Among The Cloud Dwellers (Entrainment Series)

by Giuliana Sica

  “We need to get you settled so you can relax, luv,” Gabe suggested, swiftly getting back on his feet. He leaned over to help me up and walked me back to the bedroom. While he went back to grab my bag, I sat on the bed and swept my eyes around the room. Everything looked as I remembered, only more tangible. The same mesmerizing Aboriginal painting hung on the wall; the same garra and galpu and the same trophies doubled as bookends. I inhaled deeply—the same smell of wood and Gabe’s subtle energy infusing the air. Comfortable at last, I rested my head against the pillows. I relaxed and kicked off my sneakers. My feet felt like squished marshmallows. Hopefully they’ll remember which shape to restore to.

  I was almost asleep when Gabe walked back in with my bag. He quietly asked me if I still wanted a bath, and I nodded groggily. Exhaustion anchored my body, but I needed to wash the trip off my limbs. With enormous effort, I got up and walked the short distance to the bathroom, summoned by the gurgling welcome of the tub filling up fast. Gabe had switched the light off and had lit candles instead, but he was nowhere in sight. And then I realized he was giving me privacy and space to adjust. I felt touched by his attention. I got rid of my clothes and teased the water with my still-swollen foot, finding it the perfect temperature. I coiled my hair up my head and sank into the deliciously scented, bubbly waters.

  Instantaneously, the trip tension began to melt.

  In the flickering candlelight, I noticed a pile of fresh towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, soaps, a loofah, and other necessities I knew he went out of his way to gather for me. On the towel rack a clean white T-shirt hung neatly. I smiled, remembering how I had chosen the same one to sleep in last time. So much for the lingerie I had packed; I was going to spend my first night back in a T-shirt. I rinsed off beneath a jet of healing, warm water, visualizing the ache from the long trip, willing it to run down my body and disappear, along with the swirls of soap spiraling down the drain, to leave me cleansed.

  I stepped out of the tub renewed and briskly dried my body. I brushed my teeth and looked at my reflection in the mist of the steamed-up mirror. Livid blue circles framed my eyes. I looked dead tired. A shadow of a suntan lingered on my nose and cheeks. A couple of extra lines at the corners of my eyes caught me by surprise. I knew they weren’t there a week ago. Trying to smooth them off with my fingertips, I only managed to blotch my skin red. I gave up, put on the T-shirt, and walked out of the bathroom. My bare toes sank into the thick carpet of the bedroom where a blazing fire greeted me. I looked around for Gabe and called his name.

  “Out here, luv,” his voice answered from the veranda.

  I walked though the sliding doors and a sharp slap of cold whipped my bare legs and feet. I hugged myself, hid my hands under my armpits, and bravely walked up to him. He turned around, taking his hands out of his jeans pockets. He looked tall and invincible, one with the surrounding night. A sliver of orange moon skimmed the black ocean. In a minute or so it would dip below the horizon, and I almost expected it to sizzle and dilute the water’s darkness, but it didn’t.

  “It’s cold out here, Porzia. Let’s go back inside, luv. You’re all warmed up from the bath.” He wrapped his arms around me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m waiting for Tess. She asked to go outside while you were taking your bath.”

  I looked around. “Where is she?”

  “Around here somewhere.” He whistled softly, and from beneath a shrub on our right, the dog magically appeared. She trotted happily behind us and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

  Back in the bedroom, Gabe pulled the blinds, casting the room in intimacy, and asked me if I needed anything. I shook my head and climbed into bed. I laid my heavy head on the soft pillow and caught him looking at me. I blinked a silent question and was rewarded by that grin of his.

  “It’s great to have you here.”

  “It’s great to be here, Gabe.” I stifled a yawn that almost dislodged my jaw.

  I fell asleep and barely felt the bed shift when Gabe climbed in minutes later. The warmth of his body wrapped a solid shield around me. I sighed, happy, knowing that nothing would trouble my sleep.

  *

  Heat, shadows dancing on the walls, and the song of the wind tangling branches outside woke me. It took me a moment to remember where I was. Miraculously, the fire still crackled in the fireplace. Golden light from the flames danced on Gabe’s body next to me, sound asleep, free of covers all the way down to his waist. One arm was thrown above his head while the other rested carelessly on his stomach. His breath held a steady rhythm, controlled, but just as powerful as the wind blowing outside.

  I rolled over to one side to get a better look at him. I tried to control my own breathing so as not to disturb his sleep and—honestly—to give myself a chance to observe him silently. I wondered where Tess might be . . . if she minded my intrusion on their harmony. The wind outside gained strength; its song swelled into a symphony and interrupted my thoughts. Branches bowed and some snapped like frenzied violin bows against the forceful power. Gabe slept, undisturbed.

  I clenched my fists to keep my hands from touching his body. He looked absolutely stunning in the firelight. His hair shone like liquid gold and his chiseled profile incited an irresistible temptation. I bit my lower lip and my eyes wandered to his mouth, lightly parted, on down to his shoulders and the rippling of his muscles, defined even while he slept.

  He’s absolutely gorgeous, I thought. I took in his smooth chest with its golden skin and the thin trail of darker hair from his navel that disappeared under the crumpled sheets. I couldn’t resist and pushed up on my elbows, careful not to trail my hair down to tickle him. I dropped my mouth on his upper stomach and lightly kissed him. He stirred and raised a hand to caress my hair. “You’re awake, luv?” His husky voice reached my ears, and his fingers raked my hair.

  I turned my head to rest my cheek on the tautness of his stomach and felt the rising and lowering of his breathing against my skin. “Yes, but don’t worry. Go back to sleep.” I pulled away and relaxed back on my pillow.

  Outside, the wind slowed to a soothing lullaby, and I drifted back to sleep.

  I woke up hours later to a crisp, sunny morning and Gabe next to me, wide-awake.

  “Hey,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  Under the covers his warm hand inched up my bare leg. His eyes never left me as he drank the yearning my face revealed. I held my breath, for it distracted me from the sensation his hand slowly evoked. We locked eyes and I forgot to blink. My eyes burned. My stomach burned. My entire being was on fire. A mere caress of his fingers along my thigh had stroked me aflame.

  “I want you,” I mouthed softly.

  I heard his sharp intake of breath and his hand inched higher. I rolled on one side to face him and slightly parted my legs. He took the invitation and pressed his fingers into my warm flesh, parting my legs wider. I lowered my eyes to his mouth and lifted an arm to wrap around his neck. I used the strength of his body as leverage and pulled myself closer to him. I rubbed my nose against his neck, deeply inhaling his strong masculine scent, intoxicating myself. His hand still lingered, dangerously close; his eyes, still locked on my face, reflected the fire flames.

  “It’s like I’m seeing you for the first time,” he whispered hoarsely. “And yet, I have the feeling I’ve known you forever.”

  I looked at him and something tore within me.

  As if by magic, pain lifted and fears dissolved.

  I accepted the consequences to love this man unconditionally. No matter what, my heart agreed to take in not only the immense love, but the risk of pain as well. For the first time in my life, the taste of unconditional love rolled over my tongue. I took a moment to savor the feeling.

  I felt liberated. I had defied fear and allowed this love to grow stronger than the dread of pain. The fear of being loved
and giving love no longer gripped my heart. What I faced was this new me, this Porzia: determined to let go and obliterate herself with this love.

  How the hell did it happen?

  I felt torn between the blessing to feel such emotions and the surprise at finding such strength in me.

  I looked at him and, in the clarity of his gold-speckled blue eyes, all doubts faded. “I know what you mean.”

  The daylight filtering through the blinds seemed to shift; the crackling of the fire ceased as if waiting for Gabe’s hand to resume exploring.

  Who is this man holding the power to still time? I wondered, fascinated. And then it dawned on me. Nature had been waiting for my breath to resume. I was the one who had held time!

  Gabe’s eyes narrowed and looked at me for a few moments longer, then he leaned over and hugged me. Hugging him back I rested my head in the curve of his shoulder.

  “If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me,” I said against his skin. He tasted warm.

  “What if reality is better than the dream?”

  I sighed. “What can be better than this?”

  “This.” He parted my legs with his knee. His body shifted and we sank into the mattress. His mouth found mine, and I lost touch with this world. I entered a dimension of swirling senses. I shut reason off and surrendered to the rising pleasure his tongue inflicted on me. His hand mercifully resumed its caress, and I used mine to explore his sensuous body. My fingernails trailed along the curve of his spine until they met the elastic of his shorts. I slid my hands on his hips and pulled the shorts down. I rose off the pillows to get rid of the T-shirt and laid back.

  “Hang on a sec, luv. I wanna look at you.”

  We shared the intimate look of two lovers as our heavy-lidded eyes met in the intoxicating anticipation of lovemaking. Desire rippled through me like a subtle shock. The clear blue of skies after a summer thunderstorm sparkled through the thickness of his eyelashes, eyes that drew me to his mouth with wanton need.

  I parted my lips and kissed him deeply, finally closing my eyes to fully enjoy the pleasure building up within me. My whole being stirred and quivered in anticipation; at last! such long-awaited fulfillment.

  My breasts ached and my nipples hardened with memories of our past lovemaking. I felt so ready I could taste sex in the air around us. I knew he fed off such pleasure and so did I. I lost cognition and the boundaries of where I ended and he began. Our skin touched, melting reality away. When I slid over to lie on top of him an intense, scorching heat took over, fusing us to make one. What had begun as a gentle nibble along his strong jaw became a game of biting and teasing. With agonizing slowness his hands slid from my shoulders, contoured my back, all the way down, and sank in the round swell of my bottom. I felt him ready, hard and strong. In a slow, circular movement the tip of his swollen head parted my waiting lips and I took him in, stealing his breath away.

  I stilled to fully enjoy the pleasure of him filling me deeply. I savored the strength of his thick hardness. The length of him pulsed within me, ready to please me. Oddio! One more push and I’ll melt . . .

  I resisted his throbbing, quick shocks of pleasure stroking . . . Not yet . . .

  I tightened my legs against his hips and moved slowly while his impatient hands kneaded my flesh, guiding me deeper, until I threw my head back on the edge of climax. Surging with the buildup, I steadied my hands on his broad shoulders and thrust down one last time. I crashed through a thick tide of rising pleasure and felt him shake, echoing my own ecstasy.

  *

  Minutes went by, silently rolling like notes of a fading piano.

  “Now, for real, welcome back to Oz, luv,” his hoarse voice whispered in my hair.

  “Thanks,” I said, lifting my head to look at him. “Feels good to be back.”

  That brought laughter up to his lips. He ran a hand through his thick hair and leaned over to kiss my nose.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Yes, starving.”

  “I’m sorry, I should have asked last night if you wanted something to eat.”

  I shook my head. “I wasn’t hungry last night. The bath was all I needed.”

  “How about a quick shower with me?” he asked.

  “Ok, but let’s make it quick ’cause I am really hungry,” I said, throwing off the covers.

  Tess walked into the bedroom wagging her long caramel-colored tail. She came up to Gabe and then looked at me, tilting her head.

  “She’s probably wondering what kind of weird creature I am.”

  “You can tell her all about how weird you are, just be gentle,” Gabe teased.

  I grabbed the first thing I saw and threw it at him as he ran for the bathroom. It happened to be the T-shirt. Tess, thinking we were playing a game, got excited and jumped to intercept the flying bundle. I walked up to her and asked nicely if I could have it back.

  “I’m not weird, Tess. I’m just not from around here,” I explained, scratching her ears.

  She looked at me with her big brown eyes and released the shirt. I heard the shower and asked her if she wanted to play. She gave me a conspiratorial look and wiggled her tail. Good girl, I thought. Together we walked into the bathroom, and I let her in the shower with Gabe.

  “Porzia! What the hell?” I heard his voice exclaim above the shower.

  “That’s how weird I am,” I yelled over the pounding water.

  Tess, all wet and grinning, was shoved out of the shower and shook herself right in the middle of the bathroom. Surrounded by a cloud of steam, Gabe’s face appeared from the open shower door.

  “Get in, luv.”

  “No more games?” I asked warily.

  “Fair dinkum, no more games.”

  “Ok then—” I walked around Tess’s water puddle when suddenly Gabe grabbed me and pulled me in under an icy jet of water.

  I screamed.

  He switched the water back to hot, and I hugged his icy-cold body.

  Finally signing an armistice, we dried off and decided coffee sounded really good.

  We made breakfast, although we didn’t really have much to do. He had bought some delicious pumpkin crumpets which we smeared in rich butter and ate with soft-boiled eggs and a large pot of coffee.

  I enjoyed breakfast so much I offered to do the dishes. The phone rang while I filled the sink, and I heard Gabe talking to somebody about an upcoming race; his help was needed down at the shop. He hung up the phone and walked up behind me at the sink. He slid his hands around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

  “That was Gomi. I have a couple of things to sort out down at the shop.” He kissed my neck. “Wanna come along?”

  “Sure.” It felt like a déjà vu.

  “Won’t take long. We’ll probably knock off in a couple of hours or so.”

  “How about Tess?” I asked.

  “She can come along as well.”

  As if she understood his words, Tess walked to the front door and looked at us impatiently. I laughed and hurried to grab my shoes, jacket, and bag.

  I thought to myself, I could really get used to this drive, as we headed down through the hills into town. The ocean sparkled in the far distance. The silhouette of cargo boats interrupted the straight line of the horizon. On the way to Tasmania? Perhaps New Zealand? No Mexico or Miami around here. I glanced at Gabe next to me, wearing jeans and a heavy heather-gray sweater. His leather jacket was on the back seat along with a gym bag and a few racing magazines. I was a guest in an utterly male domain.

  “Once I get things going, my mates should be able to take care of business alone, and we’ll take off and disappear somewhere, luv.”

  “Where were you thinking of going? The desert? Like you mentioned over the phone?”

  “Yes, but not too far from here.” He took his eyes off the road to glance at me. “What d
o you reckon?”

  I smiled. “I came to see you. Where we go doesn’t really change that.”

  “I know, luv, but I’d like you to see a little bit of Oz while we’re at it.”

  “So—why the desert?” I asked, intrigued.

  “Well, I thought we should give it a go from the beginning of things and go from there. Like every great story ever told.” He smiled at me. “The origins of this land still vibrate in the outback. If you understand the desert, then you come to respect the land and every creature that has adapted to survive on it. Take a look at some of the animals still roaming out there. Some of them—actually, most of them—can only be found here, like kangaroos, dingoes, and Koala bears.” He cast me a serious look. “And the people, from the Aborigines to every human being choosing to call this challenge home. Not to mention the unspoken traditions, legends, and beliefs that map this land making every rock, animal, and weather phenomenon a landmark in a web of surviving ideals.”

  “Is Ayers Rock one of these landmarks?”

  “According to Aboriginal Dreamtime it’s one of the most important. They call it Uluru.”

  “Where does the name Ayers come from then?”

  “The premier of South Australia in the 1800’s: Sir Henry Ayers.”

  “I see.”

  “The Aborigines believe in Tjukurpa, an energy source. It translates to Dreamtime, but it’s also used to refer to the record of all activities of a particular ancestral being, from the very beginning of his or her travels to their end. These travels and events took place and are recorded at many separate sites. That’s why I was saying earlier that the desert is a map. Although most of the legends and traditions aren’t disclosed to the Piranypa—the non-Aborigines —it is common knowledge that Uluru and its surrounding area are inhabited by dozens of ancestral beings whose activities are recorded at innumerable places.” Gabe looked at me as if debating about going on or not. “Am I boring you?”