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Authors: Ann B. Harrison

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BOOK: Outback Thunder
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Zoe leaned against
the bench and sent him a stunning smile. She was dressed in brief cut off
shorts that showed her long slim legs and a flimsy tank top that did nothing to
hide the pert nipples underneath. The slipped shoulder strap showed that she
wasn't wearing a bra either.

"What can I
do to help?" she asked grinning at him.

He turned away
from her. "Bran, did you find anything in the freezer?" Jonas yelled
out wondering where the hell he was.

"I sent him
back for steak. And for your information I do know how to cook. Just one of the
many things I learned in London." She walked to the pantry.

His gaze followed
her every move. Her bare feet padded softly on the floor making barely a sound.
Zoe leaned down and pick through the vegetable shelves, taking her time in
choosing what she wanted. She was teasing him and he knew it.

****

She stood up with
a glance in his direction and walked back to the bench. Zoe dropped the
potatoes and onions in the sink and rummaged around in the drawer for a knife.
She hummed as she peeled the potatoes and he stood watching her at a loss for
what to do.

****

"You can
slice these thinly if you want to help." Zoe flicked a glance at him. Her
heart almost melted, he looked so lost and unsure of himself.

Poor little
rich boy Jonas. Your childhood toy is no longer available and it hurts.

 
His lips were tightly clamped together and he stood in the same
place he'd been for five minutes.

Zoe watched the
emotions run through his eyes before he stepped toward her. She turned back to
her vegetables hiding the lust in her eyes. She pushed the peeled potatoes in
front of him and took a sharp knife from the magnetic strip in the wall.

"Thin,
okay?"

"No
worries."

Jonas began to slice
while she finished what she was doing and then raided the fridge for cream and
cheese. "So, how is the new toy working out for you?"

"Very handy
and it's not a toy." He cleared his throat and continued. "We should
be able to streamline our work from now on. Which means not so many nights out
sleeping under the stars for the men."

She took the
slices from him and rinsed them under the cold running water, placing them in
the drainer until she was ready for them and handed him the onions.

"Do the same
please—thinly."

He did as she
asked and Zoe left them on the cutting board. She watched him go to the fridge
and take out a cold beer, holding it up in her direction.

"Yeah, sure.
Thanks."

Brandon walked in
with a packet of steaks and a big grin on his face.

"What took
you so long?" Jonas asked throwing him a can of beer.

"Got caught
talking." He tore the top from the can and took a long drink. "That
is just what I needed." He turned to his sister. "What are you
cooking? I hope it's better than what you used to do."

"For your
information I took classes in London and I can manage a pretty decent meal
now." She stood leaning against the kitchen counter and sipped at her ice
cold beer. "So, tomorrow we ride. That's going to be fun."

"Missed it,
Zoe?"

"Yes I have
actually. Not that I didn't enjoy my job overseas, I do. But you can't take the
country out of us country girls." She kept her chin up and refused to look
away from his dark smoldering eyes.

"I know what
you mean. The city was great for doing business but I always felt trapped in
the concrete jungle." Jonas walked over and took a chair from the table,
before he spun it around and sat leaning his arms along the back. He kept his
eyes on her as she put together her potato bake. "Did you want us to cook
these steaks out on the barbeque?"

"Sure, if you
don't mind. I've missed that. They don't quite taste the same when they're done
inside." She sprinkled cheese on the potatoes and put the dish in the
oven. She washed her hands and walked outside to the veranda and took a seat
while Jonas followed her and lit the gas to heat up the barbeque.

Zoe leaned back in
her chair and put her feet up on the edge of the veranda railing, glancing out
over the farm where she had spent most of her early years. Life never stopped
here, it slowed at dusk but there was always some sort of wild life foraging
for food or shelter. She felt at peace on the land, even having Jonas within
arm's reach and longed for the day she could bring Lilly home to see her
heritage. That didn't look likely in the foreseeable future and it saddened her
that Brandon was missing out on meeting his niece. He was too close to Jonas to
keep the secret without slipping up sooner or later. Better to leave things as
they were and take his wrath when she decided to tell him.

 She glanced over
at Jonas. She could deal with whatever he threw at her so long as he didn't
touch her. If she kept brushing him off with her attitude he would take the
hint eventually. Not that she wouldn't rather him fall to his knees in front of
her and beg for forgiveness before pulling the clothes from her body and
ravaging her as wildly as he did in her dreams. That would have to remain
something she held close in her thoughts.

With a sigh, Zoe
clenched her hands protectively over her groin, the throbbing of her sex was
going to be her downfall shortly. Her brazen attempt to stir Jonas up after she
caught him watching through her bedroom door had done nothing to dampen her
lust. She still throbbed in all the right places and her body screamed for a
decent release. Not one that she had the only hand in.

"Problem,
Zoe? You look and sound a little bit off." Jonas moved over to sit in a
chair next to her. He traced his fingers down her arm and gave her a friendly
pat on the shoulder.

"No, just a bit
tired I guess. It was a long flight home and I think jetlag might have finally
set in." She coughed and shifted her butt in the chair, pulling at the hem
of her shorts that were riding up her crotch and rubbing on her clit. There was
nothing more embarrassing than having Jonas privy to her needs. He always saw
too much when they were younger and with him it was so easy to be herself
because he was as horny as she was. But now that they weren't an item, what he
didn't know would be better for her sanity.

"An early
night should be on the cards anyway. We have a couple of big days ahead and we
don't want you acting like a greenhorn out there holding up any of the
guys." Jonas looked at her and continued. "I know you think you can
do this but I have my doubts. I'm already expecting you to come home and want
to sleep in your own soft bed after the first full day on your horse."

"Pfft, you
are such smart ass, Jonas. I can work as hard as the rest of the team and you
know it. I didn't get where I am today with my business by being a lazy
slob." She drained her beer. "You couldn't lose me on horseback when
we were kids and I doubt if things have changed over the years."

"How long
since you've ridden and I'm not counting today's little jaunt to the dam?"

"Doesn't matter.
I can cope, so keep your worry for someone else. I have everything I need to
survive out there and you know it." Zoe stood up and headed indoors. She
met Brandon coming out with the steak on a plate and cooking utensils.

"Hey, you
okay? You look a little bit pissed." He smiled at her. "It's going to
be a bit hard until we all get used to each other again but it'll be okay.
You'll see."

"I'm fine.
Mr. Know-it-all in out there is expecting me to come home with my tail between
my legs and not rough it like the rest of the guys. So yeah, I am a little bit
pissed."

Brandon put the
steak and tools down on the table and pulled her into a big hug. "You have
to grow a skin again, girl. I'm pretty sure you haven't had anyone giving you
the grief that Jonas and I used to dish out for the last few years."

Zoe punched him in
the gut playfully.

"Ooph, don't
start or I'll give back." Brandon pushed her away and lifted her chin.
"Now go put your big girl panties on and give him back as good as you used
to. Are you ready out there for the steaks?"

Zoe stood on
tiptoe and planted a kiss on her brother’s cheek. "Yes, we are. Thanks
Bran, love you."

"Love you
too, Zoe bird."

She looked at her
brother at him, her eyes filling with sudden tears. "I've missed you so
much. I just didn't realize how much." She sniffed and ran her hand over
her face. "Let me go wash my face and I'll come back out with some more
beer."

Brandon winked and
headed outside with the steak while Zoe ran to her bathroom to throw cold water
over her face. She looked in the mirror at the flush on her cheeks. Her eyes
were bright even with the tears wiped away. The last thing she wanted was for
Jonas to think that he’d put that light there. Zoe straightened her top to
cover more of her breasts and pulling down the legs on her shorts she went into
the kitchen to collect plates and cutlery, putting it all on a tray. She
checked on her potato bake and decided it needed more time.

Zoe took a bowl
from her mother's collection and scanned the fridge for salad items. Tossing in
lettuce and tomatoes she hunted for other vegetables to add for color. There
was nothing enticing in the fridge so she opened a can of corn.

She walked out to
the veranda and placed it all on the table and headed back inside for more
drinks taking one more beer from the fridge for each of them.

"Thanks,"
Brandon said, followed by Jonas when she handed them over.

"Welcome. If
you could put the steaks on the potato bake should be ready when they
are." She sat back in her chair and lifted a foot up hugging her arms
around her knee as she gazed out over the farm. It was moments like this the
loss of her parents hit the hardest.

A firm hand landed
on her shoulder. Zoe looked up. "You'll be fine, kid. Don't worry."

Jonas gazed down
at her, a wry smile on his face.

"I thought
you had your doubts before or was that just you getting me riled up for the
hell of it?"

"I worry
about you, okay? You haven't been here for so long and things change, people
change. I don't want to see you hurt." Jonas turned back to the barbeque
and flipped the steaks. Tongs in hand he looked over his shoulder. "I know
you were a competent rider and all that but you've led the soft life for the
last ten years Zoe. The last thing any of us want is to have to come searching for
you tomorrow or the next day. Just promise me you'll be careful."

The hairs on the
back of her neck bristled and she squeezed her lips tight.

The nerve of
the bastard. How dare he treat me like some bloody city greenhorn?

 
"I have worked my ass off for the last ten years. I would
hardly call that leading a soft life."

"Now don't go
getting yourself all worked up. You know damn well that we are taking safety
very seriously here and all the staff will get a talking to in the morning, not
just you."

Jonas scowled and
his eyes were dark and stormy.

"I know how
to look after myself and you of all people should know that. The worst that can
happen is I'll have blisters on my ass after tomorrow but that is it. Got
it?" Zoe was standing now, her hands on her hips and her chest heaving
with the deep breaths she was taking to calm herself before she belted him
across the nose for being so bloody bossy.

Jonas held up his
hands in a gesture of defeat. "Whatever. Don't say I wasn't trying to be
helpful here."

"How the
fucking hell is it helpful you calling me a greenhorn and suggesting that I
can't take the work anymore?"

"I never
called you a—"

"Whoa, time
out you two," Brandon called stepping between them. "Grow up, the
pair of you. I thought you were old enough to drop this bickering. Go get the
potato bake out of the oven, Zoe and we'll dish up this steak. I think an early
night might be on the cards since we are all going to be out and about for the
next few days."

Zoe glared at
Jonas and stormed into the kitchen. Muttering to herself, she paced around the
kitchen, breathing hard.

The nerve of
the bastard!

She grabbed a
folded tea towel and took the hot dish from the oven, slamming the door harder
than necessary. Counting to ten to calm herself, she carefully carried the dish
outside and put it on the table.

They ate dinner
quietly, the conversation stilted and awkward.

 

Chapter Five

 

Zoe was standing
barefooted in the kitchen looking out the window with a bowl of cereal in her
hands as dawn broke the next morning when Jonas walked into the room. He watched
her spoon her breakfast into her mouth, chew and then swallow. Her hair was
pulled up into a sleek pony tail showing off her graceful neck. The white skin
smooth and clear cried out to be kissed by his lips. She was dressed in old
jeans that were frayed at the seams and she wore an old shirt of her father's,
one of her favorites, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

BOOK: Outback Thunder
2.94Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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