Battle Lines. (11 page)

Those eyes of his bored into her own and she felt herself grow hotter. She turned quickly for fear of giving herself away.

“Yes well, if she has then she hides it under many layers.” Harry complained loudly and then chuckled, slapping his hand on his thigh again.

“Though the ultimate prize may be that passion. The unwrapping can be just as bittersweet. Slowly taking away one layer after another to strip it all bare can be just as enticing as the end result.” Jake’s voice took on a different tone, laced with… Amanda closed her eyes as she felt a familiar feeling uncurling inside.

It wasn’t fair that he was able to do that with just a few well-chosen words and with other people around them. She felt herself getting very hot indeed.

Harry, however was either oblivious to Jake’s comment or he chose to ignore it and continued on regardless.

“It took me a long time to break Emee of her bad habits. Now, as you see, she simply does as she is told. Emee has got used to it. All women do in the end.” Amanda winced audibly and so did Jake.

Amanda turned to look at Harry, the words dead man walking, flashed in her head.

“Really.” Jake drawled, his tone tense. “It’s obvious that you know women very well.” He told Harry sarcastically. “That you know Amanda very well.” The tone in his voice changed and it made Amanda shiver. She wasn’t sure what it was that she thought she had heard but she had heard something that had her stomach flipping and her heart beating.

“Oh yes, you see Jakey.” Harry continued oblivious to anything other than his act. “Women need to be taught their place.”

“Their… place?” Jake asked and Amanda chanced a sideways glance at him. His eyebrows were raised as he watched Harry intently before he turned his eyes on her. Quickly she lowered them as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

“They need boundaries. Well, I don’t need to tell you that Jakey. I can see that you are a man of the world. Women are like children and, just like children, if you do not set rules then they end up walking all over you. A man ruled by a woman is so yesterday. Am I right? Oh I am so right.” Harry clapped his hands together in sheer enjoyment.

“Tell me something Alan. Where exactly would a woman’s place be… in your opinion.” Jake asked Harry.

“Well, if not in the kitchen, then most certainly in the bedroom. Am I right? I’m right.” Harry continued.

“Well… erm…” her mother blushed. “Jake?”

“There is something you have to understand.” Harry intervened before anyone could say anything. “A woman’s brain just doesn’t have the capacity for anything too challenging. Well you must know that. You have had to deal with Emee. I mean, she’s not the brightest bulb in the pack now is she.”

Amanda looked down in her lap for fear that she would either hit Harry, scream at him, or laugh hysterically. She felt movement and snapped her head up in alarm as she watched Jake lean forward.

The lines on his face looking tight and taunt over his bones. He slowly put his cup on the tray and then sat back up. He clenched his hands together several times and Amanda knew that he was hoping that his hands could be wrapped around Harry’s throat, or possibly hers, Amanda wasn’t sure.

“Right now I would second that.” Jake said quietly.

“Emee isn’t exactly known for being logical or rational now is she.” Harry put a hand on her mother’s hand. “I really do not know how you coped all those years. I mean really.” He turned back to her. Bringing up his hand and brushing his fingers against her cheek. “Emee is like a delicate flower and she needs to be treated as such. Once she’s had a couple of kids she will be far too busy to service my needs.” He dropped his hand from her. “I will have to take in a mistress for that.” He shook his head. “And I am not looking forward to that at all.” And then he tutted. “Though I think I will go blonde, not another redhead. Redheads are so… what’s the word I am looking for?” he asked and then looked directly at Jake giving him his best innocent little boy lost look.

Jake looked at Harry for several moments and then at Amanda who stared back unable to move.

“A handful.” Jake suggested.

“She most certainly is. Headstrong too. I am sure you have noticed that.” Harry continued.

“Yes.” Jake said almost absently as he continued to stare at her with those piercing steel blue eyes of his. “Quite willing to cut her own nose off to spite her face.” He said.

Amanda bit down on her lip to stop herself from saying something and snapping at him angrily. He knew that she would not when they had an audience. That was why he was doing it. “And what about you… Emee?” Jake spat the word out with such contempt that even Harry felt his toes curl. “You do not mind being treated like a mindless idiot?”

Well now, here was a dilemma. On the one hand this was a chance for her to calm the situation before it got any more out of hand than it already had. But then on the other…

“I am here to serve my loving husband and to tend to all of his needs.” She said.

“And speaking of my needs. I need the little boy’s room.” He clicked his fingers right under Amanda’s nose. Amanda stood up and dutifully bowed to her husband replying as casually as she could.

“Of course Alan. If you would follow me.” And she proceeded to show Harry out of the room, like a good little wife.

Once outside in the hallway Amanda grabbed Harry’s arm firmly and pulled him up the stairs so that she could get far away from the other occupants. She did not want to be overheard.

“What do you think you are playing at?” she asked him quietly.

“Funny, that was going to be my first question.” He said as they stared at one another. He had a point. She had been the one to get him into this not him. “It’s funny how in sync we are.” She heard the sarcasm. She let it go, she deserved it.

“Oh I am so sorry Harry. I just, it was. He just.” She stopped. Was there really an excuse.

“He really likes you.” Harry told her. A smug smile on his face and she punched his arm.

“No, he really doesn’t.” She told him.

“Yes, he really does.” Harry said.

“No… eh. Harry.” She sighed deeply.

“So then why did you lie? Harry asked her.

“I… it… well.”

“Mm.” Harry told her as he regarded her thoughtfully.

“Mm, nothing.” She told him.

“Mm, everything.”

“Harry.” She complained.

“You did put me in a bit of a spot.” Harry reminded her.

“And I am really sorry, but you are digging yourself deeper.” She reminded him.

“Well, once I saw his face I couldn’t resist it. He is fit to burst down there.” Harry told her.

“And you do not want to see him explode.” Amanda pointed out to him. Harry shrugged a shoulder.

“I was just testing the water.”

“Well stop testing the water.” She snapped at him.

“Don’t worry I know what temperature it is now.” Harry gave her a smug look.

“I have no idea what that means.” She said crossly.

“And you really don’t want to know what it means.” Harry told her.

“Why are you here?”

“To tell you about the meeting. No luck by the way.” He grimaced. “I tried every trick in the book.”

“I told you to phone me to let me know. Not turn up.”

“And I would have, had you had your phone switched on that is.”

Amanda huffed and removed her mobile from her pocket. He was right it was switched off. Great, she had obviously forgotten to charge it.

“I am sorry.”

“And so you should be. What have you got me into?” Harry asked her, well moaned at her actually.

“I am sorry, really just… look just play along and then leave. The bathroom is at the end of the hall there. Wait a few minutes then come back down. Make an excuse that you have to get back to work or back to the office or something and then I will smooth things over when you are gone and confess.” Harry’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “I promise.” She told him.

“Fine, whatever you say boss. I am here to serve.” Then with a click of his fingers he was back in character. Prancing down the hallway like a three-year-old ballerina. A very bad ballerina with absolutely no sense of balance. Or rhythm.

Chapter 11.

Amanda returned to the parlour a moment later after she had taken several deep breaths to calm herself and preparing herself for a difficult confession once Harry had gone.

On returning, however, her mother wasn’t there. Jake was sitting quietly by himself.

“Where did mum go?” she asked Jake as she moved closer. She had been intending to sit back down but Jake was up like a shot as soon as she was close enough and his hands grabbed her upper arms painfully so that she could not move away from him.

She did not need to look up at his face to know that he was angry. It was literally dripping out of every pore. She could feel it. She could smell it. She was in big trouble.

“What the hell do you think you are playing at?” he hissed at her through clenched teeth. She could see that pulse beating at the side of his neck. It looked ready to rupture.

“Excuse me?” she asked, playing dumb.

“You heard me.”

“I’m not sure if I understand.” She replied, she understood only too well. Jake’s fingers bit harder into her flesh and she bit her lips to stop herself from wincing.

“Oh no you don’t. You are not getting out of it that easily.”

“Jake please you are hurting me.” She winced.

“Hurting you? I ought to shake some sense into that little brain of yours, if you have one. Tell me this is some sort of sick joke and that you didn’t actually marry that… that… that… whatever the hell that is.”

Okay, now tell the truth, she implored herself. Here is your chance. Look Jake right in the eyes and tell him. He would be angry but then he was angry now.

Amanda took a breath and looked up at Jake trying not to shrink back at the smouldering anger she saw in the depths of his eyes.

“Alan is my husband. I would like you to accept him as part of the family.” Amanda groaned inwardly.

You silly, stupid idiot. You had your chance to end this pathetic charade. What are you doing?

“Are you trying to tell me that you were actually dense enough to marry that… man?” She felt his fingers biting deeper into the flesh of her upper arms. “What the hell goes through that head of yours?”

“I thought you said having my own ideas was one of my better qualities.” She threw his earlier words back in his face.

“Don’t you dare.” He started. That pulse was ticking away like it was fit to burst. She had never seen it so violent.

“What’s the matter Jake, don’t like it because you haven’t got your own way. Throwing your toys out of your pram.” She threw at him and instantly regretted it as he pulled her closer to him. His lips coming down on hers so brutally, so savagely that she whimpered.

He lifted his head, stopping what he was doing, as though he knew that he could easily be pushed too far.

“Do you know what I think? I think you married him just to get a rise out of me.” He told her.

“That is ridiculous Jake. Trust me, I don’t even think of you when Alan and I are… ouch.” His grip was so tight now that she could no longer feel her hands. He had cut off her circulation.

“Don’t… even… think… about finishing that sentence. Not… if you know what’s good for you.” His voice sounded more of a deep gravelly growl.

“What are you going to do Jake?” she lifted her chin challengingly at him. Which was probably not a wise move.

“Trust me if we were alone here. There would be quite a few things that I would do to you.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper that made her shiver. The hidden meanings in his words were not lost on her. She knew exactly what he was thinking and her heart gave a savage kick.

“What’s wrong with Alan?” she asked, feigning indignation.

“What’s right with him? You surely don’t need me to tell you?” he told her.

“Alan is my husband. He is my family.” She said. “The only family I have known for a very long time.”

“Mandy…” Unfortunately, Harry chose that moment to come back into the room. Or maybe that was fortunately. Jake let her go as if she were contaminated.

Her mother came back into the room then with a worried look on her face as she looked from Jake to Amanda and then back at Jake.

“Well.” Harry began. “I have to go. There are more important things for me to do. Jackie it’s been real. Am I right? I’m always right… Jakey.” Harry wiped away a few phantom tears and snivelled into a hanky. “Emee sweetie. I will see you later.”

Harry grabbed her and slung her backwards. He leaned over and kissed her before pulling her back into a standing upright position.

“Oh, won’t my daughter go back in the car with you?” her mother asked Harry. Harry look horrified.

“She is a woman.” He snorted loudly and indignantly. “There is nothing wrong with her feet or her legs. Besides the exercise will do her good. I have noticed that she been getting rather podgy lately. The only thing worse than an ugly wife is a fat ugly wife.”

Too far. Way too far. Amanda knew it even before Jake’s fist snuck out and collided with Harry’s jaw.