Runaway to the Outback

by Nicole Flockton

  “Of course not. Although I may give the press the impression that someone’s head will roll, but, no, not this time. I can assure you all my staff’s employment is safe.”

  The inference that there might be a next time didn’t sit well with Pandora. She’d make sure that there wouldn’t be one because of her actions.

  “Good.” She spied Jonas walking into the kitchen, her heart fluttering at the sight of his wind-tousled hair. Would it look like that after a night in bed with her? Desire ignited within her and she clenched her thighs together to stymie the heat. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll be in touch. Bye.” She disconnected the call before Laura could say anything else.

  “You didn’t have to finish your call on my account.” Jonas rinsed his mug before placing it face down on the dish drainer.

  “No, we didn’t have anything else to say to each other.” She held up her phone. “Laura was just checking in.”

  A flash of something flitted through his eyes and she wished she had a pause button so she could decipher the meaning behind it. Or was it simply a flight of fancy in her mind and there had been no meaning to it at all?

  “Right.” Jonas shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and if she didn’t know any better she’d think he was nervous, which was very out of character for him. In all the time she’d spent with him—granted it hadn’t been long—he’d never seemed flustered around her. “Umm, I was thinking we could do something today. What do you think?”

  Since Ray was in Sydney she didn’t have any need to go to the hospital to visit him, so she had free time on her hands. But the pub opened at midday, as it was Friday, which meant whatever they did it wouldn’t be long. On the plus side, she would be able to spend some time with Jonas. Maybe he had to do some shopping for the chef, so meals could be prepared for lunch as well as dinner. He wasn’t asking her to go on a date with him. The guy lived and breathed his pub and she admired him for his dedication. “Sure, sounds good. Where do we need to go? What are we picking up?”

  He strode over to her and her breath caught in her throat when he stopped just in front of her. The urge to close the distance and press her lips against his surged through her and shocked the heck out of her. With every passing moment they spent together, her attraction to the handsome publican grew and she wished time would slow down so that every second she spent with him felt like an hour.

  As though he couldn’t stop himself and was feeling the same pull as she was, he reached out and brushed his fingers down her cheek. It wasn’t the first time he’d touched her like this and, like every other time, warmth rushed through her and she felt like she was precious to him.

  “We don’t have to get anything. And where we’re going is a surprise.”

  He stepped away and she missed his closeness. Then what he said sunk in. “A surprise? Don’t you have to open up today? It’s Friday, one of your busiest days.”

  “I’ve made a decision that I’m not going to open until five today. I’m taking the morning and part of the afternoon off. I’ve contacted Pete, the chef, and he’s happy to have some extra time at home this morning. He’ll come in and get prep going this afternoon. If need be, he’ll open up and contact one of the part-time servers to come in, if we don’t get back in time.”

  Confusion hit her like a soundwave. He was taking time off, away from the pub, on a Friday? From the conversation the previous evening with his family, the general consensus around the table was Jonas never took time off. They were worried about it and wanted him to employ someone to alleviate the stress. Sure he worked long hours, but he didn’t look like he was stressed about the amount of work he was doing. In comparison to his previous career as a stockbroker she imagined running the pub was a lot easier, especially in his hometown where he knew everyone and they all supported small businesses. He did say that others were coming in to open if they didn’t make it back in time.

  Wait—if they didn’t make it back in time? Where were they going? He’d already said it was a surprise so she doubted he’d tell her if she asked again.

  “Okay, let me go grab my purse. Will I need anything else?”

  “What you’re wearing is fine, but make sure you put on some comfortable shoes.”

  “You’re not taking me hiking, are you?” Although there weren’t many hills to climb around Bunya Junction, she’d bet there were probably a lot of bush walking trails.

  Jonas chuckled and her heart skipped a couple of beats at the carefree sound. When his finger bopped her on the nose in a sweet gesture she about melted at his feet. “I promise I won’t take you hiking. I think you’ll like what I’ve got planned.”

  His sincerity reached down deep inside of her, touching her in a way no one had in the last few years. Or maybe ever. “I trust you.” And she did. She trusted that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. Her last bit of doubt had just flown out the window. Fingers crossed she wouldn’t regret her decision.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The radio played softly in the car as Jonas drove toward the town lookout, their first stop for the day. Well, second if he counted the visit to Molly’s Café to pick up the picnic lunch he’d called ahead to arrange.

  “I never appreciated how beautiful it is out in the country,” Pandora mused as she gazed out the window. She hadn’t said much. In fact, they both hadn’t talked much since they’d gotten back in the car. The silence had been comfortable and not awkward at all.

  “You should see it in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming. It’s beautiful. All the pinks and purples and reds. We have a particular small patch of land just outside of town that is full of kangaroo paws. It’s a carpet of red in September.”

  “Sounds pretty, I’ll have to come back and check it out.”

  “You’ll always have a room at the pub when you come back.”

  “Good to know,” she murmured.

  Damn, what had once been a comfortable silence was now awkward and uncomfortable. Or was he making it that way because of what he wanted but couldn’t have?

  The sign for the lookout turnoff appeared and he blew out a breath. Maybe once they got out in the fresh air things would be different.

  A few minutes later he switched the engine off and turned to Pandora. “Welcome to the Bunya Junction lookout.”

  “We can view the whole town from here?”

  “Yep.”

  “Cool. Can’t wait to see it.”

  A slight breeze wafted around him as he stepped out of the car and he breathed deeply. There was nothing like the fresh air of the country. In the city there was always the lingering scent of exhaust fumes in the air.

  “Take a breath, Pandora, notice the difference in the air here to the city.”

  “It’s definitely invigorating.”

  Not quite the response he’d been hoping for, but better than nothing. He held out his hand. “Come on, the best place to see the town is this way.”

  Pandora slipped her hand in his and electricity sizzled down his veins, spreading through him, warming him until he was sure he was going to burn her palm. Did she feel it too? Or was it just him?

  The walk to the lookout didn’t take long. He sighed. Seeing his hometown laid out below gave him a sense of contentment.

  “Not once did I ever think a group of buildings and houses would look so lovely, but Bunya Junction is really pretty. I had no idea there was a river close by. Is that Waratah River?”

  “No, this one is Bunya River. Waratah River is about five kilometres west of where the hospital is located. They run parallel to each other.”

  “Where’s your pub?”

  He stood behind her, getting as close as he could without pressing his body against hers, which was what he wanted to do so badly. He inhaled, and the scent of coconut from her shampoo filled his senses. The smell had driven him crazy the moment she’d gotten into his car.

  “Okay, so you see that building with the red roof?”

  “Umm, I think so.”

 
He moved a little closer, lifted an arm over her shoulder and pointed. “It’s right here. Just follow the line of my finger.”

  She moved her head, light wisps of her hair brushing against his arm. What would they feel like brushing against his chest as she kissed her way down his body? Immediately his flesh twitched behind his pants and he drew in a deep breath, willing his body to settle down.

  “Can you see it?”

  “Oh, yeah, I can now. Is that the pub? I didn’t think it was red on top. Not that I’ve really paid attention.”

  “No, it’s not, but if you use that building as a reference, keep your eyes on that level and move to the left, I suppose about three inches, you’ll see a green one. That’s the pub.”

  “Found it. It looks so small. And why didn’t you just say to look for the building with the green roof?”

  “Because if you look around that area you’ll find there’s a lot of green.”

  “Huh, would you look at that. What else can you point out to me?”

  Over the next ten or so minutes, Jonas pointed out particular areas and buildings of the small town. All the while staying as close to her as he possibly could.

  Suddenly she turned and they were chest to chest. “That was fun …” As if aware of how close they were, Pandora swiped her tongue over her bottom lip and he bit back the groan that threatened to erupt from him. His breath caught in his throat as her hand landed on his chest, crushing the fabric of his polo. “Thanks for showing me your hometown.”

  She went up on tiptoe before he could respond or move away, and pressed her lips against his. He should take a couple of steps back. Break the kiss. But why deny what he’d been wishing for over the last few days?

  Instead, he adjusted his stance, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his body, taking over the kiss. Her mouth opened beneath his and her tongue delved into his mouth. Jonas sank his fingers into her hair, cradling her head.

  His body was aflame with need and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside of her, but on the top of the lookout wasn’t the place to make that wish come true. Reluctantly he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. “Pandora,” he whispered her name, not sure what else he wanted to say.

  “I know.” Her arms tightened around him and she burrowed against his chest. Closing his eyes he relished the sensation of having her in his arms. Of finally being able to hold her the way he’d been aching to.

  After a few moments he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Come on, I’ve got another place to show you.”

  The last thing he wanted to do was pull away from her, but for them to go anywhere they needed to stop touching each other. But it seemed Pandora was as reluctant as he was to release him.

  “We need to go,” he said after a few more moments.

  “I know, but I like this. I like you, Jonas.”

  A rush of longing swarmed around him like bees around a paddock of flowers. This woman was breaking all his resolve not to get involved. A relationship between them was impossible. Their life paths were going in completely different directions. Not to mention the distance between where they lived. But he couldn’t ignore what she said when he felt the exact same way. “I like you too, Pandora.”

  A sigh rippled through her and she loosened her arms around his waist. “Where are you taking me next?”

  Home to my bed, was on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed the words down. “You’re going to love it. In fact we can see the location from here,” he teased her.

  She put her hands on her hips. “You’re not taking me back to the pub are you?”

  He laughed at her mock indignation. “Nope, but you know what? That’s not a bad idea.” He sidestepped to avoid her slap across his arm. “Come on, princess, your chariot awaits.” He bowed and swept his hand in the direction of his car.

  Her eyebrows rose at his endearment, but she didn’t say anything and for that he was grateful. He had no idea where princess had come from, but he couldn’t deny it suited her.

  *

  Pandora’s mouth still tingled from the kiss she and Jonas had shared at the lookout. She wanted to lick her lips to see if his taste still lingered. What she wanted to do more than anything was kiss him all over and find out if he was ticklish anywhere. Or what she could do to make him moan in delight.

  She shifted in her seat as warmth pooled between her legs. Jonas’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel in time with the song playing on the radio and she bit back a groan, imagining those fingers sliding down her body. She shifted again, which only made the desire sweeping through her worse.

  “We’re almost at our next location.”

  “Great. I’m looking forward to what you’ve got planned to show me.”

  “I know this road isn’t the best, but it’ll be worth the little bit of discomfort when we get to where we’re going.”

  “As I’ve said before, I trust you.”

  She would trust Jonas with her life. He wouldn’t hurt her, not intentionally, but if she gave in to her desire to get closer to him, then leaving would hurt more than walking away from the photo shoot had. Although, in hindsight, that hadn’t hurt at all.

  His warm hand closed over her clasped ones sitting in her lap. “That means a lot.” When he lifted her hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to them, she sighed. If only there was a way they could make it work, but long-distance relationships didn’t work out well for everyone. In the end someone had to make a sacrifice and resentment would cut deep, tearing at the foundations of the relationship until nothing but tatters remained.

  “Where are we?” she asked when he parked the car under the low hanging branches of a large gum tree.

  “You’ll see,” he said mysteriously, as if he was enjoying this little game they were playing.

  “Did you torture your brother and sisters like this?” She depressed the button releasing the seatbelt.

  “Not really. I mean, sometimes Scott and I ganged up on the girls, but they in return enjoyed tormenting us. You ready?”

  “I sure am. Wow me, Mr Carruthers, with our next stop on this adventure.”

  “I will. Now don’t move.” He was out of the car before she could say anything else. He opened her door with a flourish. “Madam?” he crooked his elbow.

  His gallant displays were such a fun-loving revelation for her. “Thank you, kind sir.” She got out of the car and hooked her arm through his. “Lead on.”

  They made their way to a small path that lead into the bush. If Jonas hadn’t known where he was going, she would’ve missed it or got lost.

  After what seemed hours but was about five minutes they broke through the bush and she gasped. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful.” Laid out in front of her was a watering hole. It wasn’t huge, about the size of a standard Olympic swimming pool. The breeze caused little ripples to mar the surface, but they didn’t take away from the beauty of the place. The surrounding trees swayed softly and a bird swooped down to take a drink before disappearing back into the sky.

  “So, is it worth the trek?” Jonas asked as he came up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and she leaned back into his hold.

  “Yes.” She pulled out of Jonas’s hold and walked to the edge of the water. Peering to the left she could see nothing but a thick bank of trees. To the right the pool thinned out and then looked like it disappeared around a corner. “Is there another watering hole connected to this one?”

  “Uh huh. It’s bigger. More people tend to go there instead of here. That area is cleared for picnics as well. But I like this section much better.”

  “It’s very private,” she murmured, thinking it would be a good place to hide out if someone wanted to. There was a small rise at the back of the water. “How deep is it?”

  “I’m not sure; about fifty feet I think.”

  “Has anyone jumped off the rise and into the water?”

  “Maybe. I haven’t, but there’s nothing stopping you from
trying if you want to.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “I am far from that adventurous. Besides, knowing me, I’m likely to break something and then I’d really kill my career.”

  “We can’t have that.” He came up to where she still stood on the edge of the pool. “So you’ve got two choices, Ms Sebastian.” His voice deepened as if he was narrating a reality television show. The sound sent spirals of desire spinning down her spine and she bit the inside of her lip.

  “What are those?” Her voice sounded husky to her own ears. How did it sound to Jonas?

  “Well, first choice: we can go check out the other location. As I said they have picnic tables there and you know one of our stops before leaving town was to get food and drinks from Molly’s. The second is we can stay here. Either choice will require us to walk back to the car to grab the food. So, what’s it going to be?”

  Pandora tapped her finger against her chin. “Hmm, that’s tough. I would like to check out the other location, but I think I’d rather do that after”—she spun around, taking in the trees and the water as well as the blue sky—“let’s eat here.”

  Jonas’s smile widened and it seemed brighter than the sunlight. “Sounds like a great idea. Do you want to stay here or come with me?”

  Did he even need to ask? Yes, the area was beautiful, but there was no way she wanted to stay there by herself while Jonas went and got the food. “I’ll come with you. I’ve seen too many movies where something bad happens to the girl who stays behind.”

  Jonas crept over to her, a devilish glint in his eye, his arms outstretched. Instead of pulling her in for a hug like she thought he was going to do, he started to tickle her. “Yes, you can’t be too careful, because this area is known for the tickle monster.”

  She giggled and squirmed in his hold. When had she stopped having fun in her life? “Stop it,” she wheezed from laughing so much.

  “What’s the magic word?” he teased, while not letting up on the tickling.