Page 86 of That Secret Something

“Okay,” she said. “But we have to be quick.”

A tall woman wearing a poufy purple dress barged through the ladies, almost bulldozing the two of us over. I recognised her as the woman waving manically at me earlier. “Ah, Rebecca!” she shrieked. “We have to have a dance later!”

Rebecca nodded, forcing a big smile onto her face. “Of course, Aunty Loren. I’ll come find you.”

Aunty Loren looked at me and beamed. “And you too, Jess. I’ve been waiting for the day to finally meet one of Rebecca’s girls and—”

“Yep! We’ll see you in there, Aunty Loren.”

Aunty Loren nodded, shot us another lipstick smile, and made her way back down the corridor.

I let out a laugh, watching her sway her hips as she strutted away. “Okay, yeah, maybe not the best idea.”

Rebecca swooped her arm around my waist. “Not so fast. I know somewhere a little quieter.” She blinked her thick lashes, mischief glinting in her eyes. “Follow me.”

Twenty-Eight

Rebecca showed me through a door leading to the veranda. The wooden decking wound around half the building and out onto the water. A cool but pleasant breeze caressed us as we rounded the corner, our footsteps making soft clunks. We hurried, sneaking kisses along the way that completely negated our fast pace. The sun had just dipped over the horizon, painting the sky a stunning purple, and in the low light, Rebecca was just as magnificent.

I peered over the railing at the water underneath. “Don’t tell me you’re wanting to break my water-sex virginity, because as much as I’m up for that, this lake is filled with geese.”

She laughed, threading her fingers through mine and tugging me along. “No, you’re right, the geese poop is pretty off-putting.”

We walked a little further until Rebecca stopped suddenly, turned, and gave an exaggerated bow. I followed her gesture and looked at the wooden door she’d led me to.

“Is this the place? What is it?”

“It’s an old storeroom, used to house all the boat junk back in the day. Now it’s just a normal storage space, but I think the venue still put things in it sometimes.”

I arched an eyebrow, wanting to ask how she knew about this place, but I let it go. In truth, it didn’t matter. Instead, I gripped the folds of her jacket and pushed her towards the door.

Our gazes locked; everything I needed to know spoke in those emerald eyes. I backed her up against the door and reached for the sliding handle.

It didn’t budge. It was locked.

“Uh, slight problem.” I looked closer and found a combination padlock. Dammit. I blew out an exasperated breath.

“Ah, right, that old nugget.” Rebecca paused for a moment, then flicked her fingers over the numbers. She gave it a wiggle, and the top popped off.

“How…” I shook my head. “How the hell did you know that?”

She shrugged, like it was common knowledge. “I used to do a bit of waitressing here when I was in my last year at school. Christenings, weddings, etcetera. I had an inkling they wouldn’t have changed it.”

“Quite the memory you have there.”

She slid her arms behind my waist, her gaze dropping to my mouth. “It’s a simple combination.”

“And you are very nimble with your fingers too.” I opened the door and guided us in, and Rebecca switched on the light.

The bulbs groaned, flickering four times before coming to life. The room was a decent size, similar to my bedroom at home. An old desk sat in the corner, and barrels and boxes covered most of the floor. A stack of old picture frames were propped up against the walls, along with bits of netting and a faded orange lifejacket. It smelt like a dusty old attic, and the overhead lights were a bit blinding, but it was better than the store cupboard at the Wiltchester. And this far away from the party meant we should be undisturbed.

I squinted under the bright lights, trying to peek at Rebecca, who was doing the same. “It’s a bit bright but—”

One of the fluorescent bulbs burst, and the light dimmed. Perfect.

Rebecca kissed me hard, wasting no time grabbing my arse and pushing me back against the desk. The movement rattled the contents of the boxes, but she didn’t care, dipping her hand straight under my dress.

I pulled at her shirt, tugging it out of her trousers, and raked my fingernails across her back. Rebecca groaned in response, slipping two fingers into my underwear. She brushed over me, making me whimper into her mouth.

---