Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CADENCE
When the twins had first mentioned a ‘nature reserve’ I had visions of carefully cultivated plants and wide paths cutting through the foliage. Three steps into the tangle of wild bush, and neither Drake nor I can see back to the car.
I stop and lean my hand against a tree trunk to catch my breath, yanking it away as it touches something squidgy.
It might be moss. I’m not going to check.
“You wouldn’t want to get lost in here,” I grumble as my heels sink into the soft earth, tipping me backwards until I have to pinwheel my arms to stay standing. “Nobody would ever find you.”
“Handy for dumping bodies,” he agrees, moving behind to catch me if I fall. “And the smell of rotting vegetation is strong enough to hide decomposition.”
A statement which suggests he’s given it far too much thought.
“A few photos as proof for Arnold,” he adds, “and we can leave again. Go do something fun.”
“With his curfew?” His father told us to be home by the dot of midnight or else. “If we head somewhere else, we’ll barely arrive before we have to leave.”
“Ignore that. He’ll be sound asleep at eleven, like usual.” Drake drops his voice low, rumbling, “He’ll never know what we’ve been up to before we sneak inside.”
And while that voice does interesting things to my nether regions, he adds, “But if you don’t hurry, we’ll never reach the party.”
“Some of us are balancing on insanely long sticks.” I turn around to poke at his chest and stumble instead, being rescued by his quick reflexes.
“That isn’t balancing,” he says, exploding with laughter.
When I bare my teeth, he scoops me up, hefting me over his shoulder like a bag of coal. Except, I don’t think coal would receive the soft pat on its behind.
A minute of hanging upside down has all the blood pooling in my head, my face throbbing. “Are we there yet?”
Drake sets me on my feet again, arm around my waist as I adjust to the abrupt change. “It’s just through those flax bushes.” He points at a patch of natural flora that looks the same as all the rest to my aggressively urban eyes. “See the fairy lights?”
The moment he says it, I spot them dangling along the treeline.
“Now, all we have to do is keep you out of sight of Gretchen and her entourage and we’ll be sweet.” He whacks through the last metre of brush to emerge on a manicured lawn. “Coast clear.”
I follow him, thankful the dry summer sun has worked far more effectively on the grass than it had in the dense reserve.
The back lawn slopes gently down to the beach, clumps of tussock grass acting as a windbreaker while holding the sand in place.
“Are all the properties around here this beautiful?”
“If they’re not, it’s down to the owners’ horrendous taste rather than lack of funds.”
Music drifts across the expanse of the back yard, speakers dangling from trees, propped on folding chairs, or resting directly on the ground. One woofer is face down, blasting its low beats into the sod so even with the heels, the soles of my feet tingle.
I’m cautious, checking in all directions, then spot Gretchen on the swimming platform, wearing the skimpiest bikini I’ve ever seen, and relax.
We take a selfie in front of the foliage, another beside the house, capturing the lights, then Drake chooses a seat at the outdoor fire pit where there’s a circular concrete bench, the occupants forming a human windbreak.
“This party is lame,” Viliami declares as he wanders into the circle, holding two stubbies. One beer for him and… another one for him. The moment he dunk-shots the first in the bin, he twists the lid off the next.
He angles towards me, taking a seat with his thigh pressed firmly against mine. I think it’s because he’s lost his balance to drink but then his hand sneaks around to press against my lower back. “You give any more thought to being the filling in a twin sandwich? I’m still game.”
My face turns bright red, and Drake loses some of his composure, peeling Viliami’s hand away and putting his own in its place while he barely seems to notice.
“Make that an open sandwich.” He gestures to where Salesi is lying flat on his back, only the rhythmic nod of his head showing he’s conscious.
“Remember when I told you to stay away from my sister?”
“Drake!” Viliami yells like he’s only just noticed. “You’re looking overly close for a sibling. Maybe tone down the incest vibes for a night.”
I click my tongue in exasperation. “We’re not—”
But he’s gone, eyes focusing on a girl near the boat shed, swaying while she stares at her empty glass with disappointment. When I turn back to Drake, his eyes reflect the dancing fire in the pit, appearing hypnotised.
“Should we move inside to get the next photo?”
The question stirs him back to life. “Sounds good. Pick up a drink from the kitchen while you’re there.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
His eyes gleam and he leans forward, whispering into my ear, “Now that’s an idea.” A shiver works its delicious path along my spine, leaving me giddy.
When we stand, I immediately see Gretchen’s left the platform and I scan our surrounds to see her walking in our direction. She hasn’t spotted us yet, greeting guests and stopping for small bursts of conversation. A perfect hostess working her party; the gossamer panels of her long dress fluttering in the breeze.
She looks just as beautiful as I knew she would when I first saw the design. I remember her snippet about no underwear and turn away, wanting to get out of her orbit. Worried if she sees us together, I’ll pay for it on Monday because as much as I don’t want to be at her party, it’s obvious she’s gone to a lot of trouble, and I doubt Drake’s announcement in the cafeteria put her off target.
We retreat a few metres into the reserve and Drake’s eyes sparkle as he bends his head to kiss me. “Let’s head deeper,” he says, voice becoming husky. “Over by that tree.”
I dutifully pick my way, focusing on where my feet are landing to the exclusion of everything else. The setting sun, which had still cast plenty of light back on the manicured lawn, can’t penetrate the lush foliage, the dimness of earlier plunging straight into darkness.
When my palm lands on the bark, I turn in triumph to see Drake has removed his tie, wrapping it around both hands like a garotte. My breath catches in my throat as he kisses me, pushing me against the tree with his body; rough bark behind me, palms flat against his sculpted chest.
“This is a far better use of our time, don’t you think?” he teases.
I nod, speechless, raising my hand to circle the back of his neck, playing with the soft hairs there. “If I ask you something, will you give me a truthful answer?”
He doesn’t even hesitate. “Of course. I never want to lie to you.”
“Did you arrange for Hudson’s tyres to be slashed?”
Drake runs his hands lightly along my sides, pretending to pat me down. “You’re not wearing a wire, are you?”
“No.”
“Yes. I organised some friends to help me.”
He waits for a few seconds, time enough for me to ask something more if I had more questions. “I’ll always tell you the truth,” he whispers when he understands I’ve finished. “If I do something that would make you ashamed of me or angry, that’s on me. I won’t lie and make things worse on top of that.”
“Thank you.”
I squeeze the back of his neck, trying to pull him down to kiss me, earning nothing more than a satisfied smile. “Someone’s needy.”
He takes both of my hands, moving them around the trunk of the tree behind me. His chest crushes against mine, coaxing a reaction from my pebbled nipples, breath playing havoc with the skin of my neck as he secures me with his tie.
Drake brushes my lower lip with his thumb, whites of his eyes gleaming in the low light. “Remember, these are my lips,” he whispers, pulling a sharpie from his inside pocket.
I feel the nib against the sensitive skin, making their mark. When he pulls back, I ask, “What are you writing?”
“My initials.” He appears inordinately pleased. “I’d prefer my entire name, but we’ll take it in baby steps.”
He presses a soft kiss to his markings, then turns his attention to my dress, tugging at the deep V of the wraparound until the knot on my hip loosens, allowing it to gape. Flipping down my bra cups to expose me to his intense gaze. “And these.”
This time, he writes his entire name around my areola, the pressure drawing forth a whimper of need.
“Shh. We’ve got time,” he murmurs, repeating the design on the opposite side, his voice reverberating through me like the bass notes shaking the nearby speakers. As he finishes, his mouth covers the fresh ink, sucking at me until the need rises in my body, making my knees tremble, sagging back against the tree. “Just one more signature.”
He pushes my knees apart, dropping to a crouch that places his mouth level with my pussy, the heated breaths making me hum in anticipation as his head slips under my dress.
When the back of his hand brushes against my inner thigh, it sends a wave of arousal crashing through me, infiltrating every nerve ending, every cell until my body unites in a beseeching cry for more.
The press of his pen in such an intimate place, fills my mind with devious thoughts, calling forth a matching depravity from my body. Finished writing his name, Drake presses his warm wet mouth against his signature, then his tongue ventures farther, licking along the outside of my pussy.
His thick fingertips follow, their roughness adding a tactile layer, tantalising close to where my clit throbs, swelling until its insistent voice fills my brain, overpowering my senses.
My knees are forced wider, tongue prying me apart to glide through my inner folds. As his tongue lingers, flattening against my clit, the pleasure builds until it feels other worldly.
A tear of pure bliss falls down my cheek, dropping to wet the shoulder of his fitted jacket.
“You taste so sweet.” Drake raises his beautiful eyes to mine, their sheen still visible in the increasing darkness. The gorgeous flecks of colour intensify as his tongue works its magic on my body, stiffening to penetrate my entrance. “You’re so sweet and tight.”
His words act as an amplifier until the cravings overtake me. I fight against the restraints, desperate to run my fingers through his luscious hair.
I want to guide him, invite him further, press him harder against me, encouraging a deeper exploration instead of the maddeningly soft teasing touches, sparking fresh desire with each stroke of his tongue, the pressure building to a maddening crescendo.
Then he stands, swaying towards me, body hard against me from head to toe before he rips himself away, leaving my skin stinging.
“Hold that thought,” he says, rearranging my dress to cover me again, his marks hidden from view apart from the tiny claim on my lip. “I’ve just got to go check on someone, then I’ll be right back.”
“No.”
The raw desperation in my strangled voice makes him chuckle. I straighten against the tree as he backs away, straining against the tie as I understand he’s serious, he’s leaving. The retreat lays waste to the slow build of anticipation, tipping me into panic.
“No, you can’t leave me stuck here.” I jerk my hands, expecting the binding to fall apart, but it holds, speed no indicator of quality.
In five steps, he’s lost to the dense bush, only my ears able to pick out his progress.
My throbbing core weeps tears of longing, aching for his swift return while the rest of me unites in one opinion.
Drake is still a champion arsehole, even on his good days, and there’d better be an apology orgasm on the cards to make it up to me when he returns.