Lucan woke lying on his side with his head resting on his arm. He blinked his eyes. They felt dry and gritty. Meggy had her back towards him. He focused on her behind. The fabric of her skirt lay in soft folds and hugged her shape. He was hard, as he was most mornings, but looking at her changed the sensation. He rolled onto his stomach, pushed himself against the ground and groaned into the canvas of the swag.

"Are you in pain?"

The sound of her voice startled him. Lucan quickly lifted his head. "No, not really, a bit stiff... ah... I mean me arms and back, the muscles, from riding." He was rambling. The word stiff hadn't been a good choice so he stopped talking and moved his body to face away from her so when he stood up, she wouldn't be able to see the dilemma he was in. He made his way to the river and stripped off his clothes. The water was crisp but it was what he needed to refresh him. By the time he swam back to the shore Meggy was squatting there washing her face. She had tied her hair up, unruly strands hung here and there.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Meggy lifted her eyes to look at him. He was still in the water, it lapped against his chest. She couldn't help but see his muscles ripple as he reached up to squeeze the water from his hair.

"It was all right, the ground not so soft." She laughed and rubbed her backside as she added, "I'm a little tender here."

Following her hands movement with his eyes, Lucan felt a surge of heat travel through his body once more. He nodded and swam back across the river.

She was gone when he returned. He dressed and headed to the camp site. Meggy had rolled up the swag and stoked the fire. She had some bread stuck with a stick, laid out over the heat and was trying to open another tin of beans.

"Here let me do that."

Meggy turned the bread to brown the other side and pulled the only plate Lucan had from the bag of utensils.

"Will you put the tin in the fire? We'll eat them hot on some toast."

"We'll be sick of beans by the time we get to Irvinebank."

Meggy nodded and giggled. "I hope they don't give you gas cause ya won't be sleeping next to me the night if they do."

Lucan's mouth dropped open at her words. He roared with laughter and shook his head in amazement. There was no way Lillian would have spoken so openly about a bodily function or laughed about it.

He ate first. When he was finished, she used the plate while Lucan saddled the horse and packed the mule. She washed the plate in the river as Lucan put out the fire. He climbed onto the horse and lifted her up in front of him.

"It's very dry land. Is Irvinebank like this?" she asked.

"Yes." He pushed the brim of her hat down so it didn't catch him in the face.

"Sorry, Lucan. I can take it off if you want."

"No, you need to keep it on. The suns harsh here, I don't want you to burn."

They rode in silence. Meggy wriggled in the saddle, her backside was sore. Sitting too long without moving aggravated it. Every time she moved Lucan held his breath. The muscles of her behind, rubbing against his thighs, was like a hot iron brandishing his skin. He felt every move she made, every push against his chest, every touch of her hand. Eventually he couldn't stand it any longer. He stopped the horse and climbed down.

"What are ya doing?"

"I think I'll walk for a bit; you need more room."

Meggy blushed. "It's just that me back end is sore."

"I know." Lucan held the horse by the reins and started to move off.

"I'd like ta walk too." She attempted to swing her leg over the saddle but she didn't have her foot in the stirrup and slipped. Lucan caught her awkwardly, his arm wrapped around her hips, her butt against his chest and his hand on her thigh. He pushed her forward against the horse to help support her weight. Meggy clung onto the saddle. The horse moved away because of the pressure Lucan was putting on it while trying to hold Meggy up.

She panicked. "Lucan!"

"Let go I've got ya."

She didn't. The horse continued to move in a circular motion, Lucan followed and stumbled in its wake, holding Meggy with one arm and the reins in the other hand.

"Damn it, Meggy. Will you let go?"

She twisted her torso, slung an arm around his neck and almost jumped. Her body spun in his arm, Lucan off balanced and tried to grab her tighter. She threw the other arm around his neck, the horse pulled away. Lucan staggered his foot hit a rock and he fell forward, landing on the ground with Meggy underneath him. Her scream was cut short as the force of the fall pushed the air from her lungs.

"Fuck...!" Lucan swore loudly. He let go of the horse's reins and rolled on his back bringing her with him so she was on top of him.

Meggy gasped for air, her lungs burnt, she couldn't breathe. Tears filled her eyes. He sat up quickly so she was straddled over his lap. Lucan pulled her arms above her head, placed his large hands in her armpits and wrapped his fingers around the shoulder joints to keep them high saying, "Breathe slowly, Meg. Calm down, ya just winded. That's it. Good girl." She did as he told her. Lucan watched as she gasped, her chest rose and fell until she breathed easier. Her breath, warm against his face mesmerizing.

Meggy's elbow hurt, she tried to lower her arms but he continued to support them. She hadn't yet controlled her breathing enough to be able to speak to him. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Ah... shite," he murmured when he saw her tears. Lucan let go of her and pulled her against his chest. "Are you all right, lass? You're just winded." He rocked her slowly backwards and forwards.

Meggy huddled against him, her face in his neck and one hand on his chest, her sore arm hanging loosely. His cooing soothed her and when he ran his hand down the back of her head she closed her eyes.

Putting his arm under her legs, Lucan stood and went to sit on a rock.

Remembering feeling safe and warm in his arms, what seemed like a life time ago, Meggy kept her head on his shoulder and wrapped her good arm around his neck.

Lucan sat her across his lap and tilted her face so he could look at her. Tears still stained her cheeks so he wiped them away. "You're all right now," he whispered. "I'm sorry I landed on ya."

She dragged herself up and lifted her elbow with some effort, blood stained her sleeve.

"Shit...!" Lucan hissed. He made to touch her but she pulled it away. "You gotta let me look at it, lass."

Her large amber eyes looked beseechingly at him. She gulped in a breath. Lucan stood with her in his arms and sat her on the rock. He crouched in front of her and rolled up her sleeve. There was a small cut on the tip of her elbow. A bruise had started to appear.

"Can you bend it, Meg?"

She bent it, and then straightened it.

Lucan held it carefully and twisted it a little so he could see the cut. "So, it doesn't hurt to do that?"

She shook her head and wiped her face with her other hand.

Lucan went to where the horse stood waiting and tied it to a small shrub. He got the water bottle from the mule's pack, went back to Meggy, and then poured water on the cut. She jerked away at the sting.

"Sorry, but it needs to be cleaned." Lucan peered at her as she nodded. "Do you have a petticoat on, we need some clean cloth to wrap it up."

"No. I don't own one," she murmured.

Lucan now understood why her skirt seemed to cling to her body. He got up and scratched his head not knowing what to wrap her arm in, his shirt was too dirty and the other clothes he had needed a wash.

"I have a chemise," Meggy said looking at Lucan's worried face.

"Can ya give it to me?"

"You'll have to turn around or I have another in my suitcase." She looked at where everything was tied neatly to the mule and knew it would take some time to unpack it all to get at the suitcase. Lucan followed her gaze and started to move towards the mule.

"Lucan! I'll use the one I've got on. When you unpack the mule tonight, I'll get another one from the case. It's too much trouble now."

"Are you sure?" He frowned. "I don't mind."

Meggy nodded and spun her hand to indicate he should turn around. She gingerly removed her blouse, and then pulled her chemise over her head. Once she was dressed, she called, "I'm ready."

Lucan lifted her arm to wash the cut once more. "It's a small cut, more blood than anything else but you have a large bruise." He looked at her as he spoke so her honey-coloured eyes sent a current through him. Focusing back at the wound to hide any sign of how she affected him, Lucan continued wrapping the wound and said, "It's not too tight is it?"

Meggy shook her head, twisted her arm so she could see what he had done, and then rolled down her sleeve.

For the rest of the day, they took turns on the horse, sometimes they walked together and sometimes they both got back on the horse.

By the end of the day Meggy's feet ached, her backside hurt and her elbow throbbed.

Lucan decided to stop and set up camp under the shade of a large gum tree. He unpacked the mule, took the saddle off the horse, tethered them near a patch of grass, and then gave them some water. Meggy tried to help him by collecting dry wood.

"Sit down, Meggy, I'll do it."

"But you're tired too."

"Not as tired as you." He chuckled. "So, sit down. Better still roll out the swag and lie down." He headed off to find some larger branches.

Rolling out the bedding, Meggy dug in her suitcase to get a clean undershirt. She sat on her hunches and pulled her blouse over her head.

Lucan came over the rise to see her bare flesh, creamy white, glistening in the sun. He sucked in a breath, held it, dropped the log he was carrying, and then headed back down the rise.

At the sound of the crash Meggy turned swiftly, saw the dropped log and his head disappearing. She felt like a lady because of the respect he was showing her and realised she liked that feeling.

*

Her arm ached as she tried to go to sleep. She tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable spot.

Lucan lay quietly beside her but eventually chuckled, "What's ya problem? Have you got gas from all them beans you been eating?"

Meggy sat up, blushed and slapped him playfully, her mouth agape in pretend shock. "If I had gas, you'd have smelt it by now so stop being familiar."

He laughed again and liked the fact she didn't take offence. "Well, what's ya problem?"

"It's me elbow, I cannae get comfortable." She rubbed the forearm of her sore arm. "If I lay on me left, I squash it and if I lay on me right, it hangs and hurts more. If I lay on me back it presses on the ground."

Lucan couldn't stop himself from touching her. He reached up, brushed her hair from her face, and held some of the silky strands longer than necessary. "Poor, Meggy," he murmured.

She pouted playfully and pushed his hand away. "It'll be poor Lucan the morrow when you have ta put up with me mood because I haven't slept well."

He grinned and stood up. "Swap sides." Lucan pushed on her behind with his foot to get her to move. She frowned but did as he asked. Lucan lay on his back and pulled her towards him. He rested her head in the crook of his arm and draped her sore arm across his chest so the elbow rested on his sternum. "How's that?"

At first Meggy tensed but thought this was Lucan being considerate so she relaxed and positioned herself more comfortably. She tried to distance her stomach and hips so they didn't press firmly against him. By the time she had settled herself he was laughing again.

"You sure you ain't got wind?"

Meggy didn't answer but pinched him on the chest. He bucked and chuckled again. "Good night, Meg."

"Good night, Lucan."

It didn't take long until Meggy was asleep. Lucan lay there breathing in the smell of her. He fiddled with her hair, and could feel her breast against his chest. He decided having her so close was a bad idea. Lucan closed his eyes and even though he was tired the throbbing need of his body wouldn't let him sleep. His left arm where her head lay went numb. He had to move her so the blood could flow. He carefully placed her gently on the ground, and then turned his body to face her. Her elbow remained draped over him and her head lay in the shadow of his chest. Lucan put his arm over her and closed his eyes. Exhaustion enveloped him. He dreamt of Kat and Lillian but for some reason they both looked like Meggy.

Poor Meggy.  Nothing worse than a sore elbow :( Well there is, hahaha,  but those little injuries can be a real pain

I love that they can joke about gas. Hahaha. Imagine Lillian's face if she heard this.

Photo is mine :)