“For a little while, yeah?” she whispered, stroking his cheek.
Dave nodded dumbly and kissed her, gradually lowering himself onto her. They kissed lazily until Rose felt him soften inside her and she wriggled against him. With a sigh Dave withdrew and hurried to the bathroom to clean himself up. Rose settled down into the bed, getting comfortable as she watched the pattern of the raindrops on the window and then turned her attention to the handprints on the wall.
She worried that opening up to Dave might have been too much. She wondered if he thought she had been playing games with him — seducing him only to admit much too late that it had been a while for her. Years, in fact. She didn’t even want to do the maths on that one. She hadn’t slept with anyone since before she met the Doctor.
When she noticed a movement from the corner of her eyes she turned her head and saw Dave standing just inside the door. She envied him his self-confidence. His nakedness didn’t seem to bother him at all. She dropped her hands onto her stomach, unwilling to cover herself up like a blushing virgin but at the same time feeling self-conscious under his gaze. He was smiling softly.
“Hey,” she squeaked for lack of anything better to say.
“You’re beautiful.”
Warmth covered her body like a blanket. She was far too thin, all bones and angles.
“You are,” Dave said, joining her on the bed and crawling towards her for a kiss. “I wish I could stay the night.”
Rose nodded, surprised at how emotional she felt. It was totally unlike her, and she didn’t even trust herself to speak.
“Hey,” Dave said, stretching out by her side and scooping her into his arms. “What’s wrong?”
“I…” she began, closing her eyes in concentration.
Dave didn’t press her. Instead, he held her and dropped kisses onto any part of her face he could reach.
“I wish you could too.”
“I’ll have to go soon,” he said.
Rose tensed. She didn’t want him to go. “I’m sorry.”
He withdrew. “What for?”
“For… being so pathetic.”
“Pathetic?” he echoed. He let go of her, and Rose suddenly wanted him to go so she could curl up and have a good cry. “Rose, you… it was wonderful. You’re so generous and open and honest.”
She stared at him.
“If I failed you…” he began, and suddenly it dawned on her that, despite the mind-blowing orgasms they’d shared, both of them felt insecure. She’d never have thought that Dave would doubt himself so, but she quickly realised that she should have. It occurred to her that he had just seen a completely new side of her, and vice versa. They had taken a huge step, and again she wondered if it hadn’t been too soon after all.
“You didn’t fail me, Dave. I feel I failed you. It’s just… it’s so new, and… and I haven’t slept with anyone in years, and it’s just so overwhelming.”
“Oh, Rose, I wanted this,” he continued, “I want to be with you. As much as I can.”
“So do I.”
They smiled at each other, embracing and kissing. They held each other for a while.
“I’ll have to go,” Dave said eventually. Dusk was falling so it must be late already, later than usual for him to return from footie practice and drinks.
“Yeah.” Rose didn’t move.
“I don’t want to go.”
“You have to, my love.”
They were silent for a few beats, enjoying their closeness.
“Would you call me a cab?”
Rose hummed her agreement, reluctant to move. She wished he didn’t have to go back to his kids. That they could hide away from the world for the night and make love again. But then she let go of him. She was being selfish. “You should leave some toiletries here so you won’t smell of girly soap when you go home.”
“Evie loves your shower gel,” he said, dropping a kiss on her nose. “Actually, I’ve got my own in my sports bag. But I’ll get the condoms. I feel stupid for not even asking about protection.”
“I suppose you aren’t used to it any more,” Rose said.
Dave stared at her, and she realised that Rita had made contraception her business. “No, I suppose not,” he said.
Rose kissed him and sent him off to the bathroom with a gentle slap on his sexy behind.
When he closed the door to the bathroom behind him, Rose reluctantly climbed out of bed and slid into her clothes. She’d take a shower later. She picked up the dishes and went downstairs to kitchen to make the call. Already, a plan was forming in her mind to spend a whole night with Dave so that for once they wouldn’t have to go through the nightingale-and-not-the-lark routine.
She looked out into the darkening garden and decided to open the patio door again to let in some fresh air. It was considerably cooler and it raised goosebumps on her still overheated skin. She wanted nothing more than to take a shower and crawl into bed. She’d change the sheets the next day; for tonight, she wanted to be surrounded by the rich, earthy smell of their love-making.
After enjoying the cool air for a few moments Rose sat down at the counter and picked up the spoon she had brought down from the bedroom unused. Suddenly, she felt ravenous. She turned on a few of the lights, taking care to keep the lighting to a bare minimum; somehow, turning on the overhead lights felt like breaking the spell that had made the evening so magical.
She jumped a little when Dave wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her below her ear. “Hey you.”
“Mm,” she hummed. “You smell good. Would you like some?” She gave him the extra spoon. “Your cab should be here in a few minutes.”
Dave looked at the spoon thoughtfully before he put it onto the counter top. “I’d rather hold and kiss you.”
Rose smiled, dropping her spoon to turn into his embrace where she was seated on the stool. The scent of Dave’s shower gel filled her nostrils and she closed her eyes, sighing in appreciation as his body heat warmed her. They kissed deeply.
“The dessert tastes much better this way,” he said, licking his lips. Rose smiled, took another bite of the dessert and kissed him again. Eventually, a sharp knock on the door separated them. Dave touched her forehead with his. “I’ll see on Wednesday, “ he whispered.
“Yes,” Rose replied just as softly. Although they might see each other before Wednesday they stuck to saying good-bye until their fixed dates. After one last of kiss he opened the front door, picked up his bag and hurried out into the rain. The headlights of the taxi cut bright wedges into the near darkness as it stood parked at the kerb.
-:-
When Dave opened the door, he heard hushed voices coming from the lounge, and they didn’t belong to the children. He recognised Lottie’s voice, her laughter, and he wondered what was going on. He pushed open the door to find Anna and Robin sitting on the sofa, Anna equipped with a glass of white wine, while Robin and Lottie held mugs in their hands.. There was no trace of the bairns, and a quick glance at his watch told him that it was long past their bedtime. He’d missed Evie’s bedtime ritual. Guilt gave his heart an uncomfortable squeeze.
Lottie was the first to notice him. “Hi, Dave.”
“Hello.” He bent to kiss Anna’s cheek and accepted Robin’s hand as his brother-in-law half-rose in greeting. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot about the time. Have you been here long?”
“We came over to see the kids and give Lottie a night off, but somehow…” Anna said. “How was practice?”
“A bit wet, I’d wager,” offered Robin.
“Aye,” Dave said. “We cancelled and went to the pub instead.” At least he didn’t have to lie about the cancelling bit.
“As for the reason and an explanation of why we’re here,” Robin began, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket, “forgive me for being so blunt, but we really need to get home. Early start tomorrow.”
Dave slumped inwardly. If this was about the compensation, he’d scream. He didn’t want to h
ear about it. There was no amount of money that could make up for Rita’s death. In fact, taking the money felt like accepting her death and the police’s apology. They’d be buying his forgiveness, and he would never give it to them. Accepting the money felt like a mockery, as if a cheque could make things better.
“Dave, please,” Robin said. “Maybe we should discuss this in private.”
Dave found himself nodding. He’d just had the most wonderful evening; why did reality have to bludgeon him like this? They moved to the kitchen, where Dave moved to the fridge for a glass of water. He’d had enough alcohol that night, and he knew he needed to be as prepared, as mentally clear, as possible for what Robin had to tell him. Somehow he knew that this time, his soft spoken brother-in-law wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Stuart’s firm sent me this,” he said, holding out the letter for him.
Dave took it. “What’s it about?”
“Compensation. The amount his firm are aiming for,” Robin said. “You’d better have a seat.”
Dave slumped heavily onto his chair. He unfolded the letter and skipped right to the amount of money Robin had mentioned. The figure made his eyes boggle and he wondered if the alcohol were affecting him in any way.
“Think of it as the children’s future,” Robin said. “No amount of money can make up for losing their mum, but at least you can make sure that they can do anything they want, even without Rita’s income.”
Robin was right, of course. But the amount in the letter was far beyond his wildest dreams. He wouldn’t spend a single penny of it on himself. It was the children’s money. “We won’t get it, though, will we? I mean, this is preposterous.” He chucked the letter onto the table, where it landed with a sharp noise thanks to the folds. It was a very solid sound.
His brother-in-law didn’t say anything, just took a sip of his tea. He gave him a long hard stare that told Dave he probably would get the money.
“When?” Dave squeaked. “When’s the trial?”
“In a week from Tuesday.”
David exhaled slowly. He’d need to talk to Rose about this. This money would seriously change their lives.
“Dave,” Robin said, sitting on the chair next to him. “Are you going to accept this?”
Dave looked up numbly. He still hadn’t taken the amount in. His thoughts were reeling. They could all go on that working holiday, easily, and not have to worry about accommodation. He told Robin as much.
“You do realise that that wouldn’t even put so much as a dent in the trusts?”
“Trusts?”
“I suggest that you set up trusts for the children. You’ll have to get bank accounts to garner interest and make the money available to them when they leave school. Or you invest in their education before. Anna’s very keen on the idea of sending them to better schools,” Robin explained.
“But they’re happy where they are. The school’s good,” Dave protested. He needed to focus on the familiar.
Robin smiled. “That’s what I was thinking. It’s your decision.”
Dave nodded, still dizzy.
“So, are you going to accept that as compensation?”
He nodded dumbly. He’d be stupid not to. It was about the children’s future. With his income, and even if they’d had Rita’s when she was fully trained, they’d never have been able to offer all four of the bairns such comfort, the best possible education. If anything good were to come of Rita’s death, it was this.
Robin sighed in relief. “Good. I need to pass that on to Stuart’s firm tomorrow.”
“He’s not involved, is he?” Dave asked.
“Not professionally, no. But if Lucy wants him there I’m afraid we can’t stop him.”
“Aye.” Stuart was as much Lucy’s Dad as he was; he didn’t have it in him to argue, no matter how much he wanted Lucy back. He didn’t want her to hate him. He downed his water in one large gulp.
If only Rose were here to discuss this with him. As Vitex heiress she knew much more about money than he did; he was happy if there was enough money in his account to cover the expenses and the bills. Having more money than he needed had never been much of an issue. He did have a savings account with his mother’s money in it, but he’d sworn to never touch it unless absolutely necessary. He’d only ever dipped into it to set up the studio. His father had urged him to make use of it instead of letting it rot in the account, but Dave had always been reluctant to spend the money. Mum would have wanted him to spend it on something meaningful; a bike or a family holiday didn’t live up to that description. If he was honest, he didn’t know what did, apart from his studio.
“Dave?”
He looked up. Lottie was standing just inside the door. Had Anna and Robin left? He hadn’t heard them leave.
“Are you all right? You look as pale as chalk,” she said, moving towards him to take the empty glass and fill it with more water.
“A ghost. We’re as pale as ghosts,” he said softly. “I feel like I’ve seen one. Rita’s, to be precise.” He gestured for Lottie to sit and told her about the compensation. Lottie was speechless. “It’s for the kids, right? I’m doing this for the kids.”
“You’re afraid,” she pointed out.
“Yes, Lottie.”
“Don’t be. Sleep on it, and then try to find someone who you trust to do the right thing with your money,” she said. “Because I’m not trustworthy. I have a million ideas of what to do with that amount of money.”
Dave smiled. Lottie wasn’t the fashion girl. “Like what?”
“The house. You could get a bigger one.”
“It’s my mother’s house. But I know what you mean. It’s a bit small for all of us.”
Lottie smiled. “See? It’s not that difficult.”
“It’s for the bairns.”
“Who says an extension isn’t? An additional bathroom or two? There’ll be enough money left to put in a trust for all four of them,” she reassured him.
“You sure you’re no good with money?” he asked.
Lottie laughed. “Oh yes.” Then she did something surprising. She stood, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on his cheek. “Don’t worry, Dave. Good night.”
“Gute Nacht, Lottie,” he said, smiling.
“I’m glad you’re happy. You deserve it,” she said softly, then she left the room. Dave stared after her. Then he realised. He smelled fresh from the shower although he’d said he’d cancelled practice.
Chapter 27
On their third night together, under the cover of darkness, he rolled over to his wife and caressed her until their mutual timidity dissolved.
– Rosie Alison, The Very Thought of You
Part 4
Twenty-Seven
“You are perfect!” Dave said in between laughs. “In every way.” He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have her. Kissing her hungrily, he backed her against the wall of the hotel room, bracing himself with one hand by her head to avoid crushing Rose. She giggled in between his kisses, her hands at his waist drawing him closer to her.
She had surprised him at lunchtime, after he’d sent her a text telling her that his usually trusty family car had broken down, stranding him in the Highlands after an early-morning shoot. Not being able to see Rose that afternoon had upset him more than the trouble with the car. But she’d texted him back, urging him not to move and have lunch instead — she’d arrange for something. The AA had already arrived, but it would take till the following morning for them to get the spare part they needed to fix it. When Rose had told him not to worry he’d assumed that somehow she’d make the spare part materialise earlier than that so that they could at least have dinner together. Instead, she’d sent a taxi that had taken him to a romantic hotel on the rocky shores of a small loch.
“It’s Wednesday,” she said, as if that explained everything. It did, really, and he dropped his hands to her waist, freeing the tails of her blouse. The need to feel her skin against his was overwhe
lming. Jolts of pleasure travelled from his fingertips and along his spine straight to his groin.
“Yes,” he sighed, leaving her lips to kiss her jaw and taste her neck. “Rose.”
“I’m here, Dave,” she said, her voice thick with worry and delight at the same time.
“I’ve missed you. So much.”
“And I you, my love,” she murmured, tilting her head to allow him access to her throat, her fingers weaving into the hair at the back of his neck.
Bigger on the inside: Space, Time Travel, Alien Criminals (A Space Time Travel Mystery Book 1) Page 29
