by Jules Wake
Daniel seemed grimly efficient, crisply moving about the kitchen, concentrating on his tasks. Only when the soup was in a saucepan with the gas ring lit, the soup bowls ready and bread buttered did he stop. Carrying two spoons to the table, he looked at me and slid his eyes away quickly. They came back to rest on the top button of my coat.
‘Don’t you want to take that off?’ he asked.
I shrugged. Disappointment bitter in my throat. Fumbling sausage fingers failed me as I tried to undo it. Those paracetamol were working overtime and affecting all my nerve endings.
‘Come here,’ he said, a trace of exasperation in his voice.
I stood awkwardly looking down, watching as his fingers deftly undid the buttons. I felt like a five-year-old at school, I expected to see mittens on strings poking out of each sleeve. His hands came up to tug the lapels from my shoulders, they brushed my neck. Three thousand volts registered immediately but even as the brief flash died away, despair flooded in. His eyes had slid away from mine, his hands jumping away. Had I imagined the merest flicker of distaste in them? My shoulders slumped, a tiny rogue sob escaped.
‘Hey,’ said Daniel softly, his face creasing in concern. This immediately set me off. More sobs broke through, my eyes filling with tears that poured helplessly down my cheeks. God, men hate tears. He must have had enough tonight. Which made me sob harder. Bloody hell. I couldn’t look at him.
I felt him push my coat down my arms. Heard the buttons chink against the floor as he tossed it aside. Strong arms enfolded me, pulling me into a hard chest. The next thing I knew I was sitting, tucked onto his lap, close enough to see the soft stubble breaking through on his chin.
‘It’s OK, you’re safe,’ he murmured, his eyes looking directly into mine. They looked worried. Leaning closer still, his mouth began tracing up the trail of my tears, wisping past my damp eyelashes and coming to rest on my forehead. ‘It’s OK.’
Weeping uncontrollably now, I sputtered incoherent apologies. ‘I … I’m … sssorry.’ My gulping breaths interspersed the words.
His hold tightened, pulling me closer. We sat like that for a minute as my heaving sobs calmed. Apart from the hiss of the gas ring and the plops of soup bubbles, there was silence. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest against me. Then very gently his lips moved downwards, until they found mine.
Instant conflagration! The second they touched, something burst. Every pent up emotion – all the fears of the day – were poured into that kiss. Thank God for painkillers! Our mouths were urgent. His lips firmly moulded mine and I kissed him back wholeheartedly. There was no hesitancy or gentle teasing. This was tongues duelling; breath gasping harshly; his hand holding my head firmly. Spontaneous combustion was only seconds away.
The bitter acrid smell of burning soup butted in. As I pulled back slightly, Daniel tightened his hold and carried on kissing me. I twisted my head to mutter against his mouth.
‘Soup …. burning.’
‘Sod …’ He kissed me again, pulling my head back to slant his mouth back over mine. ‘The …’ Those delicious mind numbing lips honed in again before coming up to murmur, ‘soup.’
I was starting to melt. The kiss was penetrating erogenous zones I didn’t know I had. My body was beginning to do that pliable thing – bones going all supple and all the while a core of heat building.
Any doubts about my desirability and whether he still wanted me had gone up in smoke. Literally.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP – the ear piercing shriek of the smoke alarm censored the kiss. We drew back, chests heaving, little pants escaping, looking at each other.
‘And I was worried about damaging you any more,’ he said dryly, his lips brushing against my face as he spoke.
I gave a wan smile and touched his face. ‘Just what the doctor ordered – definitely the kiss of life.’ My shyness receded. ‘Better turn that soup off – we don’t want to make it a hat trick with the emergency services by needing a fire engine. I think we’ve used up our 999 call out ration for today.’
Tipping me to my feet and grasping one hand, he switched off the soup with a deft flick of the wrist, marched up to the alarm and pinged out the battery. Still clutching my hand, he led me through to the lounge. Flipping on a lamp, he pulled me down with him onto the sofa, pulling me close with an arm around my shoulder.
‘I’ve lost my appetite. Now where were we?’
‘Mouth to mouth resuscitation, I think,’ I said, eyeing his lips longingly before very slowly and deliberately sliding my gaze to meet his.
‘Do that any more and I’m not going to be responsible for my actions. I’m having a difficult job trying to keep my hands off you as it is.’
‘I don’t want you to. I’m all right,’ I said, my hand lifting to stroke his neck and slide up into his hair.
‘Sweetheart, you don’t look it.’ He softened the words, gently circling my bruised cheek. ‘After tonight, I might need a bloody pacemaker fitted. My heart damn near stopped when Emily and Barney phoned me. Then when I saw you with blood pouring down your face and tied up in that chair, I wanted to …’ He shook his head, hands tensing, the tendon’s standing proud. He didn’t need to finish. I had a pretty good idea. I’d seen his face at the time.
‘It was a hell of surprise when I heard Emily come in. Suddenly she was being as nice as pie – only an hour before she was trying to tell me you were gay.’
He looked startled. ‘What did you say to that?’
‘Sorry I didn’t get the chance to defend your honour. In the next breath she told me you’d never be interested in me.’
‘Well – at least you know the latter’s wrong even if you weren’t too sure about the former.’
I looked up at him, took a deep breath and said, ‘I did then. I’ve been … having doubts since we got here. I’ve caused you so much trouble in the last 24 hours. You seemed a bit … I thought …’
God was I being weak and needy? Was he just being nice now – because I’ve had a traumatic experience? One of my voices sarcastically shouted, ‘Yes, of course he’s just being nice – with a kiss like that.’
‘Olivia, have you any idea how much control I’ve been exerting? I hate to say this but you’re looking pretty banged up. After what you’ve been through today, you might not want me manhandling you – although …’ his Adam’s apple dipped as he swallowed, ‘I realise now, I got that bit wrong.’
Smiling gently, he traced my collarbone with one finger. ‘I really regret not insisting you moved in the other night. I should have done the cave man thing, slung you over my shoulder and brought you back here.’
‘I was trying to make life easier with Emily. Although I guess she knows now.’
‘Yeah, I kind of gave it away tonight,’ mused Daniel, a reminiscent smile on his face.
He brought both hands up to my face, smoothing my undamaged cheek with his thumb, looking intently at me. A little shiver unfurled down my spine in anticipation. ‘I should have told you first, but surely you know? You must have realised on Sunday. I don’t make a habit of asking women to move in with me. You are the only woman I’ve ever even considered wanting to have here. You do know that I’m absolutely one hundred per cent crazy about you?’
My heart flipped with happiness and my stomach dropped as if I’d jumped out of a plane.
‘In fact, I still owe you for that little performance the night at The Grayling.’
‘That?’ I gave him a mischievous smile, trying to breathe normally as my heart was still going skitter scatter. It felt as if at any moment it might burst out of my chest. ‘You deserved it.’
His eyes glinted playfully. ‘Er … run that by me again. How?’
‘I was mad at you, treating me like one of the lads.’
‘Sweetheart,’ he kissed me, ‘you are most definitely not,’ he punctuated his wo
rds with another pert kiss, ‘one of the lads.’ He ended with a final peck on my lower lip. ‘None of them have underwear like that. I tell you I was in a terrible state in the car that night. I’d been doing my best not to think about you since Ben’s bloody party because I thought you were in love with someone else and suddenly it hits me like a truck that I have the serious hots for you. I have a rampaging hard on and, you, cool as a cucumber, saunter off telling me to go downstairs to wait for the car.’
I grinned at him, a little shudder of cat-that-licked-the-cream running through me.
‘Sorry,’ I said not meaning it, which he knew damn well from the twitch of my lips.
‘Honestly, I am keeping you under lock and key. Don’t even think of going anywhere without me for at least a century. I don’t think my heart can take it.’
I placed my hand on his chest, I could feel the steady beat, beat, beat of his heart. ‘I think it’ll survive … with lots of love and attention.’
‘Promise.’
I nodded slowly, my eyes drinking in the tenderness in his. There was a pause, my own heart slowed, it was my turn.
‘Daniel, I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been tying myself in knots since that night in casualty. It was so bad that I nearly didn’t come this weekend …’ I tutted showing my irritation, ‘except I couldn’t stay away. It was supposed to be my one last …’ My words were swallowed with an enormous yawn.
‘You need to go to bed, you must be shattered.’
I looked ruefully at him, another yawn escaping. ‘Sorry.’ I sighed. ‘I’ve been running on adrenaline for ages. I’ve just hit empty.’
‘Come on,’ he said firmly, pulling me to my feet. ‘Bed time.’
A lightening tingle shot through me as his fingers slipped between mine. Switching out lights as we went, he led the way up the little staircase, both of us ducking our heads at the top narrow corner. Outside the bedroom door, he let go of my hand and opened it to let me through.
I’d taken a quick look at my injuries before I’d left the flat but with a stampede of policemen about, I wasn’t given time to dally. I nearly died when I saw myself in the bathroom mirror. My cheek had swelled to Quasimodo proportions; my mascara would have rivalled that of a seventeen-year-old Goth; and I had marginally less colour than a corpse. At my horrified squeak, Daniel came to stand behind me, his mouth tightening. I touched my cheek, wincing, it was starting to feel painful again as the tablets were wearing off.
‘You could have told me how awful I look,’ I said with a pout.
He quirked an eyebrow in response.
‘OK, maybe not, but I could have cleaned up.’
‘Now you know why I’ve been trying to summon up some restraint,’ he growled into my ear, his arm snaking round my waist. ‘Much as I’d like to ravish you, I’m worried about hurting you and don’t deny it you’ve winced through every brush stroke of your teeth, I saw you. It’s more pills, an ice pack and bed for you – nothing more … tonight.’
My hormones gratefully acknowledged that they were all talk this evening and slipped into standby mode. There was always tomorrow. The last thing I remember is Daniel lifting me into bed and sliding in next to me from the same side. He shuffled me into the middle of the bed and nestled me into him.
I made a tentative stroke of his chest, breathing in his smell, exhaling warm breath over his smooth skin. He caught my hand, and turned his head to mutter in my hair.
‘Olivia, you need to rest, I’ll still be here in the morning, but I can only take so much.’
I snuggled into his warm body, and I fell fast asleep to the beat of his heart pumping away, solid and safe.
An arm was idly tracing the length of my rib brushing along just under my breast. Even as I came to, my nerve endings were already leaping into action. They were at the starting post. The rest of me was trying to catch up. Sleepily I rolled over to face Daniel, who was lying there, head propped up on one hand, watching me indulgently.
‘Morning, sleepy head.’ He smiled, his hand stilling for a second. ‘I didn’t wake you, did I?’ The wickedness of his grin notched up.
‘No,’ my voice was husky as it found itself. I felt so much better. I tried an experimental smile and lifted a hand to touch my cheek, the swelling had definitely gone down and the pain was low grade, quite manageable which was just as well.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked, scooping his arm around me to pull me nearer. I squirmed savouring the delicious feeling of naked body, deliberately rubbing against him.
‘Better,’ I murmured. ‘Much better.’ One of his legs slipped over mine. A tiny gasp escaped me. The hair roughened skin had set light to a thousand little nerves racing up my thigh. His other arm slipped under my shoulder and he pulled me close. His bare chest was warm and solid, my breasts crushed against it, the smattering of hair tickling slightly. My heart bungeed its way down to my toes, lurching with instant desire.
His eyes were dancing with mischief. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Yes, I’m sor—’
He laid a finger on my lips to stop my apology. I gave it a gentle nip, just touching it with the tip of my tongue. His eyes widened for a second, the pupils darkening in surprise. Watching him mischievously, I gently sucked on the top of his finger.
‘Sure you’re OK?’ he whispered, as a warm hand slid up my stomach. Holding his gaze, I nodded, my heart thumping. He touched my cheek very gently, before moving in to plant a long slow kiss. My lips were positively tingling as I sighed into that kiss. My hips inched forward, I couldn’t help myself. I was past caring if I was a hussy. It was a sinuous move, nudging up against him, urging him on. Immediately the kiss deepened, my body melted into his, as one hand smoothed my breast teasing the nipple, which immediately jumped to attention. Forget butterflies, my stomach had taken off with all those fluttery feelings.
My skin felt hot where those warm hands were sliding back and forth. An involuntarily moan slipped out. Daniel lifted his head, looked down at me and gave me an arrogant smile. Well two could play at that game. My hand slipped down his back, sliding over his hard hip and down, stroking down the length of him with a feather-light touch. A delicious gasp escaped him and I grinned delightedly at him.
‘Minx,’ he growled, cupping a hand round my head and moving over me. Heat was sweeping downwards. Passion was building, a slow sure fire being stoked by every writhe and move. Our sighs punctuated the morning and little murmurs of acquiescence danced on the air as the momentum and urgency built.
All shyness, that early tentative exploration was gone now. The experimenting and teasing was over. Our breathing roughened as small moans of demand filled the air, a delicate negotiation of desire taking place as unspoken pleas for this and that danced back and forth.
Finally when I didn’t think I could bear it any longer, my hips nudging and meeting his, he looked into my eyes and I gave him a complicit age-old nod. We slid into that moment of intimacy; bodies locked together driving towards a climax.
It was a far cry from Earlsfield, the sunlight pouring through the sash windows, bird song outside and … a gorgeous man in my bed. I stretched, my stomach full of squirmy feelings of happiness. My hand absently brushing against Daniel’s thigh.
‘Oy, give a man a chance.’ He grinned, pulling me on top of him. I stared down into his laughing face, sheer joy lighting me from the inside out. I was glowing and it wasn’t just physical.
‘Now that you’ve had your wicked way with me, I need to phone work. I ought to put in an appearance at some stage today.’
‘It’s a good job your boss is so understanding,’ I teased.
He swatted me on the bottom. ‘He’s a fool but he’s madly in love with a very troublesome wench. You know the type.’
I pouted at him, before registering the first part of his sentence. I stilled and raised an ey
ebrow. ‘Is he?’
Daniel rubbed my nose with his, Eskimo style. ‘He most certainly is, although he’s not sure how the troublesome wench feels.’
I moved kissing his jaw line, working my way towards his ear. ‘The troublesome wench is madly in love with him too,’ I whispered happily.
Shifting so that we were facing each other, he looked at me, his hand stroking the ‘V’ between my cleavage and moving to trace under my breast. He smiled gently. ‘That’s good.’
As we lay there luxuriating in the warm, cosy duvet moment, I looked at Daniel. ‘If you had a choice, which super power would you pick, flight or invisibility?’
His eyes narrowed at me, giving the question the due consideration required. He tipped his head to one side, eyes screwed up in concentration and mouth moving as he ruminated.
‘Hmm,’ he said. I waited watching him closely. He knew this was serious stuff. ‘Is there a right answer here?’ he asked eventually, a worried crease appearing on his forehead. I nodded very slowly
‘Yup.’
‘Any clues?’ he asked.
‘Nope.’
‘Right.’ A heavy sigh followed. He screwed up his face, looking out of the window. ‘Flight … definitely flight … as long as I don’t have to wear the tights. I always thought those shiny legging things were a bit nineteen eighties disco, not really very superhero.’
Bingo, one hundred and eighty. I flashed him a kilowatt smile.
He looked smug, laying back into the pillows his hands behind his head. ‘So what do I get then? What’s the prize?’
I think he was quite satisfied with his reward.
Epilogue
I did get to have my lovely Thai dinner party in our wonderful new kitchen. It was a noisy, boozy affair. Which was just as well – no one noticed that the jasmine rice was overdone or that I only had mascara on one eye. Daniel said it was my own fault for doing my make-up in my underwear.
We’d planned to make a formal announcement at the end of dinner, the champagne would have been nicely chilled by then … but eagle-eyed Kate spotted the rock on my finger just as I was ladling out Nam Pla soup. Her squeal of surprise nearly pierced everyone’s eardrums. Yes, Kate was back from Australia. Bill had taken charge very thoroughly and brought her back with him. Trust her to spot the ring straight away, perhaps because she was still so conscious of her own.
