by Lisa Edward
I couldn’t resist.
OMG! Ur a shocker! Btw, thought u would be kissing at 12 not texting me?
Again, he replied within seconds;
Ur more important. Gotta go—need to come. HNY c u soon x
I debated whether or not to reply with a c u soon x back, but decided against it, seeing as he was busy “coming”. Instead, I chose to send a message to the other guys.
“What’s so funny?” Kelli asked, watching me punch out the message. I was still laughing to myself over Cole’s texts.
“Oh, nothing, just sending the guys a Happy New Year message,” I replied as I finished and pushed send.
WE WERE up with the sparrows, and in the car before the sun came up. The people who I had booked the hot air balloon ride with had sent a text that morning to confirm that the weather conditions were suitable for flying, and I had dragged Riley out of bed without telling him what we were doing.
“But it’s my birthday. I don’t want to get up yet,” he said sleepily as he rolled back over, throwing his arm over me, and pulling me in under him. “Can’t you think of something else to do that doesn’t involve getting out of bed?”
I looked at his face. He had a one-track mind, and usually I was on the same track, but not today. We had somewhere we needed to be.
We dressed in summer clothing, but I told Riley he needed a jacket as well, which he greeted with a puzzled look. I then quickly threw some of his clothes and mine into a bag, and ran it across to Jason’s apartment for Kelli to collect later while Riley was in the bathroom.
We drove out to the meeting place in the dark, with Riley asking a million questions about where we were going and what we were doing.
As soon as we arrived and he saw the balloon, his face lit up and he muttered “awesome” under his breath. That was all I needed to hear. I knew he was a trained helicopter pilot, and jumped out of planes regularly, so while this was something different I didn’t know if he would find it that exciting. I looked at his face; he was grinning from ear to ear like a little kid, his gorgeous blue eyes glistening.
We grabbed our jackets and went over to the balloon to meet Rick, who would be taking us up, and Andy, his helper. Rick and Andy were going over the safety checks, which Riley was really interested in, asking loads of questions and listening intently to their answers.
Finally, when the balloon was checked and ready to go, we hopped in.
“Don’t we have to wait for other people?” Riley asked as Andy untied us.
“No, I booked the whole balloon so it’s just us,” I said, smiling, but then I remembered the whole money issue, and my face dropped with uncertainty. Was it too much? Would Riley be angry? I needn’t have worried, though; he either didn’t know how much it cost, or didn’t care.
We were rising up into the clouds as the flames from the burner heated the air in the balloon, and Riley was looking at me adoringly.
We drifted over houses and parks, and I tried to get my bearings so I could point different landmarks out to him. At one stage we floated over my parents’ house, and I pointed down to it. It was a great view of the entire estate, and Riley looked at it in awe when he realised the true size. The house that he had been in was only a small portion of it; there was a tennis court, massive in-ground landscaped pool, pool house, guest house, and manicured gardens.
I looked sheepishly out of the corner of my eye at his reaction. I could see his jaw tighten, but he glanced sideways at me, and seeing my apprehension, visibly relaxed and stepped around behind me to give me a hug. I wrapped my arms around his and rested my head back onto his shoulder. We stayed that way for the remainder of the flight.
We drifted up and down through the clouds, and just above treetops for nearly an hour. It was so peaceful in the air, the only noise coming from the blast of the burners when they were required to lift us higher.
Every now and then I looked up over my shoulder at Riley; he was looking dreamily out over the landscape, but every time my head turn he looked down at me and smiled.
“Thank you for this. It’s awesome,” he whispered as we sailed over the Yarra Valley wineries.
“Don’t thank me yet. This is just the first part of your present.”
He looked at me, mouth agape. “What, there’s more?” he asked with a huge grin.
I nodded, but didn’t say any more. I wanted each step to be a new surprise.
We held on tight as we came down to land. We had been warned that the basket may tip over, but luckily Rick was an expert, and managed to touch down lightly so we could climb out unscathed.
“Okay, so where to now?” Riley asked excitedly.
I pointed over to a limousine that was waiting for us, and we hurried over to it.
“Happy birthday!” Kelli and Cooper shouted as the driver opened the back door.
Riley laughed out loud, and we jumped into the backseat with them and took off.
The driver took us to one of the boutique wineries in the region and we all climbed out, before heading into the restaurant for a champagne breakfast.
“Babe, this is too much!” Riley said, beaming at me.
We were seated on the veranda, and the waiter brought over a full cooked breakfast and a bottle of their finest champagne. We sat out on the veranda, watching the last few balloons touchdown in the field while we toasted Riley and wished him well on his twenty-sixth birthday.
At the end of breakfast, which turned into lunch and then afternoon tea, Kelli and Cooper made their way back to the car. Riley went to follow them into the car, but I held his hand to stop him. He looked around at me questioningly, before realising that his birthday wasn’t over yet.
“We’re staying here tonight,” I told him, biting my bottom lip. “If that’s okay with you?”
He scooped me up in his arms and nuzzled his face into my neck, and I held onto him just as tightly.
The driver then told us that our bag was waiting for us in the guesthouse, and we thanked him and said goodbye to Kelli and Cooper, waving them off, before heading to our accommodation for the night.
The guesthouse was magnificent. It was only quite small, really just big enough for a romantic getaway for two, so it was perfect for us. We looked around; it had everything we needed. There was a king-sized bed with crisp white Egyptian cotton linen, and a bathroom with a huge spa bath and double shower. It was located down a secluded path right by a man-made pond, so we could sit out on the deck and watch the swans and ducks on the water.
Wrapping my arms around Riley’s neck, I ran my fingers through his hair. “So, are you enjoying your birthday so far?” I asked, giving him a peck on the lips.
“It’s the best birthday I’ve ever had,” he said wistfully. “I can’t thank you enough, babe. I love you so much.”
“I haven’t bought you a gift, though. I didn’t know what to get you.” I actually felt bad for not buying something that he could keep long after the day was over, but he just chuckled.
“You’re joking, right? This is the best gift ever. I can think about today, and remember this for the rest of my life. It’s better than any physical gift; it’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.” He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. “Do you have anything planned for right now?” he asked with a wicked grin.
I smiled. I knew where this was heading. “No, not until dinner, which is booked for seven pm.” I checked my watch; that gave us about two and a half hours to kill.
We dressed for dinner, and I made a special effort for Riley’s benefit. I knew he couldn’t resist my cleavage, so I wore a little black halter dress with a plunging neckline. I styled my hair in soft curls around my shoulders, and then made up my face so my eyes were the main feature. I knew Riley preferred minimal lipstick; it was easier to kiss and not get in a mess, so I just used a little shimmer of lip gloss. A quick spray of CK One Summer and I was ready.
Riley was just putting on his shirt when I entered the bedroom. I stood in the doorway and watched adoring
ly as his muscles tensed and flexed. I read the tattoo down his side for the one thousandth time, and followed his hands as they reached for the first button on his shirt. He looked up, and his piercing blue eyes swept over me.
“You look amazing,” he said, as he paused on my cleavage for a moment before meeting my eyes.
“You look pretty amazing yourself,” I purred. “Would you like some help with those buttons?”
I entered the room, and he turned to face me, shirt still undone, hanging loose. It was such a shame to have to cover up that incredible body. His abs were just as mouth-watering as they had been the first time I’d seen them, but he couldn’t really go to dinner shirtless, so I slowly started fastening the buttons, one by one.
“Can I undo them again when we get back?” I asked playfully.
His eyes met mine, and they were so full of desire that it took my breath away. “We don’t have to go to dinner,” he replied, tracing a finger around the neckline of my dress. “We could just eat here.”
I bit my bottom lip. “I’m surprised you could manage it so soon after our marathon session this afternoon.”
He chuckled at the reference. “You know I can never get enough of you.” He kissed me deeply, and I seriously considered cancelling dinner, but it was his birthday and we needed to eat.
It was going to be a long night.
We were seated in an intimate corner on the veranda of the little restaurant, where the only light was the candle in its glass holder on our table. We held hands and flirted with each other as if it were our first date, and Riley moved his chair around so he was sitting at right angles to me instead of opposite. His hand rested lightly on my knee, and his eyes shone in the candlelight as it slowly moved up my leg. I smiled lovingly at him as he teased me, always knowing that he would remain respectful when we were in public.
The dinner was wonderful and we laughed, and talked about the last two weeks we had spent together. The Christmas lunch and the few days at Ocean Views were highlights, but for me, the best part was just spending quality time together.
Riley’s visit was almost over once again. He would be leaving in two days, and he wasn’t sure when he would be back. He had used up a lot of leave since meeting me, trying to spend as much time together as we could, and he would now have to spend some time in Sydney.
Subtly, I broached the subject of my visiting him in Sydney, but he still wasn’t keen on the idea. I thought it was probably to do with the apartment where he lived. I remembered he had said it was not very nice, and that my little apartment was a palace in comparison, so I suggested an alternative. Maybe for Valentine’s Day, I could come up and we could stay in a hotel, or a bed and breakfast. That idea was met more favourably, and I had excited butterflies in my stomach, knowing that it would only be six weeks until I would see him again.
We strolled back to the guesthouse, hand in hand, along the secluded path, feeling a little tipsy from too much wine.
As soon as we entered the bedroom, I felt his hands on me from behind, grasping my hips. His lips were on my neck and he gently moved my hair to one side so he could kiss my bare back. I sighed, his lips and breath on my back sending shivers down my spine.
He undid my dress and let it fall to the floor, then came around in front of me and paused, sweeping his adoring eyes slowly over my body.
“You are breathtaking,” he said softly, then took me in his arms and nibbled gently on my ear. “I want you,” he whispered, kissing my neck. “I need you.” He ran his tongue up my neck to my jaw. I moaned quietly.
“I love you so much.”
My stomach did a little flip, and I felt myself swoon as his lips met mine.
I had intended to seductively undo the buttons on his shirt, but I couldn’t get it off fast enough. I wanted to feel his body against mine, and I quickly undid the buttons as our kiss deepened. I dropped the shirt to the floor, then reached down to his jeans. I undid his button and slid the zip down, then ran my hand firmly down and back up the front of his boxers, and smiled as we kissed.
“I told you I wanted you,” he said hoarsely, resting his forehead against mine. “I want you all the time. I can never get enough of you.”
“I want you too,” I said softly, and lightly bit his bottom lip.
He drew a ragged breath. “God, Tara, I can’t be without you. I don’t want to spend a day away from you; I can’t go back to Sydney and leave you here.”
Cupping his face in my hands, I kissed him sensually on the lips. “We’ll work it out, babe. We’ll find a way. Okay?”
He nodded and I ran my hands through his hair, placing light kisses all over his face until they found their way back to his mouth.
He kissed me hungrily, his hands running up my body to my breasts, cupping them and pinching lightly at the nipples. He picked me up easily and put me back down on the bed, then began covering my body with kisses. His mouth was all over me, his hands all over me. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, the sensation igniting every nerve in my body.
He quickly kicked off his jeans as he worked his way down, and then pulled me over to the edge of the bed before kneeling down on the floor between my thighs. The feeling of Riley’s mouth on my most intimate area was amazing, and my body shuddered with every movement he made. He licked me gently until I couldn’t take anymore, and then nuzzled in and devoured me.
I ran my hands through his hair. “Oh God, babe …” I couldn’t hold on as my body tensed and I whimpered. My grasp on his hair tightened, and I lost all control. It wasn’t until the last wave subsided that he stopped and looked up at me under hooded lids, his piercing blue eyes gleaming. His breathing was almost as laboured as mine as he lay up on the bed beside me.
“I want you on top, so I can watch you.”
I kissed him passionately on the lips, which turned him on even more, then straddled his hips and lowered myself onto him.
“You’ll have to go slow,” he whispered huskily.
I could tell from his eyes that he was close already, so I did as he asked, and slowly rocked back and forth. I leaned forward so my hands were resting on his chest, and looked down into his eyes. He gripped my hips hard, controlling the speed, and I started circling my hips as I went back and forth. I could feel his fingers clenching with every backward movement, his eyes positively glowing as he looked up at me.
“You don’t have to hold on,” I told him softly.
He shook his head slowly. “I want it to last. I want this feeling to last.”
He swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a moment, then drew a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, I could see he had regained some control.
He sat up and ran his hands through my hair, then kissed my chest and breasts before finding my lips. I continued moving back and forth on him, letting my head fall back as he kissed my neck and chest again. I couldn’t keep going slowly; I wanted him too much to hold back. My speed increased and his hands slid down to my hips, gripping them tightly. His breathing was laboured, matching my own as I knotted my fingers in his hair.
I could feel his breath on my chest, and I could hear his pleasure as he groaned and muttered, “Oh God, Tara,” under his breath.
My lips found his again as our bodies pressed together, his arms wrapping around me, holding me tight against him. “I love you, baby, I love you so much,” he cooed between kisses.
My body clenched as he held me tight, and I cried out, the feeling so intense. I felt his arms tighten around me, pulling me in as he groaned loudly, his face buried in my chest.
After a moment or two he looked up, meeting my eyes, and he gave me a crooked smile before kissing my neck, and nuzzling his face in my hair. “You’re amazing,” he said, his hot breath tickling my ear.
I smiled and kissed his head. “Happy birthday, babe.”
He chuckled softly and lay back down, pulling me down with him. “I want a birthday every day if this is the present I get.”
“It doesn’t have to be
your birthday. You get me whenever you want. I’m all yours.”
He gazed up at me. I could almost see the cogs in his head turning over.
“One of us needs to move,” he said, studying my face to determine my reaction.
I kissed him lightly on the lips. “Yes, one of us does need to move.”
“I’ll look into it,” he promised, a huge smile lighting up his gorgeous face.
I went to sleep that night the same way I always did when I was with Riley. I lay on his chest while he stroked my hair, then when it was time to roll over, he lay behind me and tickled my back until I drifted off to sleep.
We spent the last two days of Riley’s visit practicing Skype all over the apartment. If one of us was in the kitchen and the other in the bathroom, we would Skype.
Riley even went down to a cafe and Skyped me from there, just to make sure we both knew what we were doing, seeing as we were both technically challenged. We decided that we would text the other one and work out a time so we could both make sure we were in range and available. That seemed like the easiest way to do it.
I drove Riley to the airport, comforted in the knowledge that we would be able to see each other when we talked, and that I would be going to Sydney in six weeks. Of course, seeing each other wasn’t the same as touching each other, but it was better than just hearing his voice.
I parked the car and got out so I could walk in with him, but he stopped me. “Just drop me off, babe, okay?”
“No. Why?” I asked, suddenly distressed. I needed as much time with him as I could get.
He stroked my hair. “Because it’s too hard saying goodbye.”
Looking up at his face, my bottom lip trembled as I tried to be brave.
He had tears in his eyes, but he forced a smile. “Just say goodbye here.” He kissed my trembling lip. “Hey, it will be all right, please don’t cry.”
“You can’t cry either then,” I retorted like an insolent child, then hearing myself, I started to laugh. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he pulled me tight. “I’ll miss you,” I whispered.