Closer to the Heart (The Heart Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  Leaning across the map I placed my lips to his.

  “Perfect” I breathed.

  I swept the map onto the floor as he drew me closer. Our mouths opened to allow the languid exploration of our tongues. My temperature soared as his fingertips caressed my cheek, neck and then tangled in my hair, holding me closer as our touch strengthened. Every fibre within me sung in response to his, like a symphony of the senses.

  “I'm struggling to get over Mitchell” he said.

  “We all are, but we have to let go”

  “But I bought him the bike, if I hadn't he would still be here”

  “If you're thinking that imagine how Charlotte is coping as I'm sure she is thinking the same thing about the two of them splitting up” I soothed.

  He sobbed in my arms, it was the first time he had really broken down. All the time he had been out there looking, being strong for the rest of the family but now the finality of the situation had hit him full on and reduced him to a broken wreck.

  “I'm going to kill her” he hiccupped as his tears slowed.

  “But it may just have been an unlucky accident” I could hardly believe that I was defending the bitch but we just didn't know.

  “Perhaps this computer file will have some answers”

  “Perhaps” I said, my lips kissed his forehead and wet cheeks on a pathway to his lips. Then turning onto my side he spooned up behind me and I relaxed into his solid chest.

  The arms that pinned me were not James' when I battled the ghost of Felicity in my dreams that night. This time she was holding me back so that I could watch Mitchell's bike swerve and hit the bridge before both bike and rider toppled into the icy waters below. Shaking violently I opened my eyes and took a few moments to realise that it was James arms wrapped tightly around me. He stirred and loosened his grip but didn't wake. As the dream faded my breathing slowed and this time when I fell asleep there were no nightmares.

  The next morning we set off on our adventure in a camper van. James drove and I did a proficient job of the map reading as we drove out of the city into open countryside. With the windows open I rummaged in my bag and found the cd I had spent hours burning tracks onto. I pushed it into the stereo system and waited for the first song. It was filled with the original track list that James had put on tape for me years ago. I had found it in a box in the attic and although the tape had worn out the track listing was still printed on the case. With the pop beat of “Wake me up before you go-go” echoing through the cab I looked across at James. He patted his knee and I placed my hand there.

  We arrived at our first campsite and were overwhelmed at the friendly reception from the owners. The evening was spent making friends around a roaring camp fire as the beer flowed and I leant back against my new husband. The next few days passed in much the same way, driving the quiet open roads, stopping where we liked for food or shopping. Hooking up at campsites that were friendly and welcoming, eating, sleeping, drinking and where there was a pool or the sea, swimming. By the time we reached our dolphin session we had covered miles of the South Island. We had seen the scenery that transported us to the Lord of the Rings films, gone white water rafting in Queenstown, watched mad people bungee jump and seen baby penguins in Dunedin.

  Whale watching had been a highlight, the large plums of water before the dive and the splash of the tail hitting the sea. At eight in the morning we were given our wetsuits and waited to board the small boat that would take us into the bay and hopefully a swim with a pod of wild Hectors Dolphins. Holding James' hand I couldn't stop grinning with pure happiness. This had been a dream of mine since I was a child and now I was going to do it. The guide was informative and once she had determined there were no babies in the group she let us slip over the side and into the water.

  With just a snorkel and mask I floated on the surface watching these magical creatures dart to and fro. They were swimming around our legs and for that one special moment leaping out of the water in joy. The hours passed in seconds as I longed to stay there for the rest of the day. Later on the beach we watched their fins in the distance as we soaked up the sun.

  “This day has been perfect” I breathed.

  “Yes, even more so as I got to share it with you”

  His lips brushed the lightest touch onto my sun-kissed shoulder. His body glistened with sweat and sun-tan lotion and it took me back to another time and place. Standing up I pulled James with me and then finding a stick we wandered to the edge of the shoreline, where the sand was firm and flat.

  I drew a heart in the sand and inside it put our initials JC 4 SC. James took the stick from my grasp and drew more hearts. Inside the one he wrote Darren and Sophie, then he hesitated and I placed my hand on his.

  “Do it” I whispered “Without them we would not be here”

  His hand shook as he wrote Mitchell and Charlotte. Standing back we admired our art work. James went back to our bag and found his phone, the camera snapping a picture for us to keep. The sun was sinking into the sea at the horizon and hues of pink and deep orange coloured our hearts in the sand.

  Turning the camera on ourselves James pulled me close

  “Smile” he said. I had no difficulty doing that as his fingers were stroking circles on the curve of my waistline. I grabbed the phone from his grasp and returned it to our bag before I ran back down and into the waves. The cold tingled on my toes as I stepped through the first ripples. James was not far behind me and before I could wade in any deeper he lifted me into his arms and carried me through the breakers. With salty water tainting our lips, our kisses tasted even sweeter.

  Wriggling free of his arms I stretched my limbs and crawled along the sunlit waves towards the dipping sun. James caught me and swam alongside stopping when I did.

  We bobbed on the waves together, watching the last rays of sun touch us before it sank. I wrapped my arms over his shoulders and touched my lips to his once more. Then feeling the depths beneath us cooling we swam to shore and rushed for the comfort of our towels. Back at our camper van we ate a simple supper of bread and cheese, washed down with red wine. We didn't need to talk, our silence and closeness was all we required. Leaving the curtains on the van open the moonlight shone in as we held each other.

  After a couple of days visiting vineyards and wine tasting our van was stocked with bottles for our trip up the north island. On the ferry crossing we said good-bye to the South and then welcomed the bustle of the capital city Wellington. We only lingered there a day before winding along the roads to New Plymouth and yet another friendly campsite. I sent pictures on my Facebook page to Sarah of the wonderful library there before we moved to the volcanic heart of the country and a truly magical campsite nestled in the forest. Driving down the deserted track James turned to me

  “Are you sure this is right?”

  “This is what the instructions say” I replied, calmly looking for the small wooden signpost with the name 'Rivendell' inscribed.

  I almost missed it but the sun burst through the thick tree canopy and there it was just ahead. Arriving at the gate we waited to be shown to our plot, in awe of the magical scenery. A couple appeared as we stopped the van.

  “Hi guys, I'm Adam and this is my wife Ellie. Welcome to our little piece of paradise”

  I warmed to them immediately as they showed us to our pitch before we undressed and joined them. The air was slightly cooler beneath the boughs but it was a welcome relief on our sun burnt skin.

  “We'll show you around the site and then just relax and make yourselves at home” Ellie said.

  We followed the pair of them down a path that opened up onto the shoreline of a lake.

  “The hot tub is fed from the thermal stream so you may need to top it up with some cooler water from the lake”

  Then we wandered up another pathway, barely visible through the giant ferns.

  “We partly damned the stream to make a pool here, it’s warm and a great place to relax with a beer”

  The shower fac
ilities were clean and modern but more importantly spectacular as they were open on the one side. A panoramic view of trees and the lake made a perfect window to admire and I wondered if anyone ever wanted to leave.

  After supper we grabbed towels and bottles of beer and wandered along the path, lit by fairy lights strewn into the trees. The stream was empty and I slipped into the water, warm like a bath. James followed me in and we leant back upon the moss covered stones that lined the edge.

  “I hope Charlotte is ok?” I said “it’s so easy to forget real life is continuing without us”

  “If she needed you she would call or text”

  In a swift movement he pulled me onto his lap as his hands wrapped around my waist and our lips touched.

  Chapter 16

  It was the day of the audition and after leaving Jester in the care of Pam and Peter, Charlie hurried to gather her bag and ticket together. Julia had cried off due to the flu so Charlie had booked a ticket for the train and called a taxi to drop her off. Inside her stomach flipped over and she raced to the bathroom and threw up the small amount of breakfast she had eaten. She remembered how Mitchell had told her she always danced better after she had been sick on her nerves. Closing her eyes she saw him standing there, beckoning with his finger.

  The taxi beeped outside and broke her reverie, and she hurried downstairs and out. She climbed in and enjoyed the short trip to the station with her headphones in. Feeling nervous in the crowds she looked at the departures board to check her train times and then checked her ticket. Fuck, her train had been cancelled and the next available one to London would be too late. Panicking she sat down and pulled out her phone in desperation. She could see if Peter would take her. Or perhaps Shelley and Kyle would. Her fingers hovered over their numbers.

  Then Zach popped into her head, his brooding dark eyes and better still his fast Ferrari. She found his card in the side pocket of her bag and tapped in the number. Taking a deep breath she let it ring.

  “Charlotte, what do I owe this pleasure so early on a Saturday morning?”

  “I need a favour, a big favour”

  She quickly filled him in on the situation and then waited in silence. The only sound was his even breathing at the other end of the line.

  “So?” She queried, sick to her stomach that he would say no.

  “I hope you can pay me for this”

  “Anything, just say you can” she begged.

  “Wait for me outside the station, I'll be there in ten minutes”

  “Thank you” Charlotte said, but the phone was dead.

  She bought two coffee's one black and one white as she really didn't know what he liked, apart from JD on ice! Clutching the cardboard cups she went outside to wait, soon enough his blue Ferrari screeched into the car park and stopped next to the curb. The window lowered and he peered out, shades covered his eyes.

  “Pop your bag in the boot, its open”

  “Thanks” she stammered, feeling nervous again, but not about the audition.

  She shrugged her coat off at the same time before struggling to open the passenger door without spilling the coffee. Zach reached across and pulled the catch and then took the cups from her grasp. With them settled in the console he waited for her to fasten the seatbelt before he pulled away from the kerb.

  “I bought you a coffee for the journey but I didn't know whether you liked Black or White?”

  “Black thanks” he said, as she swapped the cups around and took a sip from the other.

  Once on the motorway he put his foot down and they sped along in silence.

  “Shall I put some music on?” Zach asked, casually flicking through the screen to a certain track. The music from New Year’s Eve filled the confines of the car. Charlotte felt heat flame in her cheeks at the memories.

  “I know you like this track”

  She nodded and tried to stem the blush by closing her eyes and thinking of the steps in her routine.

  “So what’s the audition for” Zach continued

  “The lead in the stage version of the film Dirty Dancing”

  “Can't say I've seen it, enlighten me”

  An hour of the journey flew by as Charlotte recounted the storyline to a film she had watched more times than she could count. Her voice stumbled a little at the end as she closed her eyes and thought of the way she had danced with Mitchell.

  “Is there any chance you can play the song a few times so I can get into the right mood” Charlie asked, tentatively.

  “Sure, plug your iPod in, there is a connector in the centre” Charlotte plugged it in and found 'Hungry Eyes' by Eric Carmen. Feeling the familiar strains trickling into her ears she felt her heartbeat increase.

  Zach listened to the song and lyrics, with Charlotte seemingly in a trance like state in the passenger seat. He snuck looks at her. Even in jeans and a jumper he felt hunger for her, imagining her legs wrapped around him. After the third listen she switched it off and plugged his music back in. The build-up of the city started outside the window and Charlotte admired the way Zach confidently weaved between the heavy traffic. The theatre they needed was just on the outskirts of London and he parked at the far end of the car park.

  “So what are you going to do while I'm auditioning?” She asked, as he helped her retrieve her bag.

  “I thought I'd come in and watch, since you told me I was a voyeur” he smirked. The panic rose inside her but trying to appear calm she nodded and smiled.

  “Ok, you can carry my bag then”

  He laughed, a deep throaty sound that made her long to silence it with a kiss. But as she had sworn off men in a bid for ambition she suffocated her desire and turned her mind to dancing.

  For an audition it seemed relatively quiet of people when they stepped inside. A girl at the desk took her details and pointed her in the direction of the changing rooms and a room she could warm up in. She turned her gaze on Zach and his beautiful brown eyes.

  “Are you a dancer too?” She flirted.

  “No I'm Charlotte's agent” he replied, smoothly. Even though she was part way down the corridor Charlie had to struggle to contain her indignation at his response. She entered the changing room and said hello to the other girls there.

  The nerves fluttered back into life amid her ribcage as she changed and then with her headphones in she crossed the corridor and found the practice room empty. She warmed up and then she heard Mitchell's voice in her head. 'Do it for us' on the first strains of the melody. She moved smoothly over the wooden floorboards and as she sank down at the end she found her cheeks wet with tears. Five minutes later she was waiting in the wings of the stage. Then her name was called and she took her position and waited for the music to start.

  Finishing her routine she heard clapping and she stepped to the front of the stage as Arlene Phillips stood up.

  “That was outstanding Charlotte, I'm so glad you came”

  “Thanks Ms Phillips”

  “We will contact you with an answer next week”

  Leaving the stage Charlie paused and watched the next girl begin her routine. Was she good enough? Could she still dance their dances without him? Her love for Mitchell soared inside her and made her heart leap. The passion lingered as she undressed and let the hot water run over her body. Her nipples stood pert and felt the patter of water ignite other desires within her.

  In the corridor Zach was waiting for her.

  “Fabulous” he breathed, wrapping her in his arms before she could object. He felt her heart beating wildly against his chest and looking upon her face, the sparkle from her eyes almost blinded him.

  “Let’s go and celebrate” he declared.

  “What for, I haven't got the part yet?”

  “Because in my eyes you have”

  His enthusiasm was infectious as he grabbed her bag and free hand and they hurried out the door. A few other dancers were in the car park and heads swivelled at the roar of the engine as they pulled out and drove deeper into London.r />
  Zach set his phone on speaker and rang a number.

  “Hi Sis, any chance I can park at the flat?”

  “Hi Zach, so what brings you to London without letting me know in advance?”

  “Helping a damsel in distress, if you can bag us a table at your restaurant I will love you forever” Zach continued, smoothly.

  “Ok, I think I can squeeze you into a corner just out of curiosity” she laughed “see you later little brother”

  “Less of the 'little' Lexie” he replied, his tone light-hearted and showed Charlie a new side to this hard faced, charming, womanising business man that she had cast him as.

  They drove through a maze of streets until Zach stopped in front of some grand gates. He tapped in a number on the keypad and they rolled open to let them pass. The car dropped beneath the building into an underground parking lot, each bay numbered as per the flat they belonged too. Stopping in bay 19 he turned to Charlie.

  “Don't suppose you have a dress with you?”

  “No just the clothes I'm wearing and my leotard and leggings”

  “Ok, we'll dump your bags in the flat and then go shopping for something more suitable”

  “Look, I'd be more than happy to eat somewhere casual as I've only got £100 on me in cash and not much more in my bank account”

  She followed him into the lift as he pressed 19 and the doors closed.

  “I'll treat you”

  “No, if you let me dance in March I'll pay you back from that” she asserted.

  “We'll see” he murmured, as the doors opened into a plush, elegant hallway.