“An anaconda, eh?” I grinned. “Yeah, I like that.”
“That’s… that’s…” Her finger shook as she pointed to the dead snake. “Why is everything in this country trying to kill me!”
“Hey.” I hefted her higher, loving the way her thighs gripped my waist. “At least it wasn’t a spider.”
“You—!”
I kissed any protest she might make away, keeping on kissing her until those full lips softened and let me in. The slick slide of her tongue against mine helped the adrenaline coursing through my veins become something else entirely. Forcing myself to pull away, I couldn’t help but grin when I saw her dazed expression.
“So, that shower…?”
“After that joke, I should make you have one all by yourself,” she spluttered, then looked down. “A cold one, but…” Sparky trotted past like a triumphant soldier, having single handedly defeated the reptile. “You did kill a snake for me.”
“And fix all the fire breaks,” I added.
“Fine.” Wriggling free, she hot footed it across the dirt and up onto the veranda, shuddering the whole way before grabbing my beer can. A bit of Dutch courage and she was opening the front door for me. “All hail the conquering hero.”
“You’re back.” Charlie barely looked up from where she was setting the table, her mouth pressed into a thin line. “Ready for dinner?”
“Just leave ours in the pot,” I replied, slinging an arm around Mackenzie’s shoulders. “Need a shower first.” With a glance down at my girl, I couldn’t help but smile. “And that might take a while.”
“Well, I am not waiting for those two idiots to stop fucking in the shower,” Billy said. “They take too long. Let’s dish up dinner because I’m so hungry I could eat a horse and chase after the jockey for seconds.”
“Take too long…” Bronson snorted as we walked past. “Now I know why no girl goes on a second date with you.”
The banter washed over me as we made our way down the hall, then it was the water doing the same, as we stepped under the spray.
“That was…” I could tell from the shake in Mackenzie’s voice that she was still a little rattled. “It could’ve…”
“Nothing will ever happen to you, not while I still draw breath.” Some instinct had me cupping her face in my hands, forcing her to stare up at me. “Whatever it takes to keep you safe…”
This was supposed to be me reassuring Mackenzie, letting her know I’d look after her, just like any other employee, so why did this feel completely different? Maybe because I’d rather walk face first into a wall than get naked in the shower with Scotty, but it was more than that. It was more than just professional respect in my voice, and Mackenzie knew it.
Silence reigned in the shower cubicle, and as my thumb brushed over her cheek, I felt something rise. The realisation it wasn’t Charlie or my brothers’ faces I saw when I cleared the fire breaks, it was Mackenzie’s. Her safe, her protected, that need rode me hard. It had me stepping closer, pressing my body into hers. I was forced to kiss her, because otherwise it would all come spilling out.
This American girl, she broke down all my defences, had all my anger and frustration washing away, because the thought of lashing out at her made me feel physically sick. It wasn’t just bushfires and snakes I needed to keep her safe from, but my own shitty coping skills. When I was kissing her, there was no room for any negative feelings, only pleasure. I stopped when my hands started to slide down her shoulders.
“Mackenzie…?”
She had to know what I was asking. My chest and hers heaved, sucking in breaths now our lips weren’t welded to each other’s.
“So do all Aussie guys learn how to kill snakes with a knife throw?” she asked, then mimicked the movement. “Like do your dads take you aside when you’re like ten and have you practise it with a garden hose or something?”
There’s a lot of things that could be said about Australians, but a willingness to talk complete bullshit with a straight face, bamboozling tourists, is one of them.
“Dad had us throwing knives at a rope first,” I explained. “Then when we had that down, he used a piece of string to improve our aim.”
“String…?” She stared up at me, eyes narrowing as her head tilted sideways. “You’re bullshitting me.”
Bursting out laughing, her hand shoving me in the shoulder, right before I pulled her closer, that was what I really needed. For just a moment, I cradled her body against me, closing my eyes as I got lost in the feel, the smell of her.
“It was pure luck,” I admitted. “Probably more likely to piss the snake off than kill it. Didn’t want Sparky getting bit.” My eyes opened as I stared into her eyes. “Or you.”
“So I’m ranked lower than the dog.” Her hands went to her hips in faux outrage. “Got it.”
“You…” It was right there, on the tip of my tongue, the words that would tell her how I felt. “How about we get clean and I’ll help you release some of that tension?”
“Troy…” She shook her head, then snatched up the bar of soap, smoothing it across my chest, and didn’t I feel a thrill of pleasure the minute she touched me? “I have to warn you, having a near death experience has me feeling really tense.”
