“I know this.” Holding her gaze, it felt like I was telling my own heart something along with hers. “We’ve been through plenty of heat waves before and we’re all still standing. That right now we’re doing everything we can to get the best possible outcome. Australia goes through brutal summers every year. If we can get through them, we can get through this.”
“You’re just telling me what I want to hear.”
That was torn out of her, it felt, but Mackenzie launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my ribs. I couldn’t help but hold her right back. It was like I wanted to mould a space for her on my body.
Something that would leave a hole when she finally went back home.
I didn’t care, I realised. If this was all the sweetness I was going to get, then I’d grab it with both hands.
Grab her with both hands.
“Look, I’m really sorry about the other night,” I said as I cupped her jaw. “I was a dick and?—”
“You say that a lot.” Some of the spark was back in her eyes. “Seems to me that you could do something with that self-awareness and… whoa!”
I had her up on her feet, then the soap was in my hand. Smoothing it over her skin felt as natural as breathing, whereas only minutes before, I was too tired to scrub my own self down.
“I’ll try,” I told her as I washed those gorgeous rounded shoulders. “I can’t make any promises but?—”
“Trying is all any of us can do.”
Did all the pain and frustration of her day go swirling down the plughole, just like it did mine? Did she feel lighter, better, the moment our eyes locked? Because I did. It felt like my heart was beating harder, faster, but for once, not from adrenaline.
For her.
Fuck. I was falling for Mackenzie James.
It was like I was standing on the precipice of a really high cliff and some instinct inside me was screaming for me to step back. I didn’t. Couldn’t, not when I was near her. Instead, I moved closer, ignoring every single vow I’d made, and then kissed her.
“Mm…”
That little sigh into my mouth was fucking killing me, but who was I kidding? Everything about this woman was perfect.
“Let’s get you into bed.”
“I bet you say that to all the farm stay girls,” she said.
Her smile was still there, but there was a wary edge to it now.
“No, Mackenzie.” I opened the shower door and lead her out, wrapping a towel around her shoulders, then drying her off. “I can say with all confidence that I have not said anything like that to any other woman.” Shit, this was getting all too real. I needed to change tack right freaking now. “Apparently grunting and swearing a lot isn’t a turn on for most women.”
“Their loss.”
I liked her smile, the way her hand slid down my chest. There was a possessiveness about the gesture that had my heart flaring to life as well as my body. But while my dick would be cursing my name tonight, sex wasn’t what I had in mind. Sweeping Mackenzie into my arms, I carried her across the hall and into my bedroom.
Back where she belonged.
“You know you don’t have to carry me everywhere,” she said with a giggle.
“I love having you in my arms,” I replied. “I love…” The door swung open to reveal a pool of moonlight. It was right there on the tip of my tongue, ready to be said, but as I stared at the moon, something kept me quiet. Instead, I laid her down on the bed, joining her seconds later. “I’d love to know more about your day.”
When her smile faded, I thought I’d done something wrong, but the same instinct that had me moving before the cattle did had me pushing forward now.
“I know you told me what happened.” Pulling her closer, just holding her in my arms, my eyelids could finally fall closed. A strange sense of peace settled over me. “That you and Charlie have it covered with the wild animals, but…” My breath whistled between my lips as I let it out slowly. “There’s a difference between talking about what happened and describing how that felt.”
She went very still and quiet, which forced me to look down at her, checking for her response.
“I…” There it was, that reticence. A glance up at me and then she continued. “I hate it, y’know? Like I love that I can help Charlie and every time we made it to the vet, and the animal was still alive, I’d feel better, but…”
