Pursuing Pandora

by Maggie Brown

  Though grimacing as she rubbed her wrist, she simply nodded. “I’m fine. All thanks to you. I—” The words trailed away as she broke into a smile. Winter turned to see a yellow cab pulling up at the entrance to the alley.

  “Let’s go,” Jessie said. They needed no urging, already walking quickly to the street.

  Winter looked over at Jessie before climbing in the backseat. “The others aren’t coming?”

  “Dana texted to say she wanted to keep an eye on Frankie, so Linda stayed with her.”

  “It’s nice to know someone is looking out for Frankie. She’s a great girl,” said Pandora. She followed Winter into the cab, then moved into the middle to make room for Jessie.

  The cabbie threw a glance over his shoulder. “Where to?”

  Winter pressed her palm against the top of Pandora’s hand. “I’m taking you home with me. Boris might turn up at your flat.” When Pandora looked like she was going to argue, she added beseechingly, “Humour me please. Otherwise I’ll worry all night.”

  There was a pause before the answer came. “I guess it would be wise.”

  “Good. We’ll drop Jessie off first,” Winter said, with a quick squeeze before she withdrew her hand. After she called out the address, the taxi moved off into the flow of traffic.

  Jessie turned to look from one to the other, her gaze assessing. “It might be better if you stayed with me, Pandora. I’ve an apartment not far from here…a lot quicker for you to go home in the morning? Don’t you agree, Winter?”

  Winter shifted in her seat, annoyed. For once in her life she defied Jessie. “No, I’d like her to come home with me.” Then realizing they were bickering, she cleared her throat in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Pandora, we must sound childish. It’s up to you of course.”

  “No hard feelings, Jessie, but I’ll go home with Winter tonight. An early dip in that delightful pool would be too good to miss.”

  Jessie stared at her, her eyes less calm, less assured. “You’ve been there?”

  “Yes, I have,” Pandora replied with an enigmatic smile.

  “When did—”

  The cab stopped with a jerk at the footpath. “Your stop,” the driver announced.

  “Oh…right. Goodnight,” Jessie said, giving Winter a quick glare before she climbed out the door.

  “Come over for lunch tomorrow,” Winter called out. “We’ve something to discuss with you.”

  Jessie poked her head back through the window. “What about?”

  “I’ll tell you when you get there,” said Winter with a soft laugh.

  Chapter Ten

  Though the tension from the drama had settled down, Pandora was unusually quiet. When she kept lightly rubbing her wrist, Winter wanted to stroke it, to soothe the bruised skin with her fingertips. But she stopped herself. It wasn’t her place to provide that kind of succour, that was for someone closer to do: a mother, a lover. Instead she asked with soft concern, “Is your arm painful?”

  Pandora turned to her with eyes hooded. “Not really. It stings a little, that’s all. Nothing that ice won’t fix. I was just thinking about the night. You could have been hurt. Those men were dangerous.”

  “Well, I wasn’t going to leave you in there with that drunken mob. Not when they were shutting the door.”

  “You were wonderful. Thank you very much for being my protector,” murmured Pandora, fussing with the gold cross that rested on the base of her neck.

  “Um…sure.” Winter’s cheeks went warm at the compliment. “But I’m not usually a woman of action, you know. More a boring desk jockey.”

  “You’re anything but boring, Winter.”

  “I have been for years. That’s why Christine did what she did.”

  “Christine?”

  Winter swallowed hard, shocked that she had blurted that out. “Oh…sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sure you wouldn’t be interested in my pathetic life.”

  Pandora chuckled. “You should know it’s human nature to be curious when you’re told you wouldn’t be interested. But I won’t pry…your personal life is your own affair.”

  “It should be,” said Winter wryly, “but mine was splattered all over social media.”

  “You must—”

  “How far down?” called out the cabbie as he turned into the street.

  “It’s the one on the left at the end,” Winter answered, heartily relieved for the interruption. That particular conversation was definitely closed. There was no way she would let Pandora see what a loser she was.

  Once out of the cab in front of her gate, Winter took a moment to gaze at her home. She loved the huge old house. The early twentieth century stately “Queenslander” had been built by her father’s grandfather when he’d arrived from England. A decorative two-storied gabled building with wrought iron railings on the verandahs, it was surrounded by tailored gardens, palms, and tropical fruit trees. Sitting on an acre block overlooking the Brisbane River and the city skyline, it had one of the best views in the city.

  Being the only Carlyle grandchild, Winter had inherited the estate from her grandmother. She had moved in to find a treasure chest filled with gems: antique furniture, Persian carpets, old Royal Doulton china sets, silver candlesticks, and ornate vases. In the cobwebbed attic, she even discovered a small safe containing a remarkably valuable collection of old coins. From their sale she renovated the house, though made sure the classic vintage style was retained.

  “Come on in,” she said to Pandora and together they walked down the flagstone pathway. She stepped inside to deactivate the alarm. Jinx immediately appeared meowing plaintively. She scooped him up into her arms with a murmured, “Did you miss me, sweetie,” then led the way to the living room. “Take a seat and I’ll get us a hot chocolate…or a brandy if you prefer…and some ice for the wrist. I’d better feed this cat as well. He gets demanding if he’s hungry.”

  “Hot chocolate sounds fine. I have a call to make so I’ll slip out onto the verandah while you’re getting the drinks.”

  Pandora was still outside on the phone when Winter offloaded the full mugs and a bag of frozen gel onto the coffee table, then regarded her through the window curiously. The call must be serious, for Pandora’s body language was tense. She jabbed her free hand in the air as if to punctuate points while she talked animatedly into the phone. After she punched the screen to end the call, she glanced up before Winter had time to look away. Their eyes met through the glass. Pandora’s grim, stony-faced expression relaxed back to cool and unperturbed as if she had pulled a switch.

  Winter eyed her thoughtfully as she stepped back into the living room. There was clearly more to the singer than met the eye. Strangely though, the mystery only added to her appeal. A logical person and a stickler for details, Winter always felt slightly uncomfortable with anyone, or anything, outside her organized world. It was rather odd therefore that she felt so completely at ease in Pandora’s company. But then again, she mused, Jessie was anything but predictable and they were the best of friends.

  Perhaps Jessie was right all along. The women she dated were the wrong fit: too pretentious, too demanding. Not that there had been many. Before she met Christine, she’d been too busy with her studies and then establishing her career to date much. Maybe now she should be going out with someone more spontaneous, more exciting. Someone to teach her about real passion. Unconsciously, she dropped her gaze to Pandora’s chest and lingered on the full breasts spilling over the low-cut bodice of the red gown. Her heart fluttered up a notch. Then realizing what she was doing, jerked her head back up to find Pandora watching her with eyes bright and cheeks flushed.

  Winter felt her own face heat too but tried to defuse the situation by handing over the frozen pack with a casual, “Put this on your wrist. After our drinks, we should get out of these clothes. You must be dying to take off that long gown,” she shifted her gaze to her feet, “and the heels. You did well to run in them.”

  “To be honest, my feet are killing m
e. They’re certainly not made for speed.”

  “No, I imagine your toes would be pinched and feeling ready to drop off.” Winter toyed with the handle of the cup, aware she probably was prying with the next question but asked it regardless, “Do you intend to continue singing at the Silver Fox?”

  “It will depend on Yuri, my boss. I’ll be asking for assurances that I won’t be put into that position again.”

  “Will he agree?”

  “He will. He won’t want to lose me.”

  All Winter could do was gape at her. “Why would you even consider going back? You’re a wonderful singer. Any club in the city would love to have you.”

  “It’s not as simple as that. I have a few months left on my contract.”

  The prospect of Pandora going back to the club was so thoroughly unpleasant that Winter snapped in frustration, “For God’s sake, Pandora, you’re not safe there. Boris won’t take any notice of his brother. I deal with arrogant people like him all the time—he’s got his eyes set on you and he won’t give up. I can help you with the contract. It wouldn’t have a hope of standing up in court if you’re being sexually harassed.”

  “Hey…I’ve got friends to protect me there so don’t worry.” Pandora downed the last of her drink and stood up abruptly. “Now, I really do need a shower. Where do you want me to sleep?”

  “You’re adept at changing the subject,” said Winter wryly. She rose, knowing it was pointless to argue further. “Come on. I’ll put you in the room next to mine. We’re not too different in size so my clothes should fit well enough. I’ll give you something to sleep in and to wear tomorrow.”

  She led the way upstairs to the guest bedroom, leaving Pandora to shower. She searched her cupboard. The sleepwear was easy enough—the silk boxers and tank top were roomy, but the outfit for the next day was more difficult. While they were much the same height, Pandora’s breasts were fuller, her hips a little wider. Eventually she found clothes that should fit—track pants and a gaudy tie-dye T-shirt a size too big that a cousin had given her for Christmas. She picked up a pair of backless sandals and slipped inside the guest room. Hearing the shower running, she put the clothes on the bed and disappeared back to her own room.

  Twenty minutes later, showered, she tapped on the door.

  “Come in,” echoed from within.

  The sight of Pandora ready for bed sent her pulse hammering and mouth dry. She hadn’t realized the sleepwear was so flimsy, so revealing. The woman really was stunning, not that gaunt look of the Parisian magazine models, but curvy, and with the vitality of a sports star. She couldn’t help sweeping her eyes over her.

  What was it like for beautiful people, she wondered? Did they always feel they had to prove there was more to them than looks? And it must be especially hard for an entertainer. In Winter’s profession, getting older usually meant going up the corporate ladder through experience and seniority. But in show biz, where your job continued to depend on your looks, it must be so depressing to watch your beauty slowly fade away with age.

  But all the same, Pandora would be a woman who aged gracefully. She had that sort of timeless gypsy beauty.

  With a guilty start, she realized she had lingered far too long. After an embarrassed cough, she stuttered, “I’ll leave the nightlight on in the hallway in case you want something from the kitchen. We don’t have to get up early. Feel free to have a morning dip in the pool if you like. There’s a couple of spare bikinis in the pool shower room.”

  “That sounds like a plan, though since the pool is secluded, I won’t bother with the bikini.”

  Winter nearly groaned. Why the hell did she have to tell her that? She’d now be dreaming all night of her gloriously nude in the water. “Well, goodnight then.”

  “Wait, Winter,” Pandora said, coming closer quickly until they were nearly touching. “I just want to say again how much I appreciate the way you came to my defence. I think you’re amazing. Would you mind if I gave you a hug?”

  Winter barely registered the question as she felt the warm breath brush across her cheek. All she could do was nod. Then her senses went haywire as the strong arms wound around her and pulled her close. With a deep sigh, she sank into the embrace and by its own volition, her body began to strain for a deeper connection. A barrage of emotions flooded through her at the feel of the pebbled nipples pressed into her skin through the thin material. The unexpected intensity of her physical response made her head reel, her body ache with want.

  She tilted her head, her lips pursed. Pandora slid her mouth over hers in a gentle kiss, softly at first as if to communicate her thanks rather than desire. But she didn’t pull away as expected. Instead her mouth gradually became more demanding, her tongue and teeth teasing until the contact exploded into something much deeper, much more sensual. Winter moaned, helpless against the hormonal rush that spread into every crevice of her body. She had never experienced a kiss like it. There was no awkwardness, just a sense of how perfectly their lips fitted together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

  When she opened her mouth to the probing tongue, another moan sounded, this time from Pandora. Urgently, Winter grasped the back of her neck, pulling her in even closer.

  “Oh God,” she gasped out when Pandora began to slide her moist mouth down the length of her neck and run her fingers up the curve of her breast.

  The words broke the spell.

  Pandora stiffened, lifted her head away and dropped her hands. Winter wanted to protest, wanted to scream to keep going but sanity began to sink in. She managed a raw “Wow,” then dazed, retreated until there was a respectable space between them. It felt like a yawning chasm.

  Panting, Pandora sat down hard onto the edge of the bed and gazed up at Winter with guilt alive in her eyes. “Are you all right?”

  “I guess. I have to catch my breath.”

  “I didn’t mean this to happen.”

  “Nor did I.”

  Pandora raised her hands in a supplicant gesture. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Please don’t apologise,” Winter said, her body still tingling with need. “That only makes me feel you regret what happened.”

  “I…well…I…”

  “Don’t, Pandora…I get the message. Just forget it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  And Winter fled from the room.

  Chapter Eleven

  Pandora tossed restlessly on the mattress, replaying what had happened over and over in her head. It was unbelievable how quickly things had lurched out of control. She knew she was skirting danger when she had hugged Winter, especially when they were both clad in skimpy clothes. But she had just wanted to feel what it was like to have her in her arms. What started off innocently enough, had blossomed into one of the most passionate kisses of her life. And Winter’s response had been like the flare of a bonfire. Her ex, Christine, must have been an idiot if she thought she was boring. It had taken all Pandora’s willpower to stop.

  If it had been anyone else, she would have taken them straight to bed without another thought. God knows she ached to do it. But she knew that with Winter it wouldn’t be just a night of sex, nor was she the type of woman to be treated casually. As well as deserving better, she had an understanding that Winter would never go to bed with someone lightly. And judging from the depth of her own reaction, Pandora knew she would be left wanting more and it wasn’t a commitment she could make at the moment. But even so, she felt a flutter of concern. This wasn’t going to be easy to ignore—it had really hurt to walk away.

  Somewhere in the night Pandora must have nodded off, because the phone alarm was the next thing she heard. She rolled over groggily to look at the screen: 6.00 am. She felt washed out and it took a concerted effort to switch her brain to alert mode. Reluctantly, she climbed out of the warm bed—a dip in the pool would be the best way to shake out the cobwebs. After a visit to the bathroom, she headed downstairs with a towel to the pool.

  Even though dawn had been half an hour ago, the chil
ly night air still lingered. In the early morning light, the sky was cloudless, the colour of faded blue denim. Not giving herself time to think, she shrugged off her clothes and braced herself before she leapt in. The shock of the cold water literally took her breath away. She sucked in quick gulps of air until her hammering heartbeat settled back to normal. Then with quick strokes she powered down the pool, relishing the adrenaline flowing through her body. Her skin tingled with the exhilaration that came with the freedom of weightlessness. The tension slowly ebbed away as she swam a few laps until with a sigh, she stopped to tread water lazily.

  Calm now, she thought back over the events of the previous night and focused on her more immediate problem. Boris had become much bolder in his attentions, more volatile. If it hadn’t been for Winter’s intervention, she would’ve been in trouble. It was doubtful Yuri had any influence in controlling his brother, especially since Boris had now aligned himself with a Melbourne Russian crime syndicate. They were an especially nasty crowd. Thankfully, they never stayed more than one night and Boris only appeared at the club without them on special family occasions. If they followed their usual routine, she would have at least two months’ grace before they’d turn up again. She’d have to have something in place.

  There was no way she’d escape so lightly next time.

  Pushing that problem aside for later, she went back to swimming until she couldn’t ignore the persistent rumbling of her stomach. She heaved herself over the side of the pool then began a series of Shiatsu exercises, a ten-minute routine she did every day. When she stretched her neck, a flash of something on the upstairs balcony caught her eye. She gazed up to see Winter leaning on the railing, staring down at her. Pandora froze. Shit, she hadn’t expected Winter to be up yet. Figuring it was useless covering up now, she gave her a friendly wave before she reached for the towel.