Getting Wild

by Sarah Barrie

  “It’s only a few days. I know you’ve done Uluru before but there’s the Devil’s Marbles, Kings Canyon… we could go Opal fossicking in Coober Pedy.”

  “Oh, God,” Ella groaned, turned her face to him in the firelight. “Honestly Ryan, a woman would have to be crazy about you to even consider it.” She caught the look in his eyes, the question. “So when do we leave?”

  His smile when he rolled onto his elbows was slow and warm. “Define ‘crazy about’ to me.”

  She knew what he wanted, but wasn’t quite sure she was ready to take that final leap. Not when the idea was still so new to her. “’Crazy about’, Ryan, is allowing you to take me the length of the Australian Outback when I’m still not completely comfortable being half a day’s drive from a major city.” She thought she might have glimpsed a split-second of disappointment, but then his smile was well and truly back in place.

  “Being sane is over-rated.”

  “Alright then. Let’s do it.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The beeping of Ryan’s phone woke them late the next morning.

  “Jake.” Ryan noted, picking it up and reading the text. “What the hell could he possibly want at…?”

  Ella quickly checked her watch. “Nine-thirty in the morning? Who knows? The bastard.”

  He chuckled. “Feel like lunch in a restaurant?”

  “Are you kidding?” Ella asked, hand on her head as though delirious with excitement.

  Ryan pressed a few buttons, dropped his phone. “We’ll head back to Jake’s on our way back to Darwin.”

  “You know, maybe I was too quick to judge the man.”

  “Wait until you see the restaurant.”

  Ella’s face was quickly a study in concern. “Please don’t tell me he uses the term as loosely as you did with Ryan’s Roving Restaurant?”

  “No, but it’s not much more than a fish and chip shop with seating.”

  “Fine by me.” Ella jumped to her feet. “Unless…no more crocodile cruises?”

  “No more crocodile cruises. Jake’s wife and boys want to meet you.”

  Ella laughed and pulled a face. “Sure they do. You mean they want to see you and check out the crazy city girl you brought with you.”

  He grinned and shrugged. ”Either way.”

  Jake’s wife’s shop – which constituted the ‘restaurant’ – was connected to the Crocodile Cruise business and Ella found herself back in the car park of a place she swore she’d never set foot in again. This time, at least, she knew she’d be keeping her feet on solid ground.

  “Ready?” Ryan asked as she looked around.

  “Sure.” He took her hand and they wandered past groups of tourists, to the smell of fried food and a pretty, café-style building with a lovely outdoor seating area complete with shade sails. “This is nice. I didn’t really notice it all last time.”

  “I’m not surprised. You’re a little – ok, a lot – more relaxed this time. There’s Jake.”

  Ella and Ryan greeted Jake, and Ella was introduced to his wife Stacey; a friendly woman with a shock of red hair and a booming voice complete with Californian accent. “Came over to Australia, discovered Jake and never left,” she explained when Ella politely asked about it.

  Jake and Stacey’s teenaged sons, Isaac and Mason, were tall and lanky – and insanely well mannered, even if they did stare at her quite a bit…and not always at her face.

  “Jake tells me you’re a big-shot editor from the city,” Stacey commented as they ate seafood baskets and drank local beer.

  “Not anymore,” Ella replied.

  “Now she’s my sidekick,” Ryan said with a wicked grin.

  Ella’s eyebrows shot up. “He meant he’s my sidekick…the comic relief,” she returned, finishing her beer and earning a smile. Drinking beer out of a bottle was yet another novelty she’d never experienced before. It wasn’t half bad.

  “Would you like another one?” Stacey asked.

  “I would,” Jake said. “Ry?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Don’t move, Stacey,” Ella instructed, getting to her feet. “You put on all this food. I know where they are.”

  Ella headed into the café and the group watched her go with various amounts of interest. Jake hit Isaac over the head.

  “Ow. Dad…”

  “It’s one thing to be appreciative but it’s another entirely to gawk, son.”

  “She’s a pretty one, Ry,” Stacey said. “Nice too. I like her.”

  “So do I,” Ryan replied with a smile.

  “Did she cope alright with your little camping trip?” Jake asked.

  “She’s tougher than she looks. We’re driving back.”

  Jake’s look was one of disbelief. It was the look Ella saw on his face as she reappeared and handed out the beers. “Let me guess,” she said, “you’re talking about me?”

  There were smirks all round but Ella was in too good a mood to be offended.

  Ryan leant back in his chair and linked his hands behind his head. “Jake’s having trouble believing you’re tougher than you look.”

  “Thanks mate,” Jake said to Ryan, who grinned happily.

  Ella studied Ryan’s face and saw the mischief in his eyes. Hers narrowed. “I’m not the entertainment, Ryan, remember?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean. Hey Jake, wrestle any crocs lately?”

  “A few, why?”

  “Go get Ella.”

  “Say what?” Jake asked in shock.

  “Ryan!” Ella exclaimed.

  “Scared of a wimpy girl Jake?” Ryan taunted.

  “Ryan, what the heck’s gotten in to you?” Stacey asked.

  “I reckon Ella could sit Jake on his ass in under a minute.”

  “Bullshit…” Jake murmured

  “Ryan,” Ella said on a laugh, “I’m not doing it.”

  “You couldn’t,” Mason said. “No way.”

  “Excuse me?” Ella asked challengingly. Ryan made a show of getting out of the way and making himself comfortable. Ella gave him an unimpressed glare, then thought Oh, what the hell. She got to her feet. “Come on then,” she told Jake. “Come get me. Hurry up. I want my beer.”

  Stacey whooped out a laugh. Smirking, Jake got to his feet. “This is ridiculous. I can’t just…”

  “You know what, you’re right. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your kids,” Ella taunted. She pulled out her seat to sit down again, and when he lunged, she allowed him to wrap two strong arms around her.

  “Ok, got her,” Jake said, addressing Ryan. “Now what?”

  “Now you better let me go,” Ella replied casually.

  “Because?”

  “Because in order to get myself out of this position, I’d have to render you a broken-toed, blind man with a serious infertility issue. And I wouldn’t want to permanently maim a friend of Ryan’s.”

  “I like your spirit,” Jake laughed.

  “Ah, Jake, mate, she’s probably serious,” Ryan countered.

  Jake just laughed again. “Nice try Ella, but I don’t believe you. I think you’re talking big because you can’t live up to the hype.”

  “Ohhh, shit…” Ryan mumbled from behind his hand, amusement radiating from him like New Year’s fireworks. “Jake, man, ease up. Please.” Then he turned a pleading face to Ella. “Forgive him, for he does not realise the power of the master.”

  Ella laughed. “Then get him off before I break him!”

  “Don’t do it my friend,” Jake warned, “I’ve got this.”

  Ella considered her position for a few seconds. “I guess I might be able to do this without causing you multiple, serious, permanent and debilitating injuries. I’ll go easy. You ready?”

  She felt his hold tighten marginally; felt him brace himself, in spite of his friendly and casually spoken, “Do your worst, Baby.”

  “She doesn’t like Baby!” Ryan warned. Ella’s foot came down on Jake’s instep and her head smacked back i
nto his face, just hard enough for his grip to loosen. She spun, lifted her knee and when he stepped back, pushed him back with a foot to the stomach and took his legs out from under him with a low sweeping kick to the back of the knee.

  Jake sat where he landed with an idiotic grin on his face. “You’ve gotta do that again.”

  “Strictly one show per day,” Ella replied, shaking her head. Ryan moved to her side of the table and took her seat, pulling her down onto his lap. “Can I just say, that was impressive Baby?”

  Ella didn’t think she’d sat on a man’s lap in her life, but she sank into him and took a sip of her beer. She was beginning to not even recognise herself.

  “Awesome,” Isaac added.

  “Now that I’ve had my fun,” Ryan began, “let me tell you about a couple of drunks on a train…”

  It was almost dark by the time they left Jake and Stacey’s on their way back to Darwin.

  “Enjoy yourself?” Ryan asked as they drove down the road.

  Ella sent him a bland look. “You did.”

  His eyes danced with humour. “I thought we’d kick that particular fallacy about you in the butt once and for all.”

  “You’re so full of it, Ryan! You just wanted a show.”

  “Ever since I saw you nail that bag…”

  “Then you should have let me nail Reece.”

  “It would have been too complicated and I would have had to post bail. Possibly a lot of bail.”

  “Ok, yes. I enjoyed myself. Though you should know, I felt pretty bad taking Jake down like that.”

  “He took it just fine. I knew he would.”

  “They’re nice people.”

  “They liked you too. You know, you really just need to keep coming out of your shell. I’m happy to help with that.”

  “As observed.”

  “I’m converting you to the ways of the dark side.”

  “You mean I’ll never get ‘Little Miss Perfect’ again?”

  “Probably not, no.”

  “Thank God. So…motel tonight, right?”

  “Yep. Last one for three thousand kilometres.”

  “Ryan, don’t make me regret this.”

  It took them five days to return to Adelaide. They toured, hiked, camped wherever they felt like, breezed through some places, lingered in others. Ella couldn’t remember having been so happy in her life.

  So when they drove into Adelaide, Ella actually felt disappointed to be back in civilisation. Being alone with Ryan for a week had been a wonderful adventure, but now they were back in the real world, back to reality, what was next? He’d said he was in love with her, but she’d yet to utter those words to him. And what did that mean, anyway? What did he expect? She pondered that on their flight home.

  “You’re quiet,” Ryan commented as they made the final descent into Sydney airport. “Everything alright?”

  “Just wondering what’s next.”

  “We’ll figure that out at the meeting tomorrow. We’ve got a whole season to plan and book.”

  The plane got louder as it lowered onto the runway and the general noise from chatter in the cabin increased. Ella let the conversation drop and concentrated on collecting her things.

  As they exited the terminal, Ryan threw an arm over her shoulder and kissed her head. “Well, I think we can safely say that expedition exceeded expectations.”

  “I think we can.” She looked around at the line up for taxis outside the terminal. “Assuming we can get a cab. Want to share one? Your street’s on the way to mine.”

  He dropped his bag, took her arms. “Stay with me tonight. At my place.”

  “I have to pick up my cat…”

  “Pick him up tomorrow.”

  “But…” she’d been relying on tonight to get her thoughts in order.

  Ryan silenced her argument with a long, hungry kiss, then lifted his head a couple of inches to look into her eyes. “I want you in my bed. I want to wake up with you in my apartment. Say yes, Ella.”

  Oh, what the hell? “Ok…yes.”

  When they eventually made their way into Ryan’s twelfth-floor apartment, Ryan stepped inside first, picking up and moving things out of the way as he went. “It’s a bit of a mess,” he apologised, “I haven’t had a chance to clear up.”

  “That’s ok.” Ella looked around. The lounge area wasn’t enormous but it was welcoming and airy and though it was untidy it was thankfully, relatively clean. The furniture was well worn and comfortable-looking and a bookshelf contained a good variety of magazines and books. One wall was almost completely taken up by an enormous television. She followed Ryan into a small kitchen where he immediately began to fill a kettle. “I only have instant coffee, but it’s not bad.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  He pressed the button on the kettle and removed two large mugs from a cupboard. “I guess this place is a far cry from your grandfather’s.”

  “You could say that, but why would you?”

  “Not what you’re used to.”

  “I’ve never lived in my grandfather’s house. I don’t even think I’ve seen all of it.”

  Ryan frowned quizzically. “But I thought he raised you. I just assumed…”

  “I lived in boarding schools until I was seventeen. I stayed with him during the holidays, but that was about it. Oh, I saw a fair bit of him – the boarding school was literally ten minutes away from his offices and he liked to ensure he ‘had a hand in raising me’ as he puts it. But as soon as I left school I took off around the world. Grandfather had this idea I would marry the first eligible bachelor that came along and that just wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t exactly have a good experience with the whole family thing – didn’t want to put myself there. Thanks.” She took the mug and headed back into the lounge room to sit in a comfy chair.

  “So where do you live?”

  “In an apartment in Quay Street. I bought it when I came back for the editor position.”

  “Nice address.”

  “The view’s ok. It’s not really any bigger than this. Is there a problem?”

  “No. Want a Tim Tam?”

  Ella grinned and nodded, but when he went back to the kitchen she frowned. Did he think his apartment bothered her? Did her grandfather’s wealth bother him? God, who did he think she was? She got to her feet as he came back in.

  “I brought the pack…” He was cut off when Ella pulled him in and kissed him hard, then wound her arms around his neck and sank into him as he dropped the biscuits and his arms came around her.

  “I like your apartment just fine…you mentioned a bed?”

  “I did.” He picked her up and carried her into it. “I’ve been meaning to show it to you.”

  “Now’s the time.” She nibbled on his ear, rained kisses over his face and as he laid her gently on to the bed, got up onto her knees and began undressing him as he did her. “I believe,” she murmured, running her hands along his ribcage, tasting his skin as she kissed her way along the broad expanse of his chest, “you had a small thing for me kneeling at your feet.”

  “I do remember something about that particular fantasy,” he replied on a groan as her hands slid off his pants and moved back up to wrap around his shaft.

  “Will kneeling on the bed do? Because I was thinking…” She lowered her head and slowly slid her lips over him, taking him into her mouth.

  Ryan expelled a shaky breath, his hands going to her head, his fingers in her hair as she drove him mad. “Can I just say…you certainly know how to live up to a man’s fantasy?”

  They were fifteen minutes late for the meeting at the Montague building the following morning. It had been a struggle – they’d had to get back to Ella’s so she could change and Ryan, she smiled at the memory, had made it somewhat difficult to get out of bed. Of course, when they had eventually arrived, the first half hour had been more of a social event than a meeting, and it had been as good to see the team again as it was to get started on the next stage of work. />
  For a week they discussed, planned and formulated possible itineraries for a full season of filming. Ella enjoyed her days but enjoyed her nights with Ryan even more. The sneak peek of some of the shots they had filmed during their trip had aired on their website, and gotten tens of thousands of hits on the first day. Everything was going ahead in leaps and bounds. Everything was perfect.

  “So if we move on now to October…” Hannah was looking through her notes, while Ben, Ryan, Jill and Ella listened on. It was Friday afternoon, and Ella had just finalised a draft itinerary for a trip to Spain. They’d discussed travelling to many amazing places. Some she’d already been to and was looking forward to re-visiting with Ryan, and just a couple – Ryan-style – would be new. And, she had no doubt, challenging. She couldn’t wait. “I like the idea of… Is that…?” Hannah’s voice trailed off as she watched an older gentleman in an impeccable suit with an air of superiority – even detectable through the glass walls – stride towards the door.

  “Grandfather.” Ella gasped. Good grief what is he doing here?

  Vincent Jameson strode into the meeting, looked around the room at the astounded faces of the people seated at the table and settled his gaze on his granddaughter.

  “Ella, a word. Now.”

  “Of course.” She rose, anxious to get him out of the room.

  “I’m sorry,” Ben said, getting to his feet at the same time as Ryan, “we’re in the middle of a meeting. If you wouldn’t mind having a seat in the reception room, Ms Jameson will see you as soon as she can fit you in.”

  “My granddaughter will see me now. Ella, come.”

  “She’s not a damn golden retriever,” Ryan snapped.

  Vincent Jameson’s cold eyes turned on Ryan. “Watch your mouth Edwards. Just who do you think you’re speaking to?”

  “I’m not going there in front of the ladies. You want to know what I think of you, we’ll step outside.”

  Vincent Jameson snarled, “Oh yes, I’d expect that from the likes of you.”

  “Grandfather, please.”

  “I heard this man has been taking advantage of you.”

  “That’s not what’s going on, grandfather.”

  “It’s better than the story circulating that you slept your way into the position.”