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“Dr. Tom Barrett,” Teague said, holding out his hand.
“How much is this going to cost me, Dr. Tom Barrett?” her grandfather asked impatiently, ignoring Teague’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Harry,” Hayley replied. “I’ll pay for it. Molly is my horse. My responsibility.”
“Suit yourself,” the old man muttered. He squinted into the sun, then said something under his breath before turning and walking into the barn. Hayley released a tightly held breath. “He didn’t recognize you.”
“No,” Teague said. “Good thing, since he was waiting on the porch with a rifle when I arrived.”
She laughed softly, then shook her head. “I knew his eyesight was bad, but not that bad. For a second there, I thought I’d have to break up a fistfight.”
“I think I could have taken him,” Teague said. He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Meet me tonight,” he said. “I’ll wait for you at the shack.”
“I’m not sure I remember how to get there.”
“There’ll be a moon.” He pointed toward the east paddock. “I’ll meet you right there at the far gate. Just like we used to. Nine o’clock. We’ll ride over together. Molly needs the exercise.”
Never mind what Molly needed, she thought to herself. Hayley needed the touch of Teague’s hands and the taste of his mouth, the feel of his body against hers. “What if I can’t get away?”
“It’s all right,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for almost ten years. Another night isn’t going to make much difference. ” With that, he kissed her again, only this time he lingered over her mouth, softly tempting her with his tongue.
A sigh slipped from her lips and Hayley lost herself in the sweet seduction. Every instinct she had cried out to surrender to him, to be completely and utterly uninhibited with her feelings. “Tonight,” Hayley said.
He stole one last kiss, then walked backward into the stable, a wide grin on his face. “I sure am glad to see you again, Hayley Fraser.”
At that moment, he looked like the boy she’d loved all those years ago. “Stop smiling at me,” she shouted, a familiar demand from their younger years.
“Why shouldn’t I smile? I like what I see.” He picked up his bag and the crate of supplies and continued his halfhearted retreat.
She rubbed her upper arms, her gaze still fixed on his. When he finally disappeared through the door on the opposite end of the stable, Hayley sighed softly. She’d never expected to feel this way again, like a lovesick teenager existing only for the moments she spent with him.
She knew exactly what would happen between them that night and she had no qualms about giving herself to Teague. Of all the men she’d dated, he was the only one she’d ever really loved. And though time and distance had come between them, they were together now. And she was going to take advantage of every moment they had.
2
“WHAT DO YOU WANT to drink?”
Teague glanced up from the plate that Mary had placed in front of him. “Whatever you’ve got,” he replied distractedly. “Beer is good.”
She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle, then twisted off the cap with the corner of her apron. Mary had been keeping house at the station for years, hired a few short weeks after Teague’s mother had decided that station life was not for her.
He took a long drink of the cold beer, then picked up his fork and dug in to the meal. Dinnertime at the station was determined by the sun. When it set, everyone ate. But Teague had missed the usual stampede of hungry jackaroos tonight. The return trip from Wallaroo had taken longer than he’d planned after he stopped to fix a broken gate.
“Where is everyone?” he asked.
Mary shrugged. “Brody took some dinner out to Payton earlier. And Callum and Gemma disappeared after they helped me with the dishes. They said they were going for a walk.” She sat down at the end of the table and picked up her magazine.
“Well?” Teague said. “Aren’t you going to offer your opinion? I’ve met them both and they seem perfectly lovely.”
She peered over the top of her magazine. “They add a bit of excitement to life on the station, I’ll give them that. At least for Brody and Cal.”
Teague chuckled. “Women will do that.”
Women could do a lot of things to an unsuspecting man. Since he’d left Hayley at Wallaroo, his thoughts had been focused intently on what had happened between them. He’d replayed all the very best moments in his head, over and over again. The instant that he’d first touched her. The kiss they’d shared. And then the headlong leap into intimacy. His fingers twitched as he thought about the firm warmth of her breast in his palm. “There’s nothing wrong with a little excitement every now and then, is there?”
“What about you?” Mary asked, slowly lowering the magazine. “Have you had any excitement in your life lately?”
Teague glanced up. “Excitement?” He chuckled softly. “Are you asking me if I’ve cleared the cobwebs in the recent past?” Though Mary had served as a mother figure to the three Quinn brothers, she was a bit of a stickybeak, insisting that she know all the relevant facts regarding their personal lives. “Not lately, but I’ll let you know if my fortunes change.”
She sighed. “I want to see you boys happy and settled.”
“Why?” he teased. “So you can get off this godforsaken station and have a life of your own?” Teague watched her smile fade slightly. Mary had always been such a fixture in their lives that they’d hardly considered she might want something beyond her job at the station.
He took another bite of his beef and potatoes, then grabbed a slice of bread and sopped up some of the gravy. “You know, I think it’s about time you had a little holiday. I’m going to talk to Callum about it. You could take a week or two and go visit your sister. Or go on a cruise. You could even rent a bungalow on the ocean. Get away from this lot of larrikins.”
She shook her head. “There are too many things to be done on the station this time of year. Besides, we have guests. There’s not a chance I’d leave those ladies to your care. Now, eat your dinner before it gets cold. My program is on in a few minutes.” She stood up and wiped her hands on her apron, then slipped it over her head and hung it across the back of her chair. “Are you going to watch Castle Cove with me tonight?”
Teague shook his head. “No, I thought I’d take a ride. There’s a full moon and I need to work off some excess energy.” He pushed away from the table, then wiped his mouth on his serviette and tossed it beside his plate.
“You barely ate any of your dinner,” Mary commented.
“I’m not hungry. Save it for me. I’ll eat later.” He pulled his saddlebags from the chair next to him, then crossed to the refrigerator. He’d already put the necessities—matches, bottled water, condoms—in the bags. He added a bottle of wine from the fridge and then tossed in a corkscrew from the drawer next to the sink. He and Hayley had never shared a drink before, but they were old enough now. Maybe she liked wine.
Mary arched an eyebrow. “Do you plan on doing some entertaining tonight?”
“No.”
She studied him for a time, then shook her head. “I heard Hayley’s back on Wallaroo. But then, I expect you know that already, don’t you?”
Teague shrugged, avoiding her glance. “I do. But how did you know?”
“I talked to Daisy Willey today. She called from the library to tell me my books had come in and she mentioned she’d heard Hayley was on her way home. Daisy’s cousin, Benny McKenzie, helps take care of the place for old man Fraser, and Benny had to leave to see to his sick mum. So Daisy told Hayley she might want to check up on her grandfather while Benny is gone. Hayley makes a regular donation to the book fund at the library, so she and Daisy keep in touch.”
“News travels fast,” Teague said.
“Take care,” she warned. “You know how your brothers feel about the Frasers. And with the lawsuit heating up again, you don’t want to be stuck in the middle. Why Harry Fraser is starting this all over, I don’t know.”
Teague suspected he knew. If Harry planned to sell Wallaroo, it would be much more valuable with that land attached. “Hayley doesn’t have anything to do with that mess,” he said. “The land dispute is between Callum and Harry. Besides, I’m a big boy. I know what I’m doing.”
“Like that time you did a backflip off the top rail of the stable fence and broke your wrist? As I remember, that was on a dare from Hayley Fraser.”
“I’m older now.” But not much wiser, Teague thought as he slung his saddlebags over his shoulder. He strode to the door and pushed it open, then stepped onto the porch.
He jogged down the steps and headed toward the stables. It was still early and the moon hadn’t come up, but he could find his way to the shack blindfolded. When he stepped inside the stable, he flipped on the overhead lights. A noise caught his attention and he squinted to see Callum and Gemma untangling themselves from an embrace.
Gemma tugged at the gaping front of her shirt and Callum pushed her behind him to allow her some privacy. “What are you doing out here?” Callum asked.
“I’m going for a ride.” Teague pulled his saddle and blanket from the rack and hauled it toward the paddock door. “Hey there, Gemma.”
“Hello, Teague.” She peeked around Callum’s shoulder and waved. “Nice night for a ride.”
He heard Callum mutter something beneath his breath and when he looked back, he saw his brother and Gemma making a quick exit from the stables.
Since the genealogist from Dublin had arrived, Callum had been besotted. Every free moment he could find away from running the station, he spent staring at Gemma. And Brody had brought home a girl of his own, Payton Harwell, a pretty American he’d met in a jail cell in Bilbarra.
Teague threw his saddle over the top of the gate, then whistled for his horse. A few seconds later, Tapper came trotting over, a sturdy chestnut gelding he’d been riding since he’d returned to the station a year ago. He held the horse’s bridle as he led it through the gate and into the stable.
It only took a few minutes to saddle his horse and when he was finished, he strapped his bedroll on the back of his saddle, then slipped his saddlebags beneath the bedroll. Every month that he’d been home on Kerry Creek, he’d taken a ride out to the shack. Occasionally, he’d spend the night, sleeping in the same bed where they’d first made love, remembering their sexual curiosity and experimentation.
At least he and Hayley still had a place where they wouldn’t be disturbed, a place that would conjure all the best memories. He pulled his horse around and gave it a gentle kick. It had been a long time since he’d felt this optimistic about a woman. And maybe it was silly to think they could return to the way things had been all those years ago. But he hoped they could start over.
As he rode into the darkness, Teague couldn’t help but wonder what the night might bring. Would they discuss their past or would they simply live for the moment and be satisfied with that?
HAYLEY STOOD beside Molly, slowly stroking the horse’s neck. She’d been waiting in the dark for ten minutes. And for every second of sheer, unadulterated excitement she felt, there was another of paralyzing doubt. Stay, go, wait, escape. She wanted to see Teague again, yet every shred of common sense told her she was setting herself up for heartbreak.
He’d called her fearless. But deep down, Hayley knew that wasn’t true. Her childhood bravado had been a way to hide her fears, to divert attention from everything that terrified her. Though she still felt the urge to challenge him, to dare him to prove his devotion to her, she knew better than to risk bodily injury to get his attention, the way she had as a teenager. The only part of her body in peril this time around was her heart.
Over the years, the crazy memories had faded and she’d been left with just Teague, sweet and protective, loyal to a fault. She’d tried to convince herself that they had shared nothing more than a teenage infatuation. They’d discovered sex together and, naturally, there had been a bond between them. But they would have gone their separate ways sooner or later.
Teague had been there to help her through the difficult times. She’d been so confused and angry when she’d arrived on Wallaroo. Her life had been nothing but chaos since the death of her parents, most of the upheaval caused by her rebellious behavior.
Harry had been her only living relative, since her mother was orphaned at a young age, as well. But Harry had refused to take her, and she’d ended up in a series of foster homes. All of them had been fine places, but she’d wanted to be with her grandfather. She’d been constructing a perfect life for the two of them in her mind and was determined to make it happen.
But when he’d finally given in and allowed her to stay at Wallaroo, Harry had wanted nothing to do with her. He was cold and dismissive, barely able to carry on a conversation with her. It had been Teague who had given her a reason to go on with her life, a reason to accept her circumstances and make a place for herself on her grandfather’s station—and in Teague’s heart.
That’s why his desertion had hurt so badly. For months before he’d left for university, she’d tried to tell herself their feelings were strong enough to survive their time apart. And then, after only a few weeks, he’d forgotten her. No letters, no calls. Every letter she’d written had gone unanswered.
Isolated as she was on Wallaroo, she’d assumed the worst of Teague. In the years that had passed after she’d left the station, she’d often wondered what had really happened. Maybe now she would find out the truth.
Hayley had wanted to go to him back then, to demand answers. She’d packed her meager belongings, said goodbye to Molly and hitchhiked as far as Sydney before she ran out of money. After a month there, she’d decided she didn’t need anyone to depend upon—or love. She could fend for herself. And in the end, that’s where she’d stayed, starting a new life, a life that didn’t include anyone who could possibly hurt her.
The sound of an approaching horse caught her attention and she stepped out from behind Molly and peered into the darkness. She held her breath as he came closer, wondering how long it would be before he kissed her again.
Teague maneuvered his horse up next to her, then held out his hand. It had been forever since they’d ridden together. It had been this way when they’d spent nights at the shack. They’d ride out on the same horse, Hayley’s body nestled against his so they could talk and touch on the ride home. A few hours before sunrise, Teague would return her to the gate.
He wove Molly’s reins through the leather strap on his bedroll, then settled Hayley in front of him. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he gave his horse a gentle kick and they started off at a slow walk.
For a long time, they didn’t speak. Hayley felt her heart slamming in her chest and she found it difficult to breathe with Teague so close. She focused her attention on the spot where his arm rested against her belly, shifting back and forth and creating a delicious friction as the horse swayed.
Even after all the time that had passed, this felt safe and comfortable and right. Hayley sighed softly and leaned against him. He nuzzled her neck and she tipped her head to the side to allow him more freedom. His mouth found a bare spot of skin.
Arching against him, Hayley wrapped her arm around his neck, drawing him closer. She was almost afraid to speak for fear she might break the spell that had fallen over her. There was no need to revisit past mistakes and dredge up old resentments. They were here, together, and that was enough.
Teague pressed his palm to her stomach, his fingers splaying across the soft fabric of her T-shirt. But as they continued their silent ride, he slipped his hand beneath her shirt to caress her breast. Hayley inwardly cursed her decision to put on her sexiest underwear. She wanted to feel the warm imprint of his hand on her flesh like she had that afternoon.
The night was chilly and the moon shone golden as it rose over the outback. She had lived so long in Sydney she’d forgotten how desolate it was on Wallaroo—and how incredibly beautiful.
By the time they reached the shack, the silence between them had become part of their growing desire. She didn’t need to speak. There’d be time for words later. Teague slid off the horse, then held out his hands for her. Grasping her waist, he held tight as she dropped to the ground. Her breath caught in her throat as he looked down into her eyes. She couldn’t read his expression in the dark, but the moonlight outlined his mouth and she fixed her gaze on it, waiting for him to make the first move.
He drew a slow breath, then reached down and ran his fingers through her hair. His lips met hers in a kiss so soft and sweet that it caused a lump in her throat. He took his time, drawing his tongue along the crease of her mouth, teasing until she allowed him to taste more deeply.
Her body pulsed with desire, a current racing through her bloodstream. She shuddered, anticipation nearly overwhelming her.
“Cold?”
Hayley shook her head.
“Scared?”
“Never,” she replied, her voice breathless. It was true. She had nothing to fear from Teague. Whatever happened between them, she could handle it.
He took her hand and tucked it inside his jacket, pressing her palm to his chest. “Nervous,” he whispered, a smile curling the corners of his mouth.
“It’s been a while,” she admitted. “For you, too?”
He nodded. Teague took his horse’s reins in his other hand and led Hayley toward the shack. He untied Molly’s reins and secured both horses to the hitching rail before grabbing his saddlebags. Then he took her hand and they walked up the steps. Hayley paused on the porch. If this shack looked anything like Wallaroo did, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go inside.
“It’s all right,” he said, opening the door.
Hayley waited as he lit an oil lamp. A wavering light filled the shack and she walked inside. Nothing had changed. It was exactly as it had been ten years before. She’d expected cobwebs and dust, but the interior was surprisingly tidy.
“I come out here every now and then and do a bit of housekeeping,” Teague said. He set his saddlebags on the small table in the center of the room. “I guess maybe I was hoping I’d find you here one day.” He pulled her into his arms. “And here you are.”
Teague pushed the door and it swung shut. He slowly drew her jacket down over her arms then tossed it aside. He shrugged out of his own jacket, letting it drop to the rough plank floor behind him.
When he paused, Hayley reached out and began to unbutton his shirt. She wouldn’t be satisfied until they both were naked and lying next to each other in the narrow bed against the wall. As soon as he saw what she wanted, Teague grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head.
Hayley’s breath froze as she looked at his body in the soft light from the oil lamp. This was no boy. He was Teague, but a different Teague—tall, broad shouldered and finely muscled. Where he’d once had a dusting of hair on his chest, there was now a soft trail from his collarbone to the waistband of his jeans.
Her hand trembled as she smoothed her fingers over his torso. He reached for her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. His gaze immediately dropped to her breasts and he smiled, running his finger beneath the lacy edge of her bra. “Pretty,” he said. “I now have hair on my chest and you have expensive underwear.”
“I guess we really have grown up,” Hayley teased.
Slowly, they continued to undress each other, tossing aside items of clothing one by one. When he was left in his boxers and she in her panties and bra, they stopped. Years ago, she’d always been a bit apprehensive about getting completely naked. It was the only thing that made her feel vulnerable.
But Hayley wasn’t a girl anymore. And she wanted to show Teague she was ready to make love to him as a woman, completely free and uninhibited. She reached back and unhooked her bra, then let it slide down her arms. Catching her thumbs in the lacy waistband of her panties, she pulled them down over her hips. Then, without hesitating, she reached over and skimmed his boxers down, his erection springing upright as the waistband passed over his groin.
Hayley straightened and let her eyes drift over his body, taking in all the details. Teague had been a lanky young man, but now he was a fully formed male, with a body that would make any woman weak in the knees.
“God, you are beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out to run his hand over her shoulder. “But then, you always were.”
“We’ve both changed,” she said.
“One thing hasn’t changed,” Teague countered. “I still want you as much as I did the first time we made love.”
“And I want you,” she said.
Teague pulled her against him, soft flesh meeting hard muscle. He was so much taller now, and stronger, and she was surprised by how fiercely he took control. But this was still Teague, still sweet and gentle as he laid her on the bed, then stretched out beside her.
