‘Of course not,’ Stella said stiffly. ‘I just ... I don’t like this kind of attention.’
‘Sorry, darling,’ Peter said to her, ‘but it comes with the territory, I’m afraid. Don’t upset yourself about it.’
Stella handed the iPad back to Scott and sat down again, but she still looked troubled, worrying at her bottom lip with her teeth.
‘Don’t let it get to you,’ Rafe said to her. ‘It’ll blow over soon enough.’
‘And think how stupid they’ll look when it turns out you’re actually with Dad and Rafe’s still a tragic bachelor,’ Scott said to her. ‘You’ll have the last laugh.’
Stella gave him a weak smile.
Scott left the iPad open on the table and Lesley picked it up. One picture showed Rafe and Stella walking along the Croisette. It was taken from behind. The other was on the beach and they were sitting side by side on sunloungers. It had obviously been taken from some distance and was a little blurred, but it was unmistakably taken the day they had all gone to Cannes, and it had been cleverly edited so that the rest of the group were nowhere in sight. Stella was in her orange one-piece, and Rafe was turned towards her attentively, tanned and handsome in his swim shorts. Lesley was amazed at how convincing it was. They looked just like a loved-up couple on a romantic holiday together. If she didn’t know better and came across it in a magazine, she wouldn’t have questioned it for a second.
The atmosphere became even more tense and fraught since Scott’s discovery of those photos, so, when Al suggested they go out for lunch, just the two of them, Lesley practically bit his hand off. He’d been polite but cold with her this morning, and she really needed some time alone with him to clear the air.
So as the others set up for an afternoon of dozing by the pool, sleeping off their hangovers, Al took Lesley on a drive to Menton, where they walked along the seafront, checking out the restaurants that lined the harbour.
‘What do you fancy?’ Al asked her.
‘I’m in serious need of a hangover feed,’ she said, trying to get back on a more friendly footing. ‘So it can’t be anywhere where the food is too poncy. Nothing with shavings or foam, or dust. I can’t be doing with shavings of anything in my condition.’
‘Big portions, then, heavy on the carbs?’ Al said. ‘How about this?’ He stopped outside a little Italian restaurant.
‘Perfect.’
‘This is my treat, by the way,’ Lesley said when they were seated. ‘It’s the least I can do to make up for last night,’ she added as Al began to protest.
‘Really, there’s no need for that.’
‘Come on, I owe you one.’
‘All right, if you insist.’
‘I do. And have whatever you want.’ Lesley looked down at her menu. ‘But not the lobster,’ she added. ‘I’m not made of money.’
She was relieved to see Al give the hint of a smile. Maybe he was starting to thaw. ‘I really am sorry about last night,’ she said. ‘But it honestly was nothing.’
Al shrugged. ‘I probably over-reacted. I know it must be hard for you, pretending you’re in a relationship, not being free to do whatever you want ... with whomever you want.’
‘It’s what you’re paying me for,’ she said. ‘Anyway, I don’t want Scott like that. I told you we were just messing around.’
‘TV’s Mr Darcy, then?’
Lesley thought it was touching that he didn’t realise Rafe was way out of her league. ‘It must be hard for you too.’
He lifted his head. ‘How do you mean?’
‘Well, everyone thinks you’re taken, so you can’t flirt with whoever you want without looking like a sleazebag. And Cassie obviously wants you back.’
‘Really?’ He frowned, looking at her closely. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘I saw you talking to her last night. You looked very cosy.’ She tried not to sound snitty.
A slow smile spread across Al’s face. He obviously liked the idea of getting back with Cassie. But she shouldn’t be surprised. He’d only broken up with her because she cheated, not because he’d fallen out of love with her.
‘Well, we could make it easier for both of us.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘What I said last night,’ he began, and Lesley’s heart sank. She was glad his mood seemed to have magically lifted, but she really wanted to draw a veil over the whole thing.
‘Hm?’ she squeaked, looking up at him from under her lashes.
‘About taking care of your needs,’ he continued cheerfully, without a trace of embarrassment or awkwardness. Lesley concentrated hard on her menu. ‘I meant what I said.’
‘Oh, right. Good to know, thanks.’
‘Have you thought about it at all?’
‘Um, yeah … sort of.’ Lesley was breaking into a sweat that had nothing to do with her hangover. She prayed for a waiter to come and rescue her.
‘And?’ Al looked at her expectantly.
‘I think I’ll have the steak frites. I need spuds.’
‘Oh, right. But I meant—’
‘What about starters? Do you fancy going halves on an antipasti platter?’
‘Yes, sure – sounds good.’
‘Have you decided what you’re having? I was only joking about the lobster – have whatever you want.’
‘Thanks. But I think I’ll have the same as you.’
He put down his menu, and she was glad that subject seemed to be closed. He folded his hands on the table. ‘Anyway, the offer still stands,’ he said.
‘Oh.’ Shit, the subject wasn’t closed after all.
‘Any time you like,’ he said, ‘I’m at your disposal.’
‘Great! Well, thanks. I’ll … let you know if I change my mind.’
‘If it helps, I’ve been told I’m very good. I can provide excellent testimonials.’
‘Well … good for you!’ She looked around frantically, trying to catch a waiter’s eye. ‘You should set up a website. Spread the word.’
‘You’d have a good time. I’d make sure of that.’
‘Okay, noted.’ Lesley nodded seriously as if she intended to give it careful consideration.
‘Excellent,’ he said breezily. ‘Well, now that that’s out of the way, let’s enjoy our lunch.’
Thankfully, Al dropped the subject after that, and Lesley was able to relax and enjoy the food, which was delicious.
‘Stella was really shook up about that photo of her and Rafe online,’ Al said.
‘I know! It was kind of weird how she reacted, wasn’t it?’ Lesley perked up as the conversation turned to Stella and they were soon engrossed in discussing the latest developments.
‘I’m starting to like Stella,’ she admitted. ‘I’m kind of hoping there’s some innocent explanation for whatever it is she’s hiding. Although the only innocent explanation I can think of wouldn’t be something I’d wish on anyone.’
‘Abusive ex?’
Lesley nodded. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t been able to find out much. I feel like a bit of a fraud taking your money when I haven’t really achieved anything.’
‘Don’t feel like that. You’re getting close to her. It takes time.’
‘Time we haven’t got.’ Lesley sighed. ‘But don’t worry. I’m going to be her bridesmaid, so that will give me lots of opportunities to dig around and get more personal with her. I’ll redouble my efforts when we’re back in Dublin.’
‘And there’s always the chance Jane and Peter will get back together and solve the whole problem.’
‘True. Jane did sterling work last night with that Philippe bloke.’ Lesley ate her last chip and sighed, leaning back. ‘I’m going to miss this,’ she said, looking out at the blue water, sparkling with sunlight. ‘I can’t believe tomorrow is our last day.’
Al smiled sympathetically.
She was going to miss the heat of the sun and the intensely blue sky. But she felt a little pang at the thought of not being with Al all the time, chatting to h
im in bed at night about everything, bouncing ideas off him and going over the events of the day. She’d found it surprisingly easy being thrown together so intimately with him. She liked how friendly and confident he was, and she’d got used to him putting his arm casually around her shoulders or holding her hand. It felt nice, and she’d miss it. She wondered whether they could stay friends when the case was over.
‘So am I forgiven?’ she asked as they got up to leave.
‘Yes, I’ve decided you were just acting out of jealous rage at seeing me with Cassie, so I’ve forgiven your momentary lapse.’
‘Huh! Good story.’ She knew he was joking, but it felt dangerously close to the bone.
‘But I’ve assured you that you have nothing to worry about on that score, and now we’re stronger than ever.’
‘Sounds good,’ she said. And even though there was no one around to see, she didn’t protest when he took her hand in his as they left the restaurant.
34
‘What the fuck?’ Lesley was startled awake by a loud booming that seemed to permeate the walls of the house. It sounded like a long series of explosions, and she half expected to see the house crumbling around her as she tentatively peeled her eyes open. She quickly realised it was thunder when she saw the room lit up by sporadic flashes of lightning.
She squeezed her eyes closed again as the thunder rumbled on, hoping it would stop in a minute. She hated lightning. But when she peeked again, it was still flashing constantly at the window, lighting the room in jagged bursts like a strobe, and making her feel sick and dizzy. She’d never experienced such a dramatic electrical storm before.
‘Al?’ she whispered, groping for the switch on the bedside lamp. ‘Are you awake?’
There was no answer. She was about to flick on the light, when she remembered you weren’t supposed to touch anything electrical during a lightning storm.
‘Al,’ she hissed, louder this time. She leaned over and peered down at him. His eyes were closed. ‘Al!’ she shouted.
‘Huh?’ He stirred.
‘Are you awake?’
‘Well, I am now,’ he said, his voice thick with sleep as he looked up at her blearily. ‘Something wrong?’ He shifted up on one elbow.
She gave him an incredulous look. ‘There’s thunder and lightning.’
‘So I see. It doesn’t bother you, does it?’
‘I can’t say I’m a fan,’ she said, cringing away from the window as there was another booming roll of thunder, and a spectacular flash. ‘I’ve never seen lightning like this before.’
‘It gets like that here sometimes. It’s nothing to worry about.’
‘That’s easy for you to say all the way over there. I’m here next to the window. If anyone’s going to be a lightning rod in this room, it’s me.’
He blinked at her dazedly. ‘Want to swap?’
She shook her head. ‘What if the lightning got you, and I’d have to break it to your family that it was my fault?’ She squealed as the lightning flashed brighter, squeezing her eyes shut. ‘I don’t want to have you getting burnt to a crisp on my conscience.’
‘Well, you’re welcome to join me over here, if you like.’
It was tempting. It definitely looked safer on his side. ‘Maybe ...’ Then there was a spectacularly loud boom of thunder and the light show seemed to crank up a notch. ‘Okay,’ she said, throwing off the duvet and diving across the pillow barrier as if trying to escape a bomb blast. Al pulled back his duvet and she scrambled onto the mattress beside him.
‘Do you want me to go over to the other side?’ he asked. ‘I don’t mind.’
‘No, this is fine.’ It was comforting to have the warmth of another body. It felt cosy and safe. Well, sort of ...
She yelped, clutching the sheet as there was another clatter of thunder. A flash at the window filled the room with piercing light, and she squeezed her eyes shut, turning away from it. When she opened them again, she found herself staring straight into Al’s eyes, his face inches from hers. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath, and she suddenly felt very aware of the intimacy of the situation, their near-naked bodies crushed together. She only had knickers on under the short T-shirt she slept in, and Al was wearing nothing but boxers. Her heart started pounding very fast, and it had nothing to do with the storm.
She pressed herself closer to Al, huddling into his bare chest, and his arms came around her. His eyes dropped to her mouth as she leaned closer. When she touched her lips tentatively to his, he pulled back slightly, frowning at her questioningly.
‘Lesley?’
‘Just go with it,’ she said, kissing him again, more forcefully this time, her lips lingering on his encouragingly. She sighed against his mouth as he started kissing her back, his arms tightening around her.
She parted her lips and felt his breath hot in her mouth, his lips warm and firm against hers ... and dry. She slid her tongue lightly along his lower lip, while she clutched him feverishly, aching for him to slide his tongue into her mouth and deepen the kiss. But to her increasing frustration, his kisses remained firmly PG-rated. Maybe he was just being polite, kissing her back because she’d kissed him first. But when she ran her hands over the bunched muscles of his chest, his heart was beating wildly, and when she ground her hips into his, seeking friction, she felt ... whoa! a rock-hard erection. He was definitely into this. So why was he holding back?
He pressed dry, closed-mouth kisses down her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat. Which was very nice as far as it went, but—
‘Kiss me properly,’ she murmured finally, unable to bear it any longer.
‘I am kissing you properly,’ he breathed against her skin.
Oh God, was he just a shit kisser, she thought, her heart sinking. Maybe she’d found the one thing Al wasn’t good at. She wanted to howl with disappointment. She’d thought he was restraining himself out of respect that day on the hike, but maybe that was as good as it got.
‘Seriously?’ she said, grabbing his hair and pulling his head up. ‘This is the best you can do?’
‘Within the agreed parameters, yes.’
‘Huh?’
‘You said no tongues, remember?’
‘Oh! Well, I’ve changed my mind.’ She leaned in and ran her tongue along his bottom lip encouragingly.
‘You want me to use my tongue?’ His eyes glinted mischievously, and she suspected he was torturing her deliberately now, drawing out the agony.
‘Yes. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,’ she said, curling her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him to her.
‘No trouble at all,’ he said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Then he lunged in and kissed her again, his mouth opening over hers, and she gave a little whimper of relief and excitement as his tongue slid inside. The sensation went straight to her groin. He was an amazing kisser! She felt like whooping with delight as they devoured each other’s mouths hungrily.
They kissed and kissed, and it all became more urgent and grabby, their breathing hot and ragged, their fingers clutching. Lesley hitched a leg across Al’s, grinding against his erection, her breasts pressed against his chest. Her nipples were hard and taut, and she longed to feel his touch on her bare skin. But while she ran her hands feverishly all over his body, he kept his on her waist, so light he was barely touching her. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she took one of his hands and pressed it against her breast to give him a hint.
Finally he lifted his head a fraction, just far enough to mumble against her mouth.
‘May I touch you under your clothes?’
‘God, yes! Please. Knock yourself out.’
Then finally he pushed his hands up under her T-shirt and she felt them on her hot, flushed skin, sliding over her naked breasts. They both groaned as his fingers brushed against her hardened nipples and he kissed his way down to the neckline of her T-shirt as he pinched and rolled them, making Lesley squirm in pleasure, the delicious ache building betwee
n her legs.
‘May I take this off?’ he mumbled against her skin, tugging at the neckline.
‘Yes,’ she gasped. She knew what his game was now, and she could just tell him that the rules were off and he could do whatever he wanted. But the fact was his voice was incredibly sexy, and she was finding it a huge turn-on having him say what he wanted to do to her out loud. Besides, it was very hot making out like teenagers, teasing it out slowly.
She squirmed restlessly as his hand slid to the hem of her T-shirt. His fingers brushed lightly against her skin as he peeled it slowly upwards, and she shivered. She sat up a little and lifted her arms so he could pull it off over her head. He tossed it aside and looked down at her, his eyes darkening.
‘Wow, you’re gorgeous.’
Then his mouth was on her breasts, his breath hot on her skin as he licked and sucked, pulling one taut nipple into his mouth while his fingers teased the other, and Lesley felt the need gnawing at her insides.
‘May I touch you below the waist?’ Al breathed, his fingers drifting across her stomach.
‘I might start screaming if you don’t.’
She felt his smile against her skin as his fingers trailed lightly down her stomach, tracing a line across the edge of her knickers. Then he was kissing her again as his hand dived inside.
He groaned into her mouth as he slid a finger inside her, and Lesley gasped as his thumb started rubbing slow circles over her clit. The tension built inside her until she was on the verge of orgasm, when he pulled back, hooking his fingers into the sides of her knickers.
‘May I kiss you below the waist?’ he asked, his eyes dark and his jaw tense as he gazed down at her. ‘With tongue?’
Lesley gulped and nodded furiously, too turned on to speak. He slid her knickers down her legs painfully slowly, and she was trembling with need as he nudged her legs apart and bent his head to her.
Her hands fisted the sheets as Al’s tongue pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She was almost there ... any second now ... She let out a keening moan as the pleasure reached a crescendo. And then suddenly he stopped.
For Love or Money: A laugh out loud, heartwarming romantic comedy Page 24