“This guy, he spent the last week lying to everyone and here’s the proof. Probably charged the night with his girlfriend to the poor, unsuspecting taxpayer. As usual, there’s a set of rules for the rich and then there are rules for everyone else.”
“Like you?”
Infuriating that someone as smart as Ryan didn’t understand.
“Look around you, Ryan. Alice Springs is one of the largest inland populations and mostly indigenous. Do we look like we get a lot of government investment? Despite my so-called profile, I couldn’t even get government funding to fund a literacy program teaching kids the Arrernte language, let alone local dialects.”
“Sweetheart, the government tries hard.”
“Not hard enough, anyway, I’ll sort something out when I go back to the city. Finish my degree and then start shaking things up.”
She shouldn’t have broken the mood. The most perfect day, with her perfect man and she ruined it all by standing on her social justice soap box.
“Sorry, let me go and make you another coffee, and can we please have a do-over?”
“A what?” One of his most endearing features had to be his naivety.
“A do-over. I wanted this morning to be romance and us – before we go back home. I shouldn’t have reacted to the photo.”
He got up and kissed her cheek, “No do-over necessary, but let me serve you,” a flirtatious smile, “We have a late check-out and you will need your energy.”
“Good answer.”
He wanted to call Susannah or James. What a horrendous day – seeing your private pain splashed across the tabloids. Having complete strangers dissect your marriage and failings.
Moving away from the table to get the coffee gave him time to think. He had only met James Dawson a few times – fundraising dinners and political events. Only at a golf tournament did he realize James had another woman in his life. It made for some awkward conversation, especially when he was working closely with Susannah on the soup kitchen promotion. Sweet Susannah, the perfect politician’s wife and now one of his few supporters on the Softli board.
Ellin, so proud and steadfast in her beliefs – the world was black or white. Right or wrong. Justice or injustice. What the hell did she know about the complexities of marriage – or business.
The more he lied to her, the more impossible the task of telling her the truth or having her hear him out or forgive him.
Yet, he needed to be honest with her. But first, he needed her to believe in his love and that it was stronger than whatever hate she may one day feel for Mason.
Still pouring the milk for their coffees, two arms appeared, holding him from behind, “Let’s go back to the room and start that do-over. I don’t want coffee – I want you.”
As he rose to the occasion, quite a feat given the past 24 hours, all thoughts of James, Susannah and the real Mason were pushed to the side.
If the lady wanted a do-over, he would oblige her in everyway her heart desired.
Babble
Lights were out when they pulled into Maali’s driveway.
“Ready?” Mason asked, not wanting to go back to sleeping alone, not after three amazing days loving Ellin, being the last to see her at night, and the first to wake her with kisses in the morning.
“Not really,” neither of them made a move to leave his car. “Time for reality, I guess we can’t avoid it.”
Both seatbelts quickly unbuckled as they came together, he stroked her face not wanting to spend another day of his life without seeing her. “I wish we could get away, spend just another couple of days before we have to face your family. Don’t get me wrong, I like them, I just want more of you and you alone.”
“Are you serious?” He moaned as her hand stroked his hardness, she continued with a wicked smile, “Are you up for anything?”
“As long as it is with you,” more kisses, oh, he could take her here in the car if her family wasn’t sleeping only metres away.
“Leave your car here, give me a minute to grab a couple of swags and we can take my car.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere I’ve never taken anyone before.”
This felt more of a commitment than spending the last days together. “Only if you’re sure.”
“I’ve never been more sure.”
Within half an hour Ellin found their way, through darkness, to a secluded waterhole.
“How do you know where we are?” he was amazed how confidently she drove over ground he could barely see, swerving to avoid trees that appeared out of nowhere, and then stopping at the edge of water he could hear without seeing.
“I don’t know, I just do. I found this place years ago when I needed to get away. I’ve never seen anyone else here and I’ve never bought anyone here. But I can always find it.”
“So now what?” he followed her lead as she unrolled two mats on the ground, laying one of the sleeping bags over the top. Feeling inadequate, he gathered small twigs as she found the site of previous fires, brushing away the fallen leaves and blessing the ashes.
Making love to Ellin in a motel room was perfect because he was with her.
Making love under the blessings of a billion stars, to the orchestra of lapping waves was more than he could ever imagine.
In the soft glow of the fire he slowly removed her shirt, undoing one button at a time until the fabric fell aside, quickly joined by her black cotton bra.
Her hands found him, trying to release him from the confines of his shorts. “Not yet, let me,” he murmured knowing that he could explode with one touch. “If this is your first time here, I want it to be all about you.”
Their lips crushed together in the majesty of the moment. Each kiss exploding as if it was their first, his skin alive with wanting her.
“No,” as her hands found him again, not to be silenced. Ellin pushed him onto his back, ripping at his shirt and shorts, releasing him from the confines of all clothes.
He could only do the same. Pulling her shorts over her slender hips, feeling his way down past her ankles. She raised her hips to allow an easier path for her panties.
“Much better,” she crooned as they lay naked and only covered by the stars of her ancestors.
Arms wrapped around each other, she ground against him and it took all his self control to slow things down. “I think we can do better,” he moaned as he rolled her onto her back, his fingers finding her ready while his tongue licked circles around each nipple.
Her cries grew stronger as his wet fingers swapped with his tongue, pressing and massaging both nipples while his kisses lay a trail down her chest to her belly button.
Another circle of light kisses, he opened her legs with his head until his tongue found its home.
Ohhhh, he loved the taste of her. Could not get enough of feeling her respond to his touch. She was so ready, he spread her cheeks to drive his tongue further, only to pull it out to tickle her bud.
“Don’t stop,” she cried, thrusting her hips to his face.
“What are you going to do about it?” he challenged, stopping only to give small love bites on her inner thighs, loving the feel of controlling her passion with every bite.
“I thought you’d never ask,” in an instant, she spun around, surprising him by taking him whole.
His body wanted to explode on impact, instead he focused his mind on going back to her. Feeling her suck him deeper, he drove his tongue inside. As her fingers joined her lips, he parted her cheeks for his hands to join her from behind.
There it was, the subtle difference in her taste, before the light tremors. He could stop and pull her back or …
For a moment he lost all thought, he was being inhaled inside this wonderful woman.
Damn it, he pulled out just in time, with each of his own spasms he almost wept with love and desire.
Parting her legs even wider, he replaced his tongue with fingers, instead licking and sucking her bud until she cried out his name, “Ryan.”
&n
bsp; Ellin never imagined loving another person would be so intense. Yes, she thought she had been in love. Once upon a time, before she knew what love could be.
This, with Ryan. All consuming, all embracing. Love.
Two perfect days in Alice Springs, getting to know each other as lovers and partners. Introducing him to old friends and watching the way they responded to his easy going nature and humor. He didn’t take himself too seriously and put up with the banter, even giving back some of his own.
He encouraged her to take him sight seeing – away from the tourist areas to see the natural beauty without distractions. She bought a couple of cheap sketch pads and charcoals and produced outlines wherever they went.
“Are you going to turn them into paintings?” he asked as she finished another of their picnic spot. Underneath the shade of a gum tree, she had bought life to the Mac Donnell Ranges using the shading of charcoal to accentuate the majestic flat rocks against the horizon. He had sat behind her for an hour while she drew, she could see his legs either side of her, still and relaxed. His warm breath on her neck but never disturbing her focus until she finished.
“No, I prefer doing these instead of photos. Take a photo on your phone and what do you see?”
“Who was there, what you saw within the frame.”
“Exactly,” she turned to kiss him. “But if these are your memories,” she flicked through the almost completed pad, “what do you see.”
He took the pad off her, carefully examining each sheet before handing it back with a large exhale. “I get it.”
“What do you ‘get’?”
“I don’t ‘see’, I ‘feel’ and remember. They let me replace the detail with my imagination, memories and emotions.”
Yes! He understood her art and her.
“Let me draw you,” the idea had been growing.
“I don’t know,” too new in their relationship to say “no” to her, he wasn’t comfortable being her subject.
“It’s the best way for me to get to know you,” she teased, drawing a piece of charcoal down his bare chest.
“Haven’t we been exploring each other enough,” she pushed his hands from their travels to her breasts.
“Ryan, this is important to me. I want to draw you, get to know every line, every dimple, every light in your eyes.”
He couldn’t deny her.
Sketch after sketch she discovered a new side to him, the way he pulled the bread apart to eat each bite, only after feeding her pieces. The graceful movement of his hand brushing a fly away – no matter how many, he never became frustrated or angry.
She loved the small smile lines around his eyes, they way he squinted in the sun or watched her with soft love as she drew him.
With every stroke of the charcoal, Ellin succumbed to the love that had been building. She knew every part of this man, his essence and soul.
She trusted him. She trusted enough to truly and deeply allow herself to love him.
Feeling safe with him, Ellin didn’t regret extending their getaway, bringing him to her secret place in the middle of the desert rock formations, the Inari Waterhole.
More days of talking and loving that reinforced everything she knew about him and them as a couple.
Swimming naked in the cool blue water, surrounded by rock caves. Showing Ryan how to forage for native herbs and how to find fresh water.
Then lying in his arms talking about their dreams, their desires. Their future.
She had no doubt this was a forever love. Not a fling or an affair that would cease when the language program was launched. Whether they lived here, or in the city didn’t matter, she would move to the end of the earth to be with him.
“What about your family, how are they going to take this news?” he asked as they packed up camp.
“Hopefully, they won’t make a big deal of it. But, you never know.” She was concerned, giving them permission to go away together didn’t mean her family would accept him in her bed in their home.
They stood at the packed car, nothing more to stop them from returning. Fingers intertwined, she bit her lip to stop from crying. What if this was all they would ever have?
“One last swim?” he suggested, only the tightness in his voice gave away his own fears.
“Again, I thought you’d never ask.”
If their first time was beautiful, this time was surreal.
Ellin swam out to the center of the waterhole, equal distance from the rocks and small pebbly beach. Sun burning down, she watched Ryan swim out with the most awkward of strokes to reach her. Clearly he never spent much time in the water, but was willing to try anything for her.
“One of these days, I’ll beat you,” he laughed, grabbing her to him.
“One of these days, I might let you,” automatically her legs wrapped around him as he tread water, keeping them both afloat.
She felt him grow against her, floating against her cheeks.
“Ahhh,” it took a couple of attempts before she could slide down him.
“You wench, we could drown!” she loved the way his pale eyes clouded over as soon as he was inside her.
“What a way to go,” carefully she raised her hips back and forth, the cool water against her clit providing its own aphrodisiac.
Their eyes merged together, she softly road him. Treasuring every inch as he almost exited, and then drove back into her. Feeling more confident, he held her with one arm, as the other hand teased its way to where their bodies joined.
As soon as he touched her, Ellin’s whole body contracted with desire, the spasms signaling his own longing.
As her tremors subsided, she still clung to him. Never wanting to be apart.
“I love you, Ellin, I love you.” She didn’t expect him to say it. Not here and not yet. Yet the honesty in his eyes made her believe.
“I love you, too, Ryan.”
He loved her. Simply and complicatedly, loved her.
The way she walked, confident yet her light bounce showed her enthusiasm for life. The way she fought so hard for her family – ensuring her brothers stayed true to their culture and didn’t succumb to any stereotype.
Her passion in painting – to see her heart was to watch her at her craft, spending hours on getting the right colors so the world would get to know her country.
Waking in his arms every morning since they came back to town, lying beside him as they talked about everything and anything.
Except his truth.
The longer he held his secret tight, the harder it became to share. He cringed each time she called out “Ryan,” during their love making, or said those precious words, “I love you, Ryan.”
She loved Ryan.
She didn’t even know Mason.
He tried not to talk about his work or his job. Every time she bought up the subject, it only intensified his guilt. And made him more aware of how strongly she felt – Softli was a symbol to her of inequality and injustice. The money the ‘wanker’ got to sell out was a symptom of a societal problem and one she was young and passionate enough to want to change.
“You have all these big companies, like the Softli you work for, avoiding tax which there is no way little people can get away with.” His own injustice was not being able to defend himself or his company without giving away his secret.
“Those corporate types, sitting back in their offices and having long lunches while their staff do all the work for a pittance.” Again, no point in telling her about the long hours all his executives worked, almost 24/7 and that most employees were now on a profit sharing arrangement. He built the company with friends and all staff felt like a friend.
“If the company goes under, what happens to you?” Fair question and one that had been concerning him. Not for his own future, but that of his friends.
“I guess, I’ll find another job. Or we’ll have to live off your modelling career.” Another opportunity to tell her the truth wasted.
He had been away from Softli for si
x weeks. The new CEO had tipped his company upside down and from reports filtering in from his friends and former colleagues, the place was imploding. Long term clients waiting out their contracts, already looking for new companies to transition towards. Top designers and business analysts walking when their contracts and terms were slashed supposedly all for the good of the company’s bottom line.
Good people hurting.
Perhaps Ellin had been right all along. He built his company, handed it over for a billion dollar pay day and didn’t care about the consequences.
The guilt kept him awake at night and drove him to work harder on the language program. They were going through final beta testing before launching it at the Desert Art exhibition to complement Ellin’s paintings.
He called in favors with public relations companies to come in and promote the technology and her art – keeping his name out of any press. Maali seemed suspicious when he demurred all offers to publicly thank him, but he assured her that he didn’t want anyone to think Softli owned any of the technology or intellectual property. Secretly, he had his lawyers write up iron-clad contracts which gave it all to a foundation in Maali’s honor. Any profits would be retained by community and used to fund similar language programs for other indigenous communities in Australia and internationally.
His gift, to Maali for allowing him to love her grand-daughter. And to Ellin, so one day she might possibly forgive him.
“Leaving so soon?” she wrapped her arms around his chest, inhaling the scent of him. Unmistakable. Never in a million years did she expect her television interview to lead to love. And her she was, totally and unapologetically in love with a man she had known for less than two months.
Surprisingly, her brothers were in full support and didn’t bat an eyelid when she returned from Alice Springs with Ryan by her side and then in her bed. They had taken him aside, had a conversation and while not giving him their blessings, hadn’t turned him away. “Elli, as long as he treats you right, he can stay. If he doesn’t, then he will need a hospital.” Birrani promised, stabbing at the ground with a pretend spear.
A Billion Reasons Why_Billionaire romance Page 7