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She glanced up at him. Why was he looking at her like that?
“Stop it,” he said gently.
“Stop what?” What was he going on about?
“Stop blaming yourself for all of this.” He put a hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact made her gasp quietly. “You’re the type of person who takes all that responsibility on your shoulders. You’re letting the guilt eat you up inside.”
“I am?” she asked, surprised. Not surprised that he thought she was that type of person, but surprised he’d been perceptive enough to see it.
“You are. I know because of what you told me about your brother. The way you acted with him.”
Oh. She’d almost forgotten she’d told him that story.
“You’re sweet and ingenious. Perhaps a little too trusting, and way too liable to shoulder other people’s burdens.”
“I am?” she asked again, unable to come up with any other response. Here was the Mack other people rarely ever saw. The insightful, smart guy, full of empathy. It made her want to cross those last few inches separating them and lean against his chest. Feel his heart beating beneath her ear and absorb some of his strength.
“Yes.” He ducked his head so he could look directly into her eyes. “You’ve just been through two extremely scary accidents in the past week. But yet you continue on like the trooper that you are. As if nothing is wrong.”
“I do?” Bindi knew she was starting to sound lame, but his words struck a chord deep inside. He was right. She stared up at his handsome face, unable to form any words. His tawny eyes reminded her of a tiger at rest, watching over his domain, all noble and chivalrous, but with a light of danger in their depths.
When he pulled her to his chest, she didn’t resist. The need to soak some of his proffered empathy, imbue herself with some of his confidence, was too great. She lay her cheek against his shoulder, put her arm around his waist and just leaned into him. His arm wrapped around the small of her shoulders and she shivered at the safety she felt within his embrace.
“We’ve been through some heavy shit this past week, you and I,” he said softly. “It doesn’t make you weak or soft if you need to take a few minutes to process it all. Speaking from experience, it’s better not to keep it all bottled inside.”
What the hell? It was almost like he was telling her it was okay if she wanted to cry on his shoulder. And to be honest, a lump was forming in her throat at his words. He was right, the past week had been a shock to her system. It was nice that he took the time to acknowledge her situation, but she wasn’t about to break down in front of him. It was enough to let him hold her for a few minutes; his touch a balm to her soul.
“You know what I just discovered?” he said, conversationally, his deep voice rumbling through his chest and into her ear. She shook her head. “Steve and Dean are quite alike in a lot of ways. They both value their staff highly—see them as part of the family—and would do just about anything to keep them happy and safe. I admire Steve for getting on top of this so quickly. I have to admit, at first, I was a little surprised that he agreed so readily to Aaron’s proposal of upping security.” He drew in a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is that Steve would’ve done the same for any of his other staff or friends. He cares about you. And remember, he’s doing this to protect his own, as much as you.”
As he spoke, his hand moved to the slope of her neck, gently stroking the skin just below her collar. His fingers shifted under her hair, his slow, soothing strokes tormentingly sweet, sending goose bumps down her spine. It made her go suddenly weak at the knees, and she slumped a little more against him. A hazy heat slid through her veins, settling between her legs. Holy…how could he do this to her with a simple touch?
“You think so?” she asked, pulling back slightly, so he had to remove his hand from inside her collar. She was both relieved and aggrieved at the loss of his touch.
“I know so,” he replied, looking down into her face. His light-caramel-colored eyes locked onto hers.
“Bindi, where are you?” Skylar’s voice drifted down the hallway.
Their gentle moment was shattered. Had he been going to kiss her? Did she want him to kiss her? Good thing she didn’t need to answer that, as they heard Skylar’s footsteps on the slate floor outside.
Bindi pulled away just as Skylar rounded through the door. “Oh good, you’re here. I need your help. Daniella has gone completely crazy, and she’s trying to tell me we need to order more champagne. She wants me to get six more cases. Come and help me talk some sense into her, will you please?” Skylar was flustered enough not to notice Bindi’s own agitation as she straightened her shirt. “Oh, hi, Mack,” Skylar added absentmindedly.
“Let’s go,” Bindi said, practically pushing Skylar out the door, before she had time to put her devious mind to wondering what she and Mack had been up to, alone in the boardroom.
* * *
Dean threw back his head and laughed so hard, Bindi thought he might fall off his chair. The Stormcloud group had finished their late meal and was now sitting around the comfy chairs on the veranda, enjoying an after-dinner glass of sherry. Dean and Naomi were the center of conversation, everyone watching them with barely concealed fascination, as Dean regaled them with tales from Stargazer Ranch.
Bindi let her gaze wander between Daniella and Dean. There was a similarity to their features, something about the eyes, and the long, straight nose. But they were as different as chalk and cheese, personality wise. Dean was as charming and magnanimous as Mack had told her. His round face was always wreathed in a smile, and he had a kind word for everyone he met.
Now that Dean was here, Daniella had settled down and stopped her frantic and often ridiculous nagging, which had everyone else running on the spot. Her newfound calm was in part thanks to Naomi, whose cheerful, but serene demeanor was like a slick of oil over Daniella’s troubled waters. Naomi was a petite brunette, pretty, but Bindi detected an inner strength that belied her stature and her smile.
Bindi took another sip of the sherry, letting the warmth of the amber liquid settle in her chest. A full moon hung low over the escarpment, and the stars sparkled in the sky. It was a perfect night, and Bindi was feeling a soft glow of contentment. Her eyes found Mack, and he smiled at her. He was sitting on the opposite side of the group, centered in a semi-circle around Naomi and Dean. They couldn’t have picked a better night to arrive. The air was alive with the sounds of night animals, small plops and splashes from the direction of the billabong heralding a fish surfacing or a frog jumping for an insect.
She smothered a yawn just as Sasha stood up. “It was lovely to meet you,” she said. “But I’ve got an early start in the morning.” She picked up her empty glass.
“Lovely to meet you, too,” Dean and Naomi echoed together. “Goodnight.” They waved, but before Sasha could take two steps across the veranda, Alek was by her side.
“I’ll walk you back to the staff quarters, if you like?” He stood close, without touching, hesitantly waiting for Sasha to answer.
