As he walked through the forest, Nathan listened to the sounds around him. He could hear the soft murmur of the stream in the distance as it emptied into the lake and the distinct call of the parrots as they flew by as the leaf litter crunched under his feet. As the breeze whispered through the trees, the leaves swayed too and fro, rustling gently. The breeze felt cool on his skin and was a relief from the heat of the sun.
The smell of the eucalyptus was strong in his nostrils but certainly not unpleasant. He followed the path along the edge of the stream until he came to a small clearing where he could just glimpse where the stream joined the lake. The water was foaming white across the rocks of the rapids before it spilled into the lake over a small crag, creating a waterfall, probably about twice the height of a man, the sunlight glinting off the water casting arcs of bright colour through the spray like tiny rainbows shimmering.
Looking down the lake, Nathan could see how beautiful the place was, with the trees growing right down to the waters edge, gracefully hanging down and lapping at the water beneath. Fish could be seen darting through the shallows, chasing small water creatures hoping for a feed. The late afternoon air was alive with the hum of insects, small birds flying in and out of the bushes catching dragonflies in mid flight.
As he looked back up towards the waterfall he saw her. He frowned, why hadn’t he noticed her before? She was silhouetted against the sinking sun; her dress almost transparent as her form was highlighted from the light behind her. Her long shapely legs were coltish and he briefly imagined what they would feel like wrapped around his waist, shaking his head, he dismissed the thought, wondering why he would think such a thing of a complete stranger. She could be no more than 20 he thought, smiling wryly to himself as he took in her beauty, feeling suddenly old at 38.
“Man, have I spent too long out on my own or what, I need a life,” he muttered, thinking about his job as a freelance geologist for the mining industry. It took him all over the country but he was tired of all the travel and not being in the same place for more than a few weeks at a time, never making friends, only acquaintances, maybe it was time for a change.
Nathan watched as the young woman moved with catlike grace over the rocks towards the waterfall. Standing on a large flat rock she turned, letting the spray from the waterfall wet her dress. Straining to see her, Nathan could make out the dark areola of the girls breasts as the fabric of her dress clung to her body like a second skin.
“My god,” he whispered, as she began to dance in small circles, swaying her hips provocatively to an imagined beat in her head. Raising her hands, she released her hair from its confines on the top of her head, which sent it cascading down her back in a river of golden silk. She ran her fingers through her hair as the remaining sunlight shimmied and sparkled like a halo around her.
Nathan was enthralled by the sight of her; he couldn’t have taken his eyes off her if he had wanted too. Slowly she reached for the buttons on the front of her dress. Nathan swallowed hard as she meticulously undid button after button on a slow journey down towards her ankles. As the dress hung open, Nathan could just glimpse the swell of her firm breasts, wondering what they would feel like against his palm and he felt himself grow hard at the thought. Running a hand through his hair he closed his eyes for a second and thought, “ what the hell am I doing, staring at her like this?”
When he opened his eyes and looked back at her, their gazes locked. Staring directly at him, she looked like a startled rabbit caught in the beam of headlights from a car. Then she smiled. A slow sensuous smile that had Nathan feeling as if his heart had dropped to the pit of his stomach. She was exquisite. Turning to face him, she let the dress drop off her shoulders. Nathan gasped as he watched her step out of the dress and move towards the waterfall. Peering over her shoulder at him, the girl stepped into the flow of the water wetting her hair, she turned and raised her face to the force of the water letting it flow over her milky white skin, conjuring up images of a lovers touch in Nathan’s mind. She was washing herself freely in the waterfall, obviously enjoying the sensation of the cool water on her skin, seemingly oblivious to everything else going on around her.
Finally looking away, Nathan sat on a log by the waters edge and removed his boots and socks. Dunking his feet, the water felt cool against his hot flesh as he trailed his toes through the liquid. He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it off, bending to scoop up some water to splash his face with. Droplets of water trickled down his chest as he raised his head again to look in the direction of the waterfall. The girl was emerging from the flow of water to stand poised on the flat rock above the lake, slowly she raised her arms in a graceful arc, stretching the skin across her chest so her breasts stood out in proud defiance. Bending her knees slightly she dived gracefully into the water like she was born to it, penetrating the surface with barely a splash. Nathan held his breath as she disappeared beneath the surface of the water. He stood to get a better view, wondering where she would emerge. Her face broke through the surface of the water approximately 20 meters from where he was standing, her head and shoulders just visible above the waterline as she slowly swam towards him.
All thought fled from his mind as she reached the shallows and rose to her feet with exquisite ease of movement. She stood proudly naked before him, a look of defiance in her eyes, her gaze unwavering from his as she asked, “Who are you?”
“Ah,” he said, “I was just about to ask the same of you my dear.”
