My stomach clenched wickedly. I'd never felt this attracted to anyone before. I'd read about it—the sparking and arcing current that could occur between two people—dreamed about it even but never actually experienced it.
Until tonight.
I didn't want to frighten Vinny off by being too pushy like I'd done with James. But somehow, I didn't think Vinny was going to have a problem.
"You could always show me your house," I ventured.
He shrugged one incredibly sexy shoulder and gazed at me with hooded eyes, one eyebrow raised seductively. "I have a bottle of wine." He held his hand out towards me and I grasped it with both of mine.
"Lead the way, kind sir."
Chapter 17
"Okay, now you can't accuse me of being presumptuous," Vinny said. "I didn't expect you to come back with me tonight, so you've got to promise to count to one hundred slowly before you follow me in."
I laughed, getting out of the car in front of a teeny stone cottage. "Are you for real?"
"Promise me."
"Alright, alright, I promise."
He opened the front door and ran inside. "Count," he yelled.
I began counting, glancing around the small front garden that was really just a stone wall off the street and a path leading to the door. Two planted areas, no bigger than a metre square were on both sides of the path.
I laughed as I heard Vinny banging about inside. Considering how immaculate he was in himself, I couldn't imagine his house being messy. But if it was, couldn't imagine what difference a hundred seconds would make.
Ninety-nine, one hundred." I stepped into the minute hallway. "Coming ready or not."
A series of bangs to the side of me and Vinny appeared, leaning up against the door-jamb as though he'd been waiting for me for ages.
I laughed.
"Come on in." He reached for my hand and lifted it to his lips, a smouldering expression on his face.
My heart hammered in my chest, but I was ready for this. At almost thirty-years-old, I was yet to have a night of passion. Fuck yeah! I was more than ready.
We stepped into the small, but neat and tidy lounge. A two seater sofa ran along the back wall and an armchair to the right. A coffee table stood in the middle of the room and a large LCD flat screen hung on the wall opposite the sofa. The room was decorated in a duck-egg blue and black, and although modern, it seemed to work well with the quaintness of the cottage.
I sat on the sofa and Vinny picked up a remote control from the coffee table. After he pressed a couple of buttons, the room was filled with Motown music.
"Wow!" I said.
He took off his jacket and placed it on the back of the armchair and then removed his waistcoat.
I could barely contain myself. My breathing was heavy and, from the expression on his face, he knew exactly what he was doing to me and seemed to be enjoying every delicious minute.
He sat beside me with one leg tucked underneath him.
When he finally kissed me, I was gagging for it.
Suddenly, nothing else existed beyond the two of us. Vinny expertly explored every inch of my body with his hands and mouth—kissing, kneading and biting. I don't remember him undressing me, or himself for that matter. I was too far into the moment.
His lips and tongue sent earth shattering explosions through my loins, unlike anything I'd ever experienced. After years of being restrained, my passion was unleashed and eager to stake its claim on his manhood, but Vinny forced me to wait. He was slowly driving me wild—beyond wild.
All my senses were heightened. The sound of his rasping breath, his manly scent, and the musky scent of myself filled my mind. My skin felt as though all my nerves had wriggled to the surface, and every touch made me want to scream in delicious ecstasy.
My entire body trembled.
Vinny sat back and produced a condom from somewhere. I hadn't even thought about that—good job one of us was thinking straight.
He parted my legs with his own and, just when I thought I would die with wanton anticipation, he finally gave me all he had.
Slow, deep thrusts sent me into an exquisite frenzy. With each masterful stroke, my body ached and met his in perfect sync.
Unable to control my cries any longer, I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying to pull him deeper into me.
Carnal primitive desire made me beg for more.
I felt his urgency.
"Geri," he cried.
I placed my hand around the back of his neck, and our eyes locked. The kiss blew my mind as we both shuddered to our climax.
Afterwards, I was unable to stop the tears as they poured from my eyes. Vinny didn't say a thing. He just pulled me to him and cradled me in his arms.
"I need a new sofa," he said, and I noticed how twisted he was.
I laughed, wiping my eyes.
Sitting up, he kissed me on the nose. "How about that wine?" he asked.
I smiled, nodding.
He wasn't in the least bit self-conscious as he got to his feet. His beautifully lean, sinewy body didn’t have an inch of fat—which was more than could be said of mine.
Suddenly very aware of my nakedness, I scrambled around the floor looking for my clothes and managed to be partially dressed by the time Vinny returned—still starkers.
"What's the hurry?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I'm not as confident as you."
He placed two glasses of red wine on the table and sat beside me. "I’ve got some bad news."
"What?" I asked, holding my breath.
"The condom had burst."
I was horrified.
"When were you last tested for anything nasty?" he asked.
"Never! Well, I've had routine smears but I don't really know what they test for—but I've never needed ... you know. I've only ever slept with Simon." However, I omitted to say Simon hadn't been faithful and was gay to boot.
He raised one eyebrow.
"How about you?" I asked.
"I'm pretty careful. This is the first time something like this has happened. You are on the pill aren't you?"
I shook my head. Suddenly it all made sense. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before that moment. Simon had mentioned it just last week, but I'd felt alright then. But now the queasiness made perfect sense.
Fuck!
"I need to go home," I said.
"Hold on, don't you want to drink your wine first?"
I shook my head. "Sorry Vinny, I need to go."
He seemed taken aback but got up and slipped on his trousers and shirt, fastening the first few buttons and leaving his delicious smooth chest on display.
I finished getting ready, and we silently went out to the car.
Two minutes later we pulled up outside my parents’ cottage.
"Thanks for a lovely evening, Vinny." I leaned to kiss him on the cheek.
"You're welcome. I'm sorry if I frightened you off. That's honestly never happened before."
"No—it's not you, I swear."
"I'll call you," he said.
I nodded and got out of the car.
Standing by the gate, I watched as he drove away.
The lights were still on in the lounge. I looked at my watch, surprised it was only just after ten.
"Didn't expect you home this early," Mum said.
I smiled. "I'm tired. How was your night?"
"So-so. Couldn't wait to get home, if I'm honest."
I sat down heavily on the sofa.
"Something wrong, Geri?"
I shook my head. My lips trembled as tears filled my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but it was useless.
"What is it? Tell me."
"Oh, Mum—it's all such a mess.”
"What is?" she asked, shaking her head.
"I think I'm pregnant."
Chapter 18
I barely slept a wink. How could I have been so stupid and irresponsible?
I'd planned to have a baby, made a conscious effort to get pregnant and then promptly f
orgot. Even after Simon banging on about it the other day, I still didn't think.
And to top it all, I'd slept with Vinny!
My stomach clenched at the exquisite memory. I'd had a lovely evening. The best, if I was being honest, topped off with dynamite sex. Oh my God! I’d never dreamed I could feel the way Vinny made me feel.
But I was pregnant! I was certain of it. However, I would get a pregnancy testing kit later on for confirmation. But I knew. And this changed everything.
I felt dirty. I'd have never slept with Vinny if I'd known. Christ knows what diseases and infections I might have picked up and passed on to my tiny unborn baby.
I knew it wasn't even a baby yet, just a collection of cells at this stage probably, but it was a baby to me. Suddenly, all the doubts I'd had in the past had gone. I wanted this baby and would do it alone if need be.
Mum had been wonderful after I'd blurted everything out. She hardly said anything, just listened and comforted me.
She’d gone into Kirkby Mayor this morning, and promised to pick up a pregnancy test for me.
Dad had gone to his weekly game of golf, and I had the house to myself.
I rang Lucy, but she didn't answer, so I left a message with a quick update—omitting the most recent discovery—that wasn't something you'd leave on an answering machine.
Carl was working until two o'clock. We'd arranged to catch up later on. So, finding myself at a loose end, I switched on the TV and curled up on the sofa, watching a light-hearted cookery programme, and waited for Mum to get home.
Lunchtime came and went. When Dad got back, and there was still no sign of Mum, I began to worry. I made Dad a sandwich and didn't let on my concern. There was no point in both of us spinning out. Once he'd finished his lunch, he went into the garden.
I dialled Mum's mobile on the off-chance she had it with her but it went straight to voicemail. Where the hell could she be? I grabbed my keys off the table just as someone tapped on the front door.
My stomach dropped when I saw Vinny leaning against the stone wall.
"Oh hi, Vinny. I'm sorry, I can't stop. I have to find my mum." I strode past him and pressed the key fob of my car, and it made a bleeping sound as the doors unlocked.
"Geri," Vinny said.
"What?" I snapped, turning to face him.
"This isn't a social call, Geri."
My stomach dropped. "Is it Mum?" I asked, my heart thumping in my throat.
He held his hands out towards me. "Calm down," he said. "She's alright, but you will need to follow me."
"What's happened, Vinny? Tell me please." I was close to tears.
"Your mum's been arrested."
Chapter 19
Grace was standing in a police cell, her back to the door.
She knew she'd done it now. What the hell would she tell them? She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been.
Muffled voices approached her cell.
Grace panicked as the door opened and Geraldine entered, looking confused.
"Mum! What's happened?"
"Nothing, Geri. It was just a silly mistake. I didn't want Officer Martin to bother anyone, but he insisted, and I couldn't very well call your father now, could I? He would have kittens!"
Geraldine turned to Vinny. "Is she free to go home now?"
He nodded. "She is for the time being. I don't know if the shopkeeper intends to press charges or not, but we'll be in touch."
"Come on, Mum. Let's get you home. You must have had an awful fright."
"Don't fuss, Geraldine, it's no big deal. I've had a lot on my mind lately, and I forgot to pay, that's all. I'm sure once Vinny explains it'll be alright. I've been going into that store for years."
Geri protectively draped her arm around Grace’s shoulders and guided her to the door as they left the station.
They drove the ten minutes from Kirkby Mayor in silence. Grace tried to get the story straight in her mind, trying to work out why she'd put the jar of olives into her handbag.
The last thing she remembered was Ian, an old friend of Max's, waving at her from the other side of the store. Worried he might come over for a chat, she turned around, stuck the offending olives into her bag, and walked straight out the door. She didn't even think about the olives—she was just being anti-social. Her head was too full, and she hadn't the energy for small talk.
However, avoiding a five-minute conversation had cost her most of the afternoon in the police station, like a common criminal. Not to mention the humiliation of being arrested and bundled into a police car.
She'd never live it down.
This was just the latest in a long list of worrying behaviour. She'd been out of sorts lately—very forgetful and angry more often than not. But she knew what was wrong. Well, maybe not what was wrong exactly, but she knew what was causing the mood swings.
She'd been horrible with everybody, and worse with Max, but she just couldn't help it. Only that very morning she'd bitten his head off for not folding his newspaper properly and leaving it looking untidy on the coffee table! Max had never, in all the years she'd known him, folded the newspaper properly. Yet this was the first time it had irritated her. Poor Max, he'd looked so hurt.
The car stopped, and she couldn't believe they were home already. Geraldine had been giving her sidelong glances all the way home. Grace wanted to tell her to piss off! She smiled to herself. Grace had never sworn at her daughter her entire life. Geri would have probably crashed the car if she had.
Geri walked around the car and opened the door.
"We're here, Mum. What do you want to tell Dad?" she asked.
"The TRUTH!" Grace snapped. "Jesus, you'd think I was guilty of murder or something. I forgot to pay for a jar of bloody olives. What's the problem? Have you never forgotten to do something?"
Geri's breath hitched, and her eyebrows furrowed.
"Okay, okay, Mum, keep your hair on. I was just checking." She stormed off into the house and up the stairs without a backward glance.
Max was still upset. She could tell just by looking at his face. You don't live with someone for all those years without picking up a few tell-tale signs. He was pleasant enough, but morose.
"Grace, where have you been?"
"The cop shop," she snapped.
Max gasped.
What was happening to her? Never in all her life had she spoken like this. It sounded like she'd just popped out of an episode of Shameless. "And you can wipe that look off your face too; it was all bloody Ian's fault."
She couldn't control herself any longer—the sobs racked her body so fiercely she was in danger of whiplash. Max's arms were around her in an instant, pulling her close to him and stroking her head.
"Oh, my darling, don't cry. Everything will be alright. Let me make you a nice cup of tea, and you can tell me all about it."
Later that evening, after several cups of tea and a cuddle, Grace felt much better. Max and Geri had made a pan of soup for dinner, which was delicious. They were still giving her funny glances but for now, at least, Max was engrossed in a documentary, and Geraldine had gone out with Carl, leaving Grace with her thoughts.
It had begun a few weeks' ago; blurred vision and headaches at first and she put it down to her reading glasses as they hadn't been checked for a while. After getting her eyes tested, the optician said the prescription was fine. So she thought she was probably overdoing it. Let's face it, she was no spring chicken. So she cancelled all her activities and had a stress free, laid back week.
When there was no change, she finally went to the doctors. At first, he suggested her glasses too, until she told him about the eye test, so he decided to run a few tests of his own.
The following week the surgery called, asking her to go in the next day for the results.
She had been so worried but didn't want to tell anybody, just in case.
The doctor's surgery was in Kirkby Mayor. Max had taken their car to do his weekly stint in the charity shop in Penrith, so she intended t
o get the bus.
As she stood at the bus-stop, Beryl pulled up at the side of her and asked her where she was headed. She told her she was going into Kirkby Mayor for a routine doctor's appointment. Beryl, who was also heading into Kirkby Mayor to collect her grandson, offered to give her a lift. She seemed to forget Grace had only been to the doctors the week before, but she was too full of her own goings on and seemed glad to have somebody to talk to.
Beryl insisted on waiting for her at first, but she told her she'd get a taxi home as she was going to look around the shops while she was there. Grace knew Beryl wouldn't want to hang around while she had her grandson. She'd want to get home.
The surgery was quiet; she only had to wait a few minutes before being called in to see the doctor.
Doctor Jessop had been the family's doctor for thirty years or so—he'd even helped deliver Geraldine, so they knew each other well, although not socially. You could, however, say they were friends.
Grace could tell by his face, and the professional way he asked her to sit down, that something was wrong.
"Okay, Grace. We've had some of the results back, and the blood test has shown up an abnormality."
"What's that mean? What kind of abnormality?" Grace stuttered.
"It's probably nothing, but we would like to run some further tests just to be on the safe side. I've requested an urgent appointment from Carlisle Hospital, so you should get a letter in the next few days."
She just sat there. She didn't know if he was still talking because she didn't hear a thing. She was in a world of her own.
It's bad, she thought. I know it's bad!
She returned home, her head in a haze, and went straight to bed, telling Max she had another headache.
She couldn't face anybody and definitely couldn't tell them. Geri had enough going on in her life at the moment, what with breaking up with her husband and moving back home. No, she decided she wouldn't tell anybody until after the appointment.
That was last week, and she'd been in a sort of daze since. She knew she'd been acting strange, but she just couldn't help it.
Chapter 20
"Mum, I've been thinking. I might look for a place of my own once Beryl gets back."
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