A wash of noise, music and laughter sounded from below, and she took a deep breath as footsteps thumped up the stairs. ‘Beth?’
Poking her head around the kitchen door, she gave Sam a quick wave. ‘I’m here.’
Looking puzzled, he strode towards her. ‘Josh’s turned up with some random story about you asking him to provide cover—’ His eyes widened as he crossed the threshold and took in the room. ‘What’s all this?’
‘A surprise. For you. I know it was awfully high-handed of me to interfere with the running of the pub, but with your folks away, I just wanted to spoil you a little bit. I’m not the best of cooks, but I needed to show my appreciation somehow…’ He cut off her babbling explanation with a gentle finger against her lips.
‘Shh. It’s wonderful.’ He replaced his finger with his lips for a tender kiss. ‘You’re wonderful. Thank you.’
The butterflies fluttered away, and she almost sagged in his arms such was her relief. ‘You’re not mad?’
‘When you’ve gone to all this effort, how could I possibly be?’
Worried she might have built up his expectations, she hitched one shoulder in a shrug. ‘It’s only pie and mash.
‘Sounds perfect. Do you need me to do anything?’ She sent him off to fetch a bottle of wine while she dished up.
The mash was a bit lumpy, and the green beans overdone, but the pastry on the pie melted in the mouth, perfectly complimenting the rich, creamy sauce. Sam had a second helping, declaring it the best thing he’d eaten in ages. He might have been trying a shade too hard, but it was nowhere near the disaster it could have been. They piled everything into the dishwasher, then carried the half-full bottle of wine and their glasses into the lounge.
Sam propped himself up along the back edge of the sofa and patted the seat in front of him. ‘Get on in here, woman, I’m in need of a snuggle.’ The buttery-soft leather yielded under her body as she lay down next to him. He retrieved a cushion from behind his knees and tucked it under her head. ‘Comfy?’ He trailed his fingers through her hair.
‘Mmm, yes. Although I think I ate too much.’
‘Me too, but I can’t feel sorry for it.’ Reaching across her, he snagged the remote control. ‘What are you in the mood for?’
Feeling lazy and replete, she couldn’t care less what they watched. It was enough to be there with him. ‘You choose. This evening is all about indulging you.’
He brushed his knuckles against her cheek and she turned into his touch. ‘It’ll be my turn to spoil you for your birthday next week. I’ll have to get my thinking cap on.’
‘Make me a batch of those macarons, and I’ll be happy.’ When she thought back to the beginning of the year, of how dark and depressing her life had been it was hard to reconcile the girl she’d been with the woman she was now. That was honestly how it felt, like she was moving into a new era of her life.
And here she was on the cusp of twenty-five. For the first time she had control over her own destiny. She would succeed or fail under her own efforts, not be subject to the whims of others or become a sacrificial pawn in the ugly game of office politics. A quarter of a century on this earth and for the first time she felt like an adult. And damn if it wasn’t the headiest feeling in the world.
Her mind drifted from the heist movie Sam had chosen. She’d tried hard to follow the plot for the first half an hour, but as it grew ever more convoluted she abandoned it for the far more pleasurable task of cataloguing each exquisite sensation of his body against hers. The hand he’d curled behind her head stroked idly over the soft skin behind her ear. The steady rise and fall of his broad chest, and the thrum of his heart against her cheek. The untidy tangle of their lower limbs where they’d shifted and curled around each other.
The television clicked off, leaving the room shadowed in the soft light of a single lamp. ‘I thought you were watching that,’ she murmured as Sam shifted position on the cramped space of the sofa.
‘It was okay, but there are other things I’d much rather be doing.’ His voice held a rasp that sent shivers of anticipation through her.
‘Like what?’
His hands smoothed up the thick cotton of her T-shirt, revealing the vulnerable skin of her belly. ‘Like this.’ Bending his head, he trailed a row of kisses along the exposed flesh at the waistband of her jeans. Her muscles contracted in response. ‘And this.’ His mouth moved higher, following the hollows and ridges of her ribcage. ‘And this.’ He nudged her top higher to uncover the delicate lace of her bra and his lips sought the dusky shadow of her nipples, drawing on her through the material.
Beth arched her back, welcoming the wet heat of his mouth, offering more of her skin for him to claim. Her fingers twined in the shaggy hair at his nape, holding him close as he teased and tasted. ‘Sam.’ His name came out half-sob, half-sigh. ‘Oh, Sam.’
Those hot lips of his never stilled, as his fingers busied themselves at the top of her jeans, loosening the button to make room for him to glide down into the slick passion he found there. He groaned, a deep rumble of sound that vibrated through her, making her cry out in return. Releasing her hold on his hair, she reached down to tug the denim lower, giving him better access and he took full advantage.
‘All right?’ he asked, the words a heated whisper over her collarbone.
‘Yes. God, yes.’ And then she was beyond words, beyond anything but the fever rising in her blood, and the urgent press of his thumb driving her up and up and over into oblivion.
Sam’s breath gusted hot against her throat, and then he was moving over her, the rasp of his jeans rough on the tops of her thighs. Awareness of where they were seeped into her blissed-out brain. ‘Not here, Sam. Not on your mum’s sofa.’
‘Oh, Jesus, good point.’ He wiggled off her, stood and refastened his jeans. ‘I’d never be able to look her in the face again.’
‘Me either.’ She giggled as he tugged her to her feet and helped her straighten her clothing. ‘Don’t worry about that too much, I’ll only be taking them off again in a minute.’
‘Another good point.’ He swooped down for a quick, hot kiss then grasped her hand and led her towards his bedroom. His shirt flew one way, hers the other. Sam backed her towards the bed, kissing her until her knees grew week and she tumbled back upon the duvet. ‘Hold that thought,’ he said, before rushing from the room.
‘Sam?’ She called after him.
‘Keep going, I’ll catch up.’ Curious, she scrambled out of the remainder of her clothing and crawled under the duvet to wait.
He was back within moments, one hand hidden behind his back. Moving to the bed, he rested one knee close to her hip and leaned over her. ‘I said before I needed to give you some new flowers. I wanted to wait, wanted to choose something as beautiful, as perfect to me as you are.’ He pulled his hand from behind his back and presented a sprig of fake primroses she remembered seeing in a jug on the kitchen window sill. ‘But I can’t wait, I can’t wait another single second to tell you I love you.’
‘Oh, Sam…’ Beth reached out to cup his cheeks, drawing him down towards her. ‘I love you, too. Beyond anything I ever imagined love to be before.’ She rained kisses on his cheeks, on his eyelids, on his lips, desperate to mark every inch of him, to show him everything in her heart bursting to get out.
He pulled free of her grasp, but only long enough to stand and shed his clothing. The silk flowers lay on the quilt, and Beth placed them on the bedside table before they could get crushed. It didn’t matter that they were sun-faded, a little ragged around the edges. To her they were priceless, a memento she would treasure forever. Sam lifted the covers to ease down beside her, and then everything was forgotten but the solution to life’s easiest and yet most difficult puzzle—the lock and key of man and woman coming together, their hearts and bodies in perfect union.
Chapter Twenty-One
Whether it was the frantic shouts and banging on the metal security gate beneath his window, or the wail of sirens on the
air, he didn’t know, but one minute Sam was spooned around Beth’s soft curves and the next he was wide awake.
‘What’s that? What’s happening?’ Beth asked groggily, as he scrambled from the bed to tug on his jeans.
‘I don’t know. Better get dressed, just in case and I’ll find out.’ Crossing to the window, he unlocked it and stuck his head out. ‘What’s the bloody racket?’
‘Sam!’ The security light illuminated the worried face of Neil Tate, the newsagent. ‘Sweet Jesus, Sam, there’s a fire next door and no one’s seen any sign of Beth.’
‘She’s here, she’s with me.’ The impact of Neil’s words and the wailing sirens registered, horror striking him like a blow. ‘Fire? Fucking hell, we’ll be right down.’ He slammed the window shut then fumbled for the lamp on the chest of drawers beside him.
‘We’ve got to get out of here, right now,’ he said as he yanked open a drawer and pulled out a couple of sweatshirts. Not bothering with a T-shirt, he put one on, and tossed the other to Beth while he shoved his feet into his trainers.
She stared at him, fingers bone-white where they clenched the thick cotton of the shirt. ‘F…fire. That’s what he said.’ Her eyes were huge with shock.
‘Here, give me that.’ Taking the sweatshirt, he tugged it over her head and pulled her arms through the sleeves like handling a little child. ‘Shoes, where’s your shoes? Come on, Beth, we need to get out of here. I don’t know how bad it is and it could spread to the pub next.’
His words seemed to snap her out of it. ‘Oh, God. Oh, God!’ She dashed from the room, and he followed in her wake, relieved to find her sitting at the top of the stairs to lace up her trainers. ‘Go. I’m right behind you.’ He grabbed his keys and wallet from where he’d left them on the kitchen board and thundered down the stairs on her heels.
The second he opened the back door, he could smell the smoke, see the glow of the flames lighting the night sky. Shit, this was going to be bad. Keeping a tight hold on Beth’s hand, he unlocked the security gate and they spilled out into the wide rear alleyway in time to see the fire engine pull up. With Neil at the side, they ran up to meet the officer climbing out of the front seat. ‘Anyone inside, do you know?’
‘No. No, it’s my shop and I’m the only occupant. What happened?’ She turned to survey the rear of the emporium and let out a horrified scream. Sam grabbed her as her knees buckled, turning her face into his chest to shield her from the sight of black smoke and orange flames flickering up the building.
‘Stand back, all of you.’ Another fireman walked towards them, arms spread as he ushered them down the alleyway to what he regarded as a safe distance. Cries of shock, questions and sobs rose behind Sam as more of their neighbours spilled out into the night, drawn by the noise and the shouts of others rousing them.
Chaos reigned, but it was a controlled chaos as the men and women from the fire service organised themselves in short order erecting cordons and unfurling their hoses as one of their number shone a torch up and down the alley to find the fire hydrant cover. Further up the alley, more blue lights flashed as both a police car and an ambulance arrived.
It seemed to take hours, and yet was probably a matter of minutes before they had the blaze under control. Beth tried to raise her face, to turn in his arms, but he held her tight against him as though he could shield her from the reality for just a few moments longer. A shout went up from the officers tackling the fire, and two paramedics rushed forward.
The officer he’d spoken to crossed to where Sam stood at the edge of the cordon. ‘I thought you said the place was unoccupied.’
‘It was. Well, it should have been. Beth was with me in the pub, no one else lives above the emporium other than her.’
The officer shook his head. ‘Whoever he is, he’s in a bad way. His burns aren’t too extensive as far as I can see, but smoke inhalation is often the thing that causes the most damage.’
‘Can I see him? I might be able to identify him.’ Sam turned to Neil who was still beside him. ‘Take Beth for a minute?’
‘Of course. Come here, sweetheart, I’ve got you.’ Neil led Beth a few paces away, chatting to her quietly.
Sam ducked under the cordon tape when the officer held it up, then followed him towards the ambulance. A quick glance right filled him with sorrow. The fence and gate were gone, completely destroyed and where the backdoor had been there was only a gaping hole, smoke still drifting from it. It was hard to see beyond the range of the emergency lighting, but the once-pale stone of the building looked blackened as far as the roof.
He waited where he was told whilst the officer spoke to the paramedics, and when one of them nodded he was beckoned over. The frail figure on the stretcher was hard to make out beneath a thick layer of soot and with an oxygen mask obscuring his face. Sam tried to avoid anything other than a quick glance at the red-raw skin on his arms. He met the dull-eyed stare of the man and shook his head. ‘Sorry, I’ve never seen him before.’
The female paramedic answered him. ‘Thanks for trying. From the looks of his clothes, he might have been sleeping rough.’ They lifted the stretcher, and at first Sam thought the man’s arm had rolled off the side, until reddened fingers scrabbled at his sleeve. ‘Wait a minute.’ He crouched down beside the stretcher. ‘It’s all right, they’re taking you to the hospital.’
The man coughed, tried to reach for the mask on his face, but the paramedic stopped him. ‘Sorry.’ The dry rasp of his voice made Sam’s throat ache in sympathy. ‘I jus…wanted somewhere to doss down. Didn’t mean no harm.’ He might not have meant any harm, but what if Beth had been home? Sam shuddered at the thought of it.
Getting angry with this poor, pathetic creature wouldn’t do much good though, so he placed a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. ‘No one else was hurt. The property was empty. Let these nice folks take care of you, and rest easy.’
The female paramedic gave him a sad smile as he stood to allow them to load the poor sod into the back of the ambulance. The fire officer put a hand on his back and steered him towards the open rear gate of the emporium. ‘We’ll have to do a proper inspection in the morning, but the cause looks pretty straightforward. There was a stack of folded cardboard stacked behind the bins by the wall. I could smell the alcohol on him, even through the smoke. Is he a smoker?’
Sam shrugged. ‘I dunno, I’ve never seen him before. The paramedic said he looked like a rough sleeper.’
The officer nodded. ‘Probably dozed off with a lit fag. It’s still one of the most common causes of fire.’
He turned away, and Sam followed him, catching his arm on a sharp piece of wood in the process. ‘Ow, bollocks.’
‘You all right there?’
Sam tilted his arm to examine the deep scratch on his bicep. The skin looked angry, but unbroken. He could check it for splinters once he was back inside. ‘Yeah, nothing serious’.
They walked back to the fire engine, and the officer left him for a few minutes to get an update. ‘Okay,’ he said on his return. ‘Maybe not as bad as you might have feared, the stairs are unsafe, but they’ve put a ladder up to the upper landing and the top floor is basically sound. Lots of smoke damage, and the sprinklers were triggered so the shop’s a mess. We’ll be here another hour or so. I can give you the number of someone we recommend who can board up the back door. And you’ll need to call the insurance company, of course.’
Head reeling, Sam tried to take in the flood of information. The only thing he needed to sort out tonight was getting the place secured. ‘I’ll take that number, thanks.’ The officer handed him a card and they agreed to meet again in the morning. ‘We’ll give you all the info you need for the insurers then.’
‘Thank you. You’ve been great.’
‘All part of the service.’
Phone pressed to his ear, Sam made his way back towards the cordon. The repair guy was as helpful as promised, and pretty stoic about being dragged out of bed. ‘I’m used to it, mate. I’ll be ther
e in half an hour, forty-five minutes tops.’
And then there was nothing left to do, but wait. He gave Neil a brief update then left it to him to tell the concerned and curious still gathered around in the alley while he got Beth back inside the warmth of the pub. She wouldn’t stop shivering, and didn’t seem to take in much of what he was telling her. Leaving the sweatshirt on, he stripped her shoes and jeans and tucked her into his bed, then went to make them both a cup of tea.
Remembering sugar was supposed to help with shock, he added a couple of teaspoons to Beth’s tea. She sat up when urged and her hands seemed steady enough on the mug, so he forced himself to ease down the bed a foot so as not to hover over her. They sipped in silence, and he was pleased to see the shivering fade away as she worked her way down the mug. His phone rang—the security guy letting him know he was next door—and as soon as he’d got Beth lying back down, he went to meet him.
The fire engine had gone and the neighbours dispersed back to their own beds leaving just the pair of them in the alley. He gave the guy his credit card details then watched in admiration as together with an assistant he had a heavy fireproof board screwed into place over the gaping hole. ‘All done, mate. We work with a lot of the big insurers, so give me a call if and when you’d like a quote to replace the backdoor. I’m happy to help.’ Sam accepted the business card he was offered and waved the pair off.
Just those few minutes standing close to the emporium was enough for the smell of smoke to penetrate his clothing. Not wanting to upset Beth, he stripped everything off, shoved it in the washing machine ready for the morning and jumped in the shower. Within five minutes, he was lifting the covers to crawl in behind her. She hadn’t moved a muscle as far as he could tell. From her even breathing, he thought she was asleep, until she spoke, her voice so soft he had to lean over to hear her. ‘He’ll be all right, won’t he? The man they found.’
Spring at Lavender Bay Page 21
