Third Time Lucky (11 page)

I think she’s called to Valentina, who doesn’t seem to have replied. Robert shuts the door and a few moments later the car pulls away, leaving Emma watching from the steps. Knowing this is way too good to miss, I run
downstairs into the hall and find Emma shrugging off her rucksack.

‘Hi there,’ she says, scrunching up her face in bewilderment. ‘Am I hallucinating or was that Valentina leaving just now? What have I missed?’

I give her a huge hug – I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to see her. ‘Come in. I’ll tell you later,’ I mutter, helping her with her bags.

Later that evening, I’m sitting in the library with my laptop. Before dinner, Emma and I had a good catch-up and I filled her in on most of the day’s goings on. By evening, peace finally seems to have broken out in the house. Emma is in her room, Skyping her friends. Alexander has kept to his study – working, presumably, though whether it’s on his course or estate business, I don’t know. Earlier on, some officer from his regiment turned up at the house, and he’s been even more distracted ever since. I think the consequences of his injury and the effect it may have on his career, at least temporarily, have begun to hit home and it’s no wonder he’s been even quieter than usual.

The officer has long gone now and Alexander walks in to join me, carrying a bottle. ‘Want a drink?’ he asks, holding up some red wine. ‘I thought we could both do with one.’

‘Sounds good, but are you supposed to drink alcohol on your meds?’ I say, only half teasing.

He
gives me an ‘Am I bothered?’ glare. ‘I’m not supposed to do a lot of things, but you’ll have to open it, I’m afraid. There’s a corkscrew and some glasses in the cabinet.’

After I’ve poured the wine, Alexander stands in front of the fireplace with his glass while I curl up on the leather chaise. Although it’s April, it’s cool enough for a fire, and the room is pink with the glow of the setting sun and flickering flames. I love the tang of woodsmoke; it reminds me of winters at home. It seems like a very long time since January, when we were last together as a family, and I’m shocked to feel a pang of homesickness. Maybe it’s a good thing my parents are visiting after all. They’re due to arrive in a couple of weeks’ time, though I’m still waiting to hear about the flight details.

‘Penny for them?’ he asks as I sip my wine.

‘Oh, I was only thinking of home. We have a fire in the sitting room sometimes. My dad loves to light one if he’s not working or flying round the country, which is rare.’

‘I’m sure he’s a very busy man. But I’ll get to meet him soon, won’t I?’

‘I guess so …’

‘Hmm, you don’t sound too keen.’ He watches me thoughtfully from the fireplace. ‘Lauren, I wish you’d told me about Valentina sending that video.’

‘There never seemed a good time, honestly, and we were past all that. I didn’t want to go over it again, and it seemed irrelevant after your accident. I thought it was
better to move on and I had no idea that Valentina would show up here. Not this soon, anyway.’

‘I’d already realized she must have had a hand in it – there was no way anyone but her could have filmed and shared the clip – but I must admit I’m shocked at Rupert’s part in it.’

What can I say? He knows there’s no love lost between Rupert and me. And yet Rupert is his cousin, and was – still is – his friend.

‘Lauren?’ he prompts. Come on, just how much was Rupert involved?’ Clearly I’m not going to get away with not answering this part. ‘Don’t make me resort to interrogation techniques.’ He’s trying to look serious, but the twinkle in his eyes is darkly sexy.

As always, I am powerless when he is like this. I lift my chin up and send him a challenging look. ‘I’m almost tempted to keep schtum, just to see you try some on me.’

He raises his eyebrows, laughing. ‘They’d involve you having no clothes on.’ He takes a step closer.

‘Then I’m definitely not telling you,’ I counter, my insides turning to liquid as I imagine the many things he might do to me with my clothes off.

His eyes are hooded now with desire, but he isn’t quite ready yet to give in.

‘Look, can’t we move on?’ I plead. ‘I honestly don’t know any more than I’ve told you. He and Valentina just decided it would be fun to taunt me when they thought you and I were history. That’s it.’

He
glances away.

‘But why would Rupert do that? To me?’ He stops. For all his jibes at me, all his obvious resentment and jealousy – and envy – of Alexander, Rupert is one of his closest relatives.

‘I don’t know,’ I say, unwilling to speculate.

The smile is fleeting and he says, ‘You know, I can’t let this pass. I’ll have to deal with Rupert.’

Deal with
. I wouldn’t like to be in Rupert’s brogues. ‘Alexander, leave it. You don’t want to upset Letty and your uncle.’

His tone hardens. ‘There’s no need for them to know. I’ll deal with him in my own way.’ He pauses. ‘I’ve also been thinking. Valentina talks a lot of rubbish but maybe she has a point in one respect. It was selfish of me to ask you to stay at Falconbury and keep you away from your family and friends.’

She said that to him? She’s even more cunning than I imagined. ‘You know, Captain Hunt, that doesn’t sound like you at all. Are you suffering from a terrible bout of self-pity?’ I tease, desperately wanting to lighten the situation.

He looks at me steadily and gives a little sigh. And then he laughs. ‘Lauren, you never cease to surprise me, you know?’

I hold out my hand to him. ‘Sit down, Captain Hunt. That’s an order.’

There’s a gleam in his eye as he obeys. ‘I don’t know about you, but I think we both deserve a smoother ride
for a bit,’ he says, looking at me in that way that only Alexander can – as if he can see and feel every inch of me, as if he will never get enough of me.

‘I’m not sure that I want a smooth ride.’ I hold his gaze. ‘Not in one way anyway.’ I watch as his thigh nudges mine and I feel my heart might literally stop beating with the need I feel to kiss him.

‘In that case,’ he smiles, using his good hand to turn me towards him before snaking it under my T-shirt, ‘I can make it as rough as you like.’

‘How about I make it rough for you? Do you think you could handle that?’ I whisper.

He laughs. ‘Of course I can. I can take anything you can throw at me. Go on. Surprise me, Lauren,’ he says, his eyes alight with mischief.

‘Oh really? Let’s see, shall we?’

A short time later, we’re upstairs and the bedroom door is firmly locked because Alexander is lying naked on the bed. One of his arms is already effectively out of action, and the other is now secured to his bedpost with his old school tie.

I’m standing by the bed, still with my clothes on, watching him.

‘So, is this the best you can throw at me?’ he says.

I gaze at the impressive sight between his legs. ‘I haven’t even started. You’ll be begging for mercy by the time I’ve finished with you.’ At that I start to take off my top and unhook my bra.

‘I
never beg.’

I smile but I can see he’s bursting to touch me. The fingers of his tied hand twitch.

I wag my finger. ‘No cheating. You can’t touch me. Not till I say.’

‘Not a problem.’

‘Yeah, sure.’ I unzip my mini and step out of it, taking a step closer to him.

He shakes his head. ‘Thigh-highs, heels and those knickers. Christ, that’s an underhand tactic.’

I arch an eyebrow innocently. ‘All’s fair in love and war.’

By the time I’ve climbed on to the bed to kneel between his legs, Alexander is unable to keep still and muttering curses under his breath. When I close my mouth around his penis, he moans shamelessly and the mattress creaks as he struggles against his bonds. He feels great, tastes deliciously wicked, and the power of making him writhe against me is wonderful.

‘You’d better let me go or it’ll all be over, Lauren, honestly.’

I carry on teasing him with my tongue, enjoying every delicious stroke.

‘Untie me, Lauren, come on!’

I glance up momentarily and smile, then go back down on him.

He moans and bucks his pelvis. ‘For God’s sake. I don’t think I can hold on. If you want me inside you, you seriously have to stop.’ I pause and he looks at me, grinning wickedly. ‘Otherwise, carry on, Ms Cusack.’

He
says the last two words like he’s my commanding officer and he’s just given me an order. Although I’m bursting to be touched or to have him inside me, I restrain myself from freeing him and push myself to my knees. ‘I don’t think you’ve quite understood the game.’

‘What game?’

‘This.’ I climb off the bed and stand by the side. Then, grabbing an ice cube from one of the drinks on the table, I slowly move it round my breasts, rubbing it over the nipples.

He sighs deeply and murmurs, ‘You do know the US Constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishments …’

‘I believe it’s the Eighth Amendment. You consider this cruel and unusual?’

‘Yes,’ he groans. ‘Do you want me to die of frustration?’

‘Not die, just suffer quite a bit.’ I move closer, dropping the ice cube and he leans forward to suck my nipples. Having his hot mouth on my breasts is almost more than I can bear, but after a few seconds, I back away out of reach again.

The bedpost rattles and thumps against the wall as he tries to jerk his hand free of the bond and I must admit there are red lines around his wrist. That knot
does
looks vicious.

‘What have you done? I can’t get out of this. Lauren, I need to get out. I can’t wait any more.’

I
almost give in and then I remember that he’s trained in resisting interrogation techniques. I harden my heart.

‘Sorry, not falling for that.’ Standing by the bed, I turn around. With my back to him, I inch my thong slowly down over my thighs. I’m aware that he has a close-up view and that’s the intention. As I stretch further over to give him an even better view of my backside, the curses and moans coming from the bed make me want to giggle. However, I’m so turned on myself, it takes everything I have not to climb on top of him right now. Finally, I step out of the thong, pick it up and turn around. I dangle it in front of his face, tickling his nose with the lacy hem.

‘Lauren, really, you win. I think I might actually explode. Let me go,
please
.’

‘Is that begging?’

Carefully, I arrange the thong like a war trophy across his stomach. The wispy lace looks great against the muscles of his abs and I wonder how much longer I can keep this up. It’s definitely becoming a torment for me too. His lips twist in a defiant smile. ‘I wouldn’t exactly call it begging.’

‘Have it your way, then.’ I snatch up my thong and make as if to pull it back up my thighs as coolly as I can.

‘OK! OK, you win. I’m
begging
you to untie me, screw me, anything, just put me out of my misery,’ he moans and I can no longer hold myself back. I straddle him, holding eye contact as I slide myself over him as quickly and easily as I’ve ever done anything in my life.
I watch as his mouth opens in sheer ecstasy, and then I am lost myself as he circles his hips and thrusts up into me, crying out with the relief.

Then I start to touch myself again, and he loses it totally, squeezing his eyes shut and pumping into me. But I don’t want to climax yet; this is too delicious, and I …

Wow!

Slowly, gradually, I come back down and into the real world, my hands braced behind me, still sitting on top of him.

He watches me, breathing heavily.

‘Lauren, the moment I’m capable … you’d better watch out, because I can promise you my revenge will be very,
very
sweet.’

I ease myself off him, throbbing and tingling inside, out of breath, exhausted but elated. ‘I’ll look forward to it, but first I have no idea how I’m going to untie that knot.’

A week later, I’m sipping cocktails with Immy on the deck of a riverside bar in Henley-on-Thames. She doesn’t live too far away so we’ve met up here for dinner.

‘So, how’s Alexander doing?’ she asks as we watch the scullers glide past on the river, and the water sparkles in the early evening sun.

‘Much better. He had the stitches taken out the week before last and he might be able to do away with the sling soon, if the physio gives him the all clear at his appointment tomorrow. I hope so – it’s been driving him insane not being able to drive or ride or do the stuff he wants to.’

‘Ouch.’

‘Yes, but, you know, the past week or so has been a period of amazing calm. We’ve been on lots of walks around the estate, and it’s been chilled; I’ve never really seen Alexander like that. We’ve had the odd smart trip out, a dinner at the Fat Duck in Bray, and a couple of lazy pub lunches, but other than that we’ve just been relaxing, and I’ve been working a bit. Not enough probably, but a bit.’

‘Hmm. Not just relaxing I should imagine,’ snorts
Immy. ‘There’s no way you two can go without sex for long. It must have been challenging though, with his arm out of action?’ she says, her eyes twinkling.

My cheeks heat a little. ‘Yes, well, you’re right, it has demanded some creative solutions …’

She laughs. ‘I can imagine. And has our Valentina materialized again since Alexander sent her packing?’

‘Not heard anything, but there’s always the potential for her do a
Fatal Attraction
,’ I say with a smile, making light of things but hoping I don’t hear from her again.

Immy swirls her cocktail with the swizzle stick. ‘I guess Rupert’s off Alexander’s Christmas card list too?’

I shrug. ‘I have no idea. Alexander’s said nothing to me but I know he’s seen Rupert. He went to some family thing at the de Courceys last week, which I managed to avoid because I went to a bachelor party for one of the girls from dance class. I’m not sure if he had a chance to say anything to Rupert then, or even if he wanted to.’

‘Hmm. It must be tricky for him with Rupert being family.’

‘Mmm,’ I agree. ‘Alexander won’t want to upset his aunt and uncle now they’re pretty much his closest relations. I really like Letty, by the way; she took Emma and me for tea at the Ritz last week.’

‘Wow, did she? I’m impressed. And what does Rupert think of you being friendly with his mother? He really loves his mummy, you know,’ she laughs.

‘I gathered. Letty didn’t talk too much about him,
with Emma around. I think she wanted us just to have a lovely time for a change, without any stress, but she did ask me if I thought Rupert was happy at Wyckham. Apparently, she thinks he’s got in with a bad bunch since he joined his latest drinking club. I don’t think she has any real idea of what he
does
get up to, poor woman.’

Immy rolls her eyes. ‘If you do join a bunch called The Hellfire Society, it’s kind of asking for trouble. What did you say to her?’

‘I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I didn’t give a fuck if Rupert was happy or not, after the trouble he’s caused us, so I tried to skirt the issue. I’m getting good at that these days …’ I toy with the stem of my glass. ‘However, I’m not looking forward to college dinners much next term, that’s for sure. The atmosphere could be a little awkward.’

‘I’m not looking forward to this last term at all, and I can’t believe it’s coming around so fast. Only a week of the vac left.’ Immy wrinkles her nose. ‘But I’ve no choice, with Finals looming. I’ve started some revision and sort of finished my dissertation but I think it’s going to be awful.’ Immy takes solace in her cocktail.

‘I’ve been working on my take-home essays because I have to hand them in at the start of next term. I don’t want to give Professor Rafe the slightest excuse to have a go.’

‘It’ll be a bit of a come down to be back in college after Falconbury, won’t it?’ Immy asks, with mock innocence.

‘Of
course,’ I laugh. ‘Do you know, living at Falconbury is a little surreal and at first I thought it was a gloomy Gothic pile, but it does grow on you. I’ve been happier there than I thought I ever could be. What about you? Have you heard from the Blues rower again?’

She shrugs. ‘Nope, it was a one-night stand and I don’t mind too much. Like I told you, he was gorgeous but not much of a shag as it happens, although admittedly that might have been because he’d just won the Boat Race and had a magnum of Moet. He did text me a couple of times but I haven’t tried to contact him …’ In front of us, two scullers are lifting their boats out on to the slipway. Immy sips her drink, then says, ‘Have you heard from the lovely Scott recently?’

‘Not since we had a picnic in the Parks, but I think he’s gone back to Washington for a while.’

‘And Lia?’

‘I assume that’s still on, but I don’t know how serious it is.’

‘Oh well,’ she sighs. ‘Whatever’s going on there, I still think he has a thing for you.’

I smile. ‘Immy, you’re very loyal, and I’m flattered, but I think we’ve had our moment. Wrong time, wrong place, I reckon.’

‘Maybe,’ she says, doubtfully. ‘Well anyway, let’s just hope we can all get through next term free of any drama, at least until after our exams.’

‘Drama? I don’t seem to be able to stay away from
that, but I’ll do my best,’ I promise. My stomach tightens a little as I think of Alexander.

‘Are your parents still planning on coming over?’ she asks.

‘Yes, they’ve arranged to come at the start of term. My mother called yesterday to say she’d booked the flights so I’ve got a week to prepare myself.’

‘So will they be visiting Falconbury?’

‘Not if I can help it. I’d far rather deal with them in Oxford, on my own territory, than have them hit by the full Falconbury experience.’

‘Probably best,’ says Immy. She smirks and picks up the menu. ‘Look, I was conned into going on a horrendously long bike ride with some girls from my old school today and now I could eat a horse. Let’s order before I keel over.’

Even while we’re scanning the menu, the knot won’t unravel. This last term is short. Once our exams are over, it’s the Wyckham Summer Ball, and then it’ll be the end of term before I know it. Immy will leave; everyone will go their separate ways, including Alexander and me, most likely. I feel shocked at how awful this thought feels. With everything that’s been going on, I haven’t given any real thought to what I will do when term finishes.

Even if this term does turn out to be calm and uneventful, we both have to face the fact that our futures after Wyckham might separate us. Alexander has no idea what will happen – whether he’ll be well
enough to return to the military, or whether he’ll have to devote more time to Falconbury. It’s all so up in the air, and my immediate future is too.

I have to start thinking about my career – what am I going to do next? Where in the world am I going to do it? I probably should have already started making contacts and looking for a place in a museum or gallery … OK, I know I could use my parents’ and friends’ network to get my foot in the door somewhere, and that’s what they’ll be expecting me to do, but that’s not me any more. Since I came to Oxford, I’ve changed. This feeling has snuck up on me during my time here but I know it’s become more important to me now to make my own way in the world.

It’s late by the time I arrive back at Falconbury in a cab. Immy’s brother, George, who’s just passed his driving test, gave her a lift home. I know she was dreading being driven by him and I smile to myself as I picture her face when he screeched to a halt outside the bistro, like he was in a cop series. Even as I get out my bag to pay the cab driver, her text beeps on my screen:

Helen lets me in – Falconbury’s not the kind of place where you have your own front door key – and tells me Alexander has gone to bed, looking ‘washed out’ after he’d done his physio, so I creep in beside him and soon I’m out cold too.

In
the morning, I wake to see him sitting fully dressed next to me on the bed.

‘Morning,’ he says.

I rub sleep from my eyes. ‘Hi, sorry I was late last night. I didn’t want to wake you.’

‘That’s OK. I needed to get some sleep, according to Helen.’

‘Does she blame me for wearing you out?’ I tease.

He lifts the covers with his free hand and raises his eyebrows. ‘If you insist on coming to bed looking like that, what do you expect?’

I glance down. ‘I did have my cami and shorts on but it got a little warm in here.’

He sighs heavily, drops the cover reluctantly and stands up. ‘If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late for my appointment. Hard as it is to tear myself away from that delectable body of yours.’

I flush, wishing too that he didn’t have to go. ‘Do you want me to come with you to the hospital?’

‘Thanks, but no. Brandon’s taking me in the Range Rover in case I get the all clear to drive home.’

I spend the morning studying in the garden, Benny snoozing at my feet, and when Alexander arrives home, his arm is still in the sling and he looks subdued. Benny hurtles forward and I trot up to him at a more sedate pace.

‘Hello,’ Alexander kisses me while Brandon takes the car to the garages.

‘How did it go?’

‘OK.’

‘But
you still have to rest the arm?’

He pulls a face. ‘It seems like it.’

‘That’s too bad.’

Alexander seems thoughtful and quiet as we take a walk round the estate. I guess he must be frustrated at having to keep the arm in a sling but he’s taking it stoically enough. He points out various improvements that are being made to the parkland and when we reach the house, Benny runs off to the stable yard to visit Talia.

In the boot room, I take off my Barbour and hang it on a peg before doing the same for Alexander who has his coat draped over one shoulder. While I’m sitting on the monk’s bench to pull off my Hunters, I hear the key scrape in the outer lock.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Locking the door.’ He turns the key in the inside door, effectively trapping us in the boot room. ‘I need to finish off what we should have started this morning, and besides, I need cheering up …’ His pupils darken with desire.

‘Sure you do, but in here?’ I laugh.

Even as I say it, a shiver of excitement ripples through me. The prospect of having sex somewhere we could be caught or overheard is intoxicating and I am incredibly turned on. I need no more encouragement and unbutton his jeans, pulling them down along with his boxers. ‘Oh God.’

‘Told you I needed this.’ He slips his hand inside my jeans and underwear. ‘You too.’

‘Oh,
sweet Jesus,’ I moan, closing my eyes and leaning against him, utterly helpless. I hadn’t realized how ready I was, and continue to be shocked every time at how amazing it feels to be touched by him, to have his fingers inside me.

Outside the back door, I hear Benny barking as if he can sense – hear – that we’re in here. Alexander ignores him, turning me around and reaching under my top as I yank down my jeans and lace panties, stepping out of them neatly, nearly passing out as he continues to drive me crazy with those amazing fingers on my skin, my belly, my breasts. I brace my hands on the back of the monk’s bench and press my bottom against him as he grasps my hips firmly.

With
both
hands, I register, with shock.

I twist around to see the sling hanging around his neck. He grins wickedly.

‘You … oh God, Alexander,’ I moan as he pushes up inside me, making me cry out. Oh Jesus, it feels so good it almost hurts. ‘Your arm is fine,’ I manage to stutter.

‘Not fine, exactly, but it’s on the mend,’ he murmurs, in between kissing my neck, his hands everywhere again.

I cry out again. I want him deeper in me, so I push myself back on him, grinding against him and making it clear I need more. ‘Shhh,’ he laughs, ‘someone will hear us.’ Then he almost lifts me off my feet and tightens his grip on my hips.

The
glass on the outer door must be steaming up, we’re going at it so hard, but it’s wonderful to just let go and not worry about hurting him. Actually, this probably
is
hurting him but neither of us seems to care as he drives in and out of me. My fingers cling to the wooden bench as his thrusts get faster. It’s almost impossible not to make some noise, breathing hard and gasping with the effort and the sheer fucking wonderfulness of it. And the fact someone might hear – that’s only making it more fun.

Alexander comes so hard the bench bangs the wall. I tighten my grip on the wood, letting my orgasm pulse through me. The moment I come to my senses – while my heart is thumping away and I’m still shaky with the aftermath – Alexander puts his arms around me, equally spent. It feels amazing to be held by him, by his two arms, and I breathe in the smell of him.
Who cares what we do at the end of term
, I think to myself.
I’m just going to enjoy the here and the now if it’s as good as this
.

Then I hear voices on the other side of the door, outside the staff offices.

‘Have you seen Lauren and Alexander lately?’ It’s Robert’s voice. ‘Brandon brought his lordship back from the hospital but said he disappeared off round to the stables with her.’

‘Shit,’ I mouth but Alexander goes, ‘Shh,’ then smiles.

‘Well, I haven’t seen Lauren since she took Benny out for a walk, so don’t ask me.’ Helen sounds impatient.

‘He’s
probably giving her one in the woods somewhere.’ There’s a chuckle. ‘Again.’

‘Robert! Shh!’ But Helen doesn’t sound that shocked, and then there’s a pause, during which Alexander has to put his hand over my mouth to stop me from giggling.

‘Well, we’ll have to try and find them, no matter what they’re up to, because I can’t keep her parents waiting in the sitting room any longer.’

It takes a second or two for that bit of news to sink in, and then my stomach truly hits the floor. I look at Alexander, who seems as shocked as me. ‘
What?!
’

Alexander puts his hand over my mouth.

I remove it. ‘My
parents
?’ I mouth frantically.

He holds up his hands in a helpless gesture and, in the next moment, we’re both frantically trying to get dressed.