by Alice Raine
I couldn’t wait to tell Allie, but I knew she had plans to spend the morning with Sean and I wasn’t sure if that was at the hotel or out somewhere. Just as I was about to turn on my heel to head back to the hotel, I heard a deep, male voice calling my name somewhere in the distance, and my stomach lurched at the thought that Jack might be following me.
Wincing against the sun, I turned and saw a man in a blue jumpsuit looking at me curiously as he made his way towards me. ‘Are you Caitlin Byrne?’
So, not Jack. A relieved breath left my lungs. It was also tinged with a just a small amount of disappointment, but I decided not to let myself dwell on why exactly that might be.
Clearing my throat, I nodded, my body tensing up slightly as I wondered who on earth this guy was. He was tall, clearly strong, and not someone I would usually want to be alone with given the choice, but we were outside in the open, so I guessed it was safe enough.
‘Great! I work on site and I just bumped into Jason. He said you’re interested in one of the condos opposite.’ Glancing down at his blue uniform, I realised it had the Dynamic logo on it, and relaxed slightly more. ‘He said to look for a girl with long, brown hair and a pink bag, and here you are!’
Smiling at his jolly demeanour, I glanced down at my bright pink Hello Kitty bag and felt myself blush. It wasn’t exactly the most professional bag to take to a job interview, but seeing as I basically lived out of a rucksack, my options were a touch limited.
‘I am interested in the apartments, yes.’ I still couldn’t believe I might actually manage to wangle a cheap, safe apartment as part of this job deal. It would be so refreshing to actually unpack my rucksack and hang up my clothes for a change.
‘Apartments? Ha! We call ’em condos but I love your British accent!’ He grinned and I found myself blushing, which was stupid because it was hardly my fault that we had different words. ‘Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Tina’s over there doing some paperwork and general cleaning if you want to have a look before you head off.’ Nodding keenly I followed the direction of his gaze and saw a gated complex on the other side of the road.
‘Those over there?’ I asked in surprise, because the buildings looked pretty fancy. In fact, they looked like houses and I could have sworn Jason had said they were just flats – or ‘condos’, according to this guy.
‘Yep. Convenient for work, huh?’
Really convenient for work. Door to door I’d probably have about a thirty second commute.
‘You head on over and I’ll give Tina a call to let her know you’re coming.’
Expressing my thanks, I made to cross the road when my phone rang in my handbag. I pulled it out, saw my parents’ number, and smiled – obviously my mum had remembered my interview and had stayed up late especially to ring me.
‘Hi, Mum!’ I greeted, excitement bursting in my voice.
‘Hello, love.’
‘I got a job, Mum, and it’s even better than the temporary one I told you about! They offered me some prop work, similar to the stuff I did in Sydney, so I’m really excited.’
There was a pause down the line, and then I heard Mum clear her throat. ‘That’s wonderful, darling, congratulations.’ Hurrying across the road I stepped onto the pavement and then stopped and narrowed my eyes. I might be away from home, but I spoke to my mum every week, and there was definitely something weird in her tone today. And the nervous throat clearing was odd too, she never usually did that.
‘What’s the matter. Mum? Are you and Dad OK?’
‘We’re fine darling, your father says to say hello. He’s sitting here having a cup of hot chocolate.’ I smiled at that, but then my concern returned as Mum paused again, and then did another strange, throat-clearing cough. ‘I was calling because, well, we … we got another postcard this week.’
Every molecule of air seemed to leave my lungs, and my skin, which was warm from the sun, suddenly felt chilled to the core as if I was sitting in an ice bath.
A postcard.
There was no need to ask what she meant or who the postcard was from, because I knew all too well.
My fucked-up ex. Greg.
The vivid dream I’d had last night came rushing back to my mind, swamping my senses until I staggered and had to grab at the nearest fence post to steady myself. God, it was almost like the dream had been a forewarning.
He wouldn’t have actually signed his name, of course. He never did, but over the years since I’d left him he’d occasionally send a letter or card to my parents’ house. I thought it was his sick way of keeping me from moving on, and unfortunately it worked a treat because here I was four years on and still an emotional wreck at just the thought of him.
Sometimes I wish I hadn’t been so stubborn and stopped my therapy when I left to go travelling. Perhaps if I’d persevered with it I wouldn’t be quite as screwed up now, but the idea of explaining my past over and over again to a string of different councillors around the world had been so unnerving that I’d chickened out.
Sighing heavily I focused back on my mum’s news. The postcards themselves didn’t bother me too much, I could even deal with the words he chose to write – always discreet, but with an underlying threat to them – but it was the postmarks that bothered me. The cards came from all around the world, and it made me wonder if he was trying to track me down so he could finish what he started.
A shudder ran through my body and I wrapped my free arm around myself despite the heat of the day.
Plucking up the courage to voice the question I dreaded asking, I drew in a deep breath and gripped the phone in a vice-like hold. ‘Where was the card posted from?’
‘Australia. It’s quite smudged, but we think it says Sydney.’
A stuttered breath slipped from my lungs. Was that just coincidence, or had he worked out that I’d been in Sydney? There was no way to know, which was distinctly unnerving, but at least I was in the US now so he was plenty far enough away, and I didn’t feel any immediate threat. As Mum continued to talk, I looked at the houses behind me. I hadn’t put down roots anywhere since working in Australia. I’d loved the job at the Opera House so much that I’d stayed for a year. But a postcard from Greg had arrived then too, dropping onto my parents’ door mat with the postmark Melbourne. It might have been a completely different city, but that had been way too close for comfort. I’d promptly quit my job, packed my stuff, and moved on, all within twenty-four hours.
‘What does it say?’
‘It’s quite short. It just says, “Dearest Cait, can’t wait to catch up with you soon.”’ Swallowing down the hot bile that rose in my throat, I drew in a deep breath and then released it slowly through my nose. The words didn’t mean anything, they didn’t. They couldn’t. He didn’t know where I was. They were just his sick way of messing with me.
Turning back to look at the impressive gates of Dynamic, I shook my head defiantly. I refused to let him screw this job up for me. He was thousands of miles away, and I could only assume from the words ‘Can’t wait to catch up with you soon’ that he thought I was still in Oz too. Good. Let his fucked-up mind think that if it kept him away from me.
‘Are you OK, darling?’ My mum sounded more stressed out by all of this than me, and I felt a further twist of hatred toward Greg. How bloody dare he keep upsetting my parents like this? Fucking coward.
‘I’m fine, Mum. Did you take it to the police?’
‘I did. Detective Andrews said it’s the same as all the others, no fingerprints, no DNA evidence, and not a match for the handwriting sample they have for him.’
That basically meant there was still nothing the police could do to help me. They hadn’t been able to serve him with a restraining order because I’d never gone to the police about his abusive behaviour prior to the attack. If there had been some DNA evidence to link him to my assault and then the subsequent letters they would have used that to file charges or apply for a restraining order, but of course there had been neither. Greg had been
exceptionally careful, cleaned up after himself and then literally disappeared off the face of the earth.
They couldn’t charge him for stalking either, because now they couldn’t find him to question him, or link him to the letters. Evil bastard. It was so bloody frustrating for my life to be left hanging in the balance while he gallivanted around the world playing his sick games.
‘He’s added it to the case file, and as always, he said that if you feel directly threatened or think Greg’s watching you then you need to get in touch with him immediately. I get so worried about you, Cait, don’t you want to come home for a while?’ I didn’t say it, but I would be more concerned about my safety if I went home. I’d be like a sitting duck, just waiting for Greg to wander up my parents’ front path one day and scare the shit out of me.
‘I’m OK. Mum, honestly. Try not to worry. LA is great, and Allie’s here now too. In fact, this new job comes with a really safe little house so I’m going to ask her if she wants to live with me for a bit. She’s got a boyfriend too, he’s really nice and I’m sure he’ll be around plenty to keep an eye on all of us.’ OK, so this was a bit of an exaggeration, Sean couldn’t exactly freely visit at the moment, but I knew it would make my mum feel better to think there was a man around.
‘Really?’ My mum’s voice perked up immediately. ‘That sounds good. I’d feel far better knowing you weren’t on your own. I haven’t seen Allie for ages, tell her I said hi.’
‘I will.’ Walking to the complex gates, I gave the apartment blocks a more thorough inspection between the bars of the elaborately-wrought iron fence. Every building was neat, clean, and modern and the gardens were well maintained, and just as Jason had said, it was nice and secure. Perfect.
It would be great if the insides were as nice as the exterior, but to be honest, safety was my main concern, especially after today’s nasty reminder of Greg, so this place looked to be a goer.
‘I’ve got to go, Mum, but I promise to call soon.’ I felt mean ending the call when my mum was obviously a bit upset, but I could see a woman brandishing a clipboard and making a beeline for me, which was presumably Tina coming to let me in for a tour.
‘OK, love, take care. Bye.’ She sounded reluctant to end the call, bless her, and I made a mental note to ensure that I called or texted a little more than usual in the coming weeks.
As I waited for Tina to cross the car park between us I checked out the security again. High fences, security cameras above my head, and number coded gates. Nodding happily, I felt my shoulders slacken with contentment. This could well be the perfect job and the perfect place to make a fresh, Greg-free start to my life.
SIX
Allie
Sean’s kiss under the tree had started out soft, apologetic, and full of hope, but as my lips parted and his tongue began to dance gently over mine, the intensity quickly heightened. Working of their own accord, my hands rose to dig in his hair, my desperate fingers causing him to growl against my lips.
‘I wish we weren’t outside, otherwise I’d be giving you a proper apology right now,’ Sean murmured, his hand briefly slipping between my legs and rubbing firmly at the seam of my jeans to show exactly how he would apologise.
Groaning at the hard contact, my pelvis instinctively thrust against his hand in an attempt to grind myself against him in that oh-so perfect spot. Pulling back on a wry chuckle, Sean cupped my face with both palms and smiled at me softly. ‘I love you, Allie.’
‘I love you too,’ I replied without hesitation, although my words sounded distinctly garbled – one small kiss and a brief rub between my legs and I felt like putty in his hands. I really should find it alarming just how easily he could control my body, but I didn’t. I loved it.
‘I’m so sorry this all happened. Looks like I screwed up again,’ he murmured as he moved himself to my side. I felt the loss of his warmth immediately, but Sean flopped back onto the grass and tugged me with him. Arranging my lax body so I was laid in his arms, I threw one leg across his hips as we both stared at the lush, green canopy of leaves above us. Summoning up the energy to speak, I licked my lips and placed a kiss on his chest. ‘It’s OK. Not many people can say they’ve seen Savannah Hilton’s acting skills first hand, can they?’ I joked limply. Sean twisted his head and returned my smile, but it was tight-lipped.
‘She’s unbelievable. I knew she could be hard-faced but I never thought she’d do something like this. I called her this morning asking if I could bring you over to put your mind at rest and she was as helpful as anything on the phone.’
Hmmm. I’m sure she was, I thought sceptically. It seemed to me that while Sean was an incredibly intelligent man, he was slightly clueless where it came to reading the body language and actions of Savannah. ‘If you ask me, she wants you back,’ I mumbled quietly, feeling a flush of jealously rush up inside of me and colour my neck.
‘Really?’ Sean rolled onto his side to look down at me doubtfully, and my heart fluttered at his sudden closeness. ‘As far as I’m concerned, that ship has well and truly sailed. I’m pretty sure she just likes to cause a fuss.’ As he gazed at me, his blue eyes began darkening with desire, causing the air around us to suddenly feel like it had been sucked away. My lungs were practically paralysed with love and lust for this man, and I struggled to breathe as I watched Sean’s gaze move across my face and drift to my lips.
‘Assuming this little spectacle hasn’t completely put you off me, I wonder if we might resume where we were before our run-in with my less than charming co-star?’ His voice was husky and I could have sworn he was moving closer by the second, intent on some outdoor kinkiness. Perhaps he intended to go back to his earlier suggestion of apology sex, which although risky, was a rather tempting prospect. Considering all that had just occurred, I had a lot of pent-up tension that I needed to get rid of, and sex with Sean seemed the perfect outlet.
Regardless of my extensive concerns about Savannah, I threw caution to the wind and nodded mutely, completely unable to speak. Sean smiled at me before brushing his lips ever so gently across mine, causing a small moan to escape from my throat that made him chuckle as he raised his head. ‘I am very much looking forward to when this debacle is over and we can be a proper couple.’
‘I am too,’ I agreed, feeling almost shy all of a sudden, before a giddy laugh escaped from the emotions spinning inside me. ‘I can’t believe my life is this crazy.’
Leaning in to place another kiss on my lips, he raised a hand and slid it into the hair by my ear, causing my scalp to tingle from the lovely warmth as he pulled me in close for a long, leisurely kiss.
He might have started it, but I was the one to take the action up a notch by teasing the seam of his lips until he gave in with a groan and opened his mouth for me. Over the next few minutes our movements became almost feverish as Sean rolled me over onto my back and covered my body with his as our hands moved over, and under, each other’s clothing.
As one of my hands succeeded in pushing his shirt up and running across his chest, so too did Sean’s, and he flicked the cup of my bra down with ease and immediately rolled the needy nipple between his thumb and forefinger. I couldn’t help but break our kiss to draw in a ragged groan from the delicious contact, my hips going into autopilot and thrusting against him in a futile attempt to get some friction where I needed it the most.
Pulling himself away with a matching groan of frustration, he grinned. ‘Mmm. I really wish we were somewhere a little more private so I could apologise properly,’ he murmured, giving my nipple one final, hard tweak. I smiled, knowing that however much I reassured him, Sean relied a lot on our physical bond as confirmation that everything was OK between us.
‘Unfortunately, we have security cameras out here, and as much as I don’t care who sees my arse bouncing in the sunlight, there’s not a chance in hell that I’m letting anyone see you naked.’ Spluttering at his words, I giggled, my laughter only increasing as I watched him adjust the large bulge in his shorts with an amused
glance at it. ‘Do you see what you do to me, woman?’
Lowering my right hand, I gave his erection a firm squeeze and licked my lips. ‘I do.’ We’d had incredible sex in the pool earlier, but I was totally ready to go again, and clearly from the throbbing rod of heated flesh in my hand, so was Sean.
Narrowing his eyes at me, Sean thrust his groin into my palm with a gravely moan, and then, before I’d even realised that we were moving, he had risen to his knees, scooped me into his arms, and was standing.
‘Need. You. Now,’ he muttered heatedly. ‘And I happen to know for sure that there aren’t any security cameras in the pool house,’ he informed me with a wicked grin, before striding from the trees with me giggling in his arms.
Ding, ding, round two!
So, pool sex this morning followed by pool house sex this afternoon … there was a definite theme for the day emerging. I couldn’t say the idea of a little outdoor nookie didn’t get me excited though. In fact, I absolutely loved how adventurous I became when I was with Sean. He was a bad influence in the best of ways.
Carrying me as if I weighed nothing, Sean retraced the steps I had taken around the side of the house, then cut hastily across the lawn until I saw the glittering waters of a large swimming pool. It was beautiful: a curved pool with jacuzzi section at one end and water so temptingly blue that I was immediately flooded with memories of our earlier pool tryst. That had certainly been some seriously good skin-slapping, water-splashing fun.
When Sean had mentioned a pool house I’d been expecting some sort of summer house or wooden cabin, but the ‘pool house’ that we were headed to was so fancy that it looked more like another wing of the villa.
I wasn’t given long to admire the view, because Sean burst through the doors, elbowed a switch to close the electronic blinds, and then thrust me up against a wall so hard that the wind was knocked from my lungs.
