by Miranda Lee
“Tell me again that you love me,” he said as he carried her back into the house.
“I love you, Aiden.”
“I want to hear that a lot tonight.”
“Yes, darling.”
“And I want to hear that a lot, too!”
“I DIDN’T BRING MY hair-dryer with me,” Zoe wailed as she inspected herself in the bathroom mirror the next morning. “And not much makeup, either. What will your mother think of me?”
Aiden smiled. “She’ll think you’re gorgeous. Just like I do.”
“Really?”
Her insecurity over her appearance both irritated and touched him. “Your hair looks lovely as it is,” he insisted, “and your skin has a wonderfully natural glow this morning.”
Zoe had to admit that she was looking good. Being truly in love suited her. Or was it being truly loved?
“You don’t have to be anything other than your beautiful self around me, Zoe. I do understand that clothes and grooming play an important part in the professional scene around Sydney, but let’s leave it there, shall we?”
“I just want to make a good impression on your mom.”
Aiden smiled and drew her to him. “You’ve already made a good impression by falling in love with me. You should have heard her on the phone last night. She was ecstatic. But there’s no need to doll yourself up for my mom. She’s not into that kind of thing.”
“I’m still not going to wear shorts,” Zoe told Aiden firmly. “I want to wear my lemon slacks and white shirt.”
He pulled a face. “If you must.”
“I must.” She reached up on tiptoe and kissed him lightly on the lips. “I’ll tie the shirt above my waist and I won’t wear a bra,” she whispered.
He grinned. “That’s my girl.”
And wasn’t that the truth. She was Aiden’s girl. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. But would it ever be ‘til death do them part?
Hopefully. Zoe knew her dad was right when he said that men didn’t propose marriage this quickly. But she felt confident Aiden was already committed to a real and lasting relationship between them. They’d talked a lot last night in between the tenderest of lovemakings, and Zoe had woken this morning feeling happy and optimistic.
There were no guarantees in life, of course. There were no guarantees in anything. But she wasn’t going to spoil what she could have with him by indulging in negative thoughts. For once, she was going to enjoy each day as it came and not worry too much, as Mel had advised.
“Just give me another fifteen minutes,” Zoe told Aiden, “and I’ll be ready to leave.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” he said. And did.
The drive north was pleasant, with the southerly change the day before bringing milder fall weather. Just as well, Zoe thought, since they were driving in Aiden’s yellow truck and it didn’t have air-conditioning. She didn’t want to arrive at his mother’s place with limp hair and perspiration stains all over her shirt.
Zoe and Aiden chatted companionably the whole way, and it wasn’t till Aiden took the turn-off to Shelley Bay, that she began feeling nervous.
“I hope your mom really likes me,” she couldn’t help saying.
“Don’t worry. She will.”
Shelley Bay turned out to be a delightful little seaside spot which had no high-rise buildings to mar its semi-tropical beauty. The tall Norfolk pines which lined the white-sanded beachfront made it look like a hundred other coastal towns which dotted the Australian coastline.
“Never changes, Shelley Bay,” Aiden remarked happily as he drove down the main street then took a road which wound its way into the hills behind the town. “Which is exactly the way I like it.”
“Give it another ten years,” Zoe warned, glancing at the magnificent view in the side mirror. “I’ll bet some big developer will move in and build a huge resort up on this very hill, and then you’ll see some changes.”
“I doubt it. I happen to own this hill and I ain’t selling.”
Zoe was astonished. “You’re that rich, Aiden?”
“Filthy rich, actually. But you don’t have to worry, darlin’. I won’t go buying you all sorts of expensive gifts or taking you to five-star restaurants or doing any of those wickedly corrupting things you once told me not to. But it’s going to be very difficult when it comes to birthdays and Christmas if I can’t even buy you flowers and perfume.”
“Aiden Mitchell, stop teasing me. You know that was before.”
He grinned. “Before what?”
“Before I believed you loved me.”
“You mean I can spoil and corrupt you with my money now?”
She laughed. “I think you’ve already corrupted me. But heck yes, spoil me all you like.”
“Great. Oops. Almost missed mom’s place. Too much talking.”
Aiden braked sharply and zapped the yellow truck up a steep and rather rocky driveway, which then flattened out and swung ‘round in a circle in front of one of those delightful old wooden houses called Queenslanders. Given this one belonged to Aiden’s mother, Zoe should not have been surprised that it was painted a bright yellow, with white latticework and a deep terra-cotta roof.
Not that the color scheme didn’t brilliantly suit its leafy-green setting. Huge gum trees on either side cast shade onto the roof whilst large tree palms and various exotic-looking ferns flanked the white-painted steps which led up onto the wide cool-looking porch.
Zoe was admiring it all when a woman emerged from the house and started walking down those steps, a woman who took Zoe’s breath away.
She was tall and slender, with straight honey-blond hair which fell down to her waist. She was wearing an ankle-length, sarong-style skirt in turquoise silk, topped with a vivid scarlet singlet. Her feet were bare and her toenails were painted scarlet. As she drew closer Zoe saw she wore no makeup on her honey-colored skin. But she certainly wore jewelry.
Long multicolored hoops swung from her lobes. She had a gold stud in her right nostril and a snakelike silver bangle wrapped high around her left arm.
She looked exotic and sexy and not like anyone’s mother Zoe had ever known.
“Oh, my, Aiden,” Zoe gasped. “She’s so beautiful.”
“Who, Mom?” He seemed startled by the compliment. Then thoughtful. “Yeah, you’re right. She is. But her soul is even more beautiful. Come on, come and meet her.”
Kristy Mitchell’s lovely face was even lovelier when she smiled. And she smiled at her son as he whisked her off her feet and whirled her ‘round in greeting, kissing and hugging her at the same time.
Zoe watched, in a type of awe. Clearly, this was how this beautiful-looking woman had brought him up, with a lot of physical expressions of love. No wonder he was such a warm generous person and a simply wonderful lover.
“Aiden, put me down,” his mom ordered at long last. “I’m very pleased to see you, too, darling, but don’t you think it’s time you introduced me to Zoe? That is why you’ve come, isn’t it? So that I can see this very special girl who’s revived your spirit and restored your soul.”
Zoe’s eyes widened at these amazingly flattering words. Was that what he’d told his mom she’d done for him?
She stared at Aiden who shrugged and smiled a little sheepishly at her.
“Trust my mom to embarrass me. But yes,” he confirmed. “You did all that. And more.” He took her hand and drew her to his side. “So what do you think of my Zoe, Mom? Isn’t she lovely?”
Zoe colored a little as those beautiful blue eyes—so like her son’s—gave her a long assessing look.
“I think,” Aiden’s mother said slowly, “that if she is that—your Zoe—then don’t play games with her, son. Tell her what you told me last night. Tell her now.”
Aiden groaned. He should have anticipated this. His mother would not let him make the same mistake she believed his father had once made.
“Aiden?” Zoe asked worriedly. “What does your mom mean? What is it you have to
tell me?”
He closed his eyes and suddenly he felt as he’d felt once when he was out on his board and he saw this huge wave coming and he thought, I’m gone. He’d no option then but to gather all his courage and ride that rogue wave, because not to could have been the kiss of death to him as a professional surfer. He might have lost his nerve.
The situation was pretty much the same. He had to go for it. Had to. Because if he didn’t, all might be lost. And losing Zoe would be a lot worse than losing his nerve.
He opened his eyes and looked straight at her. “I told my mother I was going to ask you to marry me one day in the near future. She seems to think that that one day should be today. And you know what? She’s right. You are my one true love, Zoe. Why wait? Will you marry me?”
Zoe was overwhelmed. His one true love. He’d called her his one true love! On top of that, he’d proposed marriage!
“You don’t have to give him an answer straight away,” Aiden’s mom said gently. “I just wanted him to be straight with you. After all you’ve been through with that other fellow, I thought you needed to hear up front just how much my boy loves you.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “Mom, will you shut up? And she does have to answer straight away. If I’ve had the guts to ask her, then she has to have the guts to answer me. So what’s it to be, Zoe?”
Zoe wondered dazedly what all her friends and family would say if they were standing here at this moment. Fran. Mel. Betty. Her dad.
Especially her dad.
What would he say to her?
A small smile played around Zoe’s lips as she realized exactly what her dad would say.
Go for it, girl. Go for it.
And the others would probably say the same. But still…weren’t they going to be surprised when she told them?
Her smile widened as she looked up into the eyes of the man she loved.
“Yes!” Aiden shouted, and punched the air in victory. “She said yes!”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0018-0
Just a Little Sex…
Copyright © 2001 by Miranda Lee
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