On The Road Again

by Fiona Lowe

  The teenagers all rallied around and within ten minutes, Felicity had all the cold students grouped together, wrapped in space blankets and all with a buddy sitting next to them. She’d instructed them to talk to their friends to keep them awake and to report back to her any change in their conscious state.

  Drew, who’d been called away earlier to treat two girls with hand injuries after they’d ridden too close to each other, appeared with water cascading off the hood of his waterproof jacket. His forehead was creased in a frown. ‘I’ve got six people in the cafe across the road with mild hypothermia and probably another six will have appeared in the time it’s taken me to walk here.’

  Felicity bit her lip. ‘I’ve got more than triple that here and we’re running low on space blankets. I’m really concerned about two kids who I think should go to hospital.’

  His often wide and generous mouth was a flat, grim line. ‘This weather’s a bastard and the radar’s showing rain for another couple of hours.’

  Felicity swallowed a sigh. ‘That will make eight hours of rain and we’re fast running out of ways to warm these kids up.’

  ‘I know. They’re soaked, the volunteers are soaked and we’re not doing much better. We’re on the top of a mountain, the ambient air temperature’s six degrees Celsius, visibility’s almost zero and the road down is so slick it’s beyond dangerous. It’s time to pull the pin.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘I’m calling it in to the police and requesting they close the road. With so many students on the ride, it’s now a duty of care issue and we’re going into a full blown evacuation.’ He pulled out the sat phone and made the call.

  In the short time it took for the police officers to arrive, Felicity had diagnosed another five cases of hypothermia including two adults. She was triaging everyone, tagging them with numbered wristbands. The most urgent cases got a red tag with a number one printed on it.

  ‘Flick.’ Drew’s hand touched her shoulder and she turned to face him, seeing logistics and worry in his eyes. ‘I think the best solution is that you go down the mountain on the hospital bus and I’ll stay here to treat any of the stragglers who need it.’

  ‘Sure, that works.’

  ‘Good.’ His fingers tapped a fast tattoo on his head and she recognised the action. He’d always done that when he was thinking fast. ‘The police have closed the course down the mountain and the sag wagons are now picking up all cyclists who are still riding to the summit. There’s an estimated five hundred people and bikes to be transported down to Traralgon.’

  ‘At least three and a half thousand people got through. Still, won’t that take hours?’

  ‘Yup.’ The left side of his mouth tweaked up wryly. ‘It’s going to be a long day.’

  A police officer walked over. ‘Dr. Baxter, the cafe owner’s worried about one of the kids.’

  ‘Tell her I’m on my way,’ said Drew.

  ‘Will do.’ The officer turned away and spoke into his walkie-talkie.

  Drew picked up the remaining space blankets. ‘Text me when you’ve wrapped up your end of the day.’

  ‘Sure thing.’

  ‘Have fun.’ He leaned in and brushed her cheek with his lips in the exact same way he’d always said farewell to her when they’d been a couple.

  As he pulled back, she caught the expression in his eyes and she didn’t know who was more shocked at the automatic kiss. Him or her.

  Chapter Six

  In cab now. Five minutes from camp.

  Drew smiled at Flick’s text as anticipation spun through him. It was eight p.m. and he’d been back for an hour, having left the mountain on the last bus. He’d been in contact with the hospital and of the twenty people Flick had transported down, only two had been admitted. The rest had recovered swiftly once in warm clothes and filled with hot food and drink. The potential for a mass disaster had been averted and now the camp was full of cycling war-stories and the excitement of a rest day tomorrow.

  He walked towards the gates of the park to meet Flick’s taxi. The satisfaction of a job well done glowed warm inside him and he was keen to dissect the day with her.

  You always enjoyed doing that with her.

  For the first time in a long time he didn’t bother denying the thought.

  Today, as they’d swung into disaster mode on the top of the mountain, it was like they’d never been apart. Hell, working with her had felt so good, so normal in fact that he’d automatically leaned in and kissed her goodbye. When he’d realised what he’d done, the shock of it wasn’t enough to bring the excepted regret. It had merely reinforced what he wanted. He wanted her.

  For now? Or forever?

  His mind baulked.

  Just for tonight.

  *****

  As the cab pulled up, Felicity saw Drew walking toward the vehicle carrying two packs. He gave her a wave and spoke to the driver. ‘Strzelecki B&B, please.’

  A minute later, after hefting the packs into the boot, he slid in beside her.

  She scanned his face for clues. ‘What’s going on?’

  He smiled. ‘You’ve worked twelve hours, you’re still in wet clothes and I thought you deserved to have a hot shower that wasn’t in a plastic box, enjoy a meal that wasn’t eaten off a plastic plate and have the joy of stretching out and sleeping on a mattress rather than a thin camping mat.’

  She stared at him, trying to work him out. ‘That’s a lovely thought, Drew, but what happened to the man who always said luxury was an overly indulgence?’

  He frowned. ‘Did I say that?’

  She nodded. ‘Once or ten times.’

  Contrition crossed his high cheeks. ‘That was before I’d experienced life in a war-zone. Can I make a caveat? There are occasions when you need some home-comforts to reenergize and today’s one of them.’

  The cab pulled up in front of a Victorian weatherboard workman’s cottage, meticulously painted in heritage green and cream. A picket fence surrounded the front garden, which was entered through a central gate. Standard iceberg roses in full bloom lined the path to the front door and chickens and ducks ran around the garden. After the close confines of the camp where the tents were pitched less than thirty centimetres apart, it looked like heaven.

  Drew paid the cabbie and then opened the car door for her before following her up the path, carrying their packs. Felicity took in the whitecane furniture on the veranda, the immaculately swept and polished boards and glanced down at her muddy shoes and wet clothes. ‘I can’t go in like this.’

  ‘Of course you can. I’ve spoken to Helen, the owner, and she’s running you a hot bath as we speak. Just ditch the shoes and the socks here.’ He opened the door.

  Thoughts bounced around her head, trying to align this Drew with the man who’d argued long and hard about wasting money on five star luxuries. Granted, this cottage wasn’t five-star but after four nights in a tent and a day of mud and leeches, it seemed blessedly luxurious to her.

  A woman in her fifties welcomed them. ‘Come in, come in, doctors. You both look exhausted.’

  Within ten minutes, Felicity was ensconced in an enormous claw-foot bath tub savouring both the warmth and the fragrance of the water. There were times in life when the simple things she took for granted suddenly seemed like miracles and today was one of those times. Forget champagne and chocolates, forget marble bathrooms and gold plated taps. All a girl needed was a hot cup of tea and a bath.

  And Drew.

  She sank under the water, trying hard to push the increasingly strident thought away. Her body was only craving something it remembered. Nothing had changed between them and falling into bed with him would only lead to more heartache.

  It doesn’t have to. It could be just tonight.

  She sat up fast, water sluicing off her. Could she do that? Could she take him for just one night and walk away? It wasn’t like he’d want anything more than that either.

  Heat curled deep inside her, reminding her of how great they’
d always been together in bed. Yes, please.

  A knock sounded on the door, making her start.

  ‘Flick, may I come in?’

  She opened her mouth to say, ‘just a minute’ so she could grab the plush, towelling robe, but ‘yes’ came out instead.

  Chapter Seven

  Drew opened Flick’s door and stepped into the room. He glanced toward the canopied bed expecting to see her sitting there but all he saw was a pristine duvet. His gaze swung to the bay window and the claw-foot tub.

  Her ankles were crossed gracefully and her feet extended over the end of the bath—the only parts of her body out of the water. If there’d been bubbles in the bath to start with, they were now long gone. Absolutely nothing hid the full length of her glorious and naked body.

  He was instantly hard.

  She raised a lovely, toned and tanned arm and waved at him with a wide smile. ‘You were quick.’

  His throat convulsed, unable to form words as his brain fought for the remnants of some blood to give the speech centre some oxygen. He swallowed. ‘Habit.’ The word came out so husky it was barely recognisable.

  ‘I guess the army doesn’t lend itself to comfort.’ She rose gracefully, water pouring off her body until she stood in front of him—his own Aphrodite—blissfully and divinely beautiful.

  An ache consumed him from head to toe.

  God, I’ve missed her.

  He stared at her—hardly able to believe this visual gift—soaking her in as his gaze revisited her body, which he knew as intimately as his own. Her breasts were still generous and the left one still slightly and deliciously larger than the right.

  The sweet curve of her waist and the intoxicating roundness of her hips made his hands tingle with the memories of the thousand times he’d moulded his palm around them both. His gaze swept lower to the small triangle of chestnut curls at the apex of her thighs. He’d never forgotten those.

  ‘Drew.’

  He jerked his head up fast and met dancing eyes and a wicked smile on her lips. ‘I don’t want to break a leg getting out of this tub. Can you give me your hand?’

  ‘Sure.’ The hoarse word hung in the air as he stepped forward and raised his arm.

  Her hand slid into his, gripping him hard. Keeping her eyes firmly on his face, she stepped over the high side of the bath and the next moment she was standing right in front of him. The delicious scent of coconut and lime spun through his nostrils and he wondered if she tasted as good.

  ‘You’re wet,’ he said picking up the plush towel.

  ‘I am.’

  Her throaty voice sent every pulse point in his body into overdrive, throbbing with glorious anticipation. He threw the towel around her shoulders and pulling each end slowly back and forth, he dried her back and then her breasts. Next he focused on the backs of her legs and then her behind.

  Throughout it all, she stood silent and perfectly still, her expression one of delicious taunting—I’m here and I might be yours.

  When most of her skin was dry, he brought the towel up between her legs until it could go no further and then he moved it gently back and forth.

  Her eyes widened into pools of liquid-chocolate and her slightly detached aura vanished as her head fell back and a soft moan escaped her lips. ‘You’re not playing fair.’

  He laughed and pulled her into his arms. ‘A man has to do what works. You’re as beautiful as ever, Flick.’

  She wriggled her nose. ‘I have stretch marks.’

  ‘They’re beautiful too. I plan to kiss them as soon as I’ve done this.’

  Felicity wrapped her arms around Drew’s neck, as his mouth plundered hers. The earthy taste of him filled her mouth, streaking through her fast and waking up every single cell in her body. Her tongue met his—duelling, exploring, seeking—desperate to touch, taste and feel him, and to fill the void that had been part of her since he’d left.

  Her heavy, tingling breasts pressed against the soft cotton of his shirt and they ached to touch skin. She pulled back.

  His glazed eyes tried to focus. ‘What?’

  ‘One of us is overdressed.’ Her fingers undid the snap on his shorts and she reached down under the waistband.

  He shuddered against her and with a daring smile, he brought his hand up to cup her breast. ‘Two can play at this game.’

  She wrapped her palm around the silky length of him and almost cried at how right it felt. ‘Is that so?’

  His thumb traced circles around her areola until it brushed her erect nipple.

  She slid her hand along his length.

  He lowered his mouth, ran his tongue around her nipple and then sucked it hard.

  The pleasure-shock exploded between her legs, all molten heat and wet desire. She dropped her hand and sagged against him. ‘You remembered.’

  He stroked her hair behind her ears. ‘I’ve never forgotten.’

  His words thudded into her but she didn’t want to think about what they may or may not mean. She kissed him hard and fast, letting desire take over and making her blessedly deaf to everything except the raging need that burned so brightly, consuming her.

  He staggered backwards toward the bed, taking her with him as he kicked off his shoes, shucked his pants and then he pulled them down together. Their bodies sought each other, knowing exactly what the other needed and fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. He entered her—filling her completely—and she cried out in a combination of relief and joy. It felt so right.

  She met him thrust for thrust, loving the way his hands tilted her hips so that with each stroke he touched the perfect spot until their rhythm drove each of them beyond the other to that place of sheer and utter bliss.

  Chapter Eight

  As Felicity caught her breath, she tried not to think about the fact she hadn’t experienced mind-blowing sex like that since the last time she and Drew had been together. In fact she tried not to think about anything other than the residual pleasure that lingered in her veins like sweet caramel sauce.

  The only thing the sex had meant was that both of them had given into memory. She was calling it ‘farewell sex’—the sex they’d never had because he’d left her without a word.

  Drew’s arm reached out and she allowed herself to roll into him. He pressed a kiss into her hair. ‘Thank you. I wasn’t expecting that.’

  She dug him gently in the ribs and laughed. ‘You are so transparent, Drew. Of course you were expecting it.’

  His face sobered. ‘Actually, I wasn’t certain. I hoped it might happen but if it did, I thought I’d have to wait until at least after dinner.’

  ‘It’s your lucky night then.’ She moved her head off his chest, disconcerted by the rhythmic and reassuring lub-dub of his heart and how good it sounded. She couldn’t risk letting herself want more than tonight. ‘Taking about dinner, I’m starving. It’s been hours since I ate anything.’

  Drew’s fingers trailed through her hair. ‘What do you fancy? There’s Thai, Indian, Italian or the greasy spoon down the road.’

  She sighed. ‘I’m famished but I don’t have the energy to get dressed and leave this bed.’

  ‘No problem.’ He reached for his phone. ‘We’ll find a place that delivers.’

  *****

  Day Five

  Drew couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so relaxed. Last night had been amazing. After he and Flick had consumed a massive amount of pad Thai and a huge amount of chicken satay, they’d made love again before falling asleep. He’d woken this morning with her arm across his chest and her hair in his face but instead of his chest cramping and his body readying to flee, he’d smiled and kissed her because it had felt so good. So...right.

  Now they sat under the shade of a huge gum tree in the park with a feast of dips and cheeses, a baguette, baby spinach, organic tomatoes, summer sausage and a chocolate éclair, all purchased from the farmer’s market.

  He spread pate onto the bread. ‘I thought you would have wa
nted to eat in a restaurant today rather than picnicking like we do every day on the ride.’

  She leaned back against the tree, sipping the pinot noir he’d chosen and she levelled her gaze at him. Her brow furrowed. ‘I enjoy being outside. I always have, even when we were together.’

  He tried to align the statement with his memories. ‘We never picnicked.’

  She sighed. ‘We worked seventy hours a week and lived in inner-city Melbourne. When we had time to go out it was usually with friends at restaurants. You do the math.’

  Was that why he associated her with silver service? He could only remember feeling ill at ease at restaurants ‘du jour’ with hoity maitre-de’s who refused his booking but on hearing Felicity’s surname always accepted hers.

  Thinking about that made him ask, ‘How are your parents?’

  ‘They’re well. They’re pretty much living at Portsea full time now.’

  He recalled the holiday house, which was four times the size of the house he’d grown up in and that was before he factored in the swimming pool, tennis court and the half-sized polo field. ‘I can’t imagine your father slowing down.’

  She smiled. ‘He’s serving on a few boards and both he and mum are raising a lot of money for Africa, which the charity couldn’t do without.’

  He felt the tightness at the edge of his smile. ‘Ladies who lunch?’

  ‘Get over yourself, Drew,’ she said wearily. ‘My parents may be rich but they use their connections for good.’

  ‘You’re right, my bad.’ He accepted her rebuke and determined there and then never to make another cheap shot. He was a different man now and secure in himself. The Hamilton-Smiths were good people and they’d always welcomed him despite his lack of a private school education and his then obvious lack of funds. The problem of him feeling inferior had lain squarely with him.

  ‘What about your family?’ Genuine interest shone on her face.

  ‘Dad’s retired from driving trains and he now drives the little motor home they bought. He reckons they can live more cheaply on the road than in the house. Shelly’s married with two little girls and Evan’s doing medicine at Melbourne Uni.’