“What’s an Australian Kiss?” she asked.
“You’ll find out,” he grinned, “now close your eyes.”
Sighing deeply as the blindfold stole the the last of the light, she recalled how she’d often asked Marcus to blindfold her; most times he’d denied her, claiming he wanted to see her eyes.
God I love this. I love everything about this. Why haven’t I ever had this before? Why haven’t I ever felt this way before?
“Slide down the bed, knees up, leg spread,” he whispered in her ear.
Pulling the pillow out from under her head as she scooted down, he waited until she was settled, then ordered her to lift her pelvis, slipping it under her hips.
“This,” he purred, brushing his lips down her body, “this is an Australian Kiss.”
His breath whistled across her cunt seconds before his thumbs spread her lips, and the tip of his tongue darted across her clit. She moaned in surprised delight, and as his nimble attentions continued, as he lightly sucked and licked and kissed, her utterances of joy echoed through the room. He was leading her forward, moving her toward the crest of the wave, and when her wails grew in pitch and frequency, when her hands gripped the sheets in a white knuckle fever, and she cried out his name, he quickly shifted his body over hers, and plunged home his bursting cock.
Her pussy was seraphic, and he closed his eyes, lost in its hot, wet deliciousness. Filled with an intense hunger, a hunger that had been slowly building throughout the evening, he ravaged her mercilessly, pounding his way to their mutual release, his thumping heart his drumbeat.
“Derrick, please,” she suddenly wailed, “please, I’m going to…”
Her body grew taut, her breathing ceased, her jaw dropped, and he watched, thrusting fiercely, gripping her hips to hold her steady as she writhed and shrieked her release. Her walls were pulsing against him, and he grit his teeth as his member jerked violently, releasing his creamy essence in a surging, breathtaking discharge.
* * * * * *
“Derrick, what are we doing?” she whispered.
It had been several minutes since they’d fallen apart in exhausted bliss. Cradled in his arms, filled with a heavy contented happiness, the truth of their situation washed over her.
“What we must,” he breathed.
“But…”
“No buts,” he insisted, squeezing her. “We’ll find a way.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Emma woke the following morning she felt someone watching her, and opening her eyes, she found Derrick standing at the side of the bed.
“Morning,” she yawned.
“Good morning,” he smiled. “You slept like a log.”
“I did? I guess I did. What time is it?”
“Almost ten. I’ve been up for a while.”
“Wow. I must have been really tired.”
“Not surprised. Why don’t you get yourself up and come on down for some brekkie. We should leave here by noon, no later.”
“I will if you give me a hug,” she twinkled.
“If I give you a hug, breakfast and the rest of the day will fall by the wayside,” he grinned. “I’ll hug you when you come down. Fair enough?”
“Sure,” she replied, stretching.
“You’ve got fifteen minutes. I’ll be timing the cooking so…”
“I’ll be there,” she promised. “Believe me, I’m starving.”
He kissed her quickly, and as she watched him march away, she recalled what he’d whispered as they drifted off to sleep.
We’ll find a way.
Their connection had been sudden, but it was strong, and she felt as if she’d known him for decades.
We have to find a way. How can I go back to my life and pretend that everything is normal? It’s not, and it never will be again.
She showered and dressed, and as she trotted down the stairs her stomach rumbled at the delicious aroma wafting through the air.
“What are you making?” she asked, entering the kitchen.
Bounder, laying on the large bed he shared with Bonny, jumped to his feet and ran to greet her.
“You’ve really made a friend there,” Derrick remarked. “I’ve never seen him take to someone like he has to you.”
“Bounder’s my hero, aren’t you boy?” she grinned, kneeling down and making a fuss of him.
“I thought I was your hero,” Derrick quipped.
“You are, you’re my human Superhero, Bounder here is my doggy hero, and what is that incredible smell.”
“I have made you stuffed damper. It’ll keep you going until we reach the cabin,” he declared.
“Damper?”
“It’s an Aussie bread, but I make it stuffed with bananas, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon.”
“Good grief, I’ll weigh a ton before I leave this place,” she declared.
“What are you? Nine stone? You can stand a bit more meat on those bones.”
“I don’t know about stones, but I weigh 120 lbs,” she replied.
“How about them apples, I was right on the money; nine stone.”
“Regardless, stones or pounds, if I keep eating all this yummy food you’ll have to roll me out of here,” she proclaimed, rising up from the happy dog at her feet.
“It’s ready,” he smiled.
Emma sat at the table and poured herself some tea, then stared down at the rich, sweet smelling breakfast he’d placed in front of her.
“Damn, that looks even better than it smells.”
“It’s a real Aussie dish, that one. I hope you like it. You need plenty of carbs to stop you getting hungry,” he declared. “I’ll have some protein bars with us, but we won’t have real food again until we reach the cabin, and that’s going to be several hours from now.”
“Could you tell me again what we’re doing?” she asked, thinking the lodgings sounded further afield than she’d thought they’d be.
“We’re flying about an hour away. I have a tar-sealed private landing strip, but it’s about a thirty minute drive from the cabin. There’s practically nothing there except some incredible sights.”
“How do we get a car?”
“I have a Land Rover that lives at the landing strip,” he smiled. “You’re going on part of the outback experience tour I created. The cabin is really a decent sized house. It has three bedrooms, it’s always fully stocked, and I have a sat phone in case of emergencies.”
“This is really exciting,” she beamed.
“I told you, you’ll think you’ve landed on Mars. There are little towns around the place, but where I’m taking you is, as they say, a road less traveled.”
“It sounds wonderful. My camera and I are soooo ready.”
She bit into her damper and chewed slowly, drank some tea, and let out a loud sigh.
“That is the best thing I have ever eaten, anywhere, ever,” she decreed. “Unbelievable. You should open a restaurant.”
“Just good Aussie grub,” he chuckled. “Glad you like it.”
“Like it? Are you kidding me? It’s like banana strudel or something, on steroids.”
They finished breakfast, Emma continuously raving about the stuffed damper, and after helping Derrick clear up the dishes, she headed upstairs to pack her overnight bag.
Having already loaded his backpack into the Range Rover, Derrick wandered into the garage to double check that he had everything they’d need. Opening the car he smiled at the large white box sitting on the passenger seat; a surprise for Emma.
“I’m ready.”
He turned around to find her standing in the door, a small suitcase in hand.
“That was quick,” he grinned.
“Practice,” she grinned back. “What happens to the dogs when you’re gone?”
“They bunk with the boys,” he replied, then stepping back, pointed to the box. “For you.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember,” he purred, lowering his voice as he slowly walked up to her, “when I
told you what a good girl you were, and that you’d be rewarded?”
“Uh-huh,” she managed, placing her bag on the ground next to her.
“Well, that’s your reward,” he breathed, leaning in and kissing her neck, “and honestly, right now I’d be very happy to pick you up, carry you back up to my bedroom, and keep you there all day.”
“I wouldn’t object,” she moaned.
His lips rested on hers for a moment, then pressed fervently, demanding her response. Lifting her arms around his neck, her body melted into his as she surrendered to the loving power behind his kiss.
“You,” he murmured, his lips at her ear, “you make my blood run.”
“Are we staying?” she mumbled.
“No,” he replied, pulling away. “I shall resist the irresistible, but only because I know I’ll have you alone in that cabin very soon. Now go look in that box while I put your bag in the car.”
Feeling slightly giddy she stepped up to the car and lifted the lid of the large, white package, gasping as she saw its contents; a beige stockman’s hat stared up at her.
“This is fantastic,” she exclaimed, pulling it from the tissue paper and placing it on her head.
“You’ll need it,” he smiled, “and I wanted to get you one you could call your own and take…uh…with you on the trip.”
She stared at him, and Emma being Emma, couldn’t leave the unsaid words hanging in the air.
“That’s not what you were going to say,” she said softly.
“You’re right,” he admitted.
“You wanted me to have a stockman’s hat to take home with me,” she said quietly.
“Right,” he sighed, “but there’s no need to dwell on that now,”
“I agree,” she nodded, determined not to allow anything to ruin their time together. “I absolutely love it, thank you.”
“No worries. Now let’s hit the road.”
Leaving the box on a nearby shelf, and keeping the hat on her head, she climbed in the car.
“Will it be very hot where we’re going?” she asked, as Derrick backed the car out of the garage.
“Probably 28, maybe higher.”
“In English please,” she giggled.
“Oh, uh, in the mid 80’s” he smiled.
“So, hot then.”
“Yes, hot, but I have plenty of sunscreen,” he assured her, “and you have the right hat.”
“I do!” she exclaimed. “So, where are we off to now?”
“We’re driving into Orange and flying out from there. It’s about forty-five minutes, then an hour flight, then another thirty minutes to the cabin, but I suspect you’ll be wanting to stop and take pictures, or circle in the air and take pictures.”
“Yes, I will, both,” she nodded.
As they hit the road, leaving the cattle station behind them, her life back in the States seemed far away. She felt different, though she couldn’t put her finger on exactly how. It wasn’t the environment, it wasn’t even Derrick; it was something inside her.
Whatever this is, this new me, I really like it. I’m calmer. I don’t feel as if I need to do battle…or something…
“Derrick, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“I know we’ve just met, you’ve only known me a couple of days, but do I seem different to you?”
She saw a knowing smile cross his face, and glancing across at her, he winked, then quickly shifted his eyes back on the road.
“I don’t mean to sound profound, but I think your life wouldn’t let you be who you really are,” he said softly.
“Huh,” she mused, “I have to think about that one.”
I’m definitely more comfortable in my skin, that’s for sure. Wow. I wonder what these three days in the outback will bring.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As Derrick had predicted, Emma had asked to stop several times on their drive into Orange. She was amazed by all the sights she’d missed on their previous drive through the area, but figured it was understandable given she’d spent a good part of that initial trip with a freshly spanked backside, and in a slight state of shock.
Pulling into the small Orange airport, she spied various single engine planes parked outside a large hanger, and a terminal building a little way off.
“Do commercial flights land here, or is it all private?” she asked, climbing from the car.
“There are two commercial airlines that fly in here, but it’s still relatively quiet.”
“How long have you been flying?”
“As long as I’ve been alive. As you probably know, the cattle station has been in my family for a long time, and my pop used to fly me to the outback when I was kid,” he grinned, then shaking his head he added, “I swear that plane, when I think of what we used to fly in.”
“Sounds scary,” she remarked.
“It is to think back on it,” he nodded, pulling their bags from the car, “but as a kid I trusted my dad completely so I was never worried. Follow me.”
He led her across the parking lot towards the private plane area, and up to a yellow and white fixed wing, single engine plane.
“This is a de Havilland DC2,” he volunteered. “Great plane for the outback.”
“I’ve heard of it,” she replied. “Can’t wait.”
Derrick loaded the bags, headed for the hangar office, and when he returned did a full check of the aircraft.
“Okay, we’re ready to roll,” he declared.
A short time later they were airborne, and the further they flew, the more spellbound she became with the ever-changing vista below. Her camera constantly clicked, and several times she asked Derrick to circle or deviate so she could capture a compelling sight. The one hour flight had turned into ninety minutes, and when the small airstrip loomed ahead she was almost sorry the flight had ended.
Derrick expertly landed the plane, and Emma was surprised to see a small hanger off to one side. He rolled the plane off the runway and across to the closed doors.
“That was absolutely incredible,” she exclaimed, as she climbed from the plane. “I got some amazing pictures.”
“I could tell,” he chuckled, and aren’t you brave to not even flinch at the size of that plane. Most people do.
“There’s nothing here,” she declared, staring at the vast emptiness around her. “How did you get that hanger built? More to the point, why did you get that hanger built.”
“It wasn’t that difficult, and it’s necessary to have a secure place like this. We come up here often. The car needs to be locked away, and the plane too, especially if we’re here overnight. The tour company does quite a few day trips out of Orange.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” she replied, and stood back as he opened the hangar, sliding away the heavy doors, and returning to the plane, rolled it inside.
They were soon leaving the small airfield behind them, and as they headed down a dusty though tar-sealed road, the air-conditioner keeping the heat at bay, she was shocked at the barren landscape. Except for an odd tree and some desert bushes, Derrick had been right; it looked like Mars.
“Is there no water here at all?” she asked. “How does anything survive?”
“Oh sure, there’s water, in fact I’ll be taking you to a truly breathtaking river. You have to be very careful around the water areas though. Wildlife is everywhere, including crocodiles.”
“That’s reassuring,” she quipped. “Just as long as I don’t see any spiders I’ll be fine.”
The further they traveled, the land became more hospitable, with greater vegetation.
“Oh, look,” she shouted, “a bunch of kangaroos. Wow. They’re amazing. Stop. I want to shoot them.”
“Don’t get too close,” he warned, spying a very large red. “They’re generally timid but if one become scared we’ll have a big problem.”
“I’ll be fine,” she replied confidently, climbing out of the car.
Raising his eyebrows, he moved qui
ckly around to join her, and as she began clicking her camera, the creatures pricked their ears and stared back at her.
“No closer,” he said firmly.
“Just a few more feet,” she replied.
Kangaroo attacks were rare, but he’d recently read that a tourist had been the victim of an unprovoked assault, and like all wild animals, Derrick knew the ’roos could be unpredictable.
“Please, no closer,” he repeated, but Emma, caught up in her photography, barely heard him, and continued to move slowly forward.
Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his fingers around her arm, gripping her tightly, and keeping close watch on the kangaroo’s he brought his lips to her ear.
“We are returning to the vehicle now. Do not make a scene. If they feel threatened they will attack. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I understand, but-”
“Don’t you dare say another word,” he warned. “Come with me right now.”
He pulled her towards the car, and slowly but purposefully bundled her inside. The large red in the back of the group began to hop towards them, and Derrick moved calmly but quickly to climb in behind the wheel. Driving away he continued to stare at the animals in his rearview mirror, and when he’d reached a safe distance he pulled the car to a stop.
“Sorry,” she apologized. “I get carried away when I’m shooting, and they didn’t look at all, uh, like they were going to do anything.”
“Quite frankly, I didn’t like the way the biggest one was watching you,” he declared, “and they were wary, and wary isn’t good.”
“They just didn’t look very dangerous,” she protested.
“Emma, a kangaroo has claws that can slash you to pieces,” he exclaimed, “and they’re fast, really fast.”
“Really? I didn’t know that,” she said sheepishly.
“I made it very clear that you had to listen to me and do as I say out here, so what just happened?” he asked sternly.
“Like I said, when I’m shooting-”
“Stop right there. If you can’t listen, I have to take you back.”
“What? No,” she begged. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again, I promise.”
“If anything happened to you…” he said softly, staring at her.
The Cowboy From Down Under (Cowboys After Dark: Book 2) Page 9