Where are you?
On the pontoon.
Roberta smiled as she pocketed her phone after sending a reply to Nate. She’d seen him arrive and garage his vehicle in the maintenance shed, the same way he would’ve noticed her parked car and known she’d be somewhere at the lake.
She dangled her legs over the side of the pontoon, splashing her feet in the cool afternoon water. The boat’s shadow shaded her as the rubber fenders protecting its side softly tapped against the pontoon, the lines holding it in place straining with the gentle current.
The click of the cottage door closing carried on the soft breeze. Nate was coming to look for her. Her heart thrummed, picked up pace and refused to settle.
A few families remained at the lake this late in the day, including a group of young children laughing and splashing along the edge directly in front of the closed teahouse.
Roberta shivered when the breeze picked up and swirled along the water’s surface. She looked up as Nate approached, his sunny smile matching the bright afternoon’s last rays. This bode well, didn’t it?
Nate plonked himself beside her, his arm instantly enveloping her, pulling her tight against his side.
Adrenaline was pulsating from his body. It discharged from every pore, covering his aura and spreading to her. She chuckled. “So, the meeting went well?”
“She listened and liked what we said. Promised to seriously consider our recommendations. This is good.”
He was jumpy, and she wasn’t surprised when he got to his feet, tugging on her hand to help her rise. “Want to see something?”
“Maybe,” she boldly backchatted in the face of his excitement. Moving across to the other side of the pontoon, she climbed onto the rail and spread her arms out in the classic Titanic movie scene with her back to Nate.
“What the heck? What are you doing?” Nate asked in a tone that was half growl and half amusement.
She turned around to scowl but gave him the sweetest smile instead. Precariously perched on the tubular rail, she began singing some lines from the Titanic theme song ‘My Heart Will Go On’. It had aired on the local radio station on the drive up the range from Cairns, and its lyrics remained stuck in her head. She hated it when a song did that. The only way to lose it was to belt out more of its words or wait for another song to come along and kick it out of the queue.
With this one firmly stuck, she sang to Nate that love could touch you one time and last a lifetime. When she added some clever falsetto, it tripled the emotion she conveyed. Nate remained frozen where he stood as though her voice and words paralysed him.
A sudden knee wobble had her jumping down from the rail back onto the pontoon before adding another line telling him that whether he was near or far, the heart would always go on. When she sashayed back, Nate’s mouth was slightly open, his gaze fiercely penetrating hers.
“Where were we going?” Roberta asked, squeezing his hand to break him out of the trance.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Looking so endearing and lost, Roberta reached up to brush her lips against his cheek. “Come on, Nate, it’s only a song. It was playing on the radio this afternoon and it won’t leave me.”
“Keep singing like that, and I won’t be responsible.”
She chuckled, finally getting Nate to ditch the serious look for a more relaxed one.
“Look, I’m all yours. Take me wherever.”
Hand in hand, they strolled off the pontoon. When they reached the end, Nate pulled her close and whispered, “I want to show you somewhere private and special.” Nate glanced towards the visitors still swimming before admitting with a cheeky grin, “Some days, I hate sharing this place.”
Roberta burst out laughing as they made for the same path leading to the kauri pines. His infectious energy was back, and she bounded alongside him as they entered the shadow of the forest, darting to the left of the path as some late visitors returned to the car park.
“Tell me more,” she said once the path was clear.
“About what?”
“The changes you want the government to make.”
“Oh, okay. I will. Soon. There’s a bit to sort out, including a report I must send before the end of the week.”
“Is this place you want to show me far?”
“Nope.”
They were fast approaching the twin giants but didn’t stop there, continuing to walk past the viewing platform. “Not much further.” Nate gave her a cheeky wink.
“I’m glad; otherwise, we’ll never get back in time for dinner with Bob’s family.”
Nate came to a sudden halt on the path and faced her. He looked into her eyes solemnly. “I’ve never taken anyone here before. I don’t even remember how I found it as a kid. Promise me you’ll keep it a secret,” he pleaded like he might already be regretting his decision to show her.
“Huh? I can’t do that. I don’t know what you’re about to show me.”
Nate harrumphed. “I should’ve guessed you’d never grant me this one wish. See this tree?” He pointed to one on the edge of the path and its odd-shaped trunk. It resembled a woman’s torso with breasts in the right place. “Turn off the path here. It’s only about six metres in, and you’ll see why it’s so special.”
“Why do I need to know how to get here?”
“You never know when you might need some private space.”
“Well then, hurry up.” Roberta giggled, clutching his hand tighter as she followed Nate on an invisible path, inviting laughter to spill from his lips.
When she saw the tree, she came to a sudden stop, and Nate did the same. Although it was only a tree, its roots were bigger than any others she’d seen, leaving her in awe. Two massive buttress roots rose to resemble a comfortable and inviting lounge chair, complete with mossy, lichen-encrusted armrests. “This is it?”
Nate nodded, looking uncertain.
“What do you do here?”
“I come here when I don’t want to be found. When I need to think things through.”
“Have you been here lately?”
“I have.”
In the slowly darkening forest, Roberta faced Nate. His thumb gently stroked her cheek, starting a hum along her skin. The enormity of him sharing this place with her hit her fair in the chest. He was making it harder for her to leave. She wet her dry lips before biting down on it. “The day Crystal was here?”
“Yes.” His voice came out husky. His usually light blue eyes were now a darker shade, drawing her in like a moth to light.
“Would you care to share my space?” He lowered between the two tree roots, the space big enough for two adults. She followed his lead, laying against his reclined length, cradled on either side by the roots and feeling protected all round.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she rested her head on his chest and melded against him. The soft beating of his heart pulsed against her cheek as a rich, earthy smell infiltrated her senses. She breathed deeply, filling her well with goodness and relaxation.
“What do you think?” Nate whispered the words against the top of her hair. She reached up to cup his cheek, the gentle prickle of his afternoon stubble sending a shiver of awareness along her skin.
She looked up, wanting to see his face in the fading light. “It’s as though the tree has a vibe. I can feel it hum. Can you?”
“Hum, hey.”
Nate wriggled her up a little higher and began working his lips along her brow, down her cheek, his mouth edging closer to hers while he gently kneaded her arms.
“I thought you said you came here to think.” Lulled by his kissing, she closed her drowsy eyes. At least she was comfortable against his body. As for Nate’s comfort, she wasn’t so sure.
“I am thinking. My mind is working out how to best kiss you right now.”
Roberta chuckled softly, tilting her head back so Nate could reach her. Her fingernails scraped against the wet, moist lichen for leverage, and with her eyes open again, she saw them filled with green muck. She held her hand up to the light. “This could get messy.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest we go that far. It’s not that cosy.”
The more they laughed, the more their mixed meanings tangled with their lips.
“Are you sure this isn’t killing your back?”
“Yep.” Nate gathered both sides of her face and drew her closer.
She stretched along his length. Not the securest of places considering Nate lay on top of a system of tree roots that might’ve looked snuggly, but which she doubted was.
The tranquil surroundings well and truly made up for any discomfort. She closed her eyes and sank into Nate’s touch. Their tongues duelled and lured contentedly until the kiss moved into intense territory, her soul unravelling just that little bit more. She quivered in his arms, recognising the shameless urgency to take the next step. It was enough to elicit a groan of appreciation from Nate when she began rubbing against him.
With his strong, secure hands, he wrapped her closer, and desire flamed at every pore. It was a kiss to steal her soul. His arms tightened further, and she feared he’d cut off her breath. Then her stomach let out a loud rumble, causing the perfect moment to shatter. Roberta pulled back. “We should probably get ready for dinner. We’re going to be so late.”
Nate chuckled, releasing his hold a tad. “Has anyone ever told you there’s a time for talking and a time for other stuff? Can we just get this done?”
They laughed some more, kissed again, tried to find the intensity again, but the moment was lost. Gone was the mood, moment and sensation. The harder Roberta tried to concentrate, the harder it was to stop laughing. She wriggled around, needing to untangle her legs and rise. She grabbed hold of the top of the buttress root and groaned when she came away with a handful of icky, moist lichen. “Nate, are you sure these roots aren’t digging into your back? There’s no way you’re comfortable.”
“Ahh … Roberta. Stop your fussing. Let me worry about that.”
When he tugged on her sticky hand, she ended up in the warmth of his arms, and she loved it. It felt like home. There was no hiding the bulge pulsing between them and the threat of how she could easily escalate this to so much more. But they were running out of time. Damn!
For once, Nate persisted. Dragging her thoughts away from what they should be doing and steering them towards what they could be doing. The moment she stopped worrying, his kiss continued its magic. The insistent touch of tongues, the sharing of warm breath, the delicious current zapping between them, the more urgent their kiss built up again. Sharp pleasure jabbed at every point on her body, leaving her intoxicatingly warm.
She no longer sang the Titanic theme song on repeat. It was long gone. What did take up space in her thoughts was that Nate took her to his private place and wanted to share it with her. This was powerful. That two was better than one crossed her mind. No matter what the circumstances or the place, and regardless of the setting, when two people clicked, there was no turning it off.
“Ah, finally. I have the Roberta I’ve been craving all day.” Nate nuzzled against her cheek, teasing her there, allowing her to gulp some air.
She mumbled indecipherable words; she was sinking. Deep into the unknown. A place she’d never been before. It terrified the hell out of her, leaving her unbalanced and unsure of what to do next. When she retreated, the forest was almost too dark to decipher Nate’s face.
“I know, I know. We’re going to be so late,” Nate admitted as he shuffled out from underneath her and helped her up.
Drowsy and floppy, she disentangled herself and rose; her body, though, was still craving his closeness. “I tried to warn you earlier,” she managed to say over the tightness in her throat. Her next problem was calming the rapid flutter, the hammering of her heart. She caught his gaze in the near dark and merriment looked back at her.
“You did. So sorry I didn’t listen. Come on, let’s go.”
Nate grabbed hold of her hand in a good, firm grip. Leading her out of the forest, neither spoke, but her veins throbbed. The very air surrounding them vibrated. How was she expected to behave and act normal surrounded by a cheerful Italian family and a mountain of food?
She groaned, tripping slightly on a tree root, only to have Nate steady her again.
It was going to be a long night. Already she was wishing they were alone and doing other things.