Getting Wild

by Sarah Barrie

  Jake laughed good-naturedly. “No thanks. And you might just have a bit more bite than I gave you credit for.” A young couple caught up to them and stood hesitantly, obviously waiting for Jake. He greeted them then slapped Ryan on the shoulder. “Have fun. Call me if you need hauling out of any trouble.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Trouble?” Ella asked when they were back on the road. “Just what sort of trouble would we be getting ourselves into that would require Jake ‘hauling’ us out of it?” Her tone was deceptively mild, curious.

  “Jake and I came out here in the wet-season once, sank the car in a creek during a small flash-flood.

  “Oh…excellent. Turn the car around Ryan.”

  He grinned; his eyes alight with the memory. “While Jake was playing chicken with the crocs to get the winch line attached to a big old paperbark, the biggest mother olive python I reckon I’ve ever seen literally washed in through the window and decided I was safety. It wrapped…”

  “Ok, stop! The scariest part about that entire story is that you actually seem to be remembering it fondly.”

  “Don’t panic,” he reached out and ruffled her hair, earning a slap on the hand. “I don’t make the same mistakes twice. Generally. And we’re not in the wet season, I’m not taking you off-road and you’re perfectly safe.”

  “Yeah. Right. I should have gotten on that plane.”

  “You’re going to have a great time. You’ll see.”

  The Mary River Wetlands were spectacular. It wasn’t much before dark when they arrived, and the sun setting over endless stretches of monsoon forest, billabongs and millions upon millions of birds was extraordinary. They’d stopped at a sign that read Couzens Lookout, and Ella was having trouble taking her eyes of the wetlands settling into evening.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “It certainly is. I could watch for hours.”

  “It’ll be dark soon, best we get back.”

  “Alright.” Reluctantly, Ella climbed into the car and asked, “Where now?”

  “About thirty seconds in this direction,” he answered, and a few seconds later, “And here we are.”

  “Where is here? There’s nothing here. What are you talking about?”

  “This is the campsite. Look – there’s another tent.”

  Ella could barely make it out. Didn’t care. “You told me no tents!” she accused.

  Ryan simply shrugged, then climbed out of the car to start unloading. “I said you don’t have to sleep in a tent if you don’t want to, and you don’t. It’s nice to sleep under the stars.”

  “Outside? On the ground?” she asked in disbelief.

  “I bet you’ve never seen stars anything like those you see out here.”

  Ella looked around, not sure what to do and intensely annoyed with what she saw as a downright deceitful trick. “I can make you see stars right now, you lying…”

  “Easy on the name-calling, Your Highness.”

  Their eyes collided and unwillingly she laughed and threw out her hands. “Ryan, I’m trying, I really am. I let you drag me out here in a tank, went out on a boat in crocodile-infested waters…these are not activities I enjoy.” She slapped at a mosquito, then another. “Nor is being eaten alive by disease-carrying insects the size of small aircraft carriers.”

  “Here,” he said, grinning back and tossing her a can of insect repellent, “put some of that on and give this a chance. You’re a bit freaked out, I get that. But you’ll be fine, you said so yourself.”

  “Hmmm.” Trust him to throw that at her. She did as she was told, and as she watched on, she couldn’t help but be impressed at how quickly he set up a tent and started a campfire. And his straightforward competence and confidence did make her feel slightly better.

  Hearing footsteps she turned around as an ancient-looking stranger in old jeans and a rolled-at-the-sleeves flanno shirt lumbered past, carrying an impressive number of large fish. When they made eye contact he nodded in greeting. “How’s it goin’?”

  Ryan stepped forward, returned the greeting, then indicated to his load. “Good fishing.”

  “Got some beauties. Best one got snapped in half by a croc. Bloody annoying little shit. Wouldn’t leave after that.”

  “Ah…” Ella couldn’t help but ask, “Where?”

  “Lookout,” was the only reply.

  She was on her feet in less than a quarter of a second, doing just that. “Where?!” Ryan laughed like a maniac.

  Ignoring him, Ella noted the look of puzzlement on the old man’s face as he scratched his head. “At the lookout.”

  “Oh – the lookout. I thought you meant look out.”

  “I did.”

  “What? Oh, never mind. You said ‘little’ though. A little crocodile?”

  “For round here, yeah. Big bastard wandered in yesterday – headed off that way somewhere.” He waved a hand over the rest of the campsite. “Plenty of monsters out this way.”

  “Monsters. Oh, well. Nice to meet you.” She rushed to the car, climbed in and locked the door. She’d just stay where she was. Ryan would get bored eventually and take her home, surely. At a knock on her window Ella wound it down a bare inch. “What do you want?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong? Oh, I don’t know. It’s probably got a lot to do with being dragged out into the back of beyond and expected to sleep behind a thin sheet of nylon which is supposed to protect me from creatures that should have become extinct sixty-five million years ago.”

  “Come on Ella, open the door.”

  “No. No way. I’m not sure how you missed this but I’m more than a tiny bit ready to murder you. Slowly and creatively.”

  “You can’t stay there all night, you’ll be stiff and sore and won’t be able to sleep. Besides, I had intended on making us some dinner and I can’t get to my gear while the car’s locked.”

  “So go catch a fish. Just remember to watch out for the ‘annoying little shit’ that no doubt wants you for his dinner.”

  “You want me to catch a fish?”

  “No, I want you to find us a motel.”

  “I can’t do either locked out of the car.”

  “You’re the adventure guy. Figure something out. I’m staying put.”

  “You know. You’re going to need a bathroom at some point. They have toilets here…”

  Ella cursed. Now he’d brought it up she did need to go…now. Reluctantly, she climbed back out of the car. “Where?”

  “Come on, I’ll take you across.” As they approached the amenities block Ella eyed it suspiciously and, as they got closer, with no small amount of distress. “Going in? I’ll be round the other side.”

  “Hmmm.” She walked bravely into the basic structure, struggled to hold back a scream when she narrowly missed ploughing into an enormous spider web complete with its owner and was in and out of the building in record time.

  “Hungry?” Ryan asked, already waiting for her.

  “It’s so dark now, how are you going to cook?”

  “I’ll turn on the spotlight on the car to start, then firelight should be enough.”

  “I see. Damn.” She swatted a mosquito, then another. “If I catch malaria…”

  “A dramatic hypochondriac.”

  “Better that than a dead travel writer,” she quipped, then saw the headlights. “Isn’t that…?”

  “The old guy. Looks like we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

  “Awesome.”

  “It really is. Hungry?”

  “If I say ‘yes’, does that mean you’ll take me to a restaurant?”

  “Ok, how’s this? Ryan’s Roving Restaurant.”

  “Is that supposed to be funny?”

  “Lighten up, Ella.” They reached the campsite and Ryan took some food from what looked to Ella like a small fridge in the back of the four-wheel drive.

  “Do we have chairs?” Ella asked.

  “Just sit on your towel.”

 
; “On the ground?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Nothing’s going to crawl onto it with me is it?”

  “Only me. How does a delicious meal of sausages and tinned spaghetti sound?”

  Ella pulled a face. “I suppose I should be grateful you’re not going with the traditional bush tucker theme.”

  “I could dig you up some grubs if you like.”

  “There’s not a doubt in my mind that you could.”

  “Ever made damper?”

  “Sure. Every chance I get. For fun.”

  He gave her a long-suffering look. “So I’ll show you.”

  Ella knew she was being difficult, but like she’d said – there was a reason she didn’t do these things. She had no idea how to handle herself out here and hated having to put her wellbeing in another person’s hands. If that manifested as grumpy and ungrateful, well…he was just lucky she hadn’t killed him yet.

  “So, you want to try and make damper?” Ryan asked hopefully.

  “Coffee. I can live on coffee.”

  “Not before bed. Which brings us to the tent. You can’t sleep in the car.”

  There was silence. Finally she broke. “Just how the hell do you know some oversized set of teeth on legs isn’t going to crash the tent during the night?”

  “They don’t come up here. The old guy was just pulling your leg.”

  She considered him for a few seconds, decided he was probably telling the truth and expelled a long breath. “Fine. But if I get eaten, I’m going to come back as crocodile and hunt you down. If I have to cross two states to do it, I will find a way. Are we clear?”

  Ryan stood and moved to the car to dig around for something. “Rest assured I generally understand you perfectly.”

  “If you did, we wouldn’t be here,” she reminded him.

  “Don’t be so sure.” He turned from the car then just stood, watching her. The look on his face had the breath catching in her throat.

  After a moment she had to ask, “Why are you staring?”

  “Do you have any idea how you look in firelight?”

  Ella raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile touching her lips. “Like me but a bit more orange?”

  “You’re seriously beautiful, Ella.”

  Oh, God. The look on his face was hungry, a little dangerous. He dropped the sausages back into the fridge and walk slowly toward her. “Ryan what are you – oh.”

  He knelt in front of her, very gently taking her face in his hands. His lips brushed over hers once, twice. His hands moved to her hair, pulling it from its band, undoing the braid and fanning it around her face. “Seriously beautiful,” he repeated. His kissed her then, with so much tenderness she trembled, pulled away. “Ryan…”

  “Still got an objection to sharing your towel?” he murmured, simply moving with her to kiss and nibble along the column of her throat.

  Heat flooded into her and so did a deep, aching need. “I meant with wild animals,” she clarified as her shirt slid from her shoulders and his lips found her breast.

  “I could eat you up. I’m going to, Ella, right now.”

  Her breath came out in a gasp as his tongue circled one nipple, pulling it into his mouth, while his hand caressed the other. “Ryan, let’s go inside the tent.”

  “There’s no one here. I want to make love to you in the firelight.”

  “But what if…” He kissed her; a long, deep and persuasive assault, silencing her protests and making her head spin. He finished the job of undressing her, his lips trailing after his fingers wherever they touched. He laid her back, caressing her with skilful hands until, pliant and wanting, everything but the touch of him, the sound of his murmured words, was forgotten. “Ryan…” she begged as his mouth worked its way up on the inside of her thigh.

  She froze, sat bolt upright and listened, gripping Ryan’s arm. “What is that?”

  Ryan leant back on one arm, studied her with a lop-sided grin. “It’s nothing, just some bats in one of those trees over there somewhere. Come back here.”

  “Ryan, I’d really feel safer if we went into the tent.” She crawled around him, intending on doing just that, then cried out when, from behind her, two strong hands gripped her hips and he drove into her. “Ryan…”

  “Yes, Ella?” he murmured, amused at her slightly outraged tone.

  “I haven’t…I don’t…oh,” she broke off on a groan as he began to move.

  “You do now. I have all sorts of things in mind for us, Ella.” As he spoke, he slid a hand down under her hip, until he found her centre and his fingers began to stroke.

  Swamped by sensation, Ella moved helplessly against him, felt the pressure build and bank, until on a brilliant explosion of heat, she cried out and clamped around him, sending them both over the edge.

  Ella crawled a few steps forward and collapsed onto the sleeping bag just inside their tent. She didn’t even attempt to roll over. Everything she was buzzed, shook, echoed with waves of pleasure. “How do you do that?” she murmured into the sleeping bag, “How the hell do you do that to me?”

  “Right back at you,” Ryan replied, collapsing beside her.

  When she regained the ability to move, Ella rolled onto her back and grinned at the man sprawled over three-quarters of the tent. “You’re seriously good at that.”

  “I aim to please.”

  She shifted so she could look down on him and planted a kiss on his lips.

  “You realise that’s the first time you’ve kissed me?” he said and lifted his hands to her waist, held on.

  “Is it? Why are you holding me like that?”

  “Because I’m going to say ‘yes’, every other time, I’ve kissed you. So, that was nice. Then you’re going to get all freaked out and start analysing my comment and wondering if that means I’m going to try and speak to you about how you feel – and you’re going to run all the way back to Darwin. Or at least lock yourself in the car again. Neither suit me so I’m holding on.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not running away.”

  “I’m in love with you, Ella.”

  She didn’t move – knew she couldn’t, but her heart rate increased all over again, her breathing sped up and she couldn’t hold his gaze. “So you said.”

  His thumbs caressed her hips but his hold didn’t waver. “How do you feel about that?” She looked everywhere for an answer. Eventually he said, “I’m down here.”

  So she looked at him, took a deep breath. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it.”

  “Listen to the question. How do you feel about it?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Let go.” He did, and she rolled onto her back, stared at the roof. “I don’t know what this is but what I had with Connor…” She looked at him, took a chance, “…it wasn’t this. It didn’t touch this.”

  His eyes darkened. He kissed her until she couldn’t breathe. “Nothing can touch this,” he growled.

  She had a feeling he could be right. But she’d think about that later. “Ryan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m hungry.”

  He chuckled and kissed her nose. “Then I’ll go make us some dinner before I get distracted again.”

  The noises were foreign, every sound a mystery. Lying beside a sleeping Ryan, she listened for a long time, trying to place what animal could make which sound. She told herself she wasn’t petrified when something screamed, when something else thumped around just outside her tent. She desperately wanted to snuggle against Ryan but the heat was barely tolerable as it was. The tiny tent window didn’t allow for much airflow and she wasn’t brave enough to open the door flaps. She felt above her head for the torch – just in case – and reassured it was still there closed her eyes, eventually slipping into sleep.

  It was an unusual sensation that woke her. She racked her mind, trying to make sense of it. Ryan was still beside her, his breathing deep and rhythmical, an arm slung around her waist. But there was something else.
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br />   Something cool and smooth was nudging her foot.

  She opened her eyes a fraction, noted Ryan must at some stage have got up and opened the tent doors. As reality penetrated the haze of sleep Ella felt the thing touch her left foot. It seemed to move away, then was back, pushing against her heel.

  Her heart began to race, her thoughts scattered. Almost too terrified to move she carefully, quietly felt around for the torch – where the hell was it? Then, another nudge and unable to stand it any longer she squealed, leaping to her feet with admirable athletic skill.

  “Ella, what’s wrong?” Jerking upright, Ryan looked around while, after locating her torch, Ella swung the beam wildly. It flew haphazardly around the floor, zeroed in on two gleaming eyes.

  “Ok, ok. It’s a…a frog. It’s a frog. And I thought…oh.” Ella started giggling and just kept going.

  Ryan spotted the culprit and picked it up. “Litoria Caerulea – green tree frog. What a cutie. Not a bad size either.” He smiled, held the frog toward her.

  And Oh God again; he was so incredibly hot, naked and ruffled from sleep, an adorably enthusiastic expression on his face. Still, she moved back. It might only be a frog but it was still a slimy wild animal.

  “You ok?”

  “Probably, but right now I wouldn’t trust my own diagnosis.” She sank down on the air mattress, cross-legged, her head resting in her hands. “I just got attacked by a crocodile – though in reality it was a frog. But it doesn’t matter, because when I woke up to something cold and smooth and wet nudging my foot it could have been a crocodile. I’d like to say the experience was no less intense for the fact it was a frog, because I couldn’t find my torch and so I didn’t know.”

  His grin widened. “I’m surprised the frog’s still in one piece.”

  “Funny. Look, if this was a life or death situation, if there was a camera crew here, if for any reason I was required to be professional, I would do this. I would handle it. But I don’t, so I’m not. I’m going to sleep in the car.”

  “You can’t sleep in the car.”

  “I’m not going to go back to sleep in here to wait for part two – and possibly three and four of the night all hell broke loose in the tent at Mary River.”