by Jennifer Rae
Luke pumped the peg. Her breasts were firm against his back. He pumped again and the engine roared into life. He let the clutch go and the bike jerked, throwing her forward a little until she was pressed right up against him. He couldn’t see, but he was sure that skirt of hers was high up around her thighs. She tightened her grip on him with her legs and slipped her arms around his waist. His fists tightened on the grips.
He needed to ride. He had to stop thinking about her and the way she felt against his back. So trusting and so close. He just wanted to ride back to his place and get her naked—but he wasn’t going to. He’d just find more things to like about her. The way she looked with nothing on, the way her skin felt—silky and smooth—and the noises she made. The soft moans and the loud screams. He liked it all.
He needed to lose himself in the wind and the speed and pretend that everything was all right and he had everything under control. So he rode. And she pressed herself closer, hugging him harder on the corners and yelling in his ear at the traffic lights. And he liked her even more. She was having fun, and she got it.
When they hit the open road her grip relaxed and she stayed quiet, and he enjoyed the feel of her pressed up hard against him as if they were one body, riding free. No destination in mind, just enjoying the ride.
* * *
Amy felt more free on the back of Luke’s bike than she had in longer than she could remember. With the rush of wind flying past her ears there was no chance to talk. And there was no reason to either. They didn’t need to talk. She sat close to him on the bike, every part of her pressed against him and buzzing with the road underneath. It felt intimate and comfortable.
Every bump or turn in the road just brought her closer to him and she snuggled in tight. But not too tight. Her grip was firm, but he was able to move and guide her if he needed to. They were in unison, in perfect sync, and Amy realised that this was what she’d never had with Laurie.
She had never been Laurie’s equal. He’d loved her too much and had put her on a pedestal so high that she’d never have been able to love him that much. But here with Luke she felt as if they both knew what was going on and they both wanted the same thing. Today. With each other. On this bike. In the sun.
She wasn’t sure how long they’d been riding. The sun was still up, but falling, and Luke had slowed down to manoeuvre through the gates of the national park. There was a track, but the trees were close. It twisted and turned but strangely Amy felt safe. She never felt as if she’d hit one of those trees. He knew what he was doing and she completely trusted him as a rider.
The bike stopped and Amy still buzzed. She climbed off a little shakily, and Luke caught her and laughed.
‘Might take you a few minutes to get your land legs. Sit down and take your helmet off. I want to show you something.’
Amy sat, a smile planted firmly on her face. She had no idea where she was but she didn’t care. Adventure. Fun. Mystery. Excitement. That was what was missing from her life. She’d been playing it safe for so long she’d forgotten what this was like. This was the sort of thing she’d done all the time on Weeping Reef—she’d always been looking for something to make her heart beat faster.
She guessed her need for excitement was due to the safe and fairly subdued way she’d grown up, in a house full of loving and gentle health nuts and the safe but so confining all-girls school she’d gone to. It was no wonder she’d broken out and gone crazy on Weeping Reef. It had been the first time she’d met people who were like her. People who wanted to have fun and see the world and have adventures.
And they’d all had some fun. Until that night. When everything had changed. When fun had seemed to die.
Amy watched Luke as he rested his helmet on the seat and pulled a knapsack out of the leather bag tied to the side of the bike. Luke was one of only two people who knew what had happened that night. Amy had never told her parents or Laurie. Her mother had suspected that something had happened on the island, and one night she’d come close to guessing, but she hadn’t, and Amy had been relieved.
She didn’t want to reveal how naïve and stupid she’d been and she didn’t want to talk about it. All she wanted to do was forget. She knew now it wasn’t her fault. But somewhere deep inside she had one regret. That she’d left. That she’d packed up and run away and hadn’t confronted the man who’d affected her so much. That she hadn’t told him what she thought of him and what a coward he was. Somehow, in some way, it made her feel that he’d won and she’d lost.
‘Ready?’
Luke smiled and Amy’s mood brightened instantly. He grabbed her hand and hauled her up easily from the rock she was sitting on. The day was warm, but not hot, and they were alone in the bushland. Sticks and dry leaves crunched underfoot and the only other sound was the calling of birds and cicadas as they pushed their way through the low-lying branches.
A hum was the first indication that the landscape was changing, and it was only seconds later that Amy had to stop and look.
‘Luke, it’s beautiful...’ she said absently.
Falling from a cut of rock high above them was a large waterfall. It wasn’t blue, but nor was it green, and it didn’t rush down heavily but fell gently, with occasional rushing swoops into a pool below that was surrounded by rocks. The water created an atmosphere of cool air that Amy felt whisper over her shoulders.
‘My dad used to bring me here when I was young. We’d ride all day and camp here at night. Back then you could light fires, so we’d cook up some sausages and talk about nothing.’
‘Do you two come here any more?’
‘No. We haven’t been back since Mum died.’
Amy remembered Willa talking about her mother a few times. She’d died when Willa was in high school. It had been hard for her. Luke had been away at university and she’d been alone with her dad, who had been grieving.
She’d told Amy how alone she’d felt. Amy had always imagined that they had become so close because Willa had been dying for some female company. When they’d first met Willa had been so shy and reserved. It had been fun to try and bring her out of her shell and make her see the world differently.
Amy was sure she’d done most of her outrageous things just to show off to Willa. And of course to Luke. Perhaps that was why Luke hadn’t liked her back then. Perhaps he’d thought his sister should have been cocooned for longer instead of being thrown out into the big bad world and encouraged to live the way Amy wanted to.
Back then Amy had been looking for fun without thinking of the consequences. Now all she did was think of consequences. She wondered if there was some way to find a balance. A way to have fun, like she was having with Luke, but still be good at her job and feel safe. She felt safe right now. Holding his hand, enjoying the sun. She felt safer with him—a man she’d really only known properly for two weeks—than she had with any man she’d met since Laurie.
And the difference was that she wanted Luke so badly she ached. He seemed like the perfect combination of sexual freedom and safety. Except he wasn’t. Because he’d told her so many times that he didn’t do relationships, and she still wasn’t sure that going out with her best friend’s brother was her smartest idea, so how was that safe? But right now she didn’t want to think about that. She just wanted to enjoy what was left of the afternoon with Luke.
* * *
Amy’s body shimmered in the water. It hadn’t taken much convincing for her to get naked and dive in. She was brave and bold and game for anything. She surprised Luke every time. She was thirsty for adventure, but never reckless about it. And sexually she wanted to do whatever it took to please him—just as he wanted to do whatever it took to please her.
He was sure he just had—on the riverbank. Now it was her turn. She turned back to him, a sexy half-smile on her face as she cut through the water with long, confident strokes, only coming up for air when s
he was near the waterfall. She dipped her hands in it, then gasped when she tried to put her head under and it pushed her down into the water.
He was at her side in seconds, pulling her up from where she’d sunk. She coughed and spluttered and pushed the hair out of her eyes. He pulled her close. He wanted her where he could see her. Where he could keep her safe.
Her breasts pushed up against his chest and her legs wrapped around him. She totally trusted him. She didn’t for a second think he’d break her heart, and that made him feel a little too hot. She smiled slowly and he kissed her, long and hard. He let his tongue stroke against hers and moved against the smooth skin of her legs.
This afternoon had been perfect, and he didn’t want it to end, but it had to. And so did this thing with Amy. Not because he’d found anything wrong with her, but because he couldn’t find anything wrong with her. There was only ever one reason a man couldn’t find fault with a girl, and that was...Well, it was better not to think about that.
Suddenly Amy’s eyes went dark and the smile disappeared from her face as she shifted to allow his length inside her. He knew he was so close it was dangerous. Amy moaned as he moved to fill her and her fingernails scraped over his back. The pain from the scratches felt good, and pressure built from feeling her move against him.
He needed traction, so he moved them back towards the rocks underneath the waterfall. Grabbing her by the waist, he lifted her up and off him and onto the rocks. She lay back, waiting like a beautiful mermaid. He wanted her. Had to have her. He wanted her body and to hear her laugh and to keep her safe. And as he climbed up on top of her, to slide in long and smooth and slow, he knew he was falling.
This couldn’t go on.
She groaned in appreciation.
This had to end.
She lifted herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed himself in deeper. Her moans got louder, her panting wilder. and he couldn’t stop. He watched her face, her eyes—the way she threw her head back to expose the bones at the base of her neck and her hard nipples. He kissed them. He kissed her neck and behind her ear. He found her mouth and kissed away her screams as he allowed himself to go, allowed himself to love her—just once.
And when he came to and saw her breathing heavily, her skin glistening, not smiling, exhausted from their lovemaking, he knew it had to end.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE MESSAGE ON Luke’s phone beeped angrily at him.
Huynh has revoked the approval. Everything has to be submitted again.
Kel Huynh had been the thorn in his ass since this whole project began. She was tough and strict and had made him jump through every hoop she could find during the whole process of building his hotel.
It was his most ambitious project to date. He’d never built a hotel this large or complicated before. There was a retail precinct, bars, restaurants, and he’d managed to lease out a large portion of the hotel to one of the richest companies in South East Asia to open their state-of-the-art casino. But Kel Huynh had fought him every inch of the way.
She was against the casino, but without it the project wasn’t feasible. They’d managed to get the casino in, but now she was stopping them getting a twenty-four-hour licence—which would totally ruin the whole project.
His man in Singapore was one of his most trusted employees. He’d managed and transformed Luke’s very first hotel and Luke knew he’d be able to handle this on his own. But it irritated him that there was another hitch. Maybe it could be sorted without him...but maybe a trip back to Singapore was just what he needed. Distance. Time. Perspective.
This afternoon at the waterfall with Amy had been awesome. For the first time in a long time he’d thought of nothing else but now. But that didn’t sound too smart to him.
He’d always been a planner. He’d always planned for the future, tried to foresee problems before they happened so he could deal with them. So he could be prepared. So much in life was unpredictable—planning was his way of trying to stay in control. But with Amy he didn’t even think about planning. Each day was a new adventure. And despite what he knew he should do it felt great to be living in the moment. Too great. Dangerously great.
‘What is it?’
Amy was pulling on her helmet. She’d forgone the skirt this time and was planning to ride behind him in nothing but her underwear and his shirt tied around her waist. With her wet hair drying messily and her shirt unbuttoned to reveal a slice of her gorgeous breasts, she looked hotter than he’d ever seen her.
‘There’s a problem with the Singapore hotel. A big one.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s the twenty-four-hour opening. They’ve denied our licence. It’s a big problem.’
‘But haven’t you got someone to handle all that for you?’
‘It’s a big problem, Amy—the whole project could fall.’
A slight exaggeration, but he needed to buy some time. She put her hands on her hips and let her head fall to the side. Hot. Sexy. He wanted her again.
‘I might have to go back to Singapore.’
‘What?’ She stood up straighter. ‘When?’
‘Soon. Tomorrow.’
He knew they could handle it without him. But he also knew no one else could do it better than him. Kel Huynh was clever and she was quick. He really should be there in the room when his people met with her.
‘I’ve never been to Singapore.’
Luke stilled. Amy’s expression had changed. She stood awkwardly, her hands clasped in front of her.
‘I’ve always wanted to.’
‘It’s...I wouldn’t say it’s the most exciting city.’
Bars, restaurants, a nightlife like no other, constant warm weather—the place was exactly up Amy’s alley.
But if she was there he wouldn’t be able to think. Or work. This crazy feeling of falling for her would never go away and he needed it to. This was Amy. Little Amy. His sister’s best friend. Reckless, careless Amy, who would get hurt when he let her down. He couldn’t fall for Amy.
‘I don’t know—I’ve heard good things. And it would be really helpful to see a hotel of your size in action. To help with my account, I mean...’ Her caramel eyes looked at him, then looked at the ground. ‘Unless, I mean...Unless you don’t want me tagging along. I shouldn’t—’
‘No, it’s not that. I...It’s just. I’ll be working and I won’t have a lot of time to...spend with you.’
‘No. Of course...I know.’ She looked up again. ‘But I’m a big girl—I could look after myself.’
The silence went on too long.
Luke didn’t know what to say without sounding like the world’s biggest ass
‘Okay, yeah. Sure. You can come...if you want.’
She shrugged and her cheeks reddened. ‘Only if you want me to.’
‘Of course...’
Luke moved to put his arm around her waist. He went to kiss her forehead but she thought he was going to kiss her lips and moved, but not fast enough, and he ended up kissing her eyelid instead. Smooth.
‘Of course I want you to.’
‘Okay...then...’
The ride back to Amy’s apartment was quiet. She didn’t yell in his ear at the traffic lights and she didn’t press herself up against him. When she got off she thanked him and retrieved her bag and skirt with an awkward blush.
Luke’s palms itched. He didn’t want it to be like this. Even though he knew they couldn’t go on, he didn’t want it to be like this. But it was. And it was probably going to be like this for a week, because now she was coming to Singapore with him.
‘I’ll have someone book a flight for you and let you know the details.’
He kissed her on the cheek. She didn’t look at him.
‘Okay, sure. No problem. I’ll wait to
hear from you then.’
‘Good.’
‘Great.’
‘Okay, then. Bye.’
‘Bye.’
* * *
When Luke’s motorcycle had roared into life and sped down the street Amy lifted her expensive handbag above her head and threw it onto the ground with a force she hadn’t realised she had. Then she swore so badly she was sure it would have made a trucker blush. Then she picked up her bag and her pride and stalked into her house to find as much wine as she could and shout at herself for being such a fool.
* * *
The sweat dripped slowly between Amy’s shoulderblades and down her back. The taxi was clean, but there was no air con. She was hot and tired and regretting everything.
She knew she looked a wreck. Frizzy hair, make-up sweated off and massive bags under her eyes.
The eight-hour flight from Sydney to Singapore had been awkward and embarrassing. First class was always a nice way to travel, but Amy hadn’t been able to enjoy it. Luke had spent the entire trip next to her on his computer, sending emails and filling out forms.
Amy had tried to talk to him but he’d shut her down with one-word answers and she’d spent the entire trip feeling as if she was disturbing him.
Everything had been going so well. They’d been enjoying each other. She’d been happy and he’d seemed happy. It hadn’t been until she’d asked to come to Singapore with him that everything had changed. But why shouldn’t she have come? They’d spent almost every day together in the past two weeks, and he’d seemed to be as into her as she was him.
But obviously she’d got it wrong. Again. She’d trusted someone she shouldn’t have again.
The taxi stopped in front of a tall space-age style building. Luke was still silent as he stepped out of the taxi and ordered the bags to be brought in. As soon as the doors rolled open he was met by five staff members and Amy found herself walking behind him. Forgotten. Neglected. This wasn’t the Luke of the last two weeks. Who was this man? This seemed more like Weeping Reef Luke. Absent and obsessed with work.