“Do you really mean that?”
Gordon nodded.
Christina smiled. “I don’t have any regrets this morning.” Christina decided to be honest with him, “I’m glad it happened. Quite frankly, I missed you too. I don’t know how this is going to work out, but I feel much better about the whole situation after last night.”
While she was talking, Gordon had been moving closer and closer to her. When she stopped talking, she realized he was right in front of her. He bent down to kiss her. She met him halfway. As the kiss got more heated, Gordon backed her against a tree and began to pull up her shirt.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Christina demanded as she pushed Gordon away. “We are in the middle of the woods, and anybody could walk by. I am not doing this here.” Christina began to straighten her shirt, looking indignant. “Anyway, I have some more important matters to discuss with you.”
“So, you aren’t interested in finding out what it’s like to make love outdoors, huh?” Gordon asked softly as he began to move closer. “Doesn’t it excite you just a little to think you might get caught?” Gordon was right behind her now, whispering in her ear.
“No, it certainly does not excite me,” Christina responded, even while her breathing was speeding up.
“Doesn’t it excite you to think that others wouldn’t approve of you doing it?” He continued to whisper in her ear. He began kissing her neck and he slowly reached around and cupped her breasts through her shirt. She moaned as she felt him rub his erection against her ass.
He quickly turned her around and began kissing her again. Before she knew it, they were both naked from the waist down, and Gordon had picked her up.
“Wrap your legs around my back” he said urgently. When she did, she realized he already had a condom on. When he had put it on, she had no idea. He slowly began to push into her as he leaned her against the tree.
“Oh my God, I cannot believe I am doing this out here,” Christina said. She forgot all about Lilly, and her annoyed feelings about Gordon, and was lost in the moment. That was the last coherent thing she said for quite some time.
After they had finished, Christina pulled away and brushed out her hair with her hands.
“OK, I’m going to jog back to the lodge and try to get to my room to change before I see your aunt. My clothes should be dry by then anyway. You give me ten minutes, and then you go back.” Christina said when they had located their clothes and gotten dressed.
“Alright. I’ll give you ten minutes if you promise to sneak into my room tonight,” Gordon countered.
Christina smiled, and looked shyly at him. “I would have thought you would have had enough of me at this point,” she said. She blushed a little when she said it.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Gordon answered. “I guess I have to tell you about my plan to kill you off.”
Christina frowned. “This isn’t a reality television show. And besides, I wouldn’t go down that easily.
“I’m starting to see that now.”
Christina straightened up her shirt. “Anyway, I thought you despised me.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. But I do think you’re sexy,” Gordon replied. He found her blush adorable. “Besides, I have a proposition I want to talk to you about tonight, and we cannot talk about it if Aunt Jackie is around.”
“What is it?” Christina asked. “We’re alone now, why not talk about it now?” Waiting to see what he would have to say was going to drive her crazy.
“No, we don’t have time now. As it is, Aunt Jackie is going to send out a search party, if we don’t show up soon. Go on now. I will talk to you about it tonight.”
“I have something to tell you, too,” Chris said.
“Tonight!"
Gordon watched as Chris jogged away. He smiled when he saw the smudges the bark had made on the back of her t-shirt.
****
“Well, well, good morning!” Christina jumped as Jacqueline spoke from behind her. “You’re running a little late this morning, aren’t you?”
“Yes, well, I overslept a little, and stopped to enjoy the scenery on my jog. I guess it has made me a little later than normal.” Suddenly concerned, Christina turned to face Jacqueline, “Did we have plans that I’ve forgotten?”
“No, no, not at all. We have no firm plans. I just wanted to run something by you and Gordon at breakfast,” Jacqueline said.
“Oh, okay, give me just a few minutes, and I will be right down,” Christina turned to her bedroom. She was showered and dressed in twenty minutes. Today she decided to dress down and wear something her mother would never approve of, especially if she was going out in public. But, Christina thought, I’m twenty-one, I should be able to wear what I want. She put on a pair of low-cut jeans that snugged her hips and a fitted silk t-shirt in deep green. She tied up her hair in a flirtatious pony tail and put on some pale rose lipstick. Her one concession was to wear a pair of low-heeled, comfortable sandals.
When she walked into the kitchen, Gordon was sitting at the table pretending to read the newspaper and eat the eggs and bacon Jacqueline had made. He was really waiting for Chris. When she walked in wearing those jeans and that snug shirt, he choked on his coffee.
She looked fantastic. Gordon glanced at Jackie who was busy at the stove.
“Have a seat and I will get your breakfast.” Jackie told Christina without turning around.
When he caught Christina’s eye, he gave a slow secretive, seductive smile. Christina smiled a little, blushed and ducked her head. “Good morning Chris, I trust you slept well?” Gordon asked in a neutral tone while still giving her that smile. “You didn’t have horrible dreams, did you?”
“Um, no. I slept well. Did you?” She was still blushing and not looking him in the eye.
Gordon raised his eyebrows. “You were talking in your sleep, did you know? I think you were having a dream about me.”
Christina’s heart dropped. “What dream?”
“I walked past your room and noticed you thrashing around in your sleep. You mentioned something about us doing something preposterous together.”
Christina dry-swallowed. “In my dream?”
Gordon nodded. “Yes, in fact you must have dreamed something pretty erotic. Of course, that’s the only time something erotic would happen between us. In your dreams.”
Christina frowned. Surely Gordon was not implying she had dreamed of them making love? He was just trying to get at her again! He was a nightmare! “I had a wonderful dream,” she said. “You were drowning and I was too busy making love to your best friend to help you.”
Gordon wrinkled his nose in distaste, and then smiled. “A pity my best friend is in a wheelchair. I’m pretty sure he’s lost all function below the waist.”
Christina was mortified. Had she just insulted his friend and made a fool of herself? She sat up straighter. “In the dream he was not a paraplegic, and he was a better lover than you could ever hope to dream of being.”
“You’re quite imaginative for someone who hasn’t met a paraplegic friend of mine who doesn’t exist.”
Chris felt her face redden. “You are impossible!”
He went on, “How was your jog this morning? Was it everything you thought it would be?” Chris managed to turn even pinker.
Christina was saved from answering by Jackie setting a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. Even though she hadn’t thought she was hungry, once she took a bite of the bacon, she began to eat everything on her plate.
That is a strange conversation, Jackie thought, but at least they are having a civil conversation. Since they seemed to be getting along a little better, Jackie decided to go along with her proposal. They might go for it, and they might not. But the week was coming to an end, and they needed to learn to get along, at least in public. She sighed. They still seemed curt towards each other, and Gordon seemed to be picking on her. However, maybe they could go out for lunch together, just the two of them, w
ithout her as their chaperone.
“OK, now that everyone has eaten, we need to talk.” Jackie looked at the two and noted that they were sitting directly across from each other instead of opposite ends of the table as they had been. Well, maybe they are already putting forth some effort, she thought. Encouraged, she went on.
“Let’s face the facts. You two are engaged for all intents and purposes, and in the not-too-distant-future, you will be married. Our time here is coming to a close and there are several things we need to discuss. You two must appear to like each other at least in public. Unless you want the financial aspect of this arrangement to come to light, you must make it seem like the engagement and marriage is legitimate, and not a business deal.”
Jackie paused and looked at both of them. Neither said anything in response, so continued on. “So, to that end, I will be sending both of you out today—together--for a day of shopping and dining. You will shop. I don’t care what you shop for. You will have lunch together, etc… and you will pretend that you are helplessly in love. Got it? I know this isn’t fair to either of you, but that is just the way it is. You need to get used to it and you need to make the best of it.”
As she finished, she noted that neither one jumped up and argued, which is what she expected. Maybe this wouldn’t be as difficult as she thought.
“Well,” Gordon said, “I certainly don’t want the financial part of this arrangement to get out as it would ruin my family. I suppose I could try a little harder to pretend that this whole thing is legitimate.”
Jackie was not looking at him or she would have seen the gleam in his eye.
“Truthfully, I don’t want the arrangement to be known because it would be humiliating.” Christina said quietly. “I can try to make the engagement look legitimate. What choice do either of us have, really?” She thought for a minute about being married to Gordon, and the thought didn’t make her feel sick. Rather, it made her feel good. Still, she wondered if she would be able to hold his attention once they were married.
Gordon was not thrilled about having to go shopping, but he was definitely looking forward to spending more time with Chris. He liked playing around with her feelings. But he had to make a fuss to keep up appearances.
“Really, do I have to do this now, though? I hate shopping. Why not wait until there is someone to impress? No one here cares if we are really engaged or not,” Gordon complained.
Christina’s heart sank as she heard Gordon complain about spending time with her. She had been sure that he was starting to really like her, or at least like the physical aspect of the relationship. Maybe that was it. Maybe he just saw her as a convenience since they were both stuck in this lodge. He hadn’t really said anything nice to her, which was off. Maybe he was just using her.
“I’ve already told you. You need to be more comfortable with each other if you are going to sell this relationship around people who actually know you. Now, it is settled. Go freshen up and meet in the front parlor in fifteen minutes.” Jacqueline made this declaration and then walked briskly toward her room.
When she heard Jackie’s door close, Christina stood up. Suddenly, she was spun around, and Gordon crushed his mouth to hers. After a very thorough kiss, with some strategic groping, they came up for air. “Well, that worked out beautifully, huh? I will not have to wait until tonight to tell you about my idea,” Gordon said.
“What do you mean? You didn’t seem too keen on spending the day with me earlier,” she said coldly. “And what was that about your fake friend? You know how stupid that sounded?”
“What? Oh, that. I was playing it up since we don’t want anyone to know about our relationship yet. Although the part about shopping was true. But since I get to spend the day watching your butt in those jeans, I can make due.” Gordon raised his eyes suggestively.
Relieved, Christina said, “Well, in that case, I guess I should complain more too, huh? I will be sure to whine to Jaqueline when we get back.”
When Christina arrived in the front parlor, Jacqueline was already there, but Gordon was nowhere to be seen. “Has he backed out already?” Chris asked.
“I doubt it. He is never on time for anything he doesn’t deem important. Work--he’s on time. Family dinner--he’s on time. Pretty much anything else, and he’s going to be late,” Jacqueline said as she shook her head.
Christina jumped at the chance of being alone with Jacqueline. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it? Did the food not agree with you?”
Christina shook her head. “No, it’s not about me. It’s about my friend Lilly.”
Jacqueline rolled her eyes. “What about your friend Lilly?”
“Well…she’s engaged to some Von Willem guy.”
“Peter Von Willem? I know his family. They are quite respected, quite wealthy.”
Christina nodded. “The thing is--she’s….she’s already engaged to somebody else.”
Jacqueline seemed puzzled. “And your point is? Do you forget that Gordon was ‘betrothed’ before he learned about his engagement with you? What is the problem?”
Christina felt uncomfortable talking about her friend, considering she was still unsure as to why Lilly was upset about the match. “Well, Lillian and her…betrothed…have already begun making the arrangements. And she wanted to discuss them with you. Yes, she wanted to talk to you about her wedding arrangements. So she’s coming here.”
Jacqueline was stunned. “What does she want from me? My blessing? I have no business in her affairs. And she certainly was not invited here. The girl seems quite rude, for just barging in.”
Christina shook her head. “It’s not rude at all. In fact, I am really excited to see her. But I just….she cannot marry this man.”
“And why not?” Jacqueline seemed bored of the conversation, and looked around the room for an escape.
“Because….because Peter Von Willem hits her!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Christina instantly regretted them. Her stomach churned and her heart sunk. What would everybody think of her after they found out she lied? What would Gordon think of her? And what would Peter Von Willem and his family think of her? They would call her a liar and her family would be shamed for life. Nobody would invite her anywhere anymore, and her mother would be an outcast.
Jacqueline gasped in shock. “Are you serious, girl?” She clasped her elbow tightly.
Christina nodded. “It’s just...just what I heard. I mean…”
“Well this is a scandal! This is…”
Jacqueline walked off and left Christina standing in the room, her mouth open in horror and embarrassment, feeling as though she may have just ruined Peter Von Willem’s life for good. She sighed. What was she going to do?
Chapter 10
As soon as Jacqueline had left the room, Gordon came strolling in looking so good, Christina felt her knees go a little weak. His dark hair was still a little damp, and he had on a pair of worn jeans that fit really well. They weren’t tight, but they fit in all the right places. He had a light blue oxford shirt untucked, over the jeans. He had the sleeves rolled up a few times, and the muscles in his forearms stood out. Rather than loafers, he was wearing a pair of well-worn hiking boots. He looked like he should have been modeling for some rugged, outdoor men’s magazine.
Christina suddenly forgot all about Lilly. She looked at the t-shirt and jeans she was wearing, and wondered if she shouldn’t have worn something a little sexier. Then she mentally shook herself. This is who she was, and that was not going to change.
“Okay, kids. It’s time for you to go. The taxi is out front, and it will take you to the shopping center we went to before, Christina. Have fun!” Jacqueline reappeared and looked at them, wondering if they would even be able to speak to each other. Her voice was high-pitched and strained, and Christina knew she was thinking about what she had said.
With a show of reluctance, Christina started walking toward the entrance, with Gordon following
behind.
As soon as they were in the taxi, and safely on the way, Gordon drew her across the seat and kissed her until they were both breathless. When she sat back, and was going to move back to her side of the seat, he grabbed her hand and settled himself next to her.
Well, when he makes his mind up about something, he goes all out, Christina thought.
“Do you really want to go to the shopping center?” Christina asked.
“No, I really don’t, but we sort of promised Aunt Jackie that we would spend the day together,” Gordon replied.
“Well, we don’t have to spend the day together shopping, do we?” Christina asked. “I like shopping, but I like other things just as well.”
“What do you propose?” Gordon asked.
“Why don’t we get a picnic lunch at the little deli and spend the day in the park? We really don’t know each other very well yet, and I would like to change that. I would like to know the man I’m going to marry. We seem to be quite compatible in bed or in the woods or in the library, but I think we should actually talk.” Christina waited, hardly breathing while waiting for Gordon’s response.
“Wow, that sounds so much better than shopping. I was afraid I was going to have to follow you around all day and carry the bags as you bought out the stores,” Gordon replied.
Christina laughed, “Obviously, you don’t know me very well yet, but hopefully we can change that today.” Her thoughts ran wild with concerns about Lilly, but she knew she had to keep calm. Her friend would be here soon, and until then, she had to keep up the pretence that nothing was wrong. And indeed, nothing was wrong. At least, not between her and Gordon.
She leaned forward and told the taxi driver that they needed a deli and a park. The driver knew exactly what they wanted. In under an hour, they were loaded down with a picnic lunch, a blanket they had bought, and were wondering around a delightful little park with a pond and ducks.
“This place is beautiful,” Christina said as they walked toward a grassy area near the pond and shaded by large oak trees.
Who Loves Them? (Who--? Series) Page 12
