“Only one I want to turn on.” He glanced over top of the menu at Cindy, sure she was deliberately ignoring him, until she glanced at him and winked. Hoo boy.
“Just don’t do it here.” Rick turned his gaze to Cindy. “She doesn’t seem very turned on, though.”
“She will be.”
Mike glowered at him.
“Sorry, precious.” Tim blew him a kiss. “Am I upsetting you with my rude, crude words?” He fluttered his eyelashes. “Want to spank me for being naughty?”
“Pound you into the ground, more like,” Mike replied.
Maddy glanced at him and his scowl dropped away to be replaced with a small smile.
“Jesus,” said Tim. “Whipped.”
Mike returned to frowning at him.
“What are you talking about?” Cherry looked at Tim. “Who’s being whipped?”
“Mike.”
She glanced at Mike.
“Tim’s being feral,” Cindy explained. “Ignore him.”
“I wasn’t this feral until you came along,” he said.
“Crap.”
“She’s right,” Rick said. “I’m surprised you grew up without having your head ripped off.”
“I don’t think he actually grew up,” Mike growled. “Dragged, more like it, and not very successfully.”
“You’re just jealous.” Tim pulled the ringing phone from his pocket and clicked it off without looking at it. “You didn’t grow up, you just appeared as the surly, scowling, big bear you are.”
The waitress came and they ordered the pizzas and drinks before settling back to laugh, joke, and chat the evening away.
It was pleasant and Tim relaxed, his eyes lingering often on Cindy as she laughed and chatted to their friends. Looking around the table, he thought how much had changed in their lives. Rick had Cherry, Mike had Maddy, and he had Cindy. And they were all friends. Life was good. No, better than good, it was great.
Watching the closeness between his friends and their women, he saw the ease with which they talked to each other, the warmth in their eyes, and he wondered if he had the same with Cindy, if she looked at him the same way. He glanced across the table and in that moment Cindy glanced back at him, and the warmth in her eyes hit him full on, seeping through him and lower, pulling at little strings of not only desire, but pure contentment.
Yeah, she had a similar look in her eyes. His heart leaped a little. Very similar to the way Maddy and Cherry looked at their men, as though they were the only men in the room, as though they would never tire of gazing into their eyes, as though-
“Hey, Tim.” Rick kicked him under the table and handed him his mobile phone with a puzzled expression. “Your mum is on the phone.”
“What?” Tim looked at the phone.
“Your Mum. On my phone.”
Annoyed, Tim put the phone to his ear. “What is it this time?”
“Tim,” Dr Clarke said, “I need to talk to you, but you’ve got your phone switched off.”
“Look, I’m with friends at the moment.”
“It’s urgent.”
He sighed. “How urgent?”
“Please.”
That had him frowning. His mother never said please.
“This is important, Tim. Come and see me.”
Loath to do so, but now a little worried and more than curious, he glanced up to find Cindy looking at him with concern. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he sighed. “Tomorrow. I’ll come tomorrow.”
“Tonight.”
“Surely-”
“Don’t make me beg.”
“You never beg. That’d be beneath you.” When there was silence on the other end, he sighed again. “Okay, fine. I’ll come. Half an hour.” Hanging up, he handed the phone to Rick. “Thanks.”
“Everything okay?” Maddy queried.
“Fine.” He forced the frown from his brow.
“Your mother?” Mike asked.
Tim shrugged. “Hounding me for awhile. Guess I better go and see what she wants that’s so urgent.”
Cherry looked troubled. “If its urgent, shouldn’t you go now?”
“Knowing Mother, anything urgent will be only to do with her.” Tim picked up his glass of Coke and took a sip. “Trust me, it can wait another half hour.”
It wasn’t long after that the group broke up, the couples going their own ways with plans to meet up again for another evening out.
Cindy watched as Tim fastened his seatbelt. “Off to the evil witch’s castle?”
“Afraid so.” He glanced at her. “Unless you prefer to drop me off home and I can get my car.”
“Nah. What would be the fun in that?” She started the engine.
He smiled at the words, though the thought of meeting his mother didn’t make him happy.
“What do you think she wants?” Cindy pulled the car out into the traffic.
“Not a clue.” Tim sighed and leaned his elbow on the window sill, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out at the street lights flashing past.
“If you don’t want to go, I can just turn the car around.”
That did produce a bit of amusement. “And have you facing the wrath of the evil witch?”
She shrugged. “No skin off my nose. I’m not related to her.”
“You would be if you stayed with me.”
“Still no skin off my nose.” She smiled. “It’s a name, not a blood relation.”
He laughed but grew serious as the silence fell between them again. The road hummed beneath the tyres and he lost himself in thought, wondering what his mother could possibly want, for she never summoned him by choice.
By the time Cindy pulled to a halt in front of the mansion, Tim was really curious. He got out, only to look back into the car. “You coming?”
She nodded at the four cars parked nearby. “This might be a family affair.”
“There’s no other family. And you’re not waiting out here like some chauffer.” A sudden thought struck him. “Um…did you want to go home? I can get a taxi.”
“What? And leave you here?” She got out of the car and looked at him across the roof. “We’re in this together.”
“Really?” Warmth washed through him again.
“Sure. But I’ll be waiting in the hallway.” She closed the car door and set the alarm. “I’ll be your heroine, waiting in the background to save you if needed.”
“My heroine.” He grinned as she rounded the car and came up beside him.
“Just remember that.” She winked as he slid his arm around her waist.
Climbing the steps, he felt for the first time as though he wasn’t alone while entering the evil den. Cindy walked beside him, quiet and confident, patient and unquestioning.
They stopped in the hallway.
“I’ll wait here.” She gestured to one of the regal chairs.
“What about the kitchen? You can have a coffee or tea while you’re waiting.”
“Nah, I’m good.” She touched her belly. “Though I have drunk a lot of Diet Coke. Where’s the nearest bathroom?”
“Sure you’re not just nervous at the thought of the evil witch being close by?” He nudged her with his elbow.
“Could be, but I’ll never admit it.” She nudged him back.
Feeling better already, he pointed her in the direction of a nearby corridor. “Straight down to the end and turn left. First door on the right.”
“Good man.” Reaching up suddenly, she slid her hand around his neck and urged him down. Brushing a kiss across his lips, she murmured, “If you need help slaying the dragon, just yell. I’ll be right here.”
Oh yeah, Cindy had a way of making him feel so much better about things he didn’t want to face.
He kissed her back, resisting the urge to tighten his hold and take her out of the house and back to her place, a place he’d always felt at home in, where he could relax and laugh.
With Cindy.
Forever.
The word floated through his
mind, a brief memory of it being said back in the vet’s office, but then it vanished as she pulled away and started for the corridor.
He watched her go before seeking out his mother. He hadn’t gotten far when the maid met him and ushered him through into the sitting area. And right into the midst of a meeting of some kind.
The three men wore business suits while the woman wore a grey silk blouse and elegant skirt, a strong of pearls around her throat. As he walked in, they grew quiet.
Dr Clarke looked up from where she sat in a big armchair. Annoyance crossed her features, just as quickly vanishing as she stood and crossed the room. “Timothy.”
“You seem to be busy.” He glanced around. “What’s so urgent?”
“In here.” She turned back to the people and smiled. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
They nodded and the conversation resumed as he followed her out, the door shutting behind them. She led him through into another room further on before turning to face him, her expression cold and displeased.
“This was the urgent matter?” Tim thrust his hands in his pockets. “The disapproval? Seriously? Mother, I get that from you all the time.”
“I’ve been hearing some disturbing news.” She continued to gaze coldly at him.
Raising his brows, he rocked back and forth on his heels.
“This tomfoolery has got to stop,” she stated bluntly.
“Sorry?”
“This playing around at that second-rate vet clinic.”
“We’ve been over this before.” He started to turn away impatiently. “I’m not going to discuss it anymore-”
“You’re hanging around with that totally unsuitable woman.”
“Pardon?” Surprised now, he turned back to face her.
“Timothy, the Lawsons are not up to your standards. Our standards.” Her face was as chill as her tone. “That family makes a mockery of their status.”
“Are you kidding me?” Tim stared at her. “They’re rich. How can they make a mockery of that?”
“They have their fingers in many pies and they’re rich.” She nodded. “But they have no class. They lack refinement.”
He wasn’t surprised by her opinion. “Such a snob, Mother. Always have been, always will be.”
“You’re a Clarke, Timothy. Our name means something in the social circles.”
“This is old ground. Now I have things to do-”
“You’ve been hanging around with that Lawson girl.”
“Cindy?” A touch of anger flickered to life. “She has a name.”
“Cindy Lawson isn’t in your league.”
His response was immediate and sharp. “Cindy Lawson is well out of my league, Mother, and well out of yours, too.”
“I’m glad you realise it.” She sat down on a straight-backed chair. “Now, I need to discuss my will-”
He frowned angrily. “What you don’t get is that Cindy is above our league. Her family is above our league.”
Dr Clarke looked coldly at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“The Lawsons are a true family.” He swung his hand out. “They stick by each other, they accept each other. We are well below their league.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” He laughed just as coldly as her expression. “I’m a huge admirer of the Lawson family, and so are many people.”
“Fine.” She dismissed his words with a flick of her wrist. “As long as you realise that Cindy is out of your league and you stop going out with her.”
“I’m not ten years old, having to do as you say.”
“I know more than you realise.’
“You know nothing. All you know is your prestige, your plans, your money and status.” He looked around contemptuously.
“Think what you like. One day this will all be yours.”
“I don’t want it.”
“You won’t get it unless you drop the Lawson girl.”
Fury seeped through him.
“That’s right.” Dr Clarke nodded. “I called you here to talk about my will. You’ll be my sole heir. But if you continue to see that girl…”
He picked up where she left off. “You’ll disinherit me?”
“You won’t get one red cent.”
“Wow.” Refusing to show the fury boiling inside him, he looked around. “I’d get none of this?”
“None.” Sitting back in the chair, she crossed her legs elegantly.
He looked at her for several long seconds.
She arched one brow. “I see we have an understanding.”
“Oh, we do.”
“I must say I’m a little surprised. Pleasantly so, I must admit.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” Anger thrummed through his veins, beating inside his head as he bided his time.
“Then let’s finish this and we can all go about our business.”
“By all means.” He gestured.
Picking up the phone, she pressed a number. Whoever was on the other end picked up almost immediately. She made the command in a smooth tone. “Come.”
Tim watched as the men and the woman filed in to take a seat at the table. The woman took out a laptop and opened it.
“This is my lawyer, Donald Alfster.” Dr Clarke nodded to the tall, stooped man in the expensive suit. “His clerk, Leticia.” The woman at the laptop nodded.
“And the other two?” Tim studied them steadily.
“Business associates. They’re here to act as witnesses.”
“A bit of overkill, surely?” When Dr Clarke looked at him, he shrugged. “Fine. Whatever.”
He watched as they all settled, the lawyer standing behind his clerk.
The lawyer nodded to Dr Clarke. “Are we ready?”
“Yes.” She sat back. “Tell my son what he will inherit.”
It was impressive but nothing that Tim hadn’t already known. The mansion he now stood in, a beachside mansion on the other side of Australia, a villa in France, land, priceless artwork and antiques, jewellery, bank accounts and investments. The list went on and on.
When the lawyer stopped speaking, Tim found everyone looking at him, studying him as though he was an ant under a microscope. The clerk, Leticia, had a glimmer in her eyes. Envy? More than likely, or possibly wondering how she could snare him.
He turned to his mother. “Is that it?”
“Isn’t it enough?”
“No, it’s not.”
The lawyer blinked, the business associates’ mouths fell open.
“It’s a fortune,” the lawyer protested. “You’d never have to work again. The world would be at your fingertips.”
“Yeah,” he said, “But I wouldn’t have the Lawson girl, would I?”
The complete lack of understanding on his mother’s face should have made him furious. Instead, he felt…nothing. For the first time ever, for the first time since he was born and shoved into the carefully manicured, heartless hands of his mother, he felt nothing. No anger, no sadness. Regret, yes. Regret for what could have been, what should have been, but that was it.
“What are you saying?” Dr Clarke frowned.
“What I’m saying, Mother, is quite simple.” Tim regarded her steadily. “Inheriting all your treasures pales in comparison to the one treasure I value above all else.” He looked around at them all, seeing the uncertainty, the surprise, and the total disbelief in their faces. “That treasure is Cindy Lawson.” And he walked from the room.
The stunned silence was broken by the sound of someone in pursuit.
“Timothy!”
“We’ve nothing to talk about, Mother.”
“We do!” She grabbed his shoulder.
Stopping, he turned to face her. “No, we don’t.” Taking her hand, he distastefully took it off his shoulder and returned it to her side.
“If you choose that girl over me, over everything I offer you, then you’re out of the will!”
“No contest. I choose Cindy.�
��
Trembling with fury, her hands clenched, his mother glared up at him. “You’d really choose her?”
“Yep.” He nodded calmly.
“What has that fat, outrageous woman got to offer you? You tell me that, Tim! You tell me!”
“For a start,” he replied coldly. “You are never to refer to her in that derogatory manner again.”
“She’s not suitable!”
“She’s more than suitable. She’s kind, honest, more than you’ll ever be or ever were.”
“What do you see in her?” Dr Clarke flung her hand out in fury. “She’s overweight, she’ll never be the kind of woman who deserves to be on your arm. She’s not worthy to be a Clarke. For God’s sake, Timothy-”
Every bit of answering fury Tim felt was solely on Cindy’s behalf. He loomed over his mother, watching in satisfaction as she uncertainly fell back a step. Behind her he saw the lawyer, the clerk, and the two business associates watching and listening with mouths agape.
The gossip mill would be working overtime in society very soon, and he didn’t care.
Returning his attention to Dr Clarke, he took a deep breath to steady himself before saying with quiet determination, “Cindy Lawson has the hottest body around, did you know that? Her curves drive me wild. She dresses to please herself, and that pleases me, too. She’s everything I want in a life partner, and I’ll be lucky if she has me as her husband. Lucky and honoured.”
His mother paled in shocked horror. “You can’t be serious!”
“Oh, but I am, and I have to thank you, Mother.” Stepping back, he smiled coldly.
Speechless, she stared at him.
“Your delightful offer has made me realise who and what is important in my life. I was unclear about my feelings for Cindy, but you showed me where my heart lies, and it’s not with your riches.” He looked at the faces all watching him with varying degrees of shock and awe. “It’s with Cindy Lawson, whom I love with all my heart.” Then he turned and walked from the room.
He almost ran over Cindy standing in the corridor outside, but he ignored her gaping mouth and bright red cheeks, instead taking her hand and pulling her along behind him, taking her out of the house and into the night.
The cool, refreshing night.
“Timothy!” His normally cool, calm, and collected mother stood at the top of the staircase, her voice shrill. “Don’t you dare walk away from me!”
Vet's Desire Page 24
