Lawson

 

 

Jack held out his hand, which I took and stood up, but instead of leading me to the sofa or to his bedroom, as I’d hoped he would, he pushed me against the dining table. With my arse pressed into the wood, he pushed his body against mine and kissed me like he owned me.

He pinned me where I was with his body and his arms wrapped tight around me. I could feel his desperation in the strength of his hold. It was possessive and pure desire. He swept his tongue into my mouth, owning every part of me he touched.

He was clearly aroused, his erection pressed hard against mine. He ground against me for the friction we both craved, never breaking his mouth from mine.

A passion had sparked between us that I’d never known could exist. I wanted him with every cell in my body.

He was pressing me so hard against the table, it moved under our weight. I lifted my feet and wrapped my legs around the backs of his thighs, just about to beg him to take me to bed.

He gripped his huge hand around my thigh and just when I thought he was going to hitch my leg higher, even pick me up and carry me to bed, he lowered my foot to the floor. I pulled my mouth from his to protest. I was so turned on, my erection wouldn’t recede on its own. I needed him to touch me… “Jack, please.”

His lips were plump and wet, his eyes unfocused and filled with a fire I’d not seen before. His chest heaved and his nostrils flared, then slowly, he went to his knees in front of me.

“Oh, God.”

He undid my belt, roughly pulling it through the buckle. Then he popped the button and undid the fly like he was about to defuse a bomb. He was taking his time, possibly savouring the moment, and all I wanted was his mouth.

I ran my hand through his hair. “Jack.” My tone might have been sharper than I intended.

He looked up at me and smiled. “Yes?”

“Please.” I wasn’t even ashamed to beg. I was desperate for his touch, his mouth, anything. He pulled the front of my briefs down, finally freeing my erection. But he gave me no relief. I fisted his hair this time. “Just fucking suck me.”

He hummed and took the head of my cock into his mouth, finally. The warm, wet heat was exquisite. He sucked me down, tonguing my shaft before pulling off. “I do like it when you curse.” He held my cock up and nuzzled the underside. “I can’t wait to hear your filthy mouth when I’m finally inside you.”

My cock jerked in his hold, and he chuckled again. “That’s what I thought.” Then he took me into his mouth again, pumping my base with one hand and sucking me hard.

“Oh God. Jack, you’re gonna make me come.”

He hummed around me, encouraging me to come. With my hand still gripping his hair, I thrust into his throat and he took me. I tried to warn him, but my orgasm shattered through me and I released into his throat.

The room spun as the perfect moment of bliss and ecstasy consumed me. As the euphoric haze dissipated, I saw Jack was now on his feet, smugly licking his lips. He wasted no time in kissing me, sharing the taste of me. I could barely catch my breath and loved every moment.

I pulled him harder against me, and the press of his still-hard cock at my hip reminded me of his need. I broke the kiss. “Your turn.”

“You don’t have to,” he whispered.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “I want it. Please tell me I can.”

He let out a low growl that sounded like desperation. “God yes.”

I took his hand and led him to his couch. I pushed him back on it and quickly knelt between his legs. I undid his belt, then the button and fly of his pants. His eyes were dark and his chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. He put his hand to my face like he was lost for words. Not breaking eye contact, I freed his cock. The smell of musk and desire made my mouth water.

I looked down then to see his cock. He was well in proportion, big all over. A good eight inches, solid girth, and veins. “Oh, that’s beautiful,” I murmured. I licked my lips and leaned down, tasting his precome. Salty and sweet and everything I wanted. I licked his head, tonguing his frenulum, eliciting a strangled groan from him. So I took him into my mouth and sucked him mercilessly.

“Ugh.” Jack’s hips came off the couch. “Fuck, Lawson. Yeah, just like that.” He put his hand on my head, and I hummed to let him know I liked it. “So good.”

I swirled my tongue along the underside of his shaft and he grunted, so vocal. Every reaction was my reward. I skimmed my hands along his hips, then up and under his shirt, searching out his nipples. I circled each soft nub before gently pinching.

“Oh fuck!” Jack cried. He took rapid breaths and his cock surged in my mouth, so I did it again and again until he flexed underneath me. “Gonna come.”

I sucked harder, and he swelled and spurted into my mouth. I swallowed every drop, humming gratefully as I did.

I let him slip from my mouth, and he was the picture of satiation. His arms now hung limply at his sides, his face serene, and his gorgeous cock, glistening under the light, lay across to his hip. He chuckled lazily. “Wow.”

I sat back on my haunches, proud that I’d rendered him undone.

He lifted his hand and beckoned me closer with his finger. So I put my hands on his knees and leaned in to kiss him, but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me onto the couch with him. He lay us both down, somehow, like I weighed nothing, and he sighed contentedly. Then he kissed me, soft and lingering, before he pulled me in for a sleepy hug. Okay, so Jack was the cuddling kind. I smiled against his neck.

“Stay the night,” he murmured.

I repressed a sigh. I didn’t want to ruin this peaceful mood. But I also wouldn’t lie. “I can’t.”

Jack took a deep, disappointed breath. “When will you say yes?”

“When it’s right.”

I felt his confusion in his embrace. “Is this not right?”

“This is very right.”

“I’m confused.”

I chuckled. “I can’t stay tonight.”

He pulled back, and the look on his face was indeed confused and, if I were being honest, hurt. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

I put my hand to his cheek and kissed him. “I have another early start tomorrow.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I have a meeting tomorrow. I can’t come with you.”

I pouted. “That’s a shame. I enjoyed having you around today.”

He brightened a little. “But don’t forget dinner tomorrow. You’ll need to be here early, if that’s okay? I think the chef extraordinaire is getting here around six, so you might want to get here around six thirty.”

“Should I bring anything?”

He shook his head and smiled. “No. But can I make one request?”

“Of course.”

“Wear a bow tie.”

“Is it a formal dinner?”

“No! Not at all. Very informal, in fact.” He bit his bottom lip and adjusted my bow tie, which, with us lying down, wasn’t easy. “I just find them really hot.”

I chuckled at him. “Then I shall wear my finest.”

He gave me his most genuine, eye-crinkling smile. But he never said anything. He just stared into my eyes and I couldn’t look away. The intensity of his gaze, the fire burning behind them, made my heart gallop.

“I should go,” I whispered, though my tone held no conviction. If he’d asked me to stay right then, I would have said yes. And I was sure he knew it too. He held the power to make me stay or leave, but he knew my wishes, so instead of getting what he wanted, he didn’t push.

“Okay.” He kissed me softly again. “Text me when you get back to your room. Or in the morning. Or both.”

Reluctantly, with a willpower I didn’t feel, I got up and fixed my clothes. I gave Rosemary a pat goodbye, and Jack stood on the porch to see me off.

“Oh, wait!” he said, dashing off the porch steps and running into the dark at the corner of his house. He came back a moment later with his hand behind his back and a goofy grin. He stood in front of me and presented me with a sprig of rosemary. “It’s not a date without a flower. Though it’s not really a flower, but it’s symbolic of me and my dog, so it’s kind of appropriate.”

I took the rosemary, put it to my nose, and inhaled the earthy scent. “It’s perfect.”

“The date? Or the rosemary?”

I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Both.”

I drove away watching the man and his dog on the front porch, knowing that something had changed. Something irreversible. Something amazing. Something I wasn’t sure I would ever get to have given we lived states apart, but out here in the woodlands of north-east Tasmania, I’d found something unexpected, something completely wonderful.

* * *

I found nothing in the woodlands I scoured the next morning. I found chrysalises of Zizina labradus and Pieris rapae as I had found in the other areas I’d searched when Jack was with me, but nothing on the Eltham Copper.

I ate just an apple for lunch, washed down with two bottles of water, and searched again until four, walking my usual grid, taking notes on observations, checking undersides of fallen bark and large rocks a thousand times. I’d done countless field searches, so I knew patience was key, though it was hard not to be disillusioned. And frustrated. I was running out of days on this trip. Maybe I should ask Jack to re-evaluate the mapped areas.

Mmm… Jack.

My mind kept wandering back to him, making it difficult to focus on my data. Knowing I was running out of days here and running out of days to spend with him exasperated my frustrations.

It was foolish, I told myself. I’d known him for a matter of days, and what we had together was no more than a holiday fling. Not that it was really a holiday; though I technically was on annual leave from my employer, I was still working.

I came to Tasmania in hopes of finding evidence, or proof at least, of a species of butterfly not yet documented. Instead, I’d found myself the kind of man I’d only dared dream of. Of course he had to live in a different state than me; it couldn’t be that easy. I had no clue if he wanted to keep in touch when I went back to Melbourne or how we could even make it work. He said his last potential boyfriend didn’t want long-distance, but he wasn’t opposed to it. But just how did one factor in scheduled weekends, airports, and hired cars into a relationship?

God. Would he even want that with me? Just how far ahead had I let my heart wander unsupervised?

Like I said. It was foolish.

It was a lot of fun and incredible while it lasted, but foolish nonetheless.

I sighed as I loaded my storage tubs back into the Defender. I thought of Professor Tillman and how many decades he’d searched these areas and wondered if I was wasting my time. Had he simply handed the baton over for me to give decades of my life just like he had done? Was this now to become my life’s work?

I allowed myself to wallow in my disillusionment on the drive back into Scottsdale. It was a pretty little town, and I could see why Jack loved it. Everyone knew him by his first name, said hello in the street. He could walk into any shop in the main street and have a chat with whomever was working. It was a world away from Melbourne. Not just the community feel, either. The cogs turned slower here, and that wasn’t a bad thing.

It wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Back at my room, I showered and sat on the bed with only a towel wrapped around my waist. I entered my data findings, or lack thereof, into my laptop. When that was done, I seriously considered going back into the bathroom and jerking off to stave off any embarrassing erections that seemed ever-present in the company of one Mr Jack Brighton. Especially if there would be other company attending.

But part of me didn’t want to dull the intoxicating hold he had on me. He made my whole body sing, and I wanted him to get the full reward. So, ignoring my own needs, I got dressed for the evening. Jack had said it wasn’t formal, but we weren’t dining alone and there was a personal chef.

A personal chef? Who on God’s earth hires a personal chef? Who even knows one to hire them?

I was excited and nervous for this evening. Each date had been better than the last, and I had no doubt I’d be staying the night soon. Maybe not tonight, but soon enough. I wanted to give myself to him in that way, and I knew in my bones it was only a matter of time. I wasn’t joking when I’d said I’d stay when it felt right. Though it felt right every time I’d been there, and the sexual side of me wanted it badly. But my brain said not yet. I would stay the night only after he beds me, and I liked to sample the menu before savouring the main course.

So to speak.

And speaking of main courses, I should pick up a bottle of wine or two to take. I was musing over red or white, given I didn’t know what we’d be eating, when I opened my door to leave.

Mrs Nola Bloom stood in front of me with her fist up, as if to knock. “Oh,” she said, putting her hand to her heart. I must have given her a scare. But then she looked me up and down. “Oh, how lovely. Going out for dinner?”

“Ah, yes.” She tried to look over my shoulder into my room, so I quickly stepped into the hall and closed the door behind me. “Just leaving now. Running a tad late,” I added, an excuse not to get stuck talking.

“Where are you off to?” she asked cheerfully. Then she gave me a sly smile. “Dining with anyone I know?”

I cleared my throat. “Ah, no. It’s a work dinner. Heading out of town.” That wasn’t technically a lie. I did see Jack for my work, and he did live out of town. “I best get going, actually. Was there anything I can help you with? You were about to knock?”

“Oh.” She blushed, and I knew right then that she was merely here for the gossip on me. “Just checking to see if you needed anything. You’ve been getting in late every night and leaving early, I wondered if you wanted a decent, home-cooked meal. Or breakfast. It’s part of the price you know. No extra charge.”

I put my hand up. “No, but thank you. I’ve been very busy with work, but I’m managing to eat just fine.”

“Right, then,” she said, stepping out of my way. “Better let you go. Don’t want to keep your dinner date waiting.”

I repressed a sigh and considered correcting her―she was, after all, only after gossip to feed the town vines, no doubt―but thought it wasn’t worth it. “Thank you.”

I walked as fast as was polite and got into my Defender. Next stop was the local hotel, which also served as the local bottle shop. I was loath to walk into a small town country pub, but with no other choice, I parked out front and walked inside.

The smell of stale beer assaulted me first, all bar room chatter died away to leave an awkward silence, but the lady behind the counter smiled. “Hey love, what can I get for ya?”

I ignored the eyes I could feel on me from the men at the bar. “Do you have a wine list?”

She handed over a laminated sheet of paper, and not knowing the first thing about wines, I chose the most expensive white, and the most expensive red on the list.

“Sure thing. I’ll just grab them from the storeroom. Be right back,” the lady said. She darted through a door, leaving me alone with the five men at the bar who were all staring at me.

“Good evening,” I said, uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

One man nodded, one man craned his neck to get a better look at me.

“Dressed a bit fancy for round here,” one other man said. This is why I hated frequenting establishments like this. I didn’t belong and was clearly made fun of by those who felt their masculinity needed protecting. They looked like they’d walked in from Blokey Farmers R Us, and I wondered if they got their flannel plaid shirts at a discounted rate for bulk buying.

The barmaid walked back in with two bottles in hand. “You fellas could learn a thing or two by dressing up a bit,” she said with a wink to me. “George, I reckon Bev’d love to get dressed up to go out for dinner with you looking as sharp as this guy.”

“Hey,” the man I assumed to be George said. “I have a bow tie.”

Another man snorted. “From when? Your wedding?”

The barmaid placed the bottles in brown paper bags in front of me. I handed over my card and paid, taking my wine as George was trying to remember the last time he wore suspenders.

I rushed to the Defender and don’t think I breathed until I’d turned down Stanning Road. By the time I pulled up in front of Jack’s place, I was feeling okay, until I saw another car parked at the side of his house. I’d forgotten he was expecting company other than myself. I took a deep breath, then another. My nerves were getting the better of me, and for a brief moment, I considered going home. But then I remembered he’d hired a personal chef and that I couldn’t leave him in the lurch like that. So with another deep breath, I grabbed the wine and made myself get out of the car.

I walked up the porch steps and could hear chatter inside, and the smell of something cooking was wonderful. Rosemary met me at the screen door before I even knocked. She wagged her tail, and I heard Jack say “I’ll get it” before he appeared at the door.

Jack’s immediate smile when he saw me made me feel a thousand times better. He opened the door with a tea towel in his hand. “Hello,” he said quietly, just for me. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “You look great.”

I looked down at myself. “Oh, thank you. I wasn’t sure if the suspenders were appropriate, and the fellows at the bar seemed to think I was overdressed.”

Jack frowned for a moment. “Did they say something to you?”

“No, it wasn’t a problem.” I brushed his concern off. I held up my purchases. “I brought wine.”

“Please, come in,” he said. He slid his arm around my waist. “There’s people I want you to meet.”

A man was at the dining table, and I wondered if he was the chef. He was average height, had a healthy tan and curly brown hair. “You must be Lawson,” he said. There may have been a slight accent, possibly European, but I couldn’t be certain. He extended his hand for me to shake.

“Yes, that I am.” I shook his hand, and his smile widened.

“I’m Nico. Remmy’s husband.”

I turned to find her familiar face in the kitchen. Remmy was standing at the counter, and she quickly rounded the benchtop to put her two hands on my shoulders and kissed both cheeks. “Lawson, so nice to see you again. You met my husband, Nico?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“And our chef for tonight…” Remmy waved her hand to the small child standing on a dining chair at the kitchen sink. He was peeling a carrot. “Luca, this is Lawson. Lawson, this is my son, Luca.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

Luca grinned. “Hello.”

Jack chuckled beside me and put his hand on my back. “Luca, tell Lawson who grew those vegetables you’re chopping up?”

“I did!” Luca said. He was a gorgeous little boy with blond wispy curls and a cherub smile. “I did grow them all by myself and UncaJack said I could cook the dinner.”

I found myself smiling, grinning even. I couldn’t explain how relieved I felt. “That’s perfect,” I said.

Jack gave me a curious look, so I explained, “I was rather nervous about tonight. I wasn’t sure what to expect when you said a personal chef.” I almost laughed. “But this is… even better.”

Jack went to say something, but Luca spoke first. “UncaJack, your carrot.”

“Oh,” Jack said, walking to stand next to Luca’s chair. He smiled at me. “I’m being the apprentice today.”

Remmy laughed. “Lawson, can I get you a drink?”

And so began what was to be a night of laughter and stories, surprisingly delicious ‘ratooey,’ and even better homemade apple pie. Remmy asked me a slew of questions, Nico was quite well versed in world economics, Luca asked me all about butterflies, and Jack’s deep, throaty laughter was quite possibly my most favourite sound.

By the time Luca was falling asleep, Remmy and Nico thanked Jack for a wonderful night, bundled their little one into their car, and bid us both goodnight. The silence after they’d gone was a little loud, but when I turned to look at Jack, he was smiling at me. “You were great tonight.”

“How was I great?”

He put his hand to my jaw and thumbed my cheek. “Luca thinks you’re the best thing ever.”

“He’s a great cook. For a four-year-old.”

“He is.” He ran his hand down my neck and over my shoulder, down my chest. Then he said, “And while I thoroughly enjoyed their company, I missed talking to you. I heard you telling Remmy you didn’t find anything in the field today.”

“No, nothing.”

Jack skimmed his hand back along my suspender, up my chest, and over my collarbone. His smile faded as he licked his bottom lip. “Will you stay for a little bit? You don’t have to stay the night if you don’t want. But please tell me you’ll stay long enough for me to take you out of these suspenders.”

“I thought you liked bow ties?”

“I do! Well, I did, but that was before you wore suspenders.”

I chuckled at that. “Then I’ll be sure to wear them more often.”

He leaned in as if to kiss me, but stopped. His eyes flashed with concern. “Earlier tonight, when you bought the wine, you said some guys said something to you? Were you okay? Because on Date Number One, you were dead set against going inside.”

“I haven’t had the best of luck at such places.” He frowned and waited for me to continue. “When I was at university, we were doing a field study in a small town. A few of my classmates thought a trip to the local pub was in order, and I guess a few of the locals thought the way I dressed was comical. Or offensive.”

“Oh, Lawson,” Jack whispered.

“I had a similar experience at a country pub in New South Wales as well. I believe I can safely assume I am the common denominator in all such examples, so I have avoided putting myself into that situation again.”

His frown had deepened. “I’m sorry that happened to you. The guys here aren’t like that, but next time I’ll come in with you and introduce you, and I’ll make sure they know you’re with me.” He slid both his hands around me protectively. “No one would say or do a thing to you.”

I ran my nose along his jaw. “I can take care of myself.” I squeezed his arse. “Though I’d prefer if you took care of me.”

He hummed and moved his mouth over mine. I pulled back a little. “Jack?”

“Yes?”

“My suspenders are still on.”

* * *

I smiled as I pulled up out the front of the Parks and Wildlife office. Jack was standing by a Rural Fire Services truck, talking to a man I’d not seen before, and Rosemary sat happily at their feet.

I’d only left his house eight hours before. Again, I was tempted to stay the night, but I didn’t. He took my suspenders off all right. He wanted to take his sweet time with me, but I was so turned on, I begged for his mouth on me.

I swear he drove me crazy just because he could. Because he would rile me up to breaking point until I couldn’t bear it another second, and I’d beg and curse at him until he gave me relief.

And I could honestly say, no one had ever taken such thorough care of me. No one had ever treated me like a delicacy. Not like Jack did.

He grinned as he noticed me, waving at me to join him. He was wearing work shorts and a Parks and Wildlife polo shirt, with work boots worn by tradesmen, but oh boy, he’d never looked better. Well, that’s not true. He looked better last night when I’d returned the favour of fellatio. He’d looked unbelievable, then, with his head thrown back, his body taut, and muscles flexed as he came… and of course that memory made me blush.

I walked over to where he was still talking to a friend of his. “Good morning,” I said.

Jack grinned. “Tony, let me introduce you to Lawson Gale. Lawson, this is Tony Wells. Tony is the local superintendent for the RFS. Lawson’s here on official business for the University of Melbourne.”

“G’day. Nice to meet you,” he said, offering his hand to shake. He was an older man but fit looking. “Jack was just telling me he’s heading up into Mount Stronarch today.”

“Yes,” I replied, hoping I didn’t blush any further. “Jack coming with me has been mutually beneficial.”

Jack tried not to smile, and I recalled my words.

Oh dear.

“I mean, he gets his work done, I get mine done. Separately. On the same trip, that’s all.”

Tony, thankfully, seemed unaware of my innuendo. He bent and gave Rosemary a pat on the head. “And Rosemary, CEO, overlooks everything.”

Jack laughed. “She does.”

After a few minutes of small talk, Tony bid us farewell, said it was nice to meet me, and went on his way. Jack watched the RFS truck pull away, then looked at me and laughed. “Jack coming with me has been mutually beneficial?”

I groaned. “I can’t believe I said that.”

He was still grinning when he collected his things out of his ute. He added them to my Defender. “You ready?”

“I am. Coffee’s in the cup holders.”

“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll just go tell Karen I’ll be off then.”

I opened the rear passenger door to the Defender and told Rosemary to climb up. I harnessed her in, and a moment later was joined by Jack. He slid an Esky onto the backseat next to Rosemary, climbed into the front passenger seat, and buckled himself in. “So?” he asked. “Where are we going to first, in this mutually beneficial arrangement?”

I slipped the Defender into first gear and headed out on the highway. “Do you plan to remind me of that often?”

He picked up his coffee. “Yes. It didn’t help that you blushed.”

“All I could picture was your face when you orgasmed last night.”

Jack choked on his coffee. “Lawson!”

I shrugged. “I’m not at all embarrassed to admit it was highly erotic.”

Jack brushed down his shirt, wiping away spilled coffee. “You’re picturing it again right now, aren’t you?”

I shifted in my seat. “It really was a spectacular sight.”

He reached over and took my hand, lifting it so he could kiss my knuckles. “Do me a favour?”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t ever change.”

* * *

After spending the whole morning searching the last areas Jack had marked as known locations of the Bursaria spinosa plant in the Mount Stronarch National Park, I’d not found a single trace.

Yes, the plant was there, but there was no trace of Notoncus ants. And the Eltham Copper couldn’t live without them. There was no evidence of caterpillars, eggs, chrysalises… nothing.

I walked back to the Defender and put my gear in the back but took out the large folded map.

Jack came over. “What’s wrong?”

“Something isn’t right.” I unfolded the map and laid it on the ground. I weighed each corner down with rocks and studied the area. “Either the area is wrong or Professor Tillman was wrong, or if he had seen them here, they’re not here anymore.”

“He did see them a long time ago,” Jack reasoned. “What can change in a species’ life cycle over fifty years?”

Well, when he put it like that… “Everything.”

Jack’s brow furrowed. “Maybe. But the fundamentals can’t. Evolution takes longer than a few decades. So tell me, and I’m being serious, what can change? Or what is most likely to change in that time frame. Look at it objectively, Lawson. Break it down into categories and reassess your search.”

I stared at him. My first reaction was to tell him not to tell me how to do my job. But he was right, and putting my ego aside, I took his suggestion as a learning tool instead. “Migration patterns. Their diet won’t change. They can adapt, yes, but their food source of choice is Bursaria spinosa and that is available, so it stands to reason they would eat it if they were here. Migration patterns could change, yes. I can’t dispute that, but there are no Notoncus ants.”

Jack considered what I’d said. “Explain the triangle of dependency thing again.”

I’d only mentioned that once to him before in the very beginning, and it thrilled me that he’d remembered it. “You have the Eltham Copper butterfly, Bursaria plants, and Notoncus ants. The butterfly will lay its eggs in the roots of the Bursaria. Larvae live within the underground nests of the ants and emerge at night to feed on the Bursaria leaves. The ants protect the butterfly larvae while they feed, and in return, the ants feed upon sugar secretions from the larvae. It’s a rather complex plant-butterfly-ant-ecological interaction.”

Jack tilted his head. “So, maybe it’s not the habits of the butterfly that’s changed. Maybe it’s the ants.”

Of course! I smiled at him. “You’re very insightful.”

He grinned. “Thanks.”

“So, in your observations of the parklands in your jurisdiction, have you ever noticed ant colonies?”

“Only about two thousand. But I don’t know what the Notoncus ant looks like.”

“Oh, that’s easy. The frontal carinae are weakly arched or straight along―”

Jack put up his hand to stop me. “Stop. You’re speaking to a civilian. Are they black or brown? Big or small? Do they look like a green ant or a meat ant?”

I smiled at him. “Sorry. Notoncus ants are the small black or brown common ant found in open soil or under stones and logs on the ground. Found in your garden, parks, everywhere, really.”

“Well, that narrows our search down to the entire state.”

Now I laughed. “It does.”

“Then why are you so happy?”

“Because I was getting frustrated and disheartened, but this gives my search a new focus.”

He cupped my face in his huge hands and kissed me. “So tell me, where do you start from now?”

I sighed and enjoyed the moment before I kissed his palm and looked back down to the map on the ground. “I can discount what I’ve searched so far. There are no traces of the Notoncus. Maybe I should study more on their changing migration habits and favoured climes.” I stared at Jack while my mind worked over some long-remembered facts.

“What?”

“You mentioned the Iridomyrmex.”

“No, I didn’t. I can’t even say that word.”

I snorted. “Also known as meat ants.”

“Ah, those I did. Bastards bite.”

 My smile was slow spreading. “They also inhibit the morphological and behavioural adaptions of the Notoncus.”

Jack blinked. “And that’s important because…?”

“I noticed a few nests not far from the areas I’ve searched.”

“And the Notoncus won’t go near them?”

I shook my head slowly. “No, they won’t.”

“So, we need to find areas where there are no meat ants?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“How do you find that?”

“The Notoncus will live anywhere. Any type of soil, under rocks, bark, anywhere really. But the Iridomyrmex is soil-specific. You’ve been taking soil samples, yes?”

“Yes. As part of our ecosystem analysis. So we can see patterns of average climate changes, soil degeneration, moisture content, pH levels, vegetation quality, all at a glance.”

I picked up the map and folded it. “You,” I said, leaning up to kiss him quickly, “are a godsend.” I opened the rear passenger door of the Defender and called for Rosemary to get in.

As I was harnessing her in, Jack asked, “Where are we going?”

“To your office. How many years’ worth of data have you got?”

“Uh, our records go back fifty-something years.”

I was grinning when I threw him the keys. “You drive. I need to research a few things on the way.”

* * *

“Oh, you’re back early,” Karen said as we walked into the office.

“Yes, we need to access some archives,” Jack said. “They’re all electronic now, aren’t they?”

“Sure,” Karen said, quickly typing something into her keyboard. She turned the screen around, showing banks of data files all sorted by year. “Even photographs have been uploaded.”

Jack clapped his hands together. “Excellent. That will save us about a decade.” Then he stood back, making a point of looking at me. “Lawson here needs access. We’ll be in my office. Could you please bring me the geotechnical reports we have on hand?”

“Sure,” Karen said brightly. She gave Rosemary a pat with an odd kissy noise and spoke to her in a baby voice before disappearing down a hall.

Jack led the way into his office. “This way.” He sat behind his desk and brought his computer to life. “Hey, Robert?” he called out.

“Yes?” came a voice, I assumed Robert’s. A moment later, a short, middle-aged guy appeared in the door. “What’s up?”

“Can you remember off the top of your head what type of soil is predominant in the North Scottsdale Forest Reserve?”

Robert thought for a moment. “I think it’s basalt, but I’d have to double-check. We ran that core sample last year, remember?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, that’s what got me thinking.” Then he looked at me. “What type of soil did you say the meat ants like?”

“Typically clay or clayey soil.”

And for the rest of the afternoon, we cross-referenced years of ecosystem data with photographs, soil reports, and rainfall data. Jack and I sat side by side and worked perfectly together. We almost had a conclusion down when there was a soft knock at the door.

Karen stood there smiling fondly at Jack. He cleared his throat and a light blush covered his cheeks. “Yes?” he asked.

“It’s five o’clock,” she said. “You two staying or calling it a day?”

“We’re almost done here,” I said.

Jack nodded. “We’ll close up. Thank you, Karen.” She waved us off, and she and Robert left, and the office was quiet. Jack tidied the piles of paper in front of us. “Wanna call it a day?”

“Yeah. I think we’ve got enough to know where to start tomorrow.”

“Dinner at my place?”

“I don’t want to keep relying on you to feed me,” I said. “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to impress me with dates.”

“I promise there will be nothing fancy about dinner tonight.”

“But I’ll still be impressed? It is Date Number Five, I believe.”

Jack laughed warmly. “I think so, yes.”

We packed up our work and closed and locked the office. Instead of saying goodbye, I said, “See you at your place in half an hour.”

* * *

A quick shower later, I was dressed for a casual dinner, and I was fairly sure how this night would end. I packed a bag of toiletries and supplies and some clean clothes for tomorrow I could leave in the car if needed. I called into the store on my way and bought some locally mulled honey cider, some local cheeses, apples, and crackers, and at the checkout there was a stand of small posies. They weren’t anything fancy, probably lame by most standards, but I picked a yellow collection of daisies, and added them to my purchases.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up at the front of Jack’s place. Leaving my overnight bag and clothes in the car—in case it didn’t work out as planned—I grabbed my bag from the store and made my way up his porch steps.

He must have heard me pull up. “Door’s open,” he called out.

Rosemary met me with a wagging tail and toothy smile, and I found Jack in the kitchen. He wore old jeans and a faded T-shirt, bare feet, and he looked incredible. He was putting something into a basket.

“I bought these,” I said, putting my purchases on his kitchen counter. Then I held out the flowers. “These are for you. You’ve given me a selection of flowers, so it was only right that I return the gesture.”

“Thank you,” he said, planting a soft kiss on my lips. He took the flowers with a heart-stopping smile and rummaged through a cupboard until he found what he was looking for. An old jam jar became a vase. He added some water and placed them on his kitchen windowsill. He looked particularly pleased.

I took the items I’d bought from the bag and showed him the cider, and he read the label of the cheese. “So perfect.” He grabbed two glasses from a cabinet, a knife from the drawer, picked up the basket, and nodded toward the back door. “This way.”

I’d never seen his backyard, so I followed him keenly. His yard was huge; a green field of mowed grass was like a shoreline to a rolling paddock of woodlands. There were shrubs and flowers and a clothesline in the corner with some tea towels swaying in the breeze, but that wasn’t what captured my attention.

In the middle of his lawn, he’d laid a blanket, some cushions, and pillows. Jack put the basket he was carrying on the blanket and turned to me and waved his hand at the picnic. “Your dining table tonight.”

I was certain I was grinning like a crazy man. I put my hand to my heart, feeling the tempo through my shirt. “This actually couldn’t be more lovely.”

He sat his huge frame down on the blanket and spread his long legs out, leaning back on his elbow. He patted the space beside him. “I believe you fit here.”

I joined him on the blanket and took his face roughly in my hands. I planted a hard kiss on his lips. “I believe I do.”

He opened the basket and took out a container of small sandwich triangles. “Hungry?”

I chuckled. “I haven’t eaten sandwiches cut like this since I was at primary school.”

Jack grinned and held one perfect white triangle out to me. “Vegemite? Or peanut butter?”

“Either is fine.”

Rosemary came sniffing over and Jack roused on her. “She’ll steal the peanut butter ones if you’re not careful.”

I patted the blanket between us and called her over. “Lie down,” I said, and she did. I gave her a scratch under the ear, and Jack was staring at me, smiling.

He bit into his sandwich. “Are you here for me or my dog?”

“Both. And we shouldn’t exclude her. I don’t want her to think I’m the reason she’s not getting one hundred per cent of your attention.”

He ruffled the hair on the top of Rosemary’s head, then he leaned in and gave me a peanut buttery kiss. He didn’t say anything, just smiled serenely as he lay back down. He shoved a cushion under his head and ate another sandwich triangle. “So, how is this date stacking up so far?”

I looked around as evening settled over the countryside. The sun was behind the house, the sky was a palette of blues and oranges, the air was cooling down what had been a warm summer day. “It’s kind of perfect.”

He sighed happily. “Glad you like it.”

Just then a common white butterfly flitted along the breeze near us. “Ooh,” Jack said. “What kind of butterfly is that?”

“A Pieris rapae. Or a white cabbage butterfly.”

“Is there anything you don’t know about butterflies?”

I considered his question. “I think there are always things we don’t know. But about the recognised species already discovered, I know all there is to know. Though I’d hate to think we’ve learned all we can.”

He smiled up at the sky as though my answer truly pleased him, and he absentmindedly played with Rosemary’s fur.

I poured us two glasses of the honey cider, and Jack took one gratefully. Then I sliced the apple and cheese, opened the crackers, and fed him alternate mouthfuls. I liked taking care of him. He had, after all, provided four dates where he’d cooked for me, so it was the least I could do.

When we’d eaten enough of our picnic and the bottle of cider was almost gone, we discussed things such as biodiversity right down to music and movies. The sky was almost darkened through by then, but the backlight of the house cast enough light so we could still see.

Rosemary had wandered off after all the cheese was gone, and I lay down with my head in the crook of Jack’s arm. We watched the sky become night, and the cider had given me a pleasant buzz.

Jack seemed content to just lay there, but I wanted more. I had come here with the intention of letting him take me to bed, but he seemed equally content to just lay under the stars with me in his arms. And it was perfect, but the urge, the desire in my blood wouldn’t let me not try…

I turned in his arms and slid on top of him. I let my legs fall on the outside of his, and I leaned on one arm, my face just an inch or two from his.

His smile was surprised and warm. “Oh. Hello.”

“I’m testing a theory.”

He put his hand to my face and brushed my hair from my forehead. “And what’s that?”

“That I can improve on perfect.”

I kissed him softly at first, tilting my head just so, for the best angle. He opened his mouth for me, and I deepened the kiss, a charge of warmth filled me when our tongues touched. I put a hand beside his head so I could grind on him, needing the friction, needing to feel his strength underneath me.

He seemed to understand, or maybe he felt the same because he wrapped his arms around me. I was caged by his powerful hold, his hands were warm on my back, and I felt safe, adored, yet I was the one who set the tempo and rhythm.

I rubbed my erection against his through our clothes. The combination of both heat and hardness was both everything I needed and nowhere near enough. I rocked my hips, grinding on his cock, and he moaned into my mouth.

So I leaned back on my knees. He was a glorious sight. His shirt had ridden up enough to show me the skin above his waistband, his lips were flushed and swollen, he was breathless and beautiful.

I undid the button of his jeans and carefully unzipped the fly. I slid my hand underneath the elastic of his briefs and freed his cock. Sweet Lord have mercy, he was heaven on earth. His skin was silver in the moonlight and a drop of liquid shone at his slit. I leaned down and licked him, moaning at my salty reward.

“Oh, Lawson,” he murmured.

I smiled at him and undid my pants, and his nostrils flared and his breath caught. It was intoxicating to be in such control of him. I drew out my cock and gave myself a few strokes while he watched. The look on his face was complete awe and pleading. I shuffled up until our cocks aligned, and when I took him into my hand and slid our cocks together, Jack’s eyes rolled closed. He whispered, “Oh fuck.”

It was kind of clumsy but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he writhed with pleasure. His hands found purchase on my shirt, my neck, my face, and he brought me in for a hard, deep kiss. When we needed air, he pulled away. “God, you’re gonna make me come.”

I stroked our cocks harder, using our mix of precome as lube. “I wanted to have you inside me tonight, but I couldn’t wait. I needed to feel you now.”

He slid his hand along my jaw, his thumb at the corner of my mouth, and I took it in between my lips and sucked on it.

Jack flexed hard underneath me, and his cock surged in my hand. Pulse after pulse of come spilled from him, and the sight, the smell, tipped me over the edge.

The coil in my belly sprang, and the ache in my balls bloomed into pleasure, and I came on him. Jack held me while my orgasm rolled through me, and he caught me as I collapsed on top of him, utterly spent.

There were no other sounds but our breathing and the hammering of our hearts. Jack kissed the top of my head. “I think you kind of rewrote perfect.”

I snorted indelicately, still too boneless to do much else. “I think that orgasm just rewrote my DNA.”

Jack roared with laughter, the sound echoed loud and warm through my ear pressed to his chest. “That good, huh?”

The haze started to lift from my brain, and I realised I’d just done all that to him outside. Thank God he had no close neighbours. “Um, I’ve never had sex outside before.”

He chuckled and gave me a squeeze. “Me either. I think there’s a little devil inside you that likes to come out to play in the bedroom.”

I lifted my head and looked around. “Strange bedroom.”

He grinned, but then he turned serious. His eyes were dark and deep. “I will have you in my bedroom one of these days.”

I put my fingers to his lips, then replaced them with my lips. “Yes, you will.”

Before he could reply, I jumped up to my feet and tucked myself back in. “We should go inside and get cleaned up.”

I started to pack up our picnic. He was quick to join me, collecting the blanket before leading the way back inside. “I can get you another shirt,” he said.

“It’s okay. I brought a change of clothes. And an overnight bag…”

It took him a second to catch on. “Are you staying?”

I nodded, and the grin he gave me was something I’ll never forget. It made my stomach flip. “I’ll just go grab it.”

I took my bag from the Defender and Jack met me at the door. I stepped inside, he lifted my chin, kissing me sweetly, then he closed the door behind me.