Page 80 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars
“The GPS says it’s only ten minutes.” The address he gave me was in the suburb of Fernhill. It’s on the other side of Queenstown, but it’s not a big town. “But I guess we might as well get going in case there are any hold ups.”
We make our way down to the Lexus, and I start the engine and head us out to join the state highway. “I forgot to ask, have you been to Queenstown before?”
“Once,” she says, “when I was a lot younger, but I don’t remember much about it.” She looks out of the window as the shops pass by. It’s a very affluent town, and many of the shops bear the names of designer brands. “It must be expensive to live here,” she adds.
I take the coastal road southwest. “I read a bit about it. Lots of people have holiday homes here, and those who work in the service industry struggle to find places they can afford.”
“I suppose it’s always going to happen,” she says, “when a town like this is so beautiful and so popular, especially in the winter.”
“Tough though. I wonder how Edmund manages. The kids of the rich folk still have to be educated. They need schools, and teachers have to live somewhere.”
“I wonder what he’s like. If he’ll be like you.” She smiles at me.
I feel a fresh wave of nerves. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
The GPS leads us through roads full of large houses that perch high on the hill, overlooking the lake. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of these cost millions to buy, with their glass walls, stupendous lake views, and sprawling gardens.
Edmund’s road is on the other side of the suburb, nearer the forested mountain slopes. The houses here are closer together and smaller, but they’re neatly maintained, and it’s a nice neighborhood. We pass a pleasant café, a kids’ playground, a classy looking beauty spa, and a small group of shops.
I pull up at the bottom of his road and turn off the Lexus. We sit there for a moment, not moving.
“You okay?” Elora asks.
I nod.
“What number is his house?” she asks.
“142.”
She looks out of the window at the house next to us, which is number seven. “So… why have you parked here?”
“Just thinking.”
I don’t know if I can do this. It’s mad. The DNA test must have been wrong. They got the labels mixed up or something. Or he’s going to end up being a serial killer. I’ve gotten my hopes up, and it’s all going to come crashing down around my ears.
Elora’s hand creeps into mine. “It’ll be okay,” she says. “He’s going to adore you. You’re amazing! Look at you. Only twenty-eight, well-traveled, and already semi-famous. Who wouldn’t be proud of that?”
I shake my head. “It’s all for show. Deep down I’m still the kid whose father didn’t love him, and who ended up being such a degenerate that he had to go to a school for troubled youths.”
“Well, yeah, you’re still degenerate,” she jokes. Then, to my surprise, she leans forward, takes my chin in her hand, and turns it so I’m looking at her. “We’ve both changed,” she says firmly. “I’m not the same girl I was at fourteen, or at eighteen. I’m with Darwin—we’re constantly evolving, and none of us stays the same. We retain the memories of things that have happened to us, but that doesn’t mean that if they happened again we would have the same emotional or physical reaction, because we’ve changed. Like new civilizations, we build on the ruins of what’s been and rise higher. You’re a different man now. Strong, well-educated, intelligent, competent. Successful in your chosen field. Meeting Edmund will be fantastic but remember that you don’t need him or anyone else to complete you. You’re perfect as you are.”
I stare at her, surprised at her insightfulness, as well as her ability to voice her thoughts. I continue to stare as her lips curve up at my bemusement. And then she leans forward and kisses me.
Shocked, because I didn’t think she’d initiate a kiss like this, I freeze, remembering my promise to myself not to kiss her anymore. But she doesn’t stop. She tilts her head to the side a little, changing the angle, her lips parting, and I feel her tongue brush my lips, asking for entrance.
Heat rushes through me. I’m so fucking weak, powerless against her. I lift a hand to cup her head, open my mouth, and sweep my tongue against hers, and she moans, shifting in her seat so she can move into my arms. We indulge in a long, luscious kiss, while the summer sun slants through the windows, warming us both with its golden rays.
When I finally lift my head, Elora blinks slowly, looking dazed. “Mmm,” she murmurs, moistening her lips with the tip of her tongue.
I lower my arms, exasperated with myself. “You’re like a siren,” I grumble.
“You didn’t have to kiss me back,” she points out.
I give her a wry look and start the Lexus’s engine. “Come on. I can’t wait any longer.”
I drive up the road to Edmund’s house and turn the Lexus onto the drive in front of his garage. The house is on one level, with pots of flowers surrounding a neat front lawn. Elora and I get out, and I wait for her to circle the car and join me on the path.
She slides her hand into mine. “I’m here,” she says. “You’re going to be fine.”
