Blake leaned in the shearing cradle as he worked. The device saved his back to a certain degree, although at the end of the day his body ached from being bent over for such a long time. After four days, his pain had become more obvious. She had smoothed a muscle rub on his back last night before he fell asleep. Having her hands on his skin fired up her desire again, but she had tucked Blake into bed on his own as the soft snores came from his mouth. They could catch up when shearing was over.
She’d eyed his body as he labored over the sheep. His torso was bare and sweat eased from his pores, leaving a wet sheen over his tanned skin. No wonder the man didn’t have an inch of fat on his frame when he did this kind of work.
* * *
The final day of shearing arrived, and the sun rose bright and early. Del rolled over in her bed, the aches and bruises on her shins and sore shoulders from the sheds making her wince. Forcing herself out of bed, she rested her feet on the floor while her head caught up with her body. Bruises showed on her shins and she ran a finger across the largest one darkening her skin. Such a long way from her old life in Sydney. At home she would have been lathering moisturizer over her skin and avoiding the sun at all costs. Bruises were not something she would have had. She smiled. Things were good and she was in a happy place for most of it. Still she had the studio to sort out and if that went well, she could get the secrets out and see where that left them.
Del padded into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her normally pale skin was now sporting a soft tan and she looked healthy and happy. The country air was doing her good. Bright eyes and a warm glow to her skin, she was sure it was more than the fresh air doing it for her too. It was the man sleeping soundly in the lonely bed down the hallway who gave her the relaxed satisfied glow…to say nothing about the glint in her eyes.
Footsteps pounding down the hallway made her hurry and brush her teeth. A soft tapping sounded on her door and she opened it. Lilly stood there in her pyjamas, her face sad. “I can’t wake Daddy up.”
Delilah’s heart stopped in her chest. “No.” Brushing past Lilly, she ran down the hallway, through the bedroom door, and launched herself onto the bed. Blake lay on his back, eyes closed and deathly still. She grabbed his face in her hands and put her ear to his mouth, listening to see if he was breathing. A sob rose in her throat as she struggled to find any sign of life.
A wet tongue poked in her ear and she screamed loudly, pulling back. Hands grabbed her and pulled her back down, wrapping around her waist as the tongue trailed around her chin.
“Shh, Del. You’ll wake everyone up.” His voice was smoky and rough, as though he had just woken from a deep sleep. “Snuggle down with me for a minute.” Blake pulled her head down on the pillow and brushed the hair from her face. “Just relax for a minute, will you?”
“But…but Lilly said…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“And…and I…”
“I heard her. I’m exhausted, and I couldn’t pull myself out of sleep when she walked in. I didn’t even realize it was her until I heard the knocking on your door telling you she couldn’t wake me.” He kissed the side of her neck. “Sorry. I would never do that deliberately to you. I’m just exhausted. It’s been a hard few days.”
“Blake, I was scared to death.” She snuggled into his chest and smiled when Lilly sidled up to the bed, an anxious look on her face. “He’s okay, honey. Just really, really tired.”
“Okay.” Lilly nodded and walked out.
The little girl’s feet pattered on the hallway floor as she headed back into her own room. Del could just about guarantee she would soon be sitting on the carpet with her favorite books surrounding her. Blake ran his hand down her back, scrunching up the sheer nightgown in his fingers. He slipped his hand under the fabric and rubbed her back before cupping her butt and holding her tight. “I like you in my bed. You should make a habit of it. If this is all it takes…”
“Stop it. I don’t think that would be right, do you? Not around the children just yet anyway.” She heard a grunt and smiled into his neck.
“We can sort this out once and for all when all these guys are out of here—make no mistake about that, Delilah. You have had plenty of chances to figure out if you want to be with me and judging by your reaction, I think we both know the answer to that one.” He kissed her hair. “Fancy slipping under the blankets with me now for a quick cuddle? I’m sure we have time.”
“I have to get breakfast ready. The men will be banging on the door for food before we know it. Last thing they need to see is no breakfast on the table. Imagine what Bluey will say about that.”
“You know I can make it
