Elephants and Ever-Afters [Dark Desires 5] (Siren Publishing Sensations)

by Suzy Shearer

  “Got some of those ham and chicken rolls, too, Toby. They are so good, Laura, you’ll love them.”

  Julian pointed to the rolls and some dipping sauce. Laura figured it would be stupid to act the demure “I don’t eat much” maiden—instead she’d dig in and enjoy everything. She picked up one of the little rolls and dipped it in the sauce before biting into it. Julian was looking at her in expectation. She had to admit it was delicious and gave him a thumbs up as she finished the roll.

  Tobias picked up a different roll, dipped it then held it out to her to bite.

  “Spring Roll.”

  Knowing full well what she was doing, rather flirtatiously, she opened her mouth and took part of the roll between her lips, biting a piece of the flaky pastry off then sucking the sauce from the end. Julian roared with laughter as Tobias gave her a sexy smirk and shook his head.

  She opened her eyes wide and said, “What?”

  “Oh, Laura you are so wicked. Toby won’t know what to do with you.”

  “I was just trying the food.” She opened her eyes wide as she replied innocently.

  “Naughty girl. You do know poor Toby here won’t be able to stand up for a while.”

  Laura wasn’t sure who blushed the most—her or Tobias. They both busied themselves getting food onto their plates and pointedly not looking at each other.

  Suddenly Julian demanded, “Hey where’s my coffee?”

  “You’re old enough to make your own,” was Tobias’s reply.

  “I’ll get it,” she said quickly.

  “No, you won’t, just relax Laura, anyway you have no idea how to work the machine,” Tobias said. “I’ll make it for you, Jules, only because you got the food, oh and you’re older than me.”

  Tobias grabbed another couple of rolls and went into the kitchen.

  “So how does it feel now you’ve been here a month or so?” Julian asked Laura.

  “I love it, it’s so different from where I was living. It was noisy and always so busy. This is lovely. I’ve taken to having breakfast outside when the weather’s right. There are a couple of magpies that come up to the table now to cadge food! Oh, and there are lots of Rainbow Lorikeets and cockies.”

  “Bet you didn’t have that in Canberra.”

  “Nope, at least not where I lived. It was in the middle of lots of houses and buildings. My father did say there are koalas and possums in the trees on the property, too. I haven’t found them yet, although I have seen a few kangaroos.”

  Tobias came back and put a mug of coffee alongside Julian then sat.

  “Julian said your father died recently.”

  Laura nodded sadly. “About two and a half months ago.”

  “Was it sudden?”

  “Apparently. He was told he had lung cancer, but died just after the diagnosis.”

  “I’m so sorry, Laura, bet you miss him.”

  Laura felt so sad that she’d never known the man who’d been her father, she felt a tear prickle behind her eyes. Tobias reached out and took her hand.

  “I’m sorry, Laura. I should have realised it’s too soon to talk about.”

  She shook her head.

  “It’s not that. I…I never met him.”

  The two men looked at her amazed. Neither asked anything but Laura actually felt comfortable with them both and knew she needed to talk about it. She shrugged then told them what had happened.

  “Turns out I was adopted. I only found out about a year ago when my adopted mother died and I found my birth certificate. She’d never said anything. Mind you we weren’t all that close, she was a very cold woman. Anyway, a few months back I got a letter from Peter Bailey telling me my father had died and I was his beneficiary. I couldn’t believe it at first. I thought there’d been some mistake. You see my mother had told me my father had died before I was born.”

  “Why on Earth would she do that?” Tobias asked, and she could hear his concern.

  “I have no idea, like I said she wasn’t all that nice. Anyway, turns out my father had been searching for me and finally located me but then he got sick and died before we could meet. He left me everything and he was a very rich man.”

  “So you never saw him.”

  Laura wiped a tear with the back of her hand and shook her head.

  “No, never. He left me a letter. In it, it said he and my mother were very young when she got pregnant and both families refused to let them marry. My mother was sent to Europe and my father lost touch with her, and their letters were blocked. Anyway, he eventually found me and the rest is history.”

  “Do you know if you have any other family?”

  “No. My father searched for my mother but couldn’t find her. He’d hired a private investigator. All the reports are in the office. I haven’t really read them fully yet.” She gave a half-hearted laugh. “I’ve been putting it off. Part of me wants to know. But part of me is frightened that there is no one else.”

  “I can understand,” Tobias said.

  Julian looked at her kindly and said, “So do I, but you should look at them, maybe you do have other relations.”

  “I will, just not today.” She sighed. “Do either of you have children?”

  “Not me, my wives never stayed long enough and it was a long time ago.”

  Tobias snorted and said, “Thank goodness, Jules.” He looked at Laura as he added, “One was a blonde bimbo he married at twenty-one and divorced at twenty-two. The other, a gold-digger he married a few years later, so be thankful you didn’t, Jules.”

  “Yeah, I was rather stupid back then. Thank goodness I’d made the gold-digging bitch sign a prenup, otherwise she’d have taken me to the cleaners.”

  “So neither marriage worked out?”

  “The bimbo really was just that. Beautiful but absolutely nothing between the ears. I’m sure if she had a CT scan it would just be this empty area in her head. And the other? Well when she realised I wouldn’t give her a monthly allowance of three thousand she got all huffy and left.”

  “Three thousand? A month!”

  “Yep. She did get quarter of a million from the divorce, but like I said it could have been worse if I didn’t have the pre-nuptial agreement in place. Anyway, since twenty-nine I’ve managed to avoid getting married again.”

  “What about you Tobias, have you ever married?”

  “Yep, I was stupid like Julian. Got married when I was eighteen—big mistake. She got pregnant and we thought it was the right thing to do. Didn’t last a year together but I have a daughter—Melanie. She’s married to a very nice guy named Darren. They’ve got two children, David is fourteen and Avril twelve.”

  “Do you see them?”

  “All the time. She’s an architect and so is Darren, we used them both. They live in Bella Vista, moved there a few years back.”

  Julian nudged Tobias and said in a stage whisper, “She has no idea where that is.” Then he rolled his eyes dramatically as he gestured with his thumb. “Canberra girl.”

  Laura pretended to look for something to throw at him.

  “It’s about a half hour’s drive from here, going toward the city,” Tobias informed her.

  “Thanks. I’m not that bad, Jules. I’ve figured out where Windsor Downs is courtesy of Google maps.”

  Both men laughed.

  The remainder of the day passed pleasantly. She took Tobias on the grand tour then they made another coffee, Tobias giving her a run through of how to use the machine, and they took their coffees outside to drink. Talk was general, about the area and local sights. Finally, around two-thirty the men both stood.

  “We’d better be getting back. It’s been a lovely day,” Julian said and kissed her cheek when she stood as well.

  Tobias nodded.

  “Thanks, Laura. I’ll see you at eleven on Thursday.”

  “Thank you both so much for fixing my car.”

  She walked with them out to Tobias’s car. Julian kissed her cheek again and jumped into the passenger seat
. Tobias lingered alongside her.

  “I’m glad we finally got to spend some time together, Laura.”

  “So am I. Thank you for washing my hair. It’s the first time it’s felt really clean in six weeks.”

  He took her hand and looked down at it.

  “My pleasure, I hope I can do it again,” he said raising his head and looking into her face.

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  He bent forward and kissed her cheek, lingering close enough that she could feel his breath, and feel the stubble on his face—rough and masculine against her skin.

  “See you Thursday.”

  She nodded as he stood upright and dropped her hand then walked to the driver’s side. Getting in the car, he started it then backed down the drive. Laura stood watching them until they passed through the trees and out of sight. She touched her cheek where Tobias had kissed her.

  Bugger, she was hooked already.

  “He’s going to break my heart if this doesn’t work. If he does, I swear I’ll push him down a flight of stairs—a big long flight.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tobias knew Thursday wouldn’t come quick enough, all he could think of was seeing Laura again. Julian had teased him a little on the drive home then sobered up.

  “You know she really likes you, don’t you?”

  “I got that impression, at least I hope I did.”

  “So don’t fuck it up. She’s a keeper, Toby.”

  “I know she is and I don’t want to fuck it up. I don’t intend to if she gives me a chance. I guess it will depend on whether or not she…shall we say, enjoys the same things I do.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. A lot of women aren’t into that, they like a man to be in control in the bedroom.”

  Tobias risked a quick glance at his friend as he drove.

  “So you know what she said to me when I asked her if she wanted to wash my back? She said that naughty boys didn’t get to ask for favours and she’d punish me, then she got all embarrassed and flustered and raced away.”

  “Now that’s interesting. Do you think she was just being silly or what?” Julian pondered.

  “I don’t know, but she let me wash her hair.”

  “I noticed it was wet but I didn’t want to say anything.”

  “Shit, Jules, my cock was almost in her mouth. I had this bloody enormous hard-on. She stared at it and fuck, all I wanted to do was unzip and let her suck me off.”

  “Did you say anything?”

  Tobias exclaimed, “Come off it! What could I say? Want to suck me off while I wash your hair? Get real.”

  “Ha ha, loved to have been a fly on the wall for that.”

  They’d been silent the rest of the way back to Julian’s house. When he dropped him off, Julian said he’d see him in the office the next day.

  How Tobias made it through Wednesday amazed him. The closer it got to Thursday morning, the more nervous he became. Julian certainly didn’t help, continually making stupid jokes at Tobias’s expense.

  Finally, Tobias packed up on Wednesday evening and left the office. When his alarm went off Thursday morning he showered and dressed with care—a pair of jeans, casual charcoal grey shirt and loafers. He managed to force down breakfast and coffee. Nervously, he said good-bye to his father and drove off. Images of Laura kept flashing through his head like some weird stop-start movie. She filled his mind both awake and asleep.

  What would the day bring?

  Would she let him take her to lunch? Would anything happen?

  “Shit I feel like a bloody teenager on his first date.”

  When he drove into her driveway he couldn’t believe just how he felt. His stomach tied in knots, he had trouble breathing properly, and felt clumsy and gauche. Taking a huge breath, he walked up to the front door and knocked. A vision opened it.

  Laura had dressed in a simple mid-blue half-sleeved dress with a floral hem, pleated underneath her bust, it accentuated their fullness. Tobias wanted to rip it from her and explore every inch of her body. Her hair was loose again. Tobias guessed it would be too hard to braid it or put it up one-handed. He had to admit he loved it falling around her shoulders. It was like a silken waterfall, glinting silver in moonlight.

  Coyly, she smiled and said, “Hi, come in.”

  As he passed her he kissed her cheek, again smelling that light floral fragrance she seemed to favour.

  “How are you, Laura?”

  “Well, excited to be finally losing this.” She laughed, held up her arm and touched his with her other hand. “Thank you for taking me, I…I appreciate it.”

  “You are most welcome, Laura,” he replied, covering her hand with his.

  They both stopped in the hallway of one accord and faced each other. Tobias couldn’t help himself, he bent forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. She looked startled but at the same time pleased.

  “Um... Let me just get my bag and wrap.”

  She almost raced down the hall and Tobias couldn’t wipe the huge grin off his face. Her kiss tasted so sweet. She was back in a minute, a dark blue shawl across her shoulders and they went outside after she set the alarm. He settled her in his car, clipping the seat belt into place. Laura gave directions to the medical centre and very quickly he parked the car outside the doctor’s surgery. Within five minutes a woman directed Laura into one of the rooms. Tobias hoped everything would be okay with her wrist. He sat tapping his foot impatiently until ten minutes later when she came out beaming.

  “Look, two arms,” she giggled.

  Tobias stood and grinned down at her.

  “You’re right, two arms, very beautiful ones, too.”

  She laughed saying, “One is rather pale and scaly, and a bit tender.”

  Delighted when she hooked a hand under his arm, Tobias escorted her back to the car.

  “So, Miss Laura Keell. What would you like to do? I’m all yours until about two-thirty.”

  She gave him a sharp look.

  “All mine?”

  “Yes, Laura. So tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

  Tobias felt they were talking on two levels—one innocent and the other smouldering.

  Playfully, she said, “So you’ll do anything I ask?”

  “Oh, yes. Want me to wash your hair again?” he asked with a wink. “Your wish is my command.”

  Her face reddened but she kept eye contact with him.

  “Be careful what you ask for, you may not like the answer. I might ask for more than you’re prepared to give.”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” he answered feeling a jolt somewhere down around his dick.

  The look she gave him was hard to read, but it certainly left Tobias wondering.

  Finally, she exhaled softly then said, “Well, let me see. First you can take me somewhere to eat.” Another one of those beautiful smiles brightened her face as she added, “I’m starving, didn’t have any breakfast. I was worried they’d decide I’d have to keep the cast on.”

  “Okay, I can do that easily. Anywhere you’d like to go?”

  “Surprise me. Anyway, I have no idea what’s around, new girl remember?” she said, raising her eyebrows.

  He laughed and she gave him another cheeky grin that made his heart leap. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to know about her, what made her laugh, cry. What she liked to eat, things she enjoyed. Never in his life had he met a woman that excited him like Laura, he just hoped his kink wouldn’t get in the way of them having something special. Hell, somehow he’d give it up if she turned out to want a man in control, she’d wrapped herself around his heart already.

  “So what did the doc say about your wrist?”

  “Just to be careful for a couple of weeks. Gave me some exercises to do to get it back to strength. I have to admit it feels really weird.”

  “I bet it does. I broke my arm when I was a kid and when the cast came off it felt funny. Not heavy anymore and didn’t really feel like my arm.”
/>   “Yes, that’s what it’s like.”

  Driving down to Windsor to the Macquarie Arms pub, he wasn’t sure what type of dining she liked. Perhaps she preferred fine dining, but he hadn’t booked anything and it was too late now.

  He found parking behind the pub then they walked in and he was delighted when Laura said, “This is perfect!”

  She looked up at him as they waited for a table.

  “This is great. Hope you don’t mind, but I really hate all that fancy dining. I really love wholesome great food with plenty of atmosphere.”

  Tobias couldn’t believe it. He’d always hated having to get dressed up and then be served a meal consisting of three peas, a cube of carrot, and some tiny piece of meat artistically arranged on an enormous plate. He nodded.

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  They sat at a table and studied the menu.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Tobias. There are times when I really do like the whole luxury of a fancy restaurant, but most times this is what I like.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  She pointed a finger at him and said forcefully, “Make sure you do.”

  His heart skipped a few dozen beats finally settling back into a normal rhythm a minute later. Tobias went to the counter and ordered both of them fish and chips. They talked about the food they liked while waiting for their meals to arrive. Tobias told her about the building, telling her it was the oldest pub in Australia, at least on the mainland, having been built in 1815.

  “So we’re dining in history.”

  “That we are.”

  Once they finished their coffee, Tobias regretfully drove Laura home. He’d had the best day ever and hope she’d enjoyed it as well. When he walked her to her front door she turned and put her hands on his chest. Tobias’s heart pounded against them and he wondered if she could feel it.

  “Thank you for today. I’m glad I agreed and didn’t go with Harry. I haven’t enjoyed myself like this for ages, in fact I can’t remember when.”

  She stood on tippy-toes and kissed him gently. Tobias’s heart now leaped around his chest in some crazy dance. He wrapped his arms around her.