Charlie cast her eye around the crowd as she nodded methodically to a bloke trying his best to gain her attention. She took a swig of her rum can as her eyes came to rest on a figure at the back of the shed that housed the band.
He was here.
She wrapped her arm around her body as the intruding man to her right droned on. Cursing her decision to wear the little red dress she had purchased. This wasn't the first bloke she had to tactfully turn away. She had purposefully bought the dress a size smaller than that which she usually wore. The way it clung tightly to the curves of her body left little to the imagination. She'd chosen it because she knew he would be here. She knew he couldn't resist a ball.
The lure of good music, good mates, sweet rum and the opportunity of a carefree fuck bought the country men swarming from all over Australia. She'd caught glimpses of him through the crowd, but for the most part of the night his time was monopolized by a short bloke with a thick black mullet and a tall lanky red head. They bounced and leapt around his heels spitting food dye and throwing rum.
At that moment his sexy blue eyed gaze met her own from under the brim of his old bashed hat. Eyes unmistakably smoldering as they roved over her body. She dropped her arm, running her hand over her hip to smooth the dress and took a quick swig of rum. Her resolve now set.
This time she would concur this man, she'd make damn sure of that. She turned on the heel of her old wrangler boots and left the ball, left the thumping music and it's accompanying crowd and made her way back to her ute.
**********
Luke stood with his back to the wall of the shed. A mix of rum and food dye dripping from his old worn out akubra hat. He'd been watching Charlie all evening. Of course he knew who she was; they'd been to many of the same balls before. But tonight, man tonight she looked stunning. Every red blooded blokes fantasy in that thin material number barely fit to be called a dress.
He'd watched her talking, laughing easily with her friends. Completely unable to tear his eyes away from the contours of that body. The fabric rudely obstructing his view left little to the imagination. Just enough to tease him, make him want more. It had one of those low cut necklines, one of those fancy ones that showed off the silken flesh between a woman's breasts. A place Beautifully crafted for a man to rest his head. He followed the dress down over her slender body, wishing like hell his hands could make that journey. Down over her hips to where the fabric ended mid thigh. From there her strong tanned legs took over, muscled from work.
Damn, how he wanted them wrapped around him. How he wanted her wrapped around him. Her sweet groans and sighs clouding his mind as took them both higher.
But now she was gone.
He skulled back the last of his can and threw it at the 44. Gallon drum, a makeshift bin.
How dare she walk away after that, he thought, Christ didn't she know what she'd done to him?
As he strode towards the exit jhonno, his longtime mate tackled him from the side.
'Oi! Where ya goin'?' jhonno yelled over the music. Luke shrugged him off with a playful upper cut to the ribs.
'I'll catch up with ya later'. With that he left the ball in search of the siren in the red dress...
*********
Charlie lugged her swag out of her old red Holden ute. Tugging at it furiously as it jammed against her esky; cans sloshing around with the ice inside. A stick cracked underfoot somewhere in the darkness alerting her she wasn't alone. She turned to see luke's six foot four figure standing a few meters from her on the other side of the campfire.
'ah shit Luke, you scared the heck outta me', she murmured as she turned back to the tailgate of her ute and dug into her esky. 'want a can?'
Luke kicked at a burning log in the fire. The force sending tiny glowing sparks dancing up into the night sky. He nodded when she turned back and threw the can over to him. Cracking open the top he took a long swig. The ice cold liquid doing nothing to extinguish the fire in his belly. He watched as she sat herself down on the edge of the tailgate. Crossing those marvelous legs at her ankles and tugging self consciously at the hemline of her dress.
His mind raced as his eyes trailed the expanse of her legs, lit beautifully by the flickering light of the fire. Oh what he'd give to run his fingers over her thighs; part them with his knee. It took every ounce of strength he had not to leap over the fire and drag her back to his swag caveman style.
She looked up at him then and smiled. Hell, smiled isn't even the word to use. She melted him there and then. Any thoughts he'd had about leaving her and heading back to the ball alone all shot to hell. He didn't just want Charlie, he had a carnal need to claim her tonight.
She sipped at her can nervously. There was no denying her intentions of leaving the ball. She had hoped he would follow, not quite believing he would. Now she had no idea what to do. Why hadn't he said anything? Was he just going to stand there? She tried her best to make polite conversation.
'Not a bad ball' she spoke. 'a really good band too this year'.
He cleared his throat. 'yea one of the better ones'.
She nodded, fidgeting with the ring pull on her can.
'why'd you leave?' his question surprised her. She smiled.
'was a bit tired' she lied faking a yawn to make a point.
'I can go If I'm keeping you up' he replied. Painfully aware she was keeping him "up" in many ways.
She ran her hand down her leg brushing off some ash that landed there. If he didn't know any better he'd have sworn she was trying to tease him.
'nah it's ok, one last beer won't hurt' she smiled.
She watched him from across the fire, wondering what he was thinking. It wasn't possible for a man to look any more desirable than he did right now. His strong jaw, clean shaven earlier now had the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow. His white tailored shirt browned with rum and patches of red and blue dye fit his large frame well, accentuating his broad shoulders. Her fingers itched to undo the buttons that ran down the front ending neatly at his black dress pants. Her eyes took a quick survey of his groin. How she wondered what lay beneath. She watched him curiously as he kicked at the dirt with the toe of his boot, unaware of her gaze. Despite the warmth of the fire and the warmth growing between her legs Charlie was beginning to feel the cool of the night air. She stood. Not minding that her dress rose slightly up her thighs. A movement that hadn't escaped Luke's attention. She smiled to herself as she watched him shift uncomfortably on the spot. Not sure if it was bravery or the alcohol Charlie reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. The movement causing the dress to rise up further.
Luke cleared his throat and swallowed hard. The dress had slid a good two inches up revealing more of that tanned expanse of skin. His pants began to tighten as his thoughts started to race. He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his short dark hair, frustration getting the better of him as he slammed the hat back on his head. It was at that moment she threw him a coy smile. He needed no other confirmation she was as frustrated as he was. He covered the space between them in less than a second, throwing his can at the fire as he went. The flames hissed and roared behind him.
Luke's sudden approach forced Charlie back up against the rear panel of her ute. He cornered her there, his hands resting on the cold steel either side of her body. Excitement ripped through her at the sudden intimacy of their closeness. The smell of rum, smoke and Luke's musky masculine scent intoxicating her senses.