Connor gripped the steering wheel to prevent himself from reaching over and taking Diana’s hand in his. A sign to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. She seemed to enjoy herself during breakfast at Beryl’s café. Fred had been there and so he’d spent some time joking with her. Never before had he seen the crusty older man smile as much as he did when he’d been talking to her.
Connor could admit to himself that a little dart, well okay more than a little, a huge dart of jealousy had stabbed him in the gut. He wanted to make Diana smile and laugh like that. He wanted to find out what made the woman tick. There were so many secrets to her he had no idea if he’d ever uncover them all.
‘How much further?’ she asked.
‘Not much,’ he replied as the SUV jolted left to right as it went over another pot hole. The road they were travelling to get to the springs wasn’t the smoothest.
‘Great, although not sure my teeth are going to last. If I’ve got any cracked teeth I’m going to send the dentist bill to you.’
He loved the way her snark came out every now and then. Most guys would get annoyed with it, but to him, it showed him under all the layers Diana had a good sense of humour. She seemed to never let it out though.
‘I can guarantee if you break a tooth I would be more than happy to pay your bill. A smile as beautiful as yours shouldn’t be marred.’
‘That’s very superficial of you Connor Shetland. There is more to a woman than her looks. And my smile is far from beautiful, you did notice my crooked front tooth didn’t you?’
‘Yes, and you’re right my comment was inappropriate. A broken tooth would only enhance your ugly smile.’
Diana burst out laughing, and his heart leapt at the carefree sound. Even more natural than the laughs she’d shared with Fred.
Score one for Team Shetland.
The large ghost gums the town was named for thinned out and a few seconds later they drove into a clearing. His body relaxing naturally at the gorgeous sight of the blue spring. There were only little patches of green among the expanse of brown from dried out wildflowers and other grasses natural to the Australian outback. Instead of detracting from the beauty of the lake, it only highlighted Mother Nature’s handiwork.
A gasp sounded from the woman riding next him. ‘Oh wow, this is stunning.’
Before he’d even turned the engine off her door was open and she was out, striding down to the spring. He studied her for a few moments, admiring the curve of her arse beneath the tight black capris she was wearing. Around her neck he could see the strings of her bikini top tied into a neat bow. His body twitch at the thought of seeing Diana in her bathing suit, running his hands over the smooth expanse of her back, cupping her rounded cheeks and bringing her close to him, her breasts crushing against his chest as he kissed her.
Great, now he had to stay in the car for a little longer until his erection subsided. Unless … he eyed the spring. Having swum in it before, he was well aware of how cold the water was. Just what his body needed. Opening his door, he yanked his t-shirt up and over his head. He kicked his shoes off before removing his socks.
He jogged to where Diana was standing, picking up speed as he got a little closer to her. ‘Last one in’s a rotten egg.’
The cold water clung to him as he dove into the spring, refreshing, revitalising and reducing his hard-on almost immediately. He popped his head out of the water shaking it, droplets spraying around him in a perfect circle.
‘Man, this feels awesome,’ he grinned and looked at Diana. The joy slipping out of him at the look of horror on her face.
What the hell?
He waded through the water as quickly as he could to get to her side, grabbing her hands. They were ice cold on an almost forty degree Celsius day. ‘Diana? What’s wrong?’
‘Croc-crocodile.’ She said the word so softly he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.
‘Did you say crocodile?’
She nodded.
When Smithy had told him about the springs he’d assured Connor that no crocs lived in the water. It wasn’t the right climate for them, but still he turned back to the water. His eyes scanned the shore line but couldn’t see anything to suggest there had been a crocodile. Not even beady eyes and a long nose marred the surface of the spring.
‘It’s okay, Diana, there’s no crocodile. We’re safe.’
‘How do you know, they could be lurking at the bottom of the spring, waiting to grab you when you least expect it.’
Connor pulled her into a hug. ‘Honey, I can assure you there are no crocs here in Ghost Gum Springs. We’re too far south for them. And the most dangerous crocs are up the north east and west of Australia.’
‘Are you sure?’
He brushed his lips across the top of her head, inhaling her fresh apple scent combined with sunshine. It was a smell he could definitely get used to. ‘I promise.’
Connor took a step back; his body already reacting again to being so close to her. He didn’t want to give her another reason to be skittish around him. ‘Do you want to come in the water? It’s really refreshing.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Okay.’ As much as he’d like to swim with her, he wasn’t going to force her into doing something she didn’t want to do. After all, he was supposed to be convincing her that staying for Christmas was a good idea.
Fuck, had he ruined it by bringing her to the one place he’d been convinced would sway her into staying?
***
Diana plucked at the hem of her t-shirt. She was hot, even though she was seated under a tree and there was a slight breeze in the air. The distant sound of splashing teased her.
A swim would be so good right about now, yet she still hesitated about getting in the water, even after Connor had assured her there were no crocodiles hiding in the bush surrounding them or lurking in the depths of the water.
This was his second swim. Following her mini melt down, Connor had gone to the car and brought out a blanket. He placed it under the tree and had returned to get the cooler. He’d sat down next to her, but she could tell he was itching to get into the water. She couldn’t blame him, it did look inviting.
God, why was she sitting here being such a scaredy cat? She’d come on this trip for an adventure. How much more adventurous could she be than swimming in an outback lake? Now that was a story she could tell her friends. And she used that word loosely. Sure, they’d encouraged her to go on a trip, but they’d only become friendly toward her when it came to light that Grandma Mary-Lou had been the original Scrooge and had millions in the bank. Millions that were now Diana’s. A fact she still had trouble comprehending.
With distance she could fully see how she’d been used. So many dinner invitations that hadn’t been forthcoming before her grandmother’s death. So much well-meaning advice from people telling her how she should invest her money. She’d grabbed at their attention as greedily as they were trying to grab at her money.
God, she was being so stupid. She was holding Connor at a distance, treating him badly because she was worried he was using her like what had happened to her in high school and yet she’d fallen into that trap before she’d even come on this trip.
Connor didn’t know how much money she had, yet he was going out of his way to include her. Even Fred was treating her in a way she’d never been treated before. And both the men had only known her for two days.
At the end of the day, she didn’t need to ever return to Packenridge, Montana. There was nothing keeping her there. No familial ties. She’d quit her teaching job, a job she hated with a passion, but was a good solid occupation according to her grandmother.
The world was at her feet, she could do whatever she wanted, including swimming in an outback spring.
Decision made she stood and stripped out of her clothes. Connor was swimming and diving under the water. He wasn’t aware of her approach. She got to where the water floated up the dirt shore. Taking a deep breath she took a tentative step forward.
‘Shit, that’s cold.’
The sound of laughter rumbled through her and a cool hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump. ‘It gets better when you’re fully immersed.’
Her heart beat out a rapid tattoo in shock. ‘God, you scared me. How did you even know I was about to get in the water? Last I saw you were under the water paying no attention to me at all.’
A finger trailed down her cheek, her skin tingling beneath the touch. ‘I was watching you all the time. Did you really think I would bring you here and not be aware of what you were doing and where you were?’
For a second Diana wondered if she’d been dropped into the middle of a romance movie, because that’s what every word coming out of his mouth sounded like. ‘You could’ve fooled me. I was watching you and you appeared to be oblivious to me.’
Connor closed the distance between them and pulled her up against him. Her hands landed on his shoulder. ‘Believe me when I say I’ve been aware of you, Diana Jenkins, from the second I saw you standing on the side of the road.’
Sunlight disappeared as he captured her lips. They were cool at first, before heating up and making her hotter than she’d been sitting under the tree. Releasing her grip on his shoulders she wound her fingers through his damp hair while opening her mouth to welcome his tongue. With minimal clothing between them, it was impossible to miss the hardening of his dick against her belly. She ground her hips, eliciting a moan from him. A sound she wouldn’t mind hearing over and over again.
A groan ripped out of her as his hands clasped her ass and took over the grinding. Her nipples hardened against the soft lycra of her bikini top. Her core pulsed in need, wanting his fingers to slip beneath her bottoms and stroke her until she cried out her release. His lips roved over hers before beginning a delicious journey along her jawline.
What would it be like to make love in the outback?
‘Uncomfortable.’ Connor muttered against her neck.
‘What?’ The spell broke the second Connor spoke.
‘Making love in the outback would be uncomfortable, especially as the blanket is pretty thin.’
Mortification swept over has as it sunk in she’d spoken out loud, again, and Connor was responding to it. She twisted out of his hold, surprised when he didn’t try and haul her close again. In a daze she walked toward the spring, shivering as the water lapped her knees. If Connor followed her she didn’t know, nor did she care.
When she thought it would be safe to do, she dived in, the chilly water embracing her. Diana pushed the thoughts of the kiss out of her mind as she held breath and swam underwater. An impossible task when all she could remember was the sensation of being held by him. The way his lips caressed hers. Even in the water her body heated and yearned to experience it once again.
She broke the surface and took a big gulp of air. She was losing her mind. No matter how beautiful this location was. No matter how welcoming the people of Ghost Gum Springs appeared to be. She had to protect herself, she’d been hurt too many times. Tomorrow she’d be back in Sydney, surrounded by people who wouldn’t look at her too closely to see if they could find out all her inner thoughts.
‘Are you okay?’ Connor asked as he glided up beside her.
Tentatively she lowered her legs to see if she could touch the ground, sinking a little before finding purchase. ‘I’m fine, but I think I’d like to head back to the hotel.’
Connor shook his head and droplets of water sprayed in the air. ‘You really don’t.’
If she was standing on solid ground, she’d have put her hands on her hips, but with only the tops of her shoulders and head showing above the water the gesture would be totally lost. ‘Yes, I really do.’
Connor shrugged. ‘You just think you do. Take a look around,’ he lifted his arm in a wide sweeping arc. ‘This is Mother Nature at her finest. A natural spring in the middle of nothing but sun baked soil. You travelled halfway around the world for adventure. This is adventure, not staying in an impersonal hotel in the city. Getting on a stop-and-go tourist bus with a bunch of strangers isn’t fun.’
His impassioned speech surprised her. There was nothing remotely country about the way Connor spoke or acted. His speech inflection was completely different to what she’d heard from the locals when she’d been in the bar on her first night.
She braced herself, as best she could in the soft soil on the bottom of the spring, as Connor moved slowly toward her. ‘I’m sorry about kissing you. If I promise not to do it again, will you let me continue with my plans for the day?’
It should’ve made her happy that he was taking responsibility for the kiss, but she was with him every step of the way. She’d wanted it as much as he did. As for continuing the day, she could let him continue with his idea to show her the finer points of country living. It wasn’t like he’d succeed in changing her mind. Her fear of letting herself believe he wouldn’t let her down, like so many others had, would ensure she maintained her desire to return to Sydney. ‘Sure, I suppose I can do that, but I’m also pretty certain that come tomorrow night I’ll be sipping a cocktail in a city bar.’
He grinned, the whites of his teeth shining in the sunlight. ‘We shall see.’
***
An hour later Diana’s belly was full and if she closed her eyes she had no doubt she’d drop off to sleep. After their swim, they’d returned to the blanket and Connor proceeded to unpack a mountain of food.
‘I don’t think I can move,’ she moaned, and her eyes drifted shut, unable to keep them open any longer. Sleep was within reach.
‘Come on sleepy-head, it’s time to get going.’
Of course he’d be full of energy while she felt like a sloth. ‘I’m not moving anywhere.’
‘No can do, princess, you promised you’d let me continue on my keep-Diana-in-Ghost-Gum-Springs tour.’
‘Such a silly idea for a tour. It should be stay-at-spring-for-rest-of-day tour.’
He chuckled and with her eyes shut, her sense of hearing intensified the sound, causing ripples of pleasure to flow through her. The sound of his laughter was something she found herself wanting to hear more and more.
‘How about another swim before we go?’ he asked as a shadow fell over her.
‘You’re blocking my sun, and if I swam now I’d likely sink after all the food you made me eat.’
‘Oh no, I’m not taking the blame for you enjoying some of Beryl’s tasty treats, that’s all on you.’
Enjoying the light banter was making this day better and better, but she still wondered why Connor was trying awfully hard to convince her to stay. ‘Why is it so important that I stay here instead of going back to Sydney?’
Connor crouched down front of her. He flicked his sunglasses up so his blue eyes blazed brightly. ‘Because no one should spend Christmas by themselves.’
Well, shoot, how can anyone resist a man when he says that to you?
Her breath whooshed out of her and her gaze flicked from his eyes to his plump lips. Lips that a little while ago had been glued to hers. Her tongue darted out to moisten her dry ones. With her eyes trained on his lips, she saw him swallow. Drawing on the need to taste Connor again she leaned toward him. For a fraction of a second he copied her action before jolting upright as if he’d been stung by a bee.
‘Nope.’ He took a couple of steps back and she battled down the rejection building in her. ‘I promised I wasn’t going to kiss you. No matter how much I may want to.’
Oh, the promise he’d made was the reason he pulled away, not that he didn’t want her. Which was such a silly thought considering she’d witnessed how affected he was by her closeness. ‘Right. Okay.’ Standing she brushed herself down. ‘Well, let’s get going then.’
An awkward tension had sprung up between them. An awkwardness that was new and she found she didn’t like it. She’d rather go back to the light-hearted banter they’d been sharing. What she really wanted was to be wrapped up in his arms, kissing him senseless again. How silly was that when she’d been fighting her growing attraction to him not too long ago?
The sooner she got back to Sydney the better she’d be. Or would she?
***
Connor tapped his finger on the steering wheel as he drove them to the next destination. It had been so hard to resist capturing her mouth with his when she’d leaned toward him on the blanket. But he was a man of his word and he promised he wouldn’t kiss her.
‘Where are we headed now?’
‘If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise.’ He glanced over in time to see her roll her eyes. Over the course of the day he’d observed Diana fight an inner battle with herself. If she was laughing or enjoying herself she pulled herself back and shut down her smile. As though she’d been mentally slapped down for having a good time.
What had happened to her in her past that prevented her from letting her hair down and enjoying life?
In all the time they’d been together, whenever he broached the subject of her family she shut him down quickly, and as much as he wanted to question her now, he didn’t want to spoil what was left of their day together. He had to convince her to stay. He’d meant it when he’d said no one should spend Christmas by themselves. It also could be because this was the first year he wasn’t spending Christmas surrounded by family that was pushing him so hard to have her stay. Then again, he had the Ghost Gum Springs townsfolk to spend the day with, but they weren’t Diana. They didn’t make his world seem brighter.
Lost in his thoughts he almost missed the turn off to the lookout. It wasn’t an official lookout but one Reg, the town solicitor, had mentioned to him in passing.
‘You really like taking me on rough roads, don’t you?’ Grumbled Diana as, once again, his SUV traversed the potholes and small rocks on the road.
‘I’m giving you the full outback experience, love,’ he laid on a thick Australian accent.
Diana groaned. ‘Don’t give up your day job to go into voiceover work. That was the worst accent I’ve ever heard.’
‘And since when did you become an aficionado on Australian accents?’ he asked grinning, glad they were back to the joking from earlier in the day.
‘Well I can definitely tell you haven’t been in the outback long. Your accent is more cultured than say Fred’s or some of the other people I’ve heard in the bar. Plus, Cindy said you’d only been here since November, remember.’
‘Busted.’
‘Yep, you can’t fool this girl.’
Connor turned a corner and pulled to a stop in a large clearing. ‘We’re here.’
Diana’s brow furrowed as she studied the landscape beyond the windscreen. ‘Okay, what’s so special about this place?’
‘Just you wait and see. I have it on good authority that you are going to be blown away by it.’
‘Hmm, we’ll see.’
Damn, she was a tough nut to crack. Her determination to stick to her guns and head back to Sydney was admirable. While he’d be disappointed if she asked him to take her to Sydney tomorrow, he wouldn’t renege. He’d given her his word and what sort of man was he if he went back on it.
Connor unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door and got out, moving around to her side in time for her door to swing open. He jumped back so he didn’t get slammed with the hunk of metal. ‘You know your way back do you?’ he asked as he held out his hand to her.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked as she placed her hand in his, with no argument. He considered it a small victory.
‘You practically took me out when you opened the door. I was trying to be a gentleman and get to your door first so I could open it for you.’
She rolled her eyes again, a habit he normally thought cute, but in this instance, it was a little annoying. ‘I’m quite capable of opening my own door, you know.’
‘Never said you weren’t.’ He shouldn’t be upset at the way she constantly fought him on every little thing. Hell, she’d travelled to Australia by herself, if that wasn’t a sign of an independent woman, then he had no idea what was.
He stumbled as she tugged at his hand. Connor turned to face her. Diana stood inches from him, her lips taunting and tempting him. ‘I’m sorry, Connor. I’m being a bit prickly aren’t I when all you’re trying to do is show me what I came to Australia for.’
It took everything in him not to pull her close for a hug. If he succumbed to the urge he wouldn’t stop at hugging. He’d have to kiss her again, and while he had a suspicion she wouldn’t mind it. Their next kiss would definitely be one she instigated. ‘Yes, you are.’
They stood for a few quiet moments, both looking into each other’s eyes, as though they were both trying to figure out what the other was thinking. He knew what he was thinking: how much he wanted to keep her smiling. Shadows hid within her. Shadows that prevented her from embracing life to its fullest. He hoped, before she left, he could get rid of some of those shadows. If only she’d let him try.