by Lisa Ireland
Jenna smiled. ‘It worked. I am impressed. Charlotte, let me give you my card.’ She fumbled in her hot pink Prada handbag. ‘If you ever feel like submitting a piece to Gloss then let me know. We’re always on the lookout for a fresh voice.’
‘Wow, thanks. You’ll definitely be hearing from me.’ Charlotte’s eyes flitted to Luke and then back to Jenna. ‘I guess I should share you around, Jenna. I’ve already monopolised enough of your time.’
‘Not at all,’ Jenna replied. Please don’t go.
But Charlotte was already backing away with a wave.
‘How has your morning been?’ Luke asked, with no hint of emotion in his voice.
‘Lovely,’ Jenna replied, forcing a smile. ‘I’ve met lots of interesting people.’ She saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
‘Anyone in particular?’
Jenna considered whether she should try to make him jealous. Rob Fraser had introduced her to several handsome, young farmers and she wondered how Luke would feel if she started gushing about one of them. It would serve him right. He deserved to be punished, but it wasn’t in her nature to play games.
‘Charlotte, for a start.’
‘Oh yes,’ he smiled. ‘Our Lottie is one out of the box.’ Luke hesitated for a moment, like there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t. The memory of the passionate kiss they had shared hung in the air between them.
God, was he going to say something about what had happened? Jenna sucked her breath in sharply, in terrified anticipation.
Eventually he asked, ‘Are you staying for the cricket match?’
Jenna let out a relieved laugh. ‘I don’t have much choice really, seeing as you are my ride home.’
‘I think some of the visitors are heading for the pub since it’s such a hot day.’
‘I’m sure Brooke will want to watch Rob in action, so we’ll stay here. There’s plenty of shade, so I think we’ll be fine.’
‘The team will be pleased to have some new supporters.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘I’m glad you’re staying.’
Jenna could feel herself blushing and she lowered her eyes. ‘I’ve always been a cricket fan,’ she managed to mumble.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Well, I’d better go and get changed.’
* * *
Jenna and Brooke settled themselves in a shady position under an ancient gum tree and prepared for a lazy afternoon of watching cricket. Maggie had thoughtfully packed them a picnic rug and a small cooler full of drinks, so they were quite comfortable despite the searing heat. Barlow won the toss and headed in to bat first. Rob was the opening batsman.
‘This is pleasant,’ Brooke said, her gaze firmly fixed on Rob.
Jenna laughed. ‘I hope he has a long innings, otherwise I’m afraid you’ll be bored.’
‘I guess we can always retire to the pub if things get grim,’ Brooke replied.
But Rob turned out to have quite a talent with the bat and was sitting on a score of 70 when the match stopped for lunch.
‘Are you coming to congratulate Rob on his performance?’ Brooke asked.
Jenna shook her head. ‘You go. I’m quite comfy here.’
Brooke raised her eyebrows. ‘You can’t avoid Luke for the whole weekend, you know.’
Jenna grinned. ‘I can try. Now go and see your man.’
As Brooke walked off Maggie appeared with a container of fresh sandwiches. She set them down on the picnic rug and then lowered herself down beside them. ‘I’ll never be able to get up from here,’ she joked.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll give you a hand,’ Jenna said. ‘It’s the least I can do after the way you have looked after us. We should be waiting on you in your condition.’
Maggie shook her head. ‘I enjoy taking care of others. It helps keep me busy. Besides, it’s just part of life in a country town. Everyone helps out wherever they can. That’s one of the things I love about living in a small community.’
Jenna thought about her community or lack of one. She very occasionally nodded at her neighbours if she saw one of them in the elevator of her apartment building. She knew the guy in the coffee house on the corner by name. Ted (or was it Ned?) always had her skinny latte waiting to go right on seven thirty each morning.
‘Do you work, Maggie?’ she asked.
‘I used to teach before…’ she hesitated for a moment, ‘before I was pregnant. Lately I’ve helped Luke run Tandarra. It’s been a steep learning curve for both of us.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Neither of us knew anything about the business of running a farm. Joe and his dad took care of the property until…’
Jenna looked up at Maggie’s face and saw her pained expression. She put her hand on Maggie’s arm and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. ‘So, you lost both of them at once?’
‘Yes. To lose one of them would have been bad enough, but for both Joe and his dad to be killed in the crash was just unimaginable.’ She smiled bravely and patted her large belly. ‘But life goes on you know. Running Tandarra has been a comfort of sorts.’
Jenna smiled silently. She didn’t know what to say. She tried to imagine herself in Maggie’s position, pregnant and alone, selflessly carrying on her husband’s legacy. Obviously Maggie was made of tougher stuff than she was. Living out here, working from dawn to dusk was Jenna’s idea of a nightmare.
The players were taking the field again and Brooke hurried back to take her place under the shade of the gum tree.
‘How are you enjoying yourself, Brooke?’ Maggie asked.
‘I’m having the time of my life,’ Brooke replied. ‘I can see why you love living out here. It’s such a pity we have to leave tomorrow. Don’t you agree, Jenna?’
‘Hmmm,’ Jenna replied. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.
* * *
Rob was clean bowled with the first ball of the new over. He made his way back to the stand and took a seat next to Luke.
‘Great innings, mate. You certainly know how to impress the ladies,’ Luke said.
Rob laughed. ‘Thanks. Speaking of ladies, what’s your house guest like?’
‘Brooke? I think you know her better than I do,’ Luke said. He gave Rob a good-natured slap on the shoulder.
Rob grinned. ‘Yeah, she’s a great girl. I like her a lot. But I didn’t mean Brooke. I’m talking about Jenna.’
Luke hesitated. Why did Rob want to know about Jenna? Was his interest in Brooke platonic? It certainly hadn’t looked that way last night.
‘Why do you ask?’
‘I dunno. Brooke said…’
‘What?’
‘She said she thought Jenna had the hots for you.’
‘Jenna said that?’
‘Oh mate, I don’t know. Probably not in so many words.’
Luke tried his hardest to appear nonchalant. ‘We danced. Her date was otherwise engaged and it seemed the polite thing to do.’
‘Ah, so you were just being chivalrous. Nothing more?’ Rob laughed. ‘Come off it, mate.’
Luke was silent. He knew anything he said would just confirm Rob’s suspicions.
‘Y’know, Luke, it’s okay to like a woman. It’s not a crime to be happy.’
‘I’m perfectly happy,’ Luke said.
‘Whatever you reckon, mate.’
Luke stood up. ‘I’d better go pad up. I’m next in to bat and the way Johnno’s going I could be heading out any minute.’
* * *
When Luke took his place at the crease Jenna’s interest in the game suddenly heightened. Cricket whites would not be her first choice in men’s apparel but she had to admit Luke managed to make the uniform look sexy. The white short-sleeved shirt showed off his tanned, muscular biceps and even the loose fitting white trousers couldn’t conceal his athletic body. Her pulse quickened in anticipation as he faced his first ball. He swung the bat capably and scored two runs immediately. Jenna’s heart swelled with pride. No matter what happened now at least he would be spared the humiliation of leaving the field score
less. She inwardly chastised herself for being so attached to him, but was the first to her feet to applaud when he hit a six the very next ball.
Brooke laughed. ‘You’ve sparked up, Jen. Developed a sudden interest in the game?’
Jenna tried to conceal her embarrassment at being caught out in front of Maggie. ‘I think it’s important to support the local team.’
Maggie smiled. ‘I’m sure your support is appreciated, Jenna.’
Jenna tried to take her attention away from Luke and join in with Maggie and Brooke, but she found her eyes and her thoughts drifting back to his athletic form. She couldn’t get last night’s kiss out of her mind. Just the thought of his lips on hers brought on a powerful physical reaction within her. As she remembered his touch, first gentle and then more urgent, her skin began to tingle and her stomach filled with butterflies.
Physical attraction had never been an important feature of Jenna’s relationships. She had dated many attractive and desirable men and had enjoyed very pleasant physical relationships with all of them, but overall she believed it was far more important to have common interests and shared values.
What did she have in common with Luke Tanner? Their worlds couldn’t be further apart. He lived here, in the middle of nowhere, ran a sheep farm and played cricket on the weekends. She lived in a two-bedroom apartment in the heart of Melbourne, worked at one of the nation’s most popular women’s magazines and worked on weekends, even when she was socialising. What sort of a relationship could they ever have? It seemed her body didn’t care they were polar opposites, though. It was acting of its own accord.
Jenna watched as Luke slammed another ball towards the boundary, much to the crowd’s delight. The four runs took his score to 50. She applauded along with everyone else. Luke looked across at her, smiled and lifted his bat in acknowledgement. Her stomach flipped and her legs went to jelly. It was crazy, the overwhelming desire she had for this man. Just a small gesture from him and she had turned to putty. But the truth was undeniable — she wanted him badly. She wanted to be enveloped in those strong arms, to run the palms of her hands over that hard torso. She closed her eyes for a second and pictured him undressing her, caressing her skin as he went. Warmth spread throughout her body and she felt herself blushing at the intensity of her desire.
The roar of the crowd brought Jenna back from her fantasy. Luke was caught out. As he made his way back to the stand, Jenna sighed and decided that the less she saw of Luke the better. He was bringing out a side of her that she was not entirely comfortable with.
Luke Tanner made her feel totally and utterly out of control.
Chapter 7
Jenna sipped her iced tea and looked out at the shimmering view from Tandarra’s wide veranda. She had hoped to slip off to her room as soon as they’d returned to the homestead but Maggie had gently persuaded her to partake of afternoon tea. Luckily conversation with Luke was not as strained as she had feared, largely thanks to the presence of Rob, who had joined them after the game.
‘Thirsty work out there on the field today,’ Rob said, as he twisted the top off a stubby.
‘Yeah, I haven’t cooled down yet,’ Luke agreed.
‘How about we take a run out to Sinclair’s Hole,’ Rob said.
‘That’s a great idea. How about it, ladies? Feel like a swim?’
Jenna felt a sense of panic rising up in her. A vision of Luke’s wet, half-naked body flashed before her eyes. No, swimming with him was definitely not a good idea. ‘I’m not really in the mood for swimming,’ she said.
Brooke looked at her with pleading eyes. ‘Come on, Jen. It’ll be fun. Imagine how refreshed you’ll feel after a swim.’
‘Sinclair’s Hole is very pretty,’ Maggie said. ‘It would be a shame to miss it.’
‘I’m sure you’d enjoy yourself, Jenna,’ Luke said.
‘Come on, Jenna. Don’t be a spoilsport,’ said Rob.
‘Pleeease,’ implored Brooke.
Oh for heaven’s sake. They were not going to let up. It would be easier just to go and get it over with. She was a grown woman. She would actually love to have a swim. Why should she let a little infatuation stop her? She would just control her emotions around Luke. How hard could that be? Self-control was her specialty.
‘OK,’ she said. ‘Just give me a minute to change.’
* * *
Sinclair’s Hole was a 10 minute drive north of Tandarra, along a seldom used track. Luke found himself seated in the backseat of Rob’s twin cab ute, next to Jenna. Brooke had climbed into the front with Rob. He tried to concentrate on the scenery outside the car but his eyes and his thoughts kept wandering back to Jenna. How could a bloke be expected to keep his eyes off her when she looked like that? He could see the outline of her hot pink bikini under her sheer black cover-up. Even her feet were sexy, painted pink toenails poking out of metallic pink thongs. Why on earth had he encouraged her to come? Sitting next to her like this, knowing he couldn’t touch her, was torture.
Brooke’s voice broke into his thoughts. ‘It’s a shame Maggie decided not to come.’
‘I think this weekend has been more tiring than she expected. She hasn’t slowed down at all during the pregnancy, but now she’s almost eight months along I think she really needs her rest,’ said Luke.
‘Do you think she’s alright?’ Jenna asked, with genuine concern in her voice.
Luke smiled at her. ‘She’ll be fine after a couple of hours sleep. I know she doesn’t want to miss the bush dance tonight.’
‘What exactly is a bush dance?’ Brooke asked.
Rob laughed. ‘Don’t tell me you two have never been to a bush dance?’
‘I confess, this is our first time,’ Brooke said.
‘Well, you’re in for a treat. Barlow puts on a pretty mean bush dance, even if I do say so myself.’ Rob said. ‘There will be some great local bands and a spit roast dinner.’
‘So eating and dancing are the order of the night?’ Jenna said.
‘Yep. Barlow has a bush dance once every few months. It’s a good way for the locals to get together and socialise. People come from all the outlying areas,’ said Rob. He pulled the truck to a stop. ‘Here we are, people.’
Luke jumped out of the truck and ran around to open Jenna’s door. She seemed taken aback when he offered her his hand but she took it and stepped carefully down from her seat. Her hand was soft and small in his. Luke had the urge to draw her close, but she pulled her hand away as soon as her feet touched the ground. ‘Thank you, but I’m fine now,’ she said. He nodded and allowed her to pass.
‘Wow, this place is really beautiful,’ Brooke said. She pointed to the dark, flowing water. ‘Are you sure it’s safe to swim here?’
‘The current’s quite weak here,’ said Rob, ‘but the water is deep. Are you strong swimmers?’
‘Jenna is, but I’m more of a paddler than a swimmer,’ said Brooke.
‘There’s a shallower spot upstream,’ said Rob. ‘We can’t get the ute down that far but we can easily walk there from here, if you’re interested.’
‘Great,’ said Brooke.
‘Are you guys up for a walk?’ asked Rob.
Luke got the distinct impression that Rob would rather they didn’t tag along. He shook his head. ‘Nah, I want a proper swim, so I think I’ll stay here.’
‘What about you, Jenna?’ said Brooke.
Jenna hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. ‘I think I’d rather cool off in the deep water,’ she said. She appeared to have received the message that three would be a crowd.
Rob took Brooke by the hand. ‘Come on then, Brooke. Let me show you the countryside.’
So now it was just the two of them. Luke watched Jenna as she sat down on her towel and pulled a bottle of sunscreen from her bag. When she began to rub the lotion along those shapely legs he could bear it no more. Luke ripped off his T-shirt and walked to the edge of the bank. He took a deep breath and launched himself into the cool, dark water.
Jenna sat on the bank and watched Luke’s tanned body slide effortlessly into the water. His entrance barely caused a splash. Jenna held her breath until he surfaced again. He swam over to the other bank and back several times before he looked in her direction again.
‘Come on in,’ he called. ‘The water’s really nice.’
‘In a minute,’ she replied, stalling for time. The water looked so inviting and so did Luke. What was going on with him? One minute he was all over her and the next he was pushing her away. Right now he was looking at her like she was the most desirable woman on earth. She shook her head. Maybe she was imagining this. Maybe her desire for him had created illusions in her head.
Jenna sighed. Part of her wanted to abandon herself to this wild desire she had for Luke, but she knew it was not the smart thing to do. Clearly, there was something going on with him. One-night stands were not supposed to come with complications.
‘Don’t make me come up there and get you,’ Luke called.
There was no getting around it. She would have to get in the water with him. ‘Coming,’ she said. She slipped her caftan up over her head, feeling very self-conscious. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked to the river’s edge and dipped her toe in. The water was freezing.
‘Don’t be such a wuss,’ said Luke.
Jenna smiled and dived into the water in response.
When she surfaced Luke was grinning at her. ‘I take it back,’ he said. ‘Definitely not a wuss.’
Jenna tried to keep her teeth from chattering.
Luke laughed. ‘The water’s fine once you get used to it. You just need to keep moving.’
Jenna swam a few strokes and then rolled onto her back. The water was certainly refreshing. She looked up at the sky, clear and blue through the treetops. It was so peaceful here, so relaxing. Almost as good as a day spa. She closed her eyes for a moment and allowed the gentle current to take her downstream. When she had drifted for a minute or so, she turned around and swam back upstream towards Luke.
‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘The water is lovely once you get used to it.’