Chapter 51

While back home, Finn wanted to take advantage of the warm weather and to give Rory a unique perspective of his homeland. He still hadn't figured out how he was going to propose to her and wracked his brain trying to figure out the most fitting way. It has to be special and memorable, he thought. I know what I can do! His epiphany was almost too perfect in his mind.

He'd arranged for their parents to watch Tori the day before Christmas. First, he and Rory would have a nice romantic dinner. It would be followed by a hot air balloon ride around the harbor. It had been years since he'd been in one, and he recalled the exhilaration of it along with the beauty.

His mom had been giddy when he asked her to watch the baby for a date night. He'd be lying if he didn't admit to having the same feeling. It grew even stronger when his mom handed him the antique box that contained his late momu's wedding ring. Opening it flooded his mind with a million memories of her, reaffirming his decision regarding Rory. They would have gotten on so well, he thought fondly.

Back at his place, he carefully hid the ring, so his soon-to-be-fiancé didn't find it. He didn't want to spoil the surprise. Now, all he had to do was wait until the next day. At this rate, it felt as if it were an eternity.

Rory was looking forward to an adult date with Finn. She couldn't wait to explore some of his favorite places sans baby. She loved her daughter but also relished some time away. Having both sets of parents more than willing to watch the adorable tot help significantly. It helped ease the pangs of guilt she felt when having to ask for help.

She took her time getting ready and still had trouble grasping the fact that she was wearing summer attire at Christmastime. Pairing her new sundress with a light sweater and sandals, she met Finn in the living room. He looked even more handsome than usual, and she let herself drink him in.

"You look amazing," she said after a moment.

"Not as beautiful as you!" he replied sincerely. Australia seems to agree with her, Finn thought.

They arrived at his favorite restaurant in Sydney, and he felt the nervous energy coupled with excitement knowing that he was going to propose. He tried to play it cool, but he didn't know if he was hiding it well enough. Rory was astute and could tell when the smallest thing was off with him.

"This is not what I expected," she announced.

"You were expecting some overpriced, stuffed-shirt sushi bar?" he quipped.

"Maybe not a sushi bar, but definitely something with a Michelin star where you've got to call in a special favor to get a table any less than three years in advance," she replied.

"Not a little mom and pop café?"

"No, but I love it!" she gushed. "Oh, my god! You have a Luke's!"

She beamed at him and felt himself relax a little. He had nothing to be worried about because he knew they loved each other, and this was right for them. Rory noticed that Finn seemed to be hiding some giddiness. She figured it was because they were finally alone and had the opportunity to share some of his favorite places with her. Admittedly, it was nice to have a relaxing outing with her boyfriend, and he looked gorgeous. Australia definitely suits Finn, she thought. Maybe it agrees with me, too, because there's just something different that I can't put my finger on.

All through dinner, Finn felt the butterflies building. This was going to be the biggest night of his life. He'd rehearsed what he was going to say a million times in his head. After dessert, he drove Rory to their next destination. He'd been a little cryptic about the evening's itinerary with her.

"What is this place?" she asked. Rory frantically searched for clues, but nothing stood out to her. There was a plain building that looked more like a garage or large shed, and none of it was marked.

"You'll see," he answered slyly.

He led her around to the other side where there was a small crew surrounding a wicker-type basket and what appeared to be a large parachute. She stood close to Finn and watched as the material began to take shape. Rory's face lit with wonder as the balloon grew larger and larger. Finn couldn't help but smile. A feeling of elation swept over him as he thought about how the night would go and her awe of it was a good sign.

Once it was completely full, the crew finished what they needed to do and gave him a nod.

"Are you ready, Love?" he asked with a beaming grin.

"We're going up in...that?" she questioned tentatively.

He nodded his head in assent.

"Have I ever told you that I'm afraid of heights?"

"No, you haven't," he replied and started to worry. His heart sank. Would this be the end of my perfect evening and proposal? he thought. He watched as Rory looked around, assessing the situation. The sun was vanishing quicker than he'd hoped but if they moved quickly, he just might make the most picturesque proposal.

"I guess we'd better get moving if we want to see the sun setting," she said with a hint of nervousness.

Maybe all was not lost, he considered silently.

"After you," he held out his arm to let her go first.

Once they were safely in the air, he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He felt her shaking from fear. After a few moments, she began to relax into him. Their gazes settled on the setting sun as it slowly inched below the Earth's horizon. Suddenly, Finn felt the weight of the ring in his jacket pocket.

"This is beautiful," Rory began. "A little scary but a stunning view nonetheless."

"What made you change your mind?" he wondered.

"I thought back to my first Life and Death Brigade event," she explained. "The one where we jumped off the very high scaffolding."

"I'm not sure I remember seeing you do that," he replied.

"Oh, that's right! You got hurt playing the human target," she reminded him.

"I'm sorry I missed that. I was slotted to jump myself."

"Now I recall Logan saying that I was filling your spot," she added. "Then, I wondered what I was so scared of. Could I be missing something wonderful because I let my fear hold me back?"

Finn could see the pictures in his head that Logan had showed him as he thought back on the incident. He didn't want her to be thinking of something special that happened with Logan on the night he proposed. Suddenly, things seemed very wrong for his perfect proposal.

Despite things not turning out the way he planned, he relished the ride with his beautiful girlfriend. Gazing at the sky, the sun had mostly faded, and the world below turned dark with lights speckling the ground. Rory stayed toward the middle of the basket.

"Come and look at this," Finn motioned.

"I think I'm ok here in the middle," she declined.

"Just look," he urged.

"I don't want to throw off the balance," she tried to make an excuse.

"You'll be fine," he reassured her. "Trust me."

Slowly, she crept toward the side. Finn kept a steady hand around her waist as she peered over the edge cautiously.

"Wow..." she said in awe. "This is better than any window seat on a redeye!"

Rory's eyes grew wide when she spotted the famous opera house.

"Quite the sight, isn't she?"

"I'd say," she agreed and seemed more relaxed.

Maybe I was wrong before, he contemplated, suddenly aware of the ring box in his jacket. The way her timid demeanor changed when she saw the harbor is making me second-guess. I should just do it. There's no time like the present! Yet, there was a niggling feeling that said the timing was off. He decided to trust his instinct.

Through the remainder of their ride, Finn pointed out some of his favorite places. Rory was still in awe of the sight in general and surprised she'd agreed in the first place. Something deep down told her to go for it, that the night would be special. She trusted her gut, and it definitely didn't disappoint.

When they arrived back at Finn's parents' house, his mother was waiting up for them and seemed quite anxious. She was nearly giddy when she saw Rory. Adelaide scanned for signs her son had finally proposed, but Rory's hand was naked, and her face had no signs of such an incident. She looked to her son and saw the slight hint of disappointment.

"Why don't you kids leave the baby here with me and have some alone time?" she suggested with a smile as she shooed them out the door. Adelaide hoped that her son still might propose tonight since it was still fairly early. Finn noticed his mother's actions. he hoped she didn't think the worst.

"Rory, why don't you go next door and get comfortable, and I'll be right behind you," Finn suggested sensing his mother wanted to say something to him.

"Ok," she agreed and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again, Adelaide."

Once Rory was safely out of ear shot, he turned back to his mother.

"Mom, things just weren't right, that's all," he began. "No need to worry."

"No time will be absolute perfect," she chided. "Just do it already!"

"Trust me, it was not the right time," he reiterated.

Before he left, his mother gave him a knowing look. He knew she was right, but his gut told him that his timing was off. Maybe tonight wasn't meant to be the night, he thought ruefully.

Once he got next door, he waited for Rory to come out of the bedroom. A few minutes later, she emerged in a flimsy nightie covered with a matching robe. She'd managed to sneak away and pick it up for a special occasion like tonight. Up to this point, he thought the night had been a total loss, but now, he'd definitely changed his mind.

"I'm going to make some coffee. Do you want some?" she asked.

"Whatever you want, Love," he replied with a big smile.

"And I wouldn't mind sitting on the veranda," she continued. "It's such a beautiful night."

"Go make yourself comfortable, and I'll be out in a minute," he recommended.

"You're going to make my coffee?" she wondered.

"You don't trust me to make your coffee," he accused. "I'm hurt."

"I trust you completely," she smiled and kissed him. "I'll be out back."

Rory vanished out the back door, and Finn made quick work of getting the coffee going. Then, he disappeared into the bedroom, where he changed into some athletic shorts. Returning to the kitchen, he found the coffee pot partially empty. Guess she just couldn't wait, he thought. Before joining her, he poured a couple of glasses of scotch.

Once on the veranda, he handed her one of the glasses.

"No, thanks," she declined as she sipped her coffee.

Finn sat next to her on the loveseat, and she leaned into him. The cool breeze from the ocean sent shivers down her spine, giving her goosebumps. He pulled her a little closer, running his hands up and down her arms. Soon, he felt the slight chill, too, but, somehow, it was exhilarating for him. She leaned her head back against his chest, and he gently kissed the top of her head, breathing her in. Craning her neck, she looked into his ocean blue eyes, and then, he kissed her with an intense passion that left her breathless. When their lips finally parted, she put her coffee down by the untouched glass of scotch.

Standing up, she turned to face him and dropped the thin robe. Her nipples stood firm under the light material causing Finn's own blatant arousal. She loved doing that to him and continued the pseudo striptease. Dropping the straps on her night halfway down her arms, she began backing up into the moonlight. With a lustful look in his eye, he stood up, dropping his shorts to the ground, which made his erection even more pronounced.

Without warning, she pulled the straps back up and turned to face the ocean. Rory giggled as she began running toward the ocean. Quickly following, Finn made a beeline for the water, just as he'd done so many times in his youth. She's never struck him as the 'run into the ocean' type, but he wasn't going to stop her. The ocean had been one of his favorite places ever since he could remember.

Rory was nearly knee-deep when the cold water registered in her system. Trying to retreat, she turned to see Finn right behind her.

"Oh, my god! This is so cold," she exclaimed.

"It's the ocean..." he stated sarcastically. "What did you expect?"

"It's always looked so cool in the movies," she remarked.

At first, she thought he was wrapping his arms around her, but he surprised her when he picked her up, cradled in his arms. Slowly, Finn took a couple of steps, and Rory grabbed onto him tighter.

"What are you doing?" she asked nervously, afraid he might throw her into the deeper water.

"I thought this would be much cooler than the movies," he quipped with a sly smile.

Danger, Will Robinson! Rory's alarms went off.

Moving quicker, she clung even tighter in anticipation of what he was going to do. Before she knew it, her feet were dragging in the water, and she moved higher on his torso. Without warning, he gave her a little toss, and she submerged in the water, popping up a second later.

"I can't believe you just did that!" she squealed as she pushed the hair out of her face.

"What are you going to do about it?" he asked with a mischievous look. Her thin, wet nightie left nothing to the imagination, and he wanted nothing more than to ravish her.

"First, we're getting out of this freezing water," she stated, her voice shaking a bit from the cold.

"And after that?" he probed with a wink.

"You're going to make up the guest room because that's where you're sleeping tonight," she replied with a straight face.

Finn couldn't tell if she was joking with him or if she was serious. He gave her a little pout and pulled her close, drawing her legs around him. She didn't try to stop him, so he took that as a good sign. Despite the cold, she could feel his excitement.

"You're not getting off that easy," she whispered slyly. He responded by kissing her down the side of her neck, and she moaned as she arched her back. Her hips rocked very slowly against his throbbing erection. He wanted to keep going, but he could feel her shivering against him.

"Let's get you warmed up," he said softly.

Once on the beach, he really noticed hos transparent her negligee had become. It made him all the more aroused. He grabbed the towels from the stash in the cabinet on the veranda. He wrapped her in a large one, and then dried himself. Rather than go inside, he sat on the loveseat, patting the spot next to him. She obliged, and he pulled her nearly onto his lap.

The once cool breeze had warmed, and he was more turned on that ever before. The ocean had somehow cast a spell on Rory as well. She straddled Finn, kissed him, and backed away before he knew what happened. Standing before him in the wet nightie, he could see her nipples pressing against the material, and she slid the straps from her shoulders, letting it drop to the ground. She stood naked, for a moment, in the moonlight before climbing back onto him. Finn pulled her to him as close as he could and kissed her with a deep-seated passion. He didn't even mind that his proposal didn't go as planned. He had Rory and wanted her more than ever.

With her hands on either side of his head, they continued kissing, her body pressed firmly against his. She'd forgotten about the cold as the fire within was ignited, warming her from the inside. It always turned her on more when she felt his arousal. As Rory began to grind her hips into his, Finn felt the tightness of his boxer briefs as his erection throbbed. The wetness between her legs left his underwear damp, which only fueled his lustful urges. She arched her back and lifted her hips as he grabbed her ass, thrusting her breasts into his face.

Finn wrapped his lips around hard nipple, flicking it with his tongue. Her breath hitched, back still arched, and she moaned softly as her body began to shudder in ecstasy. He switched sides. She moaned louder and pressed her hips downward, rocking back and forth slowly. Rory's fingers were entwined in his hair. She pulled his head closer to her breasts, fingers tightening around his locks while her body shook again.

"Oh, my...mmm," she said, and he stopped, looking up at her.

Their lips met in a lascivious kiss. He tried to stand up while holding onto her, but she pushed him away slightly.

"Let's stay out here," she purred.

Finn couldn't believe that she wanted to stay outside. He started to take off his underwear but struggled under Rory. She propped herself up, giving him access to remove the unwanted article of clothing. Once all barriers were gone, she lowered herself back down, careful not to let him inside. Moving her hips, she slid along the length of him, stopping just at the tip to let him feel the effect of her excitement. Every few strokes, she'd let him inside of her just a little.

"Oh, you are evil tonight, Love," he growled in a husky voice.

Edging closer to letting him inside, she'd stopped short. Finn couldn't take it anymore and slammed his hips up to hers. He buried himself deep inside her core, and she groaned in pleasure. Putting his hands on her hips to guide her, he slid in and out slowly, deliberately. He wanted to feel every stroke, every squeeze the entire length of his erection. Her hips met his every movement as she pulsed around his shaft.

Instead of leaning forward against Finn, she counter-balanced her weight backwards and held her breasts in her hands. She gently pushed them up and played with her nipples as he watched. Picking up the pace, she could feel him throbbing and squeezed a little harder around him. He wrapped one arm around her hips just below her waist and moved the other to the sensitive nub that she'd exposed when she leaned back. Feeling around, he teased her as he brushed her clit.

"Ahh, fuck," she nearly yelled as her body started to quiver. She didn't stop and continued to match his thrusts. Once he found the right spot, Finn kept rubbing and watching her play. She pinched and twisted her nipples between her fingers, and he sped up. In a matter of moments, Rory felt the tidal wave overtaking her body as it shuddered and twitched beyond her control. She let go of her breasts and braced herself against Finn. Her hips were grinding into his as she felt another orgasm sweeping over her.

With a final thrust, he felt his own release, but Rory wasn't done. Her body shook as she rode him a little harder and with more fervor.

"Don't stop," he ordered in a low moan. "Fuck me and make me cum again."

She pressed her lips against his, hungrily kissing him and gently bit his bottom lip as she pulled away. She was an insatiable beast, and he felt even more turned on than before. His cock was hard and buried deep inside her, hitting that special spot. Rory moaned in delight as she pumped him harder.

"Faster," he requested, and she adjusted. "Harder."

Tensing up, she felt herself reaching another climax, and she held her breath to let it build.

"Right there," he assured her through clenched teeth. "Oh, fuck!"

A moment later, he buried himself as deep as he could and released his second load just as her body began to tremble and shake. He could feel the spasms inside while he was still finishing. Finn held onto her as she continued to shudder, her breathing was erratic. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. All she could do was thinking about him.

Rory couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten when Finn came back into her life. In her mind, it had always been Logan, but the real answer had been right under her nose all along.