Race (8 page)

Ronan and Noah were sitting together in the deserted celebration ground. It was now late night, the stars twinkling in the sky with the full moon shining, and Ronan was blind drunk and laughing loudly. He was still downing more alcohol from a huge glass bottle.

“That was fun, yeah bro?” Ronan slurred.

“Yeah, sure it was,” Noah agreed, not really caring because he wasn't the type of person that craved for attention.

“It was the best,” Ronan confirmed, his voice still a drawl. “So, Noah … alcohol makes you do things you don’t want to, huh?”

“That’s true.” Noah nodded.

“It causes lots of medical problems, and can make you feel dizzy or faint.”

“That’s true too.” Noah was unsure where Ronan was heading in this conversation.

"It makes you feel out of character, and makes you do things you'll regret." Ronan stood up on his feet, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It also …” Ronan began, but then almost fell over from being unable to walk properly as he was so drunk. Noah caught his brother, his face anxious.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Noah asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine bro,” Ronan replied, and then suddenly, everything came in a rush. “But that Chantelle … She’s beautiful, she’s nice, she’s … oh.” He moaned into the darkness.

Noah’s heart missed a beat. How could it be true? Was his brother falling for his long-term girlfriend, who he loved, with all his life? And what if Chantelle liked Ronan back? They'd only just met and Ronan was all ready obsessed.

Noah stared at his brother, half hoping that he'd laugh it off and say that it was just a joke, but he didn't.

“She’s … amazing,” Ronan said finally. After staring at the huge bottle of alcohol that he was holding in his hands, Ronan let it slide out of his grip and smash on to the floor, the drink splattering on to the grass and the pieces of glass flying everywhere. “I don’t have any need for alcohol, Noah. All I need is Chantelle.”

A word did not escape from Noah’s lips; he was rendered speechless.

“Let me just tell you one thing,” Ronan finished. “If Chantelle comes into my life, I will leave alcohol forever. Forever. And that’s a promise.”

Noah’s eyes went wide. It was unnatural that Ronan was going to make such a sacrifice. So many thoughts rushed into Noah’s mind, as he watched his brother walk away into the darkness.

"I feel so upset for Chantelle. I don't know how she must be feeling, going through all this," Alice murmured, and then her phone began to ring. "Excuse me," she said to Noah, and answered the phone. "Hello? ...  Yes, I'll just send them over now." She dialled off and turned back to Noah. "I'll be back soon, okay?" She walked away.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE MISTAKE THAT REWROTE THE FUTURE FOREVER

Ronan stared outside at the dark city, drowning in a heavy downpour of rain. It was hard to believe that the weather was so bad in a country like South Africa. "Wow, what a weather," Ronan muttered sarcastically. "You know, there's two things that people enjoy in this weather. Cold beer with a hot chick."

Chantelle sighed as she sat on the sofa, flicking through the pages of her book. "I've told you all ready. I don't mix business with pleasure."

"All right, all right, no need to tell me twice. But tonight, I want you to go to Noah," Ronan explained.

Chantelle didn't understand where Ronan was heading. Ronan began to outline his plan to her. With a devilish smirk plastered on her face, Chantelle nodded slowly but surely, looking forward to what she was about to do tonight.

***

In the heavy downpour of rain, Noah was riding his horse back to the stable after doing some late night practicing. Leonardo was tired and hated getting wet so he had gone back inside to dry himself off and go to sleep.

Noah jumped off the horse and held it by its rails, and then put it back into its section of the huge horses stable. Chantelle entered the stable from the other end, dressed in an incredibly low cut white mini dress, which was now see through because of the heavy rain.

Noah locked the wooden rail of the horse's stable, and then put the keys on the small table that he kept all of his little accessories on. "Shit," Noah murmured.  He realized how wet he was. He pulled his white shirt off his body, and used it to dry his body off, including his face and hair. Now, all that he was wearing was his jeans.

When Noah turned around, he almost passed out in shock to see someone walking up to him at this time of night. It was Chantelle.

"What are you doing here?" Noah asked her bitterly. The last thing he wanted was trouble.

"There's something really important I need to talk to you about Ronan," Chantelle explained, her tone of voice rushed and seeming impatient.

Noah sighed deeply. "Look, Chantelle, don't start thinking that Ronan is a bad person. He loves you with all of his heart. After the day he met you, all he ever did was talk about you, and you can't deny that. You should be happy."

Chantelle shook her head, denying what Noah had just said. "Ronan doesn't love anything except from alcohol. It's been fifteen days and there's been no relationship between us both, nothing like a normal husband and wife would do." Chantelle looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

Little did Noah know that as Chantelle was saying all this, it was all being recorded with a camera and Ronan was watching it in his room, and it was all part of the plan.

"Why didn't you tell me that your brother was an alcoholic, Noah? Why?" Chantelle continued, making her voice as dramatic as she could.

"If I'd have known that you didn't want him, I would have never sacrificed him for you." Noah retorted. "But when I split up with you, the pair of you seemed to fall in love very fast." Noah spoke in an incredibly bitter tone.

"Well, it was kinda harsh that we were both together and then you suddenly had this girlfriend called Polly, who I've never even seen before! What else was I meant to do?" Chantelle argued.

"Polly isn't my girlfriend, you idiot! I don't know anyone called Polly! I made her up!" Noah said in defense, wondering why Chantelle couldn't have even figured that out.

"Oh, Noah ..." Chantelle murmured.

"I loved you so much, so, so much ..." Noah mumbled. The words tumbled out of his mouth and he hadn't even wanted them to do so.

"You loved me?" Chantelle whispered, unable to believe her ears.

"This is amazing," Ronan said as he watched the clip. "She's almost as good at acting as I am. It's just like a movie." He nodded in great approval as Chantelle continued to talk.

"Why did you hide it? Why?" Chantelle went on to Noah, and she truly looked as if she was going to cry any moment now.

Noah turned away from her, unable to face her.

"I'm sorry, Chantelle. I made a mistake." These were the only words that he could manage.

"Oh Noah ..." she cried, and then hugged him, pressing his naked chest against her. Noah sighed, his body burning with desire for her. Without a word between them both, he pulled her in for a hungry kiss.

Since Chantelle's dress was so low cut and loose, it seemed to slip off with great ease. Noah's hands slid over her arched back, and Chantelle felt the clasp of her bra pop open. She continued to kiss him fervently and passionately, not wanting to stop, and she was feeling pulses of electricity running through my body. She arched her body closer to his, her breathing becoming louder and faster as her heart hammered rapidly against her chest. His breathing mirrored hers, and his hands stroked down her back, reaching the sensitive small area of her back until she squirmed into him even more. Her hands rushed down his body, and she traced the perfect planes of his chest with her searching hands: his muscles were perfect, every outline, every little detail of them. His chest was so smooth and muscular it made her sigh with pleasure. He reached for her bra straps and slid them off her shoulders, throwing her bra to the corner of the stable where it landed with a light thud. Chantelle's hands found his belt, which she quickly unfastened, becoming impatient with the buckle. Finally, it came off and he slid the jeans off. He pulled her on top of him onto the straw, and she briefly let go of him to remove her knickers, that minute seemed to last forever. As soon as she was done, he pulled her back to him and kissed her neck so passionately her breath caught. She moaned with pleasure, not wanting him to stop. He rolled them both over and started slowly to progress with the kissing down to her shoulder, working softly down to her breasts. His tongue tenderly traced the shape of her nipple, then he continued on down to her tummy until he got to the tips of her thighs. He stroked the insides of her thighs, then agonizingly slow, he started kissing her below there. She moaned again, this time louder, and he stopped all too soon. His lips were at her mouth again and she could feel him inside her, his own stomach pressed against hers. He gasped, letting himself take a breath, but just another minute later, she felt him entering her again, and then he was thrusting with all the force he had. Her body reacted to his, and they were both rocking until they were both hot and sweaty. Not that they stopped. She felt herself climbing higher towards climax, and felt him deep inside her, filling her with pleasure so intense that she couldn't help but scream his name. Her body was shaking, and she couldn’t breathe at all. His moans were so loud, it turned her on even more, and she couldn’t contain her pleasure. He was so perfect. He kissed her again, beginning softly, but getting harder and harder and harder and harder…

Ronan watched the screen as he saw Noah and Chantelle make love to each other. He didn't even bother averting his eyes; he watched them both with great interest.

"What a climax," he murmured. "She marries the younger brother and sleeps with the older one ..."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

WHEN THE DEVIL INSIDE WAS UNLEASHED

Noah went down to the stud farm night club. For the first time in his life, he was drinking alcohol. He drank in frustration, downing more and more shots as he remembered what happened between himself and Chantelle. The way they'd kissed, the way he'd made love to her, what they did to each other, the way they'd touched each other ...

Since Chantelle's dress was so low cut and loose, it seemed to slip off with great ease. Noah's hands slid over her arched back, and Chantelle felt the clasp of her bra pop open. She continued to kiss him fervently and passionately, not wanting to stop, and she was feeling pulses of electricity running through my body. She arched her body closer to his, her breathing becoming louder and faster as her heart hammered rapidly against her chest. His breathing mirrored hers, and his hands stroked down her back, reaching the sensitive small area of her back until she squirmed into him even more. Her hands rushed down his body, and she traced the perfect planes of his chest with her searching hands: his muscles were perfect, every outline, every little detail of them. His chest was so smooth and muscular it made her sigh with pleasure. He reached for her bra straps and slid them off her shoulders, throwing her bra to the corner of the stable where it landed with a light thud. Chantelle's hands found his belt, which she quickly unfastened, becoming impatient with the buckle. Finally, it came off and he slid the jeans off. He pulled her on top of him onto the straw, and she briefly let go of him to remove her knickers, that minute seemed to last forever. As soon as she was done, he pulled her back to him and kissed her neck so passionately her breath caught. She moaned with pleasure, not wanting him to stop. He rolled them both over and started slowly to progress with the kissing down to her shoulder, working softly down to her breasts. His tongue tenderly traced the shape of her nipple, then he continued on down to her tummy until he got to the tips of her thighs. He stroked the insides of her thighs, then agonizingly slow, he started kissing her below there. She moaned again, this time louder, and he stopped all too soon. His lips were at her mouth again and she could feel him inside her, his own stomach pressed against hers. He gasped, letting himself take a breath, but just another minute later, she felt him entering her again, and then he was thrusting with all the force he had. Her body reacted to his, and they were both rocking until they were both hot and sweaty. Not that they stopped. She felt herself climbing higher towards climax, and felt him deep inside her, filling her with pleasure so intense that she couldn't help but scream his name. Her body was shaking, and she couldn’t breathe at all. His moans were so loud, it turned her on even more, and she couldn’t contain her pleasure. He was so perfect. He kissed her again, beginning softly, but getting harder and harder and harder and harder…