The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (25 page)

When she entered the study, Jared sat behind his desk,
his fingers joined like a teepee and pressed against his teeth. The room was
softly lit by several wall-mounted lights. The chandelier remained off.

‘
You want to talk about my article I presume?
’
Kirra asked, ready for an argument.

He sighed wearily.
‘
No, will
you please take a seat?
’

Thrown, Kirra chose to sit on the long walnut and
leather sofa.
‘
What do you want to talk about then?
’

He raked long fingers through his hair and gave her a
bleak look.
‘
Are you happy living here?
’
he asked.
‘
Could you
make a life with us?
’

Kirra
’
s heart thudded in
her chest.
‘
Of course, but -
’

‘
Ah, there
’
s always a
but!
’
he interrupted. ‘
I need you to be honest with
me.
’

Before Kirra answered, Jared put one hand up like a
stop sign.
‘
Before you say anything, I feel you must know that I
chose not to read your article. I do believe you love me and that you wouldn
’
t write about our personal life,
’
he said.
‘
Magda told
me what she did to test your mettle.
’

‘
She did?
’

‘
I have a long working relationship with her,
’
he explained slowly, as if it was difficult for him
to talk about touchy-feely stuff.
‘
I don
’
t condone what she did, but Magda does things her way
and she just wants me to be happy.
’

‘
And are you happy, Jared?
’
Kirra asked, genuine concern in her voice.

‘
No, I
’
ve felt like I
’
ve been punched in the stomach by a cow’s hoof ever
since you
’
ve arrived.
’

‘You think I’m a
cow?’ she said, remembering her uncle’s attraction to her aunt.

‘No. It’s a
metaphor.’

‘
I know.
’
Her eyes
widened with surprise.
‘
But why?
’

‘
Because,
dammit
,
’
he said quietly,
‘
I
’
m in love with
you.
’

Kirra
’
s eyes widened
with delight and her heart sang.
‘
You are?
’

‘
I know I
’
ve been
acting like a caveman, but the truth is, I
’
ve never
been in love before.
’

‘
Not even with Heather?
’

He sighed.
‘
I loved and
cared for her,
’
he said,
‘
but I never
fell head-over-heels in love with her.
’

That was all she needed to hear.
‘
Come here,
’
she said,
her arms wide open.

Jared came to her then, slide into her arms, sought
her lips and kissed her with an earthy passion.

To him, it felt
like the closest thing to bliss and a burning desire to be one with her coursed
through his blood.

‘
I
’
ve missed you,
’
she murmured against his lips.

‘
I
’
ve been here all
the time,
’
he chuckled deep in his throat. He cupped the back of
her head and pulled back looking into her love-drugged eyes.
‘
Will you marry me, Kirra? Caleb loves you too. We can
be a family.
’
 

‘
Yes,
’
she moaned and
felt deliriously happy, as she leaned against his hard body.
‘
Make love to me on the sofa.
’

He groaned.
‘
You
’
re amazing.
’

Without hesitation, he slipped off her top and kissed
her swollen lips again.

His length, long and hard, pressed against her belly
and heat curled in her feminine core.

She undid the buttons of his shirt with her deft
fingers and flipped it back over his shoulders.
‘
I want to feel your chest hairs on my breasts,
’
she murmured, the passion in her rising to
fever-pitch. She undid the clasp of her bra and the wisp of silky material rode
up releasing her breasts. She arched into him and rubbed her nipples to his
chest, the hair gloriously tantalising her senses. A fervent sigh escaped her
mouth and he trailed blazing kisses down her long, outstretched neck.

‘
Wait!
’
he said,
breathing heavily.
‘
I
’
ll put on a
condom.
’

‘
No, it
’
s alright. I would
have said before if it wasn
’
t,
’
she said on an impatient sigh.
‘
I
’
m healthy and I
want to have your children.
’

‘Not just a baby?’

‘No, o
ur children,
’
she
confirmed gleefully.

‘I’m glad,’ he said, relief evident in his voice.
‘
I
’
m healthy too by
the way.
’

A quick breath
caught in her throat. ‘Good to know,’ she murmured against his mouth.

As their kiss deepened, they shrugged off the rest of
their clothes in urgent need of satiation. Jared grabbed a soft cotton rug and
threw it over the sofa, before he laid down on it and drew her into him. She
straddled him and laved his left nipple with her tongue, then captured his
right in with her lips.

He moaned and bucked against her.
‘
Kirra -’ he said on a deep, earthy groan in the throes
of passion.
‘
What you do to me.
’

Suddenly, Kirra
felt every inch a woman - that she could go wild without retribution.

Knowing that he enjoyed her ministrations only
enhanced her enjoyment.

When he cupped her buttocks with his hands and slid
his fingers into her moist, feminine core, her mouth dropped open and her back
arched instinctively. Her sensitive nub rubbed up against his manhood and she
experienced the exquisite sensation of orgasm peak and release. Her fluid of
love flowed onto his fingers, as she let out a cry of ecstasy. ‘Oh, Jared!’

He rubbed her feminine flaps and within moments the
tide of ecstasy rose again.
‘
I need you inside
me,
’
she panted wantonly and she lifted herself up and
guided him home.

Upright, he cupped her breasts and gently flicked her
darkened, erect nipples with his tongue. She leaned forward and gripped his
solid shoulders as he started to move rhythmically inside her. Her head dropped
down, her hair fell forward around her face and she met his passion-filled eyes
with her own. They rode together, until they climaxed in a magnificent
crescendo of love and desire and unification.

Spent, she slumped
on his chest and his arms wrapped around her with the warmth and knowledge of
being cherished.

Jared wrapped the rug over her and they slept that way
until dawn. At that moment, eternally grateful, he believed he was the luckiest
man alive on the planet.

To have a second chance at love was incredible.

The sound of little feet, son and puppy, running down
the hallway, woke Jared. He knew full well that Caleb would come looking for
them and the study door wasn’t locked.

‘Kirra’, he whispered urgently in her ear, though
reluctant to wake her.

Kirra smiled sleepily at him.
‘
Jared, I love you.
’

He kissed her lightly on the chin.
‘
I know you do,
’
he
muttered, but Caleb
’
s up and -
’

‘
Oh, oh, he can
’
t find us
here like this,
’
she realised and her eyes widened in horror.
‘
Do you think he heard us last night? We were pretty
vocal.
’

Jared shifted his weight to lie on his side, but kept
close against her body.
‘
I don
’
t think so. I
sound-proofed this room and the surgery for when I perform the odd operation.
’

His length, long and hard, rode up against her body.
The curl of desire moisten her loins and she sighed heavily.

Would she ever stop wanting him as long as they lived?
She wondered.
She didn
’
t think so, but now, was not the time or place.

With a ready-made family, making love had to happen at
night, but she could see with Jared he was ready and willing to take
opportunities for
‘
quickies
’
when they
occurred, day or night. She rubbed her nipples one last time into his soft
chest hair and revelled in the erotic sensation it sent sizzling through her
veins.

Trouble was, her belly rubbed the tip of his manhood
at the same time and he groaned.

‘
Wench,
’
he whispered in
her ear, before he levered off the sofa.
‘
Thank you
for fulfilling one of my sexual fantasies.
’
He quickly
pulled on his jocks and jeans in one action.

Kirra sat up and wrapped the rug around her still
aroused body.
‘
What here, on the sofa?
’

‘
Uh-ha,
’
he said and gave her that heart-warming, crooked smile
of his.
‘
I
’
ll start breakfast,
’
he added, shrugging on his shirt,
‘
if you
’
d like to take a shower.
’

Suddenly what had been bothering her at the back of
her mind, came to the fore.
‘
Jared,
’
she said, a strong urge for closure of her previous
life washing over her like a Tidal Wave.
‘
I’m sorry.
I have to go home. My apartment. My old life.
’

His fingers stilled on the button he was doing up on
his shirt.
‘
There
’
s no need to
leave. I can have a moving company pack up your apartment.
’

‘
No,
’
she said and
swallowed hard,
‘
there
’
s something else.
Something, I need to do. By myself.
’

‘
Are you coming back?
’
he said, his body rigid.

‘
Yes,
’
she insisted,
‘
but I can
’
t guarantee
when?
’

He relaxed then and continued to do up his buttons.
‘
I trust you, but why not wait a few more days? The
bush dance is tonight. You promised Max a dance, remember?
’

‘
Oh, yes, a promise is a promise. Your country code of
ethics,
’
she acknowledged.
‘
It
’
ll also give me time to reassure Caleb. After all, he
did ask me to marry him too.
’

He laughed a little, deep in his throat, then kissed
her forehead when she stood.
‘
You truly are an
angel. I love you with all I am and all I will become when we share our life
together.
’