Ella drove to Zane’s suburb. Trees shaded both sides of the street and the morning sun left the bitumen road dappled with light and shade. When she found his house, she parked across the road.
She’d brought the barest of essentials, a few dollars in cash and her sunglasses. She would ask to leave her car keys inside, along with some snacks for when they returned.
Ella locked the car and made her way across the street, inhaling the crisp early morning air. Dew droplets, visible in the morning rays, clung to the leaves. Her shoulder rubbed against them on the low-lying branches as she walked past.
She spotted Zane in his front courtyard working with the bike. He looked up and waved. Oh hell. Her heart quickened. She smoothed down her lightweight denim jacket and clumsily buttoned it up, needing something for her fingers to do. Then she forced her legs to keep moving.
What was she nervous about? The ride? Or was it something else? She cringed, not liking that he knew so much about her private life, and she so little about his.
After their lunch the previous day she’d been out of sorts. Unable to confide in her best friend like she usually did, she hadn’t enjoyed her Zumba class at all. The thought of again broaching the subject of her father with her mother as soon as Victoria was well enough didn’t help. It would mean upsetting her mother, which was the only thing holding her back.
But damn it, this is my father we’re talking about.
She shook her head and wished she’d slept better. When she’d flopped onto her bed last night, her mind had refused to shut down. Memories of those chestnut-brown eyes and disarming smile had kept her awake, her restless night one continuous weird dream. Her cheek would rest against his; her hands would travel over his muscled thighs. Over and over. She would have to watch herself. She was more likely to say something stupid when she was tired.
On reaching his courtyard, she tried to quell the quiver that worked its way around her body. She was losing the battle; it was not something she could envisage going away any time soon.
She couldn’t remember ever being under the spell of a man before. Why would the extra stress about finding her father make it different this time? In all her past relationship experiences, she wore the pants, and as much as she was determined to follow in her own footsteps, she couldn’t seem to convey it this time.
“Good morning,” Zane greeted, still busy doing something on his bike.
Ella took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the bag she carried. “Hi.”
He balanced the bike on its stand and straightened, then stretched his arms above his head and made some sort of waking up noise before dropping his arms again.
“Ready to go?” he asked with his million-dollar smile.
Ugh. How could the simple act of watching him stretch send her pulse in a whirl? She wanted to beg him to stop, but he was matching all the right actions with all the right sounds. Every cell of his body screamed out masculinity. So where was the problem?
“Um … could I leave my keys and some snacks inside for later?”
“Sure. Come this way.” He led her inside, speaking over his shoulder. “Does the food need to be kept in the fridge?”
She followed a few steps behind, unable to keep her eyes above his waist. His black riding boots finished her off completely; she had to concentrate solely on breathing in and breathing out.
“Er … some of it,” she managed to answer.
“I’ll grab a small icepack so we can take it with us. I have some food too.”
Once inside, Ella looked around the small, tidy living space. She smiled when his back was turned. Did he have a massive clean-up last night, or was his place usually like this? The only man she knew who lived alone was her brother, and he had a long way to go in learning housekeeping skills.
Zane took her shopping bag and commandeered her keys. “I’ll put these in here.” He opened the bottom drawer in his kitchen and placed the keys inside. “We don’t need someone breaking in and finding them on the table.” His eyes twinkled in her direction before he turned to the freezer and reached for a gel icepack.
“Okay, you hold this.” He handed her a small esky and the shopping bag. “I’ll grab the helmets, gloves and jacket.”
Her mouth was seriously dry as he walked off. His black leather jacket hugged his broad shoulders and tapered down to his waist. With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she tightened her grip on the goods and turned. She hoped in the next few minutes she might revert to her usual self and start a conversation.
She found her way to the courtyard, and in no time at all, Zane had joined her and had the water and snacks stored in the bike’s side packs and his leather jacket secured to the throat.
If he was nervous, it didn’t show. Meanwhile, like an imbecile, she could barely get a single word out, and her replies to his chirpy chatter consisted of one-word answers.
“I’ll run through a few pointers you should know about riding doubles.”
She nodded.
He made last-minute adjustments to the bike, then said, “Okay, the first thing you shouldn’t do is make sudden movements while we’re riding. Move with me, especially when we turn a corner. In other words, don’t lean the opposite way to the bike. You’ll have to sit up close and put your arms around my waist.”
She swallowed as he handed her a pair of gloves. “I think I can manage that.”
He raised an eyebrow and smirked.
She blustered. “I mean … you know … leaning in and …” Oh, shit. Of course, I’ll do whatever you want.
“All good?”
When she didn’t respond, he frowned. He reached out, sat his hand on her shoulder, sending a charge to her rib cage, and gave it a quick squeeze. “Hey, you okay? There’s still time to change your mind. We don’t have to do this.”
She shook her head, took a deep breath and proceeded to put the gloves on. “No. No, I’m good to go.”
Then he did the weirdest thing. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Heck, wasn’t she usually the first to make a move? Even weirder was that she felt as if she were floating, inches above the ground, until he moved back and pierced her with his gaze.
He coughed, clearing his throat. “Ah … it’s hard to do that with a helmet on.”
Finally, thank God, his words were enough to snap her out of her trance and she laughed. He laughed too and looked relieved.
She reached for the helmet he held. “Okay, show me how to secure this thing and let’s get going.”
He chuckled, put his arm around her and squeezed her by his side, before concentrating on the task.
She wrapped her hands around his waist when they were both seated on the bike. The tangy smell of leather coated with orange oil was strong, even with all the head gear. She shuffled up against him and held her breath as he kick-started the bike and headed towards the road.
A whoosh of air, a little cool, brushed against her body, buffeting her jacket. She sat perfectly still. Adrenalin coursed through her veins as a smile struggled to fit in the confines of her helmet.
Why had she never tried this before? The sense of freedom and danger, unparalleled, when you put your fate in someone else’s hands. He had promised to take it easy and stop if she felt uncomfortable. He told her to press three times against his stomach if she was nervous and wanted him to pull over.
But she neither pressed nor became agitated, only hugged Zane tighter as he wound his way out of Brisbane towards the national parks in a north-westerly direction.
Zane was sometimes a little reckless when he took to the open roads, but now he reined in his need for speed, very conscious of his passenger. Acutely aware of her arms around his waist, he was unable to nudge the bulge in his jeans to a comfortable position for riding.
He smiled at the turn his thoughts had taken. Being this close to her did all the right things to his body. It had been a bloody long time. He would have to tell Dave to stop hassling him now. If Ella agreed he wanted her to hang around. What surprised him the most was the speed at which things were moving—and he wasn’t referring to the odometer reading on his bike.
He’d always been the kid who barrelled headfirst into everything, but this thing between them was at a stage where he needed to rein things in. How could they be sitting this close and only on their second date?
But man, it felt good. He’d never doubled with any girl before and couldn’t understand why it’d taken him so long. But selfishly, riding was his time away from the world and the stresses of work. It wasn’t something he wanted to share with anyone, so having Ella join him for a ride within days of meeting her spelled out a lot. Whether that was good or bad he couldn’t tell yet.
The longer they rode, the more he sensed her relax. He was conscious of her, waiting for her signal to stop, but he noticed her arms were not wound as tight as they had been, and he could have sworn he heard her singing.
His destination was a lookout he knew well in the D’Aguilar National Park. It boasted toilet and picnic facilities and a memorable view. He wanted to make the morning as unforgettable as possible, and he had a few ideas. He still had to tell her about his concerns regarding the case and his reasons for backing down. If that upset her and she hated the view, the morning was doomed.
With that in mind, he kicked down the gears on the ascending road. She sat up behind him, her helmet touching his with a quick tap. When he turned off the main highway, she remained still, allowing him to brake to a stop and rest the bike on its stand.
He slid off the bike, balancing it so Ella could do the same. When he removed his helmet and gloves, she did likewise and turned to stare at the view.
The blue summits in the distance, covered in sheltered pockets of subtropical rainforest, curtained the panoramic vision on the valley floor. Scribbly gum and vast expanses of eucalypt woodland roofed the remainder. A river wound its way north, and with the brilliant green of the trees hugging the waterway, it resembled a jade python. The sun dropped its morning rays on the meandering water, and it glimmered from their vantage point.
Zane took Ella’s helmet and gloves and rested them on the seat alongside his. Without asking for permission, he unzipped the heavy leather jacket she wore and laid it over the handles, then did the same with his own.
“What do you think?” he asked, nodding his head at the view.
“It’s amazing. I’ve never been here before.”
Phew, one tick for me.
He moved behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She swung around, and in two seconds flat he was trapped in her gaze. Zane wanted to kiss her, but this was too fast by his standards.
“Are you okay?” Concern creased her face.
He savoured the strong smell of eucalyptus, not sure if it was coming from the trees or her. He didn’t want to bring up the case, not yet. That would sour everything. Now was his moment to ask, to kick into action what he’d been thinking of doing all night. Without another second’s thought the words tumbled out of his mouth.
“I’m going to kiss you—again—properly.”
Oh, shit, no asking like a gentleman, just demanding like some barbarian. If she refused, who would blame her?
She turned back to the view, a smile on her face. Stunned, his brain told him it wasn’t a ‘no’. Was a smile a consent to kiss? Or was this a mysterious trait women had where you had to read their mind?
He forgot about glory and everything it entailed—it was do or die. He nuzzled past her hair and touched her neck, giving him precious seconds to rethink his next move.
Come on, brain. Kick into action if I need to stop.
He ignored his own plea and turned Ella away from the view. He let his breathing return to normal as he gazed into her depths. The memory of this morning’s fleeting kiss still seared his lips. No stopping now. He tilted her face towards his and groaned. He wanted more than a quick touch this time, so he pressed firmly, and her mouth came alive under his.
He was happy for it to go on and on. Time fogged his headspace and was quickly forgotten. They ignored passing motorists. The distant wolf whistles and gleeful calls were dampened by the pounding of his heart.
Her arms wound around his neck and he held her closer.
He knew they had both felt something at lunch the day before, though they’d done their best to ignore it. Their flirting had been fun and contagious, but he didn’t want to resist it any longer.
When he needed to breathe, when oxygen was more important than the potent rush of blood flowing through his veins, he released her, nervous about scaring her off. This was too fast. First date or second, it didn’t matter. He had to slow down.
But as her warm breath brushed across his cheeks, and as he fixed his stare on her blue eyes, the importance of slowing down became irrelevant. In true Zane style, just how he loved to ride his bike, he leaned forward for more. He forgot his resolve and traced a path down her cheek. His mouth sought solace in the spot where her neck joined her shoulder. As a reward she sighed contentedly, which only encouraged his greedy need to have more.
Help, someone. But there was no help to be found and, the longer he stayed connected to her soft and fragrant skin, he seriously didn’t seek any.
When he finally pulled back, he took her hand in his and took his fill of her beautiful face. “Did you enjoy the ride?” He asked as he rubbed small circles over her knuckles. His need to constantly touch her verged on desperate.
“Yes.” Her smile transformed her face and enchanted him with those dimples that came from nowhere.
When a car sped past, breaking their reverie, Zane let go of her hand. “I brought a picnic blanket, so how about we find a quiet spot in the shade and have something to eat? Do you need to be back by a certain time?”
He carried the small esky and handed her the water bottles as they walked away from the lookout and car park. “I promised my sister I’d spend some time with her researching cancer help groups in the area. It’d be helpful if I could be back by ten.”
Zane spread the blanket beside a tree and sat down. He leaned against it, opened his arms and beckoned her towards him. “Easy. We can stay another hour before heading back.”
She settled against his chest and he didn’t hesitate to wind his arms around her. He also didn’t waste another second. He moved her hair aside, wanting to taste her again. Her silken hair brushed against his cheek as she leaned back, allowing him easy access.
“Ella?” He moaned near her neck.
“Hmm?”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“I know. Ethics. It’s a tricky situation but …”
He chuckled and raised his face. She wasn’t silly. “What snacks did you bring?”
She reached for the cooler beside them. “Delicious hummus and crackers.”
“Really?” That didn’t sound like food.
She twisted around and eyed him warily. “Well, what did you bring?”
Had he made it that obvious what he thought of hummus? “Triple choc-chip biscuits.”
“Really?” She burst out laughing.
He joined her, and they finally relaxed together. He needed this. Actually, he needed a lot of things—answers as to why their mothers shared a photo, reassurance that it was for the best that she didn’t know about this connection yet, and diplomacy when he told her about being unable to search for her father. For now, he wanted to concentrate on the sexual pull he was certain they were both feeling and were reluctant to avoid.
Even if it meant eating something so sickeningly healthy.