught up in an argument with Nessa. He hadn’t been paying attention and had taken a turn far too fast. As he went down, his only thought had been that he ought to have trusted his gut and taken the Land Rover to work.
Right now, every instinct told him that Payton belonged in his life, that he should to do everything in his power to keep her there. So why couldn’t he just say that to her? Why couldn’t he tell her how he felt? Brody had never doubted himself until now. Maybe his feelings weren’t as strong as they seemed. Or maybe, this was something more than just infatuation.
As he rode past the horse paddock and into the yard, he saw Callum standing on the back porch, pacing nervously. He waited for Brody to come to a stop before jogging down the steps. Brody hopped off, gathering the reins in his hand.
“Come on,” Callum murmured.
“What’s up?”
“Teague is in the house. There’s a private investigator here looking for Payton.”
“Shit,” Brody muttered. “How did he find her?”
“You know about him?”
“Yeah, he was in Bilbarra trying to track her down. I talked to him. I thought I sent him off to Sydney to look for her.”
“Well, he’s a little bit smarter than you reckoned,” Callum said. “Payton used her credit card at David Jones in Brisbane. And Teague bought something right after her with his card. The clerk mentioned that they were together, so that’s why he’s here. Teague is feeding him some story, but I’m not sure if he’s swallowing it.”
Brody frowned. Payton had spent time in jail for dining and dashing. Why had she suddenly chosen to use a credit card? Had she wanted to be found? Was she looking for an excuse to leave? Or was she unaware that a detective had been sent to find her? “We have to get her out of here,” Brody muttered.
“What the hell has she done?” Callum asked.
“I don’t know.” Brody cursed softly. “She was supposed to get married in April. She ran out on her wedding. And I’d assume her fiancé or her husband wants her back, since he sent someone to fetch her. Bit of a problem there since I don’t want to give her back.”
“Brody, she’s an adult. She should make these decisions for herself. If she wants to stay, she can just tell the guy to get lost.”
“And what if she doesn’t?” Brody asks. “What if she decides to leave with him?”
“Then that’s her choice. You can’t keep her here if she doesn’t want to stay.”
“She may want to stay,” Brody countered. “Only she isn’t ready to admit it yet. She might need more time.”
“Did you ever think about asking her straight out?”
“I’m not going to ask her unless I’m sure she’ll give me the right answer.”
“Bloody hell, Brody, just talk to the girl.”
“I will,” Brody promised. “Soon. But right now, I have to get her off the station. I’ll go back and get her and we’ll ride to the airstrip. I need you to go to the bunkhouse and gather up her things and put them in your ute. Teague can meet us out there.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Callum asked.
The backdoor squeaked and Teague stepped outside. The moment he saw Brody, he grabbed him by the arm and pulled him around the side of the house. “What the hell is going—”
“Don’t ask,” Brody said. “I’ll explain it all later. Can you get away or is this guy going to follow you wherever you go?”
“I think I can lose him. Why?”
“I need you to fly Payton and me to Brisbane. I’m going to go and get her and we’ll meet you at the airstrip. Callum is going to put her things in his ute. Whenever you can, get away and meet us there.”
“All right,” Teague said, nodding. “I better get back in there. He thinks I’m making coffee.”
Brody jumped on his horse and turned it away from the house. “We’ll be at the airstrip in a half hour,” he said. “Don’t let him follow you.”
The ride in had taken twice as long as the ride back. He rode as hard and as fast as he’d ever ridden, as if his life depended upon it. In the end, his life did depend upon Payton. He’d grown attached to her and he couldn’t imagine losing her, especially to another man.
He found them where he’d left them, working on a broken gate that led to the east horse pasture. Davey was holding the gate off the ground while Payton twisted the turnbuckle. They both stopped what they were doing and watched as he approached.
“Get on your horse,” he told Payton. “Come on, we have to go.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you after we get to the airstrip.”
“Why are we going to the airstrip?”
“Payton, don’t ask any questions. Just get on your horse and let’s ride.”
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