Indy’s knee nudged his own again, and he looked over to see relief in her eyes. He should’ve realized she would’ve been wondering this same thing.
Two more days. It meant he had two more days to spend with Indy. What he did with that time was the question at the top of his mind. He needed to talk to her tonight. Needed to tell her how he was feeling. If only he could figure that out himself.
“I’m going to help with the dishes as well,” Indy declared, getting up and gathering other people’s plates.
“Don’t you dare,” Bindi said from behind her folding table. “Mack will stay with me. After the night you guys had last night, you need to get some shuteye. Go to bed, girl, I’ve got this.” Bindi jutted out her chin, and even Finn could tell she wasn’t taking no for an answer. He also didn’t miss Bindi’s suggestively raised eyebrow as Indy walked past her, plainly indicating she thought Indy may have more than just sleep planned for tonight.
“Okay, if you’re sure?” Indy placed the plates in front of Mack, who was filling a bowl with steaming water. Bindi waved a dish towel to shoo her away. “All right, I’m going,” Indy laughed.
Just before she stepped out of the circle of light to go find her own tent, Indy turned to send a searching look toward Finn.
He nodded once in reply. Yes, he would come to her. His cock rose at the thought of what they might do together tonight.
Dave leaned over, shaking him out of his contemplation of Indy’s swaying hips fading into the gloom. “Sorry, mate, I didn’t mean that earlier, this is all just a bit of a shock, you know. You’re still me mate. And you’re still one of the best bloody motorcycle riders I’ve ever met.”
High praise indeed.
“And don’t worry about him.” Dave nodded in Carrot’s direction. “I’ll talk him around.”
“Thanks,” Finn replied.
Even though the secret was out about him and Indy, Finn still hesitated to make it obvious he was following too quickly behind her. He would sit here with Dave and Carrot for a few more minutes, then he needed to go and call Mike. He wasn’t looking forward to this conversation. But after that…he was definitely looking forward to the time he could slip into Indy’s tent.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
INDY LAY IN her camp bed, waiting for Finn. She was tired, had been awake for nearly forty-eight hours, and the fatigue had settled into her bones. But she needed Finn more than she needed sleep. Needed to hold him against her, have him make love to her, cradle her body afterwards. To help block out the horrors of the past day. To prove there was still some decency left in the world. And to prove that Finn was still the man she thought he was, beneath that cold, hard exterior he’d shown last night. In her heart of hearts, of course, she realized Finn was a police detective, with all the clichés that went with the title. Judging right and wrong in terms of black and white. Ruthless in pursuit of justice. A formidable physical force to be reckoned with. But it’d taken watching him in action last night to bring the reality to her. The look of pure focus on his face as he arrested Brian, ignoring the way the man still blubbered. Eyes steely and hard as he read Brian his rights, and slipped the handcuffs on Rosie’s wrists.
Her mind wouldn’t stop spinning. There’d been no doubt in Finn’s mind that he was doing the right thing. If the shoe had been on the other foot, would she have been able to arrest Brian and Rosie? She didn’t think so. And perhaps that was why she could never become a police officer.
There was also the other side to Finn, the side she was coming to know. The highly affectionate, slightly goofy one minute, serious and thoughtful, the next, tender and skilled lover. The guy with the look of complete joy on his face as heshot after a micky bull on his motorcycle. Hard working, and dependable, easy going, fitting into the muster crew so easily. Becoming friends. With her and the others.
Or was that all a cover? She wished she knew.
It was hard to reconcile the rugged, outdoor man Indy had come to know, with the slick, professional, city bloke Finn must be normally when he was on the job.
Even with all this swirling around in her head, she must’ve fallen asleep, because suddenly someone was touching her cheek and her eyes flew open to see Finn kneeling next to her camp bed.
“Sorry. That last call to my supervisor took longer than I expected.” His voice was quiet, and he was a dark, amorphous shape in the dim night.
She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him to her, lifting her head to meet his mouth with hers. This is what she’d been waiting for. Finn and her, finally alone together. He tasted exactly like she remembered, warm and spicy; a little like coming home. A flare of heat darted through her veins as he kissed her, accompanied by a welcome ache between her thighs.
“I missed you,” she said, when she finally released him.
She wasn’t going to ask him about what his sergeant had said. She didn’t want to think about dead guys, fly-ridden bodies in the bush, friends who turned out to be betrayers. All she wanted was to lose herself in Finn for a few hours, get drunk on that visceral response he elicited.
“I missed you, too,” he replied, the light of seduction turning up the corners of his mouth.
She pulled him down for another long, lingering kiss, leaving him in no doubt of what she wanted.
“Look what I’ve got,” Finn said, breaking the kiss and digging in his jeans pocket, producing a handful of little silver packets.“I had to ask Dave,” he admitted sheepishly. “I think I took his whole supply.”
“Better that than no sex,” she replied. “I’m sure we could’ve got innovative without them,” she added with a smirk. But she was glad Dave had come through. There was no way she was going to have unprotected sex so soon after her recent surprise pregnancy. Not even with Finn; not even with the way she felt at the moment. The miscarriage was still too raw. But like she’d said, there was more than one way to have fun. Now she knew she was safe, she could relax. “But it’s always good to know we can also rely on the good old-fashioned missionary position.”
“I’ll have you know, I have a lot more in my repertoire than just the missionary,” he retorted. Looking down at his hand, he counted the silver packets. “Four,” he announced with glee. “Four different ways we’re going to do it tonight.”
“Good. I plan on using them all,” she whispered into his ear, trailing her fingernails up beneath his shirt and lightly scratching the skin.
Finn seemed to catch her sense of urgency, as he dropped the packets on the floor and shoved her tank top up and over her head, dropping it next to the condoms, leaving her sitting half-naked in her bed.