Songbird (Songbird, #1) (41 page)

We spent the morning on the beach, and swimming in the ocean while it wasn’t too hot. The guys set up a game of beach cricket and played touch rugby, and I let them go for rides on the two Jet Skis that were kept in the garage.

Marcus had his eye on the ski boat, but I had to draw the line. I knew it was my father’s pride and joy, and he would never forgive me if something happened to it.

Riley was a natural on the Jet Ski, seeing as he rode a motorbike back home in Sydney. He showed the guys how it was done, jumping the waves and doing doughnuts, while Kelli and I reclined on the sun lounges, sipping our drinks and chatting.

Of course, Cooper took the opportunity to stir Riley when he saw the scratches on his back, once again giving him a round of applause for his stellar performance. But Riley just laughed—I think he was pretty chuffed with my reaction to him, and looked at me with a glint in his eye, as if he wanted to do it all over again.

Marcus’s reaction was a little different, however. I’d never taken Marcus for being a prude, but any talk of sex between Riley and I seemed to send Marcus inside to top up the drinks, or fetch something that was suddenly vitally important.

Kelli and I were relaxing with another exotic cocktail that Marcus had made for us, when the guys came in on the Jet Skis.

“Would you like a ride?” Riley asked as he held his hand out to me. “I can take you.”

I laughed. I’d been riding the Jet Skis for years, so didn’t really need someone to take me, but the thought of cuddling up to Riley always appealed to me so I agreed to go for a ride with him.

We raced through the waves, bouncing and crashing down until we reached calmer waters. I clung on tight as we zoomed over the water for a few more minutes before slowing down to a more relaxed pace.

“Would you like to steer?” Riley asked over his shoulder. “I’m assuming you’ve been on one of these before.”

I smiled and squeezed him tight. “Been riding these for years, but it’s nice to hang on to you. I’m happy on the back.”

“Maybe I’d like to hang onto you,” he said, smiling over his shoulder. We manoeuvred around each other without falling off so that I was in front and in control.

“Are you ready?” I called over my shoulder, and I felt Riley’s grip tighten.

We sped back over the waves, and I did my best to show off as much as the guys had done. Riley’s grip never loosened, but I could hear him laughing behind me as I zigzagged and jumped waves before finally heading back into shore for someone else to have a turn.

I looked over my shoulder as we slowed down. Riley looked so happy as he beamed at me, and it reminded me of the relaxed Riley from Fiji, when nothing else mattered but the two of us.

“Do you remember what we used to do in Fiji after lunch?” I asked him, and playfully bit my bottom lip.

He looked at my mouth and exhaled. “Can I bite that lip?”

Reaching up, I whispered in his ear, “Let’s go inside.”

The next few days followed the same routine. We would play on the beach and in the water in the morning. Then, when it was too hot to be outside, we played pool in the games room, lounged around watching movies in the home theatre, or listened to music and talked.

My parents had an extensive wine cellar, as well as a well-stocked beer fridge and bar, with every spirit imaginable, so Marcus put his bartending knowledge to good use and made cocktails for everyone. He even taught me a few, and we invented a couple of our own to commemorate our time at the beach.

Every night we ate outdoors, and then pulled the sun lounges off the veranda and onto the sand where we sat around drinking and talking. It was the most relaxed and happiest I’d been since Fiji, spending time with Riley and my best friends all together at this beautiful location.

Unfortunately, before too long it was time to go home. It was New Year’s Eve, and Riley’s twenty-sixth birthday was the following day. Riley wanted to stay at the beach house another night. He didn’t know I had arranged for an early morning hot air balloon ride for us, and we would have to be up early to drive to the pickup location. We packed up the house and I covered the furniture in the unused rooms with dust cloths again, before we all reluctantly climbed into the cars and started the drive home.

“S
O, WHAT
is everyone doing to bring in the new year?” Jason asked. “We should do something together.”

We had all decided to tag along when Marcus said he needed to check on things at
Songbirds
, and were sitting at a table while Cassie and Monique set up for the evening.

We looked at each other, then Kelli started laughing. We had been so wrapped up in being at the beach house that we had forgotten to make plans. After much debating between ourselves, we decided that it might be fun to go into the city to watch the fireworks, and listen to the various bands that play on pontoons along the river.

I called Jay to see what he was up to, but couldn’t get hold of him, so I left him a voice message. I wanted to call and invite Cole, seeing as we were now friends, but I didn’t know how Riley would feel about it.

Looking at Riley, I held up my phone. He seemed to understand what I was thinking.

He nodded. “Go on, call him if you want. The more the merrier.”

I gave him a big kiss. Maybe he really was putting his jealousy aside and we could all get along.

I dialled Cole’s number, not quite understanding why nervous butterflies were suddenly circling in my stomach.

“Hey babe, sorry, I mean,
friend
. Where have you been?” Cole asked in his deep gravelly voice.

His voice sounded even deeper on the phone, and it was really sexy. My heart skipped a beat, and I silently chastised myself before answering. “I took a few friends to the beach for a couple of days.”

As soon as it was out of my mouth, I knew what was coming.

“Really? I thought I was a friend. Why wasn’t I invited on a
friends’
getaway?” he asked teasingly.

“Sorry, there wasn’t room for everyone. Maybe another time.” I kicked myself. Why did I say that?

“I’d love to,” he said softly. “Maybe you can just take one friend next time.” He said it in such a way that his voice was like melted chocolate. It was so seductive that my cheeks instantly grew hot.

I drew a breath. I needed to get this conversation on the right track. “So anyway, I’m calling to see what you’re doing tonight to bring in the new year. We were tossing around the idea of going into the city to watch the fireworks and listen to the bands on the river, and I was wondering if you wanted to join us … friend?”

I waited in silence as he weighed up his options, before finally responding, “Will I get a kiss at midnight?”
There was that melted chocolate again
.

“Probably. I’m sure there will be lots of girls there to kiss,” I replied.

I looked at Riley out the corner of my eye. His eyes were narrowed as he listened to my side of the conversation.

Cole chuckled. “I think I’ll go to a club. More chance of bringing in the new year with a bang, if you know what I mean.”

I smiled, and shook my head. I knew exactly what he meant.

“Okay then, don’t say I didn’t invite you.” I hung up and looked at Riley. He breathed a sigh of relief, although he would never admit it. “So at the moment it’s just the six of us.”

“Five of you,” Marcus said as he rejoined the group. “I’ll have to stay here. My Assistant Manager, who never seems to be here, is MIA again.”

“I didn’t know you had an Assistant Manager,” I said curiously to Marcus.

“My point exactly,” he said, shaking his head.

Kelli, Cooper, Jason, Riley, and I wandered along the banks of the river, stopping intermittently when we heard a decent band playing, and strolling when they either stopped for a break or started playing something we didn’t like.

New Year’s Eve in the city was always an alcohol-free event, so everyone was well behaved, but there was still a festive atmosphere. It was a balmy night, so the riverbank was crowded with people singing and dancing and having a good time, all keen for the new year to arrive.

It was nearly midnight, so we made our way to a high point on the bank of the river, near where the fireworks were set up, and waited for the countdown.

I briefly allowed myself to think about what I had been doing at this time last year. I had been at a party with Shithead and his friends, and bored to death, just waiting for midnight to come and go so I could leave and go to bed. I’d had too much to drink, trying to gain some confidence among all of his friends. In the end, I had been outside by myself when the new year had arrived, having been unable to find Shithead when the clock struck twelve.

As if able to read my mind, or maybe just my expression, Riley pulled me in close to him. “This year will be better,” he said quietly, “for both of us, because we’re together.”

I looked up at his beautiful face looking down at me, his sapphire-blue eyes shining and so full of promise. “This year wasn’t so bad. I met the love of my life,” I told him and kissed him softly on the lips.

Ten, nine, eight, seven … we were already kissing. We kissed through the countdown, and long into the first ten minutes of the new year. I could feel my phone buzzing with a new message in my pocket, but I ignored it as I savoured the taste of Riley, and the feel of his arms around me, holding me close.

“Hey, my turn,” Cooper said, and practically pulled us apart. “I have to make the most of it. When else will Spock, here, let me kiss another girl?”