Savage

by Michelle St. James

  Her mother backed away a little, her eyes glazing over like she couldn’t process what Jenna was saying. Jenna drew in a breath, trying to stay calm.

  “I don’t have time to explain everything now,” Jenna said. “But I have to get Lily out of here until I figure out what Dad was up to. Kate won’t come, but you have to, Mum, because if you stay here I can’t promise you’ll be safe.”

  Her mother blinked. “Leave? Where would I go? And what about my job?”

  Jenna sighed. “I’m with Farrell Black. He’s going to get us out of town, and you’re going to come with us.”

  “Farrell Black! That yob! I’m not going anywhere with him.”

  “He’s not a yob, Mum. And even if he were, it doesn’t matter. We need a place to lay low, and he has one. So get your things and tell them you have to leave.”

  She looked at Jenna like she was mad. “I don’t know what your father was mixed up in, but it has nothing to do with me. I just want to work my job and go home.”

  “Don’t you understand?” Jenna burst out. “You’re not safe here! Dad’s boss is involved somehow, too.”

  Her mother looked confused. “Alexander Petrov?” She made a dismissive sound. “That’s ridiculous. The man couldn’t be nicer.”

  Jenna took a deep breath, chose her words carefully. She didn’t have a lot of time, and she needed her mother to listen.

  “He had Dad’s ring, Mum. The football ring that Kate and I bought him. The one that was taken when he was killed.”

  “You must be confused.”

  “I’m not confused, Mum. You’ are in danger here. The men who came after me in Madrid did it with guns, and if they think you know something, they’re going to come after you, too.”

  “Kate is staying,” her mother said.

  “Against my advice,” Jenna said. “And she agreed to stay with a friend until it’s sorted.”

  “Well, I’m not staying with a friend. Haven’t got any of those anyway.”

  “Why are you doing this to me?” Jenna cried. “Can’t you understand that I can’t keep you safe if you don’t come with me?”

  Her mother smiled sadly. “It was never your job to keep me safe, love.”

  Jenna folded her arms over chest, blinking back the tears that stung her eyes. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  Her mother reached out, pulled her into an embrace. “You have a choice now.”

  “Will you be careful?” she asked. “Call me if you need me?” She realized she no longer had a phone. “Actually, I’ll have to call you with a new number. I’ve lost my phone.”

  “You do that. I’ll call if I need anything, but you do the same. I am your Mum, you know.”

  Jenna nodded. “You are.”

  They embraced one last time before her mother stepped away. “Time for me to be getting back to work now.”

  Jenna nodded, not trusting herself to speak. A moment later, her mother disappeared inside the Tesco. Jenna took a deep breath, trying to banish the sadness that felt like a lead weight on her heart. She was leaving Kate and her mother behind, stepping into something scary and unfamiliar.

  But she was stepping toward Farrell, and somehow that made her feel like things might be okay.

  She turned toward the parking lot and the car that held her world.

  32

  Farrell watched Jenna’s face as they made their way up the drive. Less than five people knew the old manor house outside Cornwall belonged to him, and he was surprised to find he was looking forward to her reaction.

  It had been a whole new experience flying with her and Lily. The little girl was enraptured with everything, curious and bright and smart. He thought she might be put off by their sudden exodus from London, but she’d taken everything in stride, asking a near-constant stream of questions right up until she tipped sideways, asleep on Jenna’s lap. Farrell had to look away. He was not a sentimental man. He prided himself on his reason, his stubborn insistence on leading always with his mind.

  But the sight of Jenna — the mother of his child — stroking Lily’s hair absent-mindedly while she looked out the window almost undid him.

  He couldn’t fathom that this child was his. That he and Jenna had made her. It seemed impossible. But then he looked at her — the hesitant smile that was a replica of Jenna’s, the gray eyes like his own — and he knew with bone deep certainty that it was true.

  The car made its way around a bend in the long drive, and the house came into view. Jenna’s eyes widened, and Lily leaned over her lap to point.

  “Is that our hotel, Mummy?”

  Jenna laughed, then glanced at Farrell. “That’s your dad’s house.”

  Farrell took Jenna's hand. “Our house.”

  She flushed, turning her face back to the window. He tried to see the house as she was seeing it. The long drive, almost a mile long. The sprawling lawns that led to woods on every side. The imposing manor house, originally built in the sixteenth century by a British lord. Would she like it? Or would it be too big, too cold, for her tastes?

  Elden, one of the few men Farrell kept on staff at the estate when he wasn’t in residence, pulled up in front of the house via the circular drive. Leo stepped out of the front seat and opened Jenna’s door. She stepped out, then helped Lily as Farrell came around from the other side.

  “This is it,” he said, looking up at the house.

  “It’s a quaint little thing, isn’t it?” Jenna joked.

  He took her hand. “Maybe I simply knew I would one day need the room.”

  “Is this where the horses live?” Lily asked.

  Farrell laughed. “They live in the stables,” he said. “Let’s go inside. I’ll show you around and tomorrow we can pay them a visit.”

  “That’s good,” she said, slipping her hand into his. “It’s getting dark. Horses need to sleep, too.”

  His heart seemed to skip a beat. She’d taken his hand so casually, accepted him so easily. He felt suddenly undeserving of such acceptance. The feeling was immediately replaced with a determination to prove that he would do right by her.

  “You couldn’t be more right,” Farrell said, leading her up the wide, stone staircase to the big double doors. “Something they have in common with little girls.”

  She giggled, and they stepped into the triple height entry. A middle-aged woman with graying hair came toward them. “Mr. Black! Such an unexpected surprise.”

  The house was one of many retreats, places to which he escaped when he needed respite from the noise and grit of London, but he didn’t go to any of them often. He liked to stay busy, was comforted by the noise and grit of London, the constant stream of obstacles and challenges presented by his business.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Pendleton.” He looked at Jenna. “This is Jenna. She’s to have anything and everything she needs.” He looked down at Lily. “This is Lily, my daughter, and she’s to be treated like a princess at every opportunity.”

  He was impressed when Mrs. Pendleton didn’t bat an eye at the revelation. She’d been his head housekeeper in Cornwall since the beginning, but he’d never had occasion to speak to her beyond instructions for maintaining the property.

  “At your service, your highness.” Mrs. Pendleton gave a little bow, a twinkle in her eyes.

  Lily giggled. “Daddy! I’m not a princess.”

  Before Farrell knew what he was doing, he’d swept the little girl into his arms. He froze, wondering if she would object, but she only shrieked with laughter.

  “You’re my princess.” He looked at Jenna, felt the strange, indefinable spark move between them that had been present since the moment he’d laid eyes on her in that dirty pub almost six years ago. “And you’re my queen.”

  A slow smile dawned on Jenna’s lips before she turned her attention to Mrs. Pendleton. “We are not royalty in any way, shape, or form, Mrs. Pendleton. Please treat Lily as you would any child. She can pick up after herself, and so can I.”

  Mrs. Pendleton flashed a s
mile the likes of which Farrell had never seen, then winked at Lily. “Of course.”

  Jenna shook his head. “I suppose I’ll have to keep my eye on you, Mrs. Pendleton. I’d venture you’re a tricky one.”

  “I’m no such thing.” Mrs. Pendleton shot Farrell a look that said she was no longer impressed by his status. “I’ll take my orders from the lady of the house.”

  “Smart woman,” Farrell said. He turned his attention to Lily, light as a feather in his arms. “Let’s get a look at your room, shall we? You must be getting tired.”

  “I’m not tired,” she protested, rubbing her eyes.

  “Of course not,” Farrell said. “Princesses never get tired.” He looked at Mrs. Pendleton. “I take it the arrangements were made?”

  She nodded. “Took some doing, but everything is just as you asked.”

  “Thank you,” Farrell said. “I’m sorry for the late notice.”

  He didn’t apologize. Ever. But he suddenly didn’t want Jenna to think him an arrogant git.

  “It’s no trouble at all, Mr. Black,” she said, neatly hiding her surprise.

  Putting Lily down, he took her hand and turned to Jenna. “Shall we?”

  She nodded, and he led them up the grand staircase at the front of the house, then turned left toward the west wing. He was suddenly glad he’d hired someone to fill the house with furnishings that were both appropriate and comfortable for the modern age. The house had fifteen bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, a library, a professional grade kitchen, a screening room with movie projector, a study, a solarium, four living areas, two formal parlors, and two dining rooms, plus the original ballroom, currently devoid of furnishings. He had no idea what to do with it. It had never been enough of a priority to seriously consider the options outlined by the designer from London who had spearheaded the renovation. Everywhere he looked there was fine art, antique furniture, artifacts from all over the world. He’d never noticed any of it before today.

  He turned down another hall, then stopped in front of a door with an old, bronze knob. “This is your room, Lily, and it’s right next to your Mummy’s. Come on. I’ll show you.”

  He opened the door and stepped into the room. Mrs. Pendleton had been right; all the arrangements had been made. He had no idea what the room looked like before — he couldn’t recall being in it since he’d bought the place — but now it was fit for a princess. The big iron bed was covered in layers of bedding, all of it decorated with tiny flowers. There was an ornate dresser, a small table and chairs, a giant teddy bear with a row of small, stuffed friends, a shelf full of dolls and one groaning with books, a smaller shelf with blocks, legos, art supplies. He didn’t know a thing about little girls, but the look on Lily’s face said it all.

  “This is my room?” she cried, running toward the dolls.

  “Will it do, do you think?” Farrell asked, looking at Jenna.

  She smiled and took his hand, and he wondered if it was his imagination that there were tears shining in her eyes. “It will do quite well. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said. “There’s a bathroom behind that door over there, and I had Mrs. Pendleton pick up some things for Lily to wear in case you weren’t able to pack all her things.”

  She nodded. “That’s very kind of you.”

  He hesitated, wanting to say something to her but knowing the time was all wrong. He took her hand instead. “Come on. Let me show you your room while Lily gets acquainted with her new friends.”

  He led her to a door on one side of the room and stepped into a suite almost as lavish as the one they’d occupied in Madrid.

  “I thought you might like to be close to Lily,” he said. “There’s a private bath here, too. Through that door.”

  She followed his eyes, then looked around the room. “This is all mine?”

  He nodded, looking around at the small sitting area in front of the fireplace, the big canopy bed under emerald green silk the exact shade of Jenna’s eyes when they turned green. He wanted to do dirty things to her on that bed, but he also wanted to hold her close, stroke her hair while she drifted off to sleep. They were things he’d never felt for any woman, and now he knew he would never feel them for anyone but her.

  “Farrell…” She looked into his eyes. “It’s too much.”

  He shook his head and gently took her face in his hands. “It’s not. And it’s not kindness. You and Lily are my family now. All that I have is yours. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, leaned her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. For a moment, he simply held her, savoring the feel of her in his arms. He kissed her head.

  “Come. I want to show you something before it’s too dark.”

  He led her to the windows. They were exact replicas of the originals, stretching almost all the way to the ceiling. He positioned her in front of him where she could see the sweep of lawn, the woods, dark and shadowed in the distance. Beyond them, the sea stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun was beginning to set, casting a blanket of lavender over the water, the sky slowly morphing from dusty pink to lilac to violet.

  “It’s lovely,” she breathed.

  “It’s for you,” he said. “You and Lily. I don’t often visit other rooms of the house, but I remembered this view from the first time I looked at the house. I wanted you to have it. To have a reminder that there’s still beauty in the world, and that I’m going to lay it at your feet.”

  She turned in his arms. “Thank you. It’s beautiful. But I’d rather look at you.”

  Her eyes were green as she put her hands around his neck, pressed her lips to his. His body responded without further prompting, his cock stressing the zipper of his trousers. He touched his lips to hers, wondering at the charge that zipped through his body as her tongue slipped into his mouth. Would he ever get enough of her? Would it always be this way? Would she give him a chance to find out?

  His hands slid down her back. He cupped her ass, pressing her against his erection until she moaned in his mouth. He knew exactly how her pussy would feel now.

  How wet she’d be. How ready for him.

  “Mummy?”

  They jumped apart, and Jenna straightened her shirt as she faced Lily, standing in the door between their adjoining rooms. “Yes, honey?”

  “I’m sleepy.”

  Jenna smirked at him. “Better get used to that,” she said. She crossed the room to Lily. “Of course you are. Let’s get you a bath and then you can get in that lovely bed, and I’ll read you a story.”

  Lily rubbed her eyes. “Okay.”

  “I’ll have Mrs. Pendleton send up a tray,” he said. “Use the phone to dial Mrs. Pendleton if you need anything else.”

  “Thank you,” Jenna said. “Will I see you later?”

  “That’s up to you,” he said. “I’d like to see you for dinner at nine, but I understand if you’re tired. It’s been quite a day.”

  She laughed a little, and he was glad she was able to keep a sense of humor about the events that had transpired since they came under attack in Madrid. “I’ll be there.”

  33

  Jenna gave Lily a bath in a bathroom far too luxurious for a four-year-old, singing her songs and answering questions about Farrell. (How long has he been my daddy? Forever. Is he a giant? No, just very tall. Does he love me? Most certainly. Does he love you? It’s time to dry off now.) She dried Lily in the thickest towel she’d ever held in her hands, then went to her suitcase to pull out her pajamas.

  Except she hadn’t packed pajamas. She’d brought Lily’s underthings, her pants, her T-shirts and sweaters. Even socks. But no pajamas. She’d been too distracted talking to Kate about Madrid. And about Farrell and their night together there.

  “I’m cold, Mummy,” Lily said, standing in nothing but her underwear.

  “Of course, you are!” What was it Farrell had said? Something about having Mrs. Pendleton purchase clothes for Lily? She walked to the bureau and opened the top drawer, then tr
ied the others. She shouldn’t have been surprised — Farrell had told her he’d done it — but it was still a shock to see the stacks and stacks of clothes, all still with the tags. There were basics like underclothes and socks, but also tiny, expertly sewn trousers, T-shirts so soft Jenna’s hand lingered on the fabric, little shirts with peter pan colors and all the details Lily would love, hand-knitted sweaters.

  “Are there pajamas in there, Mummy?” Lily asked.

  She grabbed a pink gingham nightgown from one of the stacks and closed the drawers, then turned and slipped it over Lily’s head. “There you go, love.”

  “Thank you,” Lily said.

  Jenna kissed her cheek, breathed in the smell of the lavender soap from Lily’s bathroom and the clean scent of her skin. A moment later, there was a knock at the door.

  “Yes?” Jenna called.

  Mrs. Pendleton opened the door and came in bearing a tray. “Well, aren’t we nice and clean?” she said.

  “I used flower soap,” Lily announced. “Also, my daddy isn’t a giant. Just very tall.”

  Mrs. Pendleton laughed. “That he is, my dear, like a knight in shining armor.”

  Lily beamed as Mrs. Pendleton put the tray on the little table. “I had Cook make Lily grilled cheese and applesauce,” she said. “The apples are grown right here on the grounds.”

  “That’s perfect,” Jenna said. “Thank you.”

  “There’s a plate of cheese and fruit for you as well,” she said with a gleam in her eye. “And I left some wine in the icebox in your room. Mummys need snacks, too.”

  Jenna impulsively leaned in to kiss the other woman’s cheek. “You’re brilliant, Mrs. Pendleton. Wait… there’s an icebox in my room?”

  “In one of the wardrobes,” she said.

  “Oh, I am looking forward to the wine!” Jenna said.

  “Best had in a hot bath, I should say.”

  Jenna smiled. “I could not agree more.”

  “I’ll leave you to rest then,” the older woman said. “Call if you need anything at all.”