Page 52 of Road to Rosalee

‘If you grab your swag,’ he said matter-of-factly, ‘I can help you set it up in the tray of the LandCruiser, if you like. You’ll probably feel safer up there, away from all the creepy crawlies.’

She went to say that’d be great when an image shimmied into her mind of her swag leaning up against the tree the LandCruiser had been parked beneath. A sucker punch of realisation had her sitting up straight. ‘Oh crap. With all my rushing about to get here, I forgot to chuck it in the back.’ She shook her head. ‘I feel like a bloody idiot.’

‘Hmm, no wuckers. We’ll just have to ad lib.’ A cheeky smile hinted on his shadowed face.

She tipped her head to the side, regarding him. ‘How so?’

‘You’ll have to crawl in with me, or risk dying of frostbite. Or snake bite.’

She shuddered at the thought. ‘All good. I’ll just crash in the LandCruiser.’ The butterflies he always roused inside of her had gone absolutely crazy.

‘Trust me, it gets real cold out here in the middle of the night. You’re going to want to snuggle up to keep yourself warm, seeing as you don’t have a swag to wrap around yourself.’ He gripped her gaze with his. ‘I promise I won’t bite.’ The sexy glint in his eyes spoke otherwise.

She bit her bottom lip to curb a quiver as she imagined him doing just that, on the very place she so liked to be nibbled at the back of her neck – not that he knew that. Or ever would. God help her if he ever found out – she’d be absolute putty in his big, strong hands. They remained silent, staring at one another. She frantically tried to find something, anything, to say, but they were saying so much without uttering a single word. Something flared in his gaze, and it had nothing to do with the fire reflecting within them. It had everything to do with the inferno of carnal tension gaining momentum between them. She inhaled sharply. Dragging her gaze from his and to the starry night sky once more, she silently asked her mum for a shot of fortitude because this boundary fence she’d mentally created was proving damn near impossible to stay on the right side of.

‘So, that’s a yes, I’m gathering,’ he finally said softly, now the men were back in camp and wandering about, getting their swags rolled out.

‘Mm-hmm,’ was all she could manage.

‘Nice,’ was all he said as he rose from his chair. ‘I’m going to go and freshen up. You should take the opportunity to as well. I’ll catch you back here for sleep time.’

‘Uh-huh.’ She allowed him to help her from the chair. ‘Sounds like a plan.’

She watched him wander one way, bathroom bag in hand, and then she went the other, making sure to stick close to camp in case she needed saving from some night creature, but far enough away to be hidden by the shadows as she stripped down, teeth chattering. Using her packet of wet wipes, she wiped herself down, pulled on her trackpants and matching long-sleeved top, glad for the warmth, then quickly brushed her teeth. Never again would she take a hot shower for granted. It took her all of ten minutes, but once she got back to the camp, now barely lit by the dwindling campfire, she found every man in his swag, including Zai. Hasselhoof and Tumbles were already waging a snoring war, Slim was out cold and Showbags was way too quiet to be awake.

‘Far out, talk about lights out,’ she whispered.

‘Yeah, they don’t take long. Everyone’s buggered by this time of the night.’ Propping himself up on his elbow, Zai flicked the blankets back, shifted over in his swag and patted beside him. ‘Now, come on, you. In you hop.’

She slid in beside him and he snuggled in behind her. ‘You’ll be surprised by just how well you sleep out here.’

Feeling cocooned within the all-in-one mattress and sleeping bag, she allowed herself to settle into him. And instead of racing, like it usually did, her heart took a long slow beat, followed by another – she felt so safe wrapped up against him. ‘I’ll take your word for it. And tell you if you’re right in the morning.’ She knew she was going to sleep like a log, wrapped up in this remarkable man’s arms.

‘Night, Sweet Melody.’

Her heart swelled. ‘Night, Zai.’

He rested his head down and she could feel his slow, warm breathing on the back of her neck, right where she loved to be nibbled and kissed. It sent a skittering of goosebumps all over her – she was glad for the clothes separating them, otherwise he would have felt the effect her was having on her right now. Feeling super sleepy, she closed her eyes and slipped into a trance where she and he floated amidst the stars above. And for the very first time since laying her eyes on this gorgeous man, she felt a piece of her heart slip and tumble into his before she even had a chance to stop it. And to top it all, for the very first time in all of her life, she finally had a glimpse of what true, soul-deep adoration should feel like, with a man who cherished her simply for being herself. Who was she kidding? She’d gone and fallen in love with him weeks ago. She just wished things were different, so she could tell him so. And then, allowing the feeling of this to sink deeper into her heart, she drifted and slipped into the deepest, most contented sleep she’d ever had, dreaming of a life where there were no barriers, no reasons not to let him see just how much she loved him. If only it was a place she could forever stay.

Chapter

15

Harsh beeping dragged Melody from her sound sleep. It took her a few moments to grasp where she was, and who she was snuggled up against. The realisation it was Zai buoyed her heart into the twinkling blanket of stars above – she wanted to stay in his arms forever. But duties, and reality, were calling. Groaning, she snaked a hand out from the warmth of the swag and turned her alarm off. It felt as if she’d just stuck her hand in a fridge. It was freezing – Zai wasn’t pulling her leg when he told her it got icy cold. The men were stirring from their slumbers too, grunts and groans coming from every direction, as did the sound of swags being yanked up and pulled in tight.

‘Bloody hell, it’s so cold, my nipples are going to roll off.’ Tumbles’s unmistakable voice travelled and was met with chuckles. Amidst the mirth, of course, there was a single grunt from Hasselhoof.

‘Your turn to get the campfire started, Tumbles.’ Slim’s baritone voice echoed through the pre-dawn silence.

‘Yeah, righto, you slave driver.’ Tumbles’s chattering teeth were followed by a loud yawn. ‘Then again, I reckon Showbags should step up and show us what he’s made of in the fire-starting department, the slackarse.’

‘Oi, buddy, I did it yesterday, remember?’ Showbags chimed back.

‘Would you lot shut up and let a man wake up in some peace and quiet for bloody once,’ Hasselhoof groused. ‘Anyone would think we’re at summer camp.’

‘It’s always lovely hearing your happy singsong voice in the morning, Hasselhoof,’ Showbags said, stirring again.

‘Get buggered, fart features,’ Hasselhoof retorted.