The things we do for love.

by Anderson, Abigail

  So, for all his, I don’t like it bravado. It did mean something to him that she liked it, she could hear it. As though if she liked his home that reflected how she felt about him. She hid a smile.

  “I… it’s stunning.”

  “Really?”

  “Beautiful.” She stopped as her eyes swept around again in awe. “It’s very… Downton abbey.” She said at last.

  “I’ve always preferred Pemberley.” Vera told her.

  “Pemberley?” Luke asked.

  Vera and Cassie turned sharply to him and saw the uncom-prehending look he wore on his face as though he had never heard of Pemberley before. Philistine. Well, finally, she had managed to find at least one fault that he had.

  Cassie looked at Vera who looked back at her before they both turned to him again and in unison they said.

  “Mr Darcy.” Luke still stared at them blankly for a few more minutes and then shrugged his shoulders, frowned and shook his head.

  “Impossible.” Cassie exclaimed. “You couldn’t possibly not know.”

  “Sorry.” He said.

  “I don’t believe it.” Vera exclaimed as she threw up her hands and brought them down again.

  “I don’t either.” She agreed with Vera in a shocked voice.

  “How could you have not heard of Mr Darcy?” Vera asked him.

  “Have you been living in a goldfish bowl?” Cassie asked him.

  “Um.” And then he grimaced at them again. “No, can’t say I have.”

  “But it’s… it’s...” Cassie looked at Vera and Vera looked at her and then together they both said. “Mr Darcy.” on a breathy wistful sigh.

  “That wet shirt.” Vera said, a contemplative smile appeared on her lips and she developed a glazed faraway look in her eyes.

  “That wet shirt.” Cassie agreed, a contemplative smile appearing on her own lips as she also developed a glazed faraway look in her eyes. Both women sighed loudly and slowly and even made a humph kind of noise.

  “Do you know, I think I just saw my whole life flash before my eyes and I’m not sure if I liked what I saw.” Luke’s voice intruded and both women turned to regard him.

  “You know what your problem is don’t you?” Vera asked him.

  “I have a bossy housekeeper.” He suggested.

  “You have no culture.” Vera corrected.

  “You know what your problem is don’t you?” Luke threw back.

  “Yes… you.” Vera told him.

  “Pride and prejudice.” Cassie said.

  “What is?” Luke turned to her.

  “Pemberley, Mr Darcy, that wet shirt. Pride and prejudice. Jane Austen.”

  “Ah…” Luke said.

  “Ah… what?” Cassie asked.

  “Ah… nothing.” Luke said before shaking his head and smiling at her.

  “Ah… something.” She told him, narrowing her eyes.

  “You are probably right.” Luke agreed. “Vera, why don’t you show Cassie into the drawing room while I take her case upstairs and I will join you in a minute.” And then he was heading for the stairs before she could stop him.

  “Good, you can stand up for yourself. He needs that.” Vera told her and Cassie laughed.

  “Thank you. I think.”

  “Yes well, you don’t want him to get too big for his britches.”

  “I shall keep it in mind.”

  “This way dear.” Vera said as she put an arm around her.

  “Actually is there a bathroom I could use?”

  “Oh yes, there’s one just over there.” And Vera steered her in that direction. “I’ll wait here.” She told her.

  Cassie opened the door and stepped inside feeling on the wall for the light switch. She found it and flipped it then gasped as she took in the room.

  All shiny marble and intricate carvings across the high ceilings. Wow the room was big. Her own modest home could have fit inside this one room.

  Why would you need such a big room for just a toilet, bath, shower and a sink? And whatever that strange looking contraption in the corner was?

  Best not to ask, she decided. Instead Cassie used the facilities and washed her hands, and then felt guilty as now the sink had splash marks in it.

  Okay, so that was what a sink was for, she knew that. But it had looked new and unused.

  Cassie made her way out of the bathroom. Vera had been good to her word and was waiting for her in the hall so that she could show her into the drawing room.

  An open fire had been made up and the room was warm and inviting. The lights were dimed low casting shadows on the walls. It was all dark woods and creams and burgundy fabrics. All very nice, all very decadent. “Here sit yourself on the sofa.” Vera told her as she plumped up a couple of cushions. Probably unnecessary.

  Cassie did not argue with her, instead she unwrapped herself from the fleece blanket and she did as she was told. Relaxing against the plump soft cushions as she felt the warmth of the fire on her skin.

  Luke joined them a moment later and sauntered over to the sofa. “I shall leave you to it then.” Vera said as she turned to leave but then called over her shoulder. “And don’t you be going and blowing it.” And then she was gone.

  “What did she mean by that?” Cassie asked Luke.

  “You really don’t want to know.” Luke told her and she smiled. He was probably right. “Would you like anything to drink?” Luke asked her.

  “Oh no, thank you I am fine.” She told him.

  “How’s the head?” He reached up a hand to brush her hair away from the small wound to inspect it. His warm fingers brushing against her skin and she shivered but not from cold.

  “I’ll live, I think. Just my luck a head injury on top of alcohol. Bad combination.”

  “You only had two glasses of wine and one glass of champagne.” He told her with a smile. My, he had been watching her closely, hadn’t he?

  Now she really was self-conscious. How much had he seen, what had he been able to tell from watching her all evening? Had he sussed her out as it were. Had she given herself away. She fidgeted in her chair with embarrassment.

  “I, yes well. I don’t really drink.” She explained.

  “I would think your mother put you off.” Luke agreed quietly

  “Yes.” She said. “I guess she did.”

  “I can’t say I am a big drinker myself.”

  “No?” she watched him shake his head.

  “I’ve seen the emergency room on a weekend.” He grimaced.

  “You must see some pretty horrible things.” She agreed.

  “It has its moments.” He agreed. “Not so much these days. I managed to buy into a practice, so I am a g.p now.”

  “But you still do the odd hospital shift.” She said.

  “I do occasional surgeries. Nothing more. Minor stuff really.” He waved it away as though it were nothing. And maybe to him it was.

  “You have a lovely home.” She told him.

  “I told you I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.” Luke derided. “Didn’t I warn you?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that.” She said. His mouth gave a twisted cynical smile.

  “I guess.” He shrugged.

  “Why do you hate it so much?”

  “I guess because you end up being stuck between two worlds. Not really belonging to one or the other.”

  “I don’t understand.” She said as she frowned.

  “You don’t belong with the self-made rich men and you don’t belong with the working class that you work alongside.”

  “Ah.” She said.

  “Ah… what?” Luke asked as he smiled.

  “Ah… nothing.”

  “Ah… something.” He said and she giggled.

  “Why don’t you cut your own path, design your own world.” She asked him.

  “You make that sound so easy, but it isn’t.”

  “It can be if you let it.”

  “You should stand up to Faye and agree for her to
go get the help she needs.” Luke told her.

  “You make that sound so easy, but it isn’t.”

  “It can be if you let it.” A soft laugh escaped her lips.

  “Tell me about the house.” She asked as she put an arm on the back of the sofa and laid her head on it. She was so tired.

  “The house has been in my family for five generations.” He said now. “My great, great, great, great, great grandfather built it. He made his fortune as a prospector or something.”

  “What’s a Prospector?”

  “Panning for gold. Mining for diamonds.” He shrugged. “That kind of thing.”

  “Oh, wow. You should be proud of that. Of your history. I don’t even know who my mother’s parents were.” She said.

  “I am sorry. Maybe one day I will be.” He said.

  He looked over at her then. His eyes sweeping over her tired looking face. She was struggling to keep her eyes open. “Sorry,” He said. “You are tired. Here.” He got up and before she could stop him he leant down and scooped her up into his arms.

  “Oh.” She exclaimed on a gasp and she put her arms around his neck. “I can walk.” She told him as he strode from the room and began the climb up the stairs.

  “I am sure you can. But, for me, this is much more fun.” He said.

  “But I can walk, really I am fine now I promise. No lasting effects from earlier.” She told him.

  “Let me take care of you Cassie.”

  “Yes but…”

  “You don’t need to tough it out on your own all the time.” He told her. “Lean on me for a while.”

  “I guess I have learnt to just lean on myself, depend on me.”

  “That’s because you have never found anyone strong enough for you to lean on.” He said gently. “You have now. So lean on me. I promise I won’t let you fall.” They reached the top of the stairs and he walked down a long corridor before stopping at the threshold of an open bedroom door.

  He stopped as though he were trying to decide something. And then he moved, as though the decision had been made and he turned, moving away from the door and going over to another one and stepping inside.

  He used his foot to nudge the door closed behind them and he carried her around the corner and further into the room.

  The room was massive, the bed was. Wow. Four poster. Carved wooden four poster bed with its own canopy and thick heavy drape curtains that was tied back at each post. It was a bed fit for a princess.

  Or a king, she decided as she noted that this looked like a masculine room, but even without the décor to give it away then the smell of the room had.

  She could smell his aftershave and his scent and knew instinctively that this was not the guest bedroom but the master bedroom. His bedroom. His bed.

  Cassie felt her heart beating erratically as her mouth went dry as she suddenly felt like the fly that had found its way into a spider’s den.

  The only light source on in the room was a single bedside lamp. “The bathroom is there.” He moved her so that she could see the door that led to the bathroom before turning back towards the bed and then placing her down on the already turned down bed gently.

  “Thank you.” She said feeling quite self-conscious. Luke stayed where he was, not moving, leaning over her. “I think I can manage from here.” She said.

  “You’ve still got me.” He told her.

  “Huh…” she frowned.

  “I can’t get up. Your arms are still holding on for dear life.” She heard the note of humour in his voice and something else. Something deep, primitive, sexual.

  She swallowed as she felt the heat infuse her cheeks as she noticed her arms were still around his neck. “Oh.” She said but still she did not move them. Her arms did not respond and her brain had stopped working.

  She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, it hit against her ribcage painfully as everything fell away apart from Luke.

  He was so close, his aftershave filled her lungs as she breathed in the heady scent of spice, vanilla and the natural musk of his skin.

  She took a deep breath in as her tummy did a funny flip and a low instinctual noise escaped her before she had a chance to stop it.

  “Cassie.” It was a husky deep whisper and she raised her eyes to look up at him, her lips parting invitingly as he lowered his head and his own lips captured hers.

  Chapter 29.

  She whimpered against him as his mouth nipped gently at her lips. Touching her, tasting her. She felt his tongue slide across her bottom lip and she moaned.

  Luke’s hands lifted her into a seated position on the bed as he dealt with the zip at the back of her dress. And she felt her dress lifting, he pulled his lips from hers long enough to lift the dress up and over her head.

  A moment later she heard it land on the floor as his mouth captured hers again.

  Gently he laid her back down on the bed as he joined her, lying next to her as his mouth hungrily explored hers. She made a soft keening sound as his hand came up to rest on her stomach.

  She felt his flesh against hers. His hand moved, sweeping upwards slowly, brushing her skin until he found the swell of her breast.

  She drew in breath as his hand kneaded her pliable flesh. She arched her back as he kissed down the column of her throat. Her fingers dug into his hair when his mouth found her nipple. She writhed under the onslaught.

  “O.” she breathed on a sigh. She felt her knickers slipping down her thighs, Luke’s hand guiding them down past her knees and to her ankles until he had removed them.

  He tore his lips away from her so that he could look down at her. A hand smoothing over her skin as his eyes followed the movement from her shoulder. Down over her breast. Across her stomach. Over her hip bone and down to her knee before starting the journey back.

  “Cassie.” He bent his head once more to kiss her, urging her to open her mouth wider for him so that he could dip all of his tongue into her mouth. He filled her mouth completely and she whimpered against him.

  She cried out as Luke’s fingers found the sensitive area between her legs. She heard him groan as he stroked her, slowly. Enjoying the feel of her skin.

  “Luke.” She whispered his name. she clutched at his shoulders. She wanted to feel his skin and she tugged at his jacket. Luke obliged her and shrugged himself out of his jacket and his shirt followed a moment later.

  Her hands were free to enjoy the feel of his skin now, they roamed over the muscled shoulders, down his arm and back again to his back. “O.” She exclaimed as his fingers became firmer. She felt the spiralling pleasure spreading out.

  She felt him shrug out of his trousers and then he took her hand and guided her to him. Her fingers wrapped around his hardness without a second bidding and she heard Luke take in a breath.

  His lips trailed kisses across her ribcage, down across her stomach before coming to the triangle between her legs. His hand gently parted her legs and she felt his tongue stroking her in the same way his fingers had been just moments before.

  She took in a deep breath as his tongue became faster, firmer. Her muscles clenched and tightened. She curled her fingers in the sheet holding on tight as she slipped over the edge and she was left shuddering against him. “Luke.” She cried out.

  Luke’s hand found its way into her hair as he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him. She instinctively knew what he was asking and she trailed little kisses down across his chest, his abdomen.

  “Cassie.” Luke groaned her name as her tongue gently touched the tip of his penis and she took him into her mouth. He sighed, a long drawn out sound. It excited her and she moved up and down on him getting into a rhythm. Luke’s fingers held on to her hair, stopping it from falling around her face as he looked down to watch her.

  That felt so good, it was like sweet torture. She sped up, managing to take all of him into her mouth right down to the base and back up again where her tongue flicked across the head before she came all the way back down again and st
arted the movement again.

  He grabbed at her then. Pulling her away. He couldn’t take any more of that. He pulled her up against him, rolling so that he pinned her to the mattress and he rested himself between her legs.

  Cassie brought up a hand and touched his face. His hand covered hers and he turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand.

  His fingers curled around hers and he held her hand as he entered her. A contented sigh escaped his lips as her warm flesh accepted him and wrapped around him tightly. “Your beautiful.” He told her. “So beautiful.” He thrust himself back and forth in slow rhythmic motions.

  Cassie’s hips matched his movements. Moving back and forth and she heard him groan. She felt the kick of satisfaction, the pleasure of knowing that what she was doing he was enjoying and so she did it again and then for good measure she did it again.

  Luke’s hand came to her hip. His thumb tracing the curvature of her hip bone as he continued thrusting. His other hand still holding hers in a soothing gesture. Their fingers interlocked.

  She wrapped her legs around him, his tempo changed became quicker. His body shifted position so that he could enter her deeper. Her body arched as she felt the wave of another orgasm begin.

  She arched her body, she moved her hips. Her nails biting into his shoulder. And then she was shuddering again as she rode the wave to the highest peak and fell over the edge, a few seconds later Luke followed her.

  Luke held her in his arms as their breathing returned to normal. He stroked her hair and placed gentle kisses on her shoulder, her face, the tip of her nose.

  And then he moved to her side and pulled her up against him. Wrapping his arms around her and curving his body around so that his front was lying tight up against her back.

  Cassie slept better than she had in a very long time. Curled up beside Luke until she woke as the sun was slipping through the curtains.

  Already her body riding towards the highest point of an orgasm. She groaned as the sleep faded from her brain as she realised that Luke’s hand was the reason for her aroused state.

  She felt his breath on the back of her shoulder and she whimpered as her body tensed and then she was shuddering against him, calling out to him as he entered her from behind.