Magic Within the Waves

Chapter Twelve -Fire in His Eyes

Chapter Twelve

Fire in His Eyes

***

Being around Thomas like this was easier than I had anticipated. Between feeding each other and laughing, we found ourselves talking about anything that crossed our minds. Thomas discussed the people at school, what he did in his spare time, how hard it had been losing his parents, and his desire to become a mechanic. I spoke about what it was like for me to move to the beach when I had lived in the city most of my life. I continuously spoke about the wonderful world that was my Mum’s existence. And he listened intently to every word I breathed, barely touching his drink, and never turning away from me.

‘So, you know about my fascination for fast motorbikes and surfing, and anything that makes your adrenaline pump.’ He placed his half-full glass beside mine and leant against a propped arm. ‘You also know what it’s like to lose a parent and that I’m far more innocent than the rumours at school lead you to believe. What about you?’

I leaned back against the blanket so I could watch the stars in the sky and found our hands entwined again. ‘I like dreaming, sometimes pretending I’m far away from this town and somewhere with my Mum. I love reading a book that draws you into its very pages...And just spending time at the beach is another thing I enjoy.’ I raised a hand to the sky and twiddled my fingers. ‘I love the way the ocean breeze feels against your skin when you walk through the sand as the waves wash over your feet. And one day I want to be like Mum and create a different world.’ I faced him, ‘Crazy I know, but it’s what I want to do.’

Thomas moved closer. The scent of leather and pine wafted from him, filling my body with an instant rush. I let his scent continue drowning me.

‘I know what you mean. I love the way the ocean breeze fills my lungs.’ Thomas inhaled deeply to emphasise how important it was, and then reached up and linked his fingers through mine. ‘I believe life’s too short, and you should live it to the fullest. That’s why I ride, enter races, and take on risky events. Do you know, I once took on Chris Kimmo in a Whitewater rafting race ... kicked his arse mind you, but we were lucky to survive.’

Sighing, I blinked back at him. ‘You have a full life I see – and a somewhat dangerous one.’

‘Sort of,’ Thomas’s face was over mine now and the colour in his eyes was growing ginger, bordering on crimson, ‘but it’s not as full as I would like it to be.’

Every inch of my body tingled having him this close, having his chest moving against mine.

‘W–well, what else would a boy, with many years ahead of him, want most of all?’ I stammered.

His fingers caressed my cheek, sending static through my skin. ‘Umm, having you in my life might make it a little less empty.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, you.’

Our mouths were inches apart, the smell of his heated breath drawing me closer until I could touch his lips. His body grew warmer, the skin on his hands heating my arms. The colour of his eyes matched my hair, growing brighter and more vibrant with every second.

‘Melinda.’ He pulled away from me.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked, my breath still trying to catch up with me.

‘Are you ready to go for that moonlit bike ride?’ Again, his hands wandered down my neck, touching my chin, caressing my collarbone, ‘Just you and me.’

‘I will….’ I propped myself on my elbows and looked at him, ‘we just can’t be too late, or my dad might hunt you down.’

He sat back on his heels and helped me up. ‘You are right … I would hate to see your dad’s bad side.’

‘You and me both, I’ve been told he can be an ogre.’

Laughing, Thomas went to stand, the light of the moon defining his oval face.

Tempted by his perfect silhouette, I caught his hand and pulled him back on top of me. ‘Five more minutes of this couldn’t hurt, could it?’

His lips met mine and the fire in his body returned, crimson light filling his eyes. ‘You shouldn’t do this to me. You’re as tempting as a drug – touching me like this.’

‘I’m not complaining,’ I teased, running my nails down the nape of his neck.

He groaned then purred. It was a sound I had never heard before, a contented purr rising from deep within his chest. There was a rustle behind us. We both froze and looked up just as his bike, hidden in the bushes, thud to the ground, vibrating the earth around us.

‘s**t!’ In a flash, Thomas leapt to his feet and hurried to his bike. ‘s**t, how the hell did this happen?’

Catching the energy his kiss had sucked from me, I fell back against the blanket and peered into the stars. The velvetini circled through the soft night air, its crystal eyes darting between the bike and the bush. It danced, spun and then fluttered above Thomas, only to vanish into the night. Had the velvetini done this? Why?

‘Damn it,’ Thomas growled, standing his bike up again. His hands travelled over the strong beast, stroking the machine with affection, the very way he had stroked my neck. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. ‘Bloody hell, now I have to call Daniel and get him to pick it up.’

I climbed to my feet, straightened my dress, and fixed my hair. ‘Daniel?’

‘Yeah, Daniel stayed here with the bike until I messaged him and told him to leave earlier.’

‘You mean to say your friend’s been watching us?’ I shivered, hugging myself to fight off the goosebumps.

‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘He left the second I told him to. Don’t worry … he’s probably at home, lazing on the couch watching that cop show he’s obsessed with.’

‘I think I’m ready to go home now. Dad’s probably waiting for me.’

He kissed my head, one hand still on his bike, the other on the phone. ‘Sure Mel, I will call Daniel then I can take you home.’

‘Okay,’ I agreed, turning to gaze out over the waves rushing against the shore.

In the darkness, I could just make out the figure of someone standing on the shore, kicking sand across the water. Who on earth? It paused and turned to me. My heart froze. It’s not my hero, is it?

Shaking my head, I turned back to Thomas. Headlights broke through the trees, almost blinding me. I looked over my shoulder briefly but the figure was gone.

‘We can go now.’ Thomas appeared at my side, his fingers linking with mine. ‘I will take you home.’

‘Sure, I’m sorry about your bike.’

‘Nah, it’s all good, Dan’s bike crazy, he can check it over and make sure things are all good, but the dent in the side panel’s a bit disturbing.’

‘Oh.’

‘He will fix it … don’t look so worried.’

We returned to the main street and followed the same path we had taken from the restaurant car park. On the drive home, I sat in silence. There was a strange look in Thomas’s eyes that frightened me slightly, yet at the same time intrigued me.

‘Are you alright, Mel?’ he asked, stroking my shoulder with a touch that brought fire to my skin.

‘I think so,’ I nodded.

‘I meant what I said before.’ He glanced quickly at me then returned to the road. ‘I want you in my life.’

‘Really ...?’ I asked, blinking back at him. ‘I thought you were just saying that.’

He pulled the car into my driveway and leant across to kiss my cheek. ‘No, I meant it, every word. I like the idea of calling you, my girlfriend.’

‘Oh, I ...’

His lips met mine again, stealing my words from my mouth. The taste of him made me forget my train of thought. If I had been standing I would no doubt have fainted. His kiss grew familiar and warming, sending vibrations through me. That sense of déjà vu returned.

‘So is that a yes?’ he asked when our lips separated.

‘Yes,’ I panted, clutching the nape of his neck, ‘I will be your girlfriend.’

The passenger side door flew open. We both looked up to see Dad staring at us, his arms folded firmly in front of him.

‘Just in time, I see.’ His eyes darted between both of us, searching for any signs of something bad happening to his little Bright Eyes. ‘You have a phone call, Mel. It’s Carmen. Ruth and Sarah called earlier too and I couldn’t get either of them off the phone. Jeez, can Sarah talk!’

‘Um, thanks, Dad. Tell Carmen I will be right in.’

‘Okay … but hurry up about it.’ The corners of his mouth twitched. ‘I will be watching you two.’

He retreated back inside.

I turned back to Thomas. ‘I better go, before he decides to make magician’s broth out of you.’

‘Magician’s what ...?’ Thomas raised his eyebrows at me.

I climbed out of the car, paused then turned back to him. ‘It’s what Mum used to call shepherd’s pie ... long story.’

‘That does sound interesting, but I should go,’ he winked at me, ‘’till Monday, beautiful Mel. That’s if I can wait that long to see you again. I will be counting the hours.’

In the doorway, I lingered, watching him leave, taking all my thrill of the night with him.

‘Bright Eyes, phone,’ Dad repeated.

‘Thanks Dad.’ I snatched up the phone and raced up to my room, falling onto my bed and staring up at the ceiling. ‘Hello?’

‘About time, Mel,’ Carmen groaned. ‘I have been waiting for a lifetime on here. Your Dad’s cool and everything, but not very chatty … and if I hear about the way tiles are installed once more, I could start my own building business.’

I laughed. ‘I’m sorry Carmen, but it’s been one hell of a night.’

‘Tell me everything, please?’

I relayed everything back to her, from the conversation at the restaurant – to the picnic down by the beach – the taste of the strawberries and the warmth of his kiss. The velvetini was a little secret I was keeping with Mum.

‘Wow,’ was all Carmen could say, the words making her tongue-tied. ‘You didn’t ...’

My eyes darted to the doorway, making sure Dad was out of earshot then I rolled on to my stomach and cupped my hand over the receiver so only she could hear me. ‘We didn’t have s*x Carmen, if that’s what you want to know.’

‘Oh, no I wasn’t ... but thank goodness.’

Giggling, I checked for Dad again and returned to the phone. ‘My lord did his kiss make me weak! I have never felt such a thing before. His body was so warm and his eyes ... I know it’s strange, but they changed colour. It’s such an exhilarating feeling of excitement and fear. He’s got me under a spell, I swear it.’

‘You know what this means?’ Carmen just about hissed.

‘No, what ...?’

‘It means he thinks he’s in with a chance. He thinks you will put out and then you will become another notch on his bedpost. You will be just like all the others … and I don’t want that to happen to you.’

‘Oh, no Carmen, it’s not like that.’

I decided to elaborate on the rumour mill the way Thomas had done for me. She was still sceptical. But once I mentioned how we would be mingling more with his group of friends on Monday, her mood lightened.

‘So, you mean, I will finally get to meet Daniel Gilsmic close up?’

Once again Daniel had found his way into another conversation. Thomas had told me a little about him and he was always friendly from a distance. He was motorbike crazy like Thomas and offered to help him with the preparations for tonight – that was all I knew.

‘You know for the life of me, I don’t know much about Daniel. Everyone seems to talk about him.’

‘How could you not?’ Carmen gasped like I had insulted her. This had to be her first open conversation about boys. ‘He is tall, and got the cutest boyish face, the hottest tanned body and his light-brown hair smells like the sea all the time.’

‘You smell his hair?’ I teased.

I didn’t have to see her to know she was blushing. ‘Yeah, when I’m close enough to him that is. That’s rare. He’s too busy with the plastic-fantastics group.’

‘Come Monday Carmen, you may get your chance.’

‘Oh, I better make sure I wear something nice on Monday then.’ There was a pause and her breath poured down the phone line. ‘It’s getting late, I better go.’

‘Alright, Carmen,’ I laughed. ‘I give you permission to pass the information about the night on to Ruth. As it is, I have to call Sarah tomorrow morning. Telling her about this is going to be more difficult than telling you guys. She’s a tad bit more experienced.’

‘Can do, Mel,’ she agreed. ‘You know, one day we have to meet this Sarah.’

‘And one day you will.’

Downstairs, I found Dad half asleep on the couch in the lounge room. He had been watching NCIS, one of the shows I had enjoyed watching with him and Mum. He didn’t stir when I fell on the couch beside him, his mouth half open and slight snores seeping through his teeth.

Once the last fifteen minutes of the show finished, I grabbed the blanket off the couch and tucked it around him. ‘Night, Dad. I’ll see you in the morning.’