Breaking Routine

by Melissa Tereze

  “I have two hours yet—”

  A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Cait immediately dropped her leg. She smiled when her brother came to rest against the doorframe. His usual stance with his arms crossed as he did so. “You two sound like you’re having a wonderful time up here.”

  “Sorry. Too loud?”

  Jude shook his head. “Not at all. And all the guests are out at the minute. So, laugh away.”

  “Did room 6 decide to go hiking?”

  Jude nodded. “I’ve given them the map they need. They asked me to thank you for recommending it.”

  “They prefer something a little more demanding. They’ve been coming here for years now.”

  “Well, they were raring to go just an hour ago. And while I’m here, I have to pop out to the supplier. We seem to be out of black pudding for breakfast tomorrow.”

  “Okay, well I’ll be leaving around two-thirty.”

  Jude pushed off the doorframe. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back. See you, Harper.”

  “Bye, Jude.” Harper turned back to Cait as the door swung shut, swallowing hard. “So, uh…”

  “Right,” Cait said, blowing out a deep breath. “You have me for another hour, and then I have to get ready to leave.” Cait slid her glasses on, focusing on the screen. “But just give me a couple of seconds to print out the notes.”

  Harper fell silent. Cait felt her eyes burning through her, but she had no idea what had happened in the short space of time since they’d been laughing together, but Harper’s sudden lack of conversation didn’t sit well with Cait. She looked up, and Harper was still staring.

  “I mean, you don’t have to stay. If you had things to do, I understand. I have plenty to get on with here anyway.”

  Harper got to her feet, approached the door, and turned the lock. As she turned back, leaning against the door, she blew out a deep breath. “You’ve been sitting here dressed like that since I arrived, and I had no idea.”

  “Should you have?” Cait’s confusion grew.

  “Y-yeah, I should have.” Harper nodded, not appearing to be quite in the room with Cait. “Because…I mean…wow. You look, just wow.”

  “Well, thank you.” Cait smiled, getting to her feet and clearing away their lunch. It wasn’t often she was complimented by other women, but when Harper did it, it fired up everything inside her. “Like I said earlier, I just wanted to make an effort, is all.”

  Harper stalked towards Cait, holding out a hand that Cait immediately took. She would never turn down such a gesture. Not from Harper. “You’re really turning my world upside down, Cait.”

  “I’m not sure how to take that.” Cait paused in her step, eyeing Harper suspiciously. “I thought everything was going fine this afternoon.”

  “You make my head spin, you make my mouth dry, and you make my skin tingle.”

  Cait’s heart swelled at those words. “You’re going to make me blush.”

  “And I’ve never met anyone quite like that before. Someone who just lights up an entire room by being in it. Someone who makes me feel like I want to stay home and snuggle all night. Deep down, it’s all I’ve ever dreamed of, but did I ever think I’d find it? Here? No.”

  “But you’re happy that you feel that way?”

  “Happy doesn’t describe how I feel about you,” Harper said, pulling Cait in flush against her. “Happy means nothing when I think of you. My entire world has been consumed by you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Cait lifted her free hand, feathering her fingertips across Harper’s cheek. Her auburn hair sat in a messy bun atop her head, her skin soft to touch. “You’ve really changed my life, too. I’m enjoying every moment of this with you.”

  “And being here with you today—dressed like this. God, I’m really struggling to keep my hands to myself.”

  Cait’s blood travelled south with that admission. Harper found this version…attractive? Well, who knew!

  “But I wouldn’t ever do something to make you feel uncomfortable at work. I’m not that kind of person. So, I was wondering if I could see you tonight?”

  Oh, no. Harper couldn’t say things like that, things that got Cait worked up, only to backtrack. Cait perched herself on the edge of her desk, pulling Harper between her legs. “You can see me any time, you know that.”

  “I know, but I wasn’t sure what plans you had.”

  “I have a while before I have to leave,” Cait said, narrowing her eyes. “You know…”

  Harper’s eyes immediately darkened, her hands gripping the lapels of Cait’s blazer. “Please, don’t say things you don’t mean.”

  Wrapping her legs around Harper’s waist, her skirt riding up as Cait dug her heels into Harper’s backside, Cait pulled her in close and gripped the back of Harper’s neck. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Knowing that you want me here and now…” Cait chewed on her lip; she really didn’t know where all of this boldness had come from. “I think I’d be a fool to turn you down.”

  Harper slid Cait’s blazer from her shoulders, her fingers making light work of the blouse tucked into Cait’s pencil skirt. “The door’s locked.”

  Cait focused on Harper’s eyes. “I know.”

  “And you look incredible sitting on that desk.”

  Cait felt her skin flush as Harper’s hands settled on her bare thighs. “I do?”

  “You look so fucking hot.” Harper’s fingers disappeared up Cait’s skirt, dragging her underwear down her thighs and throwing them to the floor.

  Cait placed her palms flat on the desk behind her, allowing Harper to take the lead as she dragged her towards the edge of the desk. The coolness against her skin only heightened that arousal Cait felt. This sense of being a little bold was really working well for her. She could safely say that she’d never been taken on her desk.

  “Harper,” Cait whispered as their lips met. Her heart sped up, her pulse thundering in her ears, but Harper was all she felt. The building could burn to the ground this second and Cait would still only see the woman standing between her legs. “God, I need you to touch me.”

  Harper dropped to her knees, forcing Cait’s skirt further up her thighs. She dragged her nails along Cait’s skin, sending a shiver throughout her entire being. And when Harper’s lips touched Cait’s aching sex, her tongue gathering her wetness, Cait lit up with a hypersensitivity she’d never experienced before.

  Separating slick folds with her thumbs, Harper wasted no time in diving in. Her lips enveloped Cait’s clit, two fingers slowly pushing inside her. Cait’s breath faltered, her hands gripping the edge of the desk as Harper pushed in and out. God, this woman would be the death of her.

  Cait lifted her feet onto the desk, her heels digging into the wood as she opened herself up to Harper. And judging by the grin on Harper’s face as she paused and looked up at her, Cait was giving her everything she wanted.

  “Fuck, you taste amazing.” Harper tugged at her bottom lip before she dove back in, fucking Cait at a pace that kept her on the edge. But as she curled her fingers, hitting a spot nobody had ever become acquainted with before, fresh arousal slipped out without the need for any coaxing. Harper…was a dream come true.

  An overwhelming sensation had Cait’s stomach rolling with anticipation, but Harper didn’t let up. She angled her fingers, locked her wrist, and rubbed vigorously at Cait’s G-spot. “O-oh.” Cait’s eyes slammed shut. “W-what the hell are you doing to me?”

  “You’re about to find out,” Harper said, her voice dripping with desire. With those words, an unusual pressure built between Cait’s legs, and then came the gush. “Fuck, yes.” Harper continued her movements, moaning as wetness covered Cait’s thighs. “Uh-huh. That’s fucking hot.”

  Cait’s legs trembled. Had Harper just…made her squirt? She slumped back on her elbows; her body spent. Every ounce of energy she had disappeared; Cait really needed a moment to gather herself.

  With her mind racing, Cait smiled when Harper s
cooped her up into her arms, kissing her hair. “You with me?”

  “Mm.” Cait nodded slightly, nuzzling her face into the crook of Harper’s neck. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

  “Stick with me. We’re going places.”

  Cait smiled against Harper’s ear. “The only place we’re going right now…is upstairs.”

  Harper pulled back, meeting Cait’s eyes. “Oh. We are?”

  “We definitely are.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Harper unplugged the hoover from the socket at the side of the TV unit, wrapping the lead up as she shoved it back under the stairs. She’d woken this morning with one hell of a spring in her step, finishing three projects she was working on by 11 a.m. Cait was working today, Jude had personal things to see to, but Harper could live with that. Two weeks on from Harper’s scene in the office, and life was flowing pretty damn well.

  Cait spent most evenings with Harper at home, the B&B quiet this time of year, and Jude took care of the place at night in return for several days off through the week. It worked, and it meant everyone was happy with the arrangements in place. Harper could get on with her own business during the day, knowing she wasn’t neglecting Cait in any way, and in order to give Cait a break away from work most nights, they ended up snuggling on Harper’s couch, the fire lit as they enjoyed one another’s company. Really, everything was perfect.

  Harper may have been used to spending the evening with another woman—she’d done it for years with Callie—but Cait really wasn’t Callie. In fact, they couldn’t be any more opposite. While Callie used to sit across the dining table talking about work, everything that concerned her, and without asking Harper how her day had been, Cait wanted to know about Harper before she discussed her own day. And there was no such thing as eating at the dining table anymore. Instead, they’d get to the floor, pull the coffee table closer, and sit beside one another while they talked about everything and anything. When Cait arrived at night, they struggled to separate for more than five seconds.

  Cait’s hand often found its way to Harper’s while she was cooking dinner, and Harper’s arms unconsciously landed around Cait’s waist every time she rinsed the dishes before they went into the dishwasher. And it worked. It was becoming second nature to them both. As Harper stood at the window, her hands shoved in her pockets, she realised that this home could be the making of her in terms of her personal life and happiness.

  And even though she disliked Callie, she truly hoped she was happy with how her own life had shaped itself. Harper may hate what her ex had done to her—who wouldn’t?—but she would never wish to see Callie struggling. If she allowed herself to feel that way, it would only mean that Callie still swirled around in her mind. The more time Harper spent with Cait, the quicker the memories of her old life fizzled away. Memories that she didn’t wish to hold onto.

  As Harper turned to finish tidying up, a familiar red car pulled up outside the house. Oh crap! She smiled through gritted teeth as her mum waved frantically through the car window. This really wasn’t how Harper’s day was supposed to go. In an ideal world, she would call her mother this evening, listen to her talk about the locals, and then promise to be in touch soon.

  Instead, she found herself moving towards the door and opening it. “Hi, Mum.”

  “Oh, love. You look wonderful.” Katherine Grey always told Harper what she thought she needed to hear, but this time around Harper actually believed her. “You’ve been eating more vegetables, haven’t you? I told you that it would make your skin glow.”

  That’s mind-blowing sex, Mum. Not vegetables. Harper cleared her throat, forcing her best smile. “Yep. More veg.”

  “If you’d just listen to your mother more often, we wouldn’t need to have these discussions.”

  Harper opened her front door wider, inviting Kath inside. “I don’t believe we had a discussion. I just sat quietly while you talked at me.”

  “Oh, this place looks fantastic. Really homely. I might not leave.”

  Harper closed the door, steeling herself as she followed her mum into the living room. “Sorry, Mum. No room for a long-term lodger.”

  “That’s fine. You and I can top and tail.”

  “Because that wouldn’t be weird,” Harper laughed.

  “Excuse me! I wiped your arse for years. If I decide to stay a while, I’m sure you can find a space for your poor old mum.”

  Harper’s eyes widened. Had Kath really just called herself old? Something was wrong. “Mum, it’s not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here?”

  “Your dad’s playing golf with thingy.” Kath waved a hand. “The one with the toupee…”

  “Clarke?”

  Kath nodded. “That’s the one. They’ve just bought a caravan in Wales. He invited me to lunch with the wife, but I didn’t want to listen to how wonderful it is. It’s a piece of tin surrounded by sheep.”

  “You turned down lunch?” Harper’s eyebrow rose. Her mum loved to be one of those ladies who lunch.

  “I’m sure it’s lovely.” Kath ran a finger along the mantelpiece, bringing it up to her face and inspecting Harper’s cleaning. “Very impressed. It’s almost as though you’re keeping this place clean for a reason.”

  “Huh?”

  Kath eyed Harper suspiciously. “Is that a new hoodie hanging over the dining chair?”

  Harper glanced over her shoulder. It was Cait’s. “Yeah.”

  “It doesn’t look like your size.”

  “And you can tell that from looking at it from ten feet away?”

  Kath quirked an eyebrow. “I have good sight. It’s not really your colour either.”

  “Mum, if you have a question to ask, just ask it!”

  “I thought you would have been home for a weekend since you arrived. Why haven’t you?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Because I’ve been moving into a new home and getting my life together? Does that appease you?”

  “Mm. Not really.”

  Harper flopped down onto the couch, running her fingers through her hair. It was no use lying; her mum knew her better than Harper knew herself. “I’m seeing someone, okay?”

  “I knew it!” Kath grinned, clapping her hands. It was a habit that Harper loathed. “And Autumn may have let it slip last weekend.”

  “When did you see Autumn?” Had Harper’s best friend really said too much in front of Kath? It was possible; Autumn was terrible at keeping quiet. Especially around Kath.

  “She was at ours. Came to borrow a pair of your shoes.”

  “Which shoes?” Harper frowned. “She didn’t tell me she’d been to see you. And she didn’t tell me she’d swiped my shoes either. She knows I don’t like her going through them.”

  “You should have brought them with you. Which reminds me, I need you to get the last of the things out of your room. I’m turning it into a meditation suite thing.”

  “Oh, thanks!”

  “But never mind that. Tell me all about Cait.”

  Harper eyed her mum. She may not know what day it is half the time, but she knew she hadn’t told Kath who she was actually dating. As far as Kath was aware, Cait had helped Harper when she moved here. Nothing more. “What’s Autumn told you?”

  “That you’re madly in love with the local B&B owner. Very romance novelly.”

  “Novelly?” Harper snorted. Her mother was out of her mind. “That’s not even a word—” Harper cut herself off. Did it even matter if it was a word or not? What Autumn had done was not cool. “I’m not madly in love with her.” Liar!

  “But you are happy?”

  Harper’s entire body relaxed. She didn’t have to think twice about that answer. “I’m so happy, Mum.”

  “And this is the same Cait who put you up when you had issues here?” Kath took a seat at the opposite end of the couch, her coat still buttoned up. “That lovely lady who came to your rescue?”

  “It’s the same Cait, yeah.”

  Kat
h visibly relaxed, crossing her legs and clasping her hands on her knees. “And do you think I’ll happen to bump into her while I’m here?”

  Harper grimaced slightly. “I don’t know, Mum. She works all day and I just about manage a few hours with her in the evening. I was planning on cooking something fancy for us tonight, you know, impress her a little bit.”

  “Impress her? I’m not sure you’ve ever had to impress anyone, my love.”

  “Maybe not, but I want to keep her interested. We both know what happened with Callie, and I know that wasn’t my fault, but perhaps if I’d tried a little harder, she wouldn’t have done what she did.”

  “Callie was always just…Callie,” Kath said, shifting closer to Harper and taking her hand. “But you seem different with Cait in your life. I know I’ve only been here for five minutes, but I know when you’re happy. And you are. Settled, shall we say. So, maybe Callie had to do what she did in order for you to find Cait.”

  “It was still a really shitty thing she did to me, Mum.”

  “I know.” Kath patted Harper’s hand, offering a sympathetic smile. Her mum always knew what to say to make Harper feel better. But she didn’t need that anymore. Harper was more than happy with her life. “It doesn’t make my hatred for her any less, but I really do believe this happened because it was supposed to.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you have any idea how terrified I was watching you drive away? You’re my baby. You always will be. And watching you pack up your life to move all this way…I didn’t like it. It wasn’t so bad when you were supposed to move here with her, but knowing you’d be alone…I just wanted to drive here and stay with you.”

  “You know I’m okay.”

  “And I always did know that, but it doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to worry. If anything had happened to you up here, what would I have done? The leak…you kept that from me, didn’t you?”

  “I just didn’t want to worry you. I’m sure you understand that.”

  Kath nodded. “I do.”

  “Tell you what, I’ll send Cait a message and let her know that you’re here. Maybe if she has a few minutes to spare, she’ll call in.”