trotted over to the fence. He remembered Emma had called her Quest, and he rubbed her forehead and spoke her name softly.
It didn't take him long to get her into the stable and saddled up. It had been a year since he'd been on a horse, but the pull of solid muscle under his thighs felt good, and as he eased the horse into a gentle canter he felt the familiar pleasure of being one with such a powerful animal.
Tom placed a tray on the veranda table and sat down opposite Emma. She watched him pick up a sandwich and chew resolutely. He was methodical, dependable, twenty-seven years old to her thirty-one. Sometimes she envied him his conviction, his resolution of purpose. And sometimes she envied Mary her surety that her man would go to his grave still loving her.
Tom was Mary's anchor, her rock in a stormy sea, Emma mused. Then she thought of Drew. There was solidness and dependability in him, but for her he was the storm - wild and turbulent, buffeting her emotions, forcing her to flee from the needs she had long-ago buried.
Was it only twenty-four hours since she had sat in this very chair sharing coffee and sandwiches with him? So much had happened in such a short time.
Her world had been thrown into chaos by the events of the previous day. The crocodile attack had been the catalyst, she acknowledged. The realisation of how close she had come to being killed had been the final straw in a long year of tension and heartbreak.
Emma had tried to convince herself that it was the explosion of emotion that was to blame for the mind-shattering intensity of her reaction to Drew's lovemaking. But she knew it wasn't true.
She'd tried to deny the attraction between them. Tried to ignore her hunger for the warmth and tenderness Drew had shown to her. But his caring had finally broken down her barriers, allowing her to seize what she so desperately needed.
Waking in his arms this morning was pure delight. So much so that she had left his room as quickly as possible so she wouldn't give in to the compulsion to rouse him to her desire. Damn the man! He was becoming extremely difficult to resist. The sooner she could get him out of her life the better.
Drew reached the river at the same time the Land Cruiser started its slow journey back across the bridge. The floodwaters had retreated to just below the crossboards.
He reined in the mare, conscious of the knot of worry in his gut twisting a notch tighter. Now he knew Emma was safe, he was apprehensive as to what her reaction to him would be. He had a horrible suspicion his actions of the night before could have destroyed any hope of her listening to his viewpoint, or her explaining why she had acted as she did.
The Land Cruiser came to a halt. Emma stormed out of the cabin. 'Just what the hell do you think you're doing?'
'I was worried about you. I thought you'd be back before lunch if you'd managed to cross the river.' Drew's tone was deceptively soft.
'I'm talking about riding Quest! She's a thoroughbred. Breeding stock. Worth too much to have some amateur riding her.'
'I might not be jockey material, Emma, but I do have enough sense not to ride a horse like this unless I can handle her. And now that we've established you're perfectly safe and your temper has survived the night intact, I'll take Quest home.'
Drew wheeled the horse in a tight turn and dug his heels into her flanks. She surged forward, hoofs digging into the soft earth, powerful muscles responding to his command.
Blood rushed through Drew's veins as Quest galloped up the rise, and he let her have her head along the winding road.
By the time he reached the homestead he was caught up in the exhilaration of the ride. It had been a long time since he'd ridden a horse like that, and it brought back memories. Memories that were now good ones.
Emma stoked up her anger by imagining all the things that could go wrong with Quest on Drew's impassioned ride. Anger was easier for her to deal with than the
It didn't take him long to get her into the stable and saddled up. It had been a year since he'd been on a horse, but the pull of solid muscle under his thighs felt good, and as he eased the horse into a gentle canter he felt the familiar pleasure of being one with such a powerful animal.
Tom placed a tray on the veranda table and sat down opposite Emma. She watched him pick up a sandwich and chew resolutely. He was methodical, dependable, twenty-seven years old to her thirty-one. Sometimes she envied him his conviction, his resolution of purpose. And sometimes she envied Mary her surety that her man would go to his grave still loving her.
Tom was Mary's anchor, her rock in a stormy sea, Emma mused. Then she thought of Drew. There was solidness and dependability in him, but for her he was the storm - wild and turbulent, buffeting her emotions, forcing her to flee from the needs she had long-ago buried.
Was it only twenty-four hours since she had sat in this very chair sharing coffee and sandwiches with him? So much had happened in such a short time.
Her world had been thrown into chaos by the events of the previous day. The crocodile attack had been the catalyst, she acknowledged. The realisation of how close she had come to being killed had been the final straw in a long year of tension and heartbreak.
Emma had tried to convince herself that it was the explosion of emotion that was to blame for the mind-shattering intensity of her reaction to Drew's lovemaking. But she knew it wasn't true.
She'd tried to deny the attraction between them. Tried to ignore her hunger for the warmth and tenderness Drew had shown to her. But his caring had finally broken down her barriers, allowing her to seize what she so desperately needed.
Waking in his arms this morning was pure delight. So much so that she had left his room as quickly as possible so she wouldn't give in to the compulsion to rouse him to her desire. Damn the man! He was becoming extremely difficult to resist. The sooner she could get him out of her life the better.
Drew reached the river at the same time the Land Cruiser started its slow journey back across the bridge. The floodwaters had retreated to just below the crossboards.
He reined in the mare, conscious of the knot of worry in his gut twisting a notch tighter. Now he knew Emma was safe, he was apprehensive as to what her reaction to him would be. He had a horrible suspicion his actions of the night before could have destroyed any hope of her listening to his viewpoint, or her explaining why she had acted as she did.
The Land Cruiser came to a halt. Emma stormed out of the cabin. 'Just what the hell do you think you're doing?'
'I was worried about you. I thought you'd be back before lunch if you'd managed to cross the river.' Drew's tone was deceptively soft.
'I'm talking about riding Quest! She's a thoroughbred. Breeding stock. Worth too much to have some amateur riding her.'
'I might not be jockey material, Emma, but I do have enough sense not to ride a horse like this unless I can handle her. And now that we've established you're perfectly safe and your temper has survived the night intact, I'll take Quest home.'
Drew wheeled the horse in a tight turn and dug his heels into her flanks. She surged forward, hoofs digging into the soft earth, powerful muscles responding to his command.
Blood rushed through Drew's veins as Quest galloped up the rise, and he let her have her head along the winding road.
By the time he reached the homestead he was caught up in the exhilaration of the ride. It had been a long time since he'd ridden a horse like that, and it brought back memories. Memories that were now good ones.
Emma stoked up her anger by imagining all the things that could go wrong with Quest on Drew's impassioned ride. Anger was easier for her to deal with than the
Similar Books
