by Meg MacRose
He admired her spunk. She was standing her ground and he was impressed. Her green eyes were wide and round, and she stood tall with her chest puffed up, as if she was trying to make herself bigger.
He nodded. More out of respect to show that he had heard her.
Before he could verbalise a response, his fingers reached forward and touched the short hair next to her right ear. Her head jerked up as his warm fingers brushed against her ear. He was surprised by the softness of her hair. For some reason, he’d expected her short hair to be coarse or spiky, not soft like he remembered from the ball.
“Your hair is different. It used to be longer. Auburn if my memory serves me right.”
Lacey stepped back and the tendril dropped away from his fingers. Her face blushed a crimson red. She remembered too. He was sure of it.
“So, it’s not because it’s my house then, that you’ve decided to shirk your duties to your client?” He assumed that their one occurrence making love together was as memorable for her as it was for him. He stood casually leaning against the table, waiting for her response, just watching the expressions flit across her face.
“Don’t overestimate yourself!”
Her words mocked him as she lifted her chin up in defiance to his presence, as she continued to stand tall.
“I had already decided before I arrived last week that your fiancée was on her last chance before I walked away. I don’t have to put up with her bullshit.”
Nick was shocked to hear this classy woman with the soft voice and angelic face curse. But like her motorbike, the muttered profanities suited her. She was the kind of sassy woman who was confident to know that she didn’t need to kowtow to anyone.
“That you don’t,” Nick agreed with her. His hand itched to be still nestled in her hair. “I would hate to think that what we shared once before has affected anything. I guess I’m glad it didn’t.”
He couldn’t help himself; he was drawn by a need to stay connected to her. He inched closer and with a gentle flick of his other hand, rubbed her left cheek. She gulped, her eyes not leaving his face. He was glad that it was not only him who was affected. The pupils of her eyes dilated, and her lips looked redder, and yet she still hadn’t uttered a sound. The sensible part of him reminded himself about his relationship with Diana and their impending matrimony. But the excited part of him wanted to do much more than just stroke this woman’s cheek and hair. He bent his head towards her, and she stood up on tiptoes to meet him, quickly reducing the space between their lips. His kiss started slow and soft; he enjoyed the taste of warm peppermint on her. He nibbled on her bottom lip, lingering between gentle bites, then pulled back, meeting her glazed eyes with his own. The raw ache in his groin increased.
“Tell me to stop, and I will,” he breathed against her mouth in a raspy voice. He needed to know that she was okay with this.
“Please don’t,” she groaned as she stood higher and pressed her tongue against his, clearly insistent that they shouldn’t stop.
He groaned back against her mouth, as he unzipped the front of her leather jacket. His fingers tugged on the plunging neckline of her soft cotton t-shirt. Through the fabric, her nipples were soft and tightened beneath his fingers as he massaged them.
“I want you,” he mumbled against her lips. Their bodies were entwined as they rocked to their own rhythm. It seemed that in her presence, he was reduced to grunts and groans, no more discernible than a caveman.
Like a man who had led a celibate life, one touch or even just the scent of this woman and he was sure he would explode. Unable to disconnect his mouth from her insatiable one, Nick one-handedly undid the belt on his suit trousers, and let them fall to the floor in a rumpled mess. His boxer shorts followed the same course.
“You have too many clothes on.” His hand dragged around her leather trousers, but he was unable to tug them down, as they sat frustratingly snug on her hips.
She smiled against his mouth. “The zip is on the side.” Her utterance was more like a command, and he released his other hand that was still kneading her breast with gentle fingers. He needed both hands to pry the zip open, and with clumsy fingers, peeled her tight green leathers down her slim muscly thighs. He stroked her midriff. His warm and slightly rough fingers found their way down to her moist and throbbing core. He found the curve of her neck with his mouth and as he sucked with a gentleness that he didn’t know he was capable of, desire stabbing through his insides as Lacey cried out.
She bit her lip in ecstasy when his fingers hit a certain spot. She smelt like sweet honey and he couldn’t get enough. He nibbled at the hollow spot at the base of her neck. His erection was up hard against her hip and pulsated at each touch of their bodies. He teased her flesh, and then dipped his head and sucked hard at her breast.
“Please, please, no more. Please I need you inside.” Her plea was insistent. He lifted his head to watch the pleasure run over her face as he slipped the edge of her miniscule lace panties aside and pushed his hips towards her. He backed her against the newly plastered wall for support and eased himself closer towards her. He could taste her on his lips and although he wanted to savour this moment, he knew that once he was inside of her, he wouldn’t last very long at all. The yearning to be connected with her was intense and left him breathless. Were any condoms in his wallet? He was reluctant to stop and check, but he there had been a handful of occasions in the past when he’d forgotten to use protection, and the worry that ensued wasn’t worth the few seconds it took to grab a condom.
The incessant loud ring, the vibration of a phone against wood and the flickering of lights of his mobile phone, tucked in his suit jacket pocket on the otherwise bare table next to them disturbed the moment and his thoughts about grabbing some protection.
“Talk about bad timing. Just ignore it,” Nick mumbled into Lacey’s ear, trying to reconnect. Lacey shook her head. Her eyes widened as she looked down at them. “No. No. This isn’t right. You’re engaged to be married, and I don’t do this kind of thing. Especially not with other people’s partners.”
The gush of cold air swept between them as she pushed him back away from her and stepped back. Her face was still flushed, her breasts still heaving and visibly aroused. What she said was right. He was still engaged. Drat it. Right now, he desired Lacey like he had never desired any woman before.
###
What on earth was she thinking? Was she mad? How on earth did she go from declining to work with Diana to nearly shagging Diana’s fiancée in only a couple of minutes? Okay, so Diana’s fiancée was Nick, and he was Therese’s father. But he didn’t know that. As far as he was concerned, he was getting married soon, building a home that he would share with his new wife. And they had all but shagged in his kitchen.
Lacey nearly hated herself. Her face burned hot with shame, and she placed her hands onto Nick’s body to push past him and put as much distance between them as possible.
“This is so wrong on so many counts.”
She reached down to pull her leather trousers back up, but they were twisted and wouldn’t cooperate with her shaky fingers. On her third attempt, she managed to yank them up and straightened them against her hips. She looked up feeling very self-conscious. She met Nick’s lazy gaze as he leant against the wall that they had just been shagging against. She noted with envy that he had already adjusted his own clothing and looked non-plussed by their liaison. His smooth demeanour prompted a feeling of rage through her, though she was unsure if it was him or herself it was aimed at. Probably both. She held his stare and hoped that she kept her face icy.
“This should never have happened. I cannot do any more work for you or your fiancée.” She kept her voice soft and even, but the glacial tone was unmistakeable. She needed to get out of there, and pronto. With shaky hands, she collected her electronic notebook and checked that the key to her scooter was in her jacket pocket. Lacey took the first step towards the front door. So much for telling Nick about his daughter. She could
n’t even keep out of his pants long enough to have a normal conversation.
Chapter 3
Lacey was annoyed with herself. Whichever way she looked at it, she’d acted like a lovesick teenager. No, worse than that; like a dog on heat. For someone who prided herself on always being professional and level-minded, well, that had just gone out the window.
She still had a knot of dread and guilt that sat heavily in her stomach. Now that she knew who Nick was, she felt an ever-increasing obligation to tell him about Therese. Her beautiful, outgoing daughter sat a few feet away, fashioning a castle from her wooden blocks for her collection of small, plastic ponies to live in. Lacey smiled at the scene. Therese improvised a dialogue between two of her ponies as they decided which part of the castle they were going to sleep in tonight. If it was her, she’d want to know that she had a child. She’d want to have the opportunity to watch her daughter grow up.
“Mummy?” Therese’s innocent wide eyes looked up, full of questions.
“Yes dear.”
“Are Ted and Louise coming to visit soon? They haven’t been for a long time. I miss them.”
Lacey hid a smile. It was more likely the gifts that her aunt and uncle brought with them when they visited that Therese missed. Her daughter wasn’t very subtle.
“They’re still away on their magnificent cruise. Remember the picture I showed you of the giant boat? We’ll call them when they return.” Her thoughts wondered back to her aunt and uncle. She was happy that Louise had finally managed to convince Ted to leave his beloved work for a fortnight to go on a cruise. Although, she doubted that he’d not use the downtime and wi-fi connection for working anyway. It’s just the way he was; he lived for his company.
“Was that the boat that had its own cinema and swimming pool?” Therese had been suitably impressed when they had looked it up on the computer together. Lacey nodded in confirmation.
“Okeydokey.” Her daughter’s sing-song response was followed by a slight shrug of her shoulders before she returned to her ponies. It was one thing that Lacey was constantly amazed at, how quickly kids could change topics or be distracted by the merest of toys.
She made a mental note to invite the older couple to spend the weekend with them. Lacey looked over to a photo frame from her graduation. Ted and Louise had been thrilled for her when she had graduated. Her own parents had been blatantly missing from the occasion. Her mother had never supported her attendance at university and had often commented, “I don’t see why you’re hanging around with all those hippy looking students.”
Lacey’s mother had never had a desire to work, so she had never understood why it was important to Lacey to pursue her university studies, let alone hold a job. As far as Mother was concerned, a girl who came from a respectable family like their own, should attend every social event and prime herself for a suitable marriage. Suitable translated to rich and powerful. Lacey had spent her teenage years shrugging off her mother’s ideals, not really convinced that anyone could truly believe, in this day and age, that any woman would want to disregard her own identity for the sake of money or marriage.
The night that Lacey had mentioned in casual conversation to her family that she was pregnant, it wasn’t just her mother that had gone ballistic. Her family had all gathered together to celebrate her brother William’s promotion as partner in an exclusive law firm. Lacey hadn’t known how to announce it any other way, but she was already five months pregnant, and a baby bulge had started to show. She had known that it would be better if the news came from her than if her parents heard about it from someone else, though she hadn’t expected to be disowned then and there. She’d brought up the matter of her pregnancy when Kristy, her boring sister-in-law, had asked her with a loud whine in her voice what her plans were for the upcoming summer. Though Kristy wasn’t really interested in a response, Lacey had used the opportunity to slip in nonchalantly, “Oh, I think I’ll be decorating the nursery.”
She’d shrugged her shoulders indifferently at the muted and confused looks that she received from her family before she continued, “I’m pregnant. So, Mother, Father, you’ll be grandparents before the summer is out! William and Kristy, prepare to be Uncle and Aunt!”
The stunned expression on her mother’s face had very slowly twisted into absolute anger. Kristy gave a yelp before she spat out, “That’s so selfish of you! It’s not fair. Will and I have been trying to conceive for months. And you just fall pregnant with your latest conquest? You’re not even married! You’re not even in a relationship. You’re having a bastard child.”
All Lacey’s life she’d contained herself when it came to her family. Her brother had always been arrogant and cocky, and considered himself above Lacey and her friends. When he’d married Kristy, Lacey soon learned that she was even worse. She constantly made critical judgements about everyone and had no sense of fun whatsoever. As a child, Lacey had always dreamt that a sister-in-law would be lots of fun, like a sister of your own, but not with the history of childhood bickering. But it had never been that way with Kristy. She was spiteful and swanked around London as if she was someone special. Her father had never shown any interest in her life, her academic achievements and wouldn’t have even known that she worked. But it was with her mother that Lacey often had to bite her tongue the most. Her mother’s view of the world was so skewed and entitled that it didn’t fit with any reality that Lacey knew.
“It was a bit of a shock at first,” Lacey had said, her tone measured and calm. “Obviously, not planned. But I’m really looking forward to meeting my little baby.” She’d sat up straight in her chair and reached over to grab some cheese from the platter. As she’d looked up, she had met her mother’s stare straight on, in an act of defiance to whatever her response would be.
“Well. This is a shock. And I must admit, a massive disappointment. It might have been something we could have expected when you gallivanted around with those students. But you’re an adult now. Settled down into a townhouse. A house I might add, that we have financed. This is not acceptable behaviour. Who is the father then? Is he suitable? You’ll have to have a summer wedding then.”
Lacey was desperate for her mother to not take control of the situation. Amanda was not going to disempower her and make decisions on her behalf. As her mother had mentioned, she was an adult, and this was her life. There was no way that she would allow her parents to make her feel bad about her baby.
“I have no idea who the father is. So, no, marriage isn’t in the cards We’ll be fine, baby and I. Lots of women are single mothers, it’s not so unusual these days. I think I’ll make an excellent mother.”
Her father shocked her as he stood up and glared at her. He thumped his fist on the table. Lacey remembered how the crockery had jumped and made a noise.
“Well, young lady, don’t expect any support from us. I won’t have you bludging off us. You’ve made your nest, and you can damn well go and lie in it. Look how much you’ve upset your mother, and your brother.”
Lacey had looked around the table at her family, and for the first time in her life, she was resolved to just walk away from their judgements, from their obsession with money and status. She’d stood upright, held her head proud, and faced her parents squarely as she countered them. “I won’t be needing your support. Ever. It is you who is missing out. Remember as your friends show off to you pictures of their grandchildren, that it was you who opted to not be part of the next generation of this family.” She’d turned to leave as her mother continued her monologue on what a disappointment Lacey had always been.
She’d not seen her family since. Occasionally she’d searched for her brother on the internet, but nothing interesting ever came up. As far as Lacey could see, Therese had no cousins to play with.
Lacey wondered if Nick had any nieces or nephews. It would be nice for Therese to have some cousins to play with. But then, knowing that would require she actually tell Nick of Therese’s existence.
###
Honestly? What was that woman’s problem? Not only had they lost a top designer, but now their project manager was threatening to leave as well. Would the builders quit next? Leaving them with an incomplete house that couldn’t be lived in?
His phone rang, and without checking who it was, he answered it in a sharp tone. “Yes?”
“Whoa, calm down buddy.” The voice of his best friend Alex reverberated on the line. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Thanks, Alex. I’m just having some issues with Diana. She’s sacked the interior designer. Now the building manager is about to resign. Nothing makes her happy, and her demands are completely irrational.”
“What can I say? She’s going to be a handful, that one. Not the most personable of people at the best of times. Anyway, you know my views about Diana. And about marriage too. I don’t see the point. Nobody would care if you called it off.”
“Diana would care. My mother would care.”
“But would you? Because if not, what’s the point of going through the whole ordeal of it? I’ve gotta be honest with you. You’re my best mate, but you could do so much better than someone like Diana. If you’re desperate to get married, find someone who will make you laugh. Someone whose entire existence hasn’t been centred around herself and how much money she can spend.”