Breeze of Life (19 page)

“Whenever you want, baby girl, are you ready to go?”

“Only if you want to go,” I said, not answering his question. I didn’t really want to go, I wanted to stay here, forever.

“Well then, I don’t want to go.” Harper massaged my neck. “When did you last speak to George?”

“Yesterday, apartment’s fine. When did you last speak to your parents?” Harper and his parents had a difficult relationship. They were not approving of his career choice or lifestyle, which I think made Harper all the more determined to do it.

“A month ago, they were in Greece I think. What about you? When did you last talk to your mum?” I shrugged. The last conversation with my mum hadn’t been pleasant and I had no desire to repeat it any time soon.

“Four months ago.” Harper pulled the wrap from my head and began rubbing my scalp until I was a puddle of mush.

“Did you tell her you had cancer?”

“Yes, hence why I haven’t spoken to her again since.” Harper’s hands stilled for a moment until I not so subtly nudged him on. He chuckled and continued to rub my head and neck.

“Why?” he finally asked.

“She didn’t want me to undergo the treatment. She wanted me to join her in the ‘motherland’ and fill my body with herbs and crap. She encouraged me to smoke weed and meditate. She also thought if I were to sleep with the motherland shaman I might have a better chance at survival.” Harper’s hands became still again. I could feel the tension roll off him.

“Seriously?” he finally said through gritted teeth.

“Seriously.” Once Harper’s hands began to soothe my muscles once more, my eyelids fluttered shut.

“I’m going to put the apartment on the market.” His frank admission shocked the hell out of me, my eyes were open wide.

“I’m going to be homeless?” I squeaked. Harper swatted my backside.

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll buy a house and get you a dog.” It sounded so domesticated. Even though we had been living together for a long time, the apartment still felt temporary. A house, a dog, the two of us together felt so permanent. It both scared and excited me.

“In the valley?” I wondered out loud, entertaining ideas of Harper and I and happily ever after. I ignored any thoughts of illness and cancer and concentrated on forever instead.

“If that’s where you want. Tallebudgera Valley, Currumbin Valley, they’re both close enough to the surf but still far enough out that we’ll have privacy. You can choose the house, as long as it’s secluded and has a pool, I don’t care.”  I was so excited I wanted to jump right on Harper’s iPad and start looking. The only thing keeping me glued to the couch was Harper’s magical hands.

“I want one of those cute little Yorkshire terriers so I can put bows in its hair,” I thought out loud. “And I will call her Moo.”

“Like a cow?” Harper cringed.

“Like Missy-Moo, adorable, cute and tiny.”  Harper snorted at that.

“We’re gonna have a tiny little piece of fluff called Moo?” I elbowed him in the ribs. “I was thinking of something bigger, for protection. Something like a bullmastiff and we’ll call him Goliath.”

“Hell, Harper, there is no way I am picking up poop from a monster dog. At least Moo’s poos will be tiny.”

“At least you’ll see Goliath’s crap coming. Moo’s is the type that you won’t see and before you know it you’ve got dog shit stuck to your shoe and it’s been tracked through the house and all over our new white carpets.”  I laughed at his carefully planned description.

“We’re not having white carpet, that’s too hard to keep clean.” After a short silence Harper sunk down behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“I’m bored, read to me?” he asked. I raised a brow.

“Really? This isn’t your usual cup of tea.” Harper didn’t do romance novels. Harper did
Penthouse
magazines. He snuggled closer.

“Well, we’re living outside the box so it seems fitting that you read me you’re boring little romance novel.” I took a deep breath and glanced down at my book. Boring? Not likely. I knew what was coming up, it was bound to be kinky and raunchy and I was already blushing. I began reading and after only two pages I finally got to it.

“
Jace looked at Sarah and smiled, his grin was no longer playful. It was possessive and full of pure male desire. He was sexy as hell and made Sarah’s rapid beating heart jolt a shot of awareness right to her pussy.
” I glanced at Harper feeling all sorts of ridiculous having just said ‘pussy’ out loud.

“Hell no, baby girl, keep reading,” he demanded.  I took a deep breath and continued.

“
Jace signaled for Sarah to turn away from him, she did so obediently which pleased Jace immensely. Sarah was the perfect submissive. All soft and feminine but had a fiery hot sexual appetite which equaled his. Jace ran his hands down Sarah’s naked back and she arched into his touch. She was so responsive.  Jace had never had a woman who responded with such exquisite delight to such a simple touch. Finally his hands settled on her beautiful ass and he spread...
” Harper had moved into a sitting position behind me. I glanced over my shoulder wondering what the hell he was thinking. 

“Continue,” he all but growled.

“
He spread her cheeks and ran a finger from the very top of those cute little dimples at the base of her spine down to her virgin puckering where he circled teasingly. He would have her here too, but not tonight. Tonight he had to have that beautiful pink pussy. When his fingers finally reached their destination he was pleased to find her already sopping wet and ready for him, and thank fuck for that. Jace couldn’t hold back another moment. He gripped his engorged cock and with one long hard thrust he buried himself deep inside her.
” Laughter began low, deep and quiet in my chest and burst from my lips in a loud unstoppable melody. It wasn’t exactly a comical book but I knew Harper’s eyes would be bulging from their sockets right about now, and I was certain another part of his anatomy would be bulging.

“And you have the nerve to slag off my
Penthouse
magazines?” Harper yelled adjusting himself.

“This is literature, it’s different,” I somehow managed to say through uncontrollable fits of laughter.

“Oh hell no, baby girl, you are reading straight up porn there, fucking hot golden porn.”  I was laughing so hard tears fell from my eyes and I snorted several times. Harper grinned and lunged over me, pinning my arms above my head.

“Now I’m just plain horny,” he rumbled. “Is this what you usually read? This is what you’re into?”

“No, this isn’t what I usually read, but most the books do usually have sex in them. This one is a little kinkier then my normal reads.” Harper searched my eyes and I’m not sure what he was looking for. “If it’s something you’re into you are welcome to read it,” I teased. He swooped in and kissed me, hard and demanding. When he pulled away, I was breathing heavily, my body ignited by one kiss.

“Stand up,” he ordered gently. Once he had moved back off my body, I stood before him while he remained seated. “I want to see you.” His hands reached for my shorts and, with far too much expertise than I wanted to consider, he removed them, my knickers and shirt. I was completely naked, exposed and nervous under his gaze. I glanced to the wide open doors in front of us looking out over the beach. Harper quickly moved to shut the curtains and returned to sit before me at an unhurried pace. His hands rested on my hips, his lips pressed against my tummy. “You’ve already gained some weight since I got back from Portugal,” he noted. Any ordinary girl would be offended.  Me?  I was ecstatic.  Harper’s hands explored the arches and curves of my body, starting with my hips, my bottom, thighs and calves. “And you’ve got baby fine hairs in a couple of spots down here,” I glanced down to where he concentrated on a small insignificant spot under my knee. I tried to see the spot he had been so intent on but as Harper’s hands moved back up my body, I stood straight again. His hands lightly touched my stomach, careful not to tickle me then moved to cup my breasts. “And these,” he whispered kissing one peaked nipple then the other. “I love these no matter what size or shape. Even when you’re old and grey and they sag down to your belly button, I will still love them.” He stood so he could continue the examination of my ‘new’ body. His hands ran over my shoulders, my spine, back to my neck and finally to cup my cheeks. He placed a gentle chaste kiss on my lips and I saw his hands move up to my newly tattooed brow line then to my uncovered and hair free scalp. “There are a few baby fine hairs up here too.” My hand rose to find the spot he was gently rubbing his fingers over. He helped guide me to the area of skin and I felt it, tiny little hairs that could easily be missed. “Turn around,” Harper whispered. At the same time he turned me towards the couch. He encouraged me to kneel on the cushions as his hands smoothed down my arms to take my hands, pressing me forward with the weight of his body. He urged me to hold on to the back of the couch. “Let’s see if we can give Jace and Sarah a run for their money.” My nipples peaked as he sucked tenderly at my ear lobe. “Don’t move,” he commanded in nothing more than a breath of air. I glanced over my shoulder to watch him peel off his shirt followed by his shorts. True to his word he was again commando, and hard. Barely there kisses from the base of my spine to my shoulder sent a shiver through me. His hands slid around to find by breasts. “Are you ready for me, Breeze?” As Harper’s fingers caressed my body, my inner woman hummed her approval. She no longer lay dormant behind a locked door but now lay sprawled across a giant bed like Aphrodite in a sheer negligée, her hair splayed across satin sheets. “You had best hold on for this, baby girl,” Harper murmured as he entered me from behind. Gentle thrusts quickly became hard, fast and demanding and holy hell did I hold on. Meanwhile Harper’s hands were everywhere—at my hips, shoulders, breasts and between my legs. I was in the hands of a sexual genius and all too quickly I was screaming out my satisfaction as I came long and hard. Harper wasn’t far behind me as he came with a satisfying groan, his body pressed against mine with only a fine sheen of perspiration between us he kissed my neck.

“Bugger me,” I mumbled. Harper chuckled.

“Only you could ever make that sound sexy, Breeze.”

***

Later that day Harper called George to talk to him about selling the apartment. While they talked money, business and God knows what else, I called Mia.

“Hello, girlfriend!” she chirped happily. She sounded great and I hoped she didn’t start talking death again. I wasn’t sure if I could handle that. I made the noise of a heavily, over exaggerated sigh.

“Well, I kissed him.” Mia screamed in the phone and I pulled it away from my ear. When she finally gained some control she began begging for ‘deets’ as she called them, details she explained to me.

“What was it like, where did he kiss you?”

“Amazing, and on the lips.” Mia snorted and I blushed suddenly realizing that’s not what she meant.

“Oh, on the beach.”

“So,” Mia said in a teasing singsong voice. “Where else did he kiss you?”

“Hell, Mia, stop it!” I laughed. “Are you home?”

“I am, we’re about to go bowling. Where are you?” I was back on the deck, my feet on the railing. This was my favorite spot, well, second favorite after what Harper and I did an hour ago.

“I’m in paradise. Some place called Seal Rocks, it’s south of Sydney. I reckon you should come here with me some time. Did you talk to your mum about the road trip?”

“Oh yeah, she is super cool with it. Maybe you should see if you can book it for next year in the June and July holidays?” I hoped both Mia and I were strong enough and healthy enough to have a holiday that time next year. No sense on planning a holiday around the indefinite. Might as well use my newfound positive attitude to assume we were both going to be alive and well, and in dire need of a break. I would have to check with Harper to see what events the tour held during that time of the year, because apparently he was no longer surfing without me.

“I’ll ask at the office before we leave.”

“Oh, clearly everyone is waiting for me,” said Mia dryly. “Geez the bowling balls aren’t going anywhere!” she yelled at someone in the background. I laughed. She had such a fiery, fun attitude that I simply adored.

“I’ll text you later,” I said before saying my goodbye and disconnecting the call. Sinking into my chair, I wondered if life could get any better. Less than a week ago my life felt hopeless, I had actually searched funeral homes on the net and my days and nights were filled with self-pity, tears and endless sleep. If anything I had surpassed old Bree and was living a new life with new hopes. I was beginning to feel untouchable and alive. The only thing that scared me now was I had higher to fall from if it all came crashing down.

Chapter 18

An Endless Summer

Endless Summer —
only the most iconic surf movie in existence

We surfed, we swam, we walked, and we slept, while tucked away from the rest of the world in our own little Seal Rocks bubble. I didn’t confess to Harper how concerned I was about leaving this oasis. As a couple, Harper and I had only existed here in Seal Rocks. Outside this bubble where life threw obstacles and challenges, I was fearful our new relationship would not survive.  Why did I have such doubts? We’d been friends for a long time now and nothing had broken or damaged that bond. Sex changed things though, confessions of love made our connection deeper and more susceptible to damage. So much more was at stake now. As I lazily strummed my guitar, Harper was checking his emails, wearing nothing but a pair of board shorts; he looked deliciously tempting. My eyes wandered over his beautiful body and rested on his latest tattoo, the tree of life sitting above the elegant scroll of his nickname for me, Breeze.

“Why that tattoo?” I found myself asking. He glanced down at the piece that was still healing.

“The tree of life is recognized in many different theologies and philosophies. Christianity refers to the tree of life as the trees in the Garden of Eden, in China there’s a story of a tree that produces a peach every few thousand years and the person who eats the fruit gains immortality. Basically it is a tree that symbolizes life, so,” he pointed to the tree on his chest, “this is life.”  Then he pointed to my name. “And this is what my life exists for.”  He looked me straight in the eye. “You. Without you, I wouldn’t be here right now doing what I love, living my dream. In fact, there is a damn good chance I’d be flipping burgers for Hungry Jacks.”