by Adams,Claire
"So, what is this beach you're taking me to?" she asked, moving back toward the couch and sitting down in one corner to tuck her tan limbs underneath her and look up at me expectantly.
"Depot Beach is this awesome place where there are kangaroos lounging around on the beach," I said as I looked out over the sparkling water and watched the boat plow through the swells. "There are also a whole bunch of interesting birds, but mostly, the water is a beautiful shade of aqua and is incredibly clear, so I thought we could do some snorkeling."
"I didn't know we were going to swim," she said. "I didn't bring a bathing suit!"
"Well, lucky for you I called down to the shops and had them bring over a variety of suits in all sizes, so you can go find one you like and put it on," I smiled.
"Oh, you're good," she laughed. "You're smart enough to know not to pick one suit and get the size wrong!"
I laughed out loud at this because it was true. "My mother taught me lots of things, but she always said that making sure a woman didn't feel self-conscious about how she looked was one of the most important lessons I'd ever learn. And she was right."
Emily laughed out loud and when she did, she threw her head back and I caught a glimpse of what she'd look like in the throes of passion. It took my breath away and I looked away as she hopped up off the couch and asked, "So, where do I find this plethora of suits?"
"In the state room, of course," I laughed with her as I pointed the way. She laughed all the way down the hall and then went in and shut the door. I walked back out to the edge of the front deck and looked out at the water, wondering what it was I thought I was doing here. This was a dangerous game we were playing since we both knew where we wanted it to head, but it seemed like we were both dancing as close to the fire as we could get and then pulling back before either of us got burned.
I wanted to know more about Emily, but I didn't know how to ask without sounding like I was trying to manipulate her. I sighed as I realized that I was going to simply have to have patience and wait for her to make up her mind. I only hoped that she was going to make it up in my favor this time.
A few minutes later, Emily came bouncing out of the stateroom wrapped in a towel and giggling like a little girl.
"What on earth is so funny?" I asked, laughing with her even though I had no idea what I was laughing about.
"Oh my gosh, Austin!" she cried. "That state room is unbelievable! How do you even imagine a room like that? And how many bathing suits did you have them bring?"
"As many as they needed to," I said confused. "Why? Was that too many?"
"It's more than what's in most of the stores, Mr. Morning!" she laughed. "You're nuts!"
"Mr. Morning?" I said, even more confused. "Who is Mr. Morning?"
"You are, silly," she laughed. "It's your initials: AM. Morning!"
"Okay, now who's being the silly one?" I laughed. "That's just weird."
"No, it's not," she said. "Your initials are everywhere on this boat! It's like looking at announcements all over the place. AM! AM! AM! And all I could think was, my gosh it's like an announcement that it's morning...over and over and over!"
I burst into laughter because she was right. My initials were all over the place and it did like they were announcing daybreak.
"So, which suit did you choose?" I asked casually.
"Oh no, you don't get to see it until we hop into the water, Mr. Morning!" She laughed again. "Now, go change into your suit!"
I laughed all the way back to the stateroom where I pulled out a pair of swimming trunks and put them on. I scanned the room trying to see it with Emily's eyes, and realized that she was probably seeing it the same way I had five years ago when I'd first inherited the money. It all looked so elegantly unbelievable, and even now, five years later, I still sometimes stood looking at things I owned shaking my head in disbelief.
As I emerged back out on to the deck, I saw Emily standing at the rail with her face tipped into the breeze, her eyes closed and her arms stretched wide as she felt the waves rocking beneath her. It was a picture I wanted to keep, so I stood watching her until I heard the captain announce that we were arriving at Depot Beach and to prepare to anchor and go ashore.
At that moment, Emily opened her eyes and turned to look at me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"Are you ready to go ashore, beautiful?" I asked. Emily giggled in response and dropped the towel that had been covering her. Underneath was a black string bikini that seemed impossibly small and yet covered way more than I wanted it to. I nodded my approval and then let loose a low wolf whistle.
"Oh stop," she waved me off with another giggle. "But thank you."
"My pleasure," I said bowing a little. "Entirely."
"Alright," she smiled. "So, how do we get to the beach?"
"What do you mean?" I asked as a small smile played around the edges of my lips. "We're gonna swim for it!"
"Austin!" she cried. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have picked a more practical suit! Arrgh! You are impossible!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," I laughed. "We've got a small skiff that will take us over for a picnic on the beach. Grab your towel, missy!"
Emily laughed happily and then followed me to the landing where the skiff waited to take us to shore.
Chapter Forty-Two
Emily
When Austin lifted me off of the ladder and set me in the skiff, I could feel his large hands spanning my waist and the sensation of his fingers on my bare skin caused me to inhale and hold my breath until he'd set me down. I hadn't wanted him to let go, but he was doing his best to be a gentleman and I didn't want to push it.
I turned my face toward shore and felt the spray from the skiff hitting my face. We were headed to the coastal area where full grown kangaroos lounged all day, and Austin was excited to show me where they hung out and to share a picnic lunch on the white sand.
I used to my peripheral vision to watch him as he guided the boat to shore and I couldn't help but notice his broad shoulders and muscled arms now that he wasn't wearing a shirt. For a moment, I let myself fantasize about what it would feel like to run my hands up and down his chest, and then I shook my head to clear the thought and smiled as I felt the skiff hit the sand.
"Are you hungry or should we look around a bit first?" he asked as he hauled a basket out of the vessel and set it on the shore.
"Let's look around, I'm okay for now," I replied. I watched him stack the supplies and wondered who had packed all that for us. We were only two people, but it looked like there was enough lunch for a big group.
"Great, then follow me!" he called as he began trudging across the sand. I quickly tied the large scarf I'd brought with me around my waist and followed after him. My legs were shorter, so I ended up running to match his stride. When he noticed, he laughed and slowed down so he could walk beside me.
"Over there is where we can do some bird watching," he said as he pointed to a shady spot near the edge of the woods. "There are many different types of birds in this area, but I'm really hoping that you'll get to see a Satin bowerbird."
"Oh really, why is that?" I asked, curious as to why he would be so interested in showing me a particular bird.
"No reason really, they're just interesting little birds," he replied as his eyes followed something in the sky. He excitedly called, "Oh look, there's a wedge-tailed eagle!" I followed his finger and saw a majestic gray bird floating on the wind current then swooping around to take another pass at lower ground. "It's either scouting its territory or it's trying to keep cool," Austin explained.
"It's very big and it looks quite intimidating," I said.
"They've been known to hunt red kangaroo together with other eagles," he said with more than a bit of awe in his voice. "They're rather formidable and quite vicious when they need to be. I kind of admire that level of tenacity, don't you?"
"I think it's barbaric," I replied. "But they're birds, so I don't take it personally."
"Nor
should you," Austin said as he burst into laughter. "You're hilarious, missy. A real comedian!"
"Why thank you, I think," I said with a smile. I liked walking the beach with Austin. He knew so much about the wildlife and the plants that it was fun and interesting. He showed me a cabbage palm and noted that its flowers, which resembled huge white heads of cabbage, inspired its name.
We'd walked quite a way away from our lunch when suddenly we rounded a corner and came into viewing range of a group of eastern grey kangaroos. They were stretched out under a shady tree near the beach but off the sand. There were a few joeys hopping around their mothers and playing rather half-heartedly in the mid-day sun. The male kangaroos looked like human sunbathers as they reclined on their sides with their back legs stretched out and their front legs spread on the ground in front of them. It was an interesting tableaux and I was stunned by how close we were to them.
"Look at them," Austin whispered as he bent close and slipped an arm around my waist. I shivered a bit, but I leaned into it hoping that he would stay there a bit longer.
"I know, it seems there is a commonality in all species," I whispered back.
"In what way?" he asked.
"It seems that in every species the females are always working and looking after the offspring, and the men are lazing around watching," I deadpanned in his ear.
Austin choked on the laughter that bubbled up in his throat and then swallowed it down as he clung to me. I slid my arm under his and wrapped it around his waist. He was still as we sat arm-in-arm watching the lounging grey kangaroos. I didn't say a word because I didn't want to break the spell or the contact. I liked the feeling of his warm body pressed against mine and how his arm fit perfectly around my waist.
Suddenly, the kangaroos spotted something in the trees and they all jumped up and hopped toward it, away from the beach. Austin looked over at me. Our eyes locked as we held each other with one arm. I looked up at him and wondered if I should lean over and kiss him, but thought about how he'd promised to give me room to figure things out, so I simply held his gaze and waited.
"Um, lunch?" he finally said as he cleared his throat and withdrew his arm.
"Sure! I'm hungry now," I said in a much too cheerful voice as I turned and headed back from where we came. I could feel Austin close behind me. "What's for lunch?"
"I'm not sure, I didn't pack the basket today," he replied.
"Do you normally pack a picnic basket when you take a woman to the beach?" I asked playfully as I skipped down the path.
"Only when I don't care about impressing her," he shot back. I laughed out loud, and we raced back to the beach where our lunch awaited us.
The chef had packed deliciously thick turkey sandwiches on homemade bread that smelled like it had recently come out of the oven. There were containers of tender potato salad seasoned with cumin and vinegar, crisp bean salad with a mustard dressing, and pasta salad with fresh peppers, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. There were bottles of ice-cold pale ale and for dessert we stuffed ourselves with fresh melon and macaroons. When I'd eaten as much as I could, I leaned back and lay in the sand groaning about how full I was. Austin laughed and lay down next to me.
"So, I told you about my childhood, tell me about yours," he said as he reached down and laced his fingers through mine. I could feel the air leave my lungs as he gently held my hand as he looked at me and waited to hear my reply.
"Well, I grew up in a poor part of Las Vegas, the part where there were security gates across the front of the apartment complex, but no locks on them to keep the dangerous people out," I said. "Is that what it was like in Bushwick?"
"No, this is your story. I'll answer questions later," he smiled. "Tell me about it."
"My father died when I was small, he was a Marine," I said softly. "My mother did the best she could with what she had and I never felt unloved or unlucky, unless it was on Father/Daughter Day at school, but even then my mother would get a friend to come with me, so I didn't feel totally left out."
"Did you know your father at all?" he asked.
"No, I was just a baby when he died. I don't have any memories of him," I said. "Did you ever meet your father?"
"No, I have no memories of him, either," he said. "The first time I'd ever heard of him was during the reading of the will when I found out that he'd left me practically his entire fortune."
"It's odd, but I don't miss him," I said. "You know what I mean? Like you can't miss what you never even had."
"I know," Austin nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. My mom did double duty and she did it pretty well, I think."
"Yeah, my mother never made me feel like there was anything wrong with our life," I nodded. "She made it all seem like this big giant adventure, so I just hopped on and went with her wherever she took me."
"My mom did that, too!" he exclaimed. "She'd make even the most boring errand seem like this huge mystery adventure and I'd always come back feeling like we led the most interesting lives in the world. Even when we were so poor that we had to do without, she still made it seem like it was fun."
"My mom always told me that our trips to the food bank were actually to help out the poor people in our neighborhood, and could I please pick up an extra box of Mac and Cheese for Mr. Burton on the third floor?" I laughed. "She made me feel like we were doing everyone else's shopping and errands!"
"Why did you marry Tommy?" Austin blurted out as he looked at me with a serious expression on his face.
"It's complicated," I said.
"I find that most everything is," he smiled. "Now, why did you marry him?"
"I loved him. I still do, if I'm honest," I said. "He was headed places, and I was too, and we were so incredibly young. I mean, I still am really young, but back then we were even younger, you know?"
Austin listened carefully as I told him the whole story of how Tommy and I wound up married and what had happened after he'd gotten injured. I explained what our life looked like now, and then I sighed and looked up at the sky.
"I'm sorry that things are so tough, Emily," he said.
"Don't you dare pity me," I said fiercely as I gripped his hand tighter and held on.
"I would never insult you that way," he assured me. "I'm just saying that I'm sorry that things are difficult, and I'm sorry if I'm making them more difficult."
"You really are, you know?" I said as I turned my head sideways to look at him. "You're complicating everything."
"Again, I'm sorry," he said.
"Well, I'm not." I smiled as I leaned over and lightly kissed his cheek. "I'm not sorry at all."
Chapter Forty-Three
Austin
When she kissed my cheek I was tempted to turn and kiss her lips, but I held back, knowing that if I wanted to win her affection, I'd have to let her come to me not chase her all over the beach and make her feel like I was only using her for her body. I smiled and nodded as I squeezed her hand tightly. She returned my smile and then popped up off the sand and headed for the water.
"Let's swim!" she called as she untied the sarong from around her waist and raced across the sand toward the water's edge. It was a beautiful sunny day and the water was crystal clear as she ran straight in and splashed around. "C'mon, Morning! Come swim!"
"Fine," I laughed as I took a leisurely stroll to the water’s edge and waded in. She laughed and splashed me with the cold water, so I dove under and upended her in a wave. She laughed loudly and splashed me again.
"Nice, really nice," she laughed. "Is that any way to treat your guest? Seriously, tossing me in the water not even twenty minutes after we ate? I could get a cramp and drown."
"I'd never let you drown," I said seriously. "I'd do everything in my power to make sure you're never hurt or in danger or even sad."
Emily looked up at me with a surprised look on her face and then smiled as she turned and flipped herself into an oncoming wave. I knew I'd probably made her a little uncomfortable, but I wasn't even kidding. I wanted
to make sure she was always happy and smiling and never felt scared, worried, or sad. When she emerged from under the water, she looked even lovelier than she had before she'd dived in. Her hair was dripping water and her tan skin looked extraordinary in the string bikini she'd picked out. I wanted to touch her, but I didn't dare.
"What's going on, Austin?" she called as she frolicked in the waves. "Come play with me! Let's be dolphins!"
"You're crazy. You know that, don't you?" I called as I laughed and dove under the water joining in her game. Over and over again, I dove underwater and swam between her legs before standing up with her on my shoulders. Then, I'd bend slightly at the waist and toss her forward into the deeper water as the waves rolled in. She'd pop up calling, "Again! Again!" like a small child and I'd laugh and do it again.
It was difficult for me to stay calm and cool when I could feel her warm wet skin slippery beneath my hands and her legs wrapped around my shoulders. I wanted to grab her and hold her against me and kiss her, but I'd promised to stay neutral and so I played the dolphin game as we laughed and splashed in the clear blue water. We lay on the beach for a long time talking about where we went to school and who had been the “it kids” when we were growing up. We both had a deep love of ’70s rock and were fascinated by documentaries and how they were made. We played Truth or Dare as we got to know each other better, and when we both tired of the game, I loaded up the skiff and took us back to the yacht. The skiff’s motor propelled it rapidly from beach to boat and soon I was helping Emily board the yacht before I handed up the supplies and secured the skiff to the side of the boat for storage.
"Ready to see my house?" I asked as we settled in on the front deck and prepared to cruise up the coast back toward Sydney.
"I am, indeed," she laughed, putting on her sunglasses and leaning back on the chaise next to me. I liked the way she settled into my life so easily and comfortably. I smiled at her as I intertwined my fingers with hers and returned to my role as tour guide.