TouchStone for ever (The Story of Us Trilogy) (26 page)

“Do I have time to
shower?”

“No need. We won’t be
gone long.” He hands me my bathrobe. “Now be a good girl and get some clothes
on, or else.”

 “Or else what?” I
call out.

“Or else you’ll miss
it.”

I do as I’m told;
slipping on clean underwear, my jeans and a sweater. In less than ten minutes
I’m dressed.

He hands me my
jacket. “You might want to tie back your hair.”

I grab a clip from my
bag and scrape it back into a rough ponytail. “Are you sure I don’t have to
look my best?”

He reaches out for my
hand and pulls me to him until out noses are touching. “You always look your
best, because you are the best. Now take a deep breath and close your eyes.
Don’t open them until I say so. Alright?”

I haven’t the
slightest idea what his surprise is, but he’s so insistent I’m happy to go
along with it.

“Are your eyes
closed?”

I nod.

“Good. Hold tight.”
He wraps his arms around me until I am no more than a small bundle of flesh and
bones encased in something much more durable.

I feel kind of woozy
and respond with a shudder to a gust of air crossing my face. From somewhere
there is the sound of nature, of birds and of wind brushing against leaves.

He releases his grip,
encouraging me to stand upright, his hands on my forearms. “Open your eyes,” he
urges.

What I’m confronted
by causes me to lean back and gasp. “What the hell!”

He laughs softly.
“Don’t worry. You’re perfectly safe. We’re here to see the sunrise over the
Tianmen Mountain Range.”

I reach out to hold
onto his arm. “How did we get here?”

He smiles softly. “I
brought us here so we could see the sunrise together. It will rise in four
minutes.”

“And you’re sure
about that are you? Not five or ten …”

He shakes his head
and pulls me to him. We are standing side by side. Instinctively I enfold him
in my arms and feel an unimaginable intimacy brewing between us.

“All I can see are
shadows but I sense we’re high up.” He nods and rests his chin on my hair. To
my left a luminescent glow appears; dawn approaches from the east and peeps
over one distant peak, then another and another, flooding the sky with light.
“Oh my God!” I declare, tears forming and overflowing until they’re drizzling
down my cheeks. My mouth falls open with the marvel of it all. Before us is the
world in all its splendour; rivers, peaks, clouds and the sun-drenched sky;
every element assembled to create this monumental canvas of natural wonders.
And here we stand, on a walkway clinging to a mountain. I tear my eyes away
from the view and look down and scream out loud.

“Argh!” I bury my
face in his chest, but that familiar rumble of laugher reassures me I am in the
safest of hands.

“Don’t be scared.
Look.” He eases me away from his body and we look down together at the glass,
metre-wide walkway. “It’s the best way I could think of to show you my world,
Beth. This is Heaven’s Gate Mountain. Aptly named, I think.” He takes hold of
my hand and presses it against his lips. With his right arm he presents a wide
arc. “You see?”

“There are
more things in heaven and earth, Beth,

Than are
dreamt of in your philosophy.”

I snigger at his
quote from Hamlet. “I see that now.” I reach up and kiss his cheek. “Thank you
for sharing this with me. It’s an experience that will stay with me forever. I
just wish I’d brought my camera, although I doubt any picture I take will do it
justice.”

He slides his hand
into the pocket of his jeans. “I thought you might need this.” He hands me my
camera.

I smile
appreciatively. “Thank you. You think of everything.”

He senses his cue.
“Not everything. I didn’t think that our arrangement would be so hard on you. I
assumed too much and yet you have given me your time and your love.” He lifts
up my chin and I’m held spellbound; the early morning sunlight has exposed the
flashes of cerulean in his eyes and I can’t help but be bewitched by their
luminosity.

“I intend to make
this adventure of ours truly memorable for us both, Beth. Beginning today.” I
feel his lips against mine in a soft kiss that communicates sincerity and love.

How could I not fall
in love with this unique individual who personifies all that is most heavenly
and handsome in this world?

He takes my hand and
we begin our Skywalk. He points out peaks and follows the line of the S shaped
road with his forefinger; he disperses clouds below us that threaten to ruin
the view and points me in the direction of the rising sun so I might feel its
heat on my face. I’m overwhelmed by his knowledge and his powers and his
willingness to forsake all else for me.

Before we leave I
edge him forward in front of me. From behind I lift up his arms into flying
position. “This is our Titanic moment, Ayden. The best so far.”

He takes hold of my
hands and wraps them around his body. “Yes it is, Beth and just the start of
many. You’ll see. Close your eyes, baby.”

With his words
ringing in my ears I do as he asks. In that split second I feel a little woozy,
as before, and the wind brushing against my face.

“Open your eyes.”

I should be
surprised, but I’m not. He turns around and faces me, looking even more
handsome than I had imagined him to be. “That’s one hell of a trick.”

He grins broadly. “I
like to think it’s one of my better ones.”

Impulsively, I slide
my hands around his neck, jump up and wrap my legs around his waist. “Let’s go
back to bed and dream of more adventures.”

He hoists me up into
a comfortable position. “Let’s not.”

I’m being carried to
my bed and all I can do is giggle. “You’re insatiable, Mr. Stone.”

 “This is true, Mrs.
Stone,” he declares, throwing me over his shoulder and smacking me softly on my
right cheek, making me squeal. “Now let’s see if we can turn those giggles into
moans.”

Oh my …

Breakfast
is served on the dining table; I delve into an array of nicely prepared hot and
cold dishes with a heavy helping of contentment. Sharing the memories of last
night’s wall sex and this morning’s playful romp, we’re glancing furtively at
each other, smiling when we catch each other’s eye.

I’m able to face each
day with a profound sense of weightlessness; it’s as if a burden has been
lifted from my shoulders.  I’m free to take life as it comes and approach each
new adventure with a greater sense of purpose and dedication.

I catch Ayden
discretely checking his watch. “Do you need to be somewhere?”

“Unfortunately yes,
but only for an hour. I gave our three guilty offenders 24 hours to repay what
they had embezzled before taking it to a higher authority,” he states, pushing
back his chair and throwing down his napkin.

“A higher authority
you say? And who would that be, God Almighty?” I smirk, finding my comment
amusing.

He places one hand in
his trouser pocket and the other on my hair. His lips brush against my
forehead. “Are you ridiculing my choice of phrasing, dear wife?” 

“I wouldn’t dare,” I
mutter, raising my eyes to catch the humour sparkling in his eyes.

”I will be one hour
and then we’ll decide what to do. We can go sight-seeing or take the jet to our
honeymoon destination. Let me know what you’d prefer so I can have them prepare
for the flight.” He takes one step towards the door.

 Before he leaves, I
say what needs to be said. “Remember to include Jake in your business
transactions. He has something to give you that may prove useful.”

He glances back. “And
what might that be?”

“It’s a pen drive
with the actual and reported figures from your three dishonest employees,” I
announce, surprising him with my declaration.

“Is it indeed? In
that case I’ll give him a call.”

“That’s why he wasn’t
at the meeting,” I call out. “He was gathering evidence together for you.”

He leaves without
replying and I’m left alone in this palatial suite to muse over recent events.
But this is not the time to ponder. In the limited time I have I must take care
of a number of things.

My iPhone indicates I
have a couple of texts to reply to.

Charlie’s comments
about Belgian men and cheese make me chuckle and her late night selfies remind
me of just how much of a firecracker she is. What a lifeline she has been all
these years.

Once my laptop has
booted up I go straight to email and give thanks when I see Patrick’s response.
He has attached a copy of Ayden’s Birth Certificate and it opens straight away.
Naturally it’s slightly out of focus, but the names that matter can be easily
read.

Saffir Ayden Pierre

Isabel Françoise
Pierre

I can’t believe I
haven’t asked Ayden when his birthday is. Now September 7th will be forever
etched in my brain. I jot down all the details on letterhead stationery
conveniently laid out on the bureau; I hope these dates and names will be all
the information I need to move forward with my plan.

I finish of my glass
of orange juice and wait for my digital scrapbook to load. I’m scrolling
through, barely able to recognise the entries. They’re light-hearted and
playful, exuding love - and yet, if you read between the lines, it’s possible
to detect my inner sadness. Regardless, I have to press on. Ayden must remember
these days if and when he returns to me and this record of time spent in
foreign lands will serve as a memory aid. I listen to Katy Perry and
I’m
Thinking of You
…

NOVEMBER #5

“I would not wish any companion in the
world but you.”

William Shakespeare: The Tempest.

Aren’t you the clever
one! You solved the crime and saved the day! The embezzlers have been exposed,
but you paid the price with your time and volunteered Jake to be my minder. It
was a selfless act. I made him endure a session of clothes shopping and bag
carrying and we were soaked in the rain so … quite an eventful day for us
both. 

When I got back you
were waiting for me. We haven’t been apart for days and I needed to hear your
voice and feel your hands on my body, the way I always do. We didn’t make it to
the bedroom. There’s a lot to be said for wall sex! (Blushing)

Today you arranged a
sightseeing trip to The Tianmen National Park where we watched the sun rise
over mountain tops from a glass walkway perched precariously on the side of
Heaven’s Gate Mountain. I loved every minute of it, Ayden. Thank you. These
things we share are so precious to me…

I stop. My fingers
are frozen and my hands begin to shake so violently I think I may hurt myself.
I slam them down on my thighs and inhale - deeply, slowly and hold each breath
until I feel able to release it. Before I can stop myself, words spew out like
blood from a severed artery;

… every day I think
of what we had and what I may never experience again with you. I know I
promised to always take care of you and I’m trying so hard to do that, Ayden,
but you just don’t know…

He has me cornered.
He seduces me with your words and your smile and yesterday he brought the
heavens down upon me because I laughed when he wasn’t there. Now he knows my
body; he touches me with your hands, and it’s the familiar heat from your body
that makes me burn.

I must be everything
he wants me to be; to do everything he wants me to do if I’m to have any hope
of seeing you again.

You know I would do
anything to save you. My betrayal is guiltless. If I must sell my soul to the
devil to save you, I will.  We will be reunited, baby; if not in this world
then in the next - because I can’t live this lie indefinitely. I have to know
we’ll meet again for my life to have any meaning.

So be strong, Ayden.
I’ll look for you in those heated moments when our two worlds collide; when we
are locked together, inseparable, for ever.  Please forgive me …

Yours, Beth …

I come to my senses
and snap out of my moment of defeatism. Confounded by the sincerity of my
confession I read it through as if stumbling across it for the first time. I’m
reminded of the person I have become; I am the archetypal princess, imprisoned
in a tower; surrounded by wealth and luxury beyond her wildest dreams and yet
finding little joy in this gilded cage. But I have to wonder: is this where I
belong? I am guilty of many crimes, some too shameful to name.

Remorse thrums
through my body like the remnants of a thunderstorm. Yesterday’s storm has
dispersed and I must see to it my internal tempest does the same.  I have
thirty minutes to rediscover my game face or everything I have done will have
been for nothing. I let the music play while placing the cursor on the last
letter of my confession, and hit delete until every single word has been
removed. Only I know what secrets were revealed on that blank page and it has
to stay that way.

Feeling in need of
some sunshine I forgo the sightseeing tour even though I know there is much to
be seen and experienced. Ayden comes to this part of the world so often I can
come with him any time. Having left Jake to handle things we vacated our hotel
room and make the midday dash to Hong Kong International airport.

By my watch we’re
three hours into our seven and a half hour flight to Cairns, Australia, home of
the Great Barrier Reef and our next honeymoon destination. Our estimated
arrival time is 8 p.m. giving us time enough to transfer via helicopter to
Bederra Island.

Feeling very proud of
himself, Ayden is skimming through pages on his iPad, showing me where we’re going.
I’m close to tears: it’s paradise found.

He’s sitting across
from me in one of the plush leather chairs on the mini-jet. He’s dressed down
for the occasion in dark blue jeans; his sky blue shirt complements his skin
tone and does wonders for his eyes.

If the Heaven’s Gate
Mountain was the crown in a fine array of priceless experiences, the Great
Barrier Reef is set to be another jewel in that crown. As we approach for
landing all I see is a blanket of midnight blue illuminated by the dazzling
light of the moon. It’s stunning.

A brief 30-minute
helicopter ride later, we reach our destination. This tropical island beach
resort is a cross between Shangri-La and a scene from Robinson Crusoe. I
struggle to find the words to describe this overwhelming feeling of escapism.

Who does this?

“So what do you
think? Do you like what you’ve seen so far?” Ayden asks, taking hold of my hand
and giving it a gentle tug.

“No,” I answer,
casting my eyes to the heavens and closing them to take in the fragrance of
wild flowers and pure sea air. ”I love it.”

“That’s the response
I was aiming for.” He offers me the widest smile; I can’t help but mirror it
and continue on my merry way to our villa.

Unpacking takes no
time at all. Ayden sits out on the deck wearing khaki cut-offs and a
body-hugging V-neck T-shirt in pale green. I’ve slipped into a pair of denim
shorts and a pink crop top. Out on the horizon a lonesome ship catches my eye,
but only momentarily; I return to him, drawn to his captivating presence and,
from behind, throw my arms around his neck.

He reaches up to me
and takes a handful of hair. “Come and sit here next to me.”

I circle the sofa and
sit on his left side, our thighs touching, his arm around my shoulders, pulling
me in close.

Giddy with excitement
I speak first. “I can’t wait to see what it’s like in daylight, can you?”

“I’m afraid you will
have to wait, unless …”

Knowing what’s coming
next I rest my palm on his pectoral muscles. “Please, no show- boating tonight.
Let’s just have a night with no storms or whistle-stop tours of mountain
ranges. There are snacks in the fridge and a selection of drinks. Let me get
you something.” I prepare to stand. “What would you like?

He takes hold of my
hand and caresses it with his lips. “Only you, Beth.”

“You already have
me,” I reassure him. Positioning myself across his lap, I pull up my knees so I
can fold myself into his body. “We’ll have the best of times here, Ayden.”

“We will indeed.”
With nature behind us, sea in front and the carefree whisper of the evening
breeze, we put the pressures of the urban jungle behind us and focus on each
other.

“You want to name
this feeling?” I ask, having timed my moment to perfection.

Before answering he
inhales deeply, allowing the air in his lungs to escape in one long, stress-free
wheeze.  “Contentment.”

He can’t see my face
but he must sense I’m smiling. “Good word. I feel the same way. This is one box
I can quite happily tick off thanks to you.”

He’s shaking his
head. “I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for this, Beth. The villa, the
transport – everything was already booked. I have simply been following a
pre-existing plan.”

I raise my head from
his chest. “This wasn’t your idea?”

“No. It was arranged
over a week ago. I am simply allowing fate to determine the proceedings.” He
strokes my hair while speaking.

“I can’t believe all
this was planned.” I push away from him, resting my right hand on his shoulder.
“So what’s next on the itinerary?”

“Now that would be
telling, my darling. What kind of adventure would this be if every chapter was
laid out for all to see?”

Having been alerted
to this startling news, I press him further. “But I thought you had to get back
to ASMI…”

“Not at all.
Everything has been taken care of,” he assures me confidently. “Now that Hong
Kong debacle has been resolved, I’m all yours.” He grazes my cheek with his
thumb and brushes across my chin with the pad, finding the crevice beneath my
mouth. Our eyes are locked together, held fast by an invisible force; with
every reassuring word I’m being drawn closer to him. Unable to look away, I
close my eyes and fall into his embrace. He wraps his arms around me
protectively and I feel the warmth of a heat shield diffusing through my body.

“We’re all that
matters, Beth. Time will stand still and I will be yours …”

“… for ever!” I
exclaim, to his delight.

“Yes,” he sniggers.
“That can be arranged.”

I hear his subtle
declaration but better judgement tells me to move on. Now is not the time to
discuss matters of such magnitude. Feeling my movement, he releases his grip.

I sit bolt upright.
“Have you ever been skinny-dipping?”

He smiles, and it’s a
wide toothy grin reminiscent of our Roman holiday. It hits me hard and,
somewhere deep down inside I feel the pointed edge of a knife piercing my soul.
Concealing my wound, I forge ahead. I’d do anything to see that look again on
my husband’s face.