Page 57 of Taking the Heat

‘Don’t even bother arguing with me, bitch. You know I’ll fucking win. Go over to his room in an hour. Now, I’m outtie. There’s a hot piece of ass in my bed and he’s about to get woken up with some expert fellating.’

I let it slide. She skipped off out the door, looking like the picture of innocence.

***

It took me nearly an hour to find Chris’ room; I had to bribe Greg with the promise of an exclusive shot of me crying the next time it happened. The cameraman pointed me in the right direction and I stood nervously outside Chris’ door, my hand lifted but too scared to knock.

Just fucking do it!screamed a voice in my head, one that sounded suspiciously like Clara.

But I don’t even know what I’ll say!

Knock first, think later.

I rapped on the wood three times, and stood, anxiously awaiting whatever was coming next.

Chapter 19

Aanya was inside Chris’ room, her luxurious hair flowing loose over her perfect breasts. Holding a sheet to her chest, she was pulling at his arm, desperately preventing him from coming outside. He submitted to her wish, falling back onto the bed with her. Kissing her smooth brown skin in a thousand places, he ignored the knocking, the tentative taps unimportant as he sucked gently on Aanya’s pert nipple. Silently, they began to make love, her camel-like eyelashes closing in pleasure as he slid insider her and they rocked in perfect harmony.

At least, that’s what my over-active imagination pictured when no one answered the door.

Dusk was falling, the birds chirping as the island settled down for the evening. I banged again, this time harder. The clock ticked off what felt like twenty minutes, but Chris didn’t appear. The room was silent; either he was a super-amazing hider or he wasn’t back yet.

Or he and Aanya were sleeping, napping in a post-coital haze, their naked limbs intertwined, the scent of their love-making hanging in the air—

‘Tara?’

Chris’ voice called from behind me, further down the path. I spun towards him, shocked at what I saw.

He looked like an extra from a George Romero flick; he was a shuffling, bloody, hollow-eyed mess. Last night’s clothes hung from his frame in tatters, the material and his skin covered in every shade of filth. Dried and fresh blood decorated his arms and face, and he staggered, close to collapsing.

I ran to him and tried to support him with my shoulder. ‘Oh my god, Chris! What happened?’

‘Tara, babe, I’m so sorry.’ He was mumbling his words, his lips refusing to move in exhaustion. ‘I just saw Clara.’

‘Let’s get you inside, then we can talk.’

Deeply concerned, I led him into the room, steering him to the couch. He dropped like a bag of wet laundry, and I filled a glass of water from the tap for him.

I watched him drink it, then asked, ‘What did Clara say?’

‘She told me I’m a fucking idiot. She told me what happened when I left, and how Jen and Henry helped you.’ His face was distraught. ‘Babe, I’m sorry, I just lost it when I saw you with him. I should have let you explain.’

‘It’s fine, don’t worry about it,’ I soothed, running my hand over his matted hair.

‘It’s not. I should have listened to you. I was just tired, I didn’t sleep all night, just lay there imagining you in his arms.’

He sank into my side, nuzzling into me. ‘What happened out there with Aanya?’ I asked.

‘It was fucking terrifying. Shit was flying everywhere; I almost had my head taken off by a piece of flying tin metal. Then I couldn’t find her anywhere. Her room was smashed to pieces. I thought she was dead.’ He shook a little. ‘I screamed her name, and heard her crying, huddled against a big tree. She’d done something to her ankle, she couldn’t walk. I couldn’t make it the whole way carrying her, so we stopped to rest for an hour or so in another cabin, but then the windows blew in and the whole room started to sway. I ran for it. I thought we were gonna die.’

I squeezed him. ‘I thought you did. What have you been doing all day today, then?’

‘I didn’t want to stop. If I did, I’d have to think about losing you. So I worked with the clean-up crew, moving trees, clearing glass. I haven’t stopped.’

‘You can stop now,’ I told him. ‘It’s my turn to look after you.’

‘No, you don’t have to do that.’

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