After Ariel: It started as a game by Diana Hockley Read Free Book Online Page B

the refrigerator. ‘We’ve got red jelly and ice cream!’
    ‘No thanks, Ariel. You have it if you want.’
    Not wanting to appear greedy, she closed the fridge door. ‘Coffee?’ She flung a saucy glance at him over her shoulder. A delicious thought curled. Perhaps her mum and dad might like a boarder? After all, since the boys left home there were two spare rooms in the house. Remembering how her mum was always telling her not to blurt out the first thought which came into her head, she forced back the impulse to broach the subject.
    ‘Got any wine?’
    ‘Yep. White or red?’ Ariel opened the fridge door again. He stood up, moved over to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his powerful body. Her neat, rounded bottom nestled neatly into his thighs, rocketing his penis to attention. She froze; the soft skin on the back of her neck turned rosy.
    Slowly now. They always came quicker when he played hard to get . He let her go and stepped away. She picked up fresh glasses and an unopened bottle of white wine. ‘Let’s be comfortable!’
    In the lounge room, she invited him to sit, carefully poured the wine and then plopped down beside him.
    ‘Cheers!’ They clinked glasses. ‘You haven’t said a lot about yourself! What’s the matter? Tell me more?’ She grinned and, greatly daring, stroked the side of his face with a gentle finger.
    He caught her hand and tucked it into his. ‘What else do you want to know?’
    ‘Where you were born, have you any brothers and sisters – are you parents still alive? All that sort of thing.’ She snuggled closer, a thrill shooting through her as he angled his body toward her and leaned close.
    ‘I was born in New South Wales. My parents had a property in the country – sheep and cattle. They’re dead now.’
    Ariel looked at him thoughtfully. ‘Who taught you to play music? You said you could play anything?’
    A flicker of anger played at the edge of his mind at what he perceived as an accusatory tone. He shifted away from her, and picked up his drink. ‘I was about four when I got a drum kit for Christmas and I went on from there. I had to practice every day – clarinet, trumpet – you name it. I had to do hours on the piano too – classical.’ He paused, surprised that he had actually told her all that.
    ‘What? That stuff? I hate classical. It’s booooring!’ Ariel bounced up and went to the family stereo-system where she rummaged around, before holding up a CD for him to check the title. ‘Mozart! My mother’s! ’ She rolled her eyes, unaware of his expression hardening.
    ‘There’s nothing wrong with Mozart. He’s the greatest composer who ever lived.’ Fourthreetwoone...keep your cool. ‘Put that on and come over here and listen to something decent for a change.’
    Ariel, pouting, put the CD cover down and came toward him as the glorious notes of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto soared through the room. Ariel’s eyes widened momentarily, before she hastened to adopt an expression of indifference.
    Dingo forced a smile and moved to the end of the sofa. ‘Let me give you a foot rub!’ That always got them in. She hesitated a moment and then came back to the sofa, grabbed a cushion off a nearby chair which she placed at the other end of the sofa and settled herself, half lying. He smiled, picked her legs up and took her bare feet in his lap where he proceeded to massage her toes, her arches, then heels and ankles, working along her legs, his beautiful, powerful hands stroking, soothing.
    Ariel purred.
     
     

 
    CHAPTER 5
    Games
    Dingo
     
    Saturday, 4.30AM.
    Her arms and legs lashed at him. ‘ No, no! No don’t!’
    ‘Come on, play with me! You said you would! Remember what we planned...’ His voice came out high-pitched. He forced it lower. ‘Hey baby, come on, you know you liked it back at the house!’
    ‘ Get off, you’re hurting ...’ She pushed her hands again his chest, as he knelt on her chest,