Authors: June Mayes
Chapter 5
Beth woke vaguely aware that the night began to chill. There was a rustling and the bed shifted as David pulled up the covers. She strained to listen and heard the breathing next to her deepen again as he slipped back into a deep sleep. Her body felt heavy and she didn’t want to open her eyes– it was far too comfortable. Turning over she went back to sleep feeling safe in her warm cocoon.
Hours later she stirred again. Her body started to wake up with the false dawn peeking through the open curtains. She had slept more then enough and felt, for the first time in weeks, wide awake. Her robe had fallen away in the night and she relished the feel of the expensive sheets next to her skin. It was sheer heaven as she stretched all the kinks from her body.
Opening her eyes slowly she could make out the shadow of the man next to her. He was on his side and his face relaxed. All she could see were his broad shoulders outlined in the shadows. Beth strained her eyes to get a better look at him. He really was attractive, she thought. She could feel the warmth spreading through her body as she studied the chest laid bare by the covers down at his waist. It had definitely been too long. Thank goodness he was still asleep or who knew what she would do. She closed her eyes again and let out a slightly frustrated sigh.
He sighed back.
Beth’s eyes flew open and met his gaze. Looking back at her was a very virile and very much awake man. Gone was the soft helpless jet-lagged look. David smiled slowly and she felt her body tighten as he watched her. It was a predatorily smile and one Beth felt a thrill being on the receiving end. Her lips curled up in a responding smile.
“Hello,” he whispered quietly, making her nerves jump at the sound of his husky voice.
“Hi,” she responded. She smiled shyly back again, her mind whispering ‘oh yum’.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he laughed and then grew serious as he watched her.
David shifted closer until they were a mere inch apart. She closed her eyes and his mouth slid down to touch hers. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to do. His lips felt soft and firm as he pressed against her, making her ache all over. He groaned and Beth responded in kind. Their mouths moved against one another. Beth felt as though a flame was igniting in her soul. She wanted to be closer to him. She wanted to be in his arms and felt an instant satisfaction as their bodies touched.
It was if she had come home. Her body melted against his hard solid flesh. His bare legs brushed against hers. Beth opened her eyes, her breath catching in her throat. He must have taken his trousers off when he climbed into bed. The strength of him under her hands made a shiver flow down her spine. She slid her hands further up the firm plains of his chest, around the bandage on one shoulder, through the light sprinkling of hair and found his nipples under her tentative fingers.
David groaned louder and pulled her closer. He caught her eye. There was something thrilling about having an intimate shared gaze. She felt safe with him and incredibly turned on. Her body itched for more. Beth wondered if a one night stand was really a good idea given her current run of luck but she pushed the thought away.
His hands pulled tight around her waist bringing them into tighter contact and pulling another deep felt moan from Beth. Oh yes, this was a good idea she thought. And since she may end up in debtors’ prison next week, why not enjoy the ride. She pushed a hand into his hair to pull his mouth more tightly against hers.
Beth broke the kiss as her head dropped back. Between her legs, she could feel the hard strength of him – his whole body felt as though it was throbbing against her. She slid her hands down his lower back and under the cotton boxers. David panted, his hips responded to her pull and thrust against her.
“Yes,” he breathed into her mouth. “Please,” he murmured moving gently against her. Beth felt a thrill travel up her spine. She was giving him this pleasure. He was turned on for her, by her. She pulled back slightly and met his gaze.
“I wouldn’t normally do this but ...” she whispered to him. He closed his eyes as he pushed against her again, dropping his forehead against hers. She gasped and pulled him tightly to her. She wrapped her legs around his body so that he was cocooned between her thighs. David opened his eyes and moved his lips closer to hers. A gentle hand cupped her face and slid through her loose hair.
“…but why not?” he asked smiling down at her.
Beth laughed. She reached up and brushed the hair from his forehead. He slid his hand up her body, cupping her breast and flicked his thumb over her nipple. Beth lost her breath. This man knew just how to push all the right buttons.
Just as she started to relearn to breath, David lowered his head and caught the nipple of her other breast in his mouth. Swirling his tongue, he chased the breath out of her again. His hand drifted down her body and slipped between her thighs. Leaning back to watch her face, he began to apply light pressure.
Beth felt as though the mattress had dropped out from under her. She lost the ability to focus. Every nerve was alive and all seemed to be centred on him. David pressed his body against hers in time with the movement of his hand. Her back arched as the climax overtook her. Small flares of pleasure ran up her spine. This as pure bliss.
As she lay back relaxed, David’s face came back into focus. His blue eyes watching her intently and his lips parted. He moved his fingers and she gasped, grabbing hold of his arms. David smiled. Leaning down, he kissed her sweetly. Beth moved a hand up to his neck as their kiss deepened. She slid her other hand down his boxers and he moved to help push them off.
Her body, sated only moments ago, began to buzz with building sexual tension. She loved the feeling of him naked and hard against her. He shifted between her thighs and they gasped in unison. Beth groaned.
“Condom,” he muttered suddenly and pulled away. Beth lay still as she heard him rifling around. Her body was humming softly and she felt a craving fill her. She wanted David’s heavy solid muscular body against her NOW. As if granting her wish, he kneeled on the side of the bed and slid over her again.
They paused, caught in the moment, eye to eye. He grasped her hips and moved between her thighs as their lips met. David pushed against her. She gasped, clutching at his body, pulling him closer and harder to her. Their eyes met and David slid that hard solid body into her with a strong thrust.
Beth nearly came apart. The feel of him inside her was bliss. She ran her hands up his sides, relishing his sheer power against her. They moaned and rocked, finding a pace that brought them both to their peaks. The climax was earth shattering. They lay locked in each other’s embrace sweaty and warm and content.
Minutes later, David leaned up on his elbows, making Beth moan as he shifted off her body. They turned and faced each other on the bed saying nothing. The dark around them was soothing and Beth closed her eyes. She snuggled into the warm flesh of David’s body. He gave a chuckle and wrapped his arms tighter around her. Together they drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6
“Ouch,” Beth whispered quietly as she slowly woke up. Her head was pounding, her eyes were dry. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she had a hangover. She shifted. It felt like a heavy weight was pushing her whole body into the mattress. Actually there was a weight lying on her. Beth glanced down at the thickly muscled arm that lay relaxed against her body. She was on her side and curved against her back was the solid strength of a very warm body. She groaned and closed her eyes again. WHAT had she been thinking?
Memories flooded back of the night before and the lethargy filling her body began to make sense. Her traitorous nerves were in relaxed heaven, Beth thought. It had definitely been too long since she had sex. Come to think of it, it has been never since she had such incredible sex but now was not the time to dwell.
She slid out of bed taking care not to wake David. He was sleeping soundly next to her. His breath was even and deep while hers was coming out in short gasps of panic as she retreated to the bathroom to take stock. How was she going to get out of this one, she wondered quietly shutting the door.
Beth stood in the bathroom staring at her reflection. Her face was flushed, her breasts looked rounder, her dark hair was falling in soft waves down her back, her skin had a glistening sheen and her eyes were stormy dark blue and wide. Definitely a post coitus glow. Make-up manufacturers everywhere would give their eye teeth to bottle and sell the hormone responsible. She looked positively radiant. Enough! Beth told herself sternly trying to pull herself together enough to think.
“I think its time to get myself out of this mess. The quieter the better,” she muttered.
Pointing to herself in the mirror she said sternly, “and no more drinks for you. Ever!” Even though she hadn’t had too much to drink the night before it was a good excuse. At least it was a better excuse then pure desperation.
Heading quietly back into the darkened bedroom, she skirted around the bed. The suitcase David had opened frantically the night before lay open full of cloths. Digging around the top layer, she found a pair of jeans and a green v-necked sweater. Perfect. She pulled them on, holding her breath that her movements wouldn’t wake the sleeping man in the bed. Beth found a belt on his discard trousers to hold up the jeans and knotted her hair on top of her head. Probably not a good look she decided but an escape attempt from a hugely embarrassing situation called for desperate measures.
As Beth tiptoed out to the entry hall, she saw paper and a pen branded with the hotel’s name in elegant script. Pausing, she glanced back toward the bedroom archway. She really should say something. Sneaking out without even a word smacked too much like running away. Even if running away was exactly what she was doing. Thinking, she leaned down and quickly wrote a short note. As an after thought she wrote her number after her name. If David needed to find out what had actually happened the night before, he could call her, she decided.
Glancing toward the bed, she could see that he was sleeping soundly. So far so good. She reached his bedside and placed the note next to an open bottle of painkillers.
Beth left the room quietly, carrying her shoes in one hand and handbag in the other. Headed barefoot to the taxi rank was a cowardly way to exit but it did work.
Chapter 7
As Beth arrived home she stood on the front step to take a few deep calming breaths before going inside. She looked down the street and back, feeling the chill of the cold early morning air. Beth loved this neighbourhood, this house. The Victorian terrace had that warm familiar feeling of home and Beth could feel herself relaxing. She walked up the five broad stone stairs feeling much calmer and let herself in the house. Hearing voices raised in the kitchen, she tossed her keys on the sideboard and headed toward the back of the house. This was going to take some explaining.
She and Vickie had inherited this house from their parents twelve years before. Their parents had loved each brick of the place and had run it as a Bed and Breakfast while they had been alive. Now the twins shared the house with Vickie’s husband, Scott. It was a comfortable existence. The front living room was formal with its elegant furniture and heavy cream drapes. Opposite the living room was the family room which was perfect for watching TV and just lazing around. Both rooms were to the front of the house and their huge bay windows let in light and stretched from knee high to the ceiling. Next to the family room running further into the house was the study where Vickie and Beth ran their business. The rest of the ground floor was taken up by the kitchen and hallway. With its wooden floors and old world charm the house was perfect for them.
Beth adored all the memories she had of the place but the house was especially perfect because it had plenty of room for her to share it with Vickie and her husband. They each had plenty of privacy with the top floors of the house had been converted into spacious private flats. They had the room to live as a family without living in each others personal space. Nowhere else in London would you be able to get this sort of living and at no cost. The sisters counted their lucky stars every time they came home.
As she got closer to the kitchen, Beth could hear a deep baritone say gently, “I don’t think we need to call out search parties – the hotel probably put her up for the night.” Bless Scott, she thought, he was trying to calm her highly excitable sister before Vickie called out every friend and family member. Beth smiled, relieved she had arrived just in time; she’d never have been able to live it down if Vickie had been let loose.
“I called the hotel! She wasn’t registered there and she never turned up at Karin’s. I’m telling you something happened. We have to find her!” Vicky’s normally placid voice sounded frantic. She had obviously gone up to Beth’s flat to find her sister only to realise she hadn’t made it home. Beth walked down the hall into the kitchen trying to keep her cool. There was a chance, a slim chance but a real chance, that she could get away without complete embarrassment.
“I’m here,” she said moving into the room and put her bag down on the granite kitchen top. Scott and Vicky swung round in mid discussion and stood staring open mouthed at her. Their expressions went from relief to surprised shock.
Both were in their robes looking as if they had just got out of bed. Scott’s blond hair was ruffled and he looked as dishevelled as a banker could look. Vickie looked mussed and rumpled in her fluffy white robe topped off, or rather bottomed off, with her bunny slippers. Beth just wanted to hug them. They looked warm and comfortable and like family. As far as their expressions were concerned, well she was reasonably dressed, sort of. No reason not to be able to pull this off.
She took a deep breath and looked guilelessly at Scott and Vickie’s startled expressions. She asked, “What?” looking down. Loose baggy sweater – check, rolled up baggy jeans – check and satin pumps with ankle straps fastened by Chinese knot – check. She was looking as reasonable as any woman could given the circumstances. She had after all slept with a complete stranger and generally lost what few senses she had in the course of a few short hours. Beth reminded herself that she was going to keep that explanation to herself. Be firm!
Vicky quickly waddled over and hugged Beth tight to her overlarge belly. She looked flushed and healthy and relieved to see her sister.
“I’m so glad you’re safe. I was worried,” she said brushing a loose curl back behind Beth’s ear. Beth could feel her hair start to pull away from the knot she had tied it into. The loose curls were making a desperate run for freedom while she had no access to gel or hairspray of any kind. It would not last she vowed to herself glaring cross-eyed at the curl hanging between her eyes.
“And tell us all,” continued Vickie’s husband, Scott leaning against the kitchen counter sipping his coffee, a smile on his face. He had quietly assessed Beth’s attire while Vickie hugged her.
Beth blushed. She brushed a hand through her hair to pull it away from her face. Okay lying might not work. Obviously the post sexual flush had not turned into the unwashed greasy look she had hoped for when she arrived home. She met Scott’s eyes as Vickie stepped back to assess the situation.
“Um… what’s there to tell?” Beth asked nonchalantly shrugging a shoulder. Vicky and Scott looked at each other and then back at Beth. Both of them just laughed.
“Well,” Vickie stated, leaning back against the kitchen counter and picking up her coffee mug. She looked a great deal less agitated then she had when Beth first arrived home. “For starters you aren’t wearing your own clothes.”
“Hey I could have borrowed them from a friend or the hotel for that matter!” Beth replied sounding hurt.
“But you didn’t,” Vickie countered with a smug smile. Beth opened her mouth to reply to her irritating sister when Scott chimed in.
“I think we want to hear more about just where you picked up that glow of a well satisfied woman,” Scott smirked which ruined Beth’s bid for a fair trial by family in one swift move. Why was it when she did something out of the ordinary she always got caught? There was no way of hiding the fact that she had a one night stand. Beth wondered if there was a hole in the floor that she could disappear into. It would be so much easier then trying to explain.
“Would you believe shoe shopping?” Beth asked, desperately grasping at any excuse to get her off the hook.
“She does look like a cat that got the cream doesn’t she?” Vicky said to her husband, both ignoring Beth’s comments. The two of them leaned against the counter together and watched what was supposed to be the sensible sister blush a dark red.
“Umm,” Beth was at a loss. She shrugged, “How about we just say that I lost my head and leave it at that?” There was still a faint hope in the back of her mind that they wouldn’t make her relive every moment. A very faint hope Beth amended as she watched her family shake their heads at her.
“No,” Vickie cheerfully replied reinforcing their silent refusal. Scott smiled over his coffee cup giving no indication that either of them was going to let this one go. It was too good and too rare a chance to let slide. Beth tried to think of something feasible that she could use to explain the situation. Unfortunately her brain seemed to be ready to go back to bed and was not cooperating. She sighed and looked around the kitchen to try to delay the inevitable.
Sunlight streamed in through the patio doors that ran the length of the kitchen’s left side. At the end of the long room was the stove which was covered with used frying pans and pots. Dishes lay piled on the counter by the sink. Someone had been cooking. The kitchen was dominated by a wood table that was set for breakfast and sure enough there were steaming pancakes piled high along with fruit, toast, jams and preserves.
Beth loved Vickie being pregnant. It meant that every meal was a culinary delight. She looked at the table and back at her sister. If she spilled the beans then there was a chance of having a proper breakfast versus having to scrounge something herself. Difficult decision.
“Okay, okay,” she said finally giving in to the inevitable. The three sat down at the kitchen table and over a cup of tea Beth told them how she had literally fallen in the arms of a complete stranger. She didn’t give full disclosure because a lady never tells but she told them enough to get the gist of things. Vickie and Scott could barely eat breakfast they were laughing so much. It sounded like the not so subtle script to a day time soap opera. Beth could see it was amusing. There was just no way of explaining it without it being funny. At the time it had been mortifying but now in the light of day far away from the hotel it was very funny. She had thrown herself naked at an unknown man. This was going to become a story she wasn’t going to be able to ever live down, Beth thought looking at the two sitting across the table.
Beth was close to Vickie, closer then she would be to a best friend. Twins were like that. Scott, well, Scott was an extension of Vickie. He was so in love with his wife that he was a best friend to Beth as well. Telling them what happened was a bit like writing in a diary or sending a dear Abby letter. They also let her gloss over the period between of going to bed and leaving this morning. She didn’t have to say anything. Vickie and Scott just shared knowing glances and laughed at what parts she did mention. They were far too interested in finding out more about the man that has literally swept her off her feet.
Just as the three of them finished eating the doorbell rang. It had to be a friend they figured. No one else in town would dare ring on someone’s door before nine am on a Saturday morning. Even the various bible pushers were careful to wait until the potential marks were awake. Walking towards the door Beth looked in the hall mirror and giggled. Even for someone with an off beat fashion sense, she looked shockingly. Nothing in the outfit seemed to work with anything else. Beth decided she looked like a college student gone wrong, not the 30 something year old business woman she professed to be.
Still laughing Beth opened the front door. There on their doorstep were two police detectives, their IDs catching the light as they held them up. Neither one looked very happy. In fact, they looked disgruntled, pissed off and generally not impressed.