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Authors: Sally Wentworth

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BOOK: Semi-Detached Marriage
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Chris Martin out to talk about his job. But
even here he authority in his manner came through; Chris recognised it at once
and spoke to him in a deferring tone, even though Simon was only about eight
years older. 'And you?' Chris was asking him. 'What do you do?'

'Oh, I'm a general dogs body for the Mullaine
Group. I have to try and sort out the problems with

oo their various subsidiary companies,' Simon
answered lightly.

'Mullaine's I've heard of them. They've got
interests all over the world, haven't they?'

'Yes,' Simon admitted, 'I get around quite a
bit.' The bell rang, interrupting the conversation, and they both got up to
welcome their last guests, Julia and John Russell, who were old friends, having
been neighbours of Cassie's parents before her marriage. They were more Simon's
age and John was almost as successful in his own line of business as Simon was.
He had started his own textile manufacturing company soon after leaving
university and, after some initial setbacks, had built it up into a thriving
business that specialised in unusual fabrics for the up-market dress
manufacturers. So, in a roundabout way, he and Cassie were both in the rag
trade and often helped one another if they had the opportunity, John by letting
Cassie know if he'd supplied material for garments he thought she might be
interested in and Cassie by recommending

John to the manufacturers she bought from, an
arrangement that had often been advantageous to both of them.

They sat down to dinner quite shortly
afterwards, and Cassie was pleased to see that her guests seemed to get on
well, John teasing Sue a little so that she laughed and flushed and Julia being
gracious to Chris when she wasn't passing on the latest bits of scandal to
Cassie. Simon, of course, was the perfect host, sitting at the other end of the
table between Sue and Julia and making Sure that everyone's glasses were kept
filled. The boeuf en croute was exactly right when Simon carved it, and Cassie
was able to give an inaudible sigh of relief and really sit back and enjoy her
guests' company, the last small nerve of tension relaxing, knowing now that
nothing could go wrong. Not that this was what she thought of as a business
dinner party, when they entertained the directors of Simon's firm, for example;
no, this was merely for friends who wouldn't mind if the roast was a bit burnt,
but even so-perhaps more so Cassie had tried hard to make everything perfect.

She sat back in her chair and looked at
Simon, whose dark head was turned away as he spoke to Sue. Then, almost as if
she had spoken his name aloud, he glanced up and caught her eye. He grinned,
guessing her thoughts, and lifted his glass in a silent toast of
congratulation. Even as he did so the phone rang and he laughed at the way she
wrinkled up her nose in vexation before he excused himself and went to answer
it on the extension in the bedroom.

He was gone for several minutes and Cassie
raised her eyebrows questioningly when he came back, hoping that this wasn't
another emergency, but he gave a slight shake of his head and she was able to
relax and rum back to talk to John again.

It was late before anyone made a move to
leave, after one in the morning, and Cassie was heartily grateful that tomorrow
was Saturday and she wouldn't have to work. She felt comfortably warm and lazy
from all the wine and good food. They stood at the door, Cassie kissing
everyone goodbye and Simon kissing the girls and shaking hands with John and
Chris as their guests reiterated their thanks. Then the door was closed and
Cassie could yawn luxuriously, able now to show her tiredness.

'That went off very well, I think.' Simon put
the chain on the door and walked into the living-room behind her.

'Mm.' Desultorily Cassie began to collect up
glasses.

'Leave that till the morning.'

'It won't take long.'

He came up behind her and put his hands on
her shoulders. 'You heard me-leave it till tomorrow.' She recognised the note
in his voice immediately and smiled a little as she put down the glasses and
let him gently massage her shoulders.

'Mm, that's nice.'

He continued for a few minutes, his long fingers
expertly relaxing her, making her feel soft and languorous, but then he stopped
and gently pushing aside the curtain of her hair, bent and kissed her neck,
travelling upwards to bite the lobe of her, ear. Cassie leaned back against
him, eyes closed, lips parted as she sighed with pleasure.

'I think you wore that dress on purpose,'
Simon murmured into her ear, his breath warm against her skin. 'You know it
turns me on.'

She laughed softly. 'But, Simon, most of my
dresses seem to turn you on.'

'Mm.' His lips explored the long, graceful
curve of her neck and his hands had found her breasts. 'And your tight jeans,
and bikinis, and those see through nightdresses you wear to tantalise me.'

Cassie turned to face him and put her arms
round his neck. 'That seems to be everything I possess. 'Maybe it's just
because you're in them, then.'

He lowered his head to kiss her and Cassie
felt the familiar flame of sexuality begin to burn in her veins.

Her lips parted under his as she returned his
kiss ardently, eagerly. Simon's arms tightened and he pulled her close against
him put a hand low on her hips, his breathing quickening when she moved
voluptuously.

His voice thick, he said, 'Let's go to bed.'
But Cassie decided to tease him a little. 'But the glasses…'

'To hell with the glasses!' He went to draw
her to- wards the bedroom, but she pulled away. 'No, Simon, I really ought to
rinse them now.' His eyes narrowed, but a second later he realised she was just
playing a game and a devilish glint came into his dark eyes. 'Well, if you
won't go to bed…' And he bore her down on to the deep softness of the carpet.
'Simon!' Cassie pretended to be shocked, but her whole body surged with
excitement and anticipation. It was always like this, had been from the very
start; he had only to kiss her and she wanted him, wanted to touch and be
touched, to love and be loved, to lose herself in passionate abandon until they
reached a dizzying climax of mutual ecstasy.

He tossed his jacket and tic on to the settee
and lay down beside her, kissing her unhurriedly, but his hands and lips
swiftly rousing her to passion as he murmured endearments in her ear. He always
said the most wonderful things when he made love, his words exciting her almost
as much as the things he did to her. She moaned as he fondled her, luxuriating
in his lovemaking, but, as always the first time, impatient to be taken,
wanting him now, now!

But tonight they were interrupted by the
insistent bleep of the telephone, and Cassie groaned as he rolled off her.

'Damn that thing!' Simon swore as he sat up.
'Don't answer it,' Cassie pleaded, but Simon shook his head.

'Can't be done, love, I'm afraid. They know
I'm here.'

He got up and crossed to lift the receiver,
standing with his back to her while he talked. Cassie pulled herself up on to
her knees and leant against the settee, straightening her hair and pushing it
back over her shoulders while she listened to his end of the conversation.

From the sound of it, there was another
emergency in Scotland.

Simon confirmed her guess as soon as he
replaced the receiver. 'It's the oil terminal again, I'm afraid. And this time
the trouble can't be solved over the phone; I'll have to go up there.'

'Oh, Simon, do you have to?'

' 'Fraid so, love.'

Resignedly Cassie went to stand up. 'I'll get
your panic bag for you, then, while you change. Are you going by train?'

'No, in the company plane. They're sending a
car to pick me up.' He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her rising. 'I told
them to get here in half an hour. A lot can happen in half an hour,' he added
with a wicked grin as he dropped to his knees beside her.

'Can it?' Cassie smiled back at him and put
her hands on his shoulders.

'Such as?'

'Such as this, for a start.' And he again
bore her down to the floor.

Simon was ready when the car arrived, but
only just; he had only finished dressing as the chauffeur rang the bell. Cassie
handed him his overcoat and held his

'panic bag'-a fold-over wardrobe case
containing another suit and enough clothes for a two or three-day stay and
which was always kept in readiness-while he shrugged it on. Then he grabbed his
briefcase and was moving towards the door.

'How long do you think you'll be away?' she
asked.    

He shrugged. 'No idea. Depends on how much
co-operation I get.'

'Mother's invited us to dinner on Daddy's
birthday.'

'I should be back easily by then, but I'll
phone you anyway.' He put up a hand to push a stray lock of hair from her
forehead. Her face was flushed, her long hair dishevelled, and there was a
languorous, satiated look about her eyes and mouth. 'You look as if you've been
made love to,' he told her softly.

Cassie smiled and turned her head to kiss his
palm.

'Do I? How do I look?'

'Like a smug, contented cat who's had a
saucer full of cream,' he teased her.

She wrinkled her nose. 'I don't think I like
that.' Simon grinned. 'Didn't you? I liked it very much.' Balling her fist,
Cassie gave him a mock thump on the chest. 'That isn't what I meant.' But then
she was in his arms and he was holding her close. 'Hurry back.'

He kissed her hard once, then more lightly.
'Dream about me.' Then he let her go as he opened the door. 'Don't forget to
put the chain on again. 'Bye, darling.'     

 She heard him greet the chauffeur, and then
the door closed and he was gone.

Slowly Cassie put on the chain and turned
back into the flat. Suddenly it seemed very empty and very silent. She had been
taken to the heights of passion and then back to reality, and the transition
had been too fast; she felt empty now and strangely lonely. But then she
determinedly shrugged off the feeling and

oo went into the
sitting-room to pick up their scattered clothes. She had been left alone in the
flat while Simon was away too often to feel alone or afraid now. She put the
clothes away and looked rather longingly at the bed, but first went into the
kitchen to finish putting the dirty glasses in the dishwasher and turn it on.
She shivered and pulled the bathrobe she was wearing tighter round her; it was
chilly now that the central heating had turned itself off. Tiredly she went
round turning off lights, and got ready for bed, pulling the duvet close around
her shoulders. Half asleep, she turned on her side and stretched an arm across
to the other side of the big bed, then remembered that Simon wasn't there and
curled herself up into a tight ball to fall immediately asleep.

As a fashion buyer, Cassandra only worked
from Monday to Friday, hut whenever she got the chance she would wander round
other department stores to see what the opposition were displaying, so when
Julia phoned her late the next morning to thank her for dinner, Cassie
suggested that she might like to join her for a couple of hours of
window-shopping that afternoon.

'Yes, I'd love to,' Julia agreed. 'I'm a
golfing widow today again; John's playing in some tournament or other. Only for
heaven's sake don't let me buy anything; John's threatened to divorce me if I
do!'

Cassie smiled at Julia's mournful tone. 'Why?
Have you been overspending lately?'

'So I've been informed, in no uncertain
terms. The trouble is I just can't resist buying something I really like. I
bought the most gorgeous evening dress in a little shop in Regent Street last
week and it was a bit pricey, I -must admit. Those little shops never put a price
on the things in their windows, then always charge the earth when you've tried
something on and they know you've fallen in love with it. And heaven knows when
I'll wear it, because John never takes me out anywhere decent anyway.'

'Well, you'll have to take him out instead,'
Cassie replied half flippantly. 'Look, I'll have to go now. I'll meet you at
Oxford Circus station at two, okay?'

'Fine. See you.'

It was a good time to go window-shopping; the
January sales were over and the fashion departments were full of new stock. Cassie
browsed round happily for a couple of hours, making notes on anything that
interested her, while Julia was unable to resist buying a skirt and blouse, but
Cassie firmly stopped her from buying a pair of shoes and a bag to go with the outfit
'You’ve got loads of shoes, Julia, surely you've got a pair you can wear with
them?'

'But none that are exactly this tone of
beige.'

'Well, wear a contrast colour, then. Your
snakeskin shoes would look perfect, much better than an exact match.'

D'you think so?' Julia held the skirt and
shoes together musingly.

'Maybe you're right.' Reluctantly she
replaced the shoes on the stand.

'I know I'm right, I'm not a fashion buyer
for nothing. Come on, these crowds are getting too much.

Let's find somewhere to have a coffee.'

BOOK: Semi-Detached Marriage
9.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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