She felt uncontrollably giddy as the balloon rose higher. The experience itself was exhilarating but now, to unexpectedly find herself alone in this tiny space with him, she could hardly contain her heart as it fought to beat out of her chest. The past weeks had been terrible and she was so glad to hear him describe the same 'wrongness' she'd been feeling since they parted. She wouldn't accept his pity but she loved him, she'd been hoping desperately he would change his mind and somehow things could be fixed between them. She'd hoped that over time he'd realise she was the same woman he'd known before the shock of discovering her past, that he'd realise he still loved her. Then when he found Enid Jones she'd been crushed.
A silence had fallen after they'd discussed all the history of hot air ballooning and he was now looking up at the balloon, no doubt working out the mechanics of it all, but perhaps simultaneously working out how to say what he wanted to say to her. She knew the latter would be much harder for him so she decided to lead him slightly.
"So William, you didn't come up here just to tell me the history of ballooning" the sound of her voice bought his eyes back to her.
"Eh, no." His gaze fell to his shoes.
"Why don't you start with Mrs Jones, what happened with her?" She offered plainly.
He paused looking uncomfortable, fighting with the words "Well she asked me about you" he paused again looking frustrated then added quietly "apparently my feelings are obvious to everyone except me." He looked at her then added, "Brackenreid and Crabtree say I've been pining!" He seemed quite frustrated at the thought of being read like an open book. Julia actually thought it was quite sweet.
She cut through this distraction however by asking "what was your answer, when she asked about me?"
This brought his eyes back up to hers. He just looked at her for a moment before stepping forward and taking her hands "I told her the truth." He paused, their eyes locked in the moment, "that I can't stop thinking about you. It didn't go down very well."
Julia couldn't help but laugh at this, "well no I shouldn't imagine it did. What possessed you William, honestly for a smart man you don't know much about women!"
He seemed a little hurt by her reaction, "because it was the truth" he concluded, "and because I'd begun to feel things would never be right" He trailed off but his eyes stayed glued to hers. "You've bewitched me Julia" it was barely a whisper as he stepped closer to her again, pulling her close, "With one glance of your eyes you have stolen my heart."
She was melting under his gaze but her heart told her to remain strong, "And what of my abortion William?"
His thumbs were stroking the small of her back, "Can't we leave the past behind us? I find I can't imagine my future without you in it." In truth she doubted the past could really be buried, in her experience it had a habit of sending its ghosts to haunt you, but she could feel herself giving in to him already, her heart over ruling her head. Hearing no reply he added, "You recently described attraction as like chemistry, I cannot help feeling you and I are like sodium and water."
"I know" she sighed at last leaning forward to give him a tentative kiss.
"The truth is you drive me crazy. You don't know what you do to me" his whisper brushed her cheeks.
She tilted her head and rubbed her nose gently against his, their lips millimetres apart "what makes you think that?" she asked wickedly. His only reply was a moan as he claimed her mouth in a deep kiss. Time seemed to stretch and twist, no longer playing its methodical part.
The afternoon was drifting by below them when he final broke their kisses and continued huskily "the rapture on your face when you recite poetry is enough to drown me in desire."
Still breathless from the kiss she replied "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is more delightful than wine." He responded with a kiss of such desire that it made her knees weak and that subtle act of surrender was nearly enough to push him over the edge.
Pulling back for breath he watched her with dark lusty eyes, the spectacular view around them was being neglected by them both. "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women." He continued the recital between kisses that he trailed across her cheek and down her neck.
Her whole body tingled in response to his efforts and her breath was falling as ragged sighs as she followed his words "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men." Running her fingers through his hair she pulled his mouth back to hers "I delight to sit in his shade" she breathed as the kiss broke again "and his fruit" she kissed him fleetingly "is sweet to my taste." He claimed her lips again; their tongues met generating feelings like electricity which caused them both to moan. She was breathless as she continued "Strengthen me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love."
His mouth was leaving burning paths across her skin again as he made his way to nibble on her ear. "You are like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession" he was working on her neck now and when he nibbled there she gasped his name. He pulled back to look at her, her eyes half lidded and out of focus. His blood was burning through him so much he thought he might combust. "Julia I want you" he said hotly in her ear which made her shiver "I want you so much, I'm burning up."
"Like sodium in water" she laughed, their urgent hands pulling at each other in a desperate attempt to be closer. "We should go to my house" she struggled to catch her breath, he was following the line of her jaw with his lips, "but William, for now, talk to me or we might not make it there." He paused, looking at her, fleetingly considering whether not making it would be such a bad thing and then his self-control returned.
He sighed softly and nuzzled her ear, "sorry" he breathed and the resultant shiver nearly broke his resolve. In an attempt to cool the situation slightly she turned in his arms so he was embracing her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and they watched the view in silence for a short time. "I have another confession to make," He said breaking the silence.
"Have you been saving them up?" She replied laughingly, squeezing his arms as they rested around her waist.
"Not exactly" He squeezed her back, "I borrowed your book of romantic poets".
"Oh, so that's where that went" she said, her head whipping round in mock indignation, "Do you make a habit of stealing my personal things?"
"Of course not, it's just when you and Jasper were reciting them I felt… well… jealous" he turned his head away at the word jealous so she couldn't see his blush.
"Oh William" she twisted a placed a kiss on his cheek.
This seemed to comfort him some and he continued, "Well it proved more invaluable than I could have imagined."
"Really" she asked still trying to look at him.
"Indeed, it was in my jacket pocket when we went to investigate at Pringle Creek. It turned out my… our father, since it turns out Jasper is my half brother," Julia gasped slightly and seemed like she might interrupt but he hushed her with a finger over her lips "was there too on his own sort of investigation. Well between us we'd managed to lure some criminals there too and in a resulting shoot out your book saved my life." He pulled the book in question from his pocket and showed her the bullet lodged there in.
Her eyes went wide as she gasped again, "Heavens William," she turned and threw her arms around his neck "Thank goodness you took it." She felt lost for words at the thought she might have lost him before they had this chance to make up and she clung to him for some time before they spoke again.
"I'll replace it at the first chance I get, I wouldn't want you to think I mistreat things I borrow." He broke the silence at last and his subtle humour wasn't lost on her.
She laughed, "Oh William, as if I care about the book." She pushed him playfully "So Jasper's your half-brother, why don't you tell me about that?" She asked, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. It was distracting so he lent forward and kissed her again before commencing the tale. They stayed in each other's arms, floating without care, as he recited the details of the discovery of his half-brother and his father's guilt towards Jasper.
They were so engrossed that they didn't even notice the balloons decent until they were but meters from the ground. They braced themselves and as the basket bumped and tipped they fell out onto the grass together. They lay there dazed for a moment before the circumstances of lying in each other's arms seemed to rekindle the barely damped firer from earlier.
They seemed hard pressed to keep their hands off each other on the journey back to her house, which seemed to William to take the better part of eternity. As they entered and she turned to close the front door he had her pressed up against the inside of the door before she'd barely managed to lock it. They gave in to greedy kisses for some time. Then at last she managed to slip free yet still holding his hand she pulled him towards the stairs, "I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me. Come, my beloved…" It was the last bit of recital that would pass either of their lips that day as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom in a passionate hurry.