Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 99

He grinned then with a laugh in his voice said in a sing-song tone, "But you don't know me!" Ella rolled her eyes. He added a pout just for effect, "You don't know what my favourite colour is. What I like to read. Whether I sing in the shower..."

"I know what you like to read! I showered with you so I know for a fact that you don't sing in the shower!"

"Ah-hah, but I had other things on my mind when we took that shower. In any case, how do you know what I like to read?"

"I saw a book on your bedside cabinet."

He chuckled, then said, "Sweetheart, not that I want to ruin this moment, but can you move!"

"It depends."

"What?" He blinked in surprise. "You wanted me to move, earlier!"

"Yes, true. But now it depends."

"On what?" He narrowed his eyes.

"On whether you accept that I love you."

"And you think inflicting pain on the man you admit to loving, demonstrates your love?" He chuckled then said, "Yes, this idiot knows you love me. So can you lock your legs around my waist, before I make a mess of this, literally," He told her.

She giggled and she clenched around him. "Wait till I tell Dad about us!" She replied as she locked her legs around him.

"Can we not talk about your father when we are doing this?" He straightened up, and lifted her off the couch. "Right." He glanced around. "I think bedroom, if I can stagger there." He shifted her in his arms so that she was still anchored to him. "I imagine he'll have the shotgun ready this time." He strode toward the bedroom, with her legs wrapped around his hips, and with him still buried within her.

Ella nuzzled his neck. "And who is now talking about dad while we are doing this?" She asked, "Will he need a shotgun?"

"Only if you aren't planning on showing up at our wedding."

"Wedding?" She froze. He lowered her onto the bed, and locked to her, followed her down.

"Ours." He grinned.

"There won't be a wedding unless I get a proper proposal." Instantly he interlaced his fingers with hers, and rocked just a tiny fraction. Ella squealed.

"Gabriella Jones, you will marry me."

"This isn't fair." She panted and squirmed, wanting him deeper.

"Why?" He moved a tiny fraction.

"You are supposed to go down on bended knee." She whispered, "Not go down on me."

"Sweetheart, I can do both."

"Promise?"

He laughed.

She threw her arms around his neck.

Several hours later, Ella returned to the topic about the surf club fire. All she remembered was the paramedics, the police. The smell of fire.

"What happened at the club?"

"The surf club?"

"Yes. How did you know I was in the surf club?"

The question returned David to that incident. "It is not a big issue." He mumbled.

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't start that again! A building was on fire, there were explosions and according to Seth, you went in."

"You are making it sound like I did everything."

"Didn't you?"

"No!" He chuckled. "I just helped."

"Really! You helped?"

"Ok, fine, if I tell you what happened, will you let go of this?"

She nodded, and David started to tell her about that day as it was still fresh in his mind, because it reminded him that this event helped him to recognised the fact that he loved her.

"I knew from my daily run that the surf lifesavers were usually setting up around that time of the morning. You know, they checked out the rips, put up the flags." He shrugged. "Of course, the guys could be out there catching waves, but I remembered that I had glanced at the water, and I noticed it was relatively flat, so hardly likely anyone would be out there."

"Ok."

"I just reached the club when I heard a sudden loud explosion." It brought him to a sudden stop. He remembered he stood in absolute shock as the sound reverberated, and then as he saw smoke. "I just, automatically, raced for the club." Ella saw David's eyes and it was obvious the divulged information was just the tip of the iceberg.

He remembered he reached the club building just as Andy, one of the lifesavers reached it. It was obvious that he had just come from the water, he was dripping and barefoot. The scene replayed in David's memory.

"Is anyone likely to be in there?" David asked him as they reached the door.

"Mike." The shocked, young guy told him.

"You sure?" David said, and shook Andy because Andy looked shocked. "Andy, this is important!"

That snapped Andy out of that shock. "Yes, just Mike. He said you were going to have an early morning meeting this morning, not sure what or who." Andy nodded and began to head in. Only to step back as his feet began to feel the heat.

"I'll go in. You phone for help." David told him and without waiting for a reply stepped into the building. There was some smoke, but it wasn't too bad. He pulled his sweatshirt neckline upto cover his nose and mouth.

"Mike." He called as he made his way past the large open clubroom. "Mike." He spluttered as he took in some smoke filled air. He pulled the neckline higher.

He heard a faint muffled groan and turned to find himself facing a man in his mid to late fifties. "Mike." David made his way to him, Mike was just starting to get to his feet. "Come on, Mike. We need to get out of here. Not sure what caused the last explosion, but we need to get out ok?"

He nodded, but when David began to inch him to ward the door Mike shook his head, as if he had just remembered something. Mike stopped. He looked over his shoulder at the smoke billowing out. "Did she get out?"

"Who?" David nudged Mike, hoping Mike would keep walking.
"Gabriella."

For a second David thought he had misheard. "Gabriella?" Why would Gabriella be here, he thought.

"Yes, she might be in the kitchen getting some water or she might be in the office." She was here for a meeting about redesigning the club interior.

"And she is still here?" His pulse escalated.

"Yes. For a meeting. She wanted a glass of water. I was going to get it, but she told me to get the files, there were in my car and she said she would get the water. So I pointed out the small kitchen behind the office and I went to get the files, and I was in the corridor when the blast hit me." Mike spluttered as he told David. David could see that Mike was struggling, the blast had clearly knocked him and the smoke hadn't helped him.

"I'll go find Gabriella." David looked at the corridor now full of smoke. His heart was thumping, and he started to pray. Please God, please God. He kept repeat that.

"I'll wait." Mike said. He was groggy despite pulling his tshirt over his nose and mouth.

The smoke was getting to Mike. "Can you make your way out?" David weighed up his options. It would be best if Mike was out, David thought, but the question was if Mike had the energy.

Mike muffled his response, "Yeah."

David pushed Mike towards the exit, saying, "Ok. Go. Getting out of here. Tell the fire crew where we are. Go on. I will get her."

Mike nodded and headed off in the direction of the exit. And David was back to praying as he headed for the kitchen. The office was in a mess. Debris everywhere. Whatever had caused the explosion had ripped through the room.