Fallen Angel, Part II

by Tracie Podger

  “Would you have really torn down that chapel?” I asked.

  “That was the plan, until I saw that window,” he replied.

  “I’m glad you didn’t. It’s a wonderful place, maybe there was a reason for you not to.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, I was just thinking, maybe it was fate, you left it there for a purpose.”

  He joined me in the shower. “I don’t know if I believe in fate, you make your own way in this world.”

  “Well, I know I was destined to meet you, the time was right for both of us to be together, that’s fate.”

  He thought for a moment, “Maybe you’re right.”

  I left him to his shower and started to get ready for Taylor’s party. I was looking forward to it, to starting our Christmas with a group of people that I had grown to love, a group of friends with whom I shared a bond I had never felt before. I’d had friends back home, but we had nothing that bound us together like this group. It was being part of a family that I loved, something I had missed.

  ****

  Gary drove and we made our way to Arlington, where Mack and Taylor lived. Slowing at their gates, we were waved through by their security. The whole of their garden was lit, every tree, every bush had little lights that shone against the snow on the ground. Taylor met us at the door.

  “Come on in, everyone’s here,” she said as we made our way through the hall and into the lounge.

  Logs blazed in the hearth warming the huge room we now stood in which was full of people. Robert took two glasses of champagne from a passing waitress and handed one to me and one to Evelyn. We were immediately approached by people I had not met before, some he knew from his business dealings and some of Mack and Taylor’s friends. It took nearly half an hour before I took Evelyn by the arm and made my way over to the girls, leaving Robert to talk shop to a couple of guys.

  “Phew, that took some time,” I said laughing as I hugged and kissed Patricia and Susie.

  “We were just having a chat about Caroline,” Susie said. “What did Robert think of her?”

  “Not sure, he told Travis that we would have a meal together, get to know her a bit better. What’s the general opinion then?” I asked.

  We gossiped for a little while, each commenting on the merits of Caroline, her ears must have been burning. We stopped chatting when we saw the last couple to enter the room. Paul and Rosa. I walked across the room to them. I kissed Paul on the cheek and took Rosa in my arms. The last time we had spoken she was distraught, warning me off. I wanted her to know that everything was fine now. Taking her by the hand we walked to the group, everyone welcoming her back.

  “Brooke, I’m so sorry about my behaviour,” she said.

  “There’s nothing for you to apologise for, we were all scared, we all shouted at each other. I’m just really glad that you’re back. Are you back for good?” I asked.

  “Yes, I had a lovely time back home but I missed Paul. I love him, despite us having a few problems lately, we’re going to work hard at it.”

  “That’s great news, Rosa,” Patricia told her.

  “So, what’s this I hear about Travis,” she asked.

  We laughed, we chatted, the old wives' club complete again.

  “Brooke, can I borrow you for a moment,” I heard Taylor say.

  She had been mingling among her guests. I followed her from the lounge into an office, passing a very busy kitchen full of staff. She closed the door behind her.

  “Honey, I just got to show this,” she said as she opened a folder. My breath caught as I saw a drawing of the most wonderful dress. Samples of a heavily beaded silver fabric were attached. If I ever thought about my wedding dress, the style and colour, this would have been it. It was simple yet totally gorgeous.

  “Oh my God, did Casey do this?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’ve had it a couple of days now, I just knew you would love it, it’s so you.”

  “Oh it is. Now I just need to get bloody Robert to hurry up and propose.” I said laughing, “The suspense is killing me. What will I do, if he doesn’t?” panic caused my throat to constrict.

  “Honey, I’m sure he will, don’t worry about. I just saw this design and was so excited about it. Casey has such talent, doesn’t she.”

  We stood and looked at the drawing, I rolled the material around in my fingers, feeling the weight of the beading.

  “Taylor, it’s just perfect. If I had to pick a dress, this would be it,” I said as tears sprang to my eyes.

  We left the room and headed back to the lounge. I saw Robert in the centre of the room, surrounded by people. It was like he was holding court, he saw me watching him and winked. It still took me by surprise, the sight of him. He held such command over these people and I was reminded of every restaurant we had visited, he would be fussed over. As much as he thought he had shed his previous life, in reality he hadn’t, not to the people around him. Joining the girls again, we toasted each other and the old wives' club. A buffet had been prepared and we made our way into the conservatory.

  “Whose turn is it next, to host the Christmas party?” I asked.

  “Well, since Robert has never, I guess it’s yours,” Susie laughed.

  “It’s a date then,” I said watching him stride across the room to join us.

  “Ladies, you all look as lovely as usual,” he said, bending his head to kiss each one.

  “Brooke, there’s someone I want to introduce you to,” he said. I left my plate and glass and took his hand.

  “I would like to introduce you to Joseph, he was a close friend of Joe’s,” he said.

  A very old man stood in front of me, resting on a cane. He took my hand in his, his blue eyes filled with tears.

  “She is lovely, Robert,” he said smiling at me.

  “Thank you and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Joseph.”

  “I have known young Robert here since he was a child, how proud I am of what he has become I can’t tell you, there are no words. However, the neighbourhood misses him,” he said.

  “Would you like to sit, Joseph?” Robert asked him and on his nod, he helped him to one of the tables that had been set out, where the girls still sat.

  “Joseph, it’s lovely to see you,” Patricia said, rising from her chair.

  “Patricia, thank you. It’s lovely to see you again too.”

  He sat with us, Robert to one side and we chatted. He talked about the old days, Joe and Robert, it sounded like he missed them, and he certainly missed his friend, Joe. When he saw Evelyn walk over to join us, his misted eyes lit up. He greeted her like he would have had it been her father. Robert vacated his chair to allow Evelyn to sit beside him. She had known him all her life. It was lovely to listen to them, listen to his stories and I sensed a lonely man who longed for a return to the old days. A little while later I noticed Robert standing alone, looking out of the conservatory windows and I walked towards him, he smiled at my reflection in the glass as he saw me approach.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, just thinking, that’s all.”

  “He’s a lovely man.”

  He nodded. “Yes he is. He was a great friend of Joe’s. Guess it just made me a little sad to see him. He lives in Florida now, needs the warmth for his old bones, he says. He’s just come back for Christmas with his daughter.”

  “What did he mean, the neighbourhood misses you?”

  “Where his daughter lives, there’s a lot of street crime now.”

  “But not when you lived there?”

  “No, no-one dare. Like I said before, Joe wanted somewhere kids would be safe. There were no muggings, no real drugs. People could come to Joe to sort out their problems,” he said, reminiscing.

  “And then to you,” I said.

  “Yeah, and then to me.”

  “You still are someone important, Robert. I was thinking earlier, no matter what you think of yourself now, these people still regard you the same.”


  He sighed. “I know and sometimes, not often, but listening to Joseph, just sometimes I feel like I have let them down a little.”

  “How?”

  “I moved our family out, that allowed for the petty thieves, the muggers, the druggies to move in, ruin the neighbourhood. In one way, I undid everything Joe had achieved.”

  “You haven’t let anyone down, that’s a mad thing to say. Time moves on, Robert. How long do you think you would have honestly been there? You would either be in prison or in a grave by now. I’m grateful for one, so are most of the people in this room, that you chose to do what you did. So what if maybe one or two miss you, look at the amount of people in this house that are thankful to you.”

  He looked at me. “I still can’t believe that you’re with me. You have a wonderful soul, Brooke.”

  “I have a soul of someone so madly in love and you did that,” I replied as I kissed him. “Now, go back to your friends and have some fun.”

  I caught Patricia looking at me, she smiled. “He always gets a little sad this time of year,” she told me as I took the chair next to her.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I guess it always highlighted that he had no family of his own, until now that is,” she said hugging me. “He pretends he doesn’t care but inside there’s still this little boy, lost and searching for someone. It’s so good to know he doesn’t have to anymore.”

  “But he had Joe and Evelyn.”

  “Yes, of course and he loved Joe but maybe he felt it wasn’t enough. We all love our parents but, as you know, to love someone the way he does you, well, that’s something all together different.”

  “There is one thing that scares me though, Patricia. I can’t have children and one day, in the future, will that make a difference to us. He says he doesn’t want kids but he would be a wonderful father and I worry that, once he realises, will he regret being with me.”

  “Oh, Brooke, don’t you ever think that. You’re all he needs,” she said.

  The evening wore on and before we left I had Gary bring in some gifts. I had bought the guys and their children a present for Christmas and as a thank you for taking me into their lives. I had thought long and hard about what to buy, each was just something small but given with love. With an armful of beautifully wrapped presents for us, Robert and I, Travis and Evelyn said our goodbyes and headed home. I placed the presents under the tree and with Robert standing next to me, we looked at it, the snow falling outside and our reflections in the glass wall.

  “I love you,” Robert said, his head resting on my shoulder, his arms wrapped around me.

  “I know you do and I love you back,” I replied.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “For everything. For accepting me for who I was, who I am. For what you said tonight and for helping me become the person I want to be,” he said quietly.

  I turned in his arms, my hand stroking the side of his face. “You are a remarkable person, Robert, don’t ever forget that.”

  His kiss was deep and wanting, his hands running through my hair, holding my head to his face. He picked me up and carried me downstairs. As usual, the room was subtly lit by just the bedside lamps. He stood me in the middle of the room and I watched with anticipation as his eyes grew darker.

  Moving behind me, he unzipped my dress and unfastened my bra, letting them fall to the floor and I stepped out of them.

  “Do you trust me?” he whispered and I nodded my head.

  I heard the drawer open and felt a sliver of silk flow against my skin. I felt him place something around my throat, a leather strap and as he fastened it, my body started to shiver. The silk that I had felt was attached at my neck and two cuffs that he placed around my wrists. These were connected by a chain, binding them together behind my back. He placed something over my head, a silk blindfold to cover my eyes.

  My breathing became more rapid, I could hear him and I could feel him close to me but I couldn’t see him. If I moved my arms, it pulled at my neck, a reminder to stand still. He circled me, his fingers trailing across my stomach, down my spine and when he stood behind me, he kissed the side of my neck and across my shoulders, his teeth grazing my skin.

  Then he talked to me, his voice so low I strained to hear.

  “Do you know what I’m going to do to you? I am going to watch you come, then I’m going to fuck you until you beg me to stop.”

  My legs quivered, just those words had my stomach knotted, my clitoris throbbing. He stood behind me, not touching but wrapping the silk around in his hand, tightening it, pulling me back into his chest and whispering in my ear.

  “I want you to feel everything I say. Who’s in charge here, Brooke?” he asked.

  “You,” I whispered, my mouth dry, my voice already hoarse.

  “I’m going to run my tongue over your stomach, further and further down. I’m going to pull your legs apart, as far as I can and then I am going to lick you. You’ll be hot and wet and swollen, waiting for me. I’m going to take my time, sucking you, biting you. Then you’re going to feel my tongue inside because I want to taste you and you’re going to come in my mouth.”

  I moaned, an orgasm building just listening to him.

  “After I’m going to fuck you with my fingers. I want to feel how hot, how wet you are and you’re going to lick them clean. You’re going to taste what I do. Look at you, you’re ready right now, aren’t you. I will mark you, Brooke. You need to see where I have been and remember it.”

  I could only nod my head. Butterflies danced in my stomach, I felt that heat creep over me and my face felt flushed. I wanted him desperately to touch me, I wanted to feel his tongue, his fingers all over my body, I wanted him to mark me, to feel that pain and I felt my heart pound in my chest.

  My body was screaming for him. He picked me up and laid me on the bed, taking off my shoes and slowly pulling down my panties. He pulled my legs apart. He lowered his head to my stomach, his tongue running from my navel to where I so needed him to be. He circled my clitoris, the tip of his tongue licking me and I could feel his breath, cool against the heat of me. I felt his hand move, his thumb inside me, and his finger probing my arse, all the while, his tongue danced and teased.

  I screamed out and the more noise I made the more pressure he applied on that wonderful sweet place until I came. I was throbbing inside and he immediately replaced his thumb with his mouth. I felt him move above me, his mouth on mine, letting me taste myself on his lips. I writhed under him, I wanted to break free, to claw at his back but I couldn’t move. Every time I tried to pull my arms from under me, the leather strap at my throat reminded me to stay still.

  “Please, Robert, I want you,” I whimpered.

  “No, not yet,” he said.

  His mouth was all over my body, his tongue trailing from nipple to nipple, biting and licking, his fingers squeezing. At times he moved away just looking at me, talking to me and it was torturous. I could feel him close and as much as I begged, he would not touch me. He was whipping me into a frenzy of desire and heat.

  He moved slowly over me and I felt the tip of his cock just brushing gently against my opening, he lifted me slightly before very slowly pushing inside me until he filled me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing him deeper still. He started to move, slowly at first, then faster and harder and I cried out, over and over. Then he would stop, replace his cock with his tongue or his fingers. It seemed like hours had passed, him alternating between fucking and playing with me. My stomach ached from the desire and when I felt I could come no more, the most intense, wonderful, terrible orgasm flooded over me. I couldn’t catch my breath and my heart hammered so hard in my chest, tears poured down my cheeks and my stomach ached. Sweat beaded on my forehead and I licked the salty beads from my upper, dry lip.

  “Please, no more,” I cried out.

  He slowed, his mouth found mine, a gentle kiss before he came himself.

  Taking my arms, he sat
me up and cradled me to him, he untied my hands, the strap at my neck and pulled off the blindfold. He rubbed my shoulders and my wrists while I cried gently against his chest.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, oh God, Robert that was amazing and, oh, I don’t know what to say. My stomach aches and I feel totally drained.”

  I heard him chuckle as he lifted my head from his chest, kissing away the tears. I slept like the dead that night, exhausted.

  ****

  Standing in the bathroom the following morning, I inspected my bruises, the little marks he had left on my stomach and shoulder and I shook my head. I was never going to get him out of this habit, but I smiled at the same time, perhaps I didn’t want to, perhaps I wanted him to mark me as much as he had a need to. I made my way upstairs, leaving him sleeping and made myself some tea. Taking my phone and settling on the sofa I called Sam, I wanted to know how their holiday was going.

  “Hey honey, how are you?” he said when he answered.

  “I’m good, how’s Canada?”

  “Oh it’s just so lovely and thank you for the room, the champagne and everything. The hotel is amazing.”

  They were staying at the Fairmont in Banff, I had googled it and it certainly did look wonderful, a baroque castle nestled at the foot of the mountains.

  “What have you been up to?” I asked.

  “Well, other than the obvious, we have been out on a dog sleigh thingy, which was fun, we are going out on snowmobiles today, not sure about that one but I told Scott he has to drive slow and stay at the back,” he laughed.

  “It’s snowing here, Sam. It looks so lovely, not like the snow we get back home.”

  “I know, it’s great isn’t it. Anyway, how’s things with you and Trouble?”

  “Oh, Sam. He’s just wonderful at the moment. We have a tree up, lights and I’m going to cook Christmas dinner,” I told him.

  “Sounds fab. Honey, Scott is calling me, I’ll call you later,” he said.

  “Take a picture and email it to me, love you both,” I replied as I clicked off the phone.

  “So, he’s just wonderful at the moment, is he?” I heard and as I turned, I saw Robert sitting at the breakfast bar.