Wild Flower (9 page)
Authors: Eliza Redgold
With a sigh she leaned up and inhaled the skin at his neck.
‘You’re very close to me,’ he whispered.
‘Just checking on your Californian aftershave balm.’
He chuckled, deep in his throat.
‘There are orchids in California I could study,’ she managed to say as his finger climbed. ‘
Epipactis gigantea
, the stream orchid. It’s a big one.’
‘A gigantic orchid?’ Wade murmured in her ear. ‘You can’t miss that. But if you come to California, I have to warn you, there can be some hostility to tourists. Tramping all over the ground, taking photos of our wild flowers … they bend the stalks, and bruise the leaves and …’
Dianella wrapped her legs around him. ‘I know a camera that won’t do any damage. It’s tiny. It’s called The Infinity …’
A large family of plants unknown awaited their attention; plants quite new, of strangest form, of mysterious habits, and beauty incomparable.
About Orchids: A Chat—Frederick Boyle, 1893
‘I can’t believe we’re staying here at the Raffles Hotel.’
Wade stroked Dianella’s silky hair. ‘It’s our honeymoon.’
Her eyes widened as she stared up at the high-ceilinged colonial style room, with its polished wood furniture. ‘You booked a huge suite.’
‘Only the best for you.’ She appeared tiny in the enormous king size bed with its pristine white sheets. ‘And for Borrie.’
He’d booked Dianella’s grandmother a suite too. He presumed she’d turned in for the night hours before, but Borrie was probably still drinking Singapore Slings in the Long Bar.
‘You didn’t have to give a party for my entire Singapore family in the Tiffin Room. All the aunties, and cousins too.’
‘Family first, Hamilton Dianella Mei-Hua.’
Dianella’s dark eyes welled. ‘Family first, Hamilton Wade Qiang.’ She pronounced it ch-ang.
‘I like my Chinese name,’ he said huskily.
‘Strength.’ She ran her fingers along his chin. ‘That’s what it means. It’s perfect for you.’
‘Not as perfect as your name, Mei-Hua. Beautiful plum blossom. You smell even more like a flower tonight. What have you added to your vanilla oil?’
‘Bush gardenia, for passion.’
‘An Australian wild flower in Singapore. It works for me.’ His body hardened again. ‘There’s something about the humidity here that makes me wild about your fragrance.’
‘It doesn’t seem to make any difference where we are on the planet.’
He grinned. No matter where they were, the scent of her still had the same allure for him. America. Australia. Asia.
‘I’m glad we’ve ended up spending so much time in Singapore,’ he said. ‘Space age technology and spectacular orchids. The best of both worlds, for both of us. When Dewei said I’d get a Chinese name if I came to Singapore enough, I vowed to do it.’
She chuckled. ‘Well, you’ve kept that promise.’
‘Dewei has some terrific business ideas. But I need to learn some more of your language. You put me to shame. Your whole family speaks fantastic English and I don’t speak a word of Chinese.’
‘Yes, you do.’ Dianella’s finger roamed down his chest. ‘You know my name.’
‘
Mei-Hua
. Beautiful flower. That’s what you are. But I want to learn more Chinese. I’m going to take lessons.’
Her hand trailed further. ‘You are?’
‘Yes. Once we have our home here in Singapore.’
‘Or in Albany,’ she reminded him.
‘Or in California,’ he added. ‘Or all three.’
‘If you want to be a real Singaporean you have to learn Tai Chi or Qi Dong,’ she teased. ‘To keep your chi flowing.’
‘I told you, my mojo is fine.’
‘I ought to check.’ She rolled on top of him. ‘We’ve got enough time.’
He groaned. ‘Time for what?’
‘In the morning we’re going to the National Orchid Gardens.’
He groaned as she slid down his body. ‘I know what that means. You’ll want to go at the best time, which means getting up at five am. We’ll need to stay awake all night.’
Dianella grinned. ‘I hope so.’
Fancy a real time or virtual trip to the rainbow coast of Australia? Or to sultry Singapore?
Wild flowers bloom along the southern west tip of Western Australia from August to December and are one of the best kept secrets of the region. Enjoy perfect orchid viewing conditions: mild and sunny weather warm enough to swim in with crystal clear beaches by day and cool enough to snuggle by a campfire in the bush by night. Don’t pick them! Go to
http://www.rainbowcoast.com.au/areas/rainbowcoast/wildflowers.htm
Adopt an orchid! (or look out for threatened plant species in your area):
http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/plants-and-animals/threatened-species-and-communities/73-adopt-an-orchid-project
Orchids, orchids, everywhere. In Singapore, check out ‘nature’s playground’, Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Include the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Go to
http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/home.html
Strolling through the National Orchid Garden at the Botanic Gardens in Singapore is an orchid lover’s paradise. The garden contains over 1000 species and 2000 hybrids and one of the largest tropical displays in the world.
https://www.sbg.org.sg/
Fallen for fragrant vanilla? Amazing vanilla scents and flavours can make your head spin. Most perfumeries have used it for their scents in pure or mixed forms, so find your own favourite. Access Vanilla Absolute as a fragrance from
http://www.edenbotanicals.com/vanilla-absolute.html
Visit the Vanilla Queen at
http://vanilla.com/
to find out more about it as a flavour, or purchase real versus artificial vanilla at your local market. If you haven’t yet tasted real vanilla, give yourself a treat and taste-test it today.
Create your own wild flower fantasy. Try some Australian Wild Flower essences, and experiment with your own perfumes. Visit Australian Bush Flower Essences at
http://ausflowers.com.au
or go to Spirit of Woman Essences at
http://spiritofwomanessences.com/
A variety of orchid essences are available. Or try the wild flower essences from your local region.
Holograms are here! See and hear the immortal Teresa Teng. Though she died in the 1980s, Teresa Teng remains one of the most beloved Chinese singers. See her ‘virtual comeback’ onstage via a 3D computer generated likeness singing a duet with male singer Jay Chou on
http://logs.wsj.com/scene/2013/09/09/deceased-taiwan-pop-star-makes-virtual-stage-comeback/
Compare her likeness with original footage from her famous rendition of the song Mei Hua on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE4NC_pCWiI&
Dream of staying at the Raffles Hotel, like Dianella? The Raffles has been called the most famous hotel in the world. The grand old lady of Singapore with its cosmopolitan style and colonial architecture is one of a kind. Rich in history and atmosphere, the hotel captures the romance of the Far East. Take a tour at
http://www.raffles.com/singapore
Yum seng
! You don’t have to be in the Long Bar to enjoy a Singapore Sling. Here’s how to mix it:
http://chinese.food.com/recipe/the-raffles-hotel-original-singapore-gin-sling-cocktail-283673
While you drink, check out the Singapore laser light show on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adforce1/7414032734/
All quotations are from
About Orchids: A Chat
by Frederick Boyle, published in 1893 (Chapman and Hall, London). This book is in the public domain.
Thanks for reading
WILD FLOWER
. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can visit my webpage
http://elizaredgold.com/
or like my Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/ElizaRedgoldAuthor
You can also follow me through my publisher’s page here
http://www.escapepublishing.com.au
Reviews can help readers find books, and I am grateful for all honest reviews. Thank you for taking the time to let others know what you’ve read, and what you thought.
You’ve just read a book in my
Romance your Senses
series. The other books in this series are
BLACK DIAMONDS
and
HIDE AND SEEK
.
This book was published by Escape Publishing. If you’d like to sample some more great books from my fellow Escape Artists, please turn the page.
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