“This will have to be quick,” he said. “A pilot just came in for a briefing.”
“That’s okay. I only wanted to tell you that I won’t make it tonight. I almost dozed off at the wheel and thought it best to stop in Gander. It’s too risky to drive any further today.”
“Sensible girl. You’re doing the right thing.”
“I’ll be home sometime tomorrow and will see you after work.”
“Perfect. Look, I have to go now.”
After Paul hung up, Riley realized she hadn’t said where she was, but Paul wouldn’t worry. Besides, they had tacitly agreed not to bother with an evening call without even mentioning it.
Riley was in the kitchen when Paul’s key rattled in the door. Luckily, she had come to a natural break in her cooking efforts and hurried into the living room. Paul gaped. She was wearing a simple deep blue dress, sleeveless, with a low neck and a line of small white buttons down the front.
“My God, you look stunning,” he said, and took her in his arms.
“Thank you, kind sir,” said Riley. Then she saw the blackening lump on his temple. “Oh, my poor darling, how did you get that?” She touched it gently with a forefinger.
“It was like I said on the phone. I fell over. Actually, one of those goons must have tripped me. Anyway, I landed on the branch I told you about.”
“Paul, I feel terrible.”
“Don’t. It doesn’t even hurt.”
Riley nuzzled her face against his neck, then raised her lips for a long-awaited kiss. In a second, their mouths opened and their tongues searched.
When they parted, she took his hand. “Sit on the sofa and close your eyes. I’ve got a little surprise.”
Riley made sure he was settled, then went into the kitchen. She returned with two glasses, some ice in a bowl and a bottle of Glenfiddich Malt Whisky. After setting them on the coffee table, she took off her sandals and sat beside him. “You can look now.”
Paul blinked. “Oh, boy! That’s just what I need. How did you know?”
“We must have talked about malt whiskies awhile ago. I remembered you like the one from the Orkney Islands best—what was it, Highland Park? Unfortunately, they didn’t have any. This was your second choice.”
“Incidentally, you’re not supposed to drink it with ice, but not being your native Scot, I prefer it with a couple of rocks.”
Riley poured the drinks, pale gold liquid that covered two cubes in a tumbler. “Here’s to…um…”
Paul raised his glass. “Being together again.” It came to him that Riley’s absence for those few days had dramatically changed their relationship.
She gulped down too much whisky, spluttered, laughed and put her drink back on the table.
Their eyes met. As Paul looked into those deep blue pools, he knew he could easily drown in them.
Riley took his glass and put it beside hers. Then she leaned back against his chest with her head on his shoulder. Nuzzling his neck again, she started kissing the soft skin. The touch of her lips and tongue sent bolts of fire right through him. Paul looked over her shoulder at her body. Subtle curves showed through the thin material of her dress. One foot was on the floor while the other was on the sofa, exposing her elegant legs well above the knees. He ran his hands down her bare arms. The skin was cool and smooth.
Riley closed her eyes and took his right hand. She pressed it on her heart then moved it to her breast. Paul felt the soft flesh yield. She was wearing nothing underneath. Slowly, he undid the top few buttons. As the dress opened to reveal more of her breasts, he slid both hands inside, stroking them and teasing the nipples with his fingertips as they rose.
Riley cried out at the powerful, exquisite sensations. Paul continued until she could stand it no longer. She jumped to her feet and the dress fell away, puddling in an untidy heap at her ankles.
“There!” she whispered.
Paul gasped. He had often imagined this young nymph’s body, conjuring up all sorts of visions beyond beauty, his own pictures of female perfection. But none touched what he saw now. Riley’s dark hair was just long enough to brush the pale skin of her shoulders, which she’d pulled back in a reflex movement, accentuating the gentle curves of her youthful figure.
“I told you I’d make up for last week,” she said with a smile. “How about leaving dinner until later? I’ll turn off the oven, then…well…we’ll see!”
Riley turned and walked into the kitchen, showing off her sylph-like beauty as she did so. A moment later she returned to the living room. Spellbound and unable to move, Paul watched the seductive motion of her breasts.
Once again she took his hand, this time leading him to the bedroom. He went over to the bed and turned to face her. Riley unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his hairless, fair-skinned chest. Then she slid her hands to his belt. In a few moments he too was naked. Riley was more than ready as she put her arms around his waist, pressing herself against him and moving her hips and breasts to enhance the feeling of his flesh.
Paul tilted her head back. Their open mouths locked and the softness of Riley’s body made her writhing skin feel like warm silk. She pulled away so she could stroke and kiss him, arousing him until he arched his back at a surge of unbelievable pleasure.
She seized the opportunity and pushed him onto the bed. Riley lowered herself, gasping as he entered her. She started to pant as they moved back and forth in unison. She knew it would be soon. It had to be.
Paul suddenly rolled her on her back. Their bodies joined in frantic motion while Riley let herself ride the crest of the wave until it broke and engulfed her.
“Now! Now! Now!” she cried.
Then came an endless sea of breakers surging on, and on, and on…
She tensed violently as he lifted her arms above her head and locked them onto the pillow. Paul was falling deeper and deeper. At the same time, he lowered himself until his chest brushed her breasts.
It happened. Their eyes met and an intimacy was forged, more powerful, even, than the sensual joy of their lovemaking. Their psyches soared as their bodies fused, and the sea of dreams seemed endless.
At last, it was over.
Paul turned on his back and Riley kissed all the places she loved. After a while, he eased her down beside him, holding her close.
“I adore you, Riley-girl,” he said. “You’re gorgeous. Every part of you is gorgeous. Now it’s my turn to do the kissing!”
They played for what seemed like hours, dinner forgotten, until at last they slept, inextricably tangled in each other’s embrace.
Chapter Fourteen
Mysterious Marj
The following Monday found Paul on the morning shift, which was from six a.m. to two p.m. They set the alarm for five o’clock so that Riley could cook him a bacon and egg breakfast. As soon as he’d gone, with the smell lingering throughout the house, she returned to a lonely bed for a couple of hours.
By midmorning Riley was getting bored, particularly since the weather had turned cool and a few showers were drifting inland from Conception Bay. Then she had a thought. How was Jean these days? They hadn’t seen each other for almost two weeks. Maybe she’d be home. It transpired that her friend had to leave for work at around half past one. Could Riley come over for coffee?
She left almost at once and arrived to find that the coffee had been brewed and was ready. Steaming mugs and a plate of cookies were waiting on a table between the two rocking chairs in the living room.
“I heard someone tried to get into your basement,” Jean began. “Is that for real?”
“You bet. Paul was house-sitting while I was on my trip. He heard a noise in the middle of the night and went outside in his pajamas. There were three characters in ski masks picking the lock. Guess what he did next?”
Jean shook her head. “I can’t imagine.”
“He chased them away—just like that.” Riley snapped her fingers.
“Brave fellow. Did the police find out anything?”
“Zilch. Not a trace. All we know is that one of them was a woman.”
“Really? Well, that’s another item on your list of misfortunes.”
Riley sipped some coffee. It was still very hot. “I must say, it’s all getting quite bothersome.”
“Then why don’t you come and stay with me? Your house is downright dangerous. I worry about you.”
“Jean, that’s sweet. But actually I’ve…I’ve asked Paul to move in. You see, when I got back from Gros Morne, we—”
“Spent the night together?”
They looked at each other.
“It was more than that, much more,” said Riley. “I’ve fallen for him in a big way and I’m certain he feels the same about me. When I asked him to move in, I thought he’d jump at the idea. Even so, I jokingly told him he didn’t have to share my bed if he didn’t want to. It sort of came out. You know how I sometimes say stupid things. Well, after a couple of seconds we laughed ourselves silly.”
“That’s marvelous. I’m real happy for you. And with Paul living in, I’ll stop worrying.”
“How are things with you? Are you still feeling down?”
“A bit. I’m not very good at being dumped. After hearing about you guys, I have to admit I’m a little envious.”
“Jonathan was a creep, Jean. But cheer up! Because of Paul, I have no intention of leaving Newfoundland, which means we’ll be able to see a lot more of each other.”
“That would be terrific,” Jean replied, glancing at her watch. “How about a short walk before I get ready for work? We’ll need our coats though.”
“Great idea,” replied Riley. “I could do with the exercise.”
When Riley arrived home a little after one o’clock, she realized that Paul would need some lunch. This triggered the idea that she was assuming the role of some sort of housewife. While groveling in the freezer, she asked herself if she really wanted that. Paul was working and she wasn’t, ergo she was supposed to look after him. It was logical. Right now, the best thing to do was play it by ear. A pack of sausages appeared out of nowhere, so that would have to do. By the time the Mustang growled to a halt, the cooking smell in the house was quite appetizing. She turned down the back burner and went into the living room just as Paul opened the front door.
“How’s my Riley-girl?” he greeted. “You look ravishing.”
“And you look overdressed. Come over here and I’ll soon fix that.”
Paul shut the door and took Riley in his arms. She opened her mouth as they kissed, then undid his shirt buttons and nuzzled his chest.
She sighed. “Paul, my love, your Riley-girl missed you and wants you but we’ll have to wait, there’s food a’cookin’.”
“You mean that’s for me?”
“Of course, idiot. Do you think there’s someone in the bedroom? Anyway, it’s only sausages.”
“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Paul replied. “But you’re a good soul.”
While Paul was kissing her again, she felt his hand on her breast. A thrill shot through her body. It was all she could do to tear herself away.
“Let’s eat,” she said. “There are things to talk about.”
Riley poured a beer for Paul and a tonic for herself, then they sat side-by-side at the dining table and wolfed down the sausages and mash.
“I went to see Jean this morning,” she continued. “Told her I wasn’t planning on leaving Newfoundland—not with you around.”
Paul took a mouthful of beer. “I never thought you’d go back to Toronto, but there was always a tiny niggle at the back of my mind. Now it’s gone away.”
“I’m glad, but because we’re living together doesn’t mean the bad things will stop happening, so I have a suggestion—”
“Sell or rent this place and move into town.”
Riley dropped her fork with a clatter. “How on Earth did you guess? Holy cow! I’ve been screwed by a telepathic alien!”
Paul put his arm around her shoulders. “Our minds work in the same way, I guess.” He sighed. “This alien wants you again, like soon.”
“He can have me right now, but tonight would be nicer.”
Paul laughed. “My thoughts exactly!”
“Going back to our plan,” said Riley, “let’s give things one more chance. If anything else happens, we’ll move into town.”
“It’s a deal! Are there any more sausages?”
On Wednesday, Paul woke up early and insisted on cooking breakfast for them both. It consisted of pancakes with fresh blueberries from the meadow. Riley was duly appreciative.
As soon as he’d gone, she set off on a walk down the trail in the early sunshine. On thinking about recent days, she was surprised how easy it had been to adapt to Paul’s awkward hours. Even so, by eight in the evenings they were both quite tired and went to bed. They usually fell asleep in minutes, their naked bodies locked together.
Riley went as far as the boardwalk, then turned back. As she did so, a small problem popped up. What to do about her U of T courses? Although her parents had prepaid the tuition fees for both semesters, the Registrar’s Office might conceivably allow her to take a year off without financial penalty. A quick call produced a sigh of relief. Now all she had to do was put the request in writing and tell her parents.
Shortly before noon, the phone rang. Riley was expecting Jean, but it was Charlie Fudge.
“‘Ow are you, Riley? I found a nice little car yesterday. Should suit you perfect.”
“Hey, that’s great! What is it?”
“One o’ them Japanese jobs, a Toyota. And I got a good price for you. If it ain’t what you want, I’ll buy it meself.”
“Tell you what, Charlie, Paul and I will come and check it out after he finishes work. How about three o’clock this afternoon?”
“Sounds good. I’ll be waiting.”
When Paul arrived home, they had a quick lunch then Riley took him to Charlie’s garage in the Pontiac. She kept her fingers crossed as they parked in front of the large open doors of the vehicle bay. Paul was something of an expert on cars and she hoped he wouldn’t get into any arguments about the Toyota.
“Well, if it ain’t the weatherman,” greeted Charlie, extending a large, dirty paw. “‘Ow’s that big red monster of yours?”
“The Mustang? Oh, pretty good. Likes the warm weather, I guess.”
Riley pointed to a small gray sedan on the hoist.
“Is that my car?” she asked.
“Yis, girl. I just gave ‘er a checkup. We’ll get ‘er down and you can take ‘er for a spin.” Charlie lit a cigarette as the car descended slowly. “I ‘eard about them people trying to get into your basement, Riley. It’s not safe for you, all alone up there on the ‘ill.”
“You don’t need to worry,” said Paul. “I’m staying at the house to look after her.”
Charlie’s eyebrows went up a notch as a disapproving look passed over his countenance. Then he chuckled as he opened the driver’s door of the Toyota. “Good luck to you both. Now, let’s see what you thinks of this little beauty. Bit on the dainty side, maybe, but she’s got a good ‘eart.”
The Toyota did indeed have a good heart; Riley found it quite perky after the old Pontiac. She drove down Dog Cove Road as far as the turnoff to Jean’s house, then stopped on the shoulder.
“Why don’t you take it back, Paul? If it feels okay, a peek under the hood might be a good idea.”
“I was going to do that anyway.” Paul got out of the car so they could change places.
All went well. Back at Charlie’s garage, Paul lifted the hood and poked around for a few minutes, then he asked Charlie to put the car back on the hoist so he could get a proper look underneath.
“It seems fine to me,” he concluded.
“I never ‘ad any doubts meself,” Charlie replied. “But I’ll need to check them brake pads in a few months.” He turned to Riley. “Take ‘er for a couple of days then give us a call. If you’re still ‘appy, we can talk turkey.”
> “Okay. And thanks.”
Charlie backed the car onto the parking lot, then Riley took the wheel.
“It might be a bit pricey,” Paul commented as they headed home.
“I’ll have to see how much I can afford,” Riley replied. “By the way, we need some stuff from Doris. I think it would be a good idea to tell her you’re staying with me—like let it slip out. You know what I mean.”
“Sure, why not?”
The bell on the door tinkled cheerfully as they entered the store. This was the first time Riley had seen Doris since she returned from Gros Morne.
“It’s been a while,” she said. “How’s things?”
“A bit slow,” Doris replied from behind the counter. “Often is at this time o’ day. But tell me about the other night? You was away, I suppose. Lucky this young feller was lookin’ after the place.”
“Yeah! And I’m employing him as my personal bodyguard, ‘round the clock, of course.”
Doris frowned. “Livin’ in, is ‘e? I don’t knows as I approves. But when I thinks about it, it’s probably for the best. Better than worryin’ about you anyway. I wonder who those people were. Same ones as did those other tings I’m thinkin’.”
“Any ideas?” asked Riley.
“Can’t say as I ‘ave. And if I doesn’t know, the police don’t neither.”
Paul had drifted away to the end of the store during the conversation. When he returned, he was carrying some cookies.
“‘Ow’s the ‘ead, Mr. Sutherland? It looks a lot better. A bit of makeup and you wouldn’t even notice.”
“It’s a mark of bravery,” said Riley, “and I’m very proud of him.” She went over to the milk cooler. “We just picked up my new car from Charlie. I’m going to try it out for a day or two.”
Doris peered out of the window. “I knows who owned that car. It was well looked after.”
“Hey, that’s great! Come on, Paul. I want to do a bit in the garden before we have a barbecue.”
Riley paid for the groceries and in a few short minutes they were home.
That evening, she called Australia. It was her father who answered.
She Came From Away Page 15