by Susan Lewis
Then, lifting her in his arms, he carried her through to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Her hair was tangled around her face, her chest was still heaving as her body shuddered and glistened in the moonlight. For a moment he stood looking down at her, watching her eyelids flutter and her breasts rise and fall. Then gently brushing the hair from her face, he lay down beside her and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
They lay quietly together listening to the sound of each other’s breath and the steadying rhythm of their hearts. She was aware that he hadn’t spoken at all, yet his body, his kisses, his caresses and his passion were saying more than she dared hope was true. She turned her face into his neck and felt his lips graze her forehead as his arms tightened around her. The scent of him stole into her senses, quickening her heart as the gentle strength of his embrace engulfed her.
Minute after minute ticked by until finally she felt herself drifting into sleep. Dimly she was aware of him turning her in his arms so that her back was against his chest and his legs were supporting hers. Sliding her hand into his, she drew his fingers to her mouth and kissed them. She slept then, so deeply that when she woke in the early hours he was already inside her. She hadn’t felt the penetration, but the feeling of him now, so big and solid inside her, tore a response through her body that was almost a pain. She lay quietly, her breath starting to shorten as her nipples responded to the tender quest of his fingers and the rest of her came alive to his touch. He turned her face to his and kissed her mouth, then easing himself out of her he turned her round and pulled her on top of him. Taking him back into the depths of her as she knelt over him, she looked down into his face in the growing dawn light. Slowly she began to ride him. His eyes were in shadow, but she knew they were on hers. His lips were pale, his jaw was stained with the inky darkness of stubble. His hands stroked her breasts and she began to move faster. His thumb penetrated the join in her legs and her head fell back as she gasped. His hips were rising to meet the downward thrust of hers, his hands were touching her all over. Her breasts swung and bounced and she cried out as he squeezed her nipples hard. It was driving her crazy, pushing her closer and closer to the edge as her nipples felt they might burst with the incredible response to what he was doing.
And then she was there, flying, falling, soaring to the very root of every sensation in her body. ‘Max!’ she screamed. ‘Oh God, Max.’
Quickly he pulled her into his arms, pressing her to him as his mouth found hers and his hands held her.
‘Max, I can’t bear it,’ she sobbed as he laid her on her back. ‘Oh God, help me,’ she cried as her orgasm broke through her threshold of endurance.
But he continued to move in and out of her, slamming in hard with each thrust of his climax. She clung to him, twisting her fingers in his hair and listening to herself sob. She had never known anything like this. Nothing in her life had ever felt so strong. Nothing had ever pushed her to the limits she had reached that night, nothing and no one had ever even come close.
Her breath was still ragged as he kissed her again, tenderly and brutally, commandingly and comfortingly. The length of his body was pressed to hers, his breath was in her lungs, his penis still inside her. She had never dreamt she would feel part of another human being, but that was the way she felt now. It was as though he was consuming her, drawing her into him, even as he pushed himself into her.
She wished he would speak, yet she dreaded he would. She longed to know how this was affecting him too, yet she was terrified to hear it. In two days he was marrying Galina, in whose bed they were now lying, their bodies not only entwined, but still joined. She wanted him to grow hard again, to keep himself there, to fill her so full of himself she could no longer think.
It was a long time before he finally lifted himself up from the bed, by then they were back in the position they’d slept in. Rhiannon feigned sleep. She was too afraid to look at him, too desperate for him to stay to be able to watch him go. Inside she was crying out for him to speak, but she knew he wouldn’t.
Early morning sunlight was filtering through the blinds as the front door closed behind him. Rhiannon lay where she was, her throat aching with tears as her heart thudded with confusion and pain and the certain knowledge that something inside her had changed completely. She had no idea what, all she knew was that her emotions were so raw that even as she wept she was feeling a joy she’d never felt before. She turned her face to the pillow and despite the intensity of all they had shared, she wondered if he had been using her as some kind of payback to Galina. He’d made love to her here, in Galina’s bed, in the very bed where Galina entertained her other lovers. So had she been used? Was she some kind of pawn in a bitter and twisted game between two people who loved as much as they hated?
She wondered if she would ever know the answer to that, if she would ever share another night like that with him again. She felt suddenly drained and tired to the point of exhaustion. Yet there was an impatience growing inside her, a longing, a craving, an insatiable hunger for so much more of him that she felt swamped by her own need. What had he done to her? How could she ever make love with another man now?
Hugging the pillow more tightly to her face, she tried to empty her mind. She must try to sleep, for she was too tired to think clearly now, too dazed to detach herself from the overpowering effect of the night. She was aware of the tears on her cheeks and of the way her heart was already contracting with the fear of what lay ahead. She thought of Galina and the wedding, and felt an indescribable pain slide across her heart.
Downstairs Max was waiting for the doorman to bring his car round. His face was pale and drawn, his eyes were unfocused and heavy with fatigue. As the Mercedes came to a stop at the centre of the forecourt he walked forward, rubbing a hand over his chin, then pushing it on through his hair.
From a window opposite a telescopic lens was capturing his every move, telling its own story of a tired man emerging from his girlfriend’s apartment at sunrise, having just spent the night with an unknown woman – the same woman he’d been with at the Café del Rey the night before, just prior to a romantic stroll on the beach. The café and beach shots were already in print, had hit the newstands a couple of hours ago, which Max would find out the minute he got home, maybe even sooner if he stopped along the way.
Chapter 20
‘SURPRISE!’ GALINA SHOUTED, kicking the front door closed behind her and dropping her Vuitton bags on the floor. ‘Surprise, surprise,’ she laughed, running into the bedroom and throwing herself on top of Rhiannon. ‘We’re going to Vegas!’ she cried, hugging Rhiannon tightly and rolling her across the bed. ‘We’re going to Vegas!’
‘Galina, let me breathe,’ Rhiannon laughed, trying to untangle herself.
‘We’re going to Vegas!’ Galina repeated elatedly, sitting back on her heels, her beautifully fresh face alive with laughter and mischief as she gazed down at Rhiannon. ‘God, you should see yourself,’ she grinned. ‘It must have been a hell of a night.’
Rhiannon’s heart froze as the guilt swamped her and without thinking she quickly averted her eyes.
But Galina didn’t seem to notice. ‘Max and I are getting married in Vegas!’ she declared. ‘Isn’t it exciting? It’s all arranged. We’re flying out there on Saturday morning. Max and I will go get our licence as soon as we get there, then we’ll meet up with the rest of you at the Love Heart Chapel, or whatever it’s called, and we’ll have the wedding of the year right there on the Strip in Vegas.’
Rhiannon was staring at her in disbelief. But it was a joke, of course it was a joke, she just couldn’t get a grip on it yet, that was all. Without thinking she turned to look at the clock and dimly registered that it was past midday.
‘So, what do you think?’ Galina urged. ‘Brilliant, isn’t it? You said you wanted to go to Vegas and now you’re going.’
Rhiannon blinked and looked at her again. ‘I said I wanted to go to Vegas?’ she echoed, wondering if she was dreaming this.
&nbs
p; ‘You know you did,’ Galina laughed. ‘You said it the other day. You said it would be good to get to Vegas while you were here. Well, now you will. I’ve arranged it.’
Rhiannon’s disbelief was going beyond dimensions she could handle. ‘It was just a throw-away, Galina,’ she muttered. ‘I didn’t mean it. I mean, I did, but not for one minute did I expect you to go and get married there.’ She took a breath. ‘But you’re kidding me, aren’t you? You’re not serious, I know you’re not . . .’
‘I am!’ Galina cried, laughing and throwing out her arms. ‘I’m deadly serious. It’s a great idea. It’ll be such a scream and after the wedding we can hit the casinos and break every bank in town.’
Rhiannon blinked several times. The awful realization that Galina probably did mean what she was saying was dawning on her at last. ‘What does Max say?’ she asked, feeling slightly breathless.
‘He thinks it’s a great idea,’ Galina laughed. ‘Everyone does.’ She bounced off the bed and headed for the kitchen. ‘Coffee?’ she called back over her shoulder. ‘Silly question. Of course you want coffee. Are you planning on getting up today? No problem if you’re not, I was just wondering. I’ll bring the papers to you in bed if you like. I think you should see them. The shots of you are fantastic. And of Max. Was he good, by the way?’ She giggled. ‘Did he blow your mind? I want all the details.’
Rhiannon’s eyes were wide, her insides felt as though they were being crushed. She must be dreaming, she had to be, either that or she was losing her mind.
‘I hope you don’t think he’s going to run off with you before the wedding,’ Galina went on chattily as she spooned fresh coffee into the filter. ‘I mean, it would serve me right for what I did to you, I know, but it won’t happen, so please don’t get your hopes up ’cos I couldn’t bear it if you got hurt. Max is absolutely crazy about me, you see, he’ll do anything for me, even sleep with my best friend to cheer her up. Did it cheer you up, darling?’
Rhiannon was reeling. Her fingers were digging into the bed as though trying to steady the world. The shock of Galina’s words was tearing at her, the horror that she might be hearing the truth was so great she was unable to move.
‘Well, I have to be honest here,’ Galina went on, flicking the power switch and unhooking clean cups from the rack, ‘I didn’t actually ask him to sleep with you. I was going to,’ she assured Rhiannon hastily, ‘because I thought you might like it, but he obviously read the situation perfectly, the way he always does, and decided to indulge me, the way he always does. So, did you like it? Was he the best you’ve ever had? I’ll bet he was.’
All Rhiannon could do was look at her. This couldn’t be happening. This conversation wasn’t taking place. There was simply no way she could be lying here in Galina’s bed still bruised from Max’s love-making and being cheerily asked by Galina if he was the best lover she’d ever had and being expected to reply.
To her immeasurable relief the telephone rang. It was Ula calling her with the name and number of an immigration lawyer. Rhiannon jotted the information down, thanked Ula and rang off. Then burying her head in her arms, she squeezed herself tightly as though to shield herself from any more.
‘Shall I run you a bath?’ Galina offered, breezing past into the bathroom.
Rhiannon didn’t answer, she merely watched as Galina stooped over the wide, oval-shaped bath and spun the brass taps. Then picking up a bowl of expensive salts, she began sprinkling them liberally into the cascading water. All the time she was singing, humming happily under her breath, just like any woman in love.
‘How did the trip to Chicago go?’ Rhiannon asked, trying to bring some normalcy to the situation as, dispensing with modesty, she threw back the duvet and slid to the edge of the bed. As she stood she could feel the stiffness in her muscles and a quick memory of him inside her shot a bolt of lust right through her.
‘Oh, yes, it was great,’ Galina answered, putting the bath salts back on a shelf and starting to undress.
Rhiannon watched her, her discomfort increasing with every garment Galina discarded. ‘Uh, I’ll take a shower, shall I?’ Rhiannon said, indicating the frosted-glass cubicle beside the bath as Galina stepped out of her underwear and turned to look at herself in the mirror.
‘Oh no!’ Galina protested, wetting her finger, then smoothing it over her eyebrows. ‘I thought we could take a bath together, the way we used to at school. I’ll wash your back, you wash mine and you can tell me everything Max did to you last night.’
Rhiannon’s face was pale. ‘Galina, I really don’t think . . .’
‘You’ve got wonderful breasts,’ Galina interrupted, looking at Rhiannon’s reflection in the mirror. ‘I hope Max told you that. They’re so . . . big! And your waist and hips are so slim. You’ve got a perfect figure, you know. Women in this town pay fortunes to look like you. I know!’ she suddenly cried, clapping her hands in excitement. ‘Where’s your camera? Let’s put it on auto and take a picture of the two of us together in the nude!’
Rhiannon’s mouth fell open. ‘What on earth for?’ she said.
‘For Max, of course,’ Galina laughed. ‘Think what a treat it would be for him to be able to peek into his wallet any time he liked and . . .’
‘Galina, stop this!’ Rhiannon snapped. ‘This is crazy and you know it!’
‘How is it crazy?’ Galina laughed. ‘Don’t you want him to have a picture of you in the nude?’
‘No!’
Galina’s eyes were sparkling. Then shrugging, she said, ‘OK, suit yourself. It was just a thought,’ and leaning over the bath she began mixing the water with both hands.
‘Come on, get in,’ she said, reaching behind her for Rhiannon’s hand.
‘Galina, I don’t really . . .’
‘Come on,’ Galina insisted, waving a hand through the air to clear the steam. ‘I’ll put the jacuzzi on so you can relax back and enjoy yourself,’ and grabbing Rhiannon’s hand, she pulled her over to the bath.
‘Galina, we’re not schoolgirls any more,’ Rhiannon protested as Galina stepped into the water.
‘We can always pretend,’ Galina twinkled. ‘Come on, you take the comfy end, I’ll take the taps. And don’t worry, I’m not going to come on to you, I’m not that way inclined.’
Feeling like she was moving into a space, a time even, that was totally apart from reality, Rhiannon stepped into the bath and sank slowly into the steaming perfumed water.
‘That’s it,’ Galina smiled, kneeling down in front of her and watching her through the mist. ‘Does it feel good?’
Rhiannon nodded. It did, and the gentle vibration of the jacuzzi soon began to ease the tension from her limbs. At the other end Galina stretched out her legs and lay back too, resting her head on a folded towel and tucking her hands beneath her to stop them floating to the surface.
Neither of them spoke for some time as they relaxed with their eyes closed, inhaling the soothing aroma of the salts and listening to the muted burr of the jacuzzi as it gently massaged their bodies.
‘Isn’t this wonderful?’ Galina murmured after a while.
‘Mmm,’ Rhiannon responded.
Galina’s eyes opened and she started to smile. ‘Why don’t I bathe you while you tell me about Max,’ she suggested.
Immediately Rhiannon tensed, though her eyes remained closed. ‘I don’t want to talk about Max,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to deny what happened, but for God’s sake, Galina, I can’t talk about it, at least not to you.’ By now her eyes were open and she could see the beatific smile on Galina’s lips.
‘OK,’ Galina said softly. ‘I understand. Just let me bathe you and we’ll forget about Max. Come on, turn around, let me do your back.’
Wondering why on earth she was going along with this, Rhiannon lifted herself up and turned around. Behind her Galina rubbed soap into a sponge, then began gently stroking her back. Rhiannon’s head fell forward as the wonderful soothing sensations coasted through her. Galina’s fingers moved
to her neck and massaged it as she continued to rub the sponge over her shoulders. Then letting the sponge go, Galina took up the massage with both hands, easing herself in closer to Rhiannon and letting her legs slip around Rhiannon’s hips.
There was no denying the intimacy, nor the eroticism of the situation, yet Rhiannon wasn’t uncomfortable with it, not even when Galina pulled her head back on to her shoulder and began to stroke her face.
‘Shall I wash your hair?’ Galina offered.
Rhiannon nodded, then sat forward as Galina reached for the shampoo, before moving back to the taps and pulling Rhiannon’s shoulders down until her hair was submerged in the water. Using her hands, she scooped more water over Rhiannon’s face and neck, then squeezing shampoo from the bottle, she raised her knees so that Rhiannon could rest her back against them and began to soap Rhiannon’s long auburn hair.