Emergency Response (14 page)

Nathan nodded. “So, do you feel like a swim?”

“Are you serious? We can swim in there?”

He nodded, bending over to untie his shoes. “Absolutely!”

“But is it safe?” She was scared to see what was on the other side of the drop-off.

“Perfectly safe.”

“No crocodiles.”

“Definitely no crocodiles. At least not at this time of year.”

He’d already taken off his shoes and socks and was now removing his shirt, lifting it up over his head. Mackenzie took in his tanned and muscled shape. She was happy to note no tattoos marred his perfectly toned torso. A thin strip of dark hair traveled downwards from his navel, and her eyes followed the path until the leather belt on his low hung shorts stopped it. As he undid the belt and unthreaded it through the belt loops, her breath caught in her throat. Was he going to strip off completely? She glanced away as she heard his belt and shorts fall to the ground. Next thing she heard was a loud splash and he was gone. For seconds the only sound was the lapping of water on the edges of the pool and then his head burst through the crystal water. He shook his head like a puppy, spraying water everywhere. She laughed aloud at the child-like look on his face.

“Are you coming in?”

“I didn’t bring anything to swim in.” She indicated her shorts and T-shirt. “I don’t like the idea of trekking back to the car in wet clothes.”

“Take them off then.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that!”

“No one’s going to see you up here, Mackenzie, we’re totally alone.”

“But you’ll see me!”

“I’ll close my eyes, I promise. Scout’s honor,” he said with a cheeky grin, which told her he was definitely lying. His next words confirmed her suspicions. “Except maybe when I take a little peek to check out that butterfly you mentioned!”

Mackenzie’s heart fluttered.

Nathan’s eyes darkened the longer he stared at her. All of a sudden she knew. He was every bit as interested in her as she was in him. Even so, she hesitated. Was she brave enough to strip to her underwear in front of him? It was years since a man had seen her near-naked and it wasn’t as though she had the perfect figure to be modeling swimsuits.

He swam away from her, facing the drop-off, and she made a split-second decision. The water looked incredible and she really did need to cool off. She undid the button on her shorts while he wasn’t watching and let them drop to her feet. Stepping out of them, she took a few cautious steps toward the pool. Her feet burned from the heat coming from the rocks.

“Is it cold?” she called out, bending forward and tugging at the bottom of her T-shirt so it covered the top of her thighs.

“Freezing,” he said, turning back around and grinning at her. “That’s why you’ve just gotta jump in. Once you’re in, it’s incredible. I promise.”

She took another step across the hot rocks and dipped one toe in the water. He flicked water toward her and she squealed when it met her bare legs.

“Come on!” he teased, splashing her with water again. “Chicken!”

She began crossing her arms in front of her body as a form of self-protection and then stopped. What was the point in hiding? All of a sudden she didn’t care anymore and something within her broke. It was time to feel comfortable in her own body. Throwing caution to the wind, she pulled her T-shirt over her head and stood for a second in her mismatched bra and undies. Then, before she changed her mind, she jumped into the water. The icy cold stunned her and she made it back to the surface, gasping in shock.

“It’s freezing!”

“I told you it was!”

With solid strokes Nathan swam toward where the water plunged over the edge of the pool down the cliff face.

“Come over here. It’s warmer here where it’s shallow.”

Mackenzie swam after him and noticed the depth of the water change dramatically. The closer she got to the edge, the warmer the water. Nathan lay on his stomach looking over the edge. The water was barely deep enough to cover his body.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Mackenzie was still a meter away from the edge.

“Perfectly safe. Come closer and see.”

Mackenzie pulled herself toward him on her stomach, feeling the smooth rocks sliding beneath her bare skin. When she got to the edge of the pool her breath caught in her throat. Before her was a drop-off down the sheer cliff face. Their little water hole was at the very top of the cliff and as they moved, water cascaded gently down the cliff.

“It’s like we’re at the top of a waterfall,” she exclaimed.

“We are.”

“Where does the water come from to keep this pool filled?”

“Some sort of underground spring. And of course with all the rain we had yesterday, the pool fills up, so it’s really deep at one end where we jumped in.”

“It’s amazing,” Mackenzie said with a sigh of pleasure.

They swam for a while and then lay on their stomachs back in the warm shallow water, surveying the uninterrupted views. Mackenzie couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed.

“It doesn’t look like a moth to me,” Nathan said quietly. His voice startled her, bringing her back to reality.

He had moved closer to her and his warm breath fluttered across her back. When his fingers reached out to trace the outline of the tattoo on her shoulder she trembled.

“You’re only saying that to be nice.”

He murmured something but she didn’t catch what he said. Instead, he moved back into the deeper water. When he held out his hand to her, it felt the most natural thing in the world to follow him. He was like a magnet, drawing her close. He was so tall he was able to touch the bottom of the pool but she had to tread water as she got nearer him in the deeper water. He opened his arms and she swam to him. His arms slid around her waist, pulling her close. When he lifted her up, her legs automatically wrapped around his bare waist, buoyed by the water. Without thinking, she slid her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together to hold on. His hands lingered on her skin, lightly caressing her lower back, making her shiver with unexpected need.

“Relax,” he whispered in her ear. His voice was suddenly deep and husky.

“It’s a bit hard to relax with the way you’re holding me, and you know it,” she replied softly.

For a brief moment they stared into each other’s eyes and then, before she even had time to attempt another breath, he kissed her, his lips moist and warm against hers. It was a gentle kiss, full of intimacy and promise and without hesitation she parted her mouth and kissed him in return, her mind exploding with the sound of cheers and whistles. His hands trailed up her back and she felt the urgency of his mouth against hers, tasting the sweetness of his kiss. Time stopped.

When they finally broke apart to breathe they stared at one another – eyes wide – both as stunned as the other at what had just happened. Their ragged breaths filled the silence and neither spoke, not wanting to be first to break the moment. A lingering question hung in the air between them. Mackenzie’s legs remained locked around his waist. She felt and saw the rapid rise and fall of his chest knowing hers matched his, their bodies moving in sync with each other.

She moved first, pushing away from him. She had to tread water again. She refused to look at him, overcome with awareness of their skin to skin contact and first kiss. She ducked under the water and when she came back up she smoothed her hair back and snuck a glance at him. She watched him swallow, ready to say something, before he closed the distance between them, swimming toward her and pulling her into the shallow waters. Lifting his hand he touched her face, brushing her dark wet hair away from her eyes and tucking one strand behind her ear. Her breath caught in her throat at the intimacy of his touch.

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Mackenzie stiffened. Her heart plummeted into her stomach as her dream screeched to a halt at the bottom of the dip.
What?
She was confused. He’d just kissed her and now he was
sorry
? She bit her bottom lip in defeat, feeling the pain of her teeth digging in, almost drawing blood.
I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.
Why had she even thought he’d be interested in someone like her?

“That’s okay. No need to be sorry. No big deal,” she lied, trying desperately not to cry as disappointment swelled. “We were just overcome by the moment.”

She swam away from him and rested her arms on the edge of the rocks, staring into space as she gathered her emotions which had scattered like autumn leaves into the wind. She drew in a shaky breath. She was not going to let him see how hurt she was.

“I’m not sorry I kissed you, Kenz.”

The intimate way he said her name sent a shiver tearing down her spine. She snapped her head around to stare at him, meeting his gaze steadily. She liked the way the shortened version of her name sounded on his lips and was glad he never called her Mack.

“Why are you sorry then?” she challenged. She was shaking like a leaf. She folded her arms across her chest, trying to warm herself.

This time when he held out his arms to her she didn’t go to him, and in two strokes he was by her side again. His face was serious, brown eyes burning with something she didn’t recognize.

“I’m sorry I had to
stop
.”

Her heart started pounding in her ears again as the blood rushed to her head.

He gently squeezed her shoulder, his fingers tightening and then easing off before he ran his hand down her arm to her elbow. “And I’m also sorry I didn’t ask you first. It was arrogant of me to assume you wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss you.”

Heat swept through her body and her temperature rose, even in the icy water. She was back on top of the rollercoaster. They stared at each other as the tension wrapped around them again. Nathan exhaled in a rush, as though he’d made some sort of decision and now had an important announcement to make. Instead of speaking he cupped her face with his hand, running his thumb lightly over her cheek while his eyes searched hers.

A slow fluttering started somewhere low in Mackenzie’s abdomen at the way he was staring at her. She saw the desire in his eyes. Instantly she knew. He wanted to kiss her again and everything within her wanted to feel his lips on hers again. Beneath the water they clasped hands, entwining their fingers. She swallowed, trying to move the lump still lodged in her throat. When she breathed out, the first word on her lips was his name.

“Nath—”

He pulled her back toward him and she went willingly. When he leaned in to kiss her again, she responded without hesitation. This time their kiss lingered and his hands ran up her back until his fingers snagged in her wet hair at the nape of her neck. Mackenzie closed her eyes, savoring the softness of his lips against hers and the feel of his hand as it inched its way up her neck, pulling her closer as their kiss deepened. He was kissing her like a man desperate for water and she responded, hungrily.

As long as she could remember, she had wanted to be kissed this way and now her dream was fulfilled.

They swam for another half an hour, cooling off as the sun dipped toward the horizon. Neither of them mentioned the kiss again, but rather than it leaving a sense of awkwardness between them, it made Mackenzie feel even more comfortable in his presence. When he decided it was time to head back she climbed out of the pool and got dressed, not feeling her usual self-consciousness at her figure or her un-matched underwear. Nathan didn’t seem to care, so why should she?

Back at their campsite, Nathan built a small fire and cooked kangaroo steaks on a small frypan over hot coals. It was the first time Mackenzie had tasted the meat. She had expected it to gamey and tough and was amazed by how tender it was. After dinner she leaned back, her body weight supported on her elbows, and admired Nathan’s backside as she followed his movements around the campsite. He tidied things up while she stayed where she was, watching the fire snap and pop in front of her.

“I’ve never camped out before,” she said as he set up their separate swags side by side on the hard dirt. She tried not to picture herself sleeping in the same swag as him, but failed miserably.

“Think of it as five-star sleeping,” he said.

“But what if a snake or something crawls over me while I’m asleep?”

“You’ll be fine. These swags have a cover that zips over the top of you like this.” He demonstrated.

“I hope I’m not claustrophobic.”

“After such a big day I reckon you’ll fall into a dreamless sleep immediately.”

Don’t be so sure
.
I’m likely to fall asleep and dream about
you
all night.

After everything was organized, they settled into easy conversation, sitting side by side, legs outstretched and thighs touching, in front of the fire. For such a remote location, it was surprisingly noisy. Nathan draped his arm across Mackenzie’s shoulder and she marveled at the way she fitted beside him as though it was perfectly natural and they’d been doing it that way for years.

As the sun set in a blaze of color in the western sky, a cool breeze picked up and she snuggled deeper into his side to stay warm. She could get used to this. When he pulled a packet of marshmallows from his backpack, she decided right then that he
was
the perfect man.

“I’ve never seen you this relaxed before,” he said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever
been
this relaxed in my whole life.” She wished she could see his face properly in the inky darkness. “And I have you to thank for that.” She found his hand, squeezing it. “Today has been incredible. Thank you so much for bringing me up here. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Nathan returned the touch, not letting go, and for the next few minutes his thumb lazily caressed circles across the back of her hand.

“Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are, Mackenzie?”

The question came from nowhere, causing her heart to leap into her throat. She swallowed uncomfortably. “Um, no.”

“Not your dad? A boyfriend …?”

Mackenzie wasn’t ready for how deep their conversation had gone. She hesitated before answering. “I’ve had a few relationships, but nothing serious. I went out with one guy for almost six months but it was long distance so it was never going to work.” She pushed her hair back from her face. “How about you? You must get sick of hearing all the girls tell you how good-looking you are.”

He laughed. “You make it sound like I’ve had dozens of women.”

“Well, have you?”

“I dated a few girls when I lived in the UK,” he said with a chuckle.

“At once?”

“Of course not!”

“I was joking,” Mackenzie said.

They both laughed. In the silence the fire popped loudly and the logs settled into a different position. Mackenzie stared up at the stars in the moon-washed ceiling. There wasn’t a cloud in sight.

“So you’ve gone out with a few girls. Anyone long term?” She needed to know.

“I had one relationship that looked like it might have gotten serious but she had no intention of ever leaving her family in England and I had no intention of staying away from Australia forever. In the end, we agreed it wasn’t going to work. Like you, I don’t believe long-distance relationships can work.”

“What was her name?”

After a slight pause, he answered softly. “Ellie.”

The wistful way he said her name had Mackenzie’s mind racing in all the wrong directions. Maybe Charlotte was right. Whoever Ellie was, perhaps she had broken his heart, or maybe he was still in love with her.

“I bet the women over there hung off you. Tall, dark, handsome Aussie bloke. I bet you were never stuck for a date. So, how many girlfriends have you had?”

“Why do women want to know that sort of thing?” he asked, sounding perplexed.

Mackenzie shrugged, then remembered he couldn’t see her in the dark. “Oh, I don’t know.”

There was a long silence between them. Nathan got up and threw another log onto the dying embers. Sparks flew upward and disappeared into the darkness.

“So Kenz, tell me about you. Start with why
you’re
still single.”

“I guess for the same reason as you. I’m still waiting for the right person.” She exhaled. “The problem is, I’m thirty-five and the good old biological clock is ticking so loudly I think it puts lots of guys off. They assume I just want to go out with them just so I can sleep with them to fall pregnant. And that couldn’t be further from the truth!”

“You don’t want kids?” He sounded surprised.

“I desperately want kids, but I’m not going to have sex with anyone just so I can have a baby.”

“So who’s putting pressure on you to have babies?”

She sighed. “My family, especially my father. He can’t wait to have all his daughters married and off his hands. It’s not easy being the only single one left, especially when I’m the oldest and all my sisters are married and having kids.” She snickered. “You watch. I’ll probably end up as that crazy old aunt with a dozen cats!”

Nathan’s laugh filled the night.

“I just want to meet someone who loves me unconditionally for who I am. If that’s too high of an expectation, then I guess I’ll never end up married.”

“Sounds like we’re both looking for the same thing in a partner,” he said softly.

Something moved inside her heart. It wasn’t the first time he’d said that.

“It’s not a crime to be our age and not married with kids you know.”

Mackenzie sighed. “I know, but—”

“No buts.” In the dark he found her hand again and squeezed it tightly. “We’re both looking for the same thing and maybe it’s staring us both in the face.”

Mackenzie’s heart stopped. She drew in her breath sharply. What did he mean?

“Do you have any idea how attractive I find you, Mackenzie?”

She felt heat rush to her cheeks and was glad it was dark. “Um, I think so.”

Nathan chuckled. “You
think
so? Wasn’t that kiss in the pool today enough?”

The fluttering started again deep in her belly. “I guess.”

“Does that mean I need to prove it to you again?” His voice was low and husky.

Mackenzie giggled. “Maybe,” she drawled.

“Before I kiss you again, can I say something else?”

“Sure.”

Right now he could say whatever he wanted.

“I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with you, Mackenzie Jones.”

That was
not
what she was expecting to hear.

He leaned over and his lips brushed hers in a tender kiss full of promise and hope.