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 Hayleys back on Wallaroo. But then, I expect you know that already, dont 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 shed heard Hayley was on her way home. Daisys 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 dont want to be stuck in the middle. Why Harry Fraser is starting this all over, I dont know.
Teague suspected he knew. If Harry planned to sell Wallaroo, it would be much more valuable with that land attached. Hayley doesnt have anything to do with that mess, he said. The land dispute is between Callum and Harry. Besides, Im a big boy. I know what Im 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.
Im 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 hadnt 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.
Im 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 Callums 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 hed 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 hed been riding since hed returned to the station a year ago. He held the horses 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 hed been home on Kerry Creek, hed taken a ride out to the shack. Occasionally, hed spend the night, sleeping in the same bed where theyd first made love, remembering their sexual curiosity and experimentation.
At least he and Hayley still had a place where they wouldnt 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 hed 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 couldnt 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 horses neck. Shed 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.
Hed called her fearless. But deep down, Hayley knew that wasnt 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 shed been left with just Teague, sweet and protective, loyal to a fault. Shed tried to convince herself that they had shared nothing more than a teenage infatuation. Theyd 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. Shed been so confused and angry when shed 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 shed ended up in a series of foster homes. All of them had been fine places, but shed wanted to be with her grandfather. Shed been constructing a perfect life for the two of them in her mind and was determined to make it happen.
But when hed 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 grandfathers stationand in Teagues heart.
Thats why his desertion had hurt so badly. For months before hed left for university, shed tried to tell herself their feelings were strong enough to survive their time apart. And then, after only a few weeks, hed forgotten her. No letters, no calls. Every letter shed written had gone unanswered.
Isolated as she was on Wallaroo, shed assumed the worst of Teague. In the years that had passed after shed left the station, shed 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. Shed packed her meager belongings, said goodbye to Molly and hitchhiked as far as Sydney before she ran out of money. After a month there, shed decided she didnt need anyone to depend uponor love. She could fend for herself. And in the end, thats where shed stayed, starting a new life, a life that didnt 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 theyd ridden together. It had been this way when theyd spent nights at the shack. Theyd ride out on the same horse, Hayleys 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.
Teague maneuvered his horse up next to her, then held out his hand. It had been forever since theyd ridden together. It had been this way when theyd spent nights at the shack. Theyd ride out on the same horse, Hayleys 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 Mollys 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 didnt 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 shed forgotten how desolate it was on Wallarooand how incredibly beautiful.
By the time they reached the shack, the silence between them had become part of their growing desire. She didnt need to speak. Thered 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 couldnt 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.
Its been a while, she admitted. For you, too?
He nodded. Teague took his horses reins in his other hand and led Hayley toward the shack. He untied Mollys 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 wasnt sure she wanted to go inside.
Its 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. Shed 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 Id 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 wouldnt 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.
Hayleys 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 Teaguetall, broad shouldered and finely muscled. Where hed 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, shed always been a bit apprehensive about getting completely naked. It was the only thing that made her feel vulnerable.
But Hayley wasnt 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.
Weve both changed, she said.
One thing hasnt 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.
How many times had she fantasized about this? And it had always been the same, the two of them, here in this place, lying naked in each others arms. Now that her fantasy had come true, she didnt want it to end. Was it possible for the scene to play out again and again, not in her head, but in a brand-new reality?
THE SENSATION OF Hayleys skin meeting his set Teagues desire ablaze. Though hed often thought back to their times together, he hadnt remembered feeling this incredible. Her skin was silk, her scent like an exotic aphrodisiac. And her body was made to be slowly explored.
Making love with her now would be different from when they were teenagers. Theyd both had other partners, and experience was always the best teacher. He stretched out above her, bracing his weight on his hands as he kissed her. But he was like a man parched with thirst. There had been no other women for him, not like Hayley. Desire had been fleeting, something easily satisfied by a one-night stand. But this was much more. As their mouths met again and again, teasing, tasting, he challenged her to surrender.