Emily's Cowboy

by Donna Gallagher

  “I know, girl, I just need to be patient. Gareth should be home soon. It’s just that seeing the dam—our dam—will only make me miss him even more.”

  The horse nickered, as if in sympathy, as Emily mounted up. Taking the reins, she turned Sienna towards the barn door, ready to head out to check on the Andrews’ workman, only to find her father was standing in her path. She was glad to see he was walking without the aid of a cane or crutch. Mac had nearly returned to full health, but she didn’t want him to push his body too far, too soon.

  “Hey, Em. You heading to the north paddock to check those fences, then?”

  “Yeah, Dad, might as well get it out of the way before it gets too hot. I should be back by lunch and I’ll fix us something to eat when I get back. Don’t do too much while I’m gone, okay? And Dad…listen out for the phone. I’m expecting to hear from Gareth—he must be coming home soon.”

  “Sure thing, Em…but I shouldn’t worry too much. I reckon he’ll be home before you know it.”

  As Mac walked away, Emily noticed he seemed to be in a happier mood than usual—not that he was usually the kind of man to sulk or moan about anything. But if anything, there was a spring in his step today, which—considering her father had nearly lost his leg in the accident—made it all the more puzzling behaviour.

  Well, at least one of us is feeling chipper, she thought as she let Sierra have her head. The horse responded quickly to the freedom, galloping at speed towards the Andrews farm and the annoying fence repairs.

  The wind in her hair and the power of Sierra between her legs, as horse and rider flew across the countryside, lifted Emily’s spirits. Sierra needed little encouragement to find the way to the Andrews property, having been there on so many occasions, so Emily just settled in to enjoy the ride and the picturesque surroundings. The different colours of the earth below her, the scent of the eucalyptus trees and native flora of the Australian bush in the air were a constant reminder of how much of a country girl she was.

  Emily’s irritation was quick to return to the surface, though, when she spied the fence line that was still in need of repairs. The Andrews’ jackeroo was nowhere to be found, although the tools and materials needed to complete the job had been piled on the ground in readiness for the work that still needed to be done.

  “What the hell? Malcolm won’t be impressed his worker is skiving off when he should be working,” Emily told Sierra as she stroked the mare’s neck in reward for her ride. “What’s the bet the lazy so-and-so has taken himself off for a swim at the dam, or maybe catching a snooze in the sunshine? What say we go take a look, give him a bit of a wake-up call?”

  As Emily headed towards the dam, she noticed a tent had been pitched not far from the bank of her and Gareth’s favourite swimming hole.

  “Well, what do we have here?” she whispered to her horse. “The lazy roustabout has fixed himself a little home away from home for his morning kip! Well, I never—can’t wait to report this development to Malcolm. No wonder he sent me along to check it out.”

  The nearer Emily got, the more annoyed she became. Not only had the jackeroo pitched a tent, but he had set himself up a table and a couple of chairs, strung a few lanterns among the gum trees and had a nice campfire burning. Emily started to feel a little apprehensive at the scene laid out before her. What if this was a squatter’s camp and had nothing to do with the errant Andrews farm worker? Should she investigate on her own? What if the tent’s resident—or residents—were not happy to find she had discovered their setup? She was out here, a woman on her own, and not the most imposing figure.

  Halting Sierra’s progress about fifty metres away, Emily lifted her body higher in the saddle, standing on the stirrups to try to get a better look at the campsite, and to make a decision whether to continue or return home for some backup. There was a man swimming in the dam—she could see the sun glinting off his blond hair and broad shoulders. She blinked twice, trying to focus more clearly, because for a moment Emily had thought it was Gareth in the water.

  “Wow, I must be really losing it,” she continued her one-sided conversation with her horse. “For a minute there, I thought it was…”

  Emily didn’t finish her sentence. Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly when the male in question, the blond male in the dam, stood.

  Emily urged Sienna a few strides closer, her breath caught in her throat. Even though she could only see his back, there was no doubt in her mind. It was Gareth. He was home, swimming in their dam…and he hadn’t told her, hadn’t called to let her know he was back.

  For an instant, pain lanced Emily’s heart as thoughts filled her head that Gareth might have kept his arrival home a secret from her, because he had changed his mind about them being together. No, that couldn’t be true, not after all they had been through. Life couldn’t be that cruel to her…could it?

  Emily sat back heavily onto the saddle. Sensing her agitation, Sierra shuffled her feet, flicking her head from side to side, neighing and snorting as if in response to her rider’s anguish. The sound filled the silence around Emily.

  Then Emily thought about the tent, the lanterns strung about, and it all started to make sense. She had been set up. There was no missing jackeroo—she was meant to find Gareth, had been sent in this direction on purpose.

  Smiling to herself as a plan formed, Emily decided that two could play at this game. She had her own surprise in store for her lover.

  Chapter Twenty

  It had seemed like such a good idea at the time—he’d thought of it as a perfect way to reunite.

  “Romantic!” his mother had crooned, when Gareth had told his parents of his plans to surprise Emily. Even Mac had seemed chuffed at the idea, quickly assuring Gareth that he would lend his support in any way he could and encourage Emily to check the fences out near the dam, as Malcolm would request of her, putting her right where she needed to be.

  Gareth had spent the morning getting everything just right—pitching the tent, stringing the lanterns. He had decked the inside of the tent out to resemble what he believed a sultan’s tent would look like.

  He had transported over a double-bed mattress, a table and chair, and bedding his mother had pulled from what was apparently a stash she had been saving as wedding gifts. The burgundy satin sheets and matching velvet throws added to the romantic ambience he was trying to achieve. A few cushions thrown here and there, a basketful of rose petals—courtesy of his mother again—and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket next to two champagne flutes completed the picture.

  He had set up the table and chairs, dressing the table with a lace cloth and some of his mother’s finest crockery and silverware. Gareth had gone to extreme lengths to make this reunion one Emily would never forget. Well, the beef stew warming in the campfire billy might not be French cuisine quality, but Gareth believed the chocolate-covered ripe strawberries and the dozen or so lamingtons—Emily’s favourite cake—in the ice box would make up for that. So would the one-carat diamond solitaire ring nestled in the jewellery box on her pillow, Gareth hoped.

  Gareth could think of no better place to propose to Emily than this spot. After all, this was the place that Emily had stolen his heart and become more than just his best friend. This was where Emily had become the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And this was where he was about to make that become reality.

  After one last look around to make certain everything was perfect, Gareth had decided to refresh in the cool water of the dam. He had worked up quite a sweat setting everything up, and the last thing he wanted was to be blasting Emily with body odour when he took her in his arms this first time after what seemed an eternity.

  After washing his body thoroughly, Gareth floated on his back in the cool water and gazed up at the sunshine-filled skies. The tops of gum trees swayed in the breeze, and a few white, fluffy-looking clouds punctuated the blue sky. It was a perfect late spring day. Now all Gareth needed was for Emily to show up. It shouldn’
t be too much longer, if all his calculations were correct. Gareth had left out the materials for the fence repairs—for the fence he himself had cut—for Emily to find. Knowing how her mind worked, he believed she would come snooping around to see if the missing jackeroo was shirking his work and having a swim—hey, that was what he and Emily had done on more than a few occasions. It was time for him to get dressed and wait for her.

  As Gareth stood up, he heard the faint sound of a horse nickering behind him. He turned towards the sound and sure enough, there was a horse nearby—a riderless horse. It looked very much like Sierra, Emily’s horse. But where was Emily? Gareth looked towards the campsite he had set up, then he saw her. She was standing on the bank of the dam. More to the point, she was standing on the bank of the dam nude—well, apart from the shirt she had clasped in front of her, shielding the sight of her naked breasts and mound from his view.

  While Gareth was disappointed not to be able to see her beautiful breasts unhindered—he imagined her berry-coloured nipples hard and protruding, just begging to be adored—he did savour the sight of her long, toned legs. Emily had the sexiest set of legs Gareth had ever seen—her small, feminine feet and delicate ankles led to shapely calves, and even her knees were adorably perfect. She was all woman. His Emily.

  Gareth was lost for words. He had missed her almost beyond endurance, constantly in a battle with himself not to just chuck the whole football life in and return to be with her. If not for Rook and Pippa, and the ability to frequently speak to Emily and see her face, albeit on a computer screen, he would not have made it. But she was here now. He was here now.

  Gareth’s cock had risen to attention despite the cold water. It was very reminiscent of that very first time he had gazed upon Emily as a woman and not just his childhood buddy—him in the water, her standing nervously unclad on the bank of the dam. Just like the last time, Gareth watched, mesmerised as Emily’s shirt floated to the ground in front of her, only this time there were no bra and panties. This time Emily was gloriously naked to his eyes.

  “I have missed you so goddamn much, baby…” Gareth strode towards her, his long legs churning through the water, eating up the space between them. “This isn’t quite how I planned our reunion, but in a way it’s quite fitting. But I wanted it to be perfect for you.”

  “It is perfect. You’re here—what more is there?”

  Without notice, Emily launched herself at him and Gareth swept her into his arms, the heat of her skin engulfing him as it touched his own. Her lips were on his, her tongue danced with his. Hunger and desperation fuelled their actions—their hands roamed, rubbed and petted skin as Emily and Gareth each tried to cover and touch as much of the other as they could. It had been a long five months.

  Gareth carried Emily towards the open flap of the tent. He needed to be inside her, truly believed he needed it more than he needed oxygen at that moment. He feared he would go insane if he did not quench his desire, his hunger for her right this minute. The woman—the feel of her, her skin, her taste, her touch, her scent—drove him wild. Gareth could not get enough of her taste in his mouth, could not touch enough of her all at once. His mind, his whole body, was surrounded by Emily.

  “I need…” he groaned.

  “Me too,” she replied into his mouth, then she sucked his lip between hers. Gareth felt the sting of her teeth as she nipped at his lip—it just made him more frenzied. He fell to his back on the mattress, pulling Emily down with him before rolling them over so she was now trapped under him. Lust and need overpowered Gareth’s initial plans to take Emily slowly, romantically. It was going to be hard and fast—he could not control his desire. He parted Emily’s legs with his own, felt the head of his cock nudge her pussy lips and the heat emanating from her there as he slammed inside her. One hard thrust and he was buried in her cunt. Home.

  “Ahh…you’re so wet for me, baby… You feel so good. I’m not going to last,” he lamented. He had wanted to take his time, reacquaint himself with her body slowly, but that would have to happen later. Right now, he needed to make her come, and quickly, before he erupted.

  “I’m close…just don’t stop.” Her breathless pleas spurred him on. He drove in and out of hot, wet velvet depths, felt the sweat from his endeavours rolling down his back. So close to heaven…so close.

  Her orgasm was hovering within reach. Even the hard edge of whatever was pushing painfully against her neck could not stop the pleasure from building. Emily sought purchase on Gareth’s broad shoulders with desperate hands, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, digging her heels into his backside as she matched his thrusts one for one.

  Gareth was inside her at last, after all these lonely months—rocking her world, bringing her close to the precipice of an orgasm Emily believed would send her skyrocketing into another world.

  She could feel the ripples of his back and arm muscles as he drove into her, hear his grunts and groans as he climbed towards his own release, and the thought of that sent her flying. Pleasure swamped her as she hurtled over the abyss, stars forming before her eyes from the sensual gratification Gareth had wrought on her body.

  Warmth surrounded Emily as she lay, spent, beneath Gareth’s body, and she finally took in her surroundings. The inside of the tent had been turned into a scene from a Bedouin-inspired love story. Lush fabrics and pillows surrounded her. A champagne bottle and pair of champagne flutes had been placed beside the makeshift bed—a bed that Emily believed to be an actual inner-spring mattress, not just the inflatable type used for camping out. If not for the hard object still pressing against her neck, she might have never moved again.

  “Something is poking me in the neck,” Emily groaned, not wanting to spoil the moment but unable to ignore the uncomfortable problem anymore. “I think the mattress has sprung a spring.”

  “Aw, shit…I forgot about that. This isn’t going the way I planned, Em…” Gareth’s reply was confusing, and Emily waited for him to clarify. She thought everything was just perfect.

  Gareth reached behind her head, moving his hand around as if searching for something. The pressure against her neck was removed, and Gareth rolled her onto her side, facing him. It never failed to amuse her that Gareth could just move her body at will, effortlessly proving how incredibly strong he was. She stared into his eyes, moved her hand to stroke his face, felt the bristle of his whiskers just breaking through his skin. So masculine, so powerful. Gareth was all man…her man. She could see his love for her reflected in his eyes, nothing hidden or masked as he held her in his sight.

  “Emily Mackenzie, I have loved you all my life, will want you all my life. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

  The tears erupted before she could stop them. Gareth was holding out an open jewellery box—the culprit of her discomfort—and inside was the biggest, brightest diamond Emily had ever seen. It was an engagement ring.

  “I think we’ve wasted enough time, don’t you, Em? Our parents are getting sick and tired of waiting for us to make it official, and Mum has been giving me not-so-subtle hints about wanting to be young enough to enjoy grandkids. What do you say, Em? Will you marry me?”

  It only took Emily a fraction of a second to reply to Gareth’s proposal, her voice choked with emotion.

  “Yes. Absolutely, positively yes. I love you, Cowboy, and there is nothing on this earth that I want more than to be your wife.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  They toasted their engagement with champagne, ate heartily of the beef stew and fed each other strawberries. The cold fruit was eaten from the most unconventional serving platters, since Emily and Gareth each found new places on their bodies to place the fruit for the other’s indulgence.

  Emily clapped her hands in glee when Gareth made the lamingtons appear, and they feasted on the chocolaty goodness, licking the chocolate smudges from each other’s fingers lovingly, sensually. The erotic symbolism and imagery of their actions led to even more erotic indulgences.

 
Gareth confessed to Emily her father’s part in the elaborate surprise he had prepared for her, reassuring her that they were not expected to return home anytime soon. He’d assured both his parents and Mac that they’d not be back until Emily had agreed to marry him. Emily was amazed to find out just how romantic Gareth was under that tough cowboy-footballer façade, and how confident he had been that he would be able to persuade her to say yes. A confidence that was well-placed, considering she had not hesitated to accept his proposal.

  They spent the rest of the day swimming and making love, both inside the confines of the tent and outdoors in the afternoon sunshine. They even braved the cool water of the dam. The water’s chilly temperature made it difficult to fully enjoy the experience, with both Emily and Gareth exiting the swimming hole with their teeth chattering, but full of laughter over their tenacity to succeed.

  When the day’s light faded, Gareth lit the lanterns and they basked in the beauty of the picturesque countryside. Stars filled the sky above. Clearer and brighter without having to compete with the artificial lights of the city, they twinkled like diamonds sprinkled on a black, satiny canvas.

  Arms and legs entwined, Gareth and Emily spent the night in their romantic dwelling, making up for time spent apart, now looking forward to beginning the life they had always planned. A life together…finally.

  Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

  League of Love: Pippa’s Fantasy

  Donna Gallagher

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  “Pip, if you could have anything you wanted just for one night, what would it be?”