Old Lovers Don't Die (37 page)

Stepping out of his boxers, he lay down next to her feeling the sensual softness of her skin. Bending forward he kissed her nipples softly, taking each between his lips, sucking and caressing them with his tongue. As he traced his tongue across the tips, Petrea whispered,

“Christian, that is beautiful.”

Christian looked up to see Petrea smiling at him. Reaching down, he stroked her inner thighs with the back of his fingers. He then traced the outlines of her soft dark hair. He heard her sigh and call his name again.

“Make love to me,” she whispered in his ear as she lay on his chest. Christian reached down and held her hips with both hands.

“Christian, that’s beautiful,” she said as the intimacy of Christian’s love-making overwhelmed her.

Christian looked up. Petrea’s eyes were closed, but her smile revealed the intensity of her pleasure.

“Christian.”

Petrea called more loudly as Christian’s passionate fire infused her whole body. As their ecstasy climaxed he called her name, holding her tightly. After several small contractions, Petrea stopped moving, lying silently on his chest. He held her tightly, overwhelmed by the intensity of their passion, not wanting the moment or the feeling to end.

“So do you like the new book?” she said lifting her head off his chest to look at him, smiling mischievously.

“Very cute. I am, as you know, an avid reader. How many chapters do think there might be in this new book?”

“How many chapters would you like there to be?”

“From that experience, many more. However, I suspect we may not get beyond page one with you living in The Hague and with me in Australia.”

“Well, if you enjoyed that first chapter as much as me, we may get to create a few more chapters shortly. I’m taking up a position with a law firm in Sydney.”

“Could be the best read I have ever had then,” Christian said laughing. “Shall we get dressed and go and have lunch with my mother, and you can fill me in on some of the details.”

“That sounds great, but I do need you to sign the papers.”

Christian dressed slowly as Petrea showered, reflecting on how his journey had begun and evolved into an adventure he could never have imagined. He left Adelaide for an overseas surgical experience, and hopefully to see whether Isabella was the unique alchemist when it came to his passion; the trauma of the shooting, finding his father, and then wondering whether the question with Isabella would remain forever unanswered. Then, in another twist, Petrea emphatically answered part of the Isabella question. Chemistry was an equation with many different evolutionary elements; the unique order which those elements interacted caused the combustible reaction, which promotes passion and desire to Himalayan heights.

“Sign here, gorgeous man,” Petrea said, walking up to the table where Christian was sitting. He looked at her silk dressing gown distractingly covering of parts of her wet body. Christian suddenly wanted her passion again. He ignored the paper that she had put on the table, pulling her to him and undoing her gown.

“Hold on, Tiger! I want more of you too. However, your mother will be wondering what has happened to you, and we don’t want security knocking on the door as we’re shouting each other’s names!”

Christian laughed.

“No, that wouldn’t do. I’ll stop if you promise me we can start again later.”

“I’m here for another two days. You can stay with me if you have the stamina! Now sign this while I get dressed.”

Riding down in the lift, Christian put his arm around Petrea’s waist, closing his eyes and reliving the wonderful lovemaking. As the door of the lift opened, Christian turned to Petrea and said,

“Mothers know.”

“I’m sure she will if you keep smiling like that as will ex-girlfriends if she is still around!”

They walked through the foyer out onto the covered front deck. Christian looked to his left. Seated at table twelve, he could see his mother, father, Tim, Mike, and Sian. It was indeed a day of continuing surprises. His father, upon seeing him, waved. Christian walked over to the table turning and introducing Petrea, briefly explaining who she was and her involvement with the ICC. He tried not to look at his mother whom he could feel staring at him when Mike said very mischievously,

“You are missing several of the buttons on your shirt.”

“I think you need a good lawyer if you attempt to reply to that,” Petrea said, smiling at Christian as she sat down on a chair that Jannie had pulled up next to him.

Christian took the chair next to his mother, who gave him a knowing look that only mothers, with their deep instincts for their children, can manage. Then, with what Christian had come to understand was an approving smile, she handed Christian and Petrea a menu.

“We ordered about half an hour ago but they are incredibly slow here. I think that was about the time that you went to sign your papers! Did you manage to get those all signed?” Renata said looking at Christian.

“My lawyer was happy,” Christian said looking in Petrea’s direction.

“If you decide what you would like for lunch, I’ll go inside and see whether I have any influence with the chef,” Mike suggested.

“That would be great, Mike.”

Christian quickly glanced at the menu.

“I’ll go with the salmon salad.”

“Make that two,” said Petrea.

“Mike, there was one thing that I’ve been meaning to ask since we rescued Isabella that day in the bush. The blue drums that were stacked up at the bottom of the mountain. Did you ever find out what they were?”

“I sent your photographs of them to our office in Johannesburg and they identified them as drums of Tabin nerve gas. They were supplied by the Syrian. We are now helping the Congolese destroy those drums safely.”

“So the twelve hundred South African troops that are now helping the Congolese army, to secure that North Kivu region and all its resources, are under no pressure to secure supplies for the major mining companies in South Africa?” Petrea asked.

Mike collected up the menus, before looking at Petrea.

“I would like to plead the Fifth Amendment on that.”

Renata turned and looked at Christian.

“Just to update you, Tim and I are going to put our engagement on hold, while your father and I spend the next few days catching up and sorting out a few decades. Then we are going to fly back to Australia with you.”

“Mum, I’m obviously happy with what you decide. I know it’s a really difficult situation. That does sound like a good suggestion though. It will give also you a chance to catch up with Nadine and Isabella.”

“Isabella is sitting over there in the far corner with Simone, so I have already organised that for lunch tomorrow. Sian provided a full breakdown on what happened at the airport. It’s good to see that it has not had a significant impact on your medical recovery.”

“We literally ran into them, Mum, as they came out of the lift.”

“Well, now that you and Petrea are better acquainted, I’m sure it would ease the tension a little if you and Petrea had coffee with them later. That is, if we ever get any food.”

“I think there are still a couple of documents that Petrea still needs to have signed later, perhaps after that,”

Christian said looking across at Petrea.

“I’m sure there must be some unsigned documents up there somewhere,” Petrea replied, looking directly at Christian, as everyone laughed.