Romance with a Bite

by Tamsin Baker

  By the time Cassie was due, the bathroom was clean, and a small vase of flowers served as centrepiece on the table. He heard her car pull up in the driveway. A moment of anticipatory panic seized him. This was the beginning of something momentous. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Once he opened that door, it would initiate a chain of events that was pre-destined and impossible to stop. He took a deep breath and reached for the door handle.

  “Hi.”

  She stood on the doorstep, bottle of wine in hand. Gazing up at him with the beginnings of a smile teasing the corner of her mouth, she looked utterly delicious. There was that light, musky scent again, a fragrance he’d come to associate with her. With it came the realisation he was smitten. He’d never felt like this before. He’d had relationships, but they paled in significance compared to what he was feeling now. The sensations evoked were a combination of wonderment and sheer terror. He’d never expected this. How could such feelings have evolved in such a short time?

  “Can I come in?” she asked.

  “Of course. Where are my manners?” He flung the door wide, and stepped back, allowing Cassie to enter.

  “Something smells good,” she remarked. “I might become a regular customer.” She proffered the wine, which he took in one hand while seizing the back of her head with the other and drawing her close. It was a welcome kiss, one that said I’m so pleased you’re here, but this is just the beginning.

  “Dinner won’t be long, so while we wait, I’ll open this and we can sit down with a drink.”

  He’d put out wine glasses in readiness before she’d arrived, and he now filled those, handing one to Cassie. “Here’s to us, and new beginnings,” he said as they clinked glasses. “This is sort of where we started a few days ago.”

  “I’m sorry for testing the Muscal that night,” Cassie said. “It was unprofessional of me.” Placing her glass on the table, she moved closer and slid her hands up over his shirt and grasped his shoulders. “I hope you’ll let me make it up to you.” She stared up at him, and as she did, it seemed to him the colour of her eyes was reminiscent of the sea-green depths he’d seen as a result of the Muscal. They were mesmerising.

  “I’ve always thought main course is over-rated,” Cassie added, her voice husky with desire. Why waste time on that when you can go straight to dessert?” Rising on tiptoes, she kissed him softly at first, her tongue exploring and teasing, before communicating a more urgent message.”

  When he was able to draw breath, Daniel pulled back slightly. “Unless I’m a slow learner, something tells me I’d better turn off the oven. Personally, I’ve always thought the focus should be more on the delights of dessert. Great minds obviously think alike.”

  Dropping a kiss on her forehead before disengaging himself, Daniel turned off the oven and the grill. “No point in burning it to a crisp. I think it will keep.”

  He seized Cassie’s hand and led her towards his bedroom before pausing at the door. “Cassie, I’m not being presumptuous, am I? You wouldn’t just prefer some apple crumble instead?”

  She looked him with incomprehension. “What are you talking about? Are you saying you don’t want to bed me?”

  “God, no, Cassie. I was trying to be a thoughtful and considerate new age man.” He reached for the hem of her top and wrenched it up and over her head. “Okay. Gloves off. Prepare to be ravished.”

  “Blessed Be,” she murmured. “The Goddess works in mysterious ways.” She slipped off her jeans, casting them aside, followed by the bra and panties in matching purple lace.

  She stood before him as nature intended, glorious in her nakedness. Daniel’s breath seized in his throat. This was as he’d first seen her. From that first moonlit glimpse, he had never imagined that glorious creature would end up in his bed. He raked his fingers through her hair, the long tresses streaming through his fingers.

  “I’m not sure what the Goddess has to do with anything, but if she’s in charge of the moon, there might be something in it. I think moonlight is more seductive than any potion you might create.”

  He saw a fleeting, inquisitive look cross her face but wasn’t about to enlighten her. How could he tell her what he’d seen that night?

  “Don’t you think you’re over-dressed?” As she spoke, she pulled open the fastening of his jeans and dragged down the zip. He shucked off his shirt as she pulled down his pants, her lips brushing the bulge in his underpants as she did. When she reached for his underwear, his erection sprang free, signalling the level of his arousal. With a small laugh of delight, Cassie knelt in front of him, holding the shaft before running her tongue along the length and swirling it around the swollen head.

  Daniel moaned softly, his head thrown back and eyes closed as he surrendered to the waves of passion sweeping over his body, his hands still buried in the silky tresses that swirled about her head as her tongue worked its magic.

  “Stop,” he groaned. “You’ve got to stop.”

  She paused, looking up at him, the question in her eyes.

  “Before I explode, it’s your turn.” He reached under her armpits, and hauling her upright, projected her onto the bed. He joined her as she sprawled back in disarray, delivering feather-light licks to first one breast and then the other.

  “Mmm,” she murmured. “I seem to recall you’re a breast man.”

  “I don’t limit myself,” he whispered as he spread her legs with his knee and slowly slid down her body until this time it was his tongue that found the centre of pleasure. Almost of their own accord, her legs spread wide, her hips arching upwards, granting him better access to the sweet delights he sought. With each swirl of his tongue, she could feel her lips opening wider, inviting him in. She jammed her fists beneath her butt cheeks, offering herself up to his ministrations until she totally lost control. All meaningful thought was sucked from her in a vortex that consumed her mind and body in shuddering waves.

  Panting, she reached for Daniel. She wanted to feel him deep inside her, needed him inside her. As she regained her breath, he tore open the foil packet he’d left by the bedside and sheathed himself before plunging into the warm, slick opening she offered up to him. His own release soon followed in a joyous and noisy climax.

  “You okay?” he asked, nuzzling her neck after he slid up the bed to join her.

  “Need you ask? More than okay.” She sounded both sleepy and bemused. “Amazing what one can do without any form of enhancement at all.”

  “I think you’re the only enhancement I need,” he murmured. “I’m never going to look at dessert the same way again. I’m always going to remember this night, this time.” He rolled onto his side, facing her. “Having said that, I did invite you over for dinner, and I’m sure it’s more than ready. I’d serve you dinner in bed, but it’s probably more comfortable seated at the table. I’ll let you have first dibs on the bathroom, while I tend to the kitchen.”

  ☐

  He was a good cook. The meal was fine despite the delay, and Cassie discovered she was ravenously hungry. Not surprising, really. Daniel had prepared the fireplace earlier in the evening, and the fire heated the room as they ate. The crackling logs released a scent of eucalyptus and lemon-scented gum, bringing a hint of outdoors into the room.

  Their conversation skirted around the future. All Cassie could think of was the present. She knew Daniel was only in town for a limited time, but increasingly she was sure that Daniel was the one sent by Aphrodite. Wasn’t that what Boobook Man was trying to tell her? To think of the days, even weeks and years, ahead would mean she had to make some hard decisions, including what and when to tell Daniel about herself.

  She waited for him to ask her more questions about her life and her plans, but he also seemed content in dealing with the present. Perhaps similar thoughts ran through his mind.

  This time, Cassie did stay the night. Waking up beside him seemed the most natural thing in the world. It was where she wanted to be, needed to be. She couldn’t stay long, though. For one t
hing, she had things to do in her workshop, and she knew Daniel had his own work waiting for him. After a leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, cooked again by him, she took her leave.

  “Much as I would love to stay, there are things I need to do at home today, and I know you’ve got your own deadlines. Monty will be wondering where I am as well. Wondering where his breakfast is, anyway.”

  “Monty?”

  “My beautiful feline companion. You’ll meet him in due course, speaking of which—next dinner is on me. Sometime later this week? I’ll call you to make that arrangement.”

  “Sounds good. More than good. I look forward to it.”

  They lingered over their parting. Having experienced the connection between their bodies, the separation at Daniel’s front door was a wrench. With one last kiss, Cassie pushed him from her and climbed into her car. No need to be greedy. There would be opportunities in the coming weeks.

  Monty was indeed waiting for her when she arrived home. His baleful look and tail flick said it all. Where have you been? Don’t you know it’s been hours since I was fed? How can you do this to me?

  “Monty, it hasn’t been that long, and we both have to make adjustments here. You’re still my number one cat. That won’t change. I’ll introduce you to Daniel soon, I promise.”

  The cat stalked to its food bowl and pointedly sat down and stared at it, as though food would miraculously appear. Cassie obligingly filled the bowl and ruffled the cat’s head before heading for the shower before starting on her regular Sunday tasks. She needed to do some re-potting in the greenhouse and then some monitoring work with the tinctures in progress in her workshop. She meticulously recorded the details of all trials, and now she had one more to add, thanks to her own personal experiments.

  She was out in the greenhouse when she heard the muffled sound of the front door bell. That was unusual. She wasn’t expecting visitors and those who routinely did visit, like Rowena, knew to come around to the back of her cottage and look for her in either the garden or the greenhouse.

  She peeled off her gardening gloves, and went back inside, heading towards the front door. Monty sat on the window sill of the front room, staring fixedly through the glass. As Cassie went to open the door, she heard the cat give a low growl. Strange. Perhaps he’d spotted another cat outside.

  Nobody was on the doorstep. Cassie took a step outside so she could see the driveway and the street beyond. Just when she thought nobody was there, a movement caught her eye. Astonishingly, a doe stood there. Feral deer were a problem throughout the region, but they didn’t normally come this close to town. The animal stood at the turn-off into her driveway, and was looking straight at her. As Cassie watched, the animal wheeled around and disappeared up the road in a direction leading away from the town. How unusual.

  She was about to shut the door when she spied a bunch of flowers by the side of the doorstep. They were native flowers, with red grevilleas nestled amongst a collection of greenery. She picked them up, looking to see if there was a note. The stems were tied together with a strand of jute string, but there was no indication as to who had left the gift for her.

  Could it have been Daniel? Somehow she didn’t think so. It wasn’t long since she had seen him, and surely he would have given them to her in person. It couldn’t have been the doe. Regardless, she would put them in water and get back to the greenhouse. There was still a lot to do. She took a large vase from a shelf in the workroom and arranged the stems as creatively as she could. They needed to be trimmed slightly to fit, but with that done she placed them on a sideboard in the dining room. Brushing the hair from her face, she stood back to review her floral artistry. They looked fine. Whoever had left them had given her a nice surprise.

  The rest of the day passed uneventfully, No more visitors, whether two or four-footed, and she completed the work she had on her agenda. That was surprising, given where her thoughts kept wandering. Her and Daniel. Daniel and her. Together in Harrow. Together back in the city. Would there even be a together? They hadn’t talked about that, and they hadn’t known each other very long. She was sure though, absolutely sure, he was the one meant for her. Was he sure she was the one for him? Those thoughts were still tumbling around her head when she finally fell asleep later that evening.

  Cassie’s dreams were vivid and weird and her sleep was disturbed. When she awoke, her body radiated heat and her face felt as though it was on fire. Must be a reaction to the dreams. A shower will cool me down. When she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she was brought to a halt, thoughts of the shower abandoned. Raised, red welts streaked across her face. Looking down, she could see they were over her arms as well, and a couple on her torso. Now she had seen them, they started to itch. It took every iota of control not to let her fingers loose and to scratch her face into oblivion.

  She thought back over the previous day. She hadn’t eaten anything unusual. Perhaps she’d reacted to some of the floral essences, but that had never happened before. Was scarlet fever still a thing? Leprosy, even? As she looked closely, she could see clusters of small, watery blisters forming within the welts. Something was seriously wrong. She reached for her phone to call Rowena. Her aunt had trained as a nurse, and still filled casual shifts at the local hospital.

  “Rowena, can you come quickly? I’ve come down with the plague and it’s killing me! It’s all over my face. This is going to drive me crazy.”

  “The plague? I doubt that Cassie. What are your symptoms?”

  Cassie gave a brief description. “I’d take a photo and email it to you, but I’d rather you just came. Quickly, before I tear the skin from my face.”

  “Have you got some calamine lotion? It sounds to me as though you need a doctor, but I’ll be there shortly. Make yourself a cup of tea while you wait.”

  A cup of tea was Rowena’s antidote to a lot of things, but Cassie didn’t think it would work this time. She was relieved when she heard her aunt’s car in the driveway and ran to open the front door.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Rowena said as she caught sight of Cassie’s face. The welts were angrier than they had been earlier, and appeared to be spreading. “I’ve brought a salve with me, but I might let you apply it. I’m not sure I should be touching your skin. It might be contagious. You go and put some on while I make the tea. I don’t think you’ll be going to work today.”

  While Rowena busied herself in the kitchen, Cassie jumped under a cool shower, letting the water ease the parts of her skin she didn’t dare touch. After gently patting herself dry with the softest towel she owned, she rubbed the ointment into the affected areas. They even felt hot to the touch. She pulled on loose trousers and a cotton top, not wanting anything too tight against to her skin. Strands of hair threatened to torment her face, so she used an Alice band to keep it at bay. Not much else she could do.

  When she returned to the kitchen, Rowena had made a pot of tea, and poured two steaming mugs. She nodded at the flower arrangement.

  “The flowers, Cassie—where did you get those?”

  “Someone left them anonymously on the doorstep yesterday. There wasn’t a note so I don’t know who left them. It was a strange surprise.”

  “I don’t suppose you were wearing gloves when you brought them in?”

  “No. Why?”

  “That’s the cause of your problem. That’s a bunch of Robyn Gordon Grevilleas. They cause varying allergic reactions when touched, and given your overall sensitivity to a range of things, you seem to be on the extreme end of the scale. Whoever gave you that bunch of flowers gave you a Trojan Horse.”

  Cassie remembered the flowers brushing against her arms, and then how she’d pushed her hair away from her face as she carried them inside.

  “But that’s bizarre. Who would do that? What do I do now?”

  “Well the good news is, you don’t have the plague. The salve I gave you will help with the itch, but a visit to the doctor is in order. You’ll need a steroid tre
atment to bring the reaction under control.”

  “I’ll email the library and let the manager know I won’t be in today, and then call the doctor’s surgery as soon as they open. I hope they have a morning appointment available.”

  “I hope so, too. In the meantime, we need to get rid of those flowers. If you have a pair of elbow-length rubber gloves available, I’ll throw them in the compost. You had better not go near them.”

  “Rowena, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “While I’m here, perhaps you can tell me about what’s going on between you and the writer who recently came to town.”

  Cassie winced inwardly. She dared not move the muscles on her face in case the itch was aggravated. She knew the interrogation was inevitable. “It’s early days. There’s not much to tell.”

  “That’s not what I heard. I don’t think you spent Saturday night in your own bed, Cassie. He’s an outsider. What future is there for you with him?”

  Cassie took her time in answering. Whatever she said would get back to the women in the inner circle. “I have no idea what the future holds, but I think he’s the one sent by the Goddess. The signs are there. I feel the same vibrations my mother described and although I haven’t asked him, I think Daniel felt them as well. He has no idea what it means.” She glanced at Rowena, trying to gauge her reaction to what she’d heard. “He’s only in Harrow for a short time, but he could change his mind on that. On the other hand, perhaps I’ll follow him. I don’t have to live here to use my gift for the benefit of the town.”

  “Perhaps not, but my gut feeling is that without that continual connection, your gifts won’t be as strong. Still, as you say, these are early days and more than anything, I want for you to be happy.” She hugged her niece gently so as not to irritate her skin, before adding softly, “That’s what your mother wanted as well—for you to be happy. Whatever your choice, I’ll support you.” She picked up her bag and headed for the door. “I need to get on with my day. I hope the doctor provides you with some relief.”