by Joss Wood
‘Nick …’ Clem wasn’t sure if she begged him to stop the torture or to increase the pleasure as he ravished her.
He wasn’t going to be able to stop this, Nick thought as those slim fingers skated over his stomach. She was on fire for him. He could feel her ragged breathing in his ear, the way her fingers convulsively dug into his skin, the arch of her back.
Nick felt her fingers tug at the waistband of his trousers, felt her fingers slide behind the band … damn it, that was cold! And sharp. Nick lifted his head and pulled back and lifted her left hand. Her ring sparkled coldly up at him, mocking him in the moonlight as his thumb rested on the big diamond.
‘Nick—’
He stepped back and heaved in a much needed breath. Damn it, why did it feel as if the air held no oxygen? ‘I can’t do this.’
Clem nodded. ‘It’s—’
‘It’s a whacking diamond, still on your ring finger. Something you’re obviously attached to, which makes me wonder how much you are still attached to the person who gave you that ring.’ Nick raked his hair back.
‘I’m not—’
Sleeping with her would be a mistake. He knew this as well as he knew the Two-B land. Unlike the women who’d ambled in and out of his life before, Clem was wiggling her way into places in his heart and mind that had been long closed up. If he slept with her he might as well just open the damn stable door and let the horse bolt away with his heart.
Not an experience he was keen to repeat.
Clem gnawed her bottom lip. ‘I’m not married, Nick. I can do this.’
Nick shook his head. ‘There are more types of marriage than ones signed by a judge or priest, Red. If I have you, then I don’t want anyone else in the room with us …’
‘He’s not … You don’t understand.’
‘If that was true, then you sure as hell wouldn’t be wearing his ring.’ Nick ignored her outburst. ‘I was married so I know what it’s like trying to move on when a part of you wants to stay there. But the thing is, Red, I was a third wheel in my own marriage. I’m not into threesomes, sexually or emotionally.’
Well, hell, where had that come from? He’d had no intention of telling her that he’d once been hitched.
And there was another reason why he should keep his distance from her, Nick thought as he walked to his own room. Her eyes were like a truth drug … She just looked at him and the words bubbled out.
Well, hell. Again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Luella Dawson’s blog:
It’s official, I’m in love. In love with Nick, in love with his stunning Lodge—no, they aren’t allowed to film it but I did look at his website—in love with his land!
And weirdly, sort of in love with this new Clem. Oh, she’s useless but you’ve got to admit that she’s working her tail off.
AFTER promising to visit Gina and her family again before they left Two-B, Clem gave them all a last hug and climbed back into the game viewing vehicle with Nick and his sick ranger. Clem sent the man a worried look; his face was grey-black and he was shaking with fever.
Summer flu, Clem thought; there was nothing worse.
Oh wait, there was something worse … Nick giving her the silent treatment. He’d barely exchanged more than a couple of words with her all morning, not even to argue with her. Clem lifted her hand up and instinctively clutched the locket around her neck. She’d slipped it on this morning, as she always did when she was feeling a little lost and a lot alone. It always gave her a sense of connection to her mum, one she’d never felt when she was alive.
Clem looked down at her now ringless hand and sighed. Cai had given her the diamond for her twenty-first birthday and it was such a part of her that she’d genuinely forgotten about it. She’d never, in a million years, thought than Nick would associate it with marriage or think that she could still be attached to that … cretin.
She’d just assumed that he knew that she was very over Cai.
Clem looked at Nick’s hard face, his eyes covered by his sunglasses. ‘Cai means nothing to me … you’ve got to believe that.’
Nick flicked her a warning glance. ‘Cameras.’
Clem sighed. She’d forgotten; thank goodness one of them was thinking straight. She needed to take a step back anyway, to try and work out what she was feeling for this man. She’d always been impulsive, plunging head-first into situations and then, finding she was floundering, her pride and her stubbornness kicked in and kept her rooted in the situation she’d tumbled into.
Maybe it was time to think before she leapt. Despite what Nick believed, she was over Cai, so very done with him. But she still had to figure out who she was, what she wanted, where she was going …
Work out her mummy issues.
And, as much as it shamed her, she liked having an excuse to pull back from Nick, she admitted. The feelings he brought to the surface in her were huge, consuming, frightening.
Sexy, strong, reliable, honest. Tough and full of integrity. Nick worked at something that mattered, that made a difference. She admired that, she admired him, she could probably, if she let herself, fall in love with him.
But she couldn’t think of being in any type of a relationship with her life in such a state of flux. That was stupid and wasn’t she done with being stupid?
Clem was jerked out of her musings by Nick braking and Clem looked at him as he stopped the vehicle.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘Can you hear anything?’
‘I’m not sure what I should be listening for.’
‘There it is again.’ Nick floored the accelerator and pulled off into the bush, directing the vehicle between two thorn bushes. ‘I think it’s coming from over there.’
‘Over there’, Clem realized, turned out to be a mud hole, and Nick took the vehicle as close to the mud as he could, stood behind the wheel and scanned the pan and the surrounding bush. Clem stood up as well and echoed his actions, not having any idea what she was doing. ‘What are we looking for?’
Nick muttered a string of obscenities and pointed at the pan. ‘That.’
Clem looked to where he was pointing and shook her head. All she could see was brown-grey mud … Wait, were those ears she saw twitching? ‘It’s a baby rhino, stuck in the mud. Oh, no, Nick!’
Nick jumped out of the vehicle and walked to the edge of the mud hole. ‘It’s tiny—three, four weeks old.’ He turned back and looked at Bayanda, who was slumped over the edge of the vehicle. ‘I need to see if I can get it out. Can you cover me? The mother might still be around …’
Bayanda stood up, lifted the rifle to his shoulder and nodded. ‘I’ll cover you.’
Clem grabbed Nick’s arm as he walked past her. ‘Nick, be careful.’
Nick sent her a grim smile, stripped off his boots and socks and walked into the mud. Clem watched as he made his way to the rhino, whose legs were deeply embedded in the mud. Its bleating was becoming progressively weaker. Clem looked around, keeping an eye out for the mummy rhino, but her eyes were drawn back to Nick, who grabbed the little rhino by its ears and tugged. She could see his muscles straining but the animal didn’t move an inch in the sticky mud.
She knew that Nick was cursing, could see his lips moving as he tried to budge the calf. After a couple of minutes, he straightened and shouted to Clem, ‘Call Jabu on the radio, tell him the situation and to round up whoever is available and get them here.’
Clem did as he asked and when she signed off, she jumped off the vehicle and pulled off her boots and socks. She followed Nick’s path into the mud and immediately felt her feet sink, wet, slimy mud creeping up between her toes and up her bare legs. Gross. Did snakes live in mud? Scorpions? Even leeches? She fought the urge to scuttle away but pressed on forward. By the time she reached Nick, she was up to her knees and battling to move.
She placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder, looking at the little calf, whose breathing was laboured. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘I don’t know i
f it’s going to make it. It’s so weak.’ Nick, breathing heavily, pushed back his hair with his wrist.
‘How long do you think it’s been in here?’
‘Since yesterday, at the very least. Its mother would’ve spent the night chasing off predators but she’s probably abandoned it by now. She might still be hanging around; that’s why I’ve got Bayanda covering us.’ Nick blew out a breath. ‘Will you help me pull?’
‘Sure.’
‘Grab the ears,’ Nick instructed. ‘Don’t worry about hurting it, just get a good grip and pull.’
Clem wrapped her hands around the rhino’s ears and added her strength to Nick’s but the animal did not move. Clem gasped for air.
Nick shook his head. ‘This isn’t working.’
‘Am I’m sinking further into the mud,’ Clem said, noticing that she was now in mud up to her thighs.
‘Yeah, I’m also sinking.’ Nick rested his hands on his thighs. ‘She’s stopped crying; that isn’t a good sign.’
Clem placed muddy hands on her hips and then swatted a fly that landed on her neck. ‘Plan B?’
‘Thinking.’ Nick moved to the side of the rhino and felt in the mud for its legs. ‘OK, what we need to do is grab the front legs, lift and push it forward at the same time. Can you do that?’
Clem waded her way to the other side of the tiny calf. Her eyes met his across the rhino’s back. ‘Yes. We are not losing this animal, Nick.’
‘Good girl. Get your hands on the leg, put your shoulder to its shoulder and, on three, you lift and shove.’
Clem crouched, got as good a grip as she could on its leg and waited for Nick’s instruction. She dimly heard the sound of another vehicle pulling up but all her concentration was focused on Nick’s voice and, as he said ‘Go,’ she put every ounce of strength she had into lifting and pushing. Her arms and legs were on fire and she could barely breathe but she wasn’t giving up. Just when she thought she’d pass out with the strain, she heard a pop! and the weight was lifted as the calf found solid ground, wobbled and walked out of the mud.
Cheers erupted from the bank as Clem’s legs buckled beneath her and she sank up to her waist in mud. Her eyes met Nick’s relieved grey ones as she took the hand he held out and allowed him to pull her to her feet. ‘Good job, Red.’
Hand in muddy hand, they made their way to the edge of the bank. Nick looked at the calf and his eyes widened. ‘Oh, damn, it’s about to collapse.’
He dropped her hand and rushed over to the calf whose knees had buckled beneath it. Jabu and another ranger rushed down the bank to kneel beside him. Nick ran his hands over the calf, shaking his head. ‘Dehydrated, weak. We have about an hour to get some fluids into it or we’re going to lose it.’
‘Andy, get the tarp. Clem, grab a bottle of water from the car and bring it here,’ Nick ordered.
Clem scrambled up the bank and caught the bottle of water Mdu, camera still on his shoulder, threw at her. She ran back to Nick and handed him the bottle. Nick shoved the water into the calf’s mouth as Andy returned with the tarp. He opened the tarpaulin and laid it next to the calf. ‘We’ll roll it on,’ Nick instructed. ‘Clem, support its head.’
Clem put her hands on either side of the rhino’s head as the men rolled its body onto the tarp and helped them push it so that the calf lay in the middle of the heavy fabric.
‘Any sign of the mother, Bayanda?’ Nick called up the bank.
‘Nothing so far, but I’m keeping watch.’
‘We’re bringing it up, so if she decides to charge, this would be the time,’ Nick shouted back and turned back to the group kneeling in the mud. ‘We’ll each grab a corner. Clem, it’ll be tough but I need you. Whatever you do, do not drop your corner, OK?’
Clem nodded. Her arms were weak and shaky with fatigue but they still had to get this animal up the bank, into the vehicle and back to the rehabilitation centre if it had any chance. She couldn’t cop out now—she wouldn’t. They were relying on her; they needed her. It was a heady, powerful feeling and she felt strength flood her system.
She could do this—she would do this. She grabbed her corner and, with Nick leading the way, carried the little rhino up the bank and lifted it into the back of Jabu’s Land Cruiser.
Nick, sitting on the edge of the truck bed, held out his hand to Clem. It felt so natural to step up to him, to rest her head on his upper arm as she tried to get her breath back. Nick dropped a quick kiss on her mud-splattered head. ‘Jabs, take Bayanda to the clinic and then can you take Clem home? Andy, you drive me and the calf to the rehab centre …’ He looked around when Clem let out a horrified gasp. ‘What’s the matter, Clem?’
Clem’s heart dropped to her toes as she slapped her hand to her chest, realizing that her locket was gone. She bit her lip and looked around wildly before lifting miserable eyes to look into Nick’s worried face. ‘My mum’s locket. It’s gone. The chain must’ve snapped when we were in the mud.’ Clem tried to sound brave but she knew her voice was tinged with sorrow as she blinked back tears. ‘Sorry, it’s not what’s important right now. Get the calf back to the rehab centre.’
Nick rubbed his already filthy face with a filthier hand. ‘Sorry, Clem. I’ll see you back at the house later, OK?’
‘Yeah.’
Clem looked at the churned up mud as she made her way to the game viewing vehicle, thinking that somewhere in all that dirt and muck was something she greatly treasured. She nearly asked Jabu to wait while she looked for it but then she heard Bayanda’s racking cough, clocked his shaking hands on the rifle he still held at his shoulder, his eyes scanning the bush. He needed to get to the clinic … Maybe she could talk Nick into coming back here later and having a look around.
Oh, it just broke her heart to think it might be gone for ever.
For the second time, Clem stood on the lawn outside Nick’s house as Jabu sprayed the worst of the mud from her arms, legs and clothes. He didn’t need to know that she had, at the very least, a truckload down her pants and in her bra.
‘Do you have to film this?’ She glared at Mdu, who just smiled and didn’t lower his camera.
‘So, how important was that locket to you?’ Jabu asked as water pounded off her thighs and mud ran into the grass.
‘It was my great-grandmother’s and passed down from mother to daughter on my mum’s side. It was her favourite piece of jewellery, apart from her engagement ring,’ Clem answered, her voice wobbly. ‘My mum died in a car accident; I was with her. She was wearing it when she died and I woke up in hospital with it around my neck.’
‘So, pretty important, then?’
‘Yeah, pretty important,’ Clem answered, taking the pipe from Jabu’s hand and putting the nozzle down the front of her shirt. She looked at Jabu and gnawed the inside of her lip.
‘Mdu, have you got enough footage of me hosing off?’
‘Yep.’
‘Then can you excuse us?’
Mdu nodded, closed the camera and walked into the house.
‘Jabu, can you tell me about Nick’s ex-wife?’
Jabu sent her a strange look. ‘His widow,’ he corrected and, seeing her confused face, explained, ‘Nick is a widower, not divorced.’
‘Oh.’ Wow. That was unexpected.
‘Why would you think that he was divorced?’ Jabu asked, curious.
‘Dunno.’ Clem ducked her head, confused herself. She was sure that Nick had implied that they were divorced … No, he’d said that he was the third wheel in his marriage and she’d just assumed. ‘Can you tell me a bit about her?’
‘Terra? Practical, cool, calm. I’ve seen her face down a charging lion with nothing more than a rifle between her and the animal, catch and release a spitting cobra, get her vehicle through flood-swollen rivers. She was tough, resourceful, knowledgeable and she loved the bush.’
Clem’s heart clenched. ‘Perfect for Nick, then.’
‘Mmm.’
‘How did she die?’
‘Brain aneurism.
She complained of a headache and the next morning she was gone.’ Jabu shook his head. ‘I don’t feel comfortable discussing this with you, Clem, however much I like you and think you’re great for Nick.’
‘But I’m not … cool, practical, knowledgeable,’ Clem protested. ‘I’m useless at this bush stuff.’
‘You are … but …’ Jabu shook his head and lifted his hand. ‘Let me say this. Working this land has been Nick’s greatest passion since he was a boy … sometimes, unhealthily in my opinion, to the exclusion of so much else.’
‘A wife, a family …’
‘But that was his choice. He shouldn’t be alone so much and I think that having you move into his house and his life is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.’
‘He’s taught me so much … about myself.’
‘Trust me, you’re teaching him stuff, too.’
‘Like what?’
‘How scary it is to feel again.’ Jabu lifted his hand. ‘Seriously now, subject closed. So, am I also going to get a preview of your lingerie like Nick did?’
‘Is there anything he doesn’t tell you?’ Clem demanded.
‘Not much, no. So am I?’ Jabu’s dark eyes danced and Clem had to smile, knowing he was teasing.
‘No. You’re married with three stunning kids and I like your wife.’
‘I like her too,’ Jabu agreed and rolled his eyes. ‘OK, keep your clothes on, then.’
‘I intend to.’ Clem pushed her wet hair back from her face. ‘Do you think the calf will make it?’
Jabu shrugged. ‘Fifty-fifty. Nick will do everything for it a vet would do and it’s just a matter of time.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I’ve got to get back. You OK here on your own?’ he asked before shouting for Mdu, who ambled out of the house, an apple in his hand.
‘Sure.’ Clem stood in her wet clothes and waved him off as a monkey scampered across the lawn. When Jabu’s car was out of sight, Clem shrugged off her wet clothes and walked into Nick’s house in her underwear.
This was, she thought, becoming a bit of a habit.
It was mid-afternoon when a clean Clem heard the sound of vehicles outside the door. Pushing away her books—she still couldn’t identify the different antelope types except for the ever common impala—she walked to lean against the back door as Nick’s battered Landy and the other game viewing vehicle pulled up, each filled with very muddy rangers. And Liam, who looked a great deal cleaner than the others. They all had very broad smiles on their faces and greeted her with whoops and hollers.