The Burlington Manor Affair

by Saskia Walker

  She wanted his thrusts, but he stayed still.

  Lifting up on his arms, he stared down at her. “Carmen, I love you.”

  Writhing, she burned up. Her flesh tightened around his cock, her core pounding.

  “Tell me you accept that.”

  “Rex, please.” Tugging her cuffs, desperate for release, the swell in her chest grew painful. Fear rattled at the door of her heart. She shook her head.

  He shifted, closed one hand around the base of her throat. The look in his eyes was desperate. His cock was rigid inside her, the muscles in his neck standing out as he held back.

  Pressing his lips together tightly, he pulled back, then rode her deep.

  A garbled cry escaped her when he pressed at her center. Her senses swam. Tears dampened her cheeks.

  “Tell me you know it.”

  Her body caved. A second orgasm rocked her, her body exploding with loops of pleasure. “Yes! I know it! I know!”

  Only then did he allow himself to move, and he stroked her damp skin as he pressed on. Their naked bodies shunted together, frantic in their physical reunion. When he came he gathered her limp body in his arms, holding her tightly, whispering her name.

  * * *

  IT WAS THE early hours of morning when Rex finally freed her.

  “This is why you brought me here,” she said, nodding at the cuffs as he unlocked them, “because you had these stashed.”

  In the lamplight his features looked chiseled, his handsome mouth full and passionate as he smiled at her accusation. “That’s not the only reason. I did like having you cuffed, though. It meant you couldn’t try to make a break for the hills when I told you how I felt.”

  She took a deep breath. “You said some things that really surprised me.”

  “But you still don’t trust me?” He stretched out on his side next to her.

  Instinctively she touched his chest. “I do, it’s just that I’ve had to be completely self-reliant. I can’t seem to let that go. It makes me afraid of investing in other things that I might never fully understand.”

  “By things you mean people?”

  “Maybe.”

  “There hasn’t been a man who you could rely on?” It was tentatively asked.

  “There hasn’t really been a man at all.” Sheepishly she got the confession out. “A couple of brief encounters at university, nothing significant.”

  He studied her at length before he replied. “I’d do anything to make you feel secure.”

  Her eyes closed while she imagined it. When she opened them, he was still studying her.

  “I know I went about this the wrong way. I should have told you I never stopped thinking about you.”

  “I thought you only wanted me because—”

  He silenced her with a finger on her lips. “I’ve been cutting myself up inside because I handled it wrong, I knew it a week ago. Now I’m fighting for my second chance.”

  There was humility in him. It drew on her. It also intrigued her that he’d declared love, but hadn’t demanded it in return.

  “But you know that, so tell me this...why are you here? Be honest.”

  “Because I can’t resist you.” It was so simple that she wanted to laugh.

  “You want to resist?”

  “Sometimes, but it doesn’t seem to work. I’m here, agreeing to your demands.”

  He didn’t answer; instead, he stroked her hair. It soothed her, and when she allowed herself to peek up at his face he looked so serious that she wondered if she’d hurt him, and immediately wanted to take back the words. She didn’t have the chance.

  “I want you to go to the manor for a couple of days, alone. Like you always wanted.”

  Carmen couldn’t help it, she laughed aloud. “Now, when I’m willing to give us a go, you send me there on my own?”

  God, he looked so handsome, so devastatingly sexy, when his eyes twinkled and the corners of his mouth lifted.

  The laughter made her feel light and free, and she sighed, letting more of the weight she’d carried drift.

  “I want you to enjoy the place without me pressuring you, but believe me, I will be joining you. The most important thing I’ve learned this past week is that I can’t be without you long.” His eyes burned into her. “I’ve got some business in London and then I have a meeting with my new partner on Saturday. He’s based near Oxford. I’ll come straight home from there and we can spend Saturday evening together.”

  “Home?” She smiled, unable to withhold her reaction.

  “Our home.”

  Pleasure burned in her chest, and she had to move on quickly to avoid getting tearful and silly again. “So, Saturday evening, and what about the rest of the weekend?”

  “If you insist.”

  “Me!” She laughed. “You’re the one outlining the agenda, as usual.”

  “I know how much you love that place.”

  “So did our parents.”

  “There’s no reason why we can’t make it work.”

  “You believe that?”

  He nodded.

  “Then we’ll give it a go.”

  “Music to my ears, my little bird.”

  She drew back, curious. “Bird?”

  “Uh-huh. Hard to lure and keep, so enticing, so magical. I’ve always wanted to hold you like this.” He was silent a moment, just staring into her eyes. “Promise me you won’t throw this away without giving us time.”

  Carmen swallowed, touched by the depth of emotion she saw in his expression. Moving her hand to his jaw, she chaffed it. “I promise.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  FRIDAY WAS LOOKING hellish busy for Rex, but he was fueled by a zest for life he’d never experienced before. Carmen had left for the manor the evening before, and he’d worked into the night. Timing was tight, though, and he needed everything to go smoothly.

  Fate didn’t seem to want to play along.

  “I’m sorry, Rex, but some guy wants to see you.”

  Rex looked up from his computer and studied Ayo’s face.

  “Didn’t want to give his name, but he’s being really insistent and he refuses to leave until he speaks to you.”

  Out of all the team, Ayo was the best at fending off curious neighbors and tenacious journalists. Rex usually heard about unwanted visitors after the event. Not this time. “Describe him.”

  “White guy, scrawny, wearing a hoodie and a beanie hat.” Ayo looked disapproving. When he wasn’t wearing his overalls, Ayo was the personification of dapper.

  “Longish hair?”

  “From what I could see of it, yup.”

  Rex already knew who it was when the visitor appeared in the doorway. Jerry was there, telling the young man to back off. Rex rose from his desk and stared across the room at his half brother Jason. He was about to pick up the phone and call the police when he saw the pleading look in the young man’s eyes. For a moment he was reminded of his father’s portrait. That threw him. “Let him in.”

  Reluctantly Rex’s employees stood back, but when they departed they left the door open. That suited Rex. He could kick Jason out if necessary.

  “Thank you.”

  Rex clenched his jaw before he brought himself to reply. “Believe me, I might still change my mind. I thought I’d made it clear last time. Just because we share some DNA doesn’t mean I can overlook what you did.”

  Jason paled. Staggering to a nearby chair, he slumped into it. “I know.”

  Warily Rex returned to his seat, staring across the desk at the man who was both assailant and half brother.

  Jason sighed and looked down at his feet.

  The tension Rex felt eased marginally. “Go on.”

  “I had no bad feeling toward anyone
, but it is my fault.”

  Rex cocked his head. “Why?”

  “She’d finally given up on him. Mum. When Dad didn’t return to her, after the death of his second wife, she realized it was over. Then I couldn’t help talking about him. She got angry and she remembered.” Resting his elbows on his knees he put his forehead to his fisted hands.

  The strange action disturbed Rex. But if his tale was true, it made sense that he would feel bad. However, the whole thing could be a clever ruse, a plea to sanction his cause in court. “You’re the only one who has been bailed, so you’re the only one who can come to me and attempt to redeem your image before the court case.”

  Jason hung his head. “That’s not what I’m trying to do.”

  The penitent look was too much for Rex to stomach. He rose to his feet. “Enough. I think you should leave.”

  Jason’s head shot up. There was a desperate look in his eyes.

  “Nothing changes the fact that you put Carmen’s life in danger. I’ll see you in court.”

  Jason rose to his feet, shaking his head as he did so. “You don’t understand.”

  “Leave.”

  “But I came here to confess.”

  Rex frowned.

  “It was me. I think I killed him...I killed our dad.”

  Rex’s blood rushed in his ears.

  Jason swayed, snatched at the desk edge.

  Rex circuited the desk and forced the younger man to face him. “What the hell do you mean?”

  “I spoke to him, and I think he recognized me. He was so shocked that he backed away from me.” Jason gulped. He shook his head, as if he had to remember it. “They found him dead in his bed the next morning. Heart attack. It was my fault. I should never have reached out to him.”

  Stunned, Rex stared at the man, trying to take in what he was saying.

  His mind worked furiously. Even if it were true, it wasn’t his fault that his father had reacted badly. Ironically the new information lessened the loathing Rex felt for his half brother. The young man was heavy with guilt, and this confession would do him no good. What it did reveal was that the rest of his tale was sound. If he believed he was guilty of attempted murder, why would he add it to his list of potential charges in court? This was a genuine burden for him.

  Jason was shaking.

  Rex eased him toward the chair he’d been sitting on. When he slumped down, Rex leaned up against the desk with his arms folded across his chest. He gave the lad a while, and when he seemed suitably recovered Rex asked a question. “Does your mother know how you feel? That you feel responsible?”

  Jason looked confused by the question, then shook his head. “You’re the first person I’ve told. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but it’s been eating away at me.” He gave Rex a furtive glance, as if to gauge his mood.

  Rex assessed him silently for some time. “You want my opinion?”

  Jason shrugged. “I guess so.”

  “The old man’s time was up. I was told there wasn’t a postmortem because he’d been advised he needed a heart bypass operation. He’d ignored the advice. Whether or not he recognized you is irrelevant. If I were in your position, I’d be more worried about the court case and being locked up like your brother and your mother. You assisted an attempted murder.”

  “I didn’t know what they intended, not until that day, and by the time I did it was too late.”

  The cracks were showing. “Was it?”

  Jason did everything to avoid eye contact for several moments but, with effort, forced himself to look up.

  “It’s never too late to step in. You could have called the police.”

  “I tried to talk them out of it.” Jason buckled, and buried his face in his hands. He gulped air convulsively as he sobbed.

  It was pitiful to watch, and whatever happened in court, Rex knew that this young man would forever carry the burdens of what he might have done, and what he didn’t do. He glanced at his watch. Jason wasn’t in any shape to be put out on the street.

  “Take your time, when you’re ready you can leave.” With that he stepped away. He had to pick up some stuff for a team meet later in the day.

  As he made his way out, he urged Ayo to keep an eye on the visitor, just in case. Though Rex doubted Jason had it in him to do any damage. Despite his best efforts, he felt sympathy for the lad. And it only served to show how much their father had impacted both of their lives. Was there any end to the shadows he’d left behind?

  Yes, Rex vowed. Yes, I’ll make it so.

  * * *

  WHEN CARMEN AWOKE in her old bedroom in Burlington Manor on Friday morning she felt at home, and happy. Rex was close in her thoughts. That was to be expected. What was amazing was how elated the very thought of him made her feel. Am I being a fool?

  Never had she felt so good, so right. She’d even driven to the manor the evening before, the first time since she’d moved away. That in itself was liberating. The new level of understanding and intimacy with Rex was altering her state of mind, opening a world of possibilities. She’d been a little afraid, because of what had gone on there in the past, but when she entered the house, sunlight filled the hallways and the hope she carried in her heart was reflected in every surface there.

  While she drank her morning coffee, she wandered from room to room, simply reveling in all that she loved about Burlington. The connection was deeper still, after the previous weekends she’d spent there with Rex. In fact, there was only one thing missing, and that was Rex himself.

  Had he done this on purpose, to show her that she would miss him? She wouldn’t put it past him. He’d been here alone without her the weekend before and he’d probably been bored. He was giving her a taste of that feeling.

  How she ever thought it would be the same without him was beyond her, though. He was a big part of her connection to the place, she had to face that, and as much as she wanted to believe his promises, she had to be cautious about the future. It might fall apart. If it did, leaving the manor forever would break her heart, yet at the same time she really couldn’t imagine being there without him, the master of the house.

  The master of my heart.

  The unbidden thought both amused and unnerved her. It was the truth. He was the master of both her and the estate, but there was a strong possibility she could end up living here alone, single, and with only her memories of their time together to keep her warm on a cold night.

  Acknowledging her potential fate, she tried to focus on the things that she wanted to do that day. It was important to try working long distance. It wasn’t something she’d ever done, outside of minor meetings online with her mother while she was studying for her degree in business management.

  With Leanne’s help she moved some things around in the old library and set up her laptop on the desk. Then she checked in with Estelle via her webcam.

  “Good morning!” Estelle waved. “Those distribution quotes you requested came in so they should be in your mailbox.”

  Carmen waved back. “I see them. I’ll prioritize that and get back to you soon.”

  “This is just as good as having you next door,” Estelle said.

  Carmen nodded. “It is the twenty-first-century way. I do believe I could manage it if necessary.”

  “Hey, you can leave the cam on all day if you need to, and we can conference call with other staff when necessary, too.”

  “Are you trying to keep me out of the office?”

  “Not at all. I’m making sure you get settled in so I can visit soon.”

  “If a permanent arrangement comes to pass, you’re still first on the list.”

  Estelle grinned.

  “I’ll check in with you later.” Carmen waved before closing the connection.

  Once she got into her work, the time fle
w and she only noticed it was lunchtime because her stomach growled.

  Making her way to the kitchens, she wondered how Rex was doing that day. Then she heard someone humming. Pushing the door open, she stepped into the kitchen expecting to find Mrs. Summerfield at work. However, it wasn’t Mrs. Summerfield who was humming to herself.

  “Well, hello,” Amanda drawled from her seat. She was wearing riding gear and she had her booted feet up on the table. By the looks of it she’d helped herself to one of the freshly baked scones that were cooling on a wire tray by the cooker.

  It was weird seeing her that way, because it took Carmen back to when they were teenagers and Amanda would let herself in the back door. Neither of them thought anything of it then, but things were different now. Carmen immediately felt territorial. “I suppose you came to see Rex. Well, he’s not here.”

  “Shame,” Amanda said, lowering her feet to the floor. “Sexy Rexy is always such a pleasure to be around.”

  She had a damn cheek, Carmen thought, annoyed at the way the situation made her feel. “Did you intend to make a fool of yourself all over again?”

  Amanda laughed. “My, my, you are touchy.”

  “Are you surprised, after Rex had to provide you an escort home last time you were here?”

  “Actually, I’ve seen Rex since then. I called by last weekend when he was here...alone.” She widened her eyes suggestively. “We had a nice chat about him...and me...and you.”

  Carmen’s stomach tightened. “If your intention is to upset me, don’t bother wasting your time. Any friendship we had was completely dashed by your behavior here at the housewarming. I don’t care anymore.”

  “Oh, Carmen, I’m winding you up!”

  Carmen blinked back her surprise.

  “I knew Rex wouldn’t be here so you don’t need to worry. I’m here because he told me I should apologize to you...and I suppose he’s right, so here I am.” She folded her arms loosely. “I’m sorry.”

  “I can see how hard that was for you.” Carmen laughed.

  “Yeah, well, between him and Nate putting the spotlight on me and laying down laws I’m feeling pretty sheepish here, so go easy on me.”