The Twelve Zenati Pt. 37

Author's note: Hello everyone. Again, I am grateful to MsSensualiT for her continued help to be my second set of eyes as we crawl slowly towards the end. I hope those of you who enjoy this series continue to do so.

~ellie.

The moon boot that now encased Marcella's leg saved it from many of the big jolts, but her ass wasn't lucky enough to escape as they travelled seemingly without roads across the scrubby tree-dotted edge of the red desert. They travelled with a convoy of vehicles that looked like they had come straight out of a Mad Max stunt teams' graveyard of cars. Some of the bigger vehicles looked to be ex-army trucks, while the smaller quads and four by fours appeared cobbled together by experimental mechanics. They were travelling to a satellite camp separate from the main houses of the property, and rather than mustering as she knew it to be from reading and television, they were about to meet some ringers and hunt wild bulls.

Wild bulls, she had been told, were probably the most dangerous animal in the Never-Never, more so even than the water buffalo, who were bigger but slower and not quite as aggressive. There were three Jeeps like the one she rode in, each towed a trailer full of supplies, and each looked out of place with the strange collection of cobbled-together vehicles. If they were trying to hide in the Never-Never, then using cars that would stand out as much as these Jeeps was probably not a good idea. At least, that is what she thought before they slowed to a stop part way along their journey to traverse a stream carefully.

When she exited the car, she saw that the jeep she travelled in was no longer sleek and shiny. Instead, it was covered in the red dirt of the land just like everything else out there, making the paint look almost rusted and pockmarked like the other stranger vehicles. It was the beginning of the wet season for the territory, and they took special care and consideration of even the most minor streams in the outback. Noah, who rode shotgun as she stretched out her leg along the back seat, pointed out the wild bulls, brumbies and explained that the water buffalo tended to stay further north near the rivers and wetlands. However, a few could be seen this far south in the wet season, along with the freshwater crocodiles.

Marcella would have been happy never to see another crocodile again. Still, as Hector had said, she had gotten off reasonably lightly, and aside from several deep puncture marks and stitches in her lower leg and ankle, she had been relatively unscathed by the event. It inconvenienced her more than it caused her any real pain. When they stopped again, she looked around and was surprised by what she saw. A large tin shed stood on one side, which served to help hide the cave-like dwellings set into the wall of a small cliff or something like that behind the shed making the area defensible should they come under attack for some reason. The entrances to the huts were dark so that she couldn't see within the cave-like dwellings, but a more careful look around showed her several tent-like huts that seemed to be covered in paperbark so that they blended in with the area. The only thing to stand out in this place was the tin shed which looked aged and unused, matching most of the cars and trucks that surrounded it.

"Let me show you where we will be staying," Noah held out his hand to Marcella, who looked at it and back at him. He chuckled. He should have known better than to give her a choice that she could argue with, but things had been going so well in the last few days that he had allowed himself to believe they had turned a corner in their relationship.

"Sure," Marcella agreed hesitantly, turning to look at the strange tents and cave dwellings, unsure what to think about any of this. Eventually, she felt Noah walk up behind her and put a hand loosely around her waist as he tried to guide her forward. Then, realising it was difficult for her to walk over the rough surface in her moon boot, he bent and swept her up into his arms.

"You don't have to do that," she gasped.

"Did you pack the crutches, because I think we left them behind," he smirked, enjoying having her in his arms and didn't want her to start fighting him again.

"It looks awkward, but it doesn't hurt. You can put me down," Marcella protested weekly.

"I don't want to," he said honestly and smiled down at her. The red dust of this place was so pervasive that he could see it sprinkled over her olive skin, making her almost glow in the bright sunlight.

Marcella leaned further into his chest rather than return his soft gaze. No one had ever gotten to her the way Noah had, and she tried to analyse why for the umpteenth time. She had dated handsome, intelligent, bold, and beautiful men before; so, although she could admit he was those things, she didn't think that was why she kept letting him wear her down and allowing him back into her life and bed. He was persistent. She gave him credit for that, but it was also more than that. She'd grown to trust him or at least trust him more than she trusted most other people. In him, she had found someone who could force her out of her own head to live in the moment with him while keeping her safe from all the demons that haunted her.

In the past, she had always been the dominant one in her relationships once she had successfully distanced herself from Apollo and the tables. She chose who she dated, where they went, what they did and if they ever got a second date. Not that many ever got that far with her. She was far from dominant with Noah. He would let her be on an equal footing with him, but more often than not, he had taken control of their intimacy. From their very first tussle over who controlled their first kiss, she wanted to prove herself to him, and his rejection that night had stung so badly. It was as if she would never be enough or worthy of him.

How far they had come since then, she thought. She had made Noah prove he was worthy of her over and over again rather than proving herself worthy of him. Yet, deep in her gut, she knew it was right between them. Whether it was his curse or hers that had brought them together, she had given in to that pull, and although it scared her, she didn't feel the overwhelming urge to get away from him and the family organisation he was born into. He had shown her a different side to all of that, and it was rocking her world as she came to terms with what it meant to him and his family.

"Noah?" she quietly asked just before he ducked his head into one of the cave-like structures against the cliff wall.

"What's wrong?" he asked, bending his head under the low ceiling and placing her feet on the floor while still holding her close.

"Explain it to me again?" she requested, sounding unsure of herself.

"We think the watchers might have been compromised, so when that crocodile decided to nibble at your leg because you look so delicious, we decided to scatter and make it harder for Konrad to find any of us. We are here. Genesis and Olivia are out at sea, and Vivienne has gone home to her family. Gideon has gone to Darwin to be the bridge between us all because my dad is on the warpath with the senior blades," he explained, thinking the reason for them coming to this place was what was foremost in her mind.

"Thank you, but that wasn't what I meant. I trust that you and your brothers are doing the right thing this time," she sighed, realising how condescending that sounded and pulled out of his arms to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

"What did you mean then?" he asked with a frown. He sat next to her, not touching her, but feeling like something about their relationship was troubling her again. He was starting to have good intuition about when to push her and when it was better for him to back off.

"You have uprooted your whole life for me. That's not the way Table men act. They take what they want and damn everyone else and their opinion. So, explain to me again about this curse?" she asked. The magic of his curse, or whatever it was, was what had made him break through her hard outer shell to her inner wounded heart. "Please?" she added as an afterthought. The power of this man and his curse had left her feeling exposed and vulnerable. It was as if she were waiting for the whole fantasy of being loved without an agenda to disintegrate in front of her now that she was falling for his act.

"I think we covered this a few times already, both with my brothers and your sister and without. You know the story of my parents?" he ventured. "You know why my mother is such a bitch and why my dad puts up with it?" Noah tilted his head at her.

"Well, I agree she's a bitch," Marcella shrugged, trying to remember all the bullshit that happened with Vivienne and her flight back to her family and the subsequent rushed wedding.

"He loves her and forgives her every bitchy act," Noah smiled. "I don't think any of us understood why he always forgave her so easily until we met our curse breakers. We were told as young men that one day we would meet the love of our lives, and it wouldn't matter what other plans we had made for our lives, we would forego them all for the woman who broke our hearts curse." He paused and looked at her. "I know it sounds far-fetched, but many of the women say they feel the rightness of their relationships. Something that they hadn't found with anyone else."

"Why is she such a bitch, though?" Marcella asked curiously.

"She doesn't believe in the curse and is always making my dad prove that he loves her not just because of the curse but truly loves her. Except there is no real answer to that. It's about being a believer and having faith in us when we tell you that we love you. You are the only woman for me, Marcella, the only one that could ever complete me. There would never be anyone who could match or even come near the love and protectiveness I feel for you. Of course, you can choose to leave me, but I will continue to watch over you and try to win you back while you allow me in your life because I can't imagine my life without you," he said, knowing that sounded like every man who had ever tried to control her with their declarations of love. "I will keep you safe while Konrad is out there, but if once he is dealt with, you choose to leave me, I will have no choice but to let you go."

"You would let me go? After going to so much trouble to keep me with you?" She gaped at him.

"I've been trying to keep you safe," he sighed. "I couldn't let you go when we didn't know who was targeting you and Olivia. When I let you go at the casino, and I thought you had died on that yacht... I will not live through that horror again. Believing you died on that yacht almost killed me, I won't survive if it happens again. So, I will keep you safe and with me until I know this bastard is dealt with once and for all. Then and only then will I listen when you ask me to let you go."

"And if I choose to stay?" she asked, knowing that from the time she had taken back control of her mind and body, this had been a certainty. She wanted the family that her sister and Vivienne offered her along with Noah, his brothers and their extended family.

"Then I will grab a priest and make it official as soon as you say yes," he grinned and pulled her across his lap to kiss her.

"I sort of already did as Olivia keeps pointing out to everyone," she wiggled the fingers of her left hand at him, showing the fire opal ring she still wore.

"You never said yes to the happily ever after version of events, just the disguise," Noah reminded her.

"You haven't proposed anything more than that, not in those words exactly," she pressed.

"I will propose properly the moment Konrad is nothing but a bad memory for us both," he grinned and kissed her again. His hands stroked over her body, letting her know she was loved, desired and cherished. Noah wasn't sure when the change from angry, scared little girl to a passionate woman who knew her own mind happened, but he was grateful for every harrowing moment of their lives together if it brought them to this moment of surrender to the love they were fated to share. She was finally trusting him to take care of her damaged and vulnerable heart. Of course, it was only a beginning as it had been all week, but he wasn't taking the trust she was giving him lightly.

Ending the kiss, he leaned back to look down into her eyes. Her strength didn't detract from his dominance, but instead complimented it, and he could feel her yield to him willingly now, not that he would ever truly dominate her as he had others no matter how much the idea of that turned him on. He was content with the relationship they were forging together from the ruined ashes of their lives before the Mother's Day shootings brought the Gambaro sisters and Vivienne into the lives of the Zenati clan.

Marcella was glad for the dimness inside the cave-like hut as she felt herself blush with her admission that she would stay and be part of his family. That she wouldn't make him leave the people, he loved to follow her to goodness knew where. It was difficult for her to admit that she trusted and loved him. Maybe not with the strength of his curse, but it was true nonetheless, and she knew she wouldn't be happy without him in her life either, and she turned her head rather than have him see the blush and need for him she felt at that moment.

"Was that so hard to admit?" Noah asked. He was not letting her avoid his eyes so easily and turned her face back to his searching her eyes.

The depth of Noah's gaze left Marcella breathless. It was as though he could look directly into her soul, and she closed her eyes to stem the deep emotions passing through her. It wasn't that she didn't feel safe or comfortable. It was more that she couldn't ever remember feeling this secure with another person. Even when he was angry and dominated her physically and sexually, she felt safe. He never made her feel genuinely powerless or helpless, even when they had their biggest fight in Adelaide, she had perhaps felt vulnerable, even weak at one point, but she never once felt like she was truly in danger.

"Look at me, Marcie," he said softly. "You are the most beautiful of women because of the way you challenge me and the sparkle you get in your eyes when you are passionate about something and determined to prove to me that it's worth fighting for to me. You are beautiful because of the way you always put those you love first, even to your own detriment at times. You are just as beautiful deep down in your soul as you are on the surface, and I will be the luckiest man in the world when you agree to be mine forever and ever. So please don't turn away from me anymore. There is nothing you need to hide from me. I love and accept all of you, the whole crazy-beautiful package that is Marcella Gambaro. Soon to be Marcella Zenati!"

Marcella wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into the feeling that constantly assailed her since returning to Noah's home territory. She wanted more, wanted him, or at least the feel of his hands on her skin rather than her clothes.

"Are you hungry? It's about lunchtime," he asked, concern for her and his own need rising as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Not for food," she murmured back, feeling that horrible girlish blush colour her cheeks again. She was a tough bitch; goddammit, she didn't blush. She took what she wanted, no questions asked. She tried to draw up a saucy grin to go with her words as he pulled them apart to narrow his eyes at her taking the initiative this time.

"Pray tell," Noah turned them, pushing her down onto the bed and holding her hands down beside her head. "What are you hungry for?" he asked with a wicked smile as he moved over her.

"If you don't know, the answer to that is you, already; you aren't the man I thought you were," she challenged. She distantly recognised that even being held down like this by him no longer pushed her fight or flight buttons. The drama of the past weeks had changed her significantly in that this man who held her at his mercy had always been there for her, fought for her, and loved her, no matter how badly she treated him. He was not just her lover but her friend and the closest thing she had to a trustworthy confidante that she trusted to keep her secrets--something she had never had before, not even with her beloved Aunt.

"Fuck," Noah groaned. Of all the things he thought she might say, that was not it, but it made his heart swell in his chest. Every day since her break down in Adelaide and again in Perth, she was becoming more demonstrative of her feelings for him, without having to fight him every step of the way. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, letting his lips trail slowly over her body as he undressed her. He slid off the edge of the bed and settled between her legs, pressing his mouth against her pussy and enjoying the moan of pleasure she emitted.

"Oh yes," Marcella sighed lustily, reaching down to tangle her hands in his hair and lift her hips to increase the pleasure he was giving her.

"Fuck!" she panted as he worked on her. Her hands were forcing his face tighter against her body, her fingertips digging into his scalp. Then, without lifting his mouth from her or pausing in his attack on her pussy, he groped for her hands. He held her captive when he found them, palm to palm with their fingers intertwined and locked with his. She writhed while he tongued at her in a futile struggle to break his grip. Eventually, she gave a great groan and lifted her hips to push herself against his face as her climax hit her body with a jolt leaving her shaking and twitching as sensations overwhelmed her.

Noah released her hands and pushed her legs wider apart, at the same time hooking her under the knees and pushing them towards her chest. He renewed his assault from this new angle using his fingers to plunge into her and hook forward against the ridged surface within to drive her into a second climax on the back of the first. In doing so, he was sure the whole camp heard Marcella's cries as she spiralled out of control beneath him.

He stopped lifting his head to watch her while she was still lost in the throes of her climax. He took his cock in his fist and gave several slow strokes. Marcella's eyes opened, and she looked at him while she panted, coming down from such a big endorphin high. He could read the lust and desire in her expression and felt the same emotions surge through him.

Marcella pulled him closer, coming up off the bed to kiss him and taste herself. She couldn't even fathom what this man did to her anymore and had stopped trying. If this was a curse that brought them together and made everything else seem insignificant, then so be it. She was so tired of fighting the world alone. Within the last week on his family's property, she could finally admit that she wanted this. She wanted him and the family he offered her.

Noah climbed back onto the bed and over her breathless body as they kissed. Still locked together, she reached between their bodies and took his cock in her hand, bringing it to her entrance. Then, continuing the kiss, he slid his entire length into her, groaning into her open mouth as their tongues slid and coiled in an erotic dance.

They rocked together, her hands moving up and down and over his back as the heat of the day outside sheened their bodies in a film of sweat. The sounds of their lovemaking grew ever more sordid as their bodies slid and slithered together. Then, gathering her strength, Marcella gave a shove accompanied by a grunt of exertion. She somehow rolled Noah over onto his back and still kept him inside her. Then, she lifted herself into position to ride him. She had a suspicion that he felt what she was doing and allowed her the moment by rolling with her, but she didn't care. She wanted a little bit of control. She needed to show him that she would never be some weak, submissive partner in bed like he was used to having. Yes, she wanted him and this and everything that came with him now, but she would never make it easy for him to control her on any level.