As soon as he climbed on I moved in behind him. I shuffled closer so my front was flush with his back, circling my arms around his waist. I heard him sigh when I did that. Maybe he didn’t like me touching him in that way. Too friggin’ bad. I wasn’t about to let go. Instead, I moved in even closer, tightening my embrace. I even rested the side of my face against his big strong back. It was a bit forward of me I know, but if it was going to be the only time I get to have my hands on him, I was going to make the most of it.
Within minutes we arrived back at my house. I’m not sure how he knew where I lived, but he did. We never discussed personal stuff like that.
I reluctantly let go of him, removed the helmet and climbed off the bike. I moved alongside him and handed it back. It was still teeming with rain. I felt bad that he had to ride home in this, so I did something really stupid. I invited him inside, until the rain let up. Mistake number two.
Of course he accepted. I’m not sure where he lives, as I said before we don’t talk about those sorts of things.
After removing our wet runners and leaving them on the porch, we stepped inside. “You live here by yourself?” he asked.
“Yes. My parents bought it for me when I moved down here,” I answered.
My place is beautiful. It’s on the posh side of town. My dad bought it for me when I decided to move to Melbourne. It backs onto the beach, just like home. That’s what I love most about living here. It not only reminds me of my family and where I grew up, but living by the water is so calming. From the time I was a little girl, there was something about the ocean I connected with. I can’t explain it.
When I was upset or troubled, it was the first place I went. The smell of the ocean, the sound of the crashing waves, the feel of the sun on my skin. I’m not sure what it was, but it helped soothe me. Always has. I’d be lost without it.
My place doesn’t look very big from the outside, but inside it’s spacious. My parents had it professionally decorated for me by an interior designer. It’s open-plan, light and airy. My furniture is white, with splashes of blue and yellow throughout. It has that beachy feel to it. There are four bedrooms, but I’ve turned one into a study. Daddy made sure there was room for them to come and stay. Even though he still has his penthouse here in Melbourne, he insists on staying with me when they fly down, which had been every friggin’ weekend for the first few months.
My mum eventually talked him into cutting that down to at least every second weekend. Don’t get me wrong I love seeing them. I miss them all terribly, but I moved here for a reason—to get a damn social life. It’s a bit hard when they’re here cramping my style every weekend.
My dad still rings me daily. Mornings to make sure everything is fine and nights to say goodnight. We’re extremely close and I really do miss seeing him every day.
“Oh,” is all he said. Not in a judgemental way, but I could tell he was surprised. If this intimidated him, remind me never to take him to my parents’ house in Sydney.
This house pales in comparison to the house I grew up in. I told daddy I only wanted something small when I moved down here. As long as it was near water I didn’t care what the house looked like. I’ve never been materialistic.
Of course he had to buy me a beautiful, extravagant house. It’s a split-level white weatherboard. It had extensive renovations done before he bought it. My dad doesn’t do anything half-heartedly. He made sure the house was in a safe area as well. He installed a top-of-the-range security system and even went as far as having my neighbours investigated. Can you believe that?
We had words when I found out about it. He just brushed it off like it was nothing. His reasoning was that he wanted to make sure I wasn’t living next door to an axe murderer or a sex criminal. It was so absurd I burst out laughing. I couldn’t stay mad at him though. I know he only does it because he loves and cares about me. I’m lucky to have such wonderful parents.
I left Chase standing in the front room while I ran and got some towels from down the hall. Both of us were dripping wet. When I came back, I found he wasn’t where I left him. Instead, he was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that adorned the back of the house. I love the view it gives of the ocean. I sit there for hours some days just staring out. If the weather’s nice I sit out on the back deck.
At that moment, the view in front of me was so much better. His back was to me, hands in his pockets. I took a moment to admire his sexy arse, strong back and muscly arms. Mmmm…mmmm.
He must’ve sensed me standing there because he looked over his shoulder. I threw him a towel. “Can I get you a warm drink or something?”