Chapter seven
I grabbed my swimwearfrom the wardrobe and put them into a bag with a hat, two towels and some sunscreen. Nathan called me to come back downstairs and we walked outside to Nathan’s brand-new black Aston Martin. He opened the passenger door and helped me in and then he walked around to the driver’s side. Nathan started the car and took off down the driveway with a rev of the powerful engine.
“Where are we going?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. We’d never been anywhere like this with just the two of us and I was feeling more than nervous.
Nathan turned to glance at me. “You’re not getting nervous, are you? Relax, we’re just going to go for a swim.”
Was I that obvious? “I figured that, but where? We seem to be heading away from the beach.”
“Just sit back and relax,” Nathan ordered. The tone in his voice meant that it was the end of the conversation.
“But...” I objected, feeling just a tad scared. Could I trust him? Nathan just put his hand up, gesturing for me to be quiet.
I sat back in the soft leather seat and watched the scenery fly by. We were driving out of the city, heading towards the mountains. I noticed Nathan turn his phone off and I felt a flurry of more nerves shoot through me. Was today the day? Had he waited long enough to claim me as his mistress?
“Why did you do that?”
“I don’t want any interruptions today,” he answered, his voice calm. He turned and gave me a look. I felt my stomach lurch, I’d seen that look before.
“Can’t you tell me where we’re going?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I wasn’t good with surprises.
Nathan sighed. “Rose, can’t you just sit there? Does it really matter where we’re going? You can’t change the fact anyway, you’re mine to do with as I please.”
“I don’t trust you, Nathan. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were taking me to some bush cabin to lock me away.”
Nathan looked at me, amusement in his dark eyes. He began to laugh. “Really Rose? You’re so young. Why would I want to lock you in some cabin? You’re mine either way.”
I shrugged. “Why would you want me to come live with you?”
Nathan laughed again, but didn’t respond. He was concentrating on the winding road ahead of us. I couldn’t help but glance at him as he drove. He really was a good-looking man. The women’s magazines were right in calling him ‘the best-looking man in Australia’. Although photos and interviews with him were very rare, the women of Australia loved him. His ability to avoid the media only made him more intriguing. The women he dated though, always seemed to get caught out by the paparazzi. And there were many.
I sat back and started to relax. He was right, I had no say either way. The scenery was beautiful and it was a lovely, warm November day. I hadn’t been to the mountains in years, since I was a child. I hadn’t been anywhere in years, I couldn’t afford to after giving all my money to Liam. It was starting to dawn on me how draining my brother had been on my life.
After an hour of driving, Nathan pulled the car up out front of a secluded little bush cabin.
“Are you serious?” I exclaimed as Nathan got out and came around to open my door.
“What?” Nathan laughed.
“A bush cabin? I don’t trust you, Nathan, not one bit.”
“Relax Rose. I’m not going to hurt you.” Nathan helped me out of the car and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I won’t ever hurt you.”
My stomach churned as we walked inside but I wasn’t sure if it was his words or my fear that was causing the butterflies. As soon as we walked through the door, I was shocked. The cabin was anything but a little bush cabin, it was beautiful. I couldn’t help but marvel as I looked around. It was a little rundown looking from the outside, but the inside was lovely. Dark wood furniture with brightly coloured pillows, throw rugs and oil paintings brightened the place up. There was a huge television and entertainment unit and a small bar set up in the corner.
“Wow Nathan, this place is beautiful.”
“Good enough to be locked up in?”
I laughed. “No, but it is nice. Why are we here?”
“To get out of the house. Isn’t that what you wanted? Now go and get your bikini on, I want to show you something,” he said in his commanding tone.
I did what he asked, to curious to argue.
I came out of the bathroom in my modest black bikini and saw Nathan standing in the sitting room in a pair of black swimming shorts. Nathan looked me up and down and a sly smile crept across his face.
“Maybe we won’t go swimming.” He walked over to me and leaned down, dropping a light kiss on my neck. I breathed in deep and I knew that Nathan knew he’d rattled me, because his smile was pure cockiness. “Come on, Rose, let’s go.”
Nathan grabbed my bag and led me out the back door of the cabin. I followed him along a narrow path that led into the bush.
“Nathan...” I began, but Nathan cut me off.
“Trust me, Rose, just this once,” he said and I couldn’t help but sigh. What choice did I have anyway, but to follow Nathan deep into the bush?
After a few minutes of walking, I could hear the sound of running water. “Is that a waterfall?” I asked, feeling more intrigued than scared.
“Yes,” Nathan replied lightly. He didn’t offer me any more information, and suddenly, I couldn’t wait to see what was up ahead.
As we rounded a bend, a waterfall came into view. And what a view it was! It was breathtaking. It wasn’t a full-force waterfall, more a soft trickling of water over smooth rocks into a large waterhole. It looked cool and inviting, and just a little bit romantic.
“This is what you wanted to show me?” I asked surprised. I didn’t see Nathan as the waterfall, waterhole sort of man. More the five-star resort pool sort of man.
“Yes. Why do you seem so surprised?” I told him what I’d been thinking. “Don’t assume you know me, Rose, because you’d be very wrong.”
“Oh really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“How do you see me?” Nathan asked as he sat down on a large rock. He looked up at me, his brown eyes trying to read my face.
“I see you as a power hungry, take no prisoners, cruel, selfish, egotistic womanizer with no regard for anyone but yourself,” I bit out quickly, without giving it a second thought. For a split-second I thought I saw a look of shock in Nathan’s eyes. It vanished as quickly as it came and was replaced with a look void of any emotion.
He shrugged. “Maybe you do know me after all, Rose.” Nathan stood up and dived softly into the waterhole and I knew I’d gone too far. He surfaced and looked at me with an expectant look. “Well, are you going to get in?”
I felt a little guilty at my words but I wouldn’t change them. However, now wasn’t the time to dwell on them. I gingerly climbed over the smooth rocks and walked into the water. The rocks were slippery and the water became deep so quick, which took me by surprise. I slipped and with a scream, went completely under the water. I struggled to swim to the top when a strong hand gripped my arm and pulled me upwards.
“Rose, are you alright?” Nathan asked, as he pulled me up out of the water. I was surprised when I noted the slight concerned look on his face.
“Yes, I just slipped,” I assured him, feeling more embarrassed than anything else. I tried to pull my arm free, but he didn’t relinquish his grip. “You can let go of my arm now.”
Nathan slowly let go, making sure I had my footing, before he swam back over to where the waterfall was trickling into the waterhole.
“Come over here,” Nathan said to me in his demanding tone.
“You don’t have to talk to me like that,” I complained as I swam over to him. “You could try being nice to me. I’m not one of your employees.”
“You are like one of my employees, and besides, being nice isn’t my style.”
“So I’ve noticed,” I couldn’t help but remark dryly.
Nathan pulled himself up onto a small ledge and stood up. The waterfall trickled over him, cool water running down his body. The sight nearly took my breath away. Nathan’s tall, tanned body, muscled perfectly, with a light covering of dark brown hair on his legs, chest, and forearms. His dark hair was slicked back away from his face as the water washed over it. I felt a pull deep down in my core, one I hadn’t felt with any other man.
Nathan looked down and saw me swimming beneath him, and he reached down and put his hands under my arms and pulled me effortlessly onto the ledge with him. It was only a small area, so our bodies were pressed intimately against each other. I could almost feel Nathan’s heart beating in his chest and I was sure that he could feel mine. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled us closer together. I could feel just how much Nathan wanted me and I felt a shiver run though my entire body.
“Are you cold?” Nathan asked, his voice husky. I could only manage to shake my head. It certainly wasn’t the water making me shiver. I actually started to feel a heat rising up inside of me, warming my whole body, making me feel a little lightheaded. If Nathan hadn’t been holding onto me so tight, I would have fallen over. If Nathan hadn’t been holding on to me, I wouldn’t have felt like this at all.
“I want you, Rose,” Nathan whispered in my ear. “More than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”
“You just want me because no one else has. You want to claim me, make me all yours, you can’t share...anything,” I murmured. I was fighting it, but I was enjoying Nathan’s hands on my body too much.
“So? What’s wrong with that? After you’ve been with me, Rose, you’ll never want anyone else anyway.”
I had to laugh. “Really? How do you manage to carry your ego around?”
Nathan let me go. “I can see why you’re still a virgin, you’re not very good at this whole foreplay thing.”
I felt myself getting angry. “How dare you! Why I’m a virgin is none of your business!”
“Have I hit a nerve? You sound a little touché.”
“No, you haven’t.” But I know that he had. I turned and jumped back into the water. I wasn’t going to stay here and put up with this. I put up with a lot from him, but not this. I swam over to the edge and got out.
Nathan followed behind me and we quickly towelled off and walked back to the cabin in silence. We got back there just before it began to rain.