movement, he slid inside her, her body ready for him, so wet with desire. From the moment he moved, Payton felt herself dancing near the edge. This wasn’t a slow, easy seduction but a desperate attempt to possess each other.
She clutched at his shoulders, her mouth pressed against his throat. “Oh,” she cried. “Oh, yes.”
“Tell me you want it,” he said, his voice raw with passion.
“I do,” Payton said, her own desperation growing.
She felt her orgasm building, fueled by the almost violent nature of their bodies arching against each other. Every thrust became magnificent torture, pushing her closer to the edge and then drawing her back again. Payton let her mind drift, focusing on the spot where they were joined.
And then, she was there, her release shattering reality. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her and she felt him surrender to his own orgasm. He kept moving inside her until he couldn’t move anymore. Then Brody rolled onto his back, carrying her with him.
The entire encounter had only lasted a few minutes, but Payton had never experienced anything quite so powerful. She’d wanted him so much that her desire had overwhelmed all rational thought. He owned her body and he was quickly taking possession of her soul.
“We’re bad,” he whispered.
“I know,” Payton said. “I think it was the chaps.”
Brody laughed out loud, wrapping his arm around her neck and rolling her onto her side. He faced her, his hand lazily trailing through her hair. “So all I have to do to get you into bed is wear leather?”
“I think you already know the answer to that question.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“You just have to touch me,” Payton said softly. “That’s all it takes.”
He smiled boyishly, then stole another kiss. “I’ll remember that.” Pausing, he ran his finger along her jaw and met her gaze. “There is one thing. We haven’t been using protection, and at the shack you said—”
“It’s all right. There won’t be any surprises.”
“Good,” he said. “I mean, not that surprises are always bad, but I’m not sure we’re ready for that.”
Sam had been obsessed about birth control, insisting that Payton find a method that would protect them both without fail. They’d been engaged and they’d always planned to have children, so Payton wondered why he’d been so adamant. Sam had acted as if an unplanned pregnancy would’ve been a disaster. Why hadn’t she ever questioned him making such a decision about her body?
“Payton?”
She blinked, startled from her thoughts. What had brought Sam to mind? She hadn’t thought of him in…days.
Brody was staring at her, a frown on his face. “What’s wrong?”
Payton shook her head. “Nothing. We should probably get back outside. The boys will want their beers.”
Brody levered to his feet, then held out his hand. He patiently helped her dress, patting her backside once she was completely clothed again. But as he turned for the door, Payton noticed a purple mark on his neck.
“Oh, no,” she said, reaching up for his chin and tipping his head up. “Did I do that?”
“What?”
She laughed. “I think I gave you a hickey.”
“What’s that?” Brody asked.
She pulled him over to the mirror above his dresser and pointed to the spot on his neck.
“A love bite,” he said, examining it closely. “I haven’t had one of those since I was a teenager.”
“Sorry.”
He shrugged. “I like it. I like knowing I can make you do such things to me.”
She stared at his reflection in the mirror and smiled. “I think we’re both in trouble,” she said.
He nodded. “I think you might be right.”
“BRODY!”
They both turned to see a horse approaching at a fast gallop. Davey pulled the horse to a stop, nearly running into Brody. “What the hell are you about?” Brody shouted.
“Callum,” he said, gasping for breath.
“What’s wrong? Is he all right?”
“Yeah. Yeah, he’s fine. He needs you back at the house. Right now. He said just you, not Payton. Just you. He made that very clear.”
Brody frowned. “Well, I’m not going to leave Payton out here on her own,” he said.
“No, I’m to help her out,” Davey said. “Go ahead. I’ll carry on.”
Brody regarded the young kid suspiciously. Why was it so important for Payton to stay behind? What the hell was Callum up to? He maneuvered his horse next to Payton’s, then reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Brody leaned over and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Don’t let Davey boss you around.”
She smiled. “I won’t. I’ll see you later.”
Brody kicked his horse into a gallop and headed toward the house. This had damn well better be an emergency. The ride back to the homestead was almost fifteen minutes. As he rode, Brody’s thoughts rewound over the past few days. He and Payton had settled into a life of sorts.
She’d managed to charm Davey into working the stables for the day while she worked the station with Brody. They enjoyed the long ride together and Payton had been fascinated with discovering new plants and animals in the outback. She’d nearly fallen off her horse when she’d spotted her first kangaroo.
He liked having her with him, and Callum hadn’t seemed to mind that they’d paired up. After greasing two of the windmills, they’d eaten some lunch, then set off to ride the fence lines. Payton had quickly learned how to handle herself on a stock pony, eagerly taking tips from Brody when he offered.
Still, her fascination with station life worried him. Was she happy here or was she just avoiding her real life with Sam Whitman? He needed answers, yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask the question. Was she married? And if she was, did it make a difference anymore? He wasn’t sure that it did for him. Not now.
Brody had been considering his options, specifically another surgery on his knee. He was still covered under the team’s insurance and he really didn’t have anything to lose, except a month or two off his feet and at least a year spent in rehab. He cursed softly. The more time he spent with Payton, the more confused he became about his future.
He’d always trusted his gut instinct when it came to any decision, and his gut had never steered him wrong—until the accident. The rain had made the roads slick and he’d already been late for practice, caught up in an argument with Nessa. He hadn’t been paying attention and had taken a turn far too fast. As he went down, his only thought had been that he ought to have trusted his gut and taken the Land Rover to work.
Right now, every instinct told him that Payton belonged in his life, that he should to do everything in his power to keep her there. So why couldn’t he just say that to her? Why couldn’t he tell her how he felt? Brody had never doubted himself until now. Maybe his feelings weren’t as strong as they seemed. Or maybe, this was something more than just infatuation.
As he rode past the horse paddock and into the yard, he saw Callum standing on the back porch, pacing nervously. He waited for Brody to come to a stop before jogging down the steps. Brody hopped off, gathering the reins in his hand.
“Come on,” Callum murmured.
“What’s up?”
“Teague is in the house. There’s a private investigator