Page 47 of Road to Rosalee

Oh man, he so wanted to kiss her, but he wasn’t going to give in to his impulses.

‘Follow me.’ He sat up and jumped off the back of the ute. ‘Come on.’ Grabbing her hand, he urged her to follow.

She resisted and planted her butt firmly, the look in her eyes full of cheeky competition. ‘You have to tell me what you’re doing first.’

‘Nope. Like I said, you just have to trust me.’ He shrugged lightheartedly. ‘I mean, come on, have a look at what I just surprised you with. And this is only going to top the night off.’

‘Promise?’

‘Scout’s honour.’ He gave her hand another tug. ‘Who knows, you might actually enjoy yourself even more than you already are.’

* * *

Feeling a little tipsy from the beer and port, Melody took great delight in the playful banter and the easygoing company of this captivating man. And as she allowed him to lead her towards the glimmer of the dam, lit up beneath the flickering of courting fireflies and the blanket of twinkling stars, she realised it had been forever since she’d let her hair down and had silly fun – boy oh boy it felt good. There was something so very special about Rosalee Station, and Zai, that made her feel weightless, worriless and free.

They reached the water’s edge and she spun left to right, looking for whatever he was going to do to outdo what was already an amazing night. ‘What are you up to, Wellstone?’ she asked, meeting his mischievous gaze.

‘I’m going to turn around while you strip off and make a run for the water, and I won’t turn back until you’re all covered up by it.’

She spluttered a choked laugh. ‘You’re kidding, right?’

‘No way, Jose. I’m deadly serious.’ He wiggled his brows, grinning. ‘And before you refuse my chivalrous offer of giving you upmost privacy for your very first starkers run, I recall you saying only half an hour ago that you’re a rebellious risk-taker. So prove it, Sweet Melody.’

Melody’s breath hitched – the only other person who had ever called her that was her mother. It felt like a sign from the starry heavens to lay her trust in this beautiful man. So she did.

Stripping off, she covered her breasts as she ran for the water, squealing as she splashed into the coolness. The fireflies flittered out of harm’s way, hovering above.

‘Okay, you can turn around now,’ she called, dogpaddling to stay afloat.

Zai turned to face her. ‘Now you have to turn around, Melody, so I can get nekkid.’

‘Nekkid, hey? Righto.’ She spun around just as something brushed across her foot. Screaming in fright, she almost walked on water.

‘You right in there?’ Zai’s voice travelled to her, as did the thump of his feet running towards the dam.

A loud splash had her turning back to face him. ‘Yeah, all good. I just felt something touch my foot.’

‘That might be the swamp monster that lives in here.’

‘Stop it.’ She splashed water towards him and he ducked beneath, avoiding it.

Seconds later, he rose, closer to her. ‘No way, you love it.’

She grinned. ‘Who says?’

He grinned back at her. ‘I do.’

All Melody could do was laugh, and it was the loudest, most liberating laugh she could recall in what felt like forever. To top it all off, this was one of the rarest moments she’d ever had – as naked as the day she was born, swimming in a dam with a kind, arrestingly handsome man beneath an effervescent canopy of animated stars of both the living and celestial kind. There could be no place on earth closer to heaven. She could feel her mother here with her and it warmed her heart. It felt as if she’d fallen out of time and into a blissful world where nothing and nobody could hurt her.

Floating aimlessly with Zai close beside her, she marvelled at this hidden wonder, one she felt so privileged to see. Surrounded by the silent sparks, she felt a profound connection to this land, a land her father and his forefathers had called home. And suddenly, she felt she was home, in every sense of the word. It was an overwhelming yet peace-filled sensation, one that brought tears to her eyes. Call it serendipity or an epiphany – Zai had just given her the answer she’d been searching for. The country was where she belonged. She just hoped she could make it so.

Spinning to Zai, she kissed him on the cheek.

Eyes wide, his hand went to where her lips had touched. ‘Wow, okay. What was that for?’

She shrugged, as though it was no big deal even though she knew that it was. ‘Just for being the amazing man that you are.’

Considering this, and her, in the most intense of way, he ran fingers through his wet hair. ‘I’m not that amazing, but if you say so, I’ll take it.’