by Tania Joyce
With her heart thudding in her chest, she fell under the hypnotic resonance in his voice. She nodded slowly as he lowered the sash over her eyes and secured it firmly.
“You can remove it at any time. I won’t tie it on tight.”
Her fingers trembled as she touched the satin covering her eyes. She couldn’t see a thing. It was pitch black.
When she stopped fidgeting around making the tie comfortable, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The sound of the rain hammered on the roof up above, but now she noticed so much more. She could hear the soft steps Troy took in the direction of the table. The clinking of glasses. The metal cap being unscrewed off the top of a bottle. The glug, glug, glug of the liquid being poured. And more than anything she could sense Troy’s every move.
“This fourth wine is a chardonnay. Citrusy, unwooded. Ready to drink.” Troy took her hand and wrapped her fingers around the glass. Trying not to giggle, she attempted to swirl, sniff and sip the wine like he showed her to do before. The scent tickled her nostrils and as the liquid hit her taste buds, the flavor exploded like skittles inside her mouth. With a mouthful of wine, she coughed, spluttered and dribbled the wine down her front, wetting her skin, her bra and her shirt in the process. She fumbled but managed to place the glass on the table and started to wipe up the mess with her shirtsleeve.
“Tut, tut, tut,” Troy tisked, his voice light, playful and full of sexy as she felt him come near. His body filling her personal space with an alluring warmth. “I don’t like to see all my hard work and wine wasted, so that’s definitely a point for sending you home.” His fingertip wiped away a droplet of wine from her chin before following a trail down along her throat. “Such a waste.”
He edged her legs wider apart and his lips found their way to the side of her neck. Tilting her head, his tongue licked along the length of her throat and kissed away the dash of wine she had spilt before he returned to her mouth. Her breath hitched as the explosion of flavor—spice, citrus and sweetness—fused together as their mouths connected. Boldly, his fingertips started exploring, grazing over the wet fabric of her bra. Drawing along the edge of material, he slipped them underneath and found her hardened nipple. He deepened his kiss and breaths became heavier as he fondled her breast. Leaning against the back of the bar stool, she arched her chest into his touch and entangled her hands through his hair, the soft strands sliding through her fingertips. Her eyes fluttered shut behind the blindfold when he bobbed his head down, pulled the fabric of her bra aside and took her nipple into his mouth. Her pulse thudded in her ears as he licked and sucked her with his warm, wet tongue. Flicked and circled around her aroused bud. Creeping her hands down over his shoulders and onto his back, she tugged at his polo shirt, pulling it free from his jeans and tried to pull it over his head.
But he stopped her, realigned her bra, drew back and left her sitting there gasping for air.
She could hear him licking his lips, and pictured him looking rather pleased with himself for leaving her in a state of disarray. What was he doing? Why did he stop? Where was that bottle of wine? She wanted to grab it and pour it all over herself if he was going to do that to her again. She wanted him. Enough of this teasing. Was this some kind of torturous payback for her slapping him? She never had experienced much foreplay before. Rodrigo was too self-centered. But this game with Troy had her aching and craving for satisfaction. She wriggled on her seat, straightened her shirt up and ensured the blindfold was in place. With several calming breaths she regained her composure, but the fire within her was well lit and she didn’t know how much more of this she could take.
“I think that deserves a point for bed. Don’t you think?” How could he sound so casual after that?
She sensed him grinning as he poured the next set of glasses. “Are you enjoying the wine tasting?”
“I’ve never been to one before so I’ve got no comparison. If they’re all like this, I must make the effort to go to them more often. So far it’s been … interesting. How am I doing?”
“You’re doing just fine, trust me.” He placed the next glass in her hand. “This wine is Gumtree’s prize semillon.”
She lifted the glass up to her nose and sniffed before she touched the rim to her lips and took a small sip. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
They finished the wine and placed the glasses down on the table. She spread her legs wider, allowing him to nudge up close to her again. Tingles danced across her skin as he glided his hands up along her arms, toying with the top of her open shirt before peeling it off her shoulders.
“I have wine and a beautiful woman here, what’s not to enjoy?” His breath, all hot and heavy in her ear as he freed her from her top. His mouth claimed hers as she wrapped her arms around him and ran her hands over his strong muscles.
“I think I need a couple more points for the result I want.” She whispered over their kisses. “What do I need to do to get them?” Slowly she glided her fingers, over the soft cotton of his shirt hanging loosely around his hips, to the front of his jeans. Finding the edge of his leather belt, she undid it and popped open the top button of his jeans. Troy tensed, breath full of fire on her neck as she carefully unzipped his pants and rubbed her hand up the length of his hard erection bulging within his trunks.
“I think you may have managed to gain another one.” He murmured as he pushed against her hand.
“What do I need to do for the last point?”
She smiled as Troy unfastened her belt, undid her workpants and teased her as he stroked across the front of her cotton panties. She gasped when his firm hands grabbed her around the hips and drew her off the bar stool. With her blindfold still secure, he guided her toward the sidewall where she recalled seeing a single barrel lying at the end of one of the racks. Standing behind her, he shimmied his hand down inside her panties and explored between her legs. She was so wet. Her whole body quivered as his fingers probed into her.
“I think you’ve easily reached five points. There’s a barrel in front of you. Bend.” He whispered into her ear, nudged her forward and guided her hands on to the wine barrel. Oh my … His warm hands circled down over her bare back, across her hips, over the curve of her buttocks, and pulled her trousers down along with her panties. Fingers trailed back up between her legs, feeding the fire within.
She was about to protest when he stopped touching her, but the soft rustle of fabric behind her, the flip of a wallet opening, the tearing of plastic and the snap of a condom being rolled on, promised so much more. Then he pressed his erection between her legs, guided the head toward her opening and slowly eased inside her. Fuck! She threw her head back and groaned in delight as he buried himself inside her. With one hand, she reached back and clung on to his thigh, feeling every one of his muscles strain beneath his denim jeans as he slowly withdrew and penetrated her again.
“God, you feel so good.” He delved deep inside her again. She closed her eyes and rocked back against his hard body as one of his hands sought out and cupped her breast. Squeezing it and tweaking her nipple, he thrust slowly into her again, making her knees buckle. “Is this okay?” His voice sounded strained, as if struggling for control.
Her mind rattled. His dick was inside her. Blood was surging through her veins like a bushfire in the Blue Mountains. Every time he slid in and out, she panted to catch her breath.
“Yes, but touch me.” She took his hand from her breast and guided it down between her legs. He needed no further direction as he slipped his finger between her folds of skin and rubbed her swollen bud. As he circled and rubbed her arousal she bit down hard on her lip, to stop from screaming out loud.
Air rushed in and out of her lungs in short sharp bursts as her hips rocked back and forth. Carefully he pulled back again, before burying the full length of his shaft hard into her again.
Damn, that felt so good.
Driving into her sent shockwaves up her spine and tingles pooling at the base of her neck. Clenching around him, sh
e begged him to go deeper. He thrust harder and harder. Giving her everything she could take. Her fingernails clawed at the wooden surface of the barrel. Her toes curled inside her steel cap boots. Her ears hummed with the sound of her pulse as Troy penetrated her with his rock-hard cock.
A loud clap of thunder shattered through the skies outside and she came. Quaking under his touch, she felt his own release. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around her belly. Holding her close, he regained his breath before he withdrew. When she stood up, she finally removed the blindfold and he buried his face into her neck. Reaching up, she touched his cheek and inhaled his spicy scent.
“Do you do this on all of your private wine tasting tours?” she teased, allowing her heart rate to settle.
“I might have to start offering this as an optional extra,” he chuckled, kissing her cheek.
“I’ll never be able to drink another glass of semillon ever again without thinking about this.” She blushed as they both shuffled to do up their pants. He picked up and handed her shirt for her to redress before he tucked his own back into place.
He grinned as he drew her into his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. “I never knew personal wine tastings tours could be so much fun. I’ll never be able to do a wine tour in here again without thinking about this.”
Kelleigh closed her eyes and took a step out of his arms.
“You okay?” he reached out and caught her arm.
“Um … yeah. We got a bit carried away, didn’t we?” She covered her flushed cheeks with her hands. “I really only came out here to apologize and get my computer cable.” She lowered her eyes to the ground. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t change anything. I still have a job to do and will be heading home in two weeks.”
“Don’t be so worried. I’m fully aware of our situation. I’ll be okay, how about you?”
She nodded. He might be okay, but would she? Her whole body buzzed after that orgasm and somehow she had to find the strength to walk away and never see him again.
“Think of this as I accept your apology wholeheartedly.” He grinned cheekily, tugged on the front of her shirt and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Come on, it sounds like the rain has eased up.” Troy returned to the table and started to clean up. He screwed the lids back onto the opened wine bottles and loaded all the used wine glasses into a basket. “We need to stop off here quickly in the office before we go and get your cable,” he said as he started to lead her back to the entrance. “There’s one thing I forgot about.”
“Yeah. What’s that?”
“It’s nothing to worry about because Nick, Maria and I are the only ones with access, but I need to log on to the computer and delete the last thirty minutes or so of security footage. I forgot about the cameras.”
Chapter 16
Kelleigh opened the curtains on Friday morning to heavy, overcast skies, but nothing could dampen her mood after making up with Troy yesterday afternoon. After her apology and the steamy sex, she was looking forward to a day working out on-site with her team.
Walking into the dining area dressed in her hi-vis gear, she found her JLR crew finishing off large plates of bacon and eggs. Duncan, her geo-technician, flicked his thick brown curls, smiled with a mouthful of food and slopped up egg on his plate with a slice of toast. Lucas, her operations tech, hunched his slim shoulders forward and slurped on his cup of tea. Roger, her all-round laborer, shoveled cereal into his mouth while Paul, her surveyor, with his blond dreads tied back into a ponytail, looked like he’d just rolled out of bed and rubbed his tired eyes.
“Morning all,” she waved to them as she walked over to the buffet breakfast. The aroma of sweet bacon, greasy eggs and fresh toast made her mouth water. It all smelled so good. After yesterday with Troy, she’d certainly worked up an appetite. She grabbed a warm plate and loaded it up with food and licked her lips at the sight of all the pastries and croissants lined up next to the condiments and toast. She hesitated as images of her ex glaring at her flooded her mind. He would’ve condemned her for eating such delicacies. Walking along the buffet, her steps were lighter knowing he was no longer breathing down her neck telling her to watch her waistline. She was going to devour whatever she wanted. She grabbed two chocolate-filled treats and placed them onto her already loaded plate and was going to enjoy every last crumb.
She returned to the table and started to hook into her breakfast.
“We’ve got a busy day ahead of us, boys, while it’s not raining,” she said. “With it being so wet, I’m not sure how far we’ll get the drilling truck down into the paddock without it getting bogged. Let’s pray for sunshine so we can finish this job and go home.”
“Hell yeah,” the others all said together.
“Toru is coming up again today to meet with me and the flora and fauna auditor. We’ve never used this mob before so I’ll see if they need anything from us while you guys continue with the drilling.”
“It’s going to be a muddy day out in those paddocks,” Duncan’s eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands together. “You ready to get down and dirty with us again, Kel?”
She nodded and nibbled on her pastry. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Beats the hell out of being in the office, doesn’t it?”
Lucas stood up, scraping his chair loudly on the wooden floor. “I’m done. I need to make a phone call so I’ll meet you outside in about fifteen minutes.” He pushed his chair back in under the table and left the room without another word.
“Is Lucas all right?” Kelleigh asked her team.
“He’s fine. Just moody as always. I think I can speak for everyone,” Duncan said, “but thank God you scored the role as project leader on this gig rather than him. I wouldn’t have come on this trip if he was our supervisor.”
Kelleigh stopped mid-chew. Duncan’s comment was one of the nicest things she’d heard from him regarding her efforts at work. She may feel out of her depth at times, but this bunch of guys offered great support. They were like brothers to her. All the men nodded in agreement, taking their last mouthfuls of breakfast and leaving clean plates; not even a crumb or smear of ketchup in sight.
“Thanks, guys.” She hoped she wouldn’t let them down.
“We’ll see you out on-site soon.” Paul said, stretching his arms up over his head and standing up from the table.
“No worries. I won’t be far behind you.”
Kelleigh watched the three men leave the room and the peace and quiet settled around her. As always, her thoughts returned to Troy when she was left alone.
“What’s got you all goofy-eyed and in such a good mood this morning?”
Kelleigh jumped in her seat as Grace walked up to the table to clear the dishes away.
“Nothing.” Kelleigh’s cheeks flushed.
“Oh sweetie. I’ve been working in a pub for years. I’ve seen it all. You, my dear, look like you’ve had one hell of a good time with a fella. Care to tell me I’m wrong?”
Kelleigh’s mouth gaped open.
Grace put the pile of plates back down on the table, wiped her hands on her apron. “May I?” she asked, pointing to the chair.
Kelleigh nodded. Grace pulled out one of the chairs and sat across from her with a glint shimmering brightly in her eye. “Now … which one of those boys of yours has done this to you?”
“Oh Grace, what am I going to do?” She leaned forward on the table and covered her face with her hands.
“Causing problems in your team, are you? I see that tall one with the dreads, what’s his name, Paul, staring at you every now and then. Is it him?”
Kelleigh sat up and looked at Grace in confusion. “Paul? No. It’s not anyone in my team.” She sighed, placing her palms down on the table. “Do I really have to tell you who it is? You seem to know everything going on around here.”
“Oh no. Not Troy. What were you thinking?”
“It just happened. He’s in front of me every time I turn around. He’s rescued me twice. The first time from my broken
-down car, the second time from Brian’s fury. Then, yesterday afternoon when I stopped by to get my power cord, he provided shelter for me when the storm hit. Being alone with him while Mother Nature unleashed that downpour was … let’s just say … intense.”
Grace shook her head, her eyes full of disappointment. “Of all the men in this community you could have a fling with, you had to pick him?”
“Why are you so protective of him? Can’t he make his own decisions?” Grace sounded like an overbearing mother.
“Because he’s a good man, just like his mother, God rest her soul. He deserves only the best after all he’s been through.”
Kelleigh peered at Grace, her interest piqued. “And what exactly has he been through?”
Grace hesitated. Had she said too much? Her eyes darted around her to see if anyone was close by. “He lost his mother and his wife in tragic circumstances, both have affected him deeply. That’s all I’ll say on the matter.”
Kelleigh tapped her fingertips on top of the table. So there was more to Troy than she first suspected. There was some other reason why he remained single, she was sure of it. But it didn’t matter; she was out of there in a couple of weeks. Regardless of his personal situation, he’d helped her in some small way. She now felt good about herself again and her confidence was coming back. She’d been numb for way too long.
She cocked her head. “Grace, do you believe in fate? Maybe there is a reason why we met. Maybe we needed each other at this point in our lives. To help each other out, even if it is for a short period of time.”