Brody

4

A BEAD OF PERSPIRATION fell into Payton’s eye and she straightened and brushed her arm over her damp forehead. Her back ached from the day’s work-mucking out the stables and moving bales of straw into the freshly cleaned stalls. Setting the pitchfork against the rough wooden wall, she stretched her hands above her head and twisted to work the kinks out of her back.

“A dip in the hot tub would soothe those sore muscles,” Teague said.

“Sounds good,” Payton replied. “Maybe after dinner.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “You know, you don’t have to work quite so hard. Callum is already impressed. You do twice as much work as all of the jackaroos who’ve had the job before you.”

“What exactly is a jackaroo?”

“Just another name for a stockman. Technically, you’re a jillaroo since you’re of the female variety.”

She smiled. “I like that. I have a title. Maybe I should get some business cards printed. Payton Harwell, Jillaroo.”

“Really, I’m serious. No one is going to fire you. And if you’re trying to impress Brody, don’t bother. He’s never been one to enjoy station work.”

“Why is that?”

Teague shrugged. “From the moment he could express an opinion, he wanted off the station. He’s more like our mum than our dad. He finds it sheer drudgery.”

“So, why does he stay?”

“I expect because you’re here. Before you came, he spent most of his time in Bilbarra.”

“No, I mean, why did he stay as an adult?”

“He didn’t. He left the same time our mum did. Moved with her to Sydney when he was fourteen. After that, he only spent holidays here. He hasn’t told you this?”

Payton shook her head. “We haven’t really talked about our pasts. I guess we’ve been focusing on the present.” She pulled off her gloves, then sat down on a nearby bale of straw. “So he’s just here visiting?”

“He’s been back for a while. Since his accident-”

“His motorcycle accident?”

Teague nodded. “Since his accident, he hasn’t been able to play and he got dropped by his club.”

“Club?”

“He hasn’t told you much at all,” Teague said. “Football club. He was a professional footballer. Aussie rules. He played for a club in Fremantle for the past five years. But he tore up his knee in the accident.”

“I’ve seen the scar,” she murmured. “He just brushed it off like it had happened years ago.”

“He was in the hospital for a month and in a cast for six. He’s lucky to be alive.”

“I wonder why he didn’t tell me?”

“He doesn’t like to talk about it. The accident ended his career. Just when he was starting to play really well, too. And I suppose he thought it didn’t make any difference.” He sat down beside her. “Does it?”

“No. The scar doesn’t bother me. Why would it? It’s just that-” She shook her head.

“What?”

“I guess we don’t know each other very well. At least not in that sense.”

Teague shrugged. “Believe me, it isn’t any easier when you know everything about each other. Maybe you and Brody are better off. Less…baggage?”

“Maybe.” What Teague said might be true. She and Sam had known each other for years and the passion between them had faded to nothing more than a dull glow. But with Brody, there was fire, flames shooting up into the sky every time their bodies came together. Maybe all the things she didn’t know just kept it more exciting.

“I’m flying into Brisbane day after tomorrow. Do you and Gemma want to ride along? You’d mentioned you wanted to shop.”

“I have to work,” she said.

“We’ll be back before dark. I can’t land on the station after sunset. And I’m sure some of the guys will take over your duties for a day.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“Payday is Friday,” Teague countered. “And I’d be happy to loan you a dollar or two if you’re short.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Hey, I think you’re a trustworthy sort.”

“Then you haven’t heard of my criminal past,” she said, laughing. “I met your bother in jail.”

“Callum mentioned something about that. I guess we’ve all done things in the past that we wished we could change.” He stood, then held out his hand to help her up. “Can I ask you something? From a woman’s point of view?”

“Sure,” she said.

“Do you think it’s possible to forgive past mistakes? I mean, if things get royally stuffed up, is it possible to begin again?”

“I don’t know,” Payton said. She’d wondered the same thing. “I’m not sure you can ever go back and fix the mistakes you’ve made. You can just go forward and promise not to make them again.”

He nodded, then smiled. “Yeah, I see what you mean.” He drew a deep breath. “Listen, if it’s all right with you, can we vaccinate those yearlings next week? I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “Except to Brisbane, if you still plan to take us.”

“That I do,” he said as he strolled out of the stable. Brody passed him as he wandered in with his horse. Glancing back over his shoulder, he sent his brother an irritated frown, then turned to Payton. “What did he want?”

“He just stopped by to say hello,” she said. “We were going to vaccinate the yearlings, but then something else came up.” She slipped her gloves on. “He’s going to fly Gemma and me to Brisbane on Saturday.”

“And what are you and Gemma going to do in Brisbane?”

“Shop. I need to buy some work clothes,” she said, glancing down at Davey’s jeans and shirt. “And maybe we’ll have some lunch and get a pedicure and a manicure. I’d like to get my hair cut, too. I feel like I need a change. This hair just gets in the way.”

Brody rested his hands on her shoulders and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “But I like the way you look right now.” He rubbed a stray strand between his fingers. “And I’m fond of your hair.”

Pulling her against him, he kissed her again, this time more passionately. A shiver skittered through her body and she felt her desire warm. It didn’t take much to make her want to pull him into a stall and tear off their clothes. “We could go to Brisbane together,” he suggested. “Maybe spend the day at the beach instead. Do some surfing.”

“It’s really a girls’ day out,” she said. “I’m sure you can get along without me for a day, can’t you?”

“I don’t know,” he teased.

“We’ll spend the evening together. I’ll be back before dark. Teague said he can’t land once it’s dark.”

“Which means he’ll probably find a way to keep you both in Brisbane for the night,” he said cynically.

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think Teague has something else going on.”

“Why is that?”

“He asked my advice. Something about starting over again.”

Brody sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, hell. That can only mean one thing. Hayley Fraser. I figured that’s where he was off to last night. Callum is going to be mad as a meat-ax.”

A giggle slipped from Payton’s lips.

“What?” Brody asked.

“How could a meat-ax get angry? And what is a meat-ax?”

“I don’t know. What would you say?”

“Mad as a…wet hen?” She laughed. “All right. Yours is much better.”

“Wet hen,” he muttered. “That’s just lame. Who would be afraid of a wet hen?”

“Why will Callum be angry?”

“There’s a lot of history between our family and the Frasers. It has to do with a piece of land that Hayley’s grandfather claims my great-grandfather stole from the Frasers. We’ve been fighting about it for years.”

“A family feud. Like the Hatfields and McCoys.” She paused. “The Montagues and Capulets.”

“Yeah, I think Teague and Hayley fancied themselves Romeo and Juliet back when they were teenagers. They were obsessed with each other, to the point where my mum and dad thought they might run away and get married. Then Teague went off to university and a few months later, Hayley ran away. After that, he never mentioned her name again.”

“What happened?”

Brody shrugged. “I don’t know. Teague doesn’t talk about it. He was really messed up for a while.”

“So if they’re Romeo and Juliet, who are we?” she asked. “Bonnie and Clyde?”

He grinned. “I loved that movie. And we did meet in jail.”

“They died in the end of the movie. Riddled with bullets, I think.”

“So you’re expecting a happy ending for us? I can’t think of a movie that ended happily. Casablanca. No, that one really didn’t-how about-no, that one ended badly, too.”

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” she murmured. A happy ending? Payton hadn’t thought about the future at all. It was silly to think that she and Brody would share anything beyond her time in Australia. “Life isn’t a movie. It’s not…perfect.” She reached out and took the reins of his horse. “And I have work to do.”

“Time for a break,” he said. He circled her waist with his hands and lifted her until she could swing her leg over his horse, then handed her a small canvas bag. “Come on. Let’s go for a ride.”

Brody hooked his foot in the stirrup and settled behind her, taking the reins from her hands and slipping his arm around her waist.

“I haven’t been on a horse in years,” she said. “Where are we going?”

“I fancy a swim. And there’s dinner in that sack.”

“I don’t have a suit.”

“Then you can sit on the shore and watch for crocs.”

He gave the horse a kick and guided it out of the stable. They rode in silence past the outbuildings and toward a small grove of trees in the distance. The sun was low in the late-afternoon sky but the air was still warm. Winter in Queensland was more like summer in Maine-the nights cool, sometimes chilly, and the days comfortably warm.

“Won’t the water be cold?”

“The pond is pretty shallow,” he said.

“Are there really alligators?”

“No. We don’t have alligators, we don’t have crocodiles, either. They’re not common in this part of Queensland. Teague was just being cheeky with you.” He paused. “Although, I suppose they could wander in here without us really knowing.”

“Snakes, crocodiles, spiders. It’s kind of easy to get hurt here.”

He nuzzled his face into her neck. “I’ll protect you.”

“Who will protect you?”

They reached the pond a few minutes later. It wasn’t like any pond Payton had ever seen. The water was brown, like the soil around it, and a pipe led from the pond to a nearby windmill. She studied the shoreline, searching for anything that moved. “How long can a crocodile hold its breath?”

“An hour, maybe more,” Brody said. “The saltwater crocs are the bad ones. Freshwater crocs aren’t nearly as nasty. And if they were here, they’d be on the shore, warming themselves in the sun.”

He slid off the horse, then helped her down, before wrapping the reins around a nearby branch. Taking her hand, Brody led her to the edge of the water. Then he slowly began to remove his clothes.

“I really wish you wouldn’t go in,” she said.

“I’ve been swimming in this pond since I was a kid. Believe me, it’s safe.”

“And I think I’ll just watch for a while,” she said.

He kicked off his boots and socks, then slipped his jeans over his hips. A moment later, he was naked. Payton held her breath as she watched him walk to the water. He really was a beautiful man, every muscle in his body perfectly toned.

Desire raced through her body and her fingers clenched at the thought of touching him. Suddenly, crocodiles didn’t seem like such a big deal. Not compared to swimming naked with Brody. As he sank into the water, Payton removed her jacket and dropped it to the ground. A moment later, she pulled off her shoes.

“My parents used to take me to the beach when we went on vacation,” she said. “And they’d never let me go in the water.”

“Why not?”

“My mother was afraid of sharks. And my father was afraid I’d drown, even though I’d taken swimming lessons for years.” Payton shook her head. “They spent so much energy protecting me from alligators that weren’t there.”

“Crocodiles,” he said.

When she skimmed her jeans down over her thighs, he smiled. And when she was left in just her underwear, he slowly stood. She walked to the water’s edge. “Take it all off,” he said softly.

Payton drew a ragged breath. They’d been naked together last night, in the shadows of the stable. But it felt just a little bit naughty out in the open. Still, her desire for him was strange and powerful, a force she didn’t want to deny.

The water was cold on her skin and she groaned as it slowly moved up her body. Then, holding her breath, she slipped beneath the surface and popped up in front of him. “It’s freezing!” she cried.

He pulled her into his arms. “You’ll be warm soon,” he said, letting his hands drift over her body.

“I’ve never done this before. I’ve always thought it would be fun to swim naked, but I’ve never had the opportunity.” As he wrapped her legs around his hips, she leaned back, letting her hair fan out in the water. “It feels nice on my sore muscles.”

“You work too hard.”

“That’s what Teague was telling me,” she said as she floated on the surface of the pond.

“And what else was Teague telling you?” Brody asked, an edge to his inquiry.

“Nothing.” She didn’t want to tell Brody that she’d had an interesting conversation with his older brother, that he’d told her things Brody hadn’t bothered to mention. Even now, as she looked into his eyes, Payton saw him differently.

He wasn’t just an object of her desire anymore. He was a man with a real life, a life that hadn’t gone exactly as planned. But then, her life wasn’t exactly a fairy-tale, either. Payton smiled.

She felt his eyes on her naked body and a moment later his hands smoothed over her breasts and down her belly. The sensation was like nothing she’d ever felt before. His touch was warm yet cold, fleeting yet so stirring. Every sensation seemed magnified by the water, her skin slick and prickled with goose bumps.

When he touched her between the legs, a tiny moan slipped from her throat. His caress was so light, so skilled that Payton felt the rise of her need almost immediately. Her eyes still closed, she gave herself over to the feeling. The water lapped around her body, her skin chilly in the late-afternoon air.

She still couldn’t understand how easy it was with Brody. She wanted him and he wanted her. They satisfied each other in the most basic way, driven purely by sexual desire. And yet, there was an intimacy growing between them, a trust that seemed strengthened by their passion.

He slipped a finger inside her and she felt herself losing control. And then, a heartbeat later, Payton dissolved into spasms of pleasure. She arched back as the orgasm rocked her body and for a moment, she sank beneath the surface.

But then Brody grabbed her and pulled her up against his chest. Payton coughed and sputtered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart slamming. Another shudder shook her body and he held her tight.

“Are you all right?” Brody asked, brushing the wet hair away from her face.

She nodded, wiping the water from her eyes. Then she began to giggle and couldn’t seem to stop. The things Brody did to her were scandalous-she felt wicked when she was with him. Payton kissed him hard. “I think you’re more dangerous than the crocodiles. But what a wonderful way to go.”

THERE WERE TIMES-though not many-when Brody truly did appreciate the beauty of the outback. He stared up at the inky-black sky, picking out the constellations that he recognized as the moon slowly rose. “Look,” he said, pointing to a shooting star. “Quick, make a wish.” He drew Payton closer, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “Got it?”

She nodded as she lay beside him on his bedroll. “The stars are different here.”

He pointed into the darkness. “There’s the Southern Cross. And the Milky Way.”

“No Big Dipper. Or Orion.”

“We have Orion,” he said. “In the summer. Orion is upside down here. Standing on his head.” He rolled onto his side to face her. “It’s not much, but it’s all the station has to offer for entertainment.”

“The swim and the sunset and the stars were perfect,” Payton said softly.

“Better than all those balls and cotillions you used to go to?”

“Much better,” she said, turning to face him. “And I didn’t go to that many balls. Well, maybe I did. But my mother was into those kinds of things. High society and all that. Her one goal in life was to find me a good husband.”

“And now you’re here in low society with me.”

She shook her head. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

“And how long will you be here?” Brody asked, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

“I hadn’t thought about it. I came in on a tourist visa, so I have three months.” She shook her head. “I like it here. I’m not leaving anytime soon.”

He drew a deep breath. “Don’t you think about going home? To your family and friends?”

She turned her attention back to the stars and Brody sensed she was avoiding his question. She seemed to be reluctant to talk about what had brought her to Oz. He suspected she wasn’t just a student touring the country. If she came from a wealthy family, what was she doing working for slave wages on a cattle station? And why had she run out of money so quickly?

“You don’t belong here,” he said.

“I don’t have anyplace else to be right now,” Payton replied.

“I don’t believe that. What are you running away from, Payton?”

“Nothing,” she said. She glanced over at him. “Really. Nothing.”

“Talk to me,” Brody said, suddenly desperate to know more. Sooner or later, the sex wouldn’t be enough. And if there was nothing else to hold her here, to keep her in Australia, she’d leave.

“There’s nothing to say,” she insisted. “And what difference does it make, anyway?”

He’d always been realistic about his relationships with women. He’d been an enthusiastic lover, romantic when the time called for it, and supportive if required. But he’d never surrendered his heart, never allowed himself to get too close.

Yet the intimacies he’d shared with Payton made him want more. He needed to know who she was and where she came from. He longed to know how she felt about him. Why was she here and how long would she stay? “Fine,” he muttered. “And I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised if I wake up one day and you’ve just moved on.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” she said. “I’d say goodbye.”

“Well, that’s nice to know.” Brody couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his tone. He pushed to his feet and walked over to the edge of the pond, the moonlight gleaming on the water. He grabbed a small pebble and threw it into the pond, hearing the plunk before the ripples glimmered in the dark.

He closed his eyes when he felt her hand on his back. “I don’t understand what you want,” she said.

“I don’t know what I want.” He turned and pulled her into his embrace. How could he answer that? All he knew was he didn’t want to hold anything back. He wanted honesty and openness and complete surrender. But then, he hadn’t been honest with her. Perhaps that’s where it would have to start.

The problem with his story was it really didn’t make him look good. He hadn’t planned well for his future, he’d bet everything on a successful football career. And then, in one incredible act of stupidity, he’d blown it all.

“We should go back,” he said. “It’s starting to get really cold and I don’t want to you catch a chill.”

He rolled up his swag and retied it onto the back of his saddle, then took her hand and led her over to his horse.

She looked up at him and forced a smile. “Thank you for bringing me here. It was fun.”

Grasping her waist, Brody helped her up into the saddle. After he mounted, he turned the horse toward the house. Payton leaned back against him and he turned his face into her damp hair, inhaling her scent.

“Stay with me,” he said.

“I’m not going to leave.”

“I mean tonight. Stay with me tonight.”

“Not tonight,” she said.

“I want you with me,” he said. “I don’t like sneaking around. We’re not doing anything wrong, why do you act as if we are?”

“Because it’s just between us right now,” she said. “Nothing can mess it up if it’s just us. I’ve known you for three days, Brody. We should at least try to take a few things slowly, don’t you think?”

This was exactly why he couldn’t be friends with a woman. He didn’t understand the reasoning. It was all right to have sex in the stable, but not in his bed. Everyone on the station knew what was going on between them, but pretending that nothing was happening made more sense.

Arguing with her wouldn’t help, he mused. If he wanted more from her, then he’d just have to wait until she was ready to give him more. When they reached the bunkhouse, he helped her down and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he murmured.

She nodded. “Tomorrow.”

He turned away and led his horse toward the stable. As he passed by the house, he saw Callum sitting on the back porch, a beer in his hand, his feet kicked up on the railing. “Where were you?” Callum asked.

“I went for a swim with Payton,” Brody said. He swung off his horse and wrapped the reins around the post at the bottom of the steps. “Do you have another one of those?”

Callum reached down and picked up a bottle. “You have to go fetch the next round,” he said.

Brody twisted off the cap, then sat down in the chair beside Callum’s. He took a long drink of the beer and belched.

“Nice,” Callum said. “A bit more choke and you would have started.”

“Thank you,” Brody muttered.

“Funny how you’re on your best behavior around Payton and then you revert to typical Brody.”

“And you don’t put on airs when you’re with Gemma?” He paused. “And why aren’t you with Gemma? How come you’re all alone here, crying into your beer?”

“She’s shut herself in the library. I can’t understand what’s taking her all this time. It’s not like we’re royalty. But she’s going over every single journal and account book in there.”

“What does that have to do with our family history?”

“Don’t ask me,” Callum said.

“She’s pretty. Not as pretty as Payton, but pretty.”

“I beg to differ,” Callum said. “Gemma is much prettier.”

“Payton told me she spoke with Teague today. He was talking like he’d started things up with Hayley Fraser again. And he took off in the middle of the night last night on horseback.”

“Shit,” Callum said. “When I heard she was back, I wondered if he was going to see her again. What do you think she’s up to?”

“You never liked her, did you?”

Callum shrugged. “She put Teague through hell the first time they were together. He has a blind spot when it comes to her.”

“Maybe that’s our problem,” Brody mused. “We’ve never had a blind spot when it comes to a woman. Maybe we’re missing out on something.”

Callum took a drink of his beer. “Maybe.” He pulled his feet off the railing and stood. “I’m going to go check on Gemma. See if she might need some help.” He stepped over Brody’s outstretched legs and walked back inside the house.

Brody glanced over at the light shining from the window of the bunkhouse. If Gemma was in the library then that meant Payton was alone in the bunkhouse. He drank the last of his beer as he wandered off the porch toward the light.

When he rapped on the door, there was no answer from inside, but he heard the sound of running water and walked around the corner of the bunkhouse to the rough wooden shower. He pulled the door open and stepped inside, slipping his hands around Payton’s waist.

She screamed, but he stopped the sound with his kiss, his tongue delving into her damp mouth until her surprise was subdued.

She brushed her soapy hair from her eyes and looked at him. “Your clothes are getting all wet,” she said.

His fingers skimmed over her naked body, deliberately tempting her. “I just wanted to say good-night.” He leaned forward, his lips barely touching hers.

“I thought you did that already,” Payton said.

“I wanted to leave you with something a bit more memorable,” he said. His hands slid around to cup her backside and he pulled her hips against his, making his desire completely evident.

Brody’s mouth found Payton’s again and he felt her melt against him. “If you want more, I’m in the first room at the top of the stairs.” With that, Brody stepped out of the shower. “Good night, Payton. Sleep tight.”

She didn’t return the courtesy. He imagined that she was considering his offer. But Brody really didn’t expect her to follow through. Not tonight. But maybe tomorrow night. A grin curved the corners of his mouth. He could be bloody persuasive when he wanted.

THOUGH SHE WAS EXHAUSTED, Payton couldn’t sleep. Her head spun with thoughts of Brody. She wanted to go to him, to crawl into his bed and into his arms and just fall asleep with him beside her. The need was so acute it had become an ache.

Cursing softly, she tossed aside the bedcovers and swung her legs off the edge of the bunk. Gemma had come in an hour before and Payton had assumed she was asleep, but then she spoke.

“Can’t sleep?” she called from across the room.

“No. You can’t, either?”

“No.”

A moment later, the light on Gemma’s headboard came on. She sat up, crossing her legs in front of her, then ran her hand through her thick auburn hair. “Would you care to talk?” she asked. “I’m a good listener. All my friends tell me so.”

“It’s complicated,” Payton replied.

“I can handle complicated. Is it Brody? You two seem to be…attracted.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Payton said. She crawled out of bed and crossed the room, then sat down on the edge of Gemma’s bunk. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course.”

“A month ago this last Saturday, I was putting on my wedding gown in Fiji and getting ready to walk across the beach and get married.”

Gemma gasped. “Oh, goodness. What happened?”

“I got scared and ran away.” She frowned, searching for the words to explain her actions. “I just wasn’t sure he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. There was no…fire. Do you know what I mean?”

Gemma nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I know precisely what you mean.”

“So I grabbed a few things, stuffed them in my bag, exchanged my honeymoon ticket for a flight to Brisbane and…disappeared into the outback.”

“And here you are,” Gemma said.

“Yes.”

“Have you called your family?”

Payton shook her head. “I left a message at the hotel in Fiji after I landed in Australia. I said I’d call them soon, but they’re going to be so angry with me that I don’t even want to think about that now. The embarrassment and the expense of the wedding. The gossip will be awful.”

“What of your fiancé?”

“I can’t imagine what he’s thinking. I’m sure he doesn’t want anything more to do with me. Not that I want him to. I made my choice and I can live with it.”

“Well, there it is, then,” Gemma said cheerfully. “As Callum would say, no worries.”

“Oh, I have plenty to worry about. Like this thing with Brody. I’m sure it’s just a reaction to what I did. I was a little…repressed and now I’m testing my boundaries. And the attraction will probably fade soon. But then, I’m not sure I want it to.” Payton paused. “He’s like a rebound guy, but I think he might be more.”

“A rebound guy?” Gemma said. “I understand. But wouldn’t any man who came after your fiancé be a rebound guy? So, in theory, it would be better to go out with some git after you break up so you don’t waste a good bloke as a rebound guy.”

“I suppose that would be sensible. So you think I’m wasting Brody?”

“Or perhaps, you could consider the possibility that fate has put this man in your path and the reason you ran away from your wedding is that you were really meant to be with him all along.”

“No,” Payton said, the notion too absurd to consider. “You think so?”

“I think it’s silly to try to figure out a relationship before it’s really begun. Maybe you should just let it happen.”

Payton considered Gemma’s point, then slowly stood. “Thank you,” she said. She walked over to her bunk and grabbed her jacket from where it hung on the bedpost. “I’m just going to visit Brody for a few minutes. Don’t wait up for me.”

“I won’t,” Gemma said with a sly smile.

Payton slipped her shoes on and pulled the jacket over her T-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms. The night was chilly as she ran from the bunkhouse to the main house. Mary had left a light burning over the sink in the kitchen, but the house was silent. Tiptoeing through the kitchen, she headed toward the stairs. But when she reached the top, she was faced with two choices.

Brody had said his bedroom was the first door at the top of the stairs, but she couldn’t remember if he’d said on the right or the left. She reached for the door on the right and opened it carefully. To her relief, she found a linen closet stacked with towels.

Drawing a deep breath, she opened the opposite door and slipped inside. The bedside lamp still burned and Brody’s hand rested on a sports magazine that he had been reading before he fell asleep. He slept in a tangle of blankets, his chest bare and his hair tousled.

Payton slowly undressed, dropping her clothes on the floor. When she was naked, she stepped to the side of the bed and gently moved the magazine from beneath his hand. He looked so relaxed, almost boyish. His brow, usually furrowed into an intense expression, was now smooth, and his lips, so perfectly sculpted, were parted slightly.

Payton carefully pulled the covers back and slipped into bed beside him. He awoke with a start and stared at her for a long moment before he comprehended what was going on. Then, with a soft sigh, he rolled her beneath him and kissed her.

There was no need for words. They communicated with taste and touch, with soft moans and quickened breathing. Payton slid her hand down and wrapped her fingers around his rigid cock and at the same moment, he found the damp spot between her legs.

All the while, as they teased each other closer to the edge, he kissed her gently, murmuring her name and telling her how good it felt to touch her. At first, Payton was a bit inhibited talking about such things. But then, she let her insecurities go and began to take part in the highly charged conversation.

She could feel his body tense as she brought him closer, his breath coming in short gasps. Carefully, Payton drew him back from the edge, becoming more skillful with every caress. Brody took his cues from her and did the same until they were both almost frantic for release, writhing against each other, their limbs tangled in the sheets.

And when her need finally overwhelmed her, Payton knew that it was exactly what she was searching for. He surrendered a moment later, her hand becoming slick with his orgasm.

Brody’s mouth found hers and he kissed her gently. Such a simple thing, Payton mused. And yet, every time they surrendered to each other, she felt the bond between them growing. It wasn’t just sex. They were discovering each other and with each new experience, Payton found herself wanting more.

“Are you going to stay?” he asked, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

Payton nodded. It would be easy enough to sneak out before morning. But then, why even bother to deny what was happening between them? They were both free to enjoy each other. They were both consenting adults. Any shame she might have felt about sleeping with a man she barely knew was just residual guilt left over from leading a rather sheltered life.

She wasn’t the same Payton who had flown to Fiji for her wedding. She wasn’t even the same Payton who had run away in the middle of the ceremony. Every day she was on her own, she was learning more and more about the woman she really was inside.

She’d spent so much time in familiar surroundings, safe among family and friends, her every need met, her every worry soothed, that she hadn’t really bothered to question who she was or what she wanted. But now, each day was a choice, a choice to go backward or to move forward.

“You’re not a dream, are you?” Brody whispered, running his fingers through her hair.

“No,” she said.

“You won’t be gone the next time I open my eyes?”

“No.”

Satisfied, Brody pulled her against his body, tucking her backside into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. His lips pressed to her nape and Payton closed her eyes, a warm feeling of contentment washing over her.

The world she’d once known seemed like another lifetime. She was happy here in Brody’s arms. And whether it lasted a day or a year, she wouldn’t question it again, for perhaps Gemma had been right. Perhaps fate had brought them together.