To The Shock of Miss Louise (Carousel Series #1)

Chapter 9: Santa Cruz, CA | 1983

Ruby stretched, eyes opening slowly. Only a few candles still burned. She heard laughter, probably coming from down in the main cave. Paul. The Boys must have returned. She thought she really ought to go down and thank them for the bed. She stretched again, starting to move from the bed when she felt the arm around her back and a soft sigh.

Tilting her chin up, she realized she was lying against Marko, who was still sleeping. The child-like grin on his face, the eyes still closed in peaceful slumber. The night's memories flooded back, the sounds and the sensations. Ruby smiled to herself, remembering how sharp his teeth were on her skin and how gentle his hands had been. There had been a lot of passion shared. Ruby moved his arm away, sitting up and looking down upon him.

"Thank you, Marko..." she murmured. He mumbled in his sleep, rolling over and burying his face in the pillows. Ruby grinned, kissing his shoulder as she tucked the sheets in around him. She climbed down from the feather bed, careful not to wake him and dressed. She paused at the doorway, looking back at him before heading down to see the others.

"Dude, change the station." Dwayne growled, thwapping Paul on the back of the head as he skateboarded by. Paul stuck out his tongue and left it on Duran Duran's 'Rio'.

"I like this song!"

"I don't!"

"Tough shit." Paul cackled, scooping the boom box out of Dwayne's reach as he made another pass. "This is my rock box."

"Knock it off you two." David didn't bother looking up from his book. This was a nightly routine.

"Evening guys." Ruby stepped down the tunnel slowly. Three faces turned and broke into grins.

"Woo! Marko got lu-cky!" Paul shouted.

"Who says I didn't?" Ruby gave a fake pout. Paul laughed, drumming his hands on his knees.

"Good evening, Ruby. I'm sure Marko's still asleep?" David grinned, setting his book on the table and rising.

"Like a sated baby probably." Dwayne chuckled, which set Paul off again. David rolled his eyes and stepped up beside Ruby.

"Would you like a tour before we go out for the evening?"

"Yeah... thankfully you weren't around last night. I nearly asked for one then."

David laughed. "I'm sure Marko changed your plans." Ruby blushed a little. "Well, I can give you a proper one now. He won't be shadowing along, giving you those puppy eyes he does." David rose and offered Ruby an arm. "We'll start upstairs and work down."

David led Ruby up the stairs cut into the rock, and outside into the cool night. She was glad for his arm to cling to - the rocks seemed rather slippery. Over the wooden bridge, up the access stairs. He led her over to the cliff edge.

"So this is the hotel. What's left of it. You can almost see where the cliff sheared off when the earthquake hit." He pointed with a gloved finger along the cliff. "And the lighthouse, which was decommissioned a few years back."

"Very windy up here." Ruby remarked.

"Yeah, it helps keep people away. One wrong move and a gust of wind will pull you over the cliff." David tugged her back towards the cave. "Now on to the cave."

Back inside, David showed her the elevator, the fountain and other remaining elements of the hotel that had survived the earthquake. It was a miniature history lesson really.

"So onto our rooms." David grinned, taking Ruby's hand in his. "We'll start with Dwayne's."

"Okay." Ruby was led along a low tunnel into a wide cavern. A big brass bed in one corner, an oil drum in the opposite lit for warmth and light. A crude cinder block shelf held small carvings from driftwood.