The Lies We Tell (13 page)

“I’m right with you on the giving and receiving head thing and as you can see, happy to indulge your interest in bondage. As far as position goes, my preference is to take you from behind, so I guess we’ll have to take turns.” She strained a little against the cuffs as she tried to make his finger press harder against her. In response, Todd pulled his hand away.

Sia frowned. “Trust me,” he whispered. She took a deep breath and smiled. He started to gently caress her clitoris again, this time with his thumb.

“My turn on is sex out in the open.” On the word sex, he pushed a finger inside her wet pussy. The walls tried to cling to him as Sia gasped. “Beaches, forests, out on the lawn. One of my great regrets with this apartment is that I don’t have a balcony. I’d love to fuck you out on a balcony, where anyone with a view could see.”

Her body tightened and her hands clenched around the chain of the cuffs. Her breathing sharpened, became shallower and Todd rejoiced in the wonder of enticing her, pleasing her, bringing her close to orgasm.

“One of my favourites is in water. I love how the difficulty in gaining purchase means there’s less friction and so it goes on and on and on.” His finger moved in and out of her, juices running from her body. His cock twitched as he began to recover from his own explosion.

He started to press on her clitoris harder. “There’s a great way we can combine both our loves. There’s the spa at home. I’ll leave the door unlocked, so there’s every chance Paul could walk in. What do you think of that, Sia? How hard would you come if Paul opened the door while you were riding my cock?”

Sia cried out, her body spasmed and his finger was squeezed hard as she came. He thought about feeling that on his cock and made a solemn vow — that would be next.

He kept his hand pressed against her, inside her, until her body fully relaxed, slumping into the mattress. Then he let her go. He grabbed the key and undid the first of the cuff locks. He intended to undo the second, but then Sia reached up and pulled him down.

He fell on top of her and tried to move off her, ready to apologise but then she wrapped her legs around his hips, holding him to her.

“Perfection,” she murmured in his ear.

Todd held her and rolled to his side so he could keep her pinned to him without crushing her. Then he buried his face in her neck, took a deep breath and sighed.

Yes, it was definitely going to take more than a night.

Satisfied — for the moment at least — Sia lay in Todd’s arms.

What luck, that he’d not only be so good to look at, so good to touch, but that he’d have a similar sense of sensuality to hers.

It was easy to foresee many hours of fun in Todd Lansing’s bed.

Which brought up the thought of what she was going to do about her father. Sia shook it away. Tomorrow was early enough to worry about the realities of how to make this work.

Tonight was all about indulging the fantasy.

“You’re thinking about your father.”

Sia blinked and arched her back to look Todd in the eye. “How did you know?”

“You went cold there for a moment. It seemed the logical explanation. Are you regretting this?”

“No. No, no, no, no, no.” She punctuated each with a quick kiss. “I was worrying about how we’re going to make this work, then decided I wasn’t going to worry until tomorrow.”

“But we are going to try to make this work? I’m not going to be one of your one night stands?”

She cupped his face in her hands. “No, you’re not.”

She shied away from considering what he could actually be and kissed him, long and deep.

“I’m here to help with your dad. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Sia sighed and cuddled against his chest again. “I just wish I understood why he’s so against you. From the very beginning, there’s been so many things about this that haven’t made sense.”

“What do you mean?” Todd’s hand moved over her back, tracking shapes in a manner that was both comforting and arousing.

“Do you know what he stole?” She felt Todd shake his head, his chin moving over the top of her head. “Papers. And what I thought at the time was a big stamp but I know now was a seal.”

This time, it was Todd who arched back to look at her. “Papers and a seal?”

“Financial papers. A couple of files of them, and some printouts. I remember standing in his bedroom door, staring at them on the bed and thinking to myself, ‘You break into the house of one of the richest families in town and this is what you take?’.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“I guess he couldn’t get anything else cause he was disturbed. Which member of your family was it that saw him?”

Todd frowned. “None of us. It was a neighbour who reported it. She was walking the dog, happened to look down at the house from the road and saw your father slipping out of a window. Took note of the numberplate of the car parked outside, went home and called the police.”

“They came so quickly, I assumed someone in your family must have caught him. She saw him leaving the house?”

“Yes.”

“So he had time to steal something else? But didn’t? It really doesn’t make sense.”

“Let’s not think about it tonight.” Todd moved close to her again. “We’ve got better things to do with our time.”

They lay in silence. Sia was finding it hard not to think about her father, then realised the silence probably meant Todd was as well.

“Stop thinking about him,” she said.

“You stop thinking about him.”

“I’m naked in your arms. My breasts against your chest. My pussy hot and wanting action. Think about that instead.” Sia draped her thigh over Todd’s hip, bringing their pelvises into better alignment. There, she could feel that Todd was starting to prepare for round two. Time for more anticipation.

“Who was your first?”

“I beg your pardon?” His voice rang with shock at the impertinent question.

“Who was your first? Tell me.” She shimmied her hips, gently massaging his growing erection.

“Keep doing that and I’ll tell you whatever you want.”

“First fuck.” She shimmied again.

“Louise Thatcher.”

Sia laughed. “Oh, Todd. What a disappointment.”

“All right. I know Louise had a reputation, and I daresay it was well-deserved. But I was seventeen and a girl was freely offering me sex. I’m only human.”

“What was it like?”

“Good. Great. Had a fabulous month of mindless sex and then she broke my frickin’ heart when she moved onto the next guy. Thought I’d never recover, then you hopped on the bus with your short skirt and tight blouse and all was well.”

“You know, I think I still have that uniform somewhere.”

“Mercy.” He put his hand on her buttocks and pressed her tight against what was now a fully-fledged and ready to go erection.

“Want to know about my first?”

“Not particularly.” Todd nibbled on her ear.

“It was bad. I was nineteen and he was the lead singer of band who’d just done a show at the town hall. By the time I got off work, he was too drunk to really get it up. Ever since then I’ve had a golden rule — never sleep with a guy who’s had too much to drink. Remember that.”

“Believe me, I’ll not do anything to ruin the possibility of an erection when you’re around.” He rolled her over and pressed his hips against hers.

“I’m glad to hear it. I can get very nasty if I’m promised sexual splendour and I don’t get it.”

“Do you think we can stop talking about our sexual history and get onto the real thing?”

Sia looked up at Todd, his eyes dark and smiled. “From behind, did you say?”

She was laughing as he kissed her.

Sia’s eyes snapped open. That was her phone, ringing, in the other room.

It stopped and she considered not checking it, then sighed. The sunlight cascading in the window told her clearly that it was morning. The night, the fantasy time with Todd, was over.

She slid out from under his arm and leg, aches and pains reminding her of how thoroughly her body had been pleasured during the night. She padded out into the lounge room and pulled her phone from her purse on the dining table.

It beeped to acknowledge a message received as she did so. She went back into the bedroom, noting the time. Eight am. They had to leave Sydney by ten so she could be at work by two that afternoon.

“I hope you don’t think you’re going anywhere.”

Sia looked up from her phone and sighed. Todd had thrown off the covers and her eyes moved over his wonderfully muscled body, lingering on his erection. It wasn’t fair that she didn’t have all the time in the world to enjoy him.

She should be sated — they’d barely had any sleep last night. It had been hours before they’d managed to succumb, and they’d woken at some point in the early dawn and feasted on each other again before another nap.

But here she was, body responding to his.

“I have to go back to Oberon soon.” She hit the buttons and held the phone to her ear. The message was from Sienna to find out if Sia was returning in their car or going back with Todd.

“If you’re coming with us, we’re having breakfast in the café downstairs in one hour so we’ll see you there,” Sienna said.

“How long will it take to get from here to the city?” Sia said as she disconnected.

“Fifteen minutes. Why?”

“We’re meeting Sienna, Mary and Jim for breakfast before I head back with them.”

Todd sat up. “I can take you back.”

“I don’t think anyone should see us together, in case they report back to Dad.”

Todd rubbed his hand over his chin. “We’re going to have to be that discreet?”

“I think so. For now, anyway.” She looked at the clock. “It’s eight oh five. We need to be at the cafe at nine, which means leaving here eight forty five at the latest. So that gives us forty minutes.” She looked directly at his erection, and then smiled at Todd. “How does a long shower sound, Mr I-Like-Sex-in-Water?”

“It sounds like a very good idea,” Todd said.

They were ten minutes late — they’d managed to leave the shower well enough when the hot water ran out, but getting dressed had been another matter entirely.

“Well, good morning.” Mary smiled brightly at them. Jim shook his head. Sienna was grinning madly.

“Get it over with,” Sia said as she and Todd sat.

“I’ve ordered a big breakfast for you both. I figured you’d need the energy,” Mary said.

“And coffee. I’m guessing you didn’t sleep much,” Jim said.

“I’m sure I’m too young to be hearing this,” said Sienna.

“Thank you, thank you, and don’t play innocent with me, young lady.” Sia nodded her responses to each one of them.

“So, tell us everything.” Sienna leant forward, eyes shining.

“No.”

“Pooh.”

“And you have to promise not to tell Dad.”

“What? Why?” Sienna’s eyes scanned from Sia to Todd.

“Dad’s banned me from seeing Todd.”

“But you’re dating anyway? Oh, how romantic.” Mary clapped her hands together.

“Very Romeo and Juliet,” Sienna agreed.

“This isn’t a joke. Dad’s really against this, and we’re going to have to tread carefully.”

“Of course.” Sienna reached over and put her hand on Sia’s. Sia noted that her sister’s bruise had totally faded. “But you have to allow that when he’s not around, we’re going to have fun with it.”

Sia looked at Todd who shrugged. “She has a point.”

“Be careful,” Sia said and Sienna nodded.

The next hour passed in mirth and with a lot of laughter. Sia was delighted how easily Todd fit in with her friends. Perhaps their relationship wouldn’t be so private after all.

Saying goodbye to Todd was hard — especially when she was unsure when she’d see him again. But he held her tight and kissed her softly and told her not to worry, it would work out.

On the trip back, Mary and Sienna tried to come up with ways for Sia and Todd to spend time together without Frank finding out.

Continuing Maria’s painting lessons wouldn’t work, since Frank’s aim was supposed to keep her from all the Lansings. However, starting a weekly card night at Mary and Jim’s, with Todd also invited, was a promising idea.

Sienna’s suggestion that Sia take up bushwalking, so she’d have an excuse to leave town and meet up with Todd elsewhere, brought to mind Todd’s confession that he liked to make love outdoors and so she didn’t hear much of the rest of the ideas, her mind taken up with imagining the sun beating down on her back as she rode Todd to their mutual pleasure.

Frank, Brock and Ebonny were out when the sisters were dropped home. Sia had a shower, got changed and went into work. She spent the shift with her mind caught up on how she could organise to see Todd again. Then Frank came in.

“And here’s my talented, beautiful daughter.” He walked directly toward Sia with a wide smile. “Get me an OJ, love.”

For a moment Sia was frozen, unable to move at the reappearance of the loving, caring father she so missed. Then she got him his drink.

“I heard how well you did last night. What a wonder you are.” Frank raised the glass to her before sipping on it.

Ken, working the bar with her, leant in and whispered, “What’s he on?”

Sia shooed him away. “I wish you could have been there, Dad.”

“So do I. Did you really have two people each offering a hundred grand to buy one of your paintings?”

Sienna must have told him about the bidding war for nine one seven five. Sia had an uneasy feeling this conversation wouldn’t turn out as she hoped. “That’s right. Nearly all the works sold on the night. Mr Cochrane was very happy.”

“How long does it take you to do a painting?”

Sia tried to control the joy that threatened to overwhelm her. Her father had never shown any interest in her art before. “A few months, from initial inspiration to when I’m satisfied with it.”

“You’re working on each painting for that time?”

“On and off. Work on it for a while, then take some time away from it, then work on it some more. Some come together easier than others. If you total up the actual time I stand at the canvas, it’s a few days to a week for a painting.”

Frank shook his head. “A hundred grand for a week’s work. That’s incredible.”