Ocean of Fire (10 page)

“It takes time for trust to develop between people–“ Nicole began.

“There is a difference between that and an outright refusal to allow it to develop at all. Think about it while we join our friends on the dance-floor?”

Without waiting for an answer, he rose to his feet, extending his hand to her. Glancing up into his face, she knew he was right. She didn’t trust him, and it bothered him. Could it possibly mean he cared? Did she dare hope? There was only one way of finding the answer to that of course - get to know him better.

But she didn’t want to dance. She didn’t want him to know how uncoordinated on the dance floor she was. Refusing altogether would be even more embarrassing, considering he was already standing there waiting for her to join him. Luckily there were now enough people on the floor for her to remain inconspicuous.

Slipping her hand into his, she allowed him to escort her onto the floor. The band was playing a hit from the sixties, and Nicole noticed that Trisha and Jim were engrossed in a jive which a few people were watching with great interest. Philip wasn’t far behind in the talent for intricate foot-work. Soon the two men had Nicole and Trisha dizzy from numerous twists and turns.

It wasn’t long before just about everyone was on the dance-floor, counting down the minutes till midnight. Nicole noticed both her parents casting concerned glances in her direction. She couldn’t understand what they were so worried about. Philip was only dancing with her, and the type of music the band was playing wasn’t conducive to intimacy between partners. It was almost laughable really. When she thought of all the times Gail had tried to encourage her to go out with the sons of their elite circle of friends, now that she was showing an interest in someone, they didn’t approve. Of course it was the man they didn’t like, not the situation, but Nicole had always suspected that any man she chose for herself would meet with their disapproval.

Philip must have followed her gaze, for she felt his hand on her bare arm, his warm fingers coiling around it.

“Let’s get out of here. Why don’t we go and watch the fireworks?” he said, his face close to hers. As she glanced up into his glittering eyes, his suggestion suddenly held a great deal of appeal. Some fresh air would also be a welcoming relief from the stuffy restaurant.

“Yes, lets,” she agreed.

Just as many people were milling around Constitution Dock as there had been during the day. The stalls were still open, and the fun park at the other end of the foreshore was blaring out loud rock music, and intermittent shrieks could be heard from the more hair-raising rides.

“Ten minutes to go,” Philip commented from beside her. They had been making their way through the crowd hand in hand towards the yachts. “Why don’t we hop on board your father’s yacht to watch the fireworks?”

She could see the vessel ahead of then. Parties were being held on several of the yachts nearby, but
Gail Warning
was in darkness, as were the two boats on either side. Nicole was about to agree, until she glanced down at her gown and high-heeled sandals. She started to protest, but Philip was already pulling her towards the vessel.

He reached for the railing, easing the yacht closer. Agilely he stepped aboad. Then he extended his hands to her. She shook her head. She couldn’t think of anything more embarrassing than awkwardly trying to scramble over the railing in her tight evening gown. Yes she could - tumbling into the water in it.

Philip reached for her wrists. She made to step onto the bow, but he placed his hands under her arms, lifting her up into the air. Before she knew it she was standing on the yacht in his arms. He held her against him for a moment, making her conscious once more of his hard muscular strength.

“Come on,” he urged, moving away from her. Taking her hand in his, he led her to the stern of the yacht, where he flopped down on the fiberglass seat. Nicole was about to sit beside him, when she felt his hands encircling her waist, pulling her onto his lap.

“Philip!” she protested.

“Yes,” he grinned up at her, tightening his arms around her so she couldn’t wriggle free. “I think this is a much better way to see in the New Year, don’t you?”

“I- I’m not sure,” she murmured, suddenly conscious of how high the split in her skirt was riding. Philip noticed it too, because she felt one of his warm hands against her exposed thigh.

“I am,” he asserted. “We’ve only got five minutes to go. I bet you’ve never spend New Year’s Eve like this,”

Nicole shook her head. She was far too conscious of his fingers stroking her bare leg, and his other arm around her waist. No, she had never spent a New Year’s Eve like this - but all of a sudden it felt right. Being in Philip’s strong embrace felt more than right. It felt like heaven. She was acutely aware of every part of her that connected with him. Her legs, her breasts pressed against his broad chest, her arm around his wide shoulders, his ponytail ticking the bare skin of her arm. Glancing into his eyes in the half-light she saw how much he wanted her. They were glittering golden like the glow of smoldering embers.

He’s so handsome, she thought, absentmindedly reaching out to touch the side of his face. She traced the rigid line of his jaw with her fingertips, before bringing them to his lips. He parted them, sucking her index finger into his mouth.

Instinctively she snatched her hand away.

He chuckled, bringing his arm up to glance at his watch again. “Two minutes, Nicole. What’s your New Year resolution?”

“I don’t know. To get a good job I suppose.”

“Mine is to cure you of your inhibitions. Endearing they might be, but underneath burns a passionate fire eager to be set alight. I won’t hurt you, Nicole. I promise it will be everything you’ve ever dreamed of,” he said meaningfully.

Before she had a chance to respond, a bright explosion of light from one of the barges on the river captured her attention. She turned her head to get a better look at the glittering multi-colored lights blooming overhead.

“I guess my watch was slow. Happy new year, Nicole,” Philip murmured against her ear, his warm breath tickling her sensitive skin.

“Happy new year, Philip.” She felt his hand slide seductively up her back and into her hair. The way he gripped the back of her head compelled her to look back at him.

Another series of fireworks went off, just as he brought his lips to hers. This kiss was nothing like the one on the grass at Port Arthur. There was a fierce urgency about the way his mouth moved against hers, his tongue engaging hers in an erotic duel. Over and over he kissed her, till she forgot all about the fireworks they had come to see. The rest of the world ceased to exist. She no longer heard the cheers and shouts. All she was conscious of was Philip, his warm sensuous mouth drawing her response, the way he moved his hands seductively up and down her spine. Nicole had never experienced such a complete and utter plundering of her senses, as her entire body became consumed with wave after wave of physical delight.

Philip had set the passionate fire alight, just as he’d promised - and now it was burning out of control. She pressed herself against him, and brought her other hand to his chest, wondering what it would be like to feel his firm warn skin beneath her touch, to run her hand across the dark whorls of hair she had seen there when he’d stripped to secure the propeller. He was driving her crazy with desire, but this was exactly what he wanted from her. He wanted her to want him. And she did.

Desperately.

Somehow she had to draw back from the abyss of desire she was perilously close to tumbling into.

Reluctantly Nicole forced herself away from him. He let her go. Somehow she managed to scramble from his lap, to collapse onto the cool seat adjacent to the one he was sitting on. She brought trembling hands to her face, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

The fireworks had finished. A pale mist had settled in the sky above the barges. Glancing around her, Nicole noticed that everything was as before. Nothing had changed - except herself. She wasn’t sure exactly how, but she felt different.

She felt different about Philip too. A tender little spark had ignited and settled in her heart; a spark of deep affection she knew would never go away.

As he watched her trying to get her senses back under control Philip was conscious of doing the same, his own breathing thick and heavy. It just keeps getting better and better between us, he thought.

His only fear was that she’d let her parents stand in their way. The way they had been looking at him all night with poison in their eyes had really pissed him off. Had Nicole seen it? he wondered. Should he mention it?

“So did you enjoy the fireworks?” he asked instead.

“Are you talking about the fireworks up there or the fireworks down here?” she quipped back.

It made him laugh as he slid back towards her. Picking up one of her slender legs he draped it over his knees.

“I really like those shoes on you,” he said, tracing his fingers over her ankles.

“I don’t like them on me. They hurt my feet.”

“How about I kiss them better then?” He lifted her foot to place a gentle kiss on her instep.

“Do you have a foot fetish, Philip,” she giggled “That tickles.”

“No, just a Nicole fetish,” he replied, sliding his hand up her leg, over her knee and up her thigh. Shifting closer he inhaled her sweet perfume.

“I want to keep seeing you once we return to Sydney,” he whispered against her ear. He pressed his face to the slender curve of her neck, kissing the small hollow at the base of her throat. “Let’s make this a year to remember. Say yes to me Nicole.”

Her fingers in his hair made him shudder. She pulled the elastic from his ponytail. How he loved to feel those soft little hands touching him.

“Yes,” she whispered back, kissing the top of his head.

He sighed, clasping her tightly against him. His entire body trembled with sensation, such sweet and tender sensation he never wanted to end. Philip had never felt anything like it in his life, and he reveled in it, loving it, loving her.

Mount Wellington could be seen towering over the skyline of the city like a giant monolith for miles around, but when Nicole was standing on top of it, she witnessed what had to be one of the most spectacular sights in the world. With Philip beside her, his arms protectively encircling her waist, she stared transfixed down at the sprawling city and the Derwent River snaking its way through undulating green hills that seemed to go on forever.

They had taken a bus trip up the mountain with Trisha, Jim, Robert, Steve, Belinda and Rachel. Tomorrow Trisha and Nicole were due to leave for their tour. Glancing up into Philip’s handsome face, Nicole almost wished they weren’t going. She didn’t want to leave him yet.

The two of them had stayed on the yacht for another hour or so, talking and kissing. Nobody had disturbed them, and it was well after three in the morning before Philip finally left her at the door of her hotel room with another tender kiss. They had been engrossed in a special little world of their own. But the moment she’d woken, the rest of the world had made her aware of its existence as Trisha demanded to know where she and Philip had disappeared to the previous evening.

“I’m not the only one who saw you head off together. Beware when you see your parents today. They’re
not
happy,” she had told her.

“Why am I not surprised? They don’t like Philip one little bit,” Nicole replied.

“But you do. You’ve changed your mind about him, haven’t you?”

“You were right. His kisses are divine. And before you ask, yes, I have agreed to keep seeing him when we get back to Sydney.”

“I can’t believe that we’ve both met the men of our dreams through this yacht race.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” but with each passing minute her hope of a relationship with Philip spanning past a quick affair increased. The way he kept holding onto her was proof of how much he desired her and the glitter in his eyes showed promise of future pleasures.

The group had lunch at the restaurant on the mountain top, listening to more of Rachel’s outrageous tales. Nicole began to wonder if she was making them up, but her son vouched for each and every one. Nicole admired the older woman for her adventurousness, making her realize what a sheltered life she’d led. The biggest risk she’d ever taken was a hiking trip where she had abseiled in the Blue Mountains. She supposed getting involved with Philip Pelayo was also a risk. Trisha wouldn’t see it that way, but Nicole was both afraid and hopeful of the course their relationship would take.

When the bus arrived back in Hobart, Robert was keen to head for Constitution Dock to see how the preparations were coming along for their return journey. Since he had almost fully recovered, their father had agreed to let him sail back with them. The return trip was always more relaxed, and the crew planned on stopping at a few scenic ports of call before leaving Tasmania.