by Sorell Oates
‘Contrary to what you might think, though we’d never admit it, there are times when we Brits are jealous of the ease with which you do confront and tackle issues head-on. As Imogen said, I can’t assume that because we speak the same native tongue that we aren’t actually foreigners. We are going to have to learn, accustom and manage those areas on which we collide. It will take time. They’ll only come out over the course of our relationship.’
‘Wise words Mr. Woodruff.’
‘And what wisdom did Robert impart to you?’
‘He was slick. Straight in as the concerned, protective stranger. Dissing Imogen and Rupert, causing a divide saying they didn’t care to bother checking up on me.’
‘Imogen was first out of the chair.’
Her brown eyes acknowledged she’d heard and believed Oscar.
‘Started describing your behavior as disgraceful and abusive.’
‘I’m not particularly proud of the way I conducted myself.’
‘Then says you aren’t prepared to work on our relationship. You’ll break my heart because you intend to leave the country without me. I’m your favorite waste of time for your New York sojourn. He’s given me his number if I need to confide or talk to someone. Finishes by telling me his home address is on the card and if I ever want to stop dating Daddy-O and have a real man, I’m to drop by his place.’
Katy handed him the card. Oscar scoffed. The contact details were all present and correct, but the card made no allusion to his line of business.
‘Do you think he hands these out to everybody?’ asked Katy as Oscar passed back the card.
‘Probably. I can’t fault his taste in women. Strangely I even respect he has the balls to make a play for you while I’m here, but I’m not impressed with how he’s behaved towards you.’
‘What a sleaze.’
The three words accompanied Katy’s snap of the wrist as she flicked the card overboard and watched the sea suck the credit-card sized white piece of cardboard below.
Chapter Sixteen
The rising sun and beautiful pink and orange pending sunrise, woke Oscar from his sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he was shocked to find himself lying on the beachfront outside the cabin. Becoming alert to the situation, his movements were sharper and distinct. His shifting woke Katy, who was equally surprised at the location they’d chosen to sleep in.
Finding a bottle with her hand, Katy’s eyes stayed shut tight till accustomed to the sun. Smelling the open bottle, she gagged at the stench. Blindly passing it to Oscar, she awaited his analysis.
‘At what point in last night’s proceedings did you and I think it was an advantageous idea to take a final bottle of red wine home to share?’ he asked incredulously.
‘I don’t know but that red, red wine doesn’t make me feel so fine.’
‘That red, red wine went straight to our heads as I recall,’ he agreed. ‘What possessed us to sleep out here? Why go to the effort?’
Oscar’s question was rhetorical. Roused, Katy was able to take in their surroundings.
‘I’m not sure we made it into to the house. The doors are closed and locked. This is the blanket we had brunch on yesterday.’
‘That feels an age ago,’ reminisced Oscar.
‘I’m sure the red wine, warm blanket and twinkling stars were ever so romantic. I guess we must’ve lost the inclination to take ourselves into the house.’
‘Lost the inclination or passed out drunk?’
‘Sadly the latter,’ guessed Katy. ‘I bet we talked for ages, resolved the problems of the world, allayed every insecurity and mapped out a future before we fell asleep.’
‘Can you remember us talking?’
‘No, but I know what we’re like. I feel happy waking up next to you. I’m not getting any unfriendly or ‘be prepared to be dumped by text later’ vibes, so I assume you feel the same. In which case, everything between us is fine. We should carry on forward, side by side, step by step, holding hands.’
‘You are a sentimentalist at heart aren’t you? The bravado is an act for that tender heart of yours.’
‘Oscar, I’m too hungover to be cross with you. Don’t goad me.’
‘Admit you’re a sentimentalist and I’ll stop.’
‘Fine I may be, very rarely, slightly sentimental,’ she ceded.
‘You know what you always are?’
‘What?’
‘A sexual temptress.’
Oscar climbed on top of her, pinning her to the grass.
‘Sadly, I’m far too weak a man to resist temptation,’ he surrendered.
He kissed her. Tired, hungover, weary from the antics of last night, Katy was surprised to find herself responding hungrily. Kissing on beach at dawn was a luscious start to the week. Oscar wanted far more from her. Despite Katy’s unwavering confidence in their relationship, Oscar knew his pigheadedness and difficulty accepting someone publicly challenging him had put their relationship at risk. He shivered in fear at having recklessly putting it on the line for the sake of pride.
Urged to consummate and celebrate the love he had for this divine creature, he reached to tug her dress up.
‘Oscar, no!’ barked Katy as if disciplining a mutt.
Rolling off her, he stopped in a flash.
‘Not in this dress. It costs a fortune. I’ve only worn I once. However much I love you, I cannot have you tearing it.’
‘Fine,’ he grumbled. ‘Tell me how to get it off then?’
‘Let’s go inside.’
‘No. Let’s stay here,’ he pleaded, drawing her to his chest, wrapping his legs round hers.
Faces together, the unspoken dare to continue was laid down. Tracing his hand along her back, from the stiffening of her spine Oscar located where the zip was. Finely hidden in the seam of the dress, his fingers were adept. Pleasingly, Katy reacted unconsciously when she heard the zip lowering.
Burying his head in her neck, he sucked hard to produce a teenage love-bite.
‘Oscar seriously, the only way to access me is by being completely out of the dress.’
‘Let’s get to work then.’
Sitting cross legged next to her, on her back Katy knew she was unable to escape or prevent the inevitable strip. He tugged the sleeves over her shoulders, easing the dress down effortlessly until it reached her hips. Cursing, he respectfully appreciated no matter how strong the desire to make love was, he couldn’t indulge himself to tear the dress from her as he’d like to have done.
Smugly Katy knew Oscar would have his work cut out removing the dress from under her buttocks to slide it off her legs, unless she assisted.
‘Please?’
His voice was meek. Raising her hips so he could slide the dress off, Katy couldn’t deny what she needed as much as Oscar. Indecently exposed, aware of the potential embarrassment and criminal repercussions, second thoughts pervaded Katy’s mind.
‘I thought you were a reserved British billionaire?’
‘I’m learning to try new things. Become more open with my emotional expression.’
‘You said you were a gentleman, what about my modesty?’
‘Oh, shut up and kiss me, Katy. No more excuses.’
Oscar pulled the blanket over the two of them, Katy thought it was indeed an opportunity to expand her sexual repertoire. The sound and smell of the sea, the twittering of the birds, the sensation of sand and grass under the thick blanket and the unrelenting attentions of Oscar forced her to succumb. Losing herself to his lips and ravenous mouth, she noted Oscar had conveniently chosen to remain fully dressed. It may have saved his blushes, but she craved connecting with his flesh.
Shirt already outside his trousers, Katy made a start firmly drawing her hands up his muscular back. The smooth, taut skin felt as splendid on the way down as it did coming up. Totally at Oscar’s mercy, she was curious and gleeful as he kissed a trail from her lips, to the base of her neck, through her capacious cleavage, over her toned stomach. Squirming in accordance with the southerl
y direction of his kisses, Katy was obliged to spread her legs to allow him to continue on the same route. Pausing at her trimmed mound, she could hear him inhaling her scent and felt his breath on her pubic triangle.
Welcoming the attention, she mewled as his tongue brushed over her nub. Teasing the bud he flicked, licked, sucked and nibbled. Exerting pressure and rotating his head slightly he performed delicate, intricate maneuvers on her. The rising of her buttocks and widening of her legs signaled her climax. Postponing it slightly, he let his tongue dance round her slippery plump lips. Tormenting her entrance, lapping at her juices she moaned when he forced the tip of his tongue inside. He returned straight away to her sensitive bud, holding it firmly between his teeth as she thrashed sensually in reaction to his oral devotion.
Rock hard, he used Katy’s orgasm recovery, to unzip and release his erection. Gliding it directly into her slit, the tightening of her muscles accepting his shaft compelled him to groan. Taking advantage of missionary position, he individually took each breast in his mouth to bite her nipples till they were hard. Satisfactorily turned on, Katy grooved in motion with his delving hard-on as an active participant.
Recovered, she bashfully made eye contact with Oscar. As his hips dipped and gyrated, he let himself connect with the spirit inside her. The intensity of the slow, tantric shafting had them giddy. Katy laced her legs round his waist for maximum penetration. That she was needy for the entire erection to be in her, mustered a burst of new energy in Oscar. Rushing, his hips jerked in hasty penetration. Unable to contend with his ramming, Katy’s legs bracketed tighter as a vice on his waist to keep up. Shaking, jolted, smothered by Oscar’s body, stretched by his cock, Katy’s hands went under his shirt. Dragging her long nails across his back till they made him cry out in pain, Oscar climaxed.
Exhausted he collapsed on her.
‘You’re squashing me. Get off. You need to get me home today.’
‘That’s not your real concern. The sun is up and the dog walkers will soon be out,’ grinned Oscar.
Shoving him, she made haste for the house in case his prediction proved correct.
Chapter Seventeen
‘You sure this is a good idea? It’s not normally the done thing. Usually we’d ring and notify each other if we were planning a visit.’
‘When you’re from a small town, you don’t bother with formalities. If you want to visit someone, you rock by. If they’re in, they’re in. If they’re out, they’re out. There doesn’t need to be an invitation and RSVP,’ said Katy breezily.
Walking hand in hand, the loved up couple could have stepped out of a catalog such were the complimentary looks and fashionable conservative dress sense.
‘Yes, but what if they’re in but secretly wishing they’d been out when you visit?’
‘Oscar, these two people are your dearest friends. It’s why we canceled Lazy Sunday to visit. Try and have some confidence in your relationships. Besides we have to collect the car. We’d have to have come here anyway. I’d be offended if my childhood friends were literally outside my house and didn’t bother saying a brief hello.’
Long tanned legs, striding confidently down the fixed walkways, Oscar was able to find the yacht rapidly. Pointing it out, it was devoid of movement or life.
‘See, that’s a good sign. If they were annoyed over our fallout, they’d have set sail to make sure there was no chance of seeing us.’
Sounding as though she was joking, Oscar actually thought Katy’s observation was a positive sign that their impromptu visit might be well received.
‘Ahoy, anyone aboard or more importantly is anyone up?’ shouted Katy as she climbed the stairs to the top deck. Her canvas sneakers enabled her greater haste and confidence springing onto the yacht.
‘I am.’
Recognizing the voice, she cringed before her eyes caught Robert in a sleeping bag on deck. Sitting up in the plush, purple sleeping bag, she tried focusing on the quality of the material rather than the tanned, toned, half-naked body emerging from it. Brown hair dipping in sea green eyes accentuating killer cheek bones, Katy hated herself for registering his palpable sexual appeal.
‘Robert,’ she nodded curtly.
‘Katy. And Oscar’s with you. Who’d have thought that would be the case twelve hours ago?’
Neither Katy nor Oscar acknowledged the barbed remark.
‘What’s the racket?’ Imogen climbed up from below deck.
Her long satin pajamas were delicate and flattering, with cream coloring and rose flowers embroidered down the left hand side. The large plush slippers shaped like cows gave her a refreshing girl-next-door look.
‘Don’t tell me they’re back for round two,’ called Rupert.
‘Making himself decent,’ Imogen said in a pronounced stage-whisper. ‘This is unexpected.’
‘Sorry,’ shrugged Oscar, hoping his apology wouldn’t annoy Katy.
‘Don’t be. It’s great to see you. Why didn’t you call? We could have prepared breakfast or something?’
‘Which is exactly why we didn’t call,’ said Katy producing an overflowing hamper.
Left to Katy the goods in the wicker hamper would’ve been hand-made to deliver a personal touch but time and a bare kitchen didn’t allow her to implement the goodwill gesture. Familiar with the Hamptons, Oscar directed the taxi to the relevant shop where a respectable hamper with quality goods could be purchased. Racing round the shop, Katy bought a few additional items to personalize the sentiment behind the impromptu breakfast.
‘I need this,’ declared Rupert grabbing a double choc-chip muffin peeking out from underneath the traditional red checkered table cloth covering the basket. ‘Badly need a sugar rush for the energy.’
‘Plenty of sweet things: pan au chocolat, muffins, cookies. A few savory bits: breakfast baguettes, bagels and croissants. Hard candy for later, energy drinks and, even though we can’t indulge...’
‘A little hair of the dog,’ finished Oscar, concluding Katy’s spiel.
Producing a fine Russian vodka and a two liter carton of tomato juice, the recovery alcoholic drink was familiar to everyone present.
‘Bloody Mary. Yes, please,’ enthused Imogen.
Rupert was pale at the prospect. He staggered to a chair on the table and collapsed on it. Unlike his younger sister, his cashmere maroon dressing gown subtly suggested the rules of modesty and decorum be adhered to at all times. The navy collar of his pajama top had a collar and matched his pajama bottoms. His slippers weren’t cute and cuddly but full tweed slide on shoes. Katy grinned at the difference between the siblings in terms of personal presentation in front of friends. He covered his mouth as Oscar unscrewed the lid of the vodka.
‘Don’t deny yourself you know you want to,’ cajoled Katy.
Preparing the drink, Oscar was pleased to see Rupert sipping it. Hating himself for feeling obligated, as much as he never wanted to cross paths with Robert, Oscar couldn’t ignore Rupert’s cousin.
‘How about you, Robert? Can I get you anything?’ he called, refusing to directly approach Robert.
Grunting at the offer, the four friends shrugged and chatted.
‘We wanted to say thank you for everything last night,’ began Oscar tentatively.
‘You’re jolly welcome, old chap,’ baited Rupert. ‘Oscar, no one wanted to say it at the time but despite everything our parents paid a fortune for us to be taught, Katy’s right. Best friends accept each other. Arguments happen. It’s part of the normal course of life. Why we pretend it isn’t, is ridiculous.’
‘We felt bad. I know you guys hadn’t caught up in ages. The meal should’ve been about that not Oscar and I quarreling over...’
‘What was it over?’ asked Rupert.
‘I have no idea but it was terribly exciting,’ confessed Imogen. ‘We were hooked like TV soap junkies.’
‘The climatic shattering of the glass,’ reminisced Rupert.
‘Which I thought gave the live entertainment real merit. The
shattering of the glass representing the shattering of Oscar and Katy’s relationship,’ said Imogen in full theatrical critical analysis mode.
‘Enough!’ shouted Oscar. ‘I’m glad Katy and I gave you a night to remember.’
His blush was evident, however much sun he’d caught over the weekend.
‘That’s the problem though,’ said Katy. ‘We can’t remember last night.’
‘A precursor taste of a quarrel between Imogen and Robert—nothing new there. It started nice and civil over dinner. Then it got intense as we unearthed the true scandal of Exclusive Love.com. The site has you two as its poster boy and girl, but Katy was the Spanish Inquisition and revealed the websites many failings which Imogen now had to address as a major share holder.
‘There was a seriously gripping piece of live theater, which resulted in Robert skulking downstairs. No bad thing given his mood. The four of us stayed here drinking and playing truth or dare. Imogen passed out. Katy was on the verge of passing out. Rather than crash here or call a cab, Oscar insisted with a bottle of red wine, he’d manage to support Katy on the walk home and you left,’ said Rupert pleased at his succinct account.
‘To be fair, he did get us home with that red wine. Sadly, it ran out. We never made it into the house, but it was nice waking up on the beach,’ said Katy, averting eye contact with Oscar lest they draw suspicion to their alfresco morning ride.
‘I wish we hadn’t asked now,’ mumbled Oscar.
‘Why?’ asked Katy.
‘Do you not remember hounding me with questions and stereotypical accusations regarding my intimate knowledge of women’s fashion?’ winced Oscar.
‘Engaged for five years to a woman who was the Head of Buying for Women’s Wear in a very famous department store in London. Oscar was completely under her thumb. No boys nights out allowed. No mixed parties unless she was present. We barely saw him. His social life was restricted to international fashion shows. He ended up with quite the expert eye after five years,’ provoked Imogen.
