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The windows were wound down, having finally outrun the storm, but the breeze was stifling. Bush surrounded them on either side of the highway. Forests filled with towering gum trees and hardy bushes seemed to envelop them despite being a few metres away from the road. Long, dry grass edged both sides of the asphalt strip, cutting an almost straight line through the bushland. It made for boring scenery when repeated for hours on end, so it was a good thing that Cole and Bryce didn’t seem to mind her staring at them.
The traffic was heavy too, travelling slower than the speed limit. Ava groaned and shifted, sliding down the seat a little more, and Cole shot her a look.
“Sit still, will you?” he groused.
Ava huffed and shuffled up the seat again. “I can’t. I need to get out and walk around. I can’t sit still for this long.”
“Take this exit, Cole. I’ve had enough of this big sook,” Bryce directed Cole and playfully poked Ava in the ribs, his fingertips lingering as he brushed them down her waist to her hip. “Let’s stop for a bite to eat and go for a swim before we get back on the road.”
Cole indicated, changed lanes, and took the exit, heading toward a village Ava had never heard of. But it didn’t take long to see signs of life. The trees cleared, and a cattle farm appeared on one side of the road, while on the other, rows and rows of crops thrived. Fields of different coloured leaves, separated by a dirt track wide enough for a tractor stretched down into a valley and beyond.
They drove on, through lush undulating landscapes and up a rise. They crested it, and for a moment, Ava was speechless. The Pacific Ocean stretched before them, a rich blue twinkling in the early afternoon sun, the perfectly formed waves like corrugations on iron. To their left—north of them—lay the mouth of a river, a small delta forming between the sandbanks. Deeper channels snaked through in places, the colour of the water varying between the aqua of shallow waters on white sandy beaches and a deeper blue-green.
Ava could just imagine snorkelling there, seeing a wealth of fish swimming in the protected seaweed beds. On the southern side of the delta was a deep-water inlet with fishing boats and yachts gently rocking in the breeze where they were anchored, and a pier reaching out into the darkest part of the water. Directly before them, the road meandered down to a grand old bridge straddling the river’s banks, high enough that all but the tall sailing ships could travel below its expanse.
“Oh, wow,” Ava murmured, gobsmacked at the beauty that lay before her. It was picture-perfect.
“I had no idea this place even existed,” Cole uttered as he shifted down a gear.
A bang sounded. Loud like a gunshot.
The truck shuddered, juddering along the road as the rear end fishtailed. Bryce reached for the grab bar with one hand while Ava clutched him and let out a yelp, instinctively gripping the arm he threw out to brace both her and Cole.
Bryce’s touch was gentle. Protective. Comforting in the heart-thumping moment. Cole was rock steady, gripping the wheel and steering the truck to the side of the road while it decelerated. Ava was grateful for the waves of calm radiating from both of them. She breathed hard, her heart beating triple time as she slowly relaxed her trembling grip on Bryce’s arm.
“Everyone okay?” Bryce asked with a wobble in his voice, his gaze bouncing between her and Cole.
“Yeah,” Ava squeaked, nodding.
Cole blew out a breath and nodded before slowly uncurling his fingers from the wheel. It was the only indication that his feathers were even remotely ruffled. He cleared his throat and answered in a low voice, “I’m right, but I dunno about your truck, mate.”
Bryce released Ava from his protective grip with a wan smile and patted her knee. “Sorry,” he apologized, eyeing the spot where he’d had his hand on Cole’s body. “Gimme a sec and I’ll check the truck out.” Bryce opened the door and slowly unfolded himself from the cab. His expression dropped and he cursed.
“What happened?” Cole asked as he eased out from behind the driver’s side, and Ava slid out Bryce’s side. They had a flat, the rim sitting on the folded rubber against the asphalt. When Cole joined them, he surveyed the damage with a frown. “We can change it.”
“There’s just one problem with that,” Bryce mumbled, rubbing his forehead and sighing. “That was my spare. I had a flat a while back, and I meant to get it fixed, but I was broke. The spare was a full-sized one, so I didn’t worry about it. Figured I’d just get it patched when I had the cash.” His shoulders dropped and the perpetual smile he wore slid off his face. “Sorry, this is going to delay us for a bit until I can get them both fixed.”
The prospect of a delay didn’t worry Ava. She was away from work, and they were only a few hours from their destination. They had plenty of time and the scenery was fan-freaking-tastic, and not just the view outside the truck. Surely, there was a mechanic nearby who could help them, and while they waited the hour or two it would take, they could wander around the picturesque little town. Bryce frowned and cursed again under his breath and Ava’s gut twisted. He wasn’t supposed to get upset. Bryce was the one who radiated sunshine and happy vibes, brightening everything in his presence. She wanted to smooth the downturn in his lips back into a smile. When his happiness dimmed, it was as if the sun had disappeared behind storm clouds. Ava yearned to lift him up and bring back that charming grin.
Cole’s expression hardened, but the flash of emotion as he focussed on Bryce was unmistakeable. It wasn’t anger their travelling companion was giving off. It was something deeper, something he was trying to hide. He reached out, hesitating a moment before letting his hand fall away instead of squeezing Bryce’s shoulder like he looked to be contemplating. His brows squeezed together and his lips flattened. Ava could practically hear the wheels grinding in his brain. He harrumphed and shook his head, like he was at war with himself. He paced away, his footfalls loud on the gravel as it crunched underfoot, his hands tangling in his hair and tugging on the ends.
Bryce curled in on himself, his expression crumpling. It was as if Cole had kicked him when he was down. Bryce’s disappointment in himself ratcheted up, the agony she saw in his gaze flaying her open.
Ava wanted to slap Cole silly. Why was he making it harder on Bryce? He’d done them a favour. He’d rescued all their plans, and this is how Cole repaid him? With anger and frustration? Oh, hell no. Every protective instinct in her flared and she stepped closer, rubbing Bryce’s arm while shooting daggers at Cole. “It’s okay,” she reassured Bryce quietly. “It’s nothing we can’t fix.”
Cole spun around and stomped back over to them, coming to a stop in front of Bryce and blowing out a breath. Ava stood up straighter, ready to tear the man a new one, but his tone was gentle when he spoke to Bryce. “Let’s see where we can fix a couple of flats, and I’ll organize a tow truck to get us there.” He shot his gaze toward Ava, and she nodded in encouragement. He seemed to be over his hissy fit. “While we wait, we can have that swim and lunch like you suggested.”
This time he did reach out to Bryce, his hand lingering on the other man’s shoulder as Cole squeezed it gently. He tilted Bryce’s chin up with his other hand and held his stare until Bryce gave him a small nod. Cole shook his head and raised an eyebrow, communicating silently with Bryce. The other man seemed to melt, a flush rising up his throat to his cheeks and his lips turning up in a shy smile. Cole grinned, his smile indulgent.
Ava tried to breathe, but she couldn’t get any air. Cole’s smile was stunning. It transformed Cole’s face, challenging both of them to resist him. Ava wanted to jump him right there and then. The tilt of his lips spoke of heat and whispered promises delivered with screaming orgasms. If she came across him in a dark forest, he was the kind of wolf she’d beg to devour her. Rapacious in an I-want-to-eat-you kind of way, Cole’s smile was magnificent.
The contrast between the sensual promise in Cole’s smirk and the boyish joy returning to Bryce’s face was vast. It wouldn’t be a hardship if the mechanic took longer than a couple of hours to fix the flats just so she could watch them together like this.
Five
Bryce
“T
